Issue 115 - Contains frame parts for the 28ft Pinnace boat, blocks & dummy guns., and has instructions for continuing the bowlines and the construction of the Pinnace boat.

If you have fitted sails to your model, start by adding bowlines to them as shown on pages 8-11. If you are
building a bare spars model, you can skip straight to page 12 and start assembling the third of the ship’s boats, the 28ft pinnace.

Continuing the bowlines - Omit all of these steps for the 'bare spares' model, (ropes A to D).

Making 28ft Pinnace boat - The plank-on-frame construction is similar to that done with the previous ships boats in issues 6/ 7 and 109, which will be useful to refer to.

Start by gluing frames 2 to 14 into the numbered slots on the build base. Make sure that they are all vertical and that the tip of the bow lines up with the point of frame 3.

Glue part 15 to the base. This is only used to set the angle of the transom, so make sure it is glued only to the base, not to frame 14.
Chamfer the tab on the transom so that part 16 can be angled and sit against part 15, then glue it into the slot in the base, but do not glue it to part 15, and make sure that the side with the etched line is to the outside.

Use fine sandpaper to fair the frames in a smooth curve so that the planks will sit evenly on them. Then use the 0.6 x 3mm planks (provided in issue 113) to plank the boat.
Fit the first plank so that it sits on the ledge of the frames. Repeat on the other side of the model. Then fit the garboard plank. Curve the ends of the garboard plank in a similar way to that shown before gluing it on one side of the centre line. Then fit a garboard plank to the opposite of the model.

Continue to plank the boat, working from the keel to the bulwark. You will need to taper the planks to get a good fit.
Once you have finished planking the model, lightly smooth the hull, being careful not to sand through the planks as they are very thin.
Then give the hull a coat of sanding sealer, let this dry and then give the hull a final light sanding.

Use a razor saw to carefully cut the boat away from its base, taking care not to damage the planking. Then sand the tops of the frames flush with the bulwark, and sand the transom back to the etched line. You may need to sand the tops of the planks to get a smooth line to the transom.

Sand the bow, where the keel will fit, until frame 2 just starts to show through the planks. Then glue the main part of the keel in place as before, (refer to issue 109). Then fit the bow part of the keel in the same way.

Using the 0.6 x 3mm planks, cut and fit four footboards to the bottom of the boat between frames 4 and 12.
Then Cut the aft grating to size and glue into place. (You may prefer to set aside placement of the footboards and grating until later on when further finishing of the boat is seen).

The rest of the internal fittings will be added at a later stage.

That's it for this week, carefully store the dummy guns, planks and remaining boat parts.

Future issues:

Issue 116 - Contains dummy gun barrels, wood strips, pins, blocks, eyebolts, brass strip & davit brackets., and has instructions for constructing and rigging the quarter davits.

Issue 117 - Contains dowel, dummy guns, brass strip & wire, eyebolts and brass chain., and has instructions for fitting the lower studdingsail booms, fitting the barrels, fitting eyebolts to the hull and rigging the lower sails' sheets and tacks.

Issue 117 - Contains dowel, dummy guns, brass strip & wire, eyebolts & brass chain., and has instructions for constructing and fitting the lower studdingsail booms, placement of the barrels, fitting the hull eyebolts, and rigging the lower sails' sheets and tacks.

Fitting the lower studdingsail booms - The magazine steps illustrate one side of the model only. Repeat all steps on the opposite side.

Cut a 218mm length from the 3mm dowel and stain walnut unless you are following the painted option.

Bend a 3mm-diameter ‘U’ in the brass wire, (a pair of round-nosed pliers will make this easier). Bend the long leg back at a right angle and cut the excess wire, leaving a leg of about 5mm.

Now make four 3mm diameter rings from the brass strip, again, round-nosed pliers will make this easier.

Glue a ring to one end of the boom, then drill a 0.5mm hole in the end of the boom and glue the hook in place. (Ensure the join in the ring is at the bottom when the hook is as shown in the step photo, and the same for the remaining rings).

Place the hook through the hole in the fitting on the main chainwale. (Simply place the hook over the fitting if you chose not to drill this hole when you installed the fitting.) Do not glue the boom in place yet.

Fit a brass ring on each side of the boom support. Remove the boom, being careful not to move the rings, and glue them in position. Make sure that the joins are at the bottom then glue the last ring to the far end of the boom.

If you are building a painted model, finish the whole of the boom and its fittings with black paint.Then glue the boom in position, applying superglue to the hook and to the support fitting.

