HMS Bounty Launch by mattsayers148 - FINISHED - Model Shipways - scale 1:16 - SMALL

[mattsayers148]

Got all my sewing done. I have a few sample pieces soaking in a test bath. Depending on how they turn out will determine if I apply it to the whole sails or not. I'll be adding bolt ropes after I decide if there will be a color change or not.

[Canute]

Matt, nice sewing. I may have to get the Admiral's old Singer tuned up to do these.

[mattsayers148]

Hey Ken,

 

Thank you and thanks to everyone for all the likes. I'm almost done with the bolt ropes.

 

My little experimental swatches of sail cloth finally were dry and ready for inspection. All but one didn't make the cut. The process I used is very temperamental so I'm going to have to take my time so I don't botch the whole thing. Once I finish them, pics will follow.

 

Matt

[CaptainSteve]

Hey Matt, nice work on them sails, by the way.

 

So, err, what are these tests going to prove .... ??

(Inquiring Crackers' need to know, y'know).

 

Incidentally, I think I solved the problem of how long is too long to soak cloth in tea or coffee ...

I happened to find a forgotten container of coffee under the bed which had been used to test soak some pieces of sail-cloth. The swatches had been soaking for some three weeks by the time I found them, and more resembled soggy pasta, rather than cloth.

Edited January 26, 2015 by CaptainSteve

[Cathead]

I have little to contribute to this masterful build, other than to express appreciation. Love the sails; I wonder if Mrs Cathead would enjoy such a project, as she does like to sew.

[mattsayers148]

Hey CaptainSteve,

 

Well it's sort of a mild separation of pigment and wax. Placing droplet of a selected wax stain into hot water and vigorously agitating makes the wax to surface(like oil on water). The pigments then become suspended in the water because they still have traces of wax on them. The churning allows the wax to adhere to the sides of the container so when you drop the cloth in you get tiny little dots of pigment throughout. The challenge is how much stain to add and how much you let the water cool down, so it gets touchy. Hopefully it works on the sails like it did on the test.

 

Hey Cathead,

 

Thank you and to all the likes,

 

The sign of a true craftsman is not the ability to make no mistakes, it's the ability to fix the mistakes so that no one can tell. I have yet to reach this level.

 

Matt

Edited January 26, 2015 by mattsayers148

[CaptainSteve]

... Mrs Cathead would enjoy such a project, as she does like to sew.

 

Hey Cathead. This one only has two sails. See: Cutty Sark.

[Canute]

Cap'n Steve, we may have to report you to the Admiralty for coffee abuse (almost as big a sin in these parts as alcohol abuse). Leaving it under yer bed?? 3 weeks, eh? I hope you used instant, since it's not considered real coffee anyway.

 

Seriously, I've got coffee and I don't know how many teas the Admiral has stashed in the Purser's Store Room. Some might work better than others. I'm guessing the black teas and pekoes should work better than the herbal stuff. It's that engineer in me coming out again.

 

Third Engine Wiper

[Cathead]

CaptainSteve, I suspect she would rather not go blind.

[mattsayers148]

Hey CaptainSteve,

 

You know, after all the work that's involved with these sail, I shouldn't quit my day job! About 5pm Saturday, I stretched and reached for my trusty pipe and Captain Black, taking a moment to see my progress. This was the same moment I told my wife, "I've been at this sail since I awoke at 4:30am! I think I may have a problem." I now see why so many sails are furled!

 

Matt

[mattsayers148]

Ok now, for real this time. Sails are done and drying. So tomorrow when I get home I shall unwrap the beast and see what I've brought forth. I have a feeling a chipmunk or two might have been in there collaborating with them squirrels. I shall keep my fingers crossed and hope this doesn't look like a botched Botox job!

[GLakie]

Oh Oh! I hope you're wrong about those chipmunks Matt. They're really bad hoo doo! 

 

Cheers

[mattsayers148]

Hey Goerge,

 

A bit about them chipmunks here in Oregon. You never know where they are or when you'll find them. Can't even go to work without them tryin to hitch a ride home in your toolbox!

 

Years back while camping with my kids and my best friend, a freak accident happened that resulted in the demise one said chipmunk. So I used this chance to teach my kids some survival techniques and about the sanctity of life. I won't get into everything, but its suffice to say that they can no longer claim to NOT know what chipmunks taste like. This just might be what's goin on in my head.

 

Matt

 

Disclaimer: no animal was hurt during this photo shoot. He was kindly fed a banana and some water, then returned to the wild.

[GLakie]

LOL! They're pesky little critters sometimes. I've had run-ins with them on job-sites myself. Right after pouring concrete tops on brick porches, we'd trowel them off and move on to the next one, and sure enough, it wouldn't take 2 or 3 minutes, and a couple would climb on the freshly finished porch-top, and run all over it and play in the mud. Solved the problem by getting kids to stand guard and keep them away for an hour or two 'til they hardened enough. 

 

Cheers

[mattsayers148]

Well here they are. Now I need to make the spars. On a previous build, I made the spars first and had to remake them because they were too small.

[CaptainSteve]

Nice work on the sails, Matt.

 

So, what's the secret with the colouring (colouration) ??

[mattsayers148]

Thanks CaptainSteve,

 

What I found out was that it really only works well on dry cloth. Once it gets wet it doesn't want to accept more stain pigment. Because of this I took these pics and did another dunk.

 

It was a simple process. I took grey minwax and just put a few drops into hot water. When churned, the wax sticks to the side of container leaving little pigment balls floating. Then lay dry cloth onto surface and the pigment soakes in fast without much bleeding. Not really rocket science, I was just shooting for a unique look.

