HMSV Beagle - OcCre - 1/60

[Bertie McBoatface]

I placed another pair of planks this morning with relative ease. I'm getting back into the swing of it now. It still needs a lot of concentration but not as much as a couple of days ago. I've also relaxed a lot and relaxed my expectations. While these 2mm lime planks (not 3mm as I have been saying) give me plenty of material for scraping/sanding smooth curves after the fact, they are very difficult to bend edge-wise. Of course OcCre never intended them for that and it was my decision to do it this way, so don't be put off by my struggles. For me it just means that I'll have to accept the need to fill a gap or two when it's all done. Whatever. I just want to move ahead now and get onto the upper works.

 

I've found a copy of AOTS HMS Beagle at a price that I'm willing to pay. I have it in PDF but I just can't use it that way. How can I take dimensions from plans that change size? Anyway, when the book arrives, I should find a lot of interesting little stories to tell you.

[Ray S]

I am glad you are getting back into the swing of things.

 

I know you are still learning, a process I will hopefully be going through in the not too-distant future, and I am very thankful for your full and frank discussions on here, showing the errors as well as the successes. I believe that is an important thing to show in a WIP, as it can help others. I know I have shown more than a few 'whoops' moments in my own various threads!

 

Cheers,

 

Ray

[Bertie McBoatface]

22 minutes ago, Ray S said:

I know I have shown more than a few 'whoops' moments in my own various threads!

 

Cheers,

 

Ray

 

It makes a more interesting thread when there's a bit of drama from time to time. 😄

[Ray S]

5 minutes ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

 

It makes a more interesting thread when there's a bit of drama from time to time. 😄

 

I am more than happy to have an 'egg-on-face' moment if it helps anyone else out!

 

Ray

[Kitsticker]

'Oh sorry Geoff, I wasn't intending to 'get at' you in any way'

 

No problem Bertie old chap, I wasn't taking it personally, but you do seem to do yourself down rather, and I wanted to build you up a bit, as it were.

 

All the best

 

Geoff

[Bertie McBoatface]

7 hours ago, Kitsticker said:

 

 

No problem Bertie old chap, I wasn't taking it personally, but you do seem to do yourself down rather, and I wanted to build you up a bit, as it were.

 

All the best

 

Geoff

Now you mention it, I think you’re right. I have been quite low in spirits lately. Probably to do with the lingering effects of my recent illness. Looking at myself as objectively as possible, I’d say I’ve been warning people off, both here and in the world. “Leave me alone, I’m barely coping” sort of thing. 
 

Time for a long walk with lunch at the pub half way round. I’ll pull myself together now you’ve alerted me Geoff. These things creep up unnoticed unless some kind soul points them out, don’t they?
 

Thanks mate. 

[Faraway]

40 minutes ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

Now you mention it, I think you’re right. I have been quite low in spirits lately. Probably to do with the lingering effects of my recent illness. Looking at myself as objectively as possible, I’d say I’ve been warning people off, both here and in the world. “Leave me alone, I’m barely coping” sort of thing. 
 

Time for a long walk with lunch at the pub half way round. I’ll pull myself together now you’ve alerted me Geoff. These things creep up unnoticed unless some kind soul points them out, don’t they?
 

Thanks mate. 

Since I retired, I sometimes have down days, I put it down to the lack of person to person interaction.

My wife and I do tend to have our own amusements, she is a keen gardener.

So I stay off (anti) social media, stopped watching and listening to the ‘news’ a couple of years ago, go to my work bench, tune into my latest book on Audible and stick things together. 
And wander around BM, to see what wonders are being produced, mind you that usually causes me to spend money.

Then end the day by cooking something we both like and open a bottle of good wine.
Jon

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

18 minutes ago, Faraway said:

Since I retired, I sometimes have down days, I put it down to the lack of person to person interaction.

My wife and I do tend to have our own amusements, she is a keen gardener.

So I stay off (anti) social media, stopped watching and listening to the ‘news’ a couple of years ago, go to my work bench, tune into my latest book on Audible and stick things together. 
And wander around BM, to see what wonders are being produced, mind you that usually causes me to spend money.

