Before you glue Heinrich, the fore most sections on the port side are facing the wrong way. What a unique way of making gratings!!
Hopefully I have not ruined your day.
Hopefully I have not ruined your day.
VOC SPIEGELRETOURSCHIP BATAVIA 1628 - KOLDERSTOK 1:72
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@DonRobinson Well-spotted Don. Of course! That is now what happens when you rush and gets to one in the morning! 
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Hi Don. Well - it's glued already and there is no way of disassembling and re-gluing those little gratings! So this will be forever the fault of the negligent Dutch carpenter who had his eye on his gin and the sweet young lass next to the shipyard!Before you glue Heinrich, the fore most sections on the port side are facing the wrong way. What a unique way of making gratings!!
Hopefully I have not ruined your day.
Ruin my day? Never my friend ... if we can't laugh at mishaps like those we are in the wrong hobby! 
I was going to mention that "OOPs", but Don spotted it. Anyway that's some great fiddly work@DonRobinson Well-spotted Don. Of course! That is now what happens when you rush and gets to one in the morning!
Jan
Hi Don. Well - it's glued already and there is no way of disassembling and re-gluing those little gratings! So this will be forever the fault of the negligent Dutch carpenter who had his eye on his gin and the sweet young lass next to the shipyard!
Only the builder knows. I'll never tell.Jan
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@Pathfinder65 Thank you Jan! It adds character to the build!
LOL, some well placed rope coils will certainly hide that!!
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@DonRobinson There you go Don! Also bear in mind that in real life those 1mm holes are almost invisible to start with and the beam directions even less so, So, this really does not worry me.
Also bear in mind that in real life those 1mm holes are almost invisible to start with and the beam directions even less so, So, this really does not worry me.
Great job Heinrich! I feel your pain on making gratings and cutting them to shape! Buts always nice to celebrate a job well done. If it were easy, there would but nothing to celebrate!Hello All
It feels quite strange to be posting here - Bluenose seems to have taken over my modelbuilding activities lately, but there was no way that I was going to end the year without returning - at least once - to my big girl!
View attachment 202065
For the galleon (which obviously comprises mostly of gratings) Kolderstok supplies this sheet. On the right the you will see the notched parts and on the left the straight beams. Ni in this case, the word "beam" is a complete misnomer, as it is a square piece of wood of 1mm x 1mm. Thus, it goes without saying that the notches are also 1mm in width and depth.
View attachment 202066
Here you can see the notched sections from left to right while the straight pieces are inserted into the notches and gently pressed into position. What makes this tricky of course is that all the sections are a different size and therefore units mostly have to be assembled individually.
View attachment 202067
Now if I will be excused for listing a pet hate, it is the completely out-of-scale size of most gratings that I see on models - they are simply way too big. Luckily, Kolderstok does not fell foul of this - but there is a trade-off. This is a job that requires plenty of patience and the whisperings of sweet-nothings into the ear of these parts which are not the most co-operative of sorts. With these done, it was time to mix the special cocktail.
View attachment 202068
A blob of PVA glue.
View attachment 202069
Thoroughly mixed with hot water (to facilitate proper mixing).
View attachment 202070
This concoction is then brushed all over the gratings and left to dry.
View attachment 202071
After that, the individual units are then cut to size and glued to the centre piece of the galleon. When properly dried the edges are cut to size and the side-pieces are glued into the position.
View attachment 202072
I was very happy with how this turned out. Did I mention those little square holes are 1mm x 1mm
Now it was time to round the galleon at the back (the part where it would fit against the hull) and then of course came the acid test. How does it fit?
View attachment 202073
And luckily the answer to that - is very well thank you! Obviously this is just a dry fit and none of the brackets in which the galleon will be mounted has been installed on the beakhead yet.
View attachment 202075
View attachment 202074
And with that my friends, we turn our bows towards the 2021 firm in the belief that it will be a year in which we will all enjoy good health, a certain amount of prosperity and the opportunity to practice our shipbuilding!