 

Not nearly as good as your poopy sails:)

 

Matt

Edited January 28, 2015 by mattsayers148

[GLakie]

Sails look great Matt! Nice stitching. Did you do the sewing yourself, or did your Admiral render aid?  

 

Cheers

[mattsayers148]

Thanks George,

 

You know, I learned a long time ago that I'm a horrible teacher and an even worse direction giver. I really like doing anything and everything, the harder the better. I'm sure my other half would do a standup job, I just like doing it.

 

Matt

[GLakie]

Well that's a whole lot better than I suspect my first will be.   They looked so neat and even, I just had to ask. 

 

Cheers

[mattsayers148]

It definitely takes a lot of patients, determination and a squirrel-infused case of OCD!

[mattsayers148]

The second, and final, application of stain. I'm much happier with the sails now.

 

 

No set of chisels should go without a leather case to protect them.

 

[GLakie]

Nice! 

[CaptainSteve]

Nice chisel pack. And those sails look positively decaying.

 

If you are planning on adding saws, then I just remembered that mine were made from a broken Exacto saw blade.

Might save you some time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hang on ... look who I'm telling how to make tools !!!

No doubt you will prefer to start by smelting your own (improved) alloy and black-smithing the blades from scratch.

[mattsayers148]

Thank you everyone for the likes.

 

Hey CaptainSteve,

 

Thank you, they do look like they could rip apart at any minute. Made my spars and attached to the "decaying" sails. I'm waiting to attach the reef points until get the whole rigging layout proposal drafted and sent to the squirrels for their stamp of approval.

 

By the way, how's your rigging going? I feel like I've exhausted my searches. I think I need to just whip out the ropes and go nuts.

 

A forge? Come on! Really! I may electroplate some items in gold, but the whole forge thing is just over the top...or is it? I forgot there's another legion of squirrels under this very same roof! Look out world!

 

Matt

[CaptainSteve]

Arrr ...

 

I'll confess that I've been on a bit of a hiatus build-wise (primarily because it is just too darn hot to work on anything other than a cold can of bourbon & coke when I get home from work).

 

I DID read up on bunt-lines in Rigging Period Ship Models. It seems that "bunt" means "middle". So there will be one line from a single block on the spar, down to the foot in the middle of the sail which will be used to haul it up.

Edited January 30, 2015 by CaptainSteve

[mattsayers148]

Hey CaptainSteve,

 

Disclaimer: Anything I say cannot be used against me in a court of law. There's a good chance I'm 100% wrong on most everything I say.

 

I've seen examples of the bunt line like you said. One thing I've really tried to cement is the kind of lug sail this boat would have: standing lug or dipping lug. On a standing lug the tack would be attached to or near the base of the mast where as a dipping lug the clew and tack are attached to belaying points on the boat(as the photo on this model shows).

 

If its a dipping lug would it be treated as a square sail would? Would lines be attached to both corners going to blocks near mast like a clew line?

 

I'm running on the idea that the sail would be reefed to the spar(as in rough weather). If weather got worse these lines would be pulled to "deflate" sail. Would they be pulled to the luff or leech? If clew lines were used it seems they would be pulled up to the front side of boat with both bottom corners. If a bunt line were used I'm not sure it would matter as long as the tack and clew were released. This makes me kinda lean toward three lines being used. The corners pulled first then bunt line, or all three at once? And would all three be pulled to a central position, or each to corresponding points on the spar: middle, right and left.

 

If all three points were pulled straight up then spar ends should have single blocks. At mast/spar junction two double blocks, one for halyard and bunt, the other for tack and clew? The shroud lines would remain taught to maintain control of spar? I'm kind leaning toward this setup. It seems logical, but may be completely wrong in which case I'd be made to walk the plank.

 

Matt

[mattsayers148]

Here's a preliminary set up of the sails. I made 2 double blocks for each mast and I'm going to see how it all works out after I make the single blocks for the end of the spars.

[CaptainSteve]

Lookin' good there, Matt. And when you add your oars with the blue whippings, it's just gunna look even better !!

 

I've been considering the rigging, as well. The set-up as per the kit is just shrouds and a lift. It's too simplistic. Even someone with my non-existent sailing background can see that.

 

Having said that, I doubt these two sails would require all the lines that a sail on a fully-rigged ship would need.

(from Ship Modelling Simplified - Frank Mastini)

 

Personally, I will probably just add one or two bunt-lines to each sail. This will mean either one in the middle (my original idea), or one at each end of the spar (as you mentioned above). I could be completely wrong (Hey, it's been known to happen !!), but I don't see the need for leech-lines and clew-lines etc etc.

Edited January 31, 2015 by CaptainSteve

[mattsayers148]

Thank you to everyone for the likes.

 

Hey CaptainSteve,

 

I agree with you on the amount of lines. I'm using my 21ft English Pinnace bash as a reference on the rigging. As with that model, I'm making everything for the sails removable. It seemed like there was a lot of lines, but all the reefing lines belay near the base of the mast.

 

I'm more of a visual person, that's one reason why I wanted to run three lines to see what to keep and what to get rid of. My buddy was in the Navy and told me that if the sails were in use, the rigging lines would be belayed but the ends of the lines would be placed on the deck. They would usually only be hung and wrapped if they were anchored or at port. Basically all my rigging lines were inaccurate. As for the reefing lines I read that they would all be laid on deck and tied off when they were in use.

 

So what I plan on doing is reef the sails and see what each example looks like. I've also seen examples of the clew and tack lines being run through a double block on the mast, essentially folding up the corner to deflate the sail.

 

So when I get off work today I'll make the single blocks and try all of the ideas. I'll take pics of each example and post to see what the consensus is.

 

Matt