Completion of Oliver Cromwell [COMPLETED BUILD]

Thanks for your detailed explanation Janos.
I didn't appreciate your framing had been oxidising for 25 years,that is a long time.It partly shows that whilst many English Navy Board models were made from Boxwood,most look more like Pear now due to their age.
I do agree buying Online is pot luck and do intend on travelling to collect the timber inview of the quantity I require.Delivery would be getting expensive as well.Ironically,when I moved closer to my new job,I also moved a few miles from what was probably one of the UK's best suppliers of exotic hardswoods.Sadly they have now closed down.
Regarding Ebony,I have found the African variety to be jet black all the way through,but the most expensive.I have used a lot of Madagascan Ebony as I can get this in sheet form,it is cheaper but some of the stave can be unusable as it has the grey/brown streaks.It depends on the piece and where I buy it from shows a picture of the actual item.Generally the pieces that are consistently black command a higher price.

Kind Regards

Nigel
 
Hello Janos
Donfarr left this message for you on my build log, AND TO JANOS BE PATENCE WITH DAVE HE HAS SOME SERIOUS FAMILY ISSUES, MAYBE YOU SHOULD CONTACT Ev AND SHE CAN GET A MESSAGE TO HIM. Don
Yes, I am also waiting for a shipment from him. Dave Stevens is looking after his mother who has dementia and who also has lost his housekeeper or caregiver, seams that Dave has taken this job upon his self while looks for a replacement, ENJOY.
Regards Lawrence
 
Hello Janos
Your new figurehead sure does look great sitting on her bow perch. I sure do hope that mine will turn out half that nice when I try carving one next year. Your channels and deadeyes look great, did you use soft or silver solder on their joints? I have tried soft solder a couple of times but a few joints gave away in the rigging stage, been thinking of trying silver this time around. ENJOY.
Regards Lawrence
 
Thanks, Lawrence!
I am sure your figure head will turn out nicely. Just give it a try.
For the linkages I used silver (hard) solder. Earlier I used the soft one but I had too many problems by soldering and by removing the excess solder and still a number of the joints gave up during installation. So I ended up with hard soldering, using medium solder paste. I just have to make sure that the two sides touch each other before I apply the heat, otherwise the joint will fail. From the paste only a tiny amount is needed. As the heat is applied, after a short while the brass becomes red, then the paste melts, which is clearly visible, and that's it. After the parts cooled down I put them into viniger which removes the remnants of the solder. If the joint is cleaned up whith a steel wire brush the joint will be invisible, the colour matches the brass. But if it is blackened, it does not matter.
Have fun!
Janos
 
Some progress with Oliver. I am in the thick of the rigging work (grrrrr...) The first picture shows the finished main mast ratlines as well as the method on the fore mast how I am setting up the deadeyes. The close-up shows how I am using two different knots for the ratlines, clove hitch for the inner knots and cow hitch for the outside ones. This way the ratlines do not stick out before the first and after the last shroud. The ends of the ratlines will still have to be cut off after a drop of diluted glue is applied at the joints.
Janos
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Hello Janos
Your Rat lines sure do look great and they sure do take up a lot of time to do. I have found that if you take a couple of planks the same width as the Rat Lines that you want and cut them around 1 1/2" longer than your widest Rat line. Drill a couple of holes fairly close to the ends and insert and glue in a couple of nails at the ends to keep these planks aligned. Then relieve the drilled holes on the other plank so that it can be remover easily. Once completed all you have to do is align your two planks one on each side of your shrouds and use a couple of fairly strong clips to secure them in place. Now keeping your Rat Line lined up is rather easy to keep them uniformed, this works for me but they are still quite a task, ENJOY.


Regards Lawrence
 
Hi Lawrence
apologies about the delay, I was out of town.
The ship had been cut out of the Hahn-rig using a small circular saw blade in my Proxxon. It had quite fine toothing to avoid braking and vibration. Just watch your fingers while doing it!
Janos
 
Hi Lawrence
apologies about the delay, I was out of town.
The ship had been cut out of the Hahn-rig using a small circular saw blade in my Proxxon. It had quite fine toothing to avoid braking and vibration. Just watch your fingers while doing it!
Janos
Hello Janos, I thank you very much for your information. When you say Proxxon I assume you mean your rotary tool am I correct, ENJOY.
Regards Lawrence
 
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This is the current state of Oliver Cromwell. All cannons are now rigged, the only deck furnitures still missing are the pumps. Working on them as well as on the anchors. Yards are ready (not pictured), I am going to install them soon.

Janos


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