HMS Victory by dafi - Heller - PLASTIC - To Victory and beyond ...

[Mexspur]

An inspiration to us all.

[dafi]

Elsewhere, people asked whether the net in front was not a hindrance and whether it would not make more sense underneath, as is the case today.

So I simply made some pictures that I don't want to withhold from yo 🙂

Here without the jib boom



And here with









You can see some things well.

- The wings of the bee give our little sailor a good foothold, which also explains the slanting position, which makes it easy to support oneself.
- The net is not particularly in the way, as you have to fish around the bowsprit cap in front of it anyway.
- The inner jib lands immediately in the net when it is brought down and does not lie over the spars. If it is stowed properly and successively when lowering, the standing area of our seamen also stays accessible.
- When the sail is stowed, the jib boom can still be moved.

What is also true, of course, is that this small net has evolved into the jib net we know today, where it has been reversed, because today you stand in the net and the sail rests on the boom. Even when stowing a medium-sized sail like the Hendrika, it takes a lot of strength to reach around and underneath the downhaul to fasten the sail. What was it like with the big sheets?

And the all-clear was also given elsewhere: In the literature, instead of the net, you always see two battens as a boundary at the top and bottom, connected with a zig-zag rope running lengthwise. Druxey gave me the hint that this was only a very short-term intermediate development stage that was very quickly replaced by the net. Thank you for that!

Sorry, so I don't have any more demolition for you today ....

XXXDAn

[Morgan]

58 minutes ago, dafi said:

Sorry, so I don't have any more demolition for you today ....

I have faith in you getting around to some more demolition in due course 🤣

 

Gary

[druxey]

Much improved!

[Veszett Roka]

On 10/19/2023 at 6:23 PM, Kevin-the-lubber said:

The diorama looks incredible, who made all the ships?

 Here is the link Kevin, but they didn't say more about the builders. Another one, this is a bit more detailed in German, unfortunately the pictures aren't shown there. Google translator worked for me (i know German a little however)

[dafi]

The models come from the company artitec and were made just for this model. I will post some more pictures soon :-)

 

Scale is 1:87.

 

What a pity that the pictures of Modellmarine have disappeared, they were very detailed.

 

XXXDAn

 

PS: I found a working Link to the pictures 🙂

https://www.modellmarine.de/index.php/fotogalerien/178-/1624-die-reede-von-texel-teil-2

 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by dafi

[Kevin-the-lubber]

Thanks both, I’ll file that away in my memory for when we eventually revisit Amsterdam.

[dafi]

Thank you all for your comments and likes!

 

XXXDAn

[dafi]

With the main yard I tried out the first blocks on the ship, and I really got into it with the hearts on the bow.

In the meantime it has developed further. It's amazing what a large amount came together for the standing rigging alone. Here is a family picture.



The special blocks were the most fun. Here are some in the foreground.



First the Sisterblocks, in German with the crisp name "Stengewantblocks", just try to speak that out loud.





Of course, the test assembly here on the main mast was exciting ...



... also with the matching ropes.



And also cute the smaller version on the mizzen mast.



Long tackles blocks are used to stiffen the fore topmast stay and its preventer stay.









I'm also supposed to pass this in between the guys at the heads. Will also be exciting again.

XXXDAn

[William-Victory]

Sent my order!  This is needed badly.  I am stuck starting the standing rigging.  Other wooden options just don't look right and expensive.  I already did my bowsprit without proper blocks. Bummer.

Thank you!

 

btw 'Schwesterbloks' would be a little easier.

Edited December 5, 2023 by William-Victory

[dafi]

Hello William, and all the others that tried to contact me. I am just back wrom a business trip and will deal with your mails asap - promised!

All the best, DAniel

 

[dafi]

Once upon a time ...

The dafi had its annual public tinkering session with its modelling club at the Stuttgart trade fair. Then we went straight from the trade fair to a customer in Austria for a while. I didn't have a chance to think about anything model-building-related.

