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Speedwell by dvm27 (Greg Herbert) - FINISHED - Ketch Rigged Sloop, 1752


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Speedwell, 1752, was a ketch rigged sloop of the Cruizer class. Designed by John Ward and Built by Thomas Slade after plans of the yacht Royal Caroline, known for her excellent sailing characteristics. Her keel was laid at Chatham 11.2.1752 and she was launched 21.10.1752 and coppered shortly thereafter. As befitting most ships of her size she patrolled the Channel and Home waters off England but did sail to North America in 1757. She was refitted as the fireship Spitfire in 1779 before decommissioning in 1780.

 

I am building Speedwell from the plans drafted by David Antscherl, who based his reconstruction on plans and documents in the NMM collection. A contemporary model of her is in the museum collection and may be viewed at 

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/mediaLib/317/media-317093/large.jpg

 

In order to accommodate the eight cannons the hull had to be pierced for gunports and some very interesting toptimber arrangements were drafted to accommodate these. A sample of the interesting shifts and casts are shown in the first photo. For now I am just posting photos of the construction process without text but will add it later if requested. Currently, I am fairing the inside of the hull, a tedious but satisfying part of the process.

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Greg

website
Admiralty Models

moderator Echo Cross-section build
Admiralty Models Cross-section Build

Finished build
Pegasus, 1776, cross-section

Current build
Speedwell, 1752

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Welcome back, Greg. I'll follow your log as in MSW 1.0.

Regards Christian

 

Current build: HM Cutter Alert, 1777; HM Sloop Fly, 1776 - 1/36

On the drawing board: English Ship Sloops Fly, 1776, Comet, 1783 and Aetna, 1776; Naval Cutter Alert, 1777

Paused: HMS Triton, 1771 - 1/48

"Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it." Salvador Dali

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Greg,

Great to see your build back here.  I'm following and learning.  Now if I can just learn the "clean" part....

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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Great to see the log back Greg; this time I haven't missed it until quite late :) - will follow this with interest.

 

cheers

 

Pat

If at first you do not suceed, try, and then try again!
Current build: HMCSS Victoria (Scratch)

Next build: HMAS Vampire (3D printed resin, scratch 1:350)

Built:          Battle Station (Scratch) and HM Bark Endeavour 1768 (kit 1:64)

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Wow Greg,

 

Even more pics than the last time, very impressive work, I wish I could afford all those lovely tools you have

but over time you never know.

 

I am setting this log to e-mail me whenever its updated because I dont want to miss anything :)

 

ben

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Beautiful craftsmanship as always, Greg.

Toni


Chairman Nautical Research Guild

Member Nautical Research and Model Society

Member Midwest Model Shipwrights

 

Current Builds:     NRG Rigging Project

Completed Builds: Longboat - 1:48 scale       HMS Atalanta-1775 - 1:48 scale       Half Hull Planking Project      Capstan Project     Swallow 1779 - 1:48 scale               Echo Cross Section   

Gallery:  Hannah - 1:36 scale.

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Bollard and Hawse Timbers

 

 

Thanks, all for your kind comments. A bit of serendipity with regards to the crash - many of us are putting up more photos than the first version. The ease of posting them and lack of file size restrictions make it a breeze.

 

The bollard and hawse timbers are among the most challenging to make on the model. As well, they are the first timbers made after the keel, and the learning curve hasn't had a chance to kick in yet. So it's important to take your time getting them right and redo them if necessary (as Ed T. has also pointed out in his excellent log). The last little filler piece has no real pattern. It's just cut over-sized and "massaged" into place.

 

The last photo illustrates the rather diminutive size of Speedwell as compared to an earlier discarded attempt at my Swan class model. The sixth rate looks gigantic compared to Speedwell. Yet they wood both look like longboats compared to a third rate or larger!

 

 

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Edited by dvm27

Greg

website
Admiralty Models

moderator Echo Cross-section build
Admiralty Models Cross-section Build

Finished build
Pegasus, 1776, cross-section

Current build
Speedwell, 1752

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Greg, thank you for the insite to a real craftsman at work.  Great joinery and nice clear pictures of your work in progress.  You give us all something to strive for.

 

 

"I've told you a million times, don't exaggerate   ;) "

 Current builds:

 

  H.M.S. TRITON Cross Section by Bbrockel - Scratch Build - Scale 1:48

  US Brig Syren by Bbrockel - Model Shipways -Scale 1:64

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Beautiful Greg always a pleasure to watch the professionals.

 

I notice you use paper of some sort between the joints which results in a very clean fine black line.

could you in short terms describe the tecnique or point me towards a description somewhere :P

 

Regards

Erik

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Outstanding doesn't come close to describing your work! I'll be following this bulid closely.

 

Tim

Tim 

 

Current Build:

 

 

 

 

 

Future Build:

  • BlueJacket - USS Kidd (Fletcher Class Destroyer) Solid Hull
  • BlueJacket - U.S.S. SAMUEL B. ROBERTS, DE413 | Butler-Class Destroyer Escort
  • BlueJacket - 310' Destroyer "The famous "four-piper" of both World Wars"
  • Model Shipways - Pride of Baltimore II (Topsail Schooner) 
  • Model Shipways - Willie L. Bennett (Chesapeake Bay Skipjack)
  • Constructo - Pilar (Ernest Hemingway's Fishing Yacht)  
  • Sergal - Race Horse (Bomb Ketch)
  • Classic Warships - USS Salem CA-139 (Heavy Cruiser) Resin Kit
  • Pen Duick Schooner - Half Hull (Scratch Build)
  • CSA Submarine Hunley (Resin Kit)
  • Classic Warships - USS Washington BB-56 (Battleship) Resin Kit
  • Blue Ridge Models - USS Alaska CB-1 (Resin Kit)

 

Completed Builds:

                 

Member:

Hampton Roads Ship Model Society

 

              

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Beautiful workmanship Greg.

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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Thank you gentlemen! Erik, for the tarred joints I use acid free black paper (craft and artists supply stores have this) and white glue. Depending on the joint I'll use thicker or thinner paper and the edges are shaved clean with a blade. I would strongly suggest preparing a test wood/paper/wood sandwich first and applying the finish you prefer as a test to make sure the paper doesn't bleed onto the wood surface. Finally, I perforate the surface of the paper between joints with a pin to make sure glue adequately penetrates through to the other side. I also make sure to use treenails or fasteners in these joints. As yet haven't had a joint failure.

 

I've also used carpenters glue tinted with aniline dye powders. This works well too but is a holy mess.

 

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Greg

website
Admiralty Models

moderator Echo Cross-section build
Admiralty Models Cross-section Build

Finished build
Pegasus, 1776, cross-section

Current build
Speedwell, 1752

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That's funny, Ben. Many years ago my wife asked me what I wanted for my 40th birthday present. I told her I wanted to spend a few days in Harold Hahn's workshop. She thought I was kidding. I was not!

Greg

website
Admiralty Models

moderator Echo Cross-section build
Admiralty Models Cross-section Build

Finished build
Pegasus, 1776, cross-section

Current build
Speedwell, 1752

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  • 2 weeks later...

Greg, I know you poste a pic. of Speedwell all framed up.  I can't locate it.  Can you provide a lnk or reference?

Thanks

Maury

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  • 2 weeks later...

Greg,

 

I have used paper between the joints before but find them weaker that using blackened glue, however I likd the fact that you punch pin holes in the paper to allow the glue to penetrate. Do you use a hard paper or just regular art paper?

Cheers, Guy
The Learner
Current Member NRG,SMA

 

Current Build: HMS Triton 1:48 on line

 

 

 

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