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  #31  
Old 07-11-2021, 09:17 AM
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On the Schwarzer Rabe model, I have a bunch of ship model projects still, and I have to take a break from the Schwarzer Rabe for a bit while I get caught up a bit with other stuff that includes rigging repair of a small desktop model of a yacht.

I've made some progress since my last post here. But, I have to admit that, as a wooden ship modeler, I lack experience in paper modeling. I have a tendency to see the seams between paper parts with a critical eye, so I end up trying to fix things that may be better left alone. Plus there's the issue of the flattened hull between frames.

I didn't have much problem with that issue with my 1/96-scale HMS Alert paper model from Shipyard. That kit has another layer of planking, which evened out the hull quite a bit. But, now that I think about it, I didn't have the problem at all with my Bremen Cog kit, which is also from Shipyard. I didn't have any seam issues with either of those kits, as they were both clinker planked.

At the moment, the hull of the Schwarzer Rabe is a mess, as I'm in the midst of cleaning it up. There's some painting I need to do, but there I have to hold off and do a little cleanup first, as I have some thick strakes to apply. But more on this later.

Attached is a photo of the model with keel in place, but with the garboard planking strip yet to be trimmed and added. I'm not thrilled with the model at this stage, though I'll probably be a lot happier after I'm able to add the thick strakes and get the hull cleaned up and the lower hull painted.
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Dutch Fluit Schwarzer Rabe, 1627 - Shipyard 1/96 by catopower-img_2722.jpg  
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  #32  
Old 07-11-2021, 10:47 AM
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It does not look too bad to me, Clare. Some filler, a little sanding, a simple paint job and your troubles are all over.
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  #33  
Old 07-11-2021, 10:48 AM
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Hi Clare,

I believe we have corresponded in the past. I think this time I'll be looking to you for tips because I have virtually no paper modeling experience.

I received the kit from agesofsail.com but have not received the extra parts from GPM. I did however receive an email from a woman who spoke English and said that the parts had been shipped by registered mail on July 6th so I should be receiving them soon. She gave a tracking number but when I asked her for a link that the tracking number would work on she never replied. I've checked the US Postal tracking system which says they can't track that number from Poland.

Anyway, I'll continue to follow your build and photos.

Thanks,

Bob
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  #34  
Old 07-18-2021, 09:59 PM
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Hi Bob,

I think the detail parts set from GPM really simplifies a lot of assemblies. I think it will also improve the overall appearance of the model. One example is the scrollwork in the beakhead. The GPM detail set includes this feature as laser-cut parts. They look really sharp – much better than I could do myself by hand.

Good luck with getting started on your build!


Ab,

Thank you for the encouragement on this model. In fact, I did some cleanup and some painting. But, what really helps it looking better are the thick planks that are glued on afterwards. I have two of them on each side now and will start the third tonight.

The hull is painted now. I wanted it to be an off-white, but I think it's a little too grayish I think.
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Dutch Fluit Schwarzer Rabe, 1627 - Shipyard 1/96 by catopower-img_2756.jpg  
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  #35  
Old 07-18-2021, 10:58 PM
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Looks perfect to me Clare, keep going!
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  #36  
Old 07-19-2021, 02:56 AM
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Yeah, I received my parts just a few days ago. I haven't even opened the kit or the GPM parts yet though. After building that 11,810 part mini-lego kit of the Neuschwanstein Castle, I started building the Artesania Latina all metal model of a Messerschmitt Bf 109.

Talk about a different beast of a model -- I've never worked in metal before, and this thing is not only intense but a challenge to build. It does have good instructions though and it's pure genius in the way that it's put together, but it's a lot of work.

The rudder, elevator, flaps, ailerons, and landing gear all move. It has LED's in the tail and wings as well as the dashboard, and every single photoetched part must be cleaned up by filing off the little nubbies of metal sprue that holds them into the sheet. Some (like the seatbelts) are extremely delicate so you have to be very careful that you don't bend them. But it's been a lot of fun to build.

