Vigilant

[KenP]

Been over to Westbourne Models today and had a good look at the Martin, Howes & Baylis kit of Vigilant. it's a 1:24 scale of a early 1900s HM Customs Cruiser. very expensive kit, and I do mean very.

Having said that you do get what you paid for. No white metal fittings, all brass . The gears for the winches aren't cast; they are machined!!

very, very tempted

 

[adzam]

she looks a bueaty ken, i`ve seen pics on the web and she`s different from the usual kits of day boats etc, a very nice project indeed, good luck if you go for it .

 

[KenP]

Well, I've gone and done it. Bought the Vigilant kit.

Looks a great kit, everything to a high standard and detailed.

First bit is the slow stuff. Wash the hull thoroughly, check gunwale top line matches the drawings and sand down if nesc. Also sand down the inside to decklevel.

This stuff I do at the back of the garage, small workshop area. Also spray paint the hull here. But winter is coming on, and if it gets too cold then it will be back indoors , working with styrene on the superstructure of USS Missouri.

 

[BigJBB]

Good on you Ken

Well done Ken, what a fantastic project to be tackling. I can only but imagine the sheer pleasure that you will get with this build. Stasing the obvious here but at least you've got a milder climate than up here so at least you might get the primer onto the hull before the Autumnal chill sets in. I've probably lost the painting window for this year unless I heat the shed for a week.

Please post lots of pics as the build progresses I for one will be waiting with baited breath. I love the look of this boat, just wish I could afford one too.

cheers

Jim

 

[KenP]

Portholes drilled and insert sleves fitted, same with the scupper ports.

Rudder Assemly fitted ( Photo Attached ) . Gudgeons on the stern frame are brass and the pintles steel with a brass screw on the top.

The stern tube is also resined in position, the brass end is just showing in the photo. I still need to put an additional support to the tube inside the boat to make sure the tube is absolutly regid.

Any filling round the rudder bracket has been done with good old car filler plus airfix model filler.

The screw is 80mm dia, a big prop !! so for a motor I am using a Como Drills 919D Series , 12volt, with 11:1 reduction gearing incorporated in the motor.

Cost £18.99 from Westbourne Models.

Next phase is the deck beams and shelves: also to mount the motor battery cage and rudder servo before any decks are in place.

Ken

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[KenP]

The "Internals" photo shows the beams in place and the motor amd rudder servo mounted. The stern tube is supported between entrance and the motor coupling . the motor has been aligned and run up OK.

I made a cut out in the rearmost beam to take the rudder/servo rod.

The false deck fits inside the hull OK and is now mounted on a baseboard for planking. The sides are pined down but the rear centre is raised 3mm to take into account the deck camber.

The two foremost margin planks are fitted, and are cut slightly oversize. To be later sanded for a snug fit in the hull.

Six planks have so far been fitted with black "caulking" paper between the planks. The foremost point of each plank is fitted into the margin planks.

All this "caulking" and fitting is a time consuming businness: there is the rear deck to do as well, and a large part of the centre deck.

Will post again when this is done and the decks fitted into the hull ( About Easter time , I expect !!!!!!!!)

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[adzam]

looks to be a labour of love ken, looking nice tho

 

[KenP]

Decks fitted.

Photo1 and 2 show boat with removable centre section in and out.

Photo3 shows the caulking between planks and the insetting of the planks into the margin boards.

Next job is to fit the capping rail.

Angle brass is glued on the top inside of the bulwark ( gaps where needed for davits etc) The capping cut oversize from 1mm thick pear wood and then glued to the top of the angled brass. After fitting the capping can then be sanded to size .

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[adzam]

deck looks lovely keen, and it`s not even easter !!

 

[KenP]

A little more progress.

The hull is brush painted then varnished using satin varnish, the bow fairlead

fairings are in place.

The bulwarks are painted and the bulwark supports installed, a plate on the deck, one on the bulwark, connected by a brass rod.

The capping is shaped pear, which I varnished with a mahogany varnish to give it a slightly darker colour.

The third picture shows thew capping and one of the freeing ports. The entry port can also be seen.

Next stage is the chain plates and staunchions as it will be more difficult to fix these when the superstructure is in place

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[KenP]

A little more progress. Chain plates and rear stanchions are in place, and so is the saloon!!!!

This is the aftmost superstructure, the ships boats will sit on top of this and their davits etc will be either side of the saloon: but that will be done later.

The saloon is primarily made up of 0.8mm pear sheeting, up to four layers deep in places to give the depth structure, then varnished. The roof is lime painted satin black plus varnish. The sides were tricky as two sections had to be inboard slightly to allow for the appearance that two other sections were sliding doors.