Then end the day by cooking something we both like and open a bottle of good wine.
Jon

 

 

One of the symptoms of my 'embarrassing illness' is a depletion of serotonin, so it's a mini depression which has nothing to do with anything in life, just a chemically induced thing. I imagine it as something like a dose of 'anti-cocaine'. It does make me think miserable thoughts and hate the world and everything in it though. It's very strange. 😱

 

Anyway, I'm more or less better now so some prolonged exercise in my new boots will sort me out. 🏃‍♂️ We have a reservoir nearby with a good path all around it and a great pub at the top which welcomes muddy dogs as well as people. Another thing that will help is tidying up - looking around,I notice that the flat looks awfully derelict at the moment as I've skipped my last couple of 'bull nights' entirely. ☠️

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

2 hours ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

Now you mention it, I think you’re right. I have been quite low in spirits lately. Probably to do with the lingering effects of my recent illness. Looking at myself as objectively as possible, I’d say I’ve been warning people off, both here and in the world. “Leave me alone, I’m barely coping” sort of thing. 
 

Time for a long walk with lunch at the pub half way round. I’ll pull myself together now you’ve alerted me Geoff. These things creep up unnoticed unless some kind soul points them out, don’t they?
 

Thanks mate. 

 

I offer my apologies to anyone who may feel rejected by my recent posts. 

[ColonelKrypton]

3 hours ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

Another thing that will help is tidying up

 

We all get "down in the dumps" from time to time. I too find a bit of tidying up and making the bed when I get up helpful  as does getting out first thing early in the morning for a cup of something hot at the local Timmie's  ( Tim Horton's coffee shop here in Canada ).  I think that all helps provide a bit of a sense of accomplishment however small that seem. Working on a computer doesn't seem to provide that same sense of accomplishment as there is little if anything physical to show for it. However, frequent posting on Britmodeller or similar online forum does provide some of that sense of accomplishment as there is something sort of physical to show for your effort and of course the pleasure in being able to share and exchange banter with like minded mates.

 

Now it's time to get out to Timmie's for a cup of something hot and do a bit of bird watching and listening as they are singing up a storm this morning and if I am lucky perhaps see the rabbit and her young one which has been hanging around of late.

 

No apologies necessary.

 

cheers, Graham

 

[ArnoldAmbrose]

25 minutes ago, ColonelKrypton said:

Working on a computer doesn't seem to provide that same sense of accomplishment

Try hitting it with a hammer! 😁

     But that might make it difficult to log onto Britmodeler though. A visit to Timmie's might be a better course of action. 🙂

 

I'm a loner by nature, and going deaf into the bargain so I don't socialize much with the rest of the human race. Plus I thought model making is something only kids and me do. Britmodeler and the ATF have been a great boost for me. So I think I understand, and no apologies necessary too. Regards, Jeff.

[Dmitriy1967]

I like to start doing some monotonous work during periods of depression. For example, mowing the lawn or painting the fence. It calms and adjusts to a philosophical mood. In the evening it is very good to sit by the fireplace with a glass of a pleasant drink and talk about what came to mind during the day with a cat or dog. They are great conversationalists and will always listen to you carefully. Aquarium fish are not suitable for conversation, I tried.

[Faraway]

3 hours ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

 

I offer my apologies to anyone who may feel rejected by my recent posts. 

No need to apologise, we all get brown days.

I believe Dmitriy might be right, have a chat with your dog, they always listen and don't  argue or tell anyone your deepest secrets.

Jon

[Bertie McBoatface]

Aw thanks guys. What a lovely set of 'get well cards' to find when I logged in. You made me feel all warm and fuzzy! 😊

 

5 hours ago, ColonelKrypton said:

 

We all get "down in the dumps" from time to time. I too find a bit of tidying up and making the bed when I get up helpful  as does getting out first thing early in the morning for a cup of something hot at the local Timmie's  

 

I did tidy up. It took two hours and it's only a one bedroom flat! I've changed the sheets too and am looking forward to bedtime.

 

5 hours ago, ColonelKrypton said:

Now it's time to get out to Timmie's for a cup of something hot and do a bit of bird watching and listening as they are singing up a storm this morning and if I am lucky perhaps see the rabbit and her young one which has been hanging around of late.

 

No apologies necessary.

 

cheers, Graham

 

 

And we did get out into nature. It's three miles from the carpark to the pub, and back of course around the lake in our beautiful and often steep countryside. There were lots of interesting things to sniff and wee on and the dog enjoyed it too. It was also a nice change to have someone else cooking and washing up for me.

 

5 hours ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

Britmodeler and the ATF have been a great boost for me. So I think I understand, and no apologies necessary too. Regards, Jeff.

 

ATF? Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms? 😁

 

Yes, Britmodeller is very helpful when It comes to keeping me sane...

 

4 hours ago, Dmitriy1967 said:

 In the evening it is very good to sit by the fireplace with a glass of a pleasant drink and talk about what came to mind during the day with a cat or dog. They are great conversationalists and will always listen to you carefully. Aquarium fish are not suitable for conversation, I tried.