I'm back home now, and I can only catch up on what I've been doing over the last two months. But first things first 🙂

Before the trade fair, I had finished the running rigging. I wanted to try it out at the fair to see if it would be manageable, as the stuff - if true to scale - is very, very small.



As with the standing rigging, I have summarised the block sets for the individual locations.

Here are the yards of the main mast ...



... of the foremast ...



... and the mizzen mast.



There are also the collections for headsails, stunsails and other locations.

It was fun again at the trade fair.

Our booth ...



... my workplace ...





... and my colleagues in typical working posture 😉



It was especially funny there when you want to try out the 2 mm blocks - the smallest of the sets - and don't have everything you need with you. Dear Alex then played vice and held my auxiliary jig for rigging - thanks for that!

It worked straight away and with my now tried and tested technique, even these small blocks are wonderfully quick and easy to rig.



What was still missing were the parrells. I also managed to do this in a last-minute operation. Here are the two sizes with ribs for the top and topgallant yards.



Threaded for neatening ...



... and the first tying attempt to find out how many are needed.



Here is the final version on the main top yard ...





... and with a able seaman for the dimensions.



Someone also climbed up especially for the topgallant yard.



And to round things off, the stuff for the gaff also got their own size of parrells. First try ...



... the shape was adjusted a little and the final version is on its way.

The claw is also grained with the centre punch ...



... and drilled out with 0.5 mm ...



... the blocks trimmed and wooded ...



... and into place ...



... and everything fits! Fits 🙂



Best regards, Daniel

 

Edited December 7, 2023 by dafi

[dafi]

I've been busy lately and haven't had much time to tinker. But the list of blocks to be used on the Vic and the corresponding rope thicknesses has finally been finalized. Time to check some of them out. As the blocks are sorted by yards and other locations, here is the block set for the main yard.



Since the main yard has already been started, I've taken on its lifts. First the hangers. As usually served with white glue and black paint.



The loop underneath the cap that holds the hanger together.



And here the assembly on a spare mast cap.



More hopefully soon.

XXXDAn

[dafi]

Next, of course, was the combination of blocks with a shoulder block for the top sail sheet and a normal block for the lift on the yardarm.

First the two blocks stropped together ...



... then still smuggled in with bright rope the loop for the horses onto the cleat and finally tied in the eye for the double block at the outside.

First one side ...



... and then the second ...



... and everything for the lifts is on the yardarm 🙂

XXXDAn

Edited February 20 by dafi

[Kevin-the-lubber]

Those are wonderful looking blocks Dan, I was about to ask if they were CNC-ed wood, but saw from your site that they are resin. Doing them in sets is a clever idea.

[druxey]

Lovely detailed work as usual, Dafi. Aren't shoulder blocks usually a little less rectangular, though?

[dafi]

Yes, dafi knows how to do it, dafi hasn't forgotten anything ...

...

...

... the wrecking ball!





What happened again?

I always say it, my biggest problem is getting the big exhibit in P. out of my head.

For almost 20 years now, I've been looking forward to those great special shoulder and quarter blocks that I discovered back then back there, building them exactly according to McKay and Bugler's plans and, in my exuberance, not even realizing that they are much rounder in the classic literature ...

Thank goodness there are some people in my german pack and also here in the MSW who are not so obsessed and have a keen eagle eye and have pointed this out to me. Thank you!

So I made new rounder blocks. I used this too to do some more research, as I was slightly irritated at the first pass when I noticed that these blocks on the foremast lower mast and topsail are all the same size, just like on the main mast lower mast and topsail. Thanks to you @druxey for reassuring me in theses sizes and confirming this on the basis of Steel's information.

At this point, in response to a few questions, I would like to repeat the painting method: first, using an old disheveled brush, two layers of very thin paint in a darker brown, which is the base color. The thin paint makes it easy to get to the sides without pasting over the holes.



The highlighting color in a lighter brown, applied with a dry brush, is applied on top. This emphasizes the edges and the depths remain slightly darker, which gives optical depth. And the deliberately uneven application of color keeps the whole thing alive and no longer looks like plastic.



