HMS Vulture 1776 by Dan Vadas - 1:48 scale - 16 gun "Swan" class sloop from TFFM plans - Finished

[gjdale]

Very nice Danny, and as always a great explanation of your methods. 

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Wonderful as always,Dan

[rhcronan]

Hello Dan:

 

Very glad that you've completed a re-do of your tremendous log; I, along with the other members, realize it was no easy task -and LONG!  But, with the task done you're back to work on your tremendous build of Vulture.

 

That having been said in reviewing your previous (edited) log I recall -if memory serves- that during your construction of the powder locker, now 'buried' in the hold, Jim Lad (John) suggested you add a key and chain to complete that niffty pieace of work.  As I recall, you responded that you could do that!  But there was no follow thru.  Gee, I was dissappoited!  Falling down on the job, here, Dan  .

 

You're doing a hell-of-a-job re. this build.  I look in constantly to view your progress.  As others have commented, terrific build, terrific

workmanship.

 

Keep the pictures coming, please.

 

Kindest regards,  Dick

[dvm27]

Great job on those pump chains, Dan. They were indeed very labor intensive.

[rdsaplala]

Hi Danny,

 

Just catching up, congratulations on the resurrection of your magnificent log Sir, it's great to see those excellent detail works you've done once more    Very nice work on the Main Topsail Sheet Bitts and Jeer Bitts, Sir they look great, the same goes for the Chain Pumps, your choice of wood makes for a very nice contrast, I'll be taking notes as I plan to add my humble versions of these details to my ship  

[Dan Vadas]

 

I thought you were a scratch builder!

 

John

 

John, what else can I say to that than  :D ? The individual Links are 4.5mm long, 1mm wide and 0.15mm thick. They have a "tooth" on one edge to pick up the chain and two 0.5mm holes for the pins. PE is by far the best option to make 26 of them EXACTLY THE SAME - as I may have mentioned, I only have ONE lifetime in which to finish this model  . Here's a pic of one of the 26 links :

 

 

 

 

Wayne, Pat (look for an update on the chain very shortly), Adam, Grant, Christian, Dick (I forgot about the key , I might do one for the Captain's Cabin instead ), Greg and Aldo - Thanks heaps for the compliments .

 

  Danny

[Dan Vadas]

Hi all, and Pat in particular -

 

Here's the Chain "in-situ". This is only a very rough Dry Fit to see if I have enough chain to do the full circuit .... I don't have quite enough, two more links will be needed to make it disappear into the Tubes. I'll add two more Saucers as well - these can be epoxied inside the tubes to properly finish off both ends. The Rhodings at the top of the Cisterns will bring the chain and sprocket up a little, and the shaft is simply a piece of wire so far - it needs a LOT more work before it's finished  :

 

 

 

 

I used Masking Tape on the open deck around the cisterns to prevent any mishaps like dropping the chain into the hold   .

 

 

  Danny

[Jim Lad]

it needs a LOT more work before it's finished 

But it's looking great already, Danny.  Eagerly awaiting your progress!

 

John

[ocean clipper]

Dan absolutely amazing build,even now i look at scratch builds yours in particular and think how can he  do something so neat and perfect,i love  building my kits i am not particularly  good at that,i often wonder how some people like yourself have the gift of those skills,your talking to someone here who hammers a screw in and screws a nail in.Scratch is some thing i will never ever be able to do,i really am envious of people like your good self.Once again fantastic build pleasure to look at    DEREK

[mtaylor]

Wow, for a bit there I thought you were going to try to make a working pump.   I don't think we've seen the saucers added before on any build.

[Dan Vadas]

Eagerly awaiting your progress

 

Thanks John, I'm hoping to get a few days in before I have to disappear again for the weekend's work on my holiday van - which is getting very close to completed  . Next job on it is building a workbench for my ship modelling    .

 

I look at scratch builds yours in particular and think how can he  do something so neat and perfect

 

Derek, you're far too kind  . Like most of the guys and gals here I started on Kits (I built about 10 before I started any Scratchbuilding). Most of that phase was foundering in the dark using the kit's instructions, with no real idea of how to do things properly - you know the story .

 

Then I connected to the Internet and found a great Site of "like-minded" people who helped me out enormously .... yep, MSW. This changed the whole perspective of how I viewed building my models - from religiously following Kit Instructions with all their errors and omissions to "getting it right" ... at least as far as every avenue of research permits (and there are a LOT more of them than you may imagine).

 

Couple that with a half a lifetime's worth of acquiring some great tools - some more useful than others - and here I am  .

 

Honestly - anyone can do work like this if they have the passion for it, are willing to accept advice from more knowledgeable people, and have the desire to improve their skills with every step they take.

 

 

Wow, for a bit there I thought you were going to try to make a working pump.   I don't think we've seen the saucers added before on any build.

 

Mark - wait until Remco gets to this stage .... I reckon he'll have a go at actually making it work  . I think EdT actually DID    .

 

  Danny

[dgbot]

Great work.  I like the way you are thinking outside the box.

David B

[gjdale]

Great work Danny. I was reading through and thinking, "I wonder what Remco will do" ..... and then read your comment! I'm guessing "yes" but we'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, keep up the fantastic job. Inspirational is the word that comes to mind with every update of yours!

Edited April 2, 2013 by gjdale

[Remcohe]

 

 

Mark - wait until Remco gets to this stage .... I reckon he'll have a go at actually making it work  . 

 

Sorry guys I hate to disappoint you, I already crossed that bridge, not enough links in the PE set to make a working one.....

