HM Bomb Vessel Granado by jwvolz - FINISHED - Caldercraft - 1:64

[Landlubber Mike]

Those rails are really sharp.  Very nice work!  Thanks for sharing the technique!

[FredSC]

Thanks, Joe.  Your log is spectacular.

[FredSC]

Joe,  Your log starts with the bearding and rabbet lines already cut.  The Grenado plans show the bearding line but not the rabbet line.  I'm guessing it's because they assume that everyone knows what to do.  Well, not everyone does.  Do you just go along the bottom and front of the keel about 1/16 and cut about 1/32 deep?

[jwvolz]

Well, I've made some nice progress since the last update, and am just now getting caught up with the photos. 

 

• Quarterdeck rail installed, including the addition of the decorative molded strip that is not in the kit. This was done the same way as the forecastle rail.
• Forecastle knights and timberheads installed and painted.
• Galley flue painted and installed. A simple styrene disc and a few pieces of styrene strip were used to scratch build the deflector. 
• Mortar surround side panels installed. 
• Stern 10" mortar glued in place. This was completed a while ago. I've left the 13" forward mortar off for now, since I'm displaying that one in an elevated position and don't want it in the way while installing the cannons. 
• I scratch built the windlass from walnut, rather than use the ply parts, but am not 100% happy with it. The walnut I used is a good bit darker than the rest of what Caldercraft supplies, and I may have to get some other walnut that's a bit lighter (and has less grain) and try again, which is unfortunate because it was a bit of work. That being said I'm not pleased with how the color of the supplied Caldercraft walnut varies extensively. At least I don't have that issue with the planking, but the CNC sheets are all over the map. 

Edited October 7, 2014 by Joe V.

[jwvolz]

Joe,  Your log starts with the bearding and rabbet lines already cut.  The Grenado plans show the bearding line but not the rabbet line.  I'm guessing it's because they assume that everyone knows what to do.  Well, not everyone does.  Do you just go along the bottom and front of the keel about 1/16 and cut about 1/32 deep?

Fred,

Surprisingly the rabbet is not in the Caldercraft instructions, although the bearding line is. I just knew from experience that it needed to be done, particularly with double planking. I just bevel back on an angle from the false keel with a chisel enough to get both layers of planking to lay flay against the bulkheads and keel, and fit properly at the stem. If you remove the equivalent of both layers of planking at the stem you should be fine there. 

[FredSC]

Thanks, Joe.  Already I can tell this will take a while, so I'll take the time to try to get it right.

[Landlubber Mike]

Really nice work Joe as always.  Your planking and painting are super crisp.

 

I can see what you mean by the windlass.  It does look a bit darker than the other walnut you used elsewhere.  I'm running into similar issues with my Pegasus, where the walnut is all over the place in color - very frustrating!

[Timmo]

That foc'sle looks great Joe.

Agree with your thoughts on the walnut colouring. I've just been finishing masts and yards (pics posted when it's worth showing) and luckily had some nice light walnut from a previous kit to make cleats to match the bowsprit, which had been in turn stained to match the rest of the kit. The supplied rod was way too dark.

That's the trouble, and beauty of these pre-Nelson ships - not much painted over so harder to hide the botches.

[jwvolz]

Thanks guys.

 

I don't think this windlass will be the final one... I'm going to start scrounging around for other options, and possibly staining something to match most of the other kit walnut. I have cannon rigging and construction to keep me occupied for a bit.  

 

When I get to the masts I think I'm going to copy the CNC cut bibs, cheeks etc... in another wood that I can also make the masts out of. I don't think I'll ever be able to match the kit pieces up with the doweling supplied for the masts. At least the spars, tops and doublings are black!

[jwvolz]

I assembled the eight remaining long guns and made up the side tackles, train tackles and breeching ropes. Just doesn't look like much even if it is a bit of work. Installation to follow. 

 

I airbrushed the cannons with a mix of gray and black Polly Scale paints and they have a matte coat applied over them to protect the finish. 

 

 

[jwvolz]

Well my dissatisfaction with the windlass got the best of me and I obtained some lighter, less grainy walnut from the hobby store. Four 5x5mm strips were glued into a square, sanded octagonal, tapered and then cut to fit around the uprights. 

 

I am MUCH happier with this one, both color and finish. 

 

I hope it is clear that the second picture is the good one...

[Timmo]

Much better result there Joe. It's always worth the effort if you aren't happy with the first attempt.

Edited October 12, 2014 by Timmo

[Landlubber Mike]

The new windlass color looks like a much better match.  Nice decision to bite the bullet and build a new one.

