Re: Hms Victory
 

Got the bottom half of foc'sle fore rail on and painted with first coat. Wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. Cutting the pieces out took the longest time; Placing them only took about two hours. Side rails next.

Can't get the photo to download here

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James --- lookin good ! - do you paint the pieces first or after they are assembled on the ship ?




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Re: Hms Victory
 

Gary: Thanks

I paint the pieces first, leaving spaces of bare wood at glue spots; then glue in place and paint all bare spots and glue marks while giving the pieces a second coat of paint.

:teach: Something else I've learned: If I photograph the recently done work with "close-up" setting at various angles and then examine the photo, I find many of the mistakes and missed areas that will require further work. The camera can "see" far better than I can :( It's like having a "super sized magnifying glass". :thumbup: Something to keep in mind for us "old guys" whose "lamps are getting dim" :mrgreen:

The paint I'm using is an acrylic in "flat" colors and really shows-up glue spots in the photo's well. When a section is done and I'm satisfied with the painting, I coat it with "Deft" clear wood finish (in satin) and it tends to even out all the individual paint spots while protecting the paint.

Speaking of painting: I finally got the foc'sl head rail on and placed and painted the timberheads. They're almost straight!

I'll have to repaint the bulkhead below the rail , the yellow area is just too sloppy! (too much coffee that night!)

4/25: Got the bottom half of side rails in tonight. Timber heads go on tomorrow.

Re: Hms Victory
 

I've enjoyed looking through this Victory thread, If you guys want any specific photos of the ship I'm not too far away from her and would be happy to help.
When I was modelling her; I was there every week!

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Thank you mike; I'll keep the offer in mind. I'm working on the cat heads now and have a few books and photo's to help out with that.
Don't they charge an admission to visit the ship?

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James - I paid about $30.00 ( USD) for a pass which allowed me to tour Victory daily for the summer . That was a few years ago , so may have gone up ?



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You don't pay to walk around the hull, but there is a charge for going aboard.
By the way (if you haven't got it already) I can recommend "HMS Victory,her construction,career and restoration" by Alan McGowan it has really detailed drawings! I couldn't have done without it.

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Mike:
That's one I don't have. Thanks.

Got the catheads mounted; now on to the bits.

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James -- "HMS Victory,her construction,career and restoration" by Alan McGowan - $125-150 for a copy !!!! - any one got a used copy for sale ?



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$125 - $150 -- ouch!! I bookmarked it but didn't check the price. Maybe that's why I don't have it! :banna:

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Port and starboard horizontal cathead knees added. Maybe tomorrow I'll get to the bits :build: . I keep putting them off but if I don't do them now, I'll have to start on the headrails :yikes: and I would prefer to put that off till next week (actually i would prefer to put it off completely! :mrgreen: ).

Has anybody found an "easy way" to do headrails? Didn't think so. :roll:

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Has anybody found an "easy way" to do headrails ?

James -
I do not think there is an "easy way" - and if there was I probably would not use it . I would prefer to do it my way , as I am sure you would do as well - old school my friend ( AND THAT'S A GOOD THING !).
- ps -

I had a heck of a time with the brass rails on Caroline - good luck with your Vic rails .


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Gary:
I agree but still wish there was an "easy way" (three way bends, small dimensions, etc.) I'm leaving them till next week so I have a full four days to deal with them (hope that it only takes "four days").

I'm disappointed in you; You were supposed to tell me some secret method that only takes a few minutes! :( :( .

What good is this forum if you guys don't tell me your "super secret" ways of doing headrails? :banna:

You say there are no "super secret ways"? Well, I say "there must be" but it's "a secret", so I guess I'll have to do it "the old fashioned way", as you say. Maybe you could do them for me and ship them to me?...PLEASE!!! :mrgreen:

Didn't think so.

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"What good is this forum if you guys don't tell me your "super secret" ways of doing headrails?"

James - We can not tell you the "secret ways" my friend, because if we did we would be violating the most sacred and ancient laws of the Order of Model Shipwrights . Your skills must be forged in the fires of agony and frustration . Only in this way will you be re-born as a Master Model Shipwright !

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Gary:
"Forged in the fires of agony and frustration"? You must be a "Pentecostal shipwright". :loltwo: I thought the man said "you must love one another and share all you model secrets." Must have read that one wrong. :mrgreen:

I couldn't leave it, spent the rest of the night cutting out the headrails (with spare parts for the inevitable breaks and lost parts). ](*,) See Walter's entry for further details on that one.

At this rate, I'll never get my bits done!! :(

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Had to hold off on the head rails; kept breaking them. Think I'll take a page out of Picaroon/Mike's book and do them in metal (brass, not silver! :=) )

Meanwhile, I started the riding bits (finally). got all the pieces cut out and marked for drilling and carving.

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James -

The rails on Caroline are brass and not too bad to work with . After I got them warmed up , cut to length , and bent to shape ( 3 way bends) , they finally went into place . I was looking at the Corel Vic plans last night and they supply a "wood-fiber" type of "plastic-wood"(?) for the rails - are you familiar with this type of material ?




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Hello James,when I was working on my Momoli Vic I would say that the head rails were probably the most difficult parts to build. #-o Their solution was to take three different widths of walnut water soaked stock and bend them in a drying jig.It took a few tries but I finally ended up with some half way decent ones.Getting them shaped equally was quite challenging. I use finish nails lined up and hammered into a block into the shape of the head rail "if that makes any sence" Although I did have some problems with the nails leaving small dents in the stock.But these sanded out.One of those multi function plastic jigs would probably be much better.Peter from our sister site is building the San Juan Nepomuceno has some excellent photos and expaination of how he made his on page 14 Working on the Headrails - part 1... This may help you out.Cheers Walter http://forum.drydockmodels.com/view...rails&start=130 Here is the jig that im talking about it is available at Micro Marc http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Are...roduct&ID=60663

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Gary / Walter: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Thanks for the info. "Plastic wood--- plastic---scarfed joints".

My problem, as for many modelers, was "limited thinking"; the kit supplies poor quality 2mmX2mm wood strips for the head rails "MAKE IT WORK!!", I said. I, who am an enthusiastic kit basher, hang my head in shame :=(( .

After all the time I have spent on my "soap box", and posts I have made, about the "fact" that a kit is only a good starting point. :teach:
I failed to follow my own advice! :bonk:

I have been duly chastised and repent of my sins [-0< and will endeavor to never again approach a project in such a headstrong ,and closed minded, manner.

I'm not "familiar" with plastic wood at this time; but I will be quite soon! :banna:

THANKS GUYS! :thanks:

BTW: I've just been promoted to 3rd LT. I feel like one (clueless)! Thank you for taking me by the hand and showing me where the Officer's Head is; I was getting desperate!! :banna: :banna:

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Got the mizzen mast riding bits put together. One down, four to go! :banna: :banna:



I thought all the pins were seated! Good old camera helper says "not so" [-X . they're not glued in yet, so I'm OK :yes: . Bits are just sitting there, unsecured. I had to see how they would look! :banna:

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looks good James ,

-those are well shaped pins - nice to see the brass instead of the usual (too large) wooden ones .

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Mizzen mast riding bits painted, placed and glued in place. Found it was unnecessary to glue belaying pins in place, due to the bits being sprayed with "Deft" to seal the paint (it acted like a weak glue). The port side knee is a little"kicked out" but I can live with it as is.




Thumbnails are a bit "fuzzy" but so are my eyes! :banna: :banna: :banna:

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James - looks good --- how are the rails coming along ?


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Gary:
All the head rails on the foc'sle are on and painted. I'm doing the bits now to get away from the head rails :banna: , got a supply of plastic and brass square stock in 2mm, 3mm and 4mm sizes and a section of flexible R/R track (the rail looks really nice) and will go back to the bow next week. (thanks for the suggestions)

Tried making a fairlead tonight. Made out of 3mm X 3mm X12mm square stock. Drilled some holes and filed out inside. Placed a 3mm X 1mm piece of bamboo shiskabob skewer in middle , as a sheave, and painted the whole thing (1/2 drop of paint).

I can't believe how a model so large (47' overall length) can have such tiny parts!! :(

BTW: I have two sets of "Riffling files" for small work and have found that the three small riffling files provided with the Phantom kit are much better and finer and easier to work with and used most often for "small work".

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Hi James --
the flexible railway track has merit , I can see some uses for it on future builds . Are the files that come with the Phantom kit sold seperately by Model Shipways ?
At that scale , small parts can be a real problem to make if not kit supplied , however , at the end of the day , "the devil is in the details" !
I often think about scratch building Victory in 1:48 scale - imagine the cost ! - not to mention the case ! -- LOL

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Gary:
2008 dealer's catalog pg#58, item SV7318DF, shows a five piece set at $9.99. The handles are longer but the file surface is the same.

At 1:48 scale think of all the "extra details" you could add !! (the devil would love it :banna: :banna: ) and it would be almost 8' long. Forget a case, it would need it's own room! :banna:

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Last set of riding bitts installed at the fore mast. The forward most set had to have an extra set of sheaves built and applied to outboard sides (calls for three sheaves, but only had room for two on the upright).

Still haven't done the headrails, but I'm working on it. Still trying to decide whether to use the HO R/R track rail or a 2mm X 2MM piece of plastic. Both look OK, but the plastic is easier to bend.

I think I'll do the Quarter Deck and Poop Deck handrails while I'm trying to decide.

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Hi James --

What sizes of drills are you using to make your piolet holes ?




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Re: Hms Victory
 

Gary:
Drill bit is a #61=1/2mm=.039". I used it in a "Dremel" drill press to try to keep it straight (too small for me to do it "free hand").

Rails have to wait. Started the ship's bell instead.

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James --

bell looks interesting - how is the scale ? how do you rate the kit 's metal fittings relative to scale for the model ?



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Gary:
Constructo's metal fittings are pretty good, very little flash to file off, and a "good" degree of detail. As to scale; The kit , overall , is little on the "large side" of actual scale but the fittings are in scale with the model.

That's OK with me; Any smaller and I couldn't work with them! :(

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Belfry assembled and bell placed inside. First coat of paint applied. Of course the bell support arms were too long and had to be ground down to fit; And the legs aren't too crooked, so it's OK. :banna:

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James - Congrats !

you have passed a major milestone in your project - you have "hung" the ship's bell ! My Grandfather told me that the bell was the soul of the ship and although it controlled the daily activities and duties aboard , it also kept evil spirits away . Sailors are a superstitious lot !


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Gary:

I should have remembered that :=(( . I should have hung the bell as soon as I had the deck done! Next days off, the bell will be secured, first thing, and then the head rails will go on without problems. :joy: Thanks for the reminder. :thanks:

Me? superstitious? never. (knock on wood. :mrgreen: )

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James - you are welcome - glad to be of service




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My HMS Victory now has a soul. Ship's bell and railing in place. \:D/


Two more railings to do tomorrow, and then on to the headrails. [-0<

Mute testimony to the hardships of a sailor's life that there were two gun ports amidships that allowed the foc'sle cannons to point down into the upper gun deck. :=((

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James --

ship's bell looks right and proper ! I can almost hear the bell ring -

" 8 bells and the changing of the watch " ............


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Gary: Thank you
However, as an "acting 3rd Lieutenant" you should know that the watch changes at 8 bells , not 6 (unless, of course it is the "dog watch" when it would change at 4 bells). So... "Off to the masthead with you, and don't come down until you hear 8 bells!" :( . Fortunately for you, we can't use the "Cat" on Officers.:banna: :banna: :banna:

I seem to have an affinity for cats; but I also like dogs, fishes, lizards and dolphins, Maybe in a past life I was a veterinarian . :=) :=) .

BTW; Sent you a PM.

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Yup -- That's What I Said - 8 Bells -- Lol

PM-- received - question asked ?


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Mr. Davit! You have altered the Log! :yikes: This shall be reported to the Captain!! :---) . He shall be most displeased. [-X
What is it they say about "give a man enough rope"? :( :mrgreen:

Sent you another PM, trying to explain the "fish davit" (confusingly, I fear).