 

Just don't tell anyone

 

 

 

Remco

Edited April 2, 2013 by Remco

[gjdale]

Sorry guys I hate to disappoint you, I already crossed that bridge, not enough links in the PE set to make a working one.....

 

Aw c'mon Remco - what sort of excuse is that!!!

[Dan Vadas]

Thank you David and Grant.

 

Lovely work on the Cisterns Remco . Grant, that's the same excuse I'm using .

 

Pump Brakes

 

Hi all,

 

Work begins on the Pump Brakes (or Cranks). I've drilled all the holes for the brakes to accept the shafts - I drilled them all in two longer pieces which will be cut to length after I've done a bit of filing to get their correct shape. It's a lot easier to do them this way - saves a lot of setting up, first in the Mill for the drilling, and then in the vise to file them.

 

 

 

 

 

I've also cut all the various lengths of Axletrees (shafts) - these are all a little overlength, they will be filed back after silver soldering the two pieces together. The single square piece is for the sprocket centre - this has a 1mm hole drilled through it's 8mm length for the shaft. It's a little too thick - I'll get it to the right size after I've soldered it to the shaft. It has a wall thickness of 0.3mm across the flats at the moment, which will be reduced to 0.1mm - a very difficult task to drill if I'd reduced the outside dimensions first   .

 

  Danny

[Jim Lad]

Crikey, Danny, it looks like you've got some fun work ahead of you.  Just make sure you have your beer after the job's done! 

 

John

[druxey]

Looks like you are going to give the Annapolis Swan class model a run for its money with your chain pumps, Dan!

[Guillermo Madico]

Excellent work. Could you suggest best sources for brass materials?

[BANYAN]

Hi all, and Pat in particular -

 

Here's the Chain "in-situ". ....

 

I used Masking Tape on the open deck around the cisterns to prevent any mishaps like dropping the chain into the hold   .

Thanks for the update Danny; now I can sit back and relax

 

That's a great finish to the chain mate; I particularly like the tip about the masking tape - that's a very handy one to file away!

 

This sort of detail certainly provides 'the finish' to a well crafted model.

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited April 3, 2013 by BANYAN

[Dan Vadas]

Thanks for looking in John, Druxey, Guillermo and Pat - your comments are much appreciated.

 

Could you suggest best sources for brass materials?

 

I get mine from a local Model Railroad store, but I see that Model Expo have a nice little package of various shapes and sizes - check this link :

 

Model Expo - Various Tubing

 

Another good site is JBModel - they carry VERY small diameter brass tubing etc.

 

  Danny

[Adrieke]

wow i finaly caught up totaly with your build

 

its so much fun watching a ship come together and the detail that goes into it

 

and getting to know that each plank and part has its own name

[Dan Vadas]

Thank you for the information on places in Oz for brass Janos - I was already aware of them personally (my local Model Railroad shop ... "Vic Barnes Cycles and Model Railroad" in Newcastle also has an extensive range of brass stock - convenient for me ). Guillermo is in the US, so I gave him somewhere more "local" to look at.

 

Thanks for taking the time to go through my somewhat truncated "new" Build Log Adrieke .

 

and getting to know that each plank and part has its own name

 

It's important to know the correct terminology for the parts of a ship, especially when it comes to doing Research etc for a scratchbuild (or even a Kit - some kit manufacturers use completely WRONG terminology which adds to the confusion of anyone relatively new to model ship building   ).

 

Hi all,

 

I've finished making the Pump Brakes - only 8 Bearings and Rhodings to go. The pics show them in various stages of construction.

 

I used Birchwood-Casey Brass Black to give them a LIGHT coat of black - I like the effect of the lighter color, it shows a lot more highlights (the pics don't do it much justice - they look a lot better in real life, and I'm stoked with the way they turned out ).

 

 

 

 

Cleaned up ready for Blackening :

 

 

 

 

 

After Blackening and polishing :

 

 

 

 

One brake "in place" for the camera - the bearings haven't been made yet :

 

 

 

  Danny

[dvm27]

Excellent work, Danny! Looks just like David's illustrations. Cooler still I'll bet the wheel turns when you rotate the crank.

[BANYAN]

Nice work Danny, they look great.  I agree, the lighter colouring/blackening on the handles sets them off nicely

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Jim Lad]

Very nice blacksmithing, Danny!  I too like the final colour of your brass.

 

John

[Dan Vadas]

Thanks Greg, Pat, Janos and John.

 

I'll bet the wheel turns when you rotate the crank.

 

Greg, they'll both turn before I add the chain to the starboard side - as it doesn't go all the way around that side will have to remain static.

 

Janos, that's exactly my method too .And yes, I'll be painting them with satin poly.

 

  Danny

[Guest midnight]

I love your work Danny , so precise , so clean and such detail . I don't think there has been anything with this build I haven't admired . This is one build I would love to see in person as much as the photo's do your work justice seeing it in person I would probably dribble all over your model .

[Old Sea Dog]

You are a master.

[Dan Vadas]

Thank you very much Dave and Dave .

 

I would probably dribble all over your model

 

You do and you'll clean it up . Seriously, if you're ever up this way - drop in. You're more than welcome.

 

Rhodings

 

I've made all the Rhoding Spacers and Bearings for the pump brakes. I used Ebony - I didn't have any suitable brass, and besides it's a bit easier to do with wood (yes, even Ebony ). There are several slight differences in some of the spacers to make up for the differences in the sizes of the Bitt Pins - everything must line up straight .... no easy task   .

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Rhoding Spacer glued into place :

 

 

 

 

I've also turned up two Pillars which support the aft ends of the pump brakes :

 

 

  Danny