Next job is the superstructure housed on the removable section of the deck. This is the charrt house, engine casing and skylight assembly.

Will ease off as the weather gets better for golf ( for me ) and caravanning ( for the boss!!!! )

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[new to trains]

Ken P- just to recap, i keep going back and looking at the photo you posted of the decking, and the caulking- i need your opinion !!!

( my wife and I are currently doing a topaz launch,- but the wife has taken over somewhat - but we did not buy the whole kit- but a hull, plans and some fittings packs, this was on the wife's say so !- as she is a cabinet maker she decided she had plenty of quality timber with which to make the boat ! and she wanted to use some of her timber on the build- to make it a little more unique....

she is about to start the deck and the caulking, she has done a trial section and has used black paper bonded on edge between each timber plank to represent the caulking- we know the paper is colourfast and the plan was then to varnish the decks once complete..... how did you go about the caulking, - you have done a fine job...... please enlighten me before we start...

in the past i have used black coloured tile grout, rubbed in the gaps between varnished planks, this sets fine and it is colourfast too, but you must ensure decks are correctly varnished as the pigment will leach into any unvarnished timber......but i am wondering how else to go about this task, i have posted a similar question on the model boats forum in the past but you get lots of suggestions, some sound like good ideas , others sound rediculous !- the joy of this forum is i have seen your handywork, so i know i can trust your input on this !!!!

 

[KenP]

Well.... this was my first real bash at caulking. Previously I had planked decks at 1:128 and 1:96 scale which is too small for any real caulking.

The Vigilant kit was supplied with lime strip for the decking and a sheet of black cartridge paper for the caulking. The caulking was done before the deck was installed in the hull, The underdeck ( about 2mm ply) was oversize to the hull, the margin boards were then fitted to this , a strip of the cartridge paper, about 3mm wide, between the individual margin boards.

This whole assembly was the placed on a thick ply base, just placed on it. Down the centre of the deck, between the baseboard and the ply deck was placed a long strip of wood , the thickness of the raised camber of the deck. the edges of the deck were then held down to the baseboard by drawing pins, such that the heads of the pins held the plywood deck too the baseboard; this then gave the camber of the deck and it was ready for planking/caulking.

Draw a line down the centre of the dcek and lay one plank along this.

Make up about 20 little wedges in about 3mm ply.

Cut a strip of 3mm cartridge paper and, using wood glue,lightly tack it to the first plank, Ibbediatly lay the second plank olong side the first, squeezing the caulking paper between and use more drawing pins and the wedges to squeeze the two planks tightly together.

Work out, plank at a time, from the centre to the margin boards. As each plank arrives at the margin boards, make sure that port and starbord ones line up across the boat

When it is all done use a shape modelling knife to trim away excess cartridge paper.

Now comes the really tricky bit.

The Kit Manual, suggests using a scapper to get the decks smooth as sandpapering will drive black paper dust into the grain of the deck planks.

I found this impossible. Either I had the wrong type of scrapper or my tecnique was all wrong.

So.... I sandpapered, carefully, until it was all smooth, The washed the deck, lightly sanded again untill it looked reasonably OK. I found you can just about get away with this.

Whose steam plant are you putting in Topaz?

Good luck

KenP

 

[KenP]

A little more progress,

I have built the Chart Room, and put together the various brass bits for the Galley, boiler casing, engine room skylight casing , The bridge deck is also built, i.e. pear surround and planked lime centre , it is not yet fitted to the top of the chart house, only laid on top of it in the photo.

One photo shows the front of the chart room.

The other photo is a side view. Charthouse in front, followed by galley, boiler room casing and the surround of the engine room skylight, which will be in wood.

On the centre of the boiler casings is the fidley which will house the funnel

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[wonwinglo]

Ken,I have been following the progress of your lovely model with interest,it has lots of real character,I just love all of that varnish work and decking.

 

[KenP]

Done a little more on Vigilant I've slowed down over the summer as golf, gardening and caravaning all take a lot of time!!!

I've more or less completed the removeable section. the funnel stays are still to be done and the wheel, etc on the raised deck.

The open hatches are the engine room skylight.

Next job is the two forward companion way hatches.

( I want to attach photos but "Manage Attachments" is greyed out!!!)

 

[KenP]

Photos of the removeable section attached

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[Bunkerbarge]

Looking superb. What method of caulking did you eventually decide on?

There are, as you say, many methods and we all have our own favourites, some of which are more effective than others.

 

[KenP]

Caulking is black cartridge paper inserted between the planks. Cut as close to the plank level as possible with sharp, small.scissors then a modellers knife. Finally the planks and paper rubbed down with sandpaper.

 

[itsa_ss]

if you dont mind Kenp, whats a kit like that cost?