 

When we returned from the walk, Tess and I slept on the bed with it's clean sheets protected by her blanket. She was wet from the river and cuddled up to me to dry herself off, swapping sides to make certain that I would be wet all over too. 😁

 

4 hours ago, Faraway said:

No need to apologise, we all get brown days.

I believe Dmitriy might be right, have a chat with your dog, they always listen and don't  argue or tell anyone your deepest secrets.

Jon

 

Tess is a terrier and gave me some great advice for dealing with all of life's problems, large and small. "BITE IT!"

[ArnoldAmbrose]

8 hours ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

ATF? Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms? 😁

 

Yes, Britmodeller is very helpful when It comes to keeping me sane...

Gidday Bertie, that's an interesting combination. ATF means the Airfix Tribute Forum, another modeling forum that I'm involved in. That's one of the reasons the majority of my model ships (to date) are Airfix. When I took up the hobby again a couple of decades ago I basically restarted where I stopped as a kid.

 

And sane? You are of course using the term in it's broadest possible sense (like the rest of us. 😁)           But seriously, yeah, it's great here.

Regards, Jeff.

[Bertie McBoatface]

11 hours ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

that's an interesting combination.

 

The Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is a federal agency in the USA charged with keeping an eye on Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, funnily enough (as well as numerous other slightly naughty things that the FBI can't be bothered with). They have ATF on their jackets and as soon as I saw the TLA, I saw ATF. 

[Bertie McBoatface]

I'm still planking, though I took a day off yesterday. 

 

 

Four at once!

 

I have to say that all the measuring stuff was a waste of time as I'm now winging it. 

 

 

I just can't bend this stuff sideways. It looks bent here but as soon as I add heat to lock the bend in, the plank buckles uselessly. And now I know why most kits give you 1mm thick planks. This 2mm stock works in the OcCre way but not, for me at least, in the 'normal' way of copying the real life planking scheme. This means that the bottom planks won't sweep upwards properly but will end short, leaving lots of space for the top planks to fill without needing to lose a few. in fact, I might have to put stealers IN which would be rather ridiculous. 

 

No worries though...

 

 

...as the cavalry has arrived.

 

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

 

I thought I'd posted this book for your inspection before but I can't find it now (?). I also thought that someone had asked what it was like but I can't find the question or who asked it. I answered (in the dream(?)) that I hadn't read it and that I was saving it for when mojo was at a premium.

 

Well, I've read a few chapters now and I like it so far. It leans on the same research books that I've read and the dates, names and even the dimensions (of the cabin headroom before the second refit) seem spot on. The description of the beginning of Fitz Roy's ultimately fatal depression is absolute tosh (he should have researched that subject a bit more I reckon) but apart from that it IS inspiring me to build by giving me a better sense of the (a?) reality of the voyage.

 

So yeah, it's ok so far. Three chapters in out of hundreds...

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

On 8/3/2022 at 6:14 PM, Bertie McBoatface said:

I've found a copy of AOTS HMS Beagle at a price that I'm willing to pay. I have it in PDF but I just can't use it that way. How can I take dimensions from plans that change size? Anyway, when the book arrives, I should find a lot of interesting little stories to tell you.

 

They cancelled the sale, as they are entitled to do. I bet they realised that they had priced it waaaay too low. Ping it!

[Ray S]

34 minutes ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

 

They cancelled the sale, as they are entitled to do. I bet they realised that they had priced it waaaay too low. Ping it!

 

I had one dealer do that on Abe Books when I wanted a AOTS HMS Dreadnought book. Aggravating to say the least, but I found another at an even better price so that worked for me in the end. I hope you get another chance like I did!

 

Ray

[Bertie McBoatface]

 

Just to help me keep it real. 😃

[Bertie McBoatface]

Six planks on today, which is a personal best and makes up for yesterday's day off. Just another twenty then. 😐

 

Total time now 80 hours and 25 minutes.

 

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

Hi folks, I thought you might like to see how the hull is progressing. I'm about halfway through the planking process, if you include the easy bulwark area in the reckoning. I've been working on this phase of the build for about three weeks and spent around 40 hours on it. It's been a mixture of satisfying and frustrating and while it hasn't exactly become boring, I am looking forward to the next steps. 

