HMS Fly Build (Amati) 1:64 by Nomad

Fortunately my own expectations are remarkably low, and there is always the chance that on a good day with no wind or rain, I might even even achieve them ROTF


Ooooo Grant, now you've forced me to do some research! HMS Fly was launched in 1776 and knocked about the West Indies and North Sea in her early days, during which time she captured a French privateer and its accompanying brig and sloop as prizes. During the Napoleonic Wars she was involved primarily in convoy escort duties as far as I can tell, although she was involved in the seizure of Dutch ships in the Plymouth Sound and captured several more French privateers off Portland in Dorset and Cherbourg in Normandy towards the end of the 18th century. It was during a convoy escort from Portsmouth a couple of years later, in 1802, that her luck ran out and she was lost with all hands off the coast of Newfoundland. There is no record of HMS Fly sailing in the illustrious company of HMS Victory that I can see, the Battle of Trafalgar having taken place in 1805, a few years after the Fly had foundered :confused:

And that's it, history lesson over. I'll give you a few days to digest this and then you can sit the exam ROTF

- Mark
Good morning Mark- you are funny. I’m a Cum Laude student and just love exams.... ;) . As long as Heinrich doesn’t set them I think I’m good. Cheers Grant
 
Good morning Mark- you are funny. I’m a Cum Laude student and just love exams.... ;) . As long as Heinrich doesn’t set them I think I’m good. Cheers Grant
I only set questions on what I have covered in the syllabus. Problem is ... my syllabus is extensive! :D
 
Good morning Mark- you are funny. I’m a Cum Laude student and just love exams.... ;) . As long as Heinrich doesn’t set them I think I’m good. Cheers Grant
Totally agree. With the amount of research that Heinrich does I wouldn't stand a chance either, unless I wrote the answers on the inside of my tie like we did at school :p
 
Hi,

nice to see the model underway. I agree with the nailing discussion - too easy to split the strips if not done carefully or without a pilot hole. I moved over to just using clips and clamps to hold the planks in place and just use one or two pins at the ends where the planks tend to spring out. I only tack the pins in part way, just enough to hold the plank in place ( thin dress making pins work really well). When everything is set, I remove the pins and fill the holes because the pin heads can cause over paint to crack due to the metal expanding.
 
The main gun deck is planked as far as it can go at this stage. I applied a 1-3-5-2-4 butt shift pattern with 120mm planks on both port and starboard sides, starting from the stern and working my way forward. The decking will be completed once the bulwark and gun-port patterns are in place and the three bulkhead extensions (highlighted) on either side have been removed.

0175_20220604_hms_fly.jpg

Each plank edge was lightly sanded to remove fuzziness and lined with 6B graphite to create the caulking effect. I worked the port and starboard sides simultaneously and used pre-marked lines on the false deck as a guide for the plank butts.

0180_20220604_hms_fly.jpg

I am undecided on the treenails. Considering the scale of the deck and the narrow width of each plank I may simulate treenails with little holes and graphite at each butt end but forego intermediate treenails along the lengths of the planks. It might get a bit too spotty otherwise. Or maybe just leave the decking as is with no treenails. We'll see.

0185_20220604_hms_fly.jpg
 
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Beautiful deck Mark. It is meticulously clean and well executed. I am not a fan of treenailing a deck but I will watch, whatever you decide to do, in anticipation.
 
I thought I'd try my hand at making filler blocks for this build. Well, a couple anyway. Im not sure if there is a standard method for this process but I had to go with the tools I had on hand. It started with a rectangular block of balsa wood and a pencil to outline the desired pattern at the stem.

0190_20220604_hms_fly.jpg

Tracing the outline of the bulkhead frame and keel produced the desired pattern on the balsa block.

0195_20220604_hms_fly.jpg

The bulk of excess balsa was removed with a small tenon saw, and a wood-carving chisel for the finer work and curves. With balsa wood this is like cutting through butter :)

0200_20220604_hms_fly.jpg

A final sanding reduced the filler blocks to the desired shape.

0205_20220604_hms_fly.jpg

Et voilà! I don't think I got it one-hundred percent correct and it may need a bit more fine-tuning, but I can at least see the massive service these filler blocks will provide when it comes to bending planks around the stem :)

0210_20220604_hms_fly.jpg
 
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Hi,

nice to see the model underway. I agree with the nailing discussion - too easy to split the strips if not done carefully or without a pilot hole. I moved over to just using clips and clamps to hold the planks in place and just use one or two pins at the ends where the planks tend to spring out. I only tack the pins in part way, just enough to hold the plank in place ( thin dress making pins work really well). When everything is set, I remove the pins and fill the holes because the pin heads can cause over paint to crack due to the metal expanding.
Great advice DomCee, thanks for that. I like the idea of less nails, more clamps. It makes sense. I suppose if you bend the wood accurately there is no real need to nail it to the hull. With my first build I too often relied on nails to hold things together, clearly I need more practice :p
 
The deck is turning out very nicely. I believe you have captured just the right look with your caulking. Belay my earlier suggestion that you add butt joints along the center-line boards. Now that I see what you have done the pattern will fall apart. It looks nice just how it is and by the time deck furniture is added everything will be perfect. You've got skills!
 
