HMS Atalanta by tlevine - FINISHED - 1775 - 1:48 scale - from TFFM plans

[tlevine]

Thanks everyone for the likes and comments.  Dave, I measured the dimensions directly off the Admiralty plans.  As I mentioned, Atalanta's fore jeer bitt was different from some of the other Swan class ships.  What struck me is how something this large is only bolted onto two flimsy forecastle beams.

[DaveyJones]

Toni - with all due respect, we must be looking at different admiralty draughts. The images below are taken from my copies of the Atalanta NMM plans, and would seem to indicate that the fore topsail sheet crosspiece and the jeer bitt crosspieces are about the same size.

 

Dave

[tlevine]

Well, sir, I concur with you.  It also appears my fore topsail sheet crosspiece may be too small.  I guess I have my project for next weekend.  Thank you for pointing this out.

[tlevine]

I am getting ready to construct the flue for the stove.  On the plan (kindly provided by Dave 2 posts above) the flue is shown as straight.  I checked out several other of the Swan class ships and the only other one I could find with this convention is Fly.  My question is did the artist simply not draw the flue correctly since this was provided by an outside vendor or was the flue truly straight?  Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

I also rebuilt the jeer bitts and crosspiece.  Pictures pending.  It looks much better now.

[druxey]

If the draught is 'as built' then you can be sure that the detail was recorded reasonably accurately.

[tlevine]

Thanks, Druxey.  It is a shame as the angled cowl/baffle assembly is more logical.

[druxey]

Looks prettier, for sure! I suppose after rainwater kept going down the flue, someone might have retrofitted a cowl....

Edited September 3, 2016 by druxey

[tlevine]

As mentioned above, I rebuilt the jeer bitts and crosspiece.  Again, thanks to Dave for pointing it out.  The only reason I can think of for the glaring mistake is a total brain shutdown.  Forgive the Qtip fuzz on the crosspiece...  It's gone now.

 

 

 

 

The stove flue is comprised of two sections.  The lower section is conical and the upper is cylindrical.  On most of the Swan class ships there is an angled piece with a baffle.  On Atalanta and Fly the flue is straight.  While I was waiting for Druxey's affirmation, I made up both types of ends for the stove flue, straight and angled.  The conical section is made by cutting a v-shaped slit in an oversize brass tube.  The tube was heated to remove the temper and slit was closed, resulting in a conical shape.  This was then silver soldered and the top and bottom were cut off for the correct length.  The upper and lower sections were then soldered together and the piece was blackened and coated with Floquil dull finish.  I still need to make a metal plate for the coaming.

 

 

 

Druxey, maybe the captain "borrowed" the flue from Pegasus after enough rain ran down into the stove!

[Chuck Seiler]

As I recall, the flue on HMS Surprise in San Diego has the angled cap with a damper that can be open and closed.  Also recalled is that the cap has handles so you can remove or move the cap.  A docent once told me that it was so the cap could be pointed downwind to keep drafts from blowing into the flue.

[tlevine]

The forecastle bulwark planking was a fun exercise in joinery.  The upper plank drops down to the cathead.  There is a "lip" at the fore end of the upper plank, locking the lower plank in place.  They are treenailed with #76 sized bamboo (second smallest hole on a Byrnes drawplate).  Eyebolts are located in the bulwark aft of the foremast. There are four eyebolts on either side of the foremast.

 

 

 

 

The forecastle rail is comprised of two set of pillars with a rail, attached to a spar rack.  The rail has a pattern on its edge.  On the long sides this was done with a scraper.  On the short straight and curved sides this was formed with files.  There is a sheave in each of the pillars.  

 

The belfry will be made next but this will have to wait until after the Conference.  Hope so see a lot of you there.

[Chuck Seiler]

Great timing.  I was going through some pictures of SURPRISE and found a shot of the galley smoke stack (Charlie Noble).

 

[druxey]

Nicely done, Toni! Have fun at the Conference.