 

 

The curves of the bluff bow are coming along reasonably well. I've done a little shaping of the planks from time to time as I've been fitting them. When the thick planks first go on they look dreadful, almost like a clinker built hull, but a little time sanding and scraping soon rounds off the edges. I seem to have found the knack of making them the right lengths to meet the stem, even if I haven't quite managed to shape them evenly in width. 🙂

 

 

Down at the keel, things are not so bright. What can I say? It's a mess. But as with most things in a wooden model, I think it's a salvageable mess. Most of that wood at the stem/keel joint will be sanded back to a very thin layer and when that's done, the missing bits will be added from plastic wood. It will be painted and then covered in copper sheeting so no-one's going to be able to tell when it's all finished. I chose to do it this way for the learning and it's said that we learn more from getting it wrong than right. So that's all wrong right then. 😁

 

 

I can't 'edge bend' this wood but it takes a twist very well. I'm really pleased with the way the stern is shaping. Those planks will be power sanded for length when the whole of that curve is covered. 

 

The provisional plan so far is to cover the whole of the hull, sand and tidy it all up, add the diagonal planking to the area below the transom, lower the gunwales, add the various strakes and additional timbers to the hull sides, paint it black with the broad white stripe, sort out that coppering, fit the rudder, mount it on a nice piece of some South American wood, build the beak. Then the hull phase will be finished and I'll be able to get on with the deck furnishings (boats, guns etc) before masting and rigging the lil dog.

 

I'm about eighty hours in and I estimate that there's another 40 hours before the hull's done, 80 more on the deck stuff, 40 making the spars, and 160 on rigging and sailmaking.  That would be a total of 400 hours. Suddenly, £110 for the kit seems like a bargain.

 

When the hull's done I'm also planning to start on the next one, a proper ship, so that I can switch between its hull woodwork and more detailed assemblies on the Beagle, as I may feel the need. Each will be an escape hatch from the other. (And when the smell of sawdust threatens to overwhelm, there's always the Armoured Car Group Build. 🤪)

 

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

You couldn't tell from the close in photos above but it's now very obvious that I have to lose some lines of planking (strakes) in order to close the triangular gap that is left. Here's a zoomed out version taken after I fitted another plank down at the keel this morning.

 

 

See the difference between the fattest and the thinnest frames? I'm allowed to thin each plank by 50% but that's not going to be enough when the bow gap is only 40% of the midships gap. So it has to be a stealer or maybe two. I have no idea how to do this and each of my books only show me what it's supposed to look like, NOT how to do it.

 

 

You've seen this before. The Dutch method is so easy. You just saw a plank off short, stick it in and then fit the next plank down, or up, to it. But this is a Brit ship, and more importantly, so is the next one on my list, the one I really want to get right. I'll have to do it the Brit way. Looking at the diagram, I see that the plank above the stealer has to have a cut out the mirror image of the one in the plank below. These cannot be cut after the planks are glued in so I have to plan and (probably) cut all three planks before I fit any of them. That means lining up the stealer joint, the bow and stern terminations and all of the curves with minimal tolerances. I'm not sure that's possible for my level of hand skills.

 

Thinks: I said probably because as I write I've just had an idea that might allow me to cut and fit each of the three in sequence. Hmmm. If I make the stealer plank, cut the top plank to fit and then install it on the frames, I can then use the stealer as a template to mark the lower plank, install the stealer, cut the lower plank to fit exactly and then install it. That sounds like a plan, assuming that I can actually make that three plank joint in the first place. 

 

Time for some practice/experimentation.

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

 

Well that's easy enough.

 

 

I set the chopper to 45 deg and snip! For the experiment I didn't narrow the plank in advance but that's a possibility and would make the join a lot smoother as well as making the cut outs in the other two a little smaller. Easier for me and a stronger structure too I think. Yes, that's the way to go.

 

Reviewing the experiment by writing about it really makes me think and discover improvements at every stage.

 

 

I placed the stealer on the other planks and drew around it. 

 

My first Idea was to use my mini disc sander to remove the waste triangle. I set it up but realised I couldn't do the corner properly so I fetched a razor saw to make that cut. I didn't use the razor saw because now the idea of a saw was in my mind, I recalled that I have a piercing saw.

 

 

This was one of the earliest tools that I bought for boat models and at the time I wondered if I really needed it. Well, it was very handy today.

 

 

Did I miss the line? No, that was on purpose. 

 

 

I filed down to the line so that I could repeatedly check the fit. Who knows how accurately I'd drawn the pencil line around such a fiddly little template?

 

 

Not bad. 

 

 

CA was used here for speed but I won't use it on the real thing. See how the outer planks are curving outwards? Maybe I can shave their mating faces so that the entire assembly loses even more width in an elegantly gradual way.

 

 

Behind the joint, the three planks diverged so I tacked them together and they formed a nice, hull fitting curve.

 

 

Three strakes become two. This is quite encouraging.

 

 

And the triangular gap becomes a lot more parallel. 

 

 

Apart from the pencil lead carried into the fibres by the CA, that's an acceptable joint.

 

So that's what I'll be doing tonight, maybe twice.