Then the grand finale: as the new round blocks are the same size as the old square ones, simply press the new ones back into the strop from the side and you're done.



The same with the sheet quarter blocks, before - after :-)





You see dafi still can do it :-)

XXXDAn


PS: All those of you that already got a delivery of blocks will get a free upgade of the blocks in question http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif

Edited August 15 by dafi

[druxey]

Ah! Much nicer!

[dafi]

Thank you druxey!

 

XXXDAn

[William-Victory]

Parts cut nice and clean.  Diggin’ it. 
Kudos Daniel!

oops! I didn’t mean to post this here. Don’t mean to clutter up the log. The parts are great though. 

Edited February 24 by William-Victory

[William-Victory]

On 2/24/2024 at 7:11 AM, dafi said:

Yes, dafi knows how to do it, dafi hasn't forgotten anything

Does dafi remember where William can find his yard build photos.  Should I do wood or kit Daniel?

[William-Victory]

On 2/20/2013 at 2:10 AM, dafi said:

And here is my newest acquisition: some scaler from the dentist department ...

These are all for scaling in the devil dealing of the dentist office!?

i’ve been looking for something that can “sculpt“ in modeling plastic

[dafi]

Just a small warning for those who follow the sequences of my build: Please remember to put the shrouds before putting up the stays! My stays are up for test purposes, I will still have to reopen the lanyards take the stays off, fit pendents and shrouds and then finally reset the says and its lanyards 🙂

 

All the best, DAniel

[dafi]

Well, what can I say. I'm only away for a few weeks because of work and already my tinkering room doesn't want to let me back in ...

"What does THIS strange man want here?!" was one of the nicer questions I had to listen to ...

After some persuasion à la "man cave whisperer", I was allowed to do something in there after all. In the meantime, I had revised my lists of blocks for the Victory again. I had noticed that McKay had left out some quite some blocks in the AOTS and that there were also some errors among them. I had therefore plowed through the entire Steel of 1795 and worked through the various entries, compared them and selected the most plausible variant, possibly adding variants. All in all, there were significantly more blocks added, both the standard blocks and the special types. But more on that later.

The last thing I did was to replace the square shoulder blocks, which are used on the ship today and which McKay also shows, with contemporary round ones. The main yard continues to serve as a model playing field. Here is a reminder of the last status.





Next came 3 x 2.5 mm blocks on each side for the belly and nock gordings.



Check on the tweezers whether the paint application is complete and either brush on the tweezers immediately ...



... or after the block has been pinned. Place a strop around the fixed block as described before ...



... and checked the length in place. Since the block hangs in front of the yard, the legs must of course be different lengths.



The pointed tweezers with clamping function do a good job here, first one side ...



... and neatly trimmed, and the other and you're done 🙂



Here is a comparison of the simplified version with a simple knot on the top of the yardarm and the more correct solution with a lashing.

Since the lashing is tricky to thread, a classic needle helps.



And this is how it should look 🙂



With this technique, I'm now just as fast for the small blocks as I am for the large ones 🙂

XXXDAn

 

Edited April 8 by dafi

[dafi]

After the leechline and bowline blocks had worked out so well, we continued with the tricing lines of the yard tackles pendants.

The block on the yard tackle pendant was hauled to the yard with the outer tricing line and the lower block with hooks was hauled with the inner tricing lines to the shrouds to be hooked/fastened there. Unlike other load rigs, the yard tackles were not struck off when not in use, but were also used as to support the braces in strong winds or for other purposes.

And so that the whole thing doesn't get too boring, this time the blocks are 7" and 8", i.e. 2 mm in my scale. But it doesn't matter, it works just like the other 🙂

First on the filed needle, then stropped in as usual ...



... and succeding the function test.



Fits. Then, as usual, tied the eyes with the pointed clamping tweezers and quickly put them all on the leash, such a stopped block is too quickly inhaled.



And to show that you can get these blocks to the yard even with sausage fingers like mine ...



... you just have to make sure that you …



… get not tangled. And already finished.



You can clearly see the noticeable difference between the 2 mm block of the tricing line and the 2.5 mm blocks of the leechline.

