For some time now I have been toying with the idea of going back to making ships in bottles again as they take up a lot less space in the house and still take quite a bit of time to make, especially if you drink the contents first.LOL!!
After completing HMB Endeavour I started looking for some drawings/plans to use for ships in a bottle when my wife found this cheep Chinese kit of Halcon in 1:100 scale for £10.00 including postage and packing.
Altho it is much to big for the bottles I have I decided to look around the internet for information on it and discovered that this kit is of poor quality and the instructions are in Chinese and next to useless and the kit and dose not come highly recommended.
But you know me Like the idiot I am, I went ahead and purchased the kit knowing that this is going to be a challenge.
I did however see some Youtube videos by a Russian guy that had this kit and despite the problems that this kit has he made a really good job of making it, unfortunately I do not understand the Russian language but watching the videos gave me a rough idea of what to expect if i purchased this kit.
There are many model makers that have done an excellent job of making this ship but not necessarily this kit. So this will be interesting, all I can do is give it a go.
I only want to make a reasonably descent looking ship so I am not to interested in trying to make it accurate or to scale.
Anyway enough waffling.
This is the kit contents (photo 2):
And this is the double sided A4 sheet of instruction in Chinese.
Martin555.
cormorant Deck Hand
Posts : 21 Join date : 2022-08-15 Age : 77 Location : Worcester
The sheets of wood are 1mm and 2mm thin ply wood, the component parts are laser cut and are easy to remove from the plywood sheet. Due to the lack of instructions plus my skill level I will be making this ship my way so it may look a bit different in places.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
So let the fun begin.
The first thing to notice is the way the frames are numbered. On most kits frame number 1 starts at the front of the ship (Bow) This kit however frame number 1 starts at the rear of the ship (Transom).
After cutting the little tabs off the 15 x 2mm ply frames, 2mm ply keel and the 1mm ply deck a little sanding was required to ensure a nice fit.
I dried fitted all the frames to the keel then dry fitted the deck. Extreme caution and a very gentle hand is required as when fitting all of these parts as they are very fragile and brake very easily.
Then it was easer to glue everything in place before adding the gunwales making sure that the gun ports are not obscured by any of the frames. Again extreme caution is required.
The two sets of capping rails and the transom was then fitted.
Forgive me if I don’t know all the names of the ships component parts.
Martin555.
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Martin555 Lost But Never Forgotten R.I.P
Posts : 399 Join date : 2021-08-07 Age : 66 Location : Southampton. U.K
I hope this build log dose not sound like I am trying to teach everyone how to build model ship, I just word my logs as though they are aimed at the new guys to model making.
Next job was planking the hull. As many of you guys know this is not a five minuet job and requires a lot of tinkering to get a nice fit just on one plank. I tapered the frames forward and aft to aid a smooth curve of the planks. Again take care.
I have forgotten how many times I have super glued my fingers to this model now.
I discovered it is best to plank this model before fitting the transom however I planked the transom after to make it all match up.
Made the kit stand but I am not sure if I will use it when the ship is finished, but it will help to use it as a working stand.
Hi Guys, After fitting the rudder as supplied in the kit I was not happy with it so a little modification was done. I scribed the marking line that separates the rudder from the rest of the ship and drilled and filed some small squares.
Making the rudder hinges. After looking around for something to make then with, I found in my spares box some copper hull plates left over from a different project, so I cut a small strip of copper hull plates along the rivet line and used this to make the hinges as you can see in the photos.
Also knocked up some aft boat duvets and a couple of anchor duvets from scrap wood (they are not in the instructions) but I have seen in some photos on the internet.
I want to make this ship look old so a combination of paint and stain and some weathering might do the trick.
Gave the hull a few coats of Antique pine wood stain as that is the only stain I have, sanding in between the coats. I also darkened a few deck planks so that the deck did not look like one sheet of plywood.
Martin555.
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Martin555 Lost But Never Forgotten R.I.P
Posts : 399 Join date : 2021-08-07 Age : 66 Location : Southampton. U.K
Hi Guys, Next job was to cut out the component parts for the gratings. Great care is required as the plywood splits easily also it seems that even a scalpel is a bit too thick and I do not have any razorblades but I did manage it. I cannot over emphasise just how careful you have to be making this kit.
I can quite easily understand why more of these models end up in the bin than are actually built. Again a few coats of the stain but it is not easy rubbing these gratings down in-between coats.
Martin555.
Fred 1948 likes this post
Martin555 Lost But Never Forgotten R.I.P
Posts : 399 Join date : 2021-08-07 Age : 66 Location : Southampton. U.K
Just a quick update. Made and fitted a few more deck fittings.
Modified the rudder tiller and the bulge pump handle.
Sorry I forgot to take photos of the making of these fittings.
I must be the lucky one as the plywood in my kit is very poor quality and fall apart as soon as you threaten it with a small file or a piece of sandpaper.
It is at this stage of the build that I have to go to my spares box to see if I have any small fittings that I can use on this model.
After fitting the belaying pin boards to the ship’s side I had to use small Brass nails for the belaying pins but forgot to cut off the pointed ends. Hopefully by the time there are a few ropes wrapped around them no one will notice.
There is a lot of ship parts that are not supplied with this cheap kit or need to be made, but as I have said my aim is to try and make something that looks a little descent and may not be that accurate.
Next job was to make the chainplates (I think that is what they are called) the boards that hold the deadeyes to the ships side.