Placement of the barrels - To mount the barrels (assembled in issue 19) on deck, apply a little PVA glue to the bottoms of the skids and place the assembly centrally in front of the compass binnacle.

Fitting the eyebolts to the hull - Several eyebolts (supplied with issue 110) need to be fitted to the hull to secure the rigging. Carefully follow the steps for their placement.

Fit two eyebolts to the stem, one just below the decoration and one below the front of the dolphin. (Drill parallel holes all the way through the stem, then fit the eyebolts on both sides after cutting the shanks to less than 3mm).

Then fit an eyebolt above the first open middle gun port.

Fit two eyebolts by the fifth upper gun port, and another two by the seventh upper gun port.

Fit two eyebolts between the 13th and 14th upper deck gun ports. (Unfortunately your magazine step image may have been over-cropped and only one eyebolt shown. The final image in my photos show's a revised magazine image, with both eyebolts visible in step 4).

Fit an eyebolt below the aft pulley block.

Repeat on the opposite side of the model (with the exception of the stem eyebolts which have already been fitted).

Rigging the lower sails' sheets and tacks - Use 0.25mm natural thread throughout, except for the boomkin stay ropes.

Note - Those building the bare-spars version, omit all but steps 1 and 19 to 22 (ropes A - G are omitted).

Step 1 - Use 0.25mm black thread to make the boomkin stay ropes. Tie the thread to one eyebolt on the stem, then tie it to the end of the boomkin, and finally, back to the other eyebolt.
Repeat on the opposite side.

Steps 19 to 22 - To make the main yard brace (H), tie an 1,100mm length of thread to the eyebolt below the aft pulley.
Feed this thread through the block on the end of the main yard and back through the pulley, leave the thread hanging loose.
Repeat on the opposite side of the model, then tension both port and starboard braces simultaneously so that the lines are tensioned and the main yard is kept straight, then secure the threads to the cleat on the respective bulwark.

Carefully store the rudder chains and the dummy gun barrels.

Future issues:

Issue 118 - Contains parts for the final ship's boat - the Admirals barge: hull frame parts, planking & metal grating., and contains instructions for the construction of the hull of the barge, and the fitting out the barge, cutter and pinnace boats.
The first of the figurines are also included, (3 officers and 5 crew) along with a paint guide.

Issue 119 - Contains the first of Victory’s flags - The Union Jack for jackstaff, Union Flag for the main mast, white Ensign for the driver gaff, St George's cross for the fore mast, chock frames for the ship's boats & 5 figurines., and has instructions for fitting the flags, and continues the fitting-out & exterior painting of the ship's boats, along with fitting the rudder chains and dummy guns.

Issue 119 - Contains the first of Victory’s flags - The Union Jack for jackstaff, Union Flag for the main mast, Union flag for the main mast, White Ensign for the driver gaff, St George’s cross for the fore mast, chock support frames for the ship's boats & figurines., and has instructions for fitting the flags, and continues the fitting-out & exterior painting of the ship's boats, along with fitting the rudder chains and dummy guns.

You will receive more flags (including Nelson’s signal flags) in the final issue.

Fitting the flags - Use 0.25mm natural thread throughout. Do not seal the knots until after the flags are fitted. This allows you to re-tension the threads if necessary. If the backs and fronts of the flags don’t line up quite perfectly, simply trim the edges with a pair of sharp scissors.

To add the Union Flag on the main mast, take a 1,300mm length of thread, and tie one end to the main mast cap, and feed the thread through the block on the top of the main mast. Tie the thread off to the eighth shroud on the port main chainwale, just above the deadeyes. This thread needs to be pulled quite tight to hold the weight of the flag.

Take the larger Union Flag. (Make sure you get the flag the right way up - The wider white diagonal is at the top on the side of the flag nearest the flagpole).
Without removing the backing, fold the flag in half and crease it, then remove the backing paper and stick the flag to itself around the thread. Use the vertical section of thread between the mast cap and block so that the flag hangs straight.

To add the St George’s Cross on the fore mast, take a 1,100mm length of thread and tie it to the foremast cap, then thread it through the block on the top of the fore mast and tie it to the eighth fore mast shroud.
Fit the St George’s Cross in the same way as you fitted the larger Union flag.

To add the Union Jack on the jackstaff fitted to the bowsprit, attach the smaller Union Jack to the middle of a 300mm length of thread. Feed the thread at the top of the flag through the block at the top of the jackstaff, and then tie both ends to the eye at the bottom of the jack.

