HMS Pickle by flyer - FINISHED - Caldercraft - Scale 1:64 - my interpretation

[flyer]

Build Log HMS Pickle

The Caldercraft kit has arrived and seems of the same good quality as I could expect from Granado.

However, before I start, I made a bit of research and will add a few corrections.

I like Pickle as an example of those elegant schooners and for her role after Trafalgar. But – I find that the kit’s Pickle looks somewhat strange in some respects:

• The bow seems too bluff for the period
• The overall proportions of hull length, mast distance and mast height seems wrong
• The stern looks ugly and the taffrail is completely different from other schooners of the period.

According to some correspondence with CC (I lost the copies, sloppy me) the kit is built according to plans found in the Bermudas which show an unnamed vessel of about the same size and specifications as Pickle built around 1800. It is however not confirmed to be Pickle. The plans are held back as somebody seemingly wants to write eventually a book about Pickle. They also referred to a contemporary sketch showing Pickle with seven gun ports per side and a rig according to the kit but with a vertical foremast which configuration was not adopted.

To me the kit Pickles hull looks much more old fashioned and ungraceful than other contemporary schooners. As I have no access to the original plans used for the kit I will make some corrections based on different sources:

 

Plan of the Royal Maritime Museum in Greenwich (RMG) of the Adonis – class cutter Laura

Although the 12 Adonis – class vessels were ordered as cutters they were built as (or converted to) schooners. Their hull size is very similar to Pickle and the armament was with 10 instead of 8 12-pounder carronades although there were only 6 gun ports per side. They were built in the Bermudas in 1806

I bought a copy of that plan from RMG. It’s not only a plan full of information but a fascinating object of art.

 

Sketches of the Adonis – class schooners in ‘The Global Schooner’ (TGS)

Karl Heinz Marquarts book is a treasure of information about schooners and contains some small plans of the Adonis – class.

 

Pictures of different plans from the collections of RMG

J2147 sail

J8265 unnamed 18-gun two-masted brig

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[flyer]

How to tackle the different problems:

 

Size

According Wikipedia the length of the gun deck should be 34.8cm (in 1:64). The kit’s plan shows about 32.5 cm. As I’m unsure how to measure the gun deck exactly I compared the kit with the downscaled RMG plan of Laura from Adonis class. The Kit measures only about 92% of the Laura which however should be a little bit smaller than Pickle. The plan in TGS shows the same length of the gun deck but a different profile on the lower bow.

The kit’s gun deck measuring 32.5 cm seems about 7% too small.

 

Conclusion: use the kits overall length but adapt stern according RMG plan and bow according TGS.

 

 

Sections

The whole stern of the kits vessel is an ugly rectangular box and differs completely from the elegance of contemporary schooners. The RMG plan shows a more satisfying stern. The TGS plan however is a mix between both – however the transom is not clearly visible.

 

Conclusion: The sections can be corrected according RMG. The form of stern and transom will be taken from RMG while the bow will be a blend of the kit and RMG, following more or less the plan in TGS.

 

 

Mast position

If the length of the main deck is taken as 1, the mast positions, measured from the bow, are:

Kit:                                        foremast             0,24       main mast               0,59

TGS Laura                                                       0,25                                       0,58

RMG Subtle                                                     0,23                                       0,61

 

Conclusion: The longitudinal position of the masts in the kit is OK. Although Pickles fore mast was probably stepped vertical I will keep the kits mast positions.

 

 

Mast height

Again the length of the deck is taken as 1. Then the heights of fore and main masts are:

Kit:                                                                                                                                                       1.03       1.10

TGS:                                                                                                                                                     0.98       0.99

RMG rigging plan of unnamed schooner (fore mast perpendicular to the keel!)                                             0.89       0.93

This confirms the impression of a somewhat disproportional side view but the problem is not the masts position but that they are too tall.

 

Conclusion: Change the masts (including bowsprit) to the proportions of TGS.

 

 

Position of the boats

Perhaps the boats were sometimes placed off centreline as in the kit. But for me it seems too unrealistic for several reasons. Not only would the trim of the schooner change noticeable every time you lower a boat, you also would have to shift carronades around constantly as the boats are blocking two gun ports amidships.

 

Conclusion: I will strive to place the boat(s) in a traditional way.

 

 

[dgbot]

This sounds like an interesting build.  Keep notes and then submit a paper to the NRG for their Journal.  I am going to pull up a chair.  Doing background research has always intrigued me.

David B 

[KenW]

Well this should be interesting.  It sounds like your kit bashing will almost be a scratch build.

Hopefully you will get a beautiful model and the rest of us will learn some new modeling/woodworking techniques.

Best of luck.

Cheers.

[flyer]

The first corrections were (rather timidly) made. I will not completely change the schooner but try to keep alterations to a minimum – just within the limits a shipwright probably had when interpreting the plans with his adze.

The keel was sanded in order to stretch the bow a bit. Further corrections will be made step by step during the build.

A template for a new transom was constructed with the help of the plans of the Adonis class. Also the last 4 sections were sanded to change the strange form of the rear hull to a more conventional one.

The stern construction with that jutting nose near the waterline was in fact used for some schooners. As far as I found however mostly earlier (it resembles a more 17^th century style of ship) and when the schooner was built with a small aft cabin with windows. I found no indication of a Bermuda schooner built that way.

I hope to find the final form of the stern as I go.

 

 

Slight correction on the bow

 

 

One side of the aft hull sections sanded and upper part doubled up on 8 and 9

 

 

Real size of an Adonis transom constructed. Template of a possible new transom below the kit part.

[Blue Ensign]

I will be interested to see what conclusions you come to with this build Peter, I too had issues with the kit provided stern, as I did with the rigging.

 

Look forward to seeing your progress.

 

Regards,

 

B.E.

[flyer]

Hi Dave

My research consists mainly of browsing the internet and looking at some books and plans; no big deal actually. The rest is guessing and trying to find a hull form which looks right.

 

Hi Ken

Well, I hope too it will be interesting. At least I hope to achieve a model which will look a bit more elegant than the one right out of the kit. After investing hundreds of hours I hope to get something which pleases the eye and is historically feasible.  100 % historical correctness seems to be impossible anyhow even if you take one of the surviving ships and try to construct the condition of 200 years ago – there will always be some guesswork.

Don’t expect any new exotic techniques. Woodworking still is sanding, sanding, sanding, uttering some censored words and then trying again.

By the way: your Fair American looks very good and I like the sails. On my Pickle I hope to be able to fully hoist some sails.

 

Hi B.E.

Welcome to the journey. I hope to steer clear of the shoals you mention also by respecting your experience.

 

Cheers

Peter

[flyer]

The bulkheads were glued in place. After a lot of sanding, doubling up and sanding again the skeleton of the ship was approximately what I had in mind. Then the gun port patterns were glued on and the stern trimmed back to the new form.

 

 

Bulkheads and keel glued and sanded

 

Gun port patterns out of the kit

 

 

...and trimmed to the new form

 

 

bow

[Mirabell61]

Hi Peter,

 

as you are well under way already, I wish you that you can successfully implement all thosenice  features you mentioned for a better look, so that you will be pleased with your new model. Have fun with the build

 

Nils

[Thunder]

Looking forward to following this build. I built the Pickle straight from the box and agree that it doesn't have the right feel to it. Is very English and conservative looking.

I have the plans to HMS Berbice by KHM which are very much like you describe. I am planning to make that my first scratchbuild.... one day!!

Edited February 15, 2015 by Thunder

[Martin W]

It's good to see you back in the fray of a build!  That's interesting research and some sharp thinking about the necessary adjustments.  I'm going to be paying attention to your progress.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[flyer]

The first planking was now attached and then a lot of sanding, filling and sanding again had to be done to give the hull the intended form.

 

The inner stern extensions were added in preparation for the attachment of the lower counter. Those inner extensions were extended a bit to help form a convex counter.

 

So far I did not yet glue the keel yet in order to protect it during sanding.

 

During the first planking I fix the whole plank onto the bulkheads and mark the areas to cut for trimming by laying the next plank over it in a dry run. The cutting is roughly done with a scalpel and then the next plank definitely fixed. The first planking looks rather coarse but it is only the fundament to work out the final shape of the hull with sanding, filling and sanding again.

 

 

The central stern extensions are fixed and extended again.

 

 

First planking finished

 

 

The central stern extensions overlap those on the side to allow convex lower and upper counters

[Martin W]

Looking good, Peter!  That's a nice smooth hull.  Remind me what the top layer of planking is going to be.

 

Martin

[dgbot]

You are getting there.

David B

[flyer]

Next step was the fixing trimming and planking of the lower counter. It starts to look a bit more elegant than the kit’s photos in the manual.

Now the second planking could begin in earnest, with the first plank laid exactly according to the manual.

 

First plank on the lower counter

 

 

Lower counter

 

 

Second planking started

[Martin W]

Good work, Peter.  The nice lines of The Pickle are beginning to show.

 

Martin

[flyer]

Hi Martin

 

Thank you. I have in fact hope that this will become a pretty pickle.

BTW I found a remark in a book (The Ships of Trafalgar) about Pickle. Here is stated, that a first schooner named Sting was employed in Bermuda as a 6 gun tender and was perhaps built there.  Another Sting was built at Plymouth. In 1802 one of those two was purchased by the navy and renamed Pickle.

It seems that Pickles origin is as obscure as her true appearance. This means my interpretation of that schooner might not be completely unreasonable.

 

 

Hi All

 

Thank you for all the likes. That support is appreciated, especially while I try to get superglue off my fingers again and again – that seems to be the curse of the 2^nd planking.

 

 

Cheers

Peter

[Martin W]

Peter -- By sheer coincidence, I read The Ships of Trafalgar just about a month ago, and I remember the reference to The Pickle.  It definitely piqued my interest, and so I'm glad you're posing some rich historical questions in your build.  I'm looking forward to more!

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[flyer]

The second planking is on its way. The final look of the lower counter is now visible and I think it comes along quite well. The alterations seem to work.

 

Although it will most probably be covered by copper sheathing, in this build I try to use the correct form of stealers instead of just tapering to a too narrow plank. It seems you should never taper to less than half of the original width.

 

 

The stern and especially the lower counter starts to look like a schooner of the early 19^th century should.

[Mirabell61]

the 2nd planking is coming on very well Peter,

 

Looks like you are already 1/2 way through with it, will stay tuned with "Pickle`s" log.....

 

Nils

[Martin W]

Stealers are good.  And your counter looks really tidy.  This is going to be a sweet build.

 

Martin

[flyer]

Hi Spy

 

Well, altering the shape of that stern is a bit of an issue with me. But the rather ugly one right out of the kit was a ‘no go’. I have my doubts about those plans used by JoTiKa. Talking of JoTiKa :    The quality of the strips for the 2^nd planking is not on the level I expected after the Granado kit.  Generally one side of the strip is a bit frayed and when bending the planks at the bow sometimes the fibers come apart or the whole plank splinters despite the soaking. But I manage - and who ever said that shipbuilding resembles a bed of roses? No sir, there are always some splinters in it.

I paid your Pickle a little visit. It comes along nicely. I never have the patience you have for preparing all the steps. Usually I just take a deep breath and plunge in – but of course sometimes the water is too shallow and I bang my head…

 

 

Hi Nils

Thank you. How you find the time to visit other build logs while putting that much detail into your absolutely great Pegasus is beyond me…

 

 

Hi Martin

Those stealers… I’m not sure if I really want to cover them with copper plates. At least I will not take the sheets out of the kit. The nail heads are much to prominent. Either I replace them with Victory Model parts or I find a way to flatten them or – if the planking goes very well – I could leave them off…

 

Cheers

Peter

 

[flyer]

The lower part of the 2^nd planking is done. I’m not yet sure how the final colour scheme will look but the whole hull painted black seems a bit gloomy. For now just the wale has been painted as a trial.

 

Side view with painted wale

 

The bow looks a bit more elegant than the kits version

 

The stern starts looking good

[Mirabell61]

good Progress Peter,

 

and good looking planking, the black wale I think is just right, its in good harmonie with the hull

 

Nils

[Martin W]

Peter -- The 2nd planking looks nice.  The black wale seems fully appropriate to my eye, delineating the shape of the hull along its length.  I'm not familiar enough with this kit to compare your bow with others, but I do like the overall look of this sweet vessel. 

 

Has your research suggested any color scheme -- white or yellow, say?

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[flyer]

Hi Nils

 

Thank you. Compared to other projects the planking looks a bit rough due to the lower quality of the wood. But it’s OK.

 

 

Hi Martin

 

See above. Thank you.

 

There aren’t many sources I know of.

One is the model in the Royal Naval Museum (so far I only saw pictures of that). The color scheme of this model with its black hull and a yellow band between the wales and the rail could be the prototype for the kit as well as for modern paintings (Gordon Frickers and Geoff Hunt).

Another source is Robert Dodd’s painting:  ‘The defeat of the combined forces of France and Spain at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805’. The schooner in this painting could be Pickle. I have only seen reproductions of this painting in the internet in rather low quality. But most probably the wales are dark or black with the hull below black or perhaps dark oak left natural. Then there is a light band above. Its color is unclear because the whole scene is painted in a somewhat pinkish light (morning?), but it could be a light yellow or white. Interestingly there is a small dark stripe across the middle of the gun ports; a feature which is included in Geoff Hunts painting. Geoff Hunt has the inner planking painted in red, the same way as it is foreseen by the kit. In Frickers’ painting the inner bulwarks are hard to see but no red is visible in the gun port frames. The Royal Naval Model finally has the inner bulwarks as well as the deck furniture painted in light yellow which is a nice change to the usual red.

 

As long as the captain of the schooner (me) is paying for the color out of his own pocket he has a certain freedom how to paint his vessel - as long as there is no objection from the admiral.

After all I’m tempted to leave the hull between wale and copper natural, paint that yellow band above (probably with the small black stripe) and have the inner bulwark also in yellow. The rail will repeat the black of the wales and the counter will probably be natural. The final color scheme will be decided during the progress and could differ.

 

Cheers

Peter

[flyer]

The second planking is now finished – except the stern counter which will be fixed later. First I will have to install the deck to find the right height for the 2 gun ports.

 

As a trial for the colour scheme I painted one side above the wale in light yellow. I think it looks acceptable. Now I have to wait for the Amati cooper plates to arrive. They will replace the kits plates.

 

Side view with finished second planking.

 

Side with painted yellow band

 

Stern view

[Mirabell61]

wonderful hull-lines Peter

 

Nils

[Martin W]

I second Nils' comment.  As for the yellow, well, it's a bit hard to judge with the natural wood color there below the wales.  I assume the inside of the gunports would be red?  Your eye will be the best judge.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Landlubber Mike]

Very nice work Peter, this ship has very nice lines.  Clean crisp planking, great job!