Pride of Baltimore II by AndyMech - Model Shipways - 1:64

[jcoby]

Do you have the stanchions leaning forward or is that lens fisheye? They should be vertical.

 

Check out this picture:

 

[AndyMech]

Unbelievable. You are absolutely right, I had each stanchion turned 90 degrees. Thank you for pointing this out before it was too late. Looking at the plans, I thought there was a forward rake, when it is indeed an outward one. I've just removed each one and test fitted it. I'll need to clean out the leftover glue and start over again with the positioning and re-glue. I'm glad I've not yet started the port side.

 

Thanks for speaking up!

 

While you're here, can I ask how you fabricated the two hawse timbers, at the bow end of the bulwarks? The plans say to use 2 pieces per side, but I can't seem to find wood of the correct size in the kit.

 

Feeling chagrined and relieved,

Andy

[jcoby]

I used scrap from the sheet the keel timbers were cut from to create the hawse timbers. You can glue them up of multiple pieces as well since they get painted the cream color.

[AndyMech]

Well, I fixed the orientation of the stanchions.  As should have been obvious, they flair outboard:

 

 

 

I also spent a fair amount of time creating and installing the hawse timbers.  I created them out of 3/16" square stock from the kit.  First, making the lower piece, then the upper.  Since it wasn't tall enough, I added a third little "cap" on top to make the height good for the top rail:

 

 

I scraped off the paint at the bow where they'll go:

 

 

And, finally glued them in place.  I'll wait for the glue to fully dry before attempting to drill the hawse pipes.

 

 

 

Andy.

[russ]

Good job. They look great.

 

Russ

[AndyMech]

After much thought and work, I finally created the top rail and have glued it into place.  I struggled a lot trying to figure out how carve a curved piece that matched the tops of the stanchions all around the hull.

 

Here's what I finally came up with.  I took the lid off a plastic grocery container - the kind that nuts or candies are sold in.  These are rigid, clear pieces of plastic that I could place that on top of the stanchions, and mark the position of each one with a blue sharpie.

 

 

At each position, I drilled a hole in the plastic, large enough to push a pin through.  I would place the plastic on a sheet of white paper and create a small hole at each position by sticking a pin through.  This left a series of dots on the paper that matched the top of each stanchion.  I would then mark the width at each dot, and cut out the paper:

 

 

I placed the paper template on the piece of 1/2" by 1/32" wood, trace out the shape and then cut it out carefully using a hobby knife.  After sanding to get back to the proper width, making sure the stanchions were centered created the top rail pieces.

 

I did 3 pieces per side, each one as long as I could make it given the curve of the piece and the width of the wood.  I struggled with the scarf joints there the pieces come together.  One of them I had to patch with some scrap.

 

Here's the resulting rail:

 

 

 

The stern piece was created the same way, and I manually shaped the bow:

 

 

 

Next, I plan to plank the transom and then stain the lot with a Minwax mahogany stain.

 

Andy.

[GuntherMT]

Nice work Andy.

[edmay]

Wow ,great work Andy,Edwin

[lambsbk]

I haven't tried one of these yet but everyone says how hard they are to get right. Yours look very good. Nice solution to shaping.

 

Dave

[AndyMech]

Thanks for all the comments - much appreciated.

 

I did some work on the transom yesterday - simple planking up to the newly-installed top rail.

 

Before, you can see a shim on the far right - I had to shim and otherwise adjust a number of the stanchions to level out the rail:

 

 

After:

 

 

Then I stained the upper transom and the top rail with Minwax's Mahogany Red:

 

 

 

Next up will be the planking of the bulwarks.  Question:  For anyone who's done this model before, here's the instructions on the bulwark planking:

 

 

The kit doesn't seem to come with a plank the size of 3/64" x 1/32".  I've checked the manifest of the plank sizes.  What did you do for this plank, and the inboard one as well?  Should I try to cut a larger plank down to this size?

 

Andy.

 

 

[jcoby]

I just looked at mine and it looks like I used the 1/32x1/16 for the planking then I ran the piece of 1/32x1/32 square stock along the top under the rail to simulate the top plank turned sideways. Five of them fit perfectly. All I had to do was plane the bottom strip down a bit when I got to the continuous scuppers.

 

I haven't found a need for that 1/32x1/32 strip anywhere else. I might have been able to use it as detail on the compass box. Honestly if you left out that 1/32 square detail I'm not sure it would be noticeable.

[AndyMech]

I've looked through the plans, and I was saving that 1/32x1/32 piece for:

 

- framing around each of the gunports - the instructions mention using two small vertical pieces of this, but also call this as optional.  That would be 20 short pieces, but overall it adds up.

- in the transom, as the two curved pieces that separate the mahogany from the yellow sections

 

Also, I have only one 1/32x1/32, and it's not long enough for both port and starboard sides.  I doubt there's a local supply of wood here, so I feel compelled to use the kit's resources.

 

Andy.

[jcoby]

I may have ripped a few strips out of the 1/32 sheet to make the trim. I know I've had to rip several pieces from the laser cut stock to make up stock that wasn't supplied with the kit.

 

That was about three (!!) years ago at this point so the details are a bit hazy.

 

Where does it show the 1/32 square stock being used to trim out the gun ports? The gun ports are by far the least enjoyable part of this build, especially since the cannons don't fit (they're far too tall) and it's all fiddly little pieces that have to be assembled in a jig with tweezers.

[AndyMech]

On sheet 4 of the plans, Gunport Details, it shows a "vertical piece" on the outboard diagram. And on page 19 of the instructions, it says "Apply a 1/32" -square vertical strip of wood on each side of the gunport, simply to cover the end grain of the bulwark plank (you could omit this on the model)"

 

My current plan is to use a 1/32 x 1/16 strip and sand it down so it fits uniformly under the top rail. Since my stanchions are likely not each perfectly centered, this seems to be an approach with the best likelihood of success, although it will require a lot of sanding.