I wish you well my friends!
It’s not noticeable unless pointed out. If you want perfection, you could redo that one section. Probably not worth the effort.@DonRobinson There you go Don!
Great job Heinrich! I feel your pain on making gratings and cutting them to shape! Buts always nice to celebrate a job well done. If it were easy, there would but nothing to celebrate!
What is easy for someone, could be difficult for others. Difficulty level is subjective. A job done "independently of how difficult it was " is always a celebration !!!.
BTW Heinrich, you wrote that you painted all with diluted wood glue at the start of the assembly, correct ?
Then, my question is : Will that glue interfere with your final varnish or oil ? (Like you will see spots).
Amazing job !!
Daniel
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@Dean62 Thank you for the kind words Dean! I agree fully! The reality is that no one will ever see that as the bowsprit - which is quite a substantial piece of wood - sits on top of that as well. I can redo the assembly, but then run the risk that it may not turn out as well as this one did structurally - as you say - it is just not worth the effort and risk.
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@Dematosdg Thank you for the observation and comments my friend. The diluted glue is a very well known technique used by the Dutch shipbuilders who build a lot of Kolderstok models. The whole assembly will receive a very light sanding (360- or 400-grit sandpaper prior to permanent assembly so I am not anticipating problems. I have not yet decided whether I will stain or oil it. Oiling it, will make it blend in nicely with the wood of the hull once that is oiled, whereas staining it will make it tie in with the rest of the gratings. Staining will probably be better for for the light-colored centre-and side-pieces of wood.
Inadvertently I have probably stumbled onto the best PVA glue in the world. This stuff dries absolutely colorless, does not seem to show any stains and is very strong. I have jokingly said in the past that if I could export this stuff, it would sell like hot cakes!
Inadvertently I have probably stumbled onto the best PVA glue in the world. This stuff dries absolutely colorless, does not seem to show any stains and is very strong. I have jokingly said in the past that if I could export this stuff, it would sell like hot cakes!
Hi Heinrich, good to see you back on the Haarlem. Have a good New Year, allthough yours takes a few days extra.
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From 6 o'clock this morning (it is now 22:29 in China), the day has been devoted to the Haarlem. The work today comprised of two sections. I wanted to start the inner bracing of the bulwarks on the Port Side and I wanted to see how far I could get with the galleon.
To do the inner bracing, the first step is to break the bulkheads. This is done with a pair if fine-nosed pliers in pretty much the same way I would imagine a dentist pull teeth. Grasp the bulwark firmly, wiggle it a bit from side to side with increasing pressure until it snaps. Hopefully - if you are lucky - you get a clean break, other times you are left with a lot of work to do.
This is now exactly what you do NOT want! However, all that is required is a good dose of patience, a very sharp X-Acto knife and a file.
Once the offending bulkhead stubs had been removed, we can now start the bracing. These consists of a 3mm high and 4mm wide box which is built over the waterway and is placed at both the bottom and the top. The inner bracing consisting of 2mm x 3mm wood strips cut to size is glued to the bottom waterway box and to the inside of the bulwarks. (Top photo)
This picture shows the one completed section of the inner bracing being done with both top and bottom boxes installed. The ends are now trimmed to side and all that is left is to paint the whole concern black.
And that is what the finished assembly looks like. To the keen of eye - you will notice that there is a missing deck plank next to the waterway. When planking the deck, I leave these sections purposely unpainted so as not to run the risk of getting black paint on the deck planking. After the assembly has been completed, it is now just a case of gluing the appropriate deck plank into position.
Then it was time to start the galleon construction - and man oh man - this is no walk in the park. On the Batavia/Haarlem, the galleon is mounted by means of galleon "bulwarks" which will later be used for planking purposes as well. (The sides of the galleon assembly get planked later on).
Here I have just dry-fitted the galleon with 3 of the bulkheads. These bulkheads are relatively straightforward to fit as they consist of a single piece which is glued onto the bottom part of the galleon.