[Elijah]

Nice job! I like looking at the metal parts on your ship, they look fantastic! Nice job on the planking too, the edges fit together well.

[albert]

Hi Toni, magnificent work.

[tlevine]

Thanks everyone. Chuck, great shot of the Charlie.

[Mirabell61]

beautiful work Toni,

 

I like that half shut forecastle bulwark and the partially planked gundeck...

 

Nils

[dgbot]

What can I say Toni but how I would love to be a fly in your workshop.  I cherish the photos I was able to get and always look at them.  Marvelous workmanship.   The next time you are able to get to a meeting I hope Kurt can set up something so I can drool over your work.

David B

[GDM67]

Hi Toni,  your work is highly inspirational.  I love the small treenail and bolt details as well as the subtle notching of the horseshoe and countersinking of the stern plates.  Gary

[tlevine]

Thank you gentlemen.  Next up is the belfry.  I have turned the bell on the lathe and will work on the belfry after the Conference.

[bdgiantman2]

Hello Toni! You have a beautiful model and it was a pleasure to get to talk to you today at the San Diego NRG meeting. I appreciate your advice and will be continuing more on my model ship soon.

[tlevine]

It was great to meet you.  Good luck with your model.  Don't forget to start a build log.

[tlevine]

I finally have found a little time to work on Atalanta.  For those of you who attended the Swan-Class Panel Discussion, you might remember we reinforced the need to follow the plan for the ship you are building and not blindly follow the book.  This is a good case in point.  The book shows a drawing for a typical belfry whose overall height is 36', width from the exterior of thestanchions 24" and width of the canopy 31.5".  On Atalanta's plan the dimensions are overal height 48", width from the exterior of the stanchionrs 19.5" and extrapolated canopy width of 29".  I measured the distance from the lateral edge of the forcastle rail to the bulwark and this only measures 30", the same as the width of a typical interior door.  If I had ignored the plan I would have ended up with a distance of only 27" between the rail and the bulwark, too narrow a distance for two men to pass simultaneously.

 

The canopy was made first.  I traced the outline on a piece of castello, including the steps for the moldings.  The exterior was rough finished top and bottom.  

 

 

 

 

Using an 11 blade, I incised the edge for the first molded edge and used a micro-chisel to cut to that line.  I did the same thing for the remaining molded edges.  

 

 

On Atalanta the stanchionss are not tapered.  The various depths were cut using the Preac.  A blind hole was made internally to accept the tenon of the headstock.

 

 

I drilled a hole into the headstock to accept the bell.  A 28 gauge wire formed thecrank.  The cleats have not been installed yet.  The bell was turned from brass rod on the lathe and drilled out.  No, there is not a clapper but the headstock does rotate.  As this will be the only bright metal on the ship, it has been gold leafed.

 

 

 

The pictures show the forecastle rail and belfry temporarily positioned.  I need to level the headstock and mate the surfaces between the rail and the stanchions.

 

 

 

 

[dgbot]

Awesome.  I love the joinery and the neatness of your work.

David B

[giampieroricci]

the bell is shaped a little strange, don't you think so?

your model deserves a better one!

[druxey]

That forecastle is a forest of timbers! Nice going, but I'd tend to agree with Giampiero.

[tlevine]

Magnified photos are our best friends and worst enemies.  It looked good until I saw the pictures.  Oh well, that was the easiest part of the belfry to make.  Thank you for pointing it out to me.  Take two will be much better!

[Chuck Seiler]

It looks like the bells they had in the old California missions.

[tlevine]

I was thinking a Tibetan monestary bell, actually.

 

 

[Chuck Seiler]

In retrospect, I agree.

[tlevine]

I have made a new bell and am much happier with it.  It is in better proportion and I was able to get a smoother finish as well.  Like the first one it is gold leafed.  The first three pictures show the assembly before a finish was applied.  The last two show things after a coat of Watco's.