 

I'm bending the plank now so it can be fit without a struggle once it's done being sanded.

 

Andy

[AndyMech]

I finished planking the bulwarks today.  Sorry for the poor quality of the photos, the light wasn't the greatest this afternoon.

 

The continuous scupper between gunports 2 and 5 is at 1/32", so pretty noticeable.  I also had to add a basically a stealer when doing the port planking at the transom to fill a gap, but it's barely visible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think next would be to try and finish the transom - add the framing pieces (fancy piece) and the sides as well as the center decorations.  Also, next up is some of the railing details - pin rails, add the eyebolts, ladders, etc.

 

Andy.

[lambsbk]

You're getting really good at this Andy - that looks sharp.

[GuntherMT]

Looking great!

[AndyMech]

A few bits and pieces were left on the transom

 

- The fancy piece, framing the transom, painted black

- A couple of thinner, 1/32" square pieces curving around

- The emblem of Maryland - looks like a shield

- Finally, the "fashion" pieces port and starboard

 

 

After painting the lower part a medium yellow (used a Tamiya paint for this)

 

 

The detail on the emblem of Maryland is far too intricate for the size.  Instead, I just did a "representative" yellow and red replacement:

 

 

Here's what it looks like all assembled:

 

 

And, finally, the two side fashion pieces.  These are a little thicker looking than they probably should, but used the end of the waterways piece to define their size:

 

 

[jcoby]

I like the simplified crest. The plans call out the full design but I couldn't figure out how in the world to even begin to apply that to a 1/4" high piece of basswood.

 

What are your plans for the transom lettering? The "PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II" lettering is carved into the transom where the "BALTIMORE   MARYLAND" lettering appears to be painted on.

 

I ran into the same problems with the side fancy pieces not meeting up with the planksheer. I think I just added a bit of filler to the planksheer to make them meet up. The transom on the Pride is one of the more fiddly and difficult parts IMO. Mostly because the plans don't really call out exactly how it's supposed to assemble.

 

She's coming along nicely.

[AndyMech]

Thanks, jcoby, I've not yet decided on what to do about the lettering.  Maybe find some small letters at a hobby shop?  I don't think my skills are up for a hand-lettered attempt - it would look terrible.  I can put that off indefinitely, as there's nothing else on the transom that needs work.

 

I've been spending a lot of time painting the inside of the bulwarks - it's got difficult access, and so it taking some time.  I hope to have photos of that in a few days, then I can move on to some of the deck furniture or perhaps the gunport lids.  I can also then add the blackened eyebolts once the painting is done.

 

Andy.

[AndyMech]

I'm still painting, and plan on blackening eyebolts and gluing those in soon.  For now, here are the inner bulwark planks painted a "white grey", closest I could get to the cream specified by the plans:

 

 

 

Andy.

[Blue Pilot]

She is looking great! You are making great progress.

[Blue Pilot]

Thanks for the pictures the input from you an jcoby have been a great help to me as I am sure it is to others.  I realized looking at your photos I had the most aft bulwarks extensions facing the wrong way!  I was able to unglue these and reorient things before it became a problem.  Thanks!

[AndyMech]

Small progress to report, but it took all weekend.  I installed all the cannon eyebolts and rings.  The brass rings supplied with the kit seemed too large to me, so I made my own by wrapping some small black wire around a drill bit and snipping to make a ring.  Those were put on the eyebolts and then blackened.

 

 

 

After that, it was pretty easy to glue them (CA) into the holes I pre-drilled in the stanchions.  I did the sideways holes prior to planking the bulwarks to make it easier to put the 4 side ones in.

 

 

 

Andy.

[russ]

Andy:

Well done on the ring bolts. The scale is good.

 

Russ

[AndyMech]

Next up, according to the instructions, after skipping the cannon port doors for now, is the fairlead.  The instructions say to simply "craft this out of wood".

 

Ok, so I tried bending a piece of wood to match the severe curve of the bow railing, and it would just split.  So, instead, I bent two pieces as tightly as I could, trimmed them at their maximum curve and glued them together:

 

 

Then, I painted it black, added the two blackened eyebolts and drilled the holes the lines will go through much later as the bowsprit is rigged.

 

 

 

Andy.

[Karleop]

Hola Andy:

Your POB is getting great, By the way I begun my own POB a month ago (and also creating my Topic in MSW) and seeing your information help me a lot.

 

Saludos, Karl

 

[AndyMech]

Hi Karl, thanks for posting and following my build.  I'll subscribe to your as well - always good to have another Baltimore builder here.  

 

My progress is slow, so I'll likely be learning from you in no time.

 

Andy.

[AndyMech]

Today I started on the deck furniture.  The first one up is the pretty simple lazarette hatch - occupying the coaming at the most stern position.

 

I made is about 3/64 tall, painted the side the same off-white the other hatches are supposed to be and stained the top.  Adding the small wood planks on top was the hardest part - I created a 1/32" square piece and used a small metal ruler to get the spacing even.

 

 

 

 

Andy.

[AndyMech]

Today, I added the foc'sl hatch. This is the 2nd smallest hatch, close to the bow.  Like the lazarette hatch, it could be made to open, but I chose not to do that.

 

The window on top is made from some small brass strips and a piece of clear plastic - not the perfect window, but looks all right I think.  The kit comes with thinner plastic, but I'll save that for some larger windows later.

 

 

 

Andy.

Edited October 9, 2016 by AndyMech