Issue 127 - Contains Oak veneer strips and assorted wood strips, cannonballs, brass hinges & pump well parts., and has instructions for shaping the mast and making the pump well and shot lockers.

This time we start making the lower mast using the dowel from Issue 126. The model has a stub mast, so the top end of the dowel is sliced at an angle and will later on be painted red at the cut-off point. You also need to make a square end to fit the mast step, and taper the below deck part of the mast.

The thin strips of oak veneer will be used later on to panel the pump well with realistic planking.

The strip of 10mm wood is used to make internal partitions for the shot lockers. This is optional and only necessary if you intend to fix the lids open to reveal the cannonballs inside.

Shaping the mast -The mast on the real Victory has an off set taper. Its front face is straight, and all the taper is formed on the side of the mast that faces the stern. However, it is much harder to carve the mast like this, and as the dif erence is barely perceptible at the scale size, therefore we recommend creating an even taper.

Shape and taper the mast, using the plan as a reference. The mast is around 10mm longer than can be shown on the plan – just align the bottom.

Take the mast dowel and saw off one end at an angle of about 30 degrees, starting about 5mm from the end. The
precise angle is unimportant, as long as it is aesthetically pleasing, then sand the end smooth.

Measure and mark two lines 4mm and 170mm from the ‹flat end of the mast. Then draw a cross on the end of the mast with both lines going through the centre at a right angle. Then draw an 8mm square on the end of the mast, using the cross as a guide.

Cut off the sides of the square at the 4mm mark, using a razor saw., this forms a square peg on the end of the mast. Check that the peg  fits inside the square socket in the mast step. Do not glue it yet.

Taper the mast from the full 14mm diameter at the 170mm mark down to 12mm at the base as shown on the plan. Sand it with a sanding block while rotating it slowly and steadily. Check the diameter at frequent intervals as shown on the plan.
Use medium or coarse sandpaper for the initial sanding, and end with fine sandpaper to give a smooth  finish.

Making the pump well and shot lockers - This is the basic assembly of the laser-cut parts, later on, you will plank the pump well with oak veneer.

Take the front for the pump well, part 16-1, and the left side, part 15-1. Remove the door from the side and carefuly store it.
The front and left side  fit together by interlocking the tabs. Glue the parts together, and ensure that they
are at right angles to each other.

Add the right side, part 18-1. Again, make sure this is square. Then add the rear of the pump well, 16-2.

It is easier to make the shot lockers with closed lids, but you can opt to hinge a lid open (as on the real ship) to reveal a pile of cannonballs inside. Omit Steps 6-8 and 10-15 if you are leaving the lockers closed. I will be constructing the 'open lid' version as noted below.

Take the two shot locker sides, 15-3 and 18-2. Draw a horizontal line at the bottom of the tab as shown. This line marks the position of the false fldoor. Place one of the sides on the 1.5 x 10mm strip, so that the lower edge of the strip lines up with the recess between the two tabs. Trace off the shape of the top of the side.

Cut off the strip to form a partition about 11mm tall, then repeat the process to make a second partition.

Glue the shot locker sides squarely to the rear of the pump well, with the pencil lines on the inside, (Chamfer the tabs if they do not fit easily into the slots).

Cut a strip of the 1.5 x 10mm wood to fit between the sides of the shot locker. This will be used to make a false ‹floor.
Sand along the length of the false floor until it matches the width of the sides of the shot locker between the tabs.

Mark two lines on the false ‹ floor, dividing the strip evenly into three, then glue the false ‹ oor in place, lining it up below the marks on the shot locker sides. Allow the glue to dry completely.

Fit the partitions against the sides of the shot locker, and trim or sand them so they are exactly the same size and shape, then glue the two partitions onto the pencil marks.

Try the rear wall of the shot locker, part 17, over the keelson to check the fit. Ensure the recess in the base  ts over the three thicker planks. Here, the planks are wider than the recess and actually extend a millimetre beyond the wall.
Adjust the base until the are no gaps along the underside. You may also need to sand the slot for the keelson to get a good fit.

Glue the rear wall to the rear of the shot locker, then glue the top bar, part 19, to the top of the shot locker.

Test-fit the pump well in place in the hull frame. You may need to sand the edges of the shot locker sides to get it to sit flat.

That completes the basic construction of the pump well and shot lockers. If you decided not to show the interior of the lockers, you will have omitted the internal partitions and false ‹floor.

Carefully store the remaing parts, mast and pump well for later use.

Future isues:

Issue 128 contains - Contains laser-cut rider parts, dowel, brass fittings & strip, and a wood strip., and has instructions for completing the hold planking and fitting the riders.

Issue 129 - Contains eyebolts, cotton fabric, thread, brass wire, eyebolts and laser-cut stand parts., and has instructions for fitting the false keel, sanding the hull planking and assembling the stand.

Fitting the false keel - Victory’s false keel is a disposable covering that protects the keel itself from damage. It is modelled by simply gluing two strips of wood on top of each other on the keel.

The false keel is created using the length of 1.5 x 8mm wood strip supplied in this issue plus the strip that was included with Issue 125.
On the real ship, the easily replaced false keel was fitted to the bottom of the keel itself, and was intended to protect it from damage if the ship grounded.

Take the 1.5 x 8mm wood strip supplied this issue and the one supplied in issue 125, and cut them each to a length of 92mm.
Glue one of the strips onto the keel and allow the glue to dry. Glue the secind strip on top of the first. When the glue is dry, sand the ends and sides of the strips until smooth.

Sand the outside planking with a medium grade sandpaper, and then finish off with a smooth grade to give a good finish.

Making the display stand - You will need the dowel provided in Issue 125. Take your time putting the stand together, as it is important to get the parts exactly square.

Cut two 90mm lengths of dowel from the piece supplied in Issue 128. Make pencil marks 8mm from each end.
Cut out the two main parts of the stand. Sand any rough edges smooth. Note that the two smaller brackets included in the laser fret will be used to hold a name plaque supplied later in the series, so keep these parts safe for now.
Apply PVA adhesive to one end of one piece of dowel, just outside of the pencil mark. Assemble the parts so that the pencil marks line up with the insides of the two stands. Use a toy brick (or other improvised
square) to ensure the stands are vertical and the glued dowel is square to them. Leave the assembly on a flat surface to dry.

When the glue is dry, separate the unglued joints. Apply glue to one end of the other dowel and fit it to the other side of the stand. Reassemble the stand, making sure it is square. Line up the pencil mark inside the stand and leave to dry.

Take off the back of the stand. Apply glue to the ends of the unglued dowels and replace the back of the stand. Line up the pencil marks, and use a brick to square up the assembly.

Allow the glue to dry completely. Glue some strips of felt or layers of masking tape to the top of the stand to protect the model, then try the cross-section in place.

That's it for this stage, carefully store the remaining fret parts.

Issue 130 - Contains large & small barrels and chain pump castings., and has instructions for cutting the chain pump openings, fitting the mast step & limber boards, and planking the pump well with oak veneer.