Vic Smeed’s HMS Cossack MM500

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Chris, that's a shame that I missed you,I was at the show all day.

Regards.Eddie

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Eddie, that's a pity. Went back to the stand a few times. The last time I went I asked the couple manning it if they had seen you. They asked if you had a model on the stand and when I said yes, a tug and 2 barges, they said you would be coming later to collect them.

Oh well, good show and I picked up a few bits and pieces. Maybe next year!

Chris

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi All,

I have to do things the hard way! here is the balsa core of the main forward funnel, the idea is to roll some litho plate sheet and wrap it round, will be interesting if it works

Regards Ray

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Your problem may be to avoid getting dents or creases in the lithoplate. You will need to be careful. In those circumstances I have used 1/64 (0.4mm) birch ply very successfully.

Colin

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi oh wise one (Colin)

You were right about the dents & creases in litho plate, but here is the good side 😀I

Regards Ray

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi All,

Now I have 2 funnels with the frameworks over, so covers could be deployed over the funnels when in port I guess.

Torpedo tubes next 😀

Regards Ray

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi.All, much more progress on Cossack this last week, the hull is now painted, I am just waiting for some decal paper to arrive for the No. L03,I have a couple of sheets some where in a safe place, but I haven't found the safe place yet.

The 'portholes' are all fitted on the hull and some of the railings on the upper works, not sure which is the most fun,cutting dozens of little black plastic dots or drilling dozens of 1mm. holes for stanchions.

This could be a long time to finish if all the lockers and deck hatches are added, but they can be made and fitted after all the main structure is done.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Eddie,

I'm waiting a while before I give her a couple of coats of sanding sealer then Halfords grey for the hull & superstructure & red oxide primer below the waterline. Which shade of grey paint have you used??

The blue patch on the foredeck is a heavy weave fabric which looks like chequer plate when painted.

There are many lockers on the deck which I'm using hard wood blocks, trying to scratch build the fittings to keep costs down

The decks looked like timber planks in one of the images you posted a while back with the red white & blue turret?

Regards Ray

Edited By Ray Wood 2 on 20/11/2019 14:26:06

[Francis MacnaughtonParticipant @francismacnaughton39461]

The trick for bending lithoplate is to gently bend it around progressively smaller diameter tubing until the right fit is achieved

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi, Ray,yes I looked at that colour sceme, and I have seen another model painted in those colours,I quite like it, but I don't think she would have been like that on the Russian convoy duties.

The below waterline colour is Revell 331 purple red, the hull and topsides are Tamiya XF80 royal light grey, the deck is Tamiya XF 53 neutral grey all are water based acrylic, when the decals are on I will finish it off with a coat of matt varnish.

I have used a fine wire mesh in front of the anchor capstans.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Cossacks, my Cossack had her fisrt sea trilals today, she is not finished yet except for the hull.

She sailed well but needs some of the ballast that I kept back fron the initial ballasting to establish the water line,

some of that will be used to correct her bows down attitude and a slight list to starboard,but apart from that I was pleased with how she handled, turninging in a little under three lengths.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Impressive Eddie and it all seems to have come together very quickly.

Tim R

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Tim. thank you, I suppose it just shows that I have nothing better to do, but there are a lot more little bits to make and add to it, it may never be copletely finised, i have already remade some bits because I wasn't happy with them, but when you are scratch building that is what you do!

Regards.

Eddie.

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Hi Eddie

Beware of the 95/5 rule where 95% of the time is spent doing the last 5% of the finishing.

What's your next project?

Tim R

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi.again, yes when I was building steam engines I always made all the fittings that you needed before you could steam it as they seemed to take forever to make, and that was OK as long as you could remember where you had put them when you wanted to fit them!

My next build will the IOM yacht Boxkite.

How are your builds going?

Regards.

Eddie.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Yes Eddie,

Well done , does she rock & roll on the corners ? 😀 I'm aiming for a launch in the spring, it was miserable in London at 7.30am this morning !! That's the trouble with still being on the treadmill 😁

Looking forward to Boxkite

Regards Ray

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Ray, I didn’t’ try any high speed turns at this stage, I want to get the ballast right first, maybe next time, we had some light rain here but not enough to stop us.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Hello Eddie

Bit busy at work which is seriously eating into the modelling time. Ray won't mind the thread drift I am sure.

I have made the hatches for Galileo and a carry box to transport the keel. Nearly got my confidence back to have another go at veneering the deck and nearly got the IOM ready except that the winch failed during testing.

I have been swotting up on sails and have made a couple out of Mylar film. The very latest is planning a Thames Barge very much influenced by Ray who very kindly gave me a set of drawings. More on that later.

Looking forward to following your Boxkite.

Tim R

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Tim,it looks as if you are getting things done despite having to go to w–k!

I have gone away from winches and am planning to use a servo with an arm for my IOM, although it shows a winch on the drawings

.My Veronica is now fitted with one and so far has worked well with no glitches or foul ups since fitting it.

I will be setting up the frames on the building board for the IOM when I get back from a week down in Kent.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

Well Gents i have to say your all cracking on with the builds and they all look great. I bet you were well chuffed with the water trials Eddie.

I always find it interesting to see how people differ in their builds. Eddies on the water with details still to be added, Ray is detailing the superstructure and has had a Bath trial!

I think mine is still in plank form and everyone else is amazed at the build speed of the two leading figures.

As for myself i like to have everything finished before i take it out to play.

Very diverse modelling model boats is.

Bri (Friday beer creeping in)

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Bri, yes I was pleased with the first time out on the water under power, as you say I like to finish the major bits of construction and make sure every thing is working, I can then finish off all the other bits at my leisure, and perhaps start the next project, I always then have some interesting construction to work on.

Regards.

Eddie.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

All. Impressed with all this work so far!

personally speaking I try mine out on the pond (for either ballast or performance testing) ASAP, with as little done to finish as possible. This is because in my minds eye as soon as it hits the water my brain says “well that’s another one done” and finishing that 5% becomes difficult…

Are bilge keels included in the plan? They don’t half help the rolling situation.

Ashley

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi all,

Really pleased with the Cossack builds, I'm trying to keep the cost down by making the fittings I would normally cheat on and buy, was some super anchors at my local boat shop at Chatham Dockyard £7.99 each !! Sure we can knock some up out of the scrap box, and spend the money at Weatherspoons 😀

The bilge keels are added to the original Vic Smeed design, as I have them on HMS Diamond.

Regards Ray

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Perhaps the build should have said "no commercial fittings" ?? I know its a bit tricky sometimes at this small size but it is amazing what can be found, and also what looks ok despite not being what it is supposed to be.

Ashley

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. All, an update on my Cossack build, All of the large items are made and fitted, I only need the ladders and the railings for the hull, I will get these this weekend at Ron Deans open day.

All the main parts have been scratch built with balsa, ply, bamboo skewers and cocktail sticks, the only bought in items are the brass etched railings and the ladders.

She has been back on the water ( the fish pond) to sought the ballast out to bring her onto an even keel, she needs another kilo to bring her down to the waterline, I'm not sure of her all up weight as my kitchen scales only go up to 3 Kilos.

If the weather is kind to us tomorrow she will be backout for further running trials.

Regards.

Eddie.

Edited By Eddie Lancaster on 11/12/2019 16:01:13

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