HMS Pegasus by Landlubber Mike - Amati/Victory Models - Scale 1:64

[Landlubber Mike]

Here are the final pictures.  Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how they came out.  They are symmetrical and are level with one another, which are the most important factors.  I wasn't able to get the patterns to fit the full curves of the first few bulkheads at the stem however.  As I feared, the redheart extensions were very fragile.  I busted off a few more while fitting gluing the patterns on, so molding the patterns against the extensions was not in the cards.  Also, the extensions had a bit of flex to them, causing them to bow in slightly as the patterns were attached.  So, the forecastle deck pattern will need to be sanded back a bit to get it to fit.  All in all, nothing too major - I think some creative sanding and filling could help me get the hull curves back.

 

Thanks for looking in!

 

 

 

 

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks Spyglass  Looking back at my pictures, it appears I was able to get more curves into the pattern than I first thought.  The curves at bulkheads 2 and 3 can use a little more work, but that I think I can get from sanding.  The patterns are of 1.5mm ply, so that gives some room to play.

[Martin W]

Great job, Mike -- I join Spy in that salute.  Looking at the picture from the bow aft, I have to say that I like the shape you got better than my own.  And your jigsaw joint is tighter than mine.

 

One question:  are you going to cut a window into the captain's cabin?

 

Oh, and I have 3 bunches of those planking screws -- I didn't use them at all on the Rattlesnake, but have used them consistently on the Fly.  It helps on the fingers if you drill a guide hole into the bulkhead -- I also found that without the guide hole they broke.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks Martin.  Do you mean cut a hole in the gunport pattern where the quarterbadges are?  I wasn't planning on it, given that I am not outfitting the captain's cabin, but maybe it's a good thing to do to add a little depth behind the windows...hmm...

 

For the planking screws, I found they had a hard time penetrating the plywood patterns for some reason.  I poked a hole in them with a push pin, and then screwed them into the MDF.  The MDF probably could have used a small starter hole as well.  Thankfully none of my planking screws broke.

[aliluke]

Hi Mike

Those patterns are a good milestone to get past. Looking good.

 

I cut out the window in the pattern behind the quarter badge with no cabin fit out but it does give a sense of depth to the glazed badge. Well worth doing in my opinion.

[jwvolz]

Nice job on the patterns Mike, and yes no matter the kit those are a nightmare. Great progress so far, I love the deck. 

[mtaylor]

Mike,

 

She's coming along swimmingly.  Nice work.  I'd suggest that next time maybe instead of redheart, use whatever extensions are in the kit and dye them if you don't like paint.  Yeah.... that stuff (redheart) is super fragile.

Edited December 29, 2014 by mtaylor

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks Mark.  I did think about that, but the problem is that it can then be hard to match the cannon carriages, deck beams and other red items.  What I probably should think about doing in the future is dying the bulkheads that won't be seen (which would be mostly the ones at the ends where the curvatures really come into play), and only replacing the ones near the waist (where there are no curvatures generally).  Live and learn  

[shihawk]

 Spot on Mike , the front view will usually show up any un-natural lines and yours looks perfect  . I find it important to look from every angle possible you never know what shows up ?? Must look for a few of those planking pins . 

[Landlubber Mike]

Thank you Shihawk, it's a bit stressful to start gluing and work your way around, all the time checking for accurate alignment.  Glad it's done!

 

Those pins I got from Micromark.  They might have similar ones at a shop more local to you.  I really am glad I had them - they made the work much easier.

[rdsaplala]

Hi Mike, 

 

She's coming along beautifully, those precut bulwarks are indeed quite a pain to install, but I can see that you've  overcome them with flying colors

 

 

...I hope you don't mind, but I copied some pictures off your log showing your main bitts construction.  They will be very helpful resources, thank you!

 

No problem my friend, copy away, I'll be copying quite a lot of your excellent techniques in the near future too 

Have a Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!