I'll get around to the Rabe one of these days though. I'm just enjoying taking a break from wooden model ship building. I've got several customers begging me to build the Cutty Sark and write a practicum on it but man-o-man, that thing has a lot of yardarms and rigging. I'm not sure I'm up to doing that model. I hate rigging a model!.

Take care,

Bob
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  #37  
Old 07-19-2021, 06:49 PM
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Ab, thanks again – I'm keeping it going!

Bob, I hear you on the rigging. I've got a couple rigging projects and I'm really dragging my feet on them. Of course, the Schwarzer Rabe has three masts to rig. But, I'm hoping because it's such a small model and a different ship than what I'm used to that it will keep up my interest in getting her rigged.

That metal model sounds very interesting. I'll have to check out the kit.

As for the Schwarzer Rabe project, my GPM order just arrived today. It was mostly cannon barrels for an HMS Mercury project I started some time ago. It stalled out quite a ways back, but I thought getting the cannon barrels for it might rekindle my desire to make some progress on it. Between the new cannons and experience I getting with the Schwarzer Rabe, I'm thinking I probably will be picking it up again. But, later, after this build is done.

Along with the Mercury's cannons, I order a couple other types of cannons, to see how they'll work for this kit. Also, I went ahead and ordered the masting set. It includes all the dowels needed for the Schwarzer Rabe, not that I need any dowels. But, it also includes 6 small sheets of laser cut parts for the mast tops, cross trees, mast caps, etc. For some reason, Ages of Sail didn't stock these, so I picked them up from GPM as long as I was ordering something else.


Schwarzer Rabe now has four thick strakes on each side of the hull. There are still two smaller ones to add farther up, but I ran into an issue with another part whose name I can't recall. It's like a post attached to the side of the ship that contains a sheave.

It's labeled part #127, but I discovered there are two very different parts with the same part number. Took me a while to find the correct one, but I found it. I want to get that into place before I try to add the last thick strakes.

But, I have to say, I'm anxious to finish the lapstrake planking of the upper bulwarks. You can also see in the photos where I've been fitting the main hatches and gratings.

Looking back, I wish I had test fit the hatch when I initially cut the deck, as it would have been much easier to properly cut the deck to fit the laser-cut hatches I got. Now, my deck openings are just a little small, and it's hard to cut them to get the hatch coamings to fit correctly.

Oh, and one other thing I did... There's a strip of the sub-deck that supports the middle of the main hatch coaming, but there's nothing under that strip to support it. So, I cut a narrow piece of wood and glued it to the underside of that strip to give it some support. I was afraid that if I didn't do that, the coaming might sag a bit in the middle.

I might do this also just aft of the main hatch, as there is nothing supporting the deck between the main hatch and a small hatch just aft of it, and I can already see a little sag in the deck. I took a photo and marked the sagging area with a red arrow. I don't have the same problem at the forward end of the main hatch, as that end is supported by a bulkhead.
Attached Thumbnails
Dutch Fluit Schwarzer Rabe, 1627 - Shipyard 1/96 by catopower-img_2759.jpg   Dutch Fluit Schwarzer Rabe, 1627 - Shipyard 1/96 by catopower-img_2760.jpg   Dutch Fluit Schwarzer Rabe, 1627 - Shipyard 1/96 by catopower-img_2762.jpg   Dutch Fluit Schwarzer Rabe, 1627 - Shipyard 1/96 by catopower-img_2763.jpg  
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  #38  
Old 07-19-2021, 11:15 PM
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Hi Clare,

I see what you mean about the hatch and added wood support. I'll certainly keep that in mind when I build my model.

That part you're probably referring to that you can't remember the name of is probably the chesstree. It was used for the main sail tack line which would pass through the sheave and then enter the main deck area via another sheave in the upper bulwarks. I wrote a series of books on scratch building model ships which are very high quality books, 8-1/2" x 11", full color on glossy paper and spiral bound (Scratch Built Books | lauckstreetshipyard) and cover the chesstree in Volume XI.

