Thursday, December 11, 2014

I did other tests with the planking for the decks . . also because I did not have much time to do other.

In addition to the test I made a few days ago with strips of oak, I tried with the limewood and the Tanganyika. I've always approached two solutions, graphite and bristol paper/card, but, regarding bristol, I used a more thin type compared to the first test.
The result is more delicate that before. Also graphite method on limewood achieves virtually the same final result.

I'm thinking to proceed in the following way:

- 5 strips of oak with bristol paper for the central part of the deck;
- 1 strip of Tanganyika per side as the master plank;
- several strips of limewood for the external sides, using graphite, being the result almost similar but the application is considerably more simple.

Eventually, as a variant, I could plank also the central part with limewood. The Tanganyika is too dark and there are too many differences in color between strips.

Now I'm thinking about how to make the waterway, task to be made before the deck planking. I'll start with a square 4 x 4 or 5 x 5 beechwood that needs to be properly shaped with an equip I am preparing, hoping that it works.

Hello, Jack.Aubrey.

. . oak wood . .
01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100134_zpsb5399f99.jpg


. . limewood . .
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. . tanganyika . .
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. . all together . .
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. . al together with flash light . .
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Yesterday I closed my message writing that I had to do a unexpected work due to an error in the initial design of this model. I omit the explanation about the reasons causing the error, of course totally due to myself. Instead I want to describe its effects on the hull and the action to be taken to correct it.

When I finished installing the waterways I realized, re-measuring the height of the interior bulwarks, that these were 4 mm lower compared to what had to be in reality: the height of the bulwark measured from the waterways had to be 24 mm. while it was only 20.

After an initial moment of discouragement I developed a corrective solution that I think was well deployed, considering that it is expected a double planking.
I cut with the table saw, from a wooden board exceeded after the mounting of the building slip, three strips 4 x 20 mm. I used them to draw and cut out shapes to apply over the bulwarks.
In the picture below you can see how this new element, similar to a gunwale, has solved the problem.

01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100148_zps7a608abc.jpg


The only drawback: I had to do quite a lot of dust; my power sanders Proxxon BSL 220/E and OZI 220/E are true jewels but, as dust producers, are incredible. So I had to spend the end of the day to suck all my workshop . .

I enclose other images to complete the message . .

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03 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100146_zps2f486aa3.jpg


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See you at next episode, where I strongly hope to describe the beginning of the installation of the deck planking . . Regards, Jack.

Friday, January 2, 2015

To begin, I wish a good 2015 to all users of this forum . .

Looking at the previous message it appears that I have not done too much on this model . . it's partly true, because during the Christmas period there was not much time to devote to ship modelling but, anyway, I found two/three days free and I continued with the installation of the deck planks.

It is not an easy task and it requires a lot of time !!!!

Now "only" two full strakes per side are missing and then the deck "should" be done. But I think that these two strakes are probably the most difficult to install, because they have to be absolutely precise to perfectly close the deck. And after it remains a final detail to be solved: all the countless dots where the thin brass nails, to hold the planks until the glue was dryed, were hammered. The nails were subsequently removed but the small hole remains . .

The oil for wood highlights the visibility of these holes and an action is required to hide them, also because, not knowing beforehand that the oil would have highlighted them so well, the various holes result mainly misplaced.

I have kept all the limewood dust I produced during the tapering of the strips; mixed with "something" (I have not yet decided whether using glue or woodfiller varnish or clear acrylic paint) I would like to use it to fill the holes with a spatula for painters . . should work ? Will see.

A cordial greeting, Jack.

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Last Saturday I finished to install the deck planking . . Then I didn't achieved anything else because I had a continuous succession of unexpected events that I couldn't find time for ship modeling. I hope, now, to be able to resume the activities.

Before resuming the planking of the hull, I must go to a shipmodels shop to buy other strips of limewood 6 x 2 because, having also used them for the deck, I haven't enough wood for completing the hull.

Finally a few words about the process to hide the holes of the nails on the deck, the problem that kept my mind busy for a while: I did some tests on a tablet that I had prepared when I did the test for caulking, doing similar holes and applying the same oil used for the deck, recreating the same starting point. I managed to make them disappear almost completely, even if the process consists of several steps before considering it finished.

On the deck of the model I did the first two steps, which already have acheived a certain effect, but for the other steps it would be preferable to wait until the works on the inner sides of the bulwarks are concluded.

So I decided that the next step will be to open the gunports for guns and carronades, nine on each side. Probably today I hope to track all them in the right location with precision and to open at least one gunport . . we will see.

A cordial greeting to all of you, Jack.Aubrey.

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Really enjoying this build Jack, great attention to detail and looking fantastic.
Regards
Paul

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Let's forget the productivity issue. . . these days I certainly didn't shine.

In the few moments that I could devote to this model I started finishing the bulwark internal sides, in order to achieve the main targets on the deck and continue with the hull planking.

In this first series of images I show the work in a transitional phase, just to show how much patience, precision and attention this task requires.

First I applied a first walnut plank (4mm high and 1mm deep) located right above the waterway. Then, above it, there will be two others strips: one of walnut 2x1 and another of walnut 2x2. At this point the latter should be aligned with the lower side of the gun-ports. Since, however, there is not anywhere the exact height of 4mm, as at some points it's less, and in other it's more, even if only slightly, I preferred to first apply new strips over these two just now described. That's why they are missing ! These new strips are scratch built starting from a sheet of chestnut veneer with thickness 0.4.