[Martin W]

Hi Mike -- Just thought I'd mention that I dyed the bulkhead extensions on my Fly, using the Cranberry from General Finishes that looked so good on the boxwood gun carriages.  Well, you're right, it doesn't match, since my bulkheads are all ply, and the outer layer is a dark walnut color that took the dye as a much deeper red, almost maroon.  I'll post a photo when I can get away from my day job. 

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Blue Ensign]

Always a relief to get that part of the build sorted Mike.

 

Did you trial a gun in the ports to check that the muzzle sits central to the hole? it's a good guide to check that things aren't running out.

 

I would agree with Alistair that cutting the window space for the Quarter Badges does add a sense of depth, and it's a fairly small modification.

 

Happy modelling in 2015.

 

B.E.

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks BE, hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday and best wishes in 2015!  I had a gun setup for my Unicorn build, and used that to test out the gunport heights - I think/hope the gun carriages are roughly the same size.  

 

I'll have to cut out the window space on the quarter badges - that's a very good suggestion, thanks guys!

[Landlubber Mike]

Not much to update.  I had to refit the bottom of the gunport patterns in a couple of spots where the pattern separated away from the bulkhead.  I used a cut-off wheel in my Dremel to remove any globs of dried glue, then used the planking screws again to get the bottoms in those sections nice and tight to the bulkheads.  I'm glad I did so as the work improved the curves in the hull very nicely.  I also had to shave back some of the forecastle and quarterdeck deck patterns a bit.  The redheart had a bit of flex to it, so I maybe had to shave the patterns back 0.5-1.0mm on each side.  Thankfully, keeping the original bulkheads 1 and 12 kept the patterns from pushing the other bulkheads in too much more.  

 

I've also been spending time fairing the rest of the bulkheads.  This is a process I dreaded, mostly from my Badger build where I only used sandpaper and needle files - so, I only faired the top portion to fit the gunport patterns.  I'm using heavier duty files this time, and the work is going a lot easier on this build.  Still, the fairing is taking me many hours - thankfully it's an easy task to do while watching football.  I used my Dremel a bit for the upper portions, but want to be a little more careful on the rest of the hull to get the curves just right so am working them by hand.  A few more to do and then I can start planking.  I've decided not to do the bow and stern filler blocks, as there are plenty of bulkheads grouped tightly together in those areas.  Plus, in really taking my time in fairing the bulkheads to ensure a smooth run, the test planks are sitting very nicely.

 

I still need to fair bulkhead 13 (the last one where the stern extensions fit), and am trying to figure out the relation between the bulkhead and the stern counter, and where the run of the planks ends.  I'm assuming that there is a pretty good bevel that needs to be worked into the bulkhead, and that the stern counter sits against the aft edge of the beveled bulkhead?

[Martin W]

Hi Mike -- Like you, I skipped out on the filler blocks at the bow, and have had no real problem getting the planks to lie properly.  At the stern, though, it was in shaping the filler blocks (along with staring at the NMM plans for long stretches) that I was able to get a sense of how everything supposedly comes together back there.  I left a kind of bevel, but in bending the planks have found that it's a hard one to tuck into because of the severity of the curve along with the twist of the planks -- especially those lower down.  I also have found that anything like a bevel takes away the base to glue the planks onto.

 

Sanding those danged bulkheads is tedious to say the least (and dusty -- I gave myself a cough that took weeks to hack out of).  I fashioned a curved sanding stick out of a thick dowel that helped get the shape I had theorized.  Its thickness also helped expedite the process.