The three "easy" bulkheads are mounted. Obviously you first need to determine their exact positioning by slotting them into their respective slots in the sides of the galleon. The straight line indicates the flat surface you have to glue on the bulkheads - no problem. But the other five bulkheads are split into two pieces each and have to be mounted against the flat sections as indicated by the yellow circles. This means there is absolutely no purchase for the glue to adhere to. So, I drilled holes in the bulkheads and galleon, used bronze wire, then applied glue and inserted them that way. It worked BUT the alignment was a nightmare!
While waiting for the glue to dry, I was continuing work on the inner bracing of the bulwarks.
And so we carried on, until - at last - all the bulkheads had been glued to the galleon. Then I carefully removed the actual galleon and then it was time for the old PVA diluted with hot water trick.
With a brush I carefully applied the mixture along the joints and seams and allowed it plenty of time to dry properly. On this picture, it looks as if the two front bulkheads do not align nicely with each other, but once the galleon is in place, you will see that it is a perfect fit.
You will appreciate that to get that kind of alignment AND secure those little buggers SECURELY was no easy task!
And the final product.
I just LOVE building this ship - to me it provides a thrill that is unlike any other.
Thank you all so much for watching and following. As always - I appreciate your comments and inputs. Please stay safe out there - look after yourselves and your loved ones and relish every chance that you get building!
Kind regards - Heinrich
To do the inner bracing, the first step is to break the bulkheads. This is done with a pair if fine-nosed pliers in pretty much the same way I would imagine a dentist pull teeth.
Grasp the bulwark firmly, wiggle it a bit from side to side with increasing pressure until it snaps. Hopefully - if you are lucky - you get a clean break, other times you are left with a lot of work to do.This is now exactly what you do NOT want!
However, all that is required is a good dose of patience, a very sharp X-Acto knife and a file.Once the offending bulkhead stubs had been removed, we can now start the bracing. These consists of a 3mm high and 4mm wide box which is built over the waterway and is placed at both the bottom and the top. The inner bracing consisting of 2mm x 3mm wood strips cut to size is glued to the bottom waterway box and to the inside of the bulwarks. (Top photo)
This picture shows the one completed section of the inner bracing being done with both top and bottom boxes installed. The ends are now trimmed to side and all that is left is to paint the whole concern black.
And that is what the finished assembly looks like. To the keen of eye - you will notice that there is a missing deck plank next to the waterway. When planking the deck, I leave these sections purposely unpainted so as not to run the risk of getting black paint on the deck planking. After the assembly has been completed, it is now just a case of gluing the appropriate deck plank into position.
Then it was time to start the galleon construction - and man oh man - this is no walk in the park. On the Batavia/Haarlem, the galleon is mounted by means of galleon "bulwarks" which will later be used for planking purposes as well. (The sides of the galleon assembly get planked later on).
Here I have just dry-fitted the galleon with 3 of the bulkheads. These bulkheads are relatively straightforward to fit as they consist of a single piece which is glued onto the bottom part of the galleon.
The three "easy" bulkheads are mounted. Obviously you first need to determine their exact positioning by slotting them into their respective slots in the sides of the galleon. The straight line indicates the flat surface you have to glue on the bulkheads - no problem. But the other five bulkheads are split into two pieces each and have to be mounted against the flat sections as indicated by the yellow circles. This means there is absolutely no purchase for the glue to adhere to. So, I drilled holes in the bulkheads and galleon, used bronze wire, then applied glue and inserted them that way. It worked BUT the alignment was a nightmare!
While waiting for the glue to dry, I was continuing work on the inner bracing of the bulwarks.
And so we carried on, until - at last - all the bulkheads had been glued to the galleon. Then I carefully removed the actual galleon and then it was time for the old PVA diluted with hot water trick.
With a brush I carefully applied the mixture along the joints and seams and allowed it plenty of time to dry properly. On this picture, it looks as if the two front bulkheads do not align nicely with each other, but once the galleon is in place, you will see that it is a perfect fit.
