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BALDER, Vlaardingen Herring Lugger from 1912, scratch build scale 1:50 Plate-On-Frame

Stunning model Peter! You have the end in sight but still plenty to do to do. I agree about rigging the masts off the ship it makes life much better. I am really struggling with my rigging at the moment (far too much of it!) - I wish I was rigging a nice fore and aft!
Thanks, Dom. Just 'only the rigging and the sails' ......... The advantage of rigging is that you do it rope by rope. In a order that is logical ............ ;)
Regards, Peter
 
There was just one thing left to do on the hull: the draft markings. The Balder only has these at the front.
When in the water, only 2 markings are visible above and below the waterline:
1038 Nummers.jpg
But fortunately, a volunteer still had a photo of when she was taken out of the water for inspection the last time. So, 4 markings below the waterline.

Get to work with thinly cut tape:
1039 Nummers.jpg
Yak ......That is much too coarse.:(

Using a new scalpel blade that I sharpened on a razor strop, I cut it as thin as possible:
1040 Nummers.jpg
The white one is the old thickness, the blackened one is the new one. As tin as a papillary line of my index finger …….. ;)

With this as the result:
1041 Nummers.jpg
Mmmmmm ....... Slightly more acceptable, but still too coarse in my opinion. From a distance it's still okay, but with grazing light and macro ......;)

Started drawing in Photoshop and grabbed the sheet for waterslide decals. That required some serious thinking and reasoning about what was going wrong.
Because the white ink didn't transfer to the transparent versions. A quick test with a black frame and white letters showed that the white letters were masked out in the black.
So, in 2 steps:
-the black letter above the waterline on transparent decal.
-the white letters with a black frame on white decal.
1042 Nummers.jpg
The result after cutting and pasting. The decal is a slightly different black than the hull, and from a certain angle, a glare is also visible. Once it is completely dry, I will touch up the black paint on the hull a bit.
Regards, Peter
 
Last edited:
I am working on various parts on and around the mizzenmast. However, I can only assemble and finish them once I have seen the necessary details on the Balder. But the boom, gaff, and sail are currently still covered with protective canvas.

Started measuring and assembling the shrouds. Some compiled information from the Amsterdam restoration specifications and the old ‘original’ specifications:
“The foremast is stayed by 3 main ropes (side stays) on each side, a forestay, and two backstays. For the main rigging, steel cable with a steel core and a diameter of 22 mm was used during the restoration. Although this construction did not yet exist in 1912, this was not a major issue because the cables would be completely covered with tarred rigging twine anyway.
The mizzenmast is supported by 3 main ropes on each side. The forward 2 are made of a single steel cable with a braided loop that has been passed around the masthead and rests on the boom. The aft main rope consists of a cable with a spliced loop at the top. They are finished in the same way as the main ropes of the foremast. The mizzenmast has no backstays. There is a tackle hanging from the front of the boom which can be used as a stay or halyard.


That's the theory. On the Balder, the single ropes with the spliced loops are set as the forward main ropes. And at the front there are also 2 'bak'-stays, which are secured at the top to the 2nd band above the boom and at the bottom to the bulwark.

A number of parts or terms have already been mentioned by me a few posts or pages earlier. The whole thing is already clear to me, but I can imagine that you really don't have everything ‘in the picture’. Therefore, here are a few photos to clarify things.
1043 Bezaan.jpg
At the front:
AV = Aapval = ‘Monkey’ halyard, a type of jib in the middle in front of the mast.
BS = Bakstag (stay) = ‘Bak’ is not ‘back’ but more like container / hull / bin.
At the sides:
KL = Kraanlijn = topping lifts to the aft end of the mizzen boom.
Blue arrow 1 = single shroud with tied-off eye splice.
Blue arrow 2 = double shroud rope composed of a single line with lashing at the boom.
At the rear:
P1, P2, P3 = Piekenval = Peak halyard.
KV = Klauwval = throat halyard

Viewed from the deck in wide angle and with the same letters:
1044 Bezaan.jpg
I cannot clearly indicate the topping lifts and peak halyard in this photo. I show them later.
I suspect that the shroud ropes were swapped when the new masts were installed and the rigging was re-rigged. I am maintaining the current situation.

A shroud rope with covering is 25 mm thick on the Balder. That will be 0.5 mm on my model.
If I tighten the shroud ropes, the model will certainly deform. The Evergreen construction has become quite sturdy, but it will definitely deform somewhat. And the shrouds on the starboard side must be made divisible.
I am going to treat the shrouds with diluted Lineco PVA so that the ropes gain more inherent strength. When covering, I coat the core line first with the diluted Lineco:
1045 Bekleden.jpg
This line is a bit frayed, but that all disappears during the covering process.
Due to the tension on the covering line (the Serafil 120/2) to be applied, the diluted glue is automatically pushed up by the windings, creating a thin film between the core and the covering. The drop of glue runs automatically to the left:
1046 Bekleden.jpg
When I have finished a small section, I apply some more glue to the outside and distribute it further along the line with some water.