I just used some scrap 2mm plywood sheet from the kit.
Martin555.
[url=https://servimg.com/view/20361625/322][/url]
Fred 1948 likes this post
Martin555 Lost But Never Forgotten R.I.P
Posts : 399 Join date : 2021-08-07 Age : 66 Location : Southampton. U.K
As you can see the Anchors are supplied 2mm flat plywood sheet and require quite a bit of modification to make them look a bit better. I then fitted them to the ship. I have seen drawings of the Anchors where they are fitted with chains but I decided to go with rope/string as I did not have the any of the right size chains in my spares box.
The Cannons are also supplied in 2mm plywood sheet so these were promptly thrown in the bin.
(A friend jokingly said the cannons in the kit were made square to match the square gunport’s LOL!!)
Made ten small simple cannons using a length of BBQ stick, and one larger cannon from a piece of wooden knitting needle. Oh and I used a hand drill clamped in a vice. A small strip of copper hull sheeting was used to go over the pis of the cannons.
A little bit of tinkering and then fitted them to the ship.
As you can see in my introduction of this kit the instructions are next to useless. There are no measurements for the masts, yards or even the bowsprit. In fact there are no standing rigging or running rigging information ether.
But thankfully a look around the internet and I was able to find the information that I needed.
If you are like me you tend to forget where to find things again so I quickly scribbled down the measurements just incase.
I started with the bowsprit.
Partly rigged and fitted.
Martin555.
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Martin555 Lost But Never Forgotten R.I.P
Posts : 399 Join date : 2021-08-07 Age : 66 Location : Southampton. U.K
Hi Guys, This post brings my build log up to date.
All the masts and yardarms and the bowsprit will be tapered by hand with a file and sandpaper as I do not have a lathe and the only electric drill I had decided to die on me a few week ago.
The diameter of the dowels supplied in the kit for the bottom parts of the masts where to thick so the wooden knitting needles came in handy again. It always pays to look in the charity shops for wooden knitting needles as you never know when you might need them.
Martin555.
Martin555 Lost But Never Forgotten R.I.P
Posts : 399 Join date : 2021-08-07 Age : 66 Location : Southampton. U.K
It is at this stage of the build where this will just look like sticks and string so there will not be many updates.
I glued the two masts in place and started the rigging, altho I still have a few booms to shape and fit.
Like a total idiot I decided to make the rigging blocks from cocktail sticks that I reduced the outside diameter of with a file. I still think they look a little big.
The rigging itself I know will not be absolutely correct but for a cheep rubbish kit I have to do something. As you can see I am working on the ratlines at the moment.
So here are a couple of photos of some of the rigging and the ratlines.
I might even make some sail for this ship.
Martin555.
Fred 1948 likes this post
vigo Gunner
Posts : 108 Join date : 2021-02-11 Age : 62 Location : Derbyshire UK
Hi Vigo, Thank you. I don't think it is patience I think it is just determination not to let it beat me LOL!!!
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now I just hope it is not somebody with a torch. LOL!!!!
Martin555.
Martin555 Lost But Never Forgotten R.I.P
Posts : 399 Join date : 2021-08-07 Age : 66 Location : Southampton. U.K
Subject: Re: Halcon 1:100 scale. Sun Oct 02, 2022 10:09 am
Hi Guys,
I had to make a small tool to help get the rigging to go around the bottom of the belaying pins as my fat fingers could not get to where they needed to be.
I raided my wife’s needle work box and took a needle I then filed the top of the eye so that it formed a ‘U’ shape then bent it a little and glued it to a piece of BBQ stick as a handle. I must say it worked very well.
Martin555 Lost But Never Forgotten R.I.P
Posts : 399 Join date : 2021-08-07 Age : 66 Location : Southampton. U.K
Subject: Re: Halcon 1:100 scale. Sun Oct 02, 2022 3:42 pm
Hi Guys,
Another little update.
I found it best for me to add the sails as I work my way through the ships rigging thus reducing the risk of braking something altho it certainly gets the mind working dealing with all the different rigging systems.
The sails are made from curtain lining material this material is good for large and small models as it is very thin.
The sail material was soaked in tea for about half an hour then rinsed and hung out to dry.
Then soaked with a mixture of white wood glue and water and again hung out to dry.
The stitching lines were then drawn on.
I did make a big mistake, after tying the forward sails to the stays I used a small drop of super glue on the knots to stop them from untying and as you can see it made the ink run from the pen.
Big mistake.
I have had to try and blend some paint on the sails to try and hide these pen marks. I knew I should not put sail on this boat.
So I am now using white wood glue instead for the knots.
Martin555.
Fred 1948 Forum Sponsor
Posts : 239 Join date : 2017-04-14 Age : 75 Location : East Sussex
Subject: Re: Halcon 1:100 scale. Mon Oct 03, 2022 7:24 am
Looking O.K Martin
Martin555 likes this post
Martin555 Lost But Never Forgotten R.I.P
Posts : 399 Join date : 2021-08-07 Age : 66 Location : Southampton. U.K
Subject: Re: Halcon 1:100 scale. Mon Oct 03, 2022 8:28 am
Thank's Fred. But I am not happy with it now so I just want to get it out of the way. Hopefully I will get it finished this week'
Martin.
Martin555 Lost But Never Forgotten R.I.P
Posts : 399 Join date : 2021-08-07 Age : 66 Location : Southampton. U.K
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