 

I think one reason for the popularity of the Swan class is that the hull has a very pretty shape with nice full curves.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Landlubber Mike]

Hi Martin, thanks for looking in.  I probably have at least 8 solid hours of fairing the bulkheads.  It's an easy job to do while watching TV at least.  I've been using a dust mask, as that MDF dust can be some nasty stuff.  To fair them, I've been using these carbide files from Micromark which have worked fairly nicely (I think i'm using the coarse set, and not the fine set):

 

http://www.micromark.com/5-piece-carbide-needle-file-set-coarse-80-grit,7526.html

 

 

The stern on my Badger was a bit nerve-wracking process, but eventually I just went with it and it turned out ok.  The tuck up and into the counter seems to be a lot more acute than I originally thought.  I need to play around with the test planks a bit more more, but it seems like I need to fair bulkhead 12 some more, and then put in a pretty decent bevel onto bulkhead 13 so that the planks not only run into the stern counter ok, but also so that there is enough area to fix the planks to it.  Right now my planks seem to hit the fore edge of bullhead 13 ok, but I think the planks on the bottom of the bulkhead need to follow the curves of the planking run leading up to it.

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks for looking in SpyGlass.  When you say "the last bulkhead needs to very steeply faired, are you referring to bulkhead 13 (on which the stern extensions sit) or bulkhead 12?  From my tests, it looks like bulkhead 13 needs a good bit of fairing, especially close to the stern post.  At the outer edges, however, it looks like there's sorta a rounded curve as the hull planks move from vertical to horizontal.

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks SpyGlass, if you happen to have the pictures handy that would be great but don't kill yourself looking for them.  If not, I think this gives me enough to go on that I can take a stab at it tonight.  The stern is definitely one of those places on the ship that is important to get right!

[Landlubber Mike]

I started the first planking, and got four rows completed per side.  It's going pretty well so far.  There are some areas between the gunport pattern and first plank that will need to be fixed with filler and sanding, but overall, the time I spent fairing the bulkheads to get a smooth run seems to have been well worth it. The nice thing about this kit is that the lime planks are 1.5mm thick, giving you plenty of material to work with when it comes to sanding.  The lime takes soaking pretty well, and even at this thickness, the planks do bend and twist pretty nicely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The planking at the stern is always the tricky part.  The first plank seems to run relatively vertically, and then the next plank starts the horizontal twist up to the stern counter.  I don't know that I faired the last bulkhead appropriately, but I figured I would get the planks on and then use filler to get the proper transition between the two planks.  I think there is a slight rounded curve to the bottom corners of the stern counter, but once I get the planks on and start fitting the stern counter, I'll have a better idea of what work needs to be done.

 

 

 

It's great to get the planks on and see the nice curves of this class of ship come together.  The planking screws have been very helpful to get the ends of the planks to sit at the bow and the last bulkhead.  Otherwise, I have only been using PVA and two nails at each bulkhead to fix the planks to each bulkhead - I have flashbacks of trying to use CA on my Badger, which was a real pain.

 

I just wanted to share one thing I'm using that has made the pin work very easy.  It's the pin insertion plier from Micromark, which is model number 85282.  On my Badger, I used the Amati pin pusher (which only lasted that build), but these pliers work much much better. I forget whose log recommended these, but they are fantastic.  You have much more control, and you don't need much force to push them through the lime planks and into the MDF bulkheads (no starter hole in the MDF is necessary).  A picture of them is below.

 

Edited January 16, 2015 by Landlubber Mike

[egkb]

Starting to really move along now Mike, am liking that 'Pin Pliers' too.

 

All The Best

 

Eamonn

[Martin W]

Mike  -- this looks good.  My planking at the stern goes through that same twist to the vertical.  On the first planking it wasn't too hard, but getting the boxwood to bend & twist that much has required much longer soaking and has induced more mistakes (surely, my planking plans can't be at fault!).

 

Glad to see you're still at it.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Landlubber Mike]

Good to know Martin.  I'm hoping the pear I plan to use bends ok.  It's a pretty tight curve those first few planks. 

 

What did you do in the corner between the first plank and the second?  Is it supposed to be a rounded curve, or is it more of a sharper corner?

[Martin W]

Hi Mike -- On the first planking I didn't worry about that corner too much.  But that is where the main wales go (at least on my build).  I followed David Antscherl's suggestion of starting with a piece of fairly thick stock and planing it down to a shape that can accommodate the sharp curve there.  My wales seem to be a bit lower than those he shows -- and from looking at the builds by Alistair & BE, and from following the kit instructions, I take it that that lower position is right for the kit.  At least that's what I've told myself.  I'm just about to start on the corresponding part on the port side, and when I finish, I'll post an account.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks, that's very helpful information!  Looking forward to your update!