The planks of veneer are slightly abundant in order to better finish the border when the glue is dried.

The photos below show these details while the glue is drying. With a sanding block and a lot of attention, I'll proceed with sanding, task that was already done on the right side of the hull. We will see this part in a next message.

Sincerely, Jack.

01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100173_zpsi7g9m01a.jpg


02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100172_zpsix0gooje.jpg


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Thanks a lot, I'll publish something new soon, although the works progresses not so fast. Jack.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

After a few days of regular activities, finally I came to a point where it is worthwhile to show the progress made so far. Someone might argue that the innovations are not many, and probably is right but he should consider that what I had to do were true finishes, although basic, and these activities take lot of time. Moreover, being concentrated more or less all in the same area, I needed to give the glue time to do his job before moving forward.

I begin the usual roundup of photographs starting from some overall views of the hull, then entering into details. As you can see all the inner bulwarks have been completed, even in the bow area where it was a little more complicated. After this activity, which, I repeat, took some time, I worked on the sternpost.

Here I first had to sand the two internal central supports to level the inner side. I used the Proxxon BS/E belt sander, very suitable for this type of operation. Then I planked the inside with strips of veneer as I made for the bulwarks.

Externally I applied the final shaped piece of the transom that protrudes beyond the hull, to be filled later. It is 1 mm. thick and it's applied over the existing structure and reinforced, on the protruding sides, to take it to the same thickness of the inner part.

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In the image below you can clearly see the outside of the poop.
A very interesting work was the opening of the two round windows that are nothing more than two gun-ports.

04 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100186_zpslzuyj8me.jpg


Its achievement was a matter of patience and use of appropriate tools. The use of a drill with a big drill bit is to be avoided. I performed +/- twenty holes of 0.8 along the entire circumference of the gun-port and then I cut it all with a coping saw. Obviously the hole had to be finished with files and abrasives. The result can be judged here.

05 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100183_zpsrvezwgf3.jpg


Even at the bow I worked hard, here the basic works can be considered virtually finished, obviously at least in this phase of the build. Aft, the inside wall has some areas to be still completed. But, for the moment, I could leave it as is and proceed with the hull planking. Exposed areas will be mostly covered by a kind of small cabin on each side and in the middle by a kind of box from which the tiller will emerge. Also the hole for the upper part of the rudder is still to be opened, but this will happen later. The few square centimeters that will remain uncovered will be finished properly at the proper time.

06 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100184_zpskpkuuvll.jpg


For the next activity we will discuss in the next post. That's enough for today. Regards, Jack.

Saturday, February 7, 2015

What to do now?

In these past days I reviewed again the Cygne plans to assess whether I should do some other work in the internal and external bulwarks and deck before resuming the installation of the hull planking.

First I immediately identified a new task to be accomplished at this stage of the build: it consists of opening new ports for the oars. Yes this vessel has oars! This small sailship could also be managed with oars, seven per side. The image below shown introduces these openings specific to the oars.
Internally the ports have the shape of a rectangle. In scale 1:48, the longer side is 6mm while the shorter is 4mm.
Externally the shape was rather different, as shown in figure 01, slightly drop-shaped, to allow the insertion of the oar blade, and with the lower part rounded to allow the action of rowing.
The outside was then closed by a lid pivoting on a fulcrum on top to prevent the entry of water when the oars were not used.

These 14 ports MUST be opened now, before the second planking. The latter will take the shape planned for the outside. I say now because I can still use the building slip to work more smoothly.

I will use the same method used for the gun-ports at the stern to open the oar ports, except that here the finishing must be done with tools of appropriate size, given the smaller size of this ports. For the moment I merely draw outside the proper location where these openings are with a pencil, as you can see from the pictures 02 and 03.
So everything is ready to start this new task, but I need before to find and/or prepare the right tools.

01 Brick%20de%2024%20Plans/1319280d-f0c4-4202-bfe7-752c34227bbe_zpsaqsnnjmj.jpg


02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100190_zpsbitdmmpl.jpg


03 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100191_zpsdfkthm4m.jpg


Another work involving the bulwarks is related to the presence of three sheets (is this term correct?) per side as shown inside the red rectangle in the next two figures. These details, however, should be carried out later, even if the openings dedicated to them could be prepared from now. The sheets are three per side. The poop sheet (Fig.04) contains six pulleys (is this the correct term?) with diameter 4mm and thickness 0.8mm. The mid-ship sheet (Fig.05) contains five of them, same measures, while the far forward is single.

I have not yet decided when to do this task, but I think the first thing should be to prepare the blocks containing the pulleys and then, having determined the correct dimensions, drill the holes. Once finished with the openings for the oars I'll try to prepare these sheets, then I'll decide whether to include them now or after the second planking.

As I think you may have guessed, my approach is not predefined as for kit or partwork models. I proceed by alternating phases of work with planning stages, taking into account and starting from the model situation at the given time.

The matter has a lot of fun.

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Cheers, Jack.Aubrey.

Excellent work Jack, looks fab....

Regards

Alan