You will appreciate that to get that kind of alignment AND secure those little buggers SECURELY was no easy task!
And the final product.
I just LOVE building this ship - to me it provides a thrill that is unlike any other.
Thank you all so much for watching and following. As always - I appreciate your comments and inputs. Please stay safe out there - look after yourselves and your loved ones and relish every chance that you get building!
Kind regards - Heinrich
Wow, that is a bit of work. Looks very, very, very good.
Jan
Jan
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@Pathfinder65 Thank you Jan. I thoroughly enjoyed working on her.
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Hello Everyone
Well it was on with the bracing of the bulwarks on the Port Side.
Inner bracing completed and sanded even. The deck is not dirty - it's just sawdust after the sanding! (The pictures are taken hot of the press! )
The excess material is cut away from the bulwarks so that we can see a rough line emerging. At this stage, I am not finishing this as the railing first has to go on. Thereafter everything will be finely finished on both sides.
Then it was on to the railing on the forecastle. As I have no powertools, each little spar has to be cut with an X-Acto knife, painted and glued into position. Then out came the file and the tops are filed even. Inevitably in this process, there are a few who do not make it!
While waiting for the glue to dry she enjoyed a rare outing in the afternoon "sun" from the balcony of the Nantong Penitentiary!
When the Admiral inspected the results, it was summarily dismissed! So, there is only one way of doing this. Yep - do over!
Effort Number Two:
This is a very difficult one to call as the little spars not only run along an incline towards the bow, but also round a corner!
Overview. I am happy with this effort, but will now wait in anticipation for the Admiral to come home.
Stay well and happy everyone - until next time!
Heinrich
Well it was on with the bracing of the bulwarks on the Port Side.
Inner bracing completed and sanded even. The deck is not dirty - it's just sawdust after the sanding! (The pictures are taken hot of the press!
)The excess material is cut away from the bulwarks so that we can see a rough line emerging. At this stage, I am not finishing this as the railing first has to go on. Thereafter everything will be finely finished on both sides.
Then it was on to the railing on the forecastle. As I have no powertools, each little spar has to be cut with an X-Acto knife, painted and glued into position. Then out came the file and the tops are filed even. Inevitably in this process, there are a few who do not make it!
While waiting for the glue to dry she enjoyed a rare outing in the afternoon "sun" from the balcony of the Nantong Penitentiary
!When the Admiral inspected the results, it was summarily dismissed! So, there is only one way of doing this. Yep - do over!
Effort Number Two:
This is a very difficult one to call as the little spars not only run along an incline towards the bow, but also round a corner!
Overview. I am happy with this effort, but will now wait in anticipation for the Admiral to come home.
Stay well and happy everyone - until next time!
Heinrich
I am sure the Admiral will give you a big smileHello Everyone
Well it was on with the bracing of the bulwarks on the Port Side.
View attachment 205491
Inner bracing completed and sanded even. The deck is not dirty - it's just sawdust after the sanding! (The pictures are taken hot of the press!
View attachment 205492
The excess material is cut away from the bulwarks so that we can see a rough line emerging. At this stage, I am not finishing this as the railing first has to go on. Thereafter everything will be finely finished on both sides.
View attachment 205494
Then it was on to the railing on the forecastle. As I have no powertools, each little spar has to be cut with an X-Acto knife, painted and glued into position. Then out came the file and the tops are filed even. Inevitably in this process, there are a few who do not make it!
View attachment 205496
While waiting for the glue to dry she enjoyed a rare outing in the afternoon "sun" from the balcony of the Nantong Penitentiary
View attachment 205497
When the Admiral inspected the results, it was summarily dismissed! So, there is only one way of doing this. Yep - do over!
Effort Number Two:
View attachment 205498
View attachment 205499
This is a very difficult one to call as the little spars not only run along an incline towards the bow, but also round a corner!
View attachment 205500
Overview. I am happy with this effort, but will now wait in anticipation for the Admiral to come home.
Stay well and happy everyone - until next time!
Heinrich
. I do ....Regards, Peter