 

Preparation of the cannons takes forever, especially if you rig them.  Nice in some ways in that it's a repetitive task that you can get into a rhythm doing, but I'm still glad my models have fewer guns than some of the big ones out there.

[jwvolz]

Thanks guys.

 

I've reached the point where I will take the time to re-make any part I end up unhappy with. I invest too many hours to have a something I'm not happy with compromise the whole build. 

 

Next up I'm going to complete the windlass/belfry assembly. 

[jwvolz]

The windlass and the completed belfry have been installed. Caldercraft supplies a cast metal bell, but I had this extra brass one in my fittings stash. There's no way I could have painted the cast one to look this nice 

[Beef Wellington]

Looks fabulous Joe, good call on the bell and nice rework on the windlass.

[jwvolz]

Thanks again everyone.

 

Well, being on vacation this week as enabled me to get in lots of golf and lots of ship modeling. 

 

The cannons have all been installed and rigged. Although it is always a tedious process, I think it went quite well. Caldercraft supplies some decently small blocks to rig the guns and they were quite usable. I still need to make up the rope coils, but I'll do that in a few days.

 

 

[WackoWolf]

Excellent job, clean detail for the eyes. Keep the pictures and updates coming, and Thank you for sharing this build.

[maggsl_01]

Hi  Joe,

 

great Job on the cannons. I just startet the rigging of my cannons on the Royal Caroline. Ist the first time I do this rigging - and... wow... it is a challenge. I try to find out the best way for a practical work Routine on the different ropes. It is a fiddly fumbling with tweezers, glue, knots and many lost nervs... But at least it will work :D

 

Cheerio

 

Max

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Nice work Joe.  Cannon rigging is tricky business, I'm sure you're glad to get the 2mm blocks behind you

 

A week of golf and ship modeling sounds ideal.  I'm jealous!

[jwvolz]

Thanks guys, much appreciated. 

 

Yep, great week Mike. Fall golf is the best with cooler weather and smaller crowds. Oh, and the scenery can't beat this time of year either...

 

 

[maggsl_01]

Hi Joe,

 

I fully agree with you: Autumn is my favorite season - although it is not as spectacular in Germany as it is at the Eastcoast of the US (who does not know the great Pictures of the famous Indian Summer...) But it is a perfect time for hiking, to go out with the Dogs, to relax and to prepare for the dark and Grey winter coming soon...

 

Have a nice time

 

Cheerio

 

Max

[jwvolz]

Minor update.

 

Elm tree pumps are built. Caldercraft suggests a dowel for the outlet, but I used a piece of styrene rod that I hollowed out slightly to give it some depth. They also say to paint everything  black, except the handle (brass) and to paint that "wood". Since that never looks very realistic, I painted the whole thing black. Not the best photo of the painted ones...

[jwvolz]

Thanks everyone for all of the "likes"

 

I've started working on the ladders. There are a total of six to build and I am not at all pleased with the kit CNC parts, as it is way out of scale and the ply is visible on the edge and would need to be painted. I came up with the method below and am pretty pleased with the results.

 

I started with 1mmx4mm walnut to match most of the inboard fittings. I measured out 5mm gaps between treads on one side, and then offset those by 2mm on the other side, to get the right angle. I drew a line connecting the two marks and filed a shallow groove with a triangular file to accommodate the tread. Some .5mmx3mm stock was cut with a simple jig to be sure the length was equal and glued into the slots on the one side, and when thoroughly dry, the other side was glued in place. As these strips were a bit narrower I made sure they were flush with the front face of the sides. They were then finished to final length through fitting on the model. 

 

I think they look much better. Still a few more to make.  

 

 

[Beef Wellington]

Those are pretty narrow Joe, and you're right that the CNC part is too thick.  Think you can get away with using them on the wider ladders, but your scratched one looks much better.

[Timmo]

Nice wok Joe. Quicker and nicer than mine.

[aliluke]

Big improvement Joe. Ladders are tricky and a good ladder, as a wee part, gives a real lift to the overall picture. Love your model, she is going to be a beauty!

[jwvolz]

Thanks all, much appreciated. I'm really glad I'm taking these little extra steps in the build, it's all worth it, and it helps challenge me to come up with a solution whenever presented by the something in the kit I don't like. 

[maggsl_01]

Hi Joe,

 

thats so much correc t what you say. I do not think that I will build a scratch model. But to know how to improve a kit or to do things better than the kit makes it possible is great. So you can come much closer to the original... Thats what I think about it

 

Cheerio

 

Max

[jwvolz]

All six ladders are complete and installed. Fiddly to build, but definitely worth it.