The tricing line is one of the thinnest in the entire rigging, here hanging loosely with the yard tackle in use ...



... and with the yard tackle pulled up.



For the sake of completeness, the inner tricing line next to the 4 mm clue line block.



XXXDAn

[dafi]

And at some point we got serious with the foot horses. First the thimbles were tied into the stirrups and the four-pack on each side was secured against being breathed away.



Then average out the distances for the stirrups.



For the distance between the thimble and the upper reference point, I made a small 9 mm gauge so that the distance is even when being glued down. Then 3 turns with the free end and glued that on too. When all 4 stirrups were in place, the foot horse was pulled through the thimbles and secured with an external knot before and after the thimble to prevent it from slipping through.



Then a short standing test, and lo and behold, it looks quite plausible.



Then knotted the eye on the inside of the foot horse to secure it. It was THE perfect eye. But I had overlooked the fact that the clamp on the other side of the yardarm went further out than expected, see orange thread ...

... so I cut off the eye and spliced in an extension, luckily it's hardly noticeable at this point, uffz.




This time the length was better and the eye was lashed with 4 turns on the other side of the yard.



Here is the finished ensemble and ...



... even our little able seaman was happy with it up there.



XXXDAn

[dafi]

The main yard was finally also finished so far, here is an overview of the collection of all the blocks that have now snuggled together. Always seen from both the front and the aft. And as already written earlier, the stirrups and foot horses will only be smoothed and provided with gravity during the final installation.





The center of the yard with the chain sling ...





... and the yard arm, 9 blocks in 8 sizes :-0





Then came the exciting moment, the test hanging http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif

First the lifts.






Then the yard tackles with outer tricing line.



And usually as last the braces.





And there is another little tidbit that is not normally seen on models. According to Steel, the rope slings were replaced by chain slings in wartime, as can be seen in the pictures of the lifts. Consequently, the forward-facing preventer braces should also be fitted. These replaced the double pendant of the braces of the 1760s. For this purpose, the brace was attached to the rearmost shroud of the foremast, ran to a block on the front of the yard, back to a block on the rearmost shroud and from there to the forecastle.



Exciting.

XXXDAn

[dafi]

The next adventure and small intermezzo were the blocks under the fore fighting top. Here, leech- and buntline run colorfully mixed with the braces of the sprite sail yard and top yard through a wonderful collection of blocks.

The first attempt was the classic way of doing the strop first ...



... and then pull it through to the top from below and push the toggle through the upper loop.



It worked, but it was a rather messy and uneven act.



Then prepared another block, but didn't tie the top loop ...



... and pushed the free end from the bottom to the top, tied a loop there with an auxiliary thread and brought the free end back down.



Now I was able to pull the loop at the top tight from below, insert the toggle and adjust the length with the free ends of the binding, knot everything and neaten the whole thing.

It looks much better http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif



You can see the 3 different blocks, with the outer one having two differently sized wheels.

This is due to the fact that there are four rope thicknesses in use at this point, resulting in simply beautiful details.





And it also looks very tidy from above.



And if one wonders about the different layout of the battens, very simple: the Admirality Order from 20. Nov.1802 defines the tops of great ships to be done out of fir instead of oak and to be fitted in two halves http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif
This made the tops less haevy and far more easy to be exchanged if damaged.

Yay!

XXXDAn

[dafi]

It was nice again and my little one with the black and yellow stripes really enjoyed the trip 🙂

As every 2 years there was a big meeting in Augsburg, around 70 modellers, some with their partners, met, chatted with each other, had a nice evening together and many even had a great Sunday breakfast together.

Here are a few pictures of my little one with her accessories.











I was also able to take part in and witness a Guinness of World Record attempt: Matthias registered his ship in a bottle as the largest free-hanging ship in a bottle. Now we're just waiting for the certification 🙂



Well then, a nice greeting from both of us, DAniel and Vicky

Edited May 31 by dafi

[druxey]

Exemplary miniature work as usual, Daniel! Looks like it was a great exhibition and meeting as well.