FALKONET LEUDO VINACCERI 1:48

Heinrich

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Hello Dear Model Shipbuilding Friends

I know I have been quiet for a while, but I have not been idle.

I invite you all to join me in the build of the Falkonet Leudo Vianio or Vinacciere.

So, why this kit and why this build?

First, I wanted to experience a different building method than a conventional Plank on Bulkhead construction. Below the waterline, it uses a modified “shell-first” method in which the bulkheads remain in place. Above the waterline, it actually features a Plank-on-Frame construction method.

Second, I wanted to experience what a different kit manufacturer is like to work with. Falkonet - along with Master Korabel and Piroscaf - is regarded as a state-of-the-art Russian manufacturer which is well-known for its high-quality kits and build methods that require a high level of precision during the assembly process.

Third, I wanted to work with different materials. (MDF, Anegri and Swiss Pear).

Lastly, it offers some variation during the build of the Haarlem and gives me something to do while I’m waiting for the glue to dry - or maybe, - just like @DocBlake says, I just have a short attention span.:D

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Felice Manin (The Happy Manin)

The Origins of the Leudo.

For about 200 years - from the second half of the 18th century until the early 1960’s the Leudo was the boat on which the economy of the Liguria region in Italy depended. The Leudo was a typical Mediterranean vessel, whose origins are still uncertain: one of the most likely possibilities, traces its birth to the Middle Ages. Originally the boat had a rig with two masts inclined towards the bow with Latin sails; later the foresail would be replaced by a bowsprit with bows, which made the Leudo more agile to manoeuvre. Characteristic was the egg shape of the hull, and the very arched beams and deck.

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It was a very seaworthy boat and could face severe climatic conditions only deemed suitable for much larger hulls. With a length of 15-16 metres, a beam of 5 metres and displacement of between 15 and 20 tons, it was It was mainly used by small businesses to transport wine, cheese and sand. The Leudo was used for wine (from which the name "Vinacciere" comes). The hold contained twenty large wine barrels while on deck there was space for a dozen smaller barrels. The deck also housed two large hatches for stowing the load and a winch in the bow for the most tiring makeovers. A unique characteristic of the Leudo was that it could be “winged” (towed) onto the beach, thus offering the advantage of being able to trade with all coastal towns without a port or pier.

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The winch at the bow was used for heavy work.

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A Leudo being "winged" (pulled out) onto the beach.

Aft was a small cabin with two berths (for the captain and the boatswain). In the bow, there was also a small hatch that led to another small cabin, also with two berths, intended for the crew. At the bow, near the deckhouse was a large cast-iron stove. If weather permitting, it served as a kitchen and was called a "gnafra".

What is in the box?

A great kit review was posted on SOS by member @Jimsky (https://shipsofscale.com/sosforums/threads/leudo-vinaino-pob-scale-1-48-by-falkonet-russia.5509/) so there is no need to repeat that. With his kind permission, I will use some of his photographs in my log.

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The box. Photo by @Jimsky

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Opening the box. @Jimsky .

My example, though, was off to an auspicious start. My plastic container with fittings was broken and I found small parts strewn all over the box. Also, my three brass photo-etched sheets were missing from the kit. A quick PM to Mariya of Falkonet put that right and I am happy to say that I have already received my missing parts.

So with all formalities out of the way, please join me on what I promise will be a very different build.

Kind regards - Heinrich
 
@Uwek

@DocBlake

Welcome gentlemen and thank you for the kind words. Yes, the vessel had a long and successful history until the 1960's when tourists complained that the beached Leudos ruined their views! After that, authorities called it a day and today there are 7 seven remaining Leudos in existence. Of those two are in almost a complete state of disrepair up to the point where they are virtually deemed unsalvageable. Very sad!
 
I am on too..... I like the "short span attention syndrome " ja ja ja :)

I am all in too. :)

Before you ask.... YES ... I am still on board of the Marmara. But week was crazy with other stuffs plus I do not like rigging.... as a consequence of all that I am delayed :-(

Cheers
Daniel
 
Hello Dear Friends

First I want to thank you all for all the "Likes" and kind comments - it is very much appreciated.

So as a source of motivation, here are a few pictures from Falkonet to show what the completed model looks like.

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So, let's get going!

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The first step was to make sure that I use the right jig. Two jigs are supplied - one for planking below the waterline and the other for above the waterline. The photograph below shows the MDF jig for planking the hull below the waterline.

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Since the jig is elliptical it is impossible to define Bow and Stern by just looking at the curvature. If you look very carefully, you will see a very feint arrow on the jig pointing to the front. I marked that clearly and also numbered the slots with the correct bulkhead number. No 1 starts at the front and it ends with #21 at the stern. Note that bulkheads #4 and #5 towards the stern side and bulkheads #17 and #18 towards the bow end, only have one slot milled into the jig. These are indicated by the two red slots in the picture.

The next thing I did was to identify Bow and stern on the false keel. As with the jig, it is difficult to tell which side is which side. However, I used the angle of the mast as my guideline.

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The Leudo has a very steeply raked (towards the bow) main mast so the mast cut-out (indicated in red) is a clear indication of which side is the Bow.

Next up was cutting out all the bulkheads (No’s 1-21) that would be used during construction below the waterline.