[Landlubber Mike]

I've managed to get some planking time in, and have 12 rows in per side.  The ship probably needs about 16 per side when all is said and done.  The kit lime strips are very good to work with.  They are straight, and take bends well.  The only tricky thing is that it can split if you try and pin it towards the ends, as you can see in the bow and stern shots.  Man, the close-ups make things look really rough and messy, so it's a good thing that this will get covered up

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's been a while since I planked my Badger, but a few things from that build are coming back to me.  This time around, I decided not to use CA, as it just made a mess and sometimes it seemed to adhere, and most times, not.  For this build I am only using PVA with pins, the planking screws I showed earlier, and clamps.  That has gone much better.  It also reminded me to lay the planks as naturally as possible - but, with the upturn into the stern counter, I forced the planks a bit leading to a bit of a sharper edge and clinker effect.  The lime is 1.5mm thick, so plenty of material to sand back to a nice curve.

 

The planks at the bow need to be tapered starting with the second plank, and probably the first.  I probably didn't taper them enough in the beginning rows, so the planks started to turn upwards at the second or third bulkhead without forcing and clinking them.  Since I'm trying to get the planks to lay as naturally as possible, I am going to have to add a drop plank/joggle plank as you can see in the picture below.  

 

 

 

I'm a little confused as to whether stealers and drop planks are "permissible" in models.  I might try to spile the second planking, but I need to sit down and try to understand exactly how that technique works.  Since the the bottom of the hull will be coppered, I might try it out since it will be covered up 

 

[jwvolz]

Drop planks and stealers are certainly acceptable Mike. 

 

A really nice inexpensice book to get a hold of from Model Expo is Planking The Built Up Ship Model. It gives some nice insight into real-life practices, and includes spiling information. That being said, I wouldn't sweat much on under-planking, it really just serves to give you a good base for the second. 

[Martin W]

Hi Mike -- Glad to see you're moving along.  As I understand it (and I will in no way claim any sort of expertise), the 1st planking not only provides the continual base for the 2nd (and so, sanding and wood filler can work wonders), but it also helps to recognize where the challenges lie. So gaps or clinker effects can be corrected, and can help you to see where you need to trim & spile. Stealers & drop-planks are permissible, but it seems one should avoid them if possible through planning ahead and spiling.  Since you had the foresight to buy sheets of boxwood from Jeff, you can take care of the bow & stern quite expeditiously with easy-to-learn spiling.  Did you mark out separate bands along the hull with battens?  Doing that can really help you to see a few rows ahead, and to anticipate the width of your planks in each band so that you don't end up with some fat and some too thin lying next to each other.  There are some good tutorials on planking on this forum, and at the recommendation of Toni Levine, I have just bought Jim Roberts' Planking the Built-Up Ship Model from ModelExpo.  All of these provide good explanations of spiling and of the rules for adding stealers & drop planks.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks Joe and Martin, I'll have to check that book out.  I'm always amazed at people that can perfectly plank with one layer, and not use an under layer.  I didn't mark out battens on the first planking, but certainly plan to on the second.

 

The second planking is going to be interesting for other reasons.  I am planning on four colors for the upper hull planking - redheart for the red strip at the top, pear dyed with General Finishes "Blue" for the blue area, pear dyed brown for the natural area, and black for the wales and possibly the section between the wales and the coppering.  I have to think about bleeding effects, so I might pre-dye some of the edge planks.  I think I also have a little safety with the rails which will cover up the seams between colors and any possible bleeding.  Fun times 

[Martin W]

Mike -- the question of bleeding stain is intriguing.  I wonder if it might be prevented or at least inhibited by putting polyurethane on the stained rows before adding the rows on either side.  Hmmm, just a thought, and something I am going to try when I stain my main wales.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin