Model Boat Mayhem
The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Working Vessels => Topic started by: Positive on April 10, 2006, 07:12:14 pm
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I have just started my latest miniature, the British iron barque RAVENSWOOD of 1877.? ?1,089 tons, 218 feet long 36 feet wide.? ?I have selected a nice piece of obeche from my box of offcuts.? ? ?This type of model is relatively simple, but nevertheless, it will make an attractive model.? ? ? Unfortunately, there is not much interest in this sort of thing these day - but here goes:
(http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/7651/ravenswood12sb.jpg)
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I can only speak for myself but I look forward to the next installment of your builds
Marc
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If you don't post Positive, then no one will be aware of these types of model and that would be a shame. I bought a nice sheet of limewood at Squires in Bognor this afternoon with a view to having a go at a miniature myself. The place is an absolute modellers Aladdin's cave - I didn't want to come away! Having spent most of the day putting polish on my new/old 21ft yacht, the idea of something a bit smaller really appeals!
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Done a bit of work on it.? ?Cut the rough hull & fitted scored maindeck.? ?Cut raised poop & forecastle & assembled the quadrant beading.? ?The acrylic display case sides will be cut to fit in this wood quadrant framework.? ?Looks a bit rough at the moment, but should soon be looking a bit better!
(http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/7836/ravenswood21rt.jpg)
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Like Rigger's, I will also be watching your progress. And like Colin, I am also getting nearer to having a go at something as well.
Your Website is usually the first thing I look at when I switch on.
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Hi there Positive as always, and like everyone I look forward to you posting your builds on the Forum - they are very impressive.
What intrigues me, is, when you are coming to the end of your model - what influences you for your next model?? ?I know you have your interest in these type of sailing ships and old steamers, but what makes you think 'yes - I am going to build that particular model'?
What it is I am near enough to completion of my current build, and I keep saying yes I would like to build this, build that and end up undecided.? ?I have, in the past, said yes I want to build this, started on it and half way through ended up in a battle with myself & thinking not happy with this, I wish I had built something else, but perservered to end up completing a model to which you know you havent put your heart into building and its not really right.
John E
Bluebird
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Hi John
It really depends on what I am feeling like at the time.? ?My last model was the British troopship DILWARA and it was very complicated, so I decided that when it was complete, I would do something easier such as a sailing ship.? ?I chose the RAVENSWOOD because I had recently read two very old books? with reminiscences of life aboard RAVENSWOOD, one by her 2nd mate and another by an apprentice.? ? At the same time, I am buillding my first tug, the S.A. EVERARD, it is only 5.5 inches long.? ?I started it because as I was going through an old shipbuilding journal, I came acrss the plan and thought it would make a change.? ? Also recently built Confederate ironclad TUSCALOOSA which also made a change.? ? ?During the construction of RAVENSWOOD, I will probably change my mind a number of times before settling on the next.? ? ? ?As I have said before, I prefer the obscure or semi-obscure.? ? Also, I have very little patience and like to get the show on the road - just couldn't face taking months or years to build a single model.? ? Miniatures are ideal if you lack patience because they don't take too long.? ? ?Lovely day here today, although a bit windy.? ?I spent all morning with my table outside and assembled display case and made the base for the RAVENSWOOD, so the hull is unchanged at present.
Bob
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I have now completed the base & tray for the sea as well as adding the clipper bow & doing a bit of hull smoothing.? ?Not much achieved today though.? ?We got a new TV & digital video system.? ?You know the type "user friendly" no problem to anyone as far as setting up goes.? ? Anyway, it turmed out "user hostile" and despite over 30 years in technical electronics & communications, it took two hours to set up the TV and all of Sunday to set up the DVD recorder - the setting up of which only bore the vaguest similarity to the "User's Guide!"? ? Anyway - back to the RAVENSWOOD, here it is:
(http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/8/ravenswood38tx.jpg)? ? ?
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I have now shaped the sea & tried the model in it, keeping it low down in the water so that it will look like it is sailing through & not on top of the water.? ?The sea has yet to be primed & painted by my wife, so having made it, I can forget about that bit & return to the model.? ?The ship still looks pretty awful at the moment, but when I have plated & painted it (a couple of hours work) it will begin to look a lot smarter:
(http://img481.imageshack.us/img481/2128/ravenswood45tj.jpg)
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Now that it is plated & painted and the deck details are almost complete, it is looking a lot better.? ?I have also veneered the display case & assembled the carrying case.? ? deck details remaining:? ?guardrails, rope coils, winch, fife rails, boats & davits.
(http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/7788/ravenswood55nq.jpg)
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Very nice, why not show how you got all the little parts made,would be of interest, ;)
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Thanks for replies.
Only the boats, davits & rope coils need to be fitted now and then the model is ready for rigging.? ? The masts, spars & rigging will be 100% metal.? ?The lower masts will be brass tube, topmasts & above will be either copper or silver steel rod.? ?The rigging, including ratlines will all be of fine copper wire.? ?The model is to be shown under full sail.? ? ? The subject is really too large to go into in any depth on a forum, but I can give simple answers as to how I make individual items.? ? ?The RAVENSWOOD is not particularly complicated? and a lot of the items are self-explanatory, hatches, for instance, are simple bits of 1/16th inch wood cut to size.? ?The deckhouses are wood blocks with white plasticard glued to the sides.? ?The portholes are drilled in and the doors printed on to self-adhesive film (on the computer) and stuck in position.? ?There are no shop-bought items in the model and the total cost so far is virtually nothing as it was made from bits and pieces which were just lying about.? ?The main expense comes in the acrylic for the display case, the plasticine for the sea and the metal fittings (hinges, catches, handle & screws) for the carrying case.?
For anyone wishing to take up this sort of thing, please refer to my entry in the Sales section of this forum where details of my Acrobat Reader format CD computer disk, 51,000 words + about 280 illustrations may be found.? ?
I wrote this a while ago because of lots of requests as to how I built them.? ? Conventional publishers would have nothing to do with it beacuse it was "too specialised & obscure."? ? Eventually, when I got the hang of computers, I produced it on CD disk for anyone interested.? ? There arecurently two left on the Ebay listing, but I will put more on if requested to do so.? ? ? It was a labour-of-love more than anything and was years in the writing as it is illustrated by more than 50 of my models.? ? ? I do not believe any great skill or patience is required for miniatures - it is often a question of technique.? ? ? Patience - I have little of that - I like to get the job up and running as soon as possible.? ?I am already thinking about what the next one will be.
(http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/6295/ravenswood68mr.jpg)? ?
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Thanks for that. ron h
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I thoroughly recommend Positive's book - lots of interesting tips and techniques if you are interested in having a go at this sort of model.
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I'll second that.
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No im not into buying a book or building one, I just thought any one interested in this nice build would like to know how he got from a-b-c. I scratch build my own large scale ships and do all the build in text and photo,s on MWs, last build over 70 pages 300 photo,s , ron h
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Thanks for all replies.
Ref my Miniature Shipbuilding CD disk.
This Ebay listing is now closed although the details remain on the? link.? ? ?Three disks sold (Two to U.S.A., one to U.K.).? ?Thanks for your interest in this post.
Further update on RAVENSWOOD will follow later today.
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All the deck detail is now complete & the three lower masts are standing.? ? Everything from now on will be of metal - masts, spars & rigging.
(http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/5041/ravenswood73os.jpg)
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This is a stage of the model which I never really appreciate.? ?The masts are assembled & fitted, but not a single item of rigging is in position.? ? I suppose it is a psychological barrier more than anything else.? ?The masting & rigging is neither difficult nor time-consuming, but at this stage there seems an awful lot to do.? ?Fortunately, the feeling soon passes after a few sails have been set and the rigging begins to go on.
(http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/9173/ravenswood81ai.jpg)
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Very nice, looking better each day, ron h
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With the completion of all the rigging & sails on the mizzen mast, the psychological barrier has been passed and the task of rigging does not seem as great as it did yesterday!? ? Completing the mizzen mast is OK on a barque, but would not be a practical procedure for a full-rigged ship which carries square sails on all the masts.? ?The next task is the setting of all the jibs & staysails, together with their associated rigging.? ? After that, the standing rigging will be completed and finally the eleven square sails, yards & associated rigging will be added.? ? So far, there are about 320 soldered joints in the copper wire rigging.? ? These are where the ratlines are soldered to the wire shrouds.
(http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/7826/ravenswood99qt.jpg)
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The lines from under the mast tops down to the fife rails have now been fitted.? ?The fore & main shrouds & ratlines have also been made up and fitted.? ?These contain about 500 more soldered joints holding the ratlines to the shrouds.? ?Five of the staysails have been fitted & rigged, complete with halliards, downhauls, lee & weather sheets.? ?The next task is to fit & rig the remaining jibs & staysails and then the rest of the standing rigging can go on.? ?
(http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/5572/ravenswood109bp.jpg)
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Looking good as always Positive.
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Very nice, enjoying your progress, ron h
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I have had a bit of a change from rigging and completed the base and display case whilst my wife painted the sea.? ? As soon as the model is complete, it can go straight in.
(http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/140/ravenswood11displaycase3tf.jpg)
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I have now completed all the fore-and-aft sails.? ? This has been quite a tedious job as there were so many of them ? 16 in total!? ?It is not that they are difficult items to fit, but apart from the spanker & gaff topsails, the jibs & staysails are all the same and it can get a bit tedious.? ? The next task is to complete the standing rigging which consists of the fore & main topmast & t?gallant shrouds & ratlines and the remaining backstays on fore & main masts.? ? ?Then I will only have the eleven square sails, together with their yards & associated running rigging to make & fit.
(http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/1774/ravenswood123bf.jpg)
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The standing rigging is complete and all the fore-and-aft sails are set & rigged.? ? The addition of the topmast & t?gallant mast shrouds & ratlines on fore & mainmasts involved a further 500 + soldered joints in addition to those on the lower masts & mizzen mast.? ? ?The soldering is almost complete now.? ? Only the fore & mainyards will be soldered in position, the remainder will be held by glue & rigging.
All the 11 yards have already been made & painted from a combination of brass, copper & steel rod.? ? There will be five square sails on the foremast and six on the mainmast, the extra one being the main skysail.? ? ? The model is now coming up to completion and should be finished by the end of the week and then I will be getting myself back to either a steamship or a motorship, not decided what it will be yet!
(http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/170/ravenswood138ii.jpg)