Once stretched around the mast to dry, it holds its shape quite well:
1047 Bekleden.jpg
I will work on the weaving lines in the same way later. Then I hope to achieve the desired strength.

The 2x3 shrouds attached to the mast and hung next to the bulwark with some weight:
1048 Bekleden.jpg
The double rope just below the 'hommer' fitted with the binding:
1049 Bekleden.jpg
The single rope with the spliced loop with the extra covering in front of it.
Regards, Peter
 
Looking incredible!

It will be a definite balancing act between too much/little tension on the shrouds and deforming the hull. Your idea of temporary tension and applying diluted glue should give you nice straight shrouds, without too much permanent tension on the hull.

Your faithful recreation of all the details, garnered from your frequent visits and photos of the original, is superb!!

Thanks for sharing!
 
I am working on various parts on and around the mizzenmast. However, I can only assemble and finish them once I have seen the necessary details on the Balder. But the boom, gaff, and sail are currently still covered with protective canvas.

Started measuring and assembling the shrouds. Some compiled information from the Amsterdam restoration specifications and the old ‘original’ specifications:
“The foremast is stayed by 3 main ropes (side stays) on each side, a forestay, and two backstays. For the main rigging, steel cable with a steel core and a diameter of 22 mm was used during the restoration. Although this construction did not yet exist in 1912, this was not a major issue because the cables would be completely covered with tarred rigging twine anyway.
The mizzenmast is supported by 3 main ropes on each side. The forward 2 are made of a single steel cable with a braided loop that has been passed around the masthead and rests on the boom. The aft main rope consists of a cable with a spliced loop at the top. They are finished in the same way as the main ropes of the foremast. The mizzenmast has no backstays. There is a tackle hanging from the front of the boom which can be used as a stay or halyard.


That's the theory. On the Balder, the single ropes with the spliced loops are set as the forward main ropes. And at the front there are also 2 'bak'-stays, which are secured at the top to the 2nd band above the boom and at the bottom to the bulwark.

A number of parts or terms have already been mentioned by me a few posts or pages earlier. The whole thing is already clear to me, but I can imagine that you really don't have everything ‘in the picture’. Therefore, here are a few photos to clarify things.
View attachment 592452
At the front:
AV = Aapval = ‘Monkey’ halyard, a type of jib in the middle in front of the mast.
BS = Bakstag (stay) = ‘Bak’ is not ‘back’ but more like container / hull / bin.
At the sides:
KL = Kraanlijn = topping lifts to the aft end of the mizzen boom.
Blue arrow 1 = single shroud with tied-off eye splice.
Blue arrow 2 = double shroud rope composed of a single line with lashing at the boom.
At the rear:
P1, P2, P3 = Piekenval = Peak halyard.
KV = Klauwval = throat halyard

Viewed from the deck in wide angle and with the same letters:
View attachment 592453
I cannot clearly indicate the topping lifts and peak halyard in this photo. I show them later.
I suspect that the shroud ropes were swapped when the new masts were installed and the rigging was re-rigged. I am maintaining the current situation.

A shroud rope with covering is 25 mm thick on the Balder. That will be 0.5 mm on my model.
If I tighten the shroud ropes, the model will certainly deform. The Evergreen construction has become quite sturdy, but it will definitely deform somewhat. And the shrouds on the starboard side must be made divisible.
I am going to treat the shrouds with diluted Lineco PVA so that the ropes gain more inherent strength. When covering, I coat the core line first with the diluted Lineco:
View attachment 592454
This line is a bit frayed, but that all disappears during the covering process.
Due to the tension on the covering line (the Serafil 120/2) to be applied, the diluted glue is automatically pushed up by the windings, creating a thin film between the core and the covering. The drop of glue runs automatically to the left:
View attachment 592455
When I have finished a small section, I apply some more glue to the outside and distribute it further along the line with some water.

Once stretched around the mast to dry, it holds its shape quite well:
View attachment 592456
I will work on the weaving lines in the same way later. Then I hope to achieve the desired strength.

The 2x3 shrouds attached to the mast and hung next to the bulwark with some weight:
View attachment 592457
The double rope just below the 'hommer' fitted with the binding:
View attachment 592458
The single rope with the spliced loop with the extra covering in front of it.
Regards, Peter
Hi Peter,

Very fine detailed blocks, are these from Zoly?
 
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