To add the pennant rope to the mizzen mast, take a 900mm length of thread and tie one end to the mizzen mast cap, and feed this through the block on the top of the mizzen mast, then tie this to the third mizzen shroud.

To add the White Ensign on the driver gaff, start by fitting a 7mm eyebolt near the end of the taffrail. Be careful not to let the drill come out through the wood. take a 600mm length of thread and feed it through the block on the end of the driver gaff, then tie both ends to the eyebolt just fitted. Fold the White Ensign over the thread as you did with the earlier flags.

Fitting the dummy guns - Fit the smaller guns on the middle and upper gun decks using superglue. Insert a cross-stitch needle or similar object into the muzzles to help you line up the barrels.

Fit the larger guns on the lower gun deck., use a cocktail stick to help position these barrels.

Fitting the Rudder chains - The two rudder chains (provided with 117) hang slackly down each side of the hull. The rudder chains were only brought into action during an emergency when the main steering was damaged.

Take one of the eyebolts and twist it to open the loop and insert the eyebolt through the end link, and then twist the eye closed again.

Drill a 0.7mm hole in the wale just under the mizzen chainwale, then glue the eyebolt in place.

Hold the chain in place against the eye in the rudder. Then cut the chain to length with a pair of cutters, (leave a little slack, but make sure you use less than half the chain supplied).

Use a 2mm brass ring (provided with 100) to link the end of the chain to the eyebolt on the rudder.

Repeat on the other side of the model, making sure the chains hang down evenly.

Fitting out the Cutter - Add the seats and rudder using wood, brass strip and brass wire supplied with Issue 113. For the painted version, you may like to paint the thwarts before glueing them in place.

Cut four thwarts from 1 x 3mm wood, and fit them to the cutter as shown. Note the positions in relation to the frames. Drill a 1.5mm hole in the second thwart.

Add a strip of 1 x 3mm wood across the transom, resting on the thwart supports.

Use 1 x 3mm wood to add two seats to the sides, carefully notching the wood to fit round the frames so that they sit on the thwart supports.

Add a short length of 1 x 3mm wood to the bow, (this also sits on the thwart support). Then add a second strip to complete the bow decking.

Cut four slots, two each side, to represent the rowlocks. Note the positions in relation to the thwarts and frames.
Take the thin brass strip and bend the end to form a 'U' shape and adjust the fit as necessary. You will need two ‘U’s, one about 5mm long and the other about 8mm long. Glue the 'U' shapes over the top halves of the cut-outs in the rudder, lining up flush with the edge, then trim the excess off.

Hold the rudder in place against the transom and mark the position of the bottom of each brass strip, and drill 0.5mm holes at each pencil mark.
Bend and cut the wire into two L's, with each leg about 2mm long, and glue them into the holes.

Cut a 25mm-long tiller from a piece of 1 x 3mm wood.The narrow end should be 1mm wide, spreading to 2mm wide and the other end.
Carefully drill a 1mm hole in the top of the rudder at an angle, and glue the tiller in place, then mount the rudder as shown, but do not glue it in place.

Fitting out the Pinnace - Add the seats and rudder as on the cutter, using wood supplied with issue 113. For the painted version, you may like to paint the thwarts before glueing them in place.

Add seven thwarts made from 1 x 3mm wood. Note the position in relation to the frames. Drill 1.5mm holes in the first and fourth thwarts.

Add stern seats in the same way you did with the Cutter.

Add five 1 x 3mm planks to make the bow decking, carefully cutting notches for the frames.

Construct and mount the rudder using the instructions given for the rudder of the Cutter.

Fitting out the Barge - The barge is completed in a similar way to the other boats. For the painted version,
you may like to paint the thwarts before glueing them in place.

Add seven thwarts noting the positions related to the frames. Use 1 x 3mm wood and drill 1.5mm holes in the first and fourth.

Add the stern seats using the same method as before.

Use the laser cut frame, part 20, to fit the bow. You will need to chamfer the edges and the slots to get it to fit correctly.

Cut out 7 notches each side for the rowlocks. Note they are located just ahead of the frames.

Construct and mount the rudder in the same way as the rudder of the Cutter.

Painting the Cutter, Pinnace & Barge - The Cutter and Pinnace have similar paintwork to the Launch and can be finished using the techniques shown in issue 9.
The admiral’s barge has a slightly different colour scheme, so you will need to adapt the technique a little.

I won't repeat the boat painting guide here as its self explanatory.

That's it for this week, carefully store the completed boats and chock set.

Final part of the Victory build next week!!