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Stern Bulkheads: Note the clearly-marked lines (yellow arrows) which indicate the exact point up to which the bulkheads need to be faired. The two red arrows point to the “dead” or “rising” wood pieces that also need to be faired.

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And the same goes for the bulkheads from the middle of the construction towards the Bow.

I took a lot of time with the fairing to try and do that as accurately as possible. I have unfortunately neglected to take pictures of the faired bulkheads before installation, but during the planking phase, you will get a good idea of the bevelling that has taken place.

When all the frames were faired I dry-fitted them into the false keel.

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The fit was absolutely perfect with no sanding or filing of any kind that was required.

That is all for now - I promise that the next update will follow shortly.

Kind regards - Heinrich
 
Heinrich,

That is a very interesting method of construction. Your explanation of the jig orientation and placement of the frames is a good lesson. I’ve finally learned that careful initial planning makes a big difference so items don’t wind up in the “oops-do over” column, because of a missed or hurried build step.

It’s going to be a pleasure to follow your build log.

Jan
 
@Pathfinder65 Thank you very much, Jan. There are quite a few a few SOS members who have bought this kit and although the photographs in the instruction manual are very clear, there are actual no instructions. So I will try to make this into tutorial as much as I can for anyone else who might be interested in building this kit.
 
@Pathfinder65 Thank you very much, Jan. There are quite a few a few SOS members who have bought this kit and although the photographs in the instruction manual are very clear, there are actual no instructions. So I will try to make this into tutorial as much as I can for anyone else who might be interested in building this kit.
 
Hello Everyone

As promised, here is the next update.

With the bulkheads dry-fitted onto the keel, it was time to see how this would fit into the jig. That was when the fun started. By design, the bulkheads fit relatively loosely into the jig (to enable easy removal of the jig later on), but this means that it would also require endless juggling of the jig, bulkheads and false keel to get everything to fit properly. This would be an exercise that I didn’t have patience for, so it was time for Plan B.

Seeing that bulkheads #10, #11 and #12 (marked in red on the picture below) have to be glued together via two braces (outlined in yellow) in any case, I decided that this was a good starting point. That way I knew that those three bulkheads would at least be perfectly aligned on the keel and that this assembly - theoretically at least - could be used to line up the rest of the assembly. First, I glued the braces between these three bulkheads and with the glue still wet, the assembly was inserted into the jig to ensure proper alignment.

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The overview picture of this stage.

After it had dried properly, it was a case of gluing one bulkhead at a time to the false keel and fitting it into the jig. This was a time consuming process, but in the end the whole false keel/bulkhead assembly fits seamlessly into all jig slots and lie completely flat on the jig. Mission accomplished.

Unfortunately, I did not take a photo of this either so I had to borrow a picture from a Russian build log on an Italian model building forum (Modellismo) which shows this part of the assembly completed.

Leudo 1.jpg

What makes this picture so nice is that it clearly shows the bevelled bulkheads prior to planking.

Hull Planking Begins:

Then it was time for the first layer of planking for which Anegri wood is supplied. I have no knowledge of this wood other than the fact it is 1.00mm thick, relatively light in colour and has a pronounced grain. The first thing I realised is that I could forget about clamps or push pins. There is simply no space for the clamps between bulkheads (there are 21 bulkheads squeezed into a hull-only length of only 28 cm) while the MDF would be too vulnerable for the use of push pins. For the benefit of modellers interested in this kit, here is how I planked the hull.

Both edges of each plank was sanded to make sure they were absolutely smooth. Elementary maybe, but on this kit they butt up perfectly if sanded - if not there is a gap.

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Both edges of each plank is sanded.

The other novelty that has to be taken into account, is that the whole hull is not planked during the first-layer planking.

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The above picture shows the are that will be covered with the first layer of planking.

On the Stern Side the planking starts from bulkhead #17 as is indicated by the red arrow.

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On the Bow side the first-layer planking runs up to #Bulkhead 5 as indicated by the red arrow.

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The edges of every single plank is glued. On the first plank, (always start with the garboard strake on these kind of builds) the edge that will butt up against the false keel is glued. On the next planks the edge of the previous plank (as indicated below) is glued.

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Next I applied PVA glue to all the bulkheads that are to be planked EXCEPT THOSE AS INDICATED ON THE PICTURES BELOW.

On the Stern Side, I did not glue the last two bulkheads - in other words # 16 and #17 (indicated by the yellow arrows).

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On the Bow Side, I did not glue the last bulkhead - in other words # 5 (indicated by yellow arrow).

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Each plank was then held under cold water for about 5 seconds until it was properly wet, but not soaked. I would then simply wipe each plank between my fingers to endure there were no droplets left.

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Next, I applied CA (yes I know I vowed that I would never use the stuff!) glue to the part of the plank that is going to go on Bulkhead #5 at the bow, placed it in position and simply "ironed it" with the flat tip of the Kolderstok plank bender. The bond will be almost immediate. Thereafter, I ironed the plank onto each bulkhead and took my time to make sure that the fit was as tight as I could get it. At the stern, I would wipe the plank with some water again and applied CA glue to the part of the plank that would go onto bulkheads #16 and #17 and "ironed" that section into place.

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My trusty plank bender.

And if that exercise is repeated x 8 times, the first half of the hull is planked.

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And that concludes this session.

Until next time, take care, stay safe and enjoy your building!

Kind regards - Heinrich
 
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