I think your Rabe is looking good. There's one thing I did on my Alert model (hope to finish it some day as well) that you might consider on your next build. After I covered the hull up to the stage that the planking went on next, I coated the entire hull with spackling paste, let it dry, then sanded it lightly until I had a nice, smooth hull before adding the planking. I do the same thing on plank on bulkhead models made of wood after I add the first layer of planking. It gives the hull a completely smooth surface to attach the planks to which should eliminate the problems you had with the sagging between bulkheads. I always use super glue to attach planks because it dries fast. You just have to be real careful in positioning the planks as you lay them down.

If you'd like, I can send you the link to the metal BF109 kit.

Take care,

Bob
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  #39  
Old 07-20-2021, 12:33 AM
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chesstrees

I appreciate Bob's explanations in this thread, but I think his remark about the chesstrees on Dutch ships need a small correction. We did not use sheaves in our chesstrees. Actually there were two types: the first is just a simple clamp against the hull with a hole in it, leading the tack to another hole in the ship's side in front of the chesstree (sometimes behind it), like here:
Dutch Fluit Schwarzer Rabe, 1627 - Shipyard 1/96 by catopower-schermafbeelding-2021-07-20-om-07.59.12.jpg
In detail:
Dutch Fluit Schwarzer Rabe, 1627 - Shipyard 1/96 by catopower-schermafbeelding-2021-07-20-om-07.58.39.png
The other variant is a simple hole in the bulwark, adorned with a carved mask, mostly with an open mouth, through which the tack passed, like on the William Rex in the Rijksmuseum, to the left of the gun right:
Dutch Fluit Schwarzer Rabe, 1627 - Shipyard 1/96 by catopower-_dsc0203.jpg

Your books look great Bob!

Looking at this build it more and more seems to me that scratch building a model like this would be a much better option. There are so many details that can hardly be explained in tis kit. A nice example is the use of gratings in this model. Gratings were used to bring light and air to the compartments below, especially in case of gun decks, ventilation is crucial. I don't see the use of gratings giving air to a deck where only cargo was stored, as it was usual on fluits. A simple hatch was sufficient (and much more easy to make :-)) Perhaps my tutorial on scratch building period ships might help you to take the leap to scratch, Clare.
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  #40  
Old 07-20-2021, 02:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by abhovi View Post
I appreciate Bob's explanations in this thread, but I think his remark about the chesstrees on Dutch ships need a small correction. We did not use sheaves in our chesstrees. Actually there were two types: the first is just a simple clamp against the hull with a hole in it, leading the tack to another hole in the ship's side in front of the chesstree (sometimes behind it), like here:
Attachment 451314
In detail:
Attachment 451315
The other variant is a simple hole in the bulwark, adorned with a carved mask, mostly with an open mouth, through which the tack passed, like on the William Rex in the Rijksmuseum, to the left of the gun right:
Attachment 451316

Your books look great Bob!

Looking at this build it more and more seems to me that scratch building a model like this would be a much better option. There are so many details that can hardly be explained in tis kit. A nice example is the use of gratings in this model. Gratings were used to bring light and air to the compartments below, especially in case of gun decks, ventilation is crucial. I don't see the use of gratings giving air to a deck where only cargo was stored, as it was usual on fluits. A simple hatch was sufficient (and much more easy to make :-)) Perhaps my tutorial on scratch building period ships might help you to take the leap to scratch, Clare.
Thanks for the info on Dutch ships. I called it a chesstree because Clare mentioned it as post attached to the side of the ship that contains a sheave. To me, if it has a sheave in it, then it's a chesstree, but I've only built one Dutch ship from scratch, a Dutch yacht and it had nothing on the side of the ship (or at least the plans didn't show anything that even resembled a chesstree). Anyway, thanks for the info.

Take care,

Bob
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