I really like the idea of the filler blocks - they are indeed a great help. On WB No 2 I will box the hull fully! I believe Paul has summed up my sentiments exactly about the deck planking - "it looks nice just how it is"...
 
I thought I'd try my hand at making filler blocks for this build. Well, a couple anyway. Im not sure if there is a standard method for this process but I had to go with the tools I had on hand. It started with a rectangular block of balsa wood and a pencil to outline the desired pattern at the stem.

View attachment 312265

Tracing the outline of the bulkhead frame and keel at the stem produces the desired pattern on the balsa block.

View attachment 312266

I cut away the excess balsa with a small tenon saw, and then a wood-carving chisel for the finer work and curves. With balsa wood this is like cutting through butter :)

View attachment 312267

A final sanding reduced the filler blocks to the desired shape.

View attachment 312268

Et voilà! I don't think I got it one-hundred percent correct and it may need a bit more fine-tuning, but I can see the purpose these filler blocks will serve when it comes to bending planks around the stem :)

View attachment 312269
Good morning Mark- I like it! ....a lot.Cheers Grant
 
The deck is turning out very nicely. I believe you have captured just the right look with your caulking. Belay my earlier suggestion that you add butt joints along the center-line boards. Now that I see what you have done the pattern will fall apart. It looks nice just how it is and by the time deck furniture is added everything will be perfect. You've got skills!
True story
 
The deck is turning out very nicely. I believe you have captured just the right look with your caulking. Belay my earlier suggestion that you add butt joints along the center-line boards. Now that I see what you have done the pattern will fall apart. It looks nice just how it is and by the time deck furniture is added everything will be perfect. You've got skills!
Thanks Paul, more flattering than I deserve I'm sure. I quite like these butt shift patterns that can applied to deck planking, and can now add it to the very long list of ship modelling concepts that I'm taking so long to learn. Two thirds of this gun deck will eventually be masked by the two upper decks, which makes me wonder why I agonise over things that aren't likely to be seen at all. Maybe that's just part of the ship modeller's curse ROTF
 
I really like the idea of the filler blocks - they are indeed a great help. On WB No 2 I will box the hull fully! I believe Paul has summed up my sentiments exactly about the deck planking - "it looks nice just how it is"...
Thanks Heinrich. I too am developing a taste for filler blocks and can understand why you'd want to apply it to your entire hull, it must surely take some of the stress and uncertainties out of that first layer of planking? Seriously impressed that you'll be building a second Willem Barentsz though, filler blocks or not :oops:
 
I ended up re-crafting the filler blocks that I began with, finding more success in glueing the rough-shaped block to the hull and then finishing and sanding it with the block in place. I managed three blocks at the stem and two at the stern before running out of balsa, but they at least account for the curviest sections of the hull. A close examination will show several layers of balsa for each section between bulkheads. These layers were glued together, roughly shaped, glued to the hull, and then finished by hand with small files and sandpaper.

0215_20220609_hms_fly.jpg

0220_20220609_hms_fly.jpg

0225_20220609_hms_fly.jpg
 
I ended up re-crafting the filler blocks that I began with, finding more success in glueing the rough-shaped block to the hull and then finishing and sanding it with the block in place. I managed three blocks at the stem and two at the stern before running out of balsa, but they at least account for the curviest sections of the hull. A close examination will show several layers of balsa for each section between bulkheads. These layers were glued together, roughly shaped, glued to the hull, and then finished by hand with small files and sandpaper.

View attachment 312955

View attachment 312956

View attachment 312957
Good Mark. Precise work....you are ready for a POF model ;) . The stern. I’m imagining the planking lining and if that matches your fairing where the last bulkhead fits the keel? Is there a false keel on your HMS Fly?.I thought your previous balsa block where really good-these are brilliant. Cheers Grant.
 
Good Mark. Precise work....you are ready for a POF model ;) . The stern. I’m imagining the planking lining and if that matches your fairing where the last bulkhead fits the keel? Is there a false keel on your HMS Fly?.I thought your previous balsa block where really good-these are brilliant. Cheers Grant.
Thanks Grant! Yes there is a false keel in three pieces which will be installed later on. The stem key (1st picture above) that supports the bowsprit and who knows what else is the first part of the false keel assembly. Whether the planks will flow where they should along the faired bulkheads and filler blocks is something that keeps me awake at night :oops:
 
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