Ray

Lower stun sail booms
One other outstanding job was to make and add the lower stun sail booms, the plans and instructions are rather sketchy on these, so a look at the box photos sorted out the main mast ones,but it does not show them fitted to the fore mast but they must have been fitted and a look in R P S M shows them hooked into the hull,the kit supplies enough brackets for four booms so I just lined up the fore mast ones with the yard, and added them the same as the main mast one.

Braces
The braces were rigged next the fore main braces were rigged as per Pegasus and R P S M which runs through blocks fixed the the rear of the top not blocks around the lower mast. The rest of the braces other than those from the mizzen rigged to the gaff have also been added.







 

Braces
The braces were rigged next the fore main braces were rigged as per Pegasus and R P S M which runs through blocks fixed the the rear of the top not blocks around the lower mast. The rest of the braces other than those from the mizzen rigged to the gaff have also been added.







 

Braces
The braces were rigged next the fore main braces were rigged as per Pegasus and R P S M which runs through blocks fixed the the rear of the top not blocks around the lower mast. The rest of the braces other than those from the mizzen rigged to the gaff have also been added.







 

Lower stun sail booms
One other outstanding job was to make and add the lower stun sail booms, the plans and instructions are rather sketchy on these, so a look at the box photos sorted out the main mast ones,but it does not show them fitted to the fore mast but they must have been fitted and a look in R P S M shows them hooked into the hull,the kit supplies enough brackets for four booms so I just lined up the fore mast ones with the yard, and added them the same as the main mast one.

Braces
The braces were rigged next the fore main braces were rigged as per Pegasus and R P S M which runs through blocks fixed the the rear of the top not blocks around the lower mast. The rest of the braces other than those from the mizzen rigged to the gaff have also been added.







 

Braces
The braces were rigged next the fore main braces were rigged as per Pegasus and R P S M which runs through blocks fixed the the rear of the top not blocks around the lower mast. The rest of the braces other than those from the mizzen rigged to the gaff have also been added.







 

Braces
The braces were rigged next the fore main braces were rigged as per Pegasus and R P S M which runs through blocks fixed the the rear of the top not blocks around the lower mast. The rest of the braces other than those from the mizzen rigged to the gaff have also been added.







 

Secondary Conning Station
 
The first detail added to the DASH hanger is the secondary conn, where the ship could be controlled in the event the bridge was damaged. Usually located well away from the bridge and outside for good visibility, the secondary conn had minimal equipment.
 
I started by making the windscreen. The blueprints show it as a section of railing with a canvas covering. Bending a piece of PE railing was easy. I planned to make the canvas covering using some tissue paper wetted with diluted white glue so that I could get the “ribbed” effect seen on canvas wind screens.

I was out of Elmer’s glue so I found some similar stuff that my wife has on hand for crafting. While brushing the glue onto the railing I was surprised at how well it formed a thin screen between the PE sections so I decided to let it dry and just paint that. I was further surprised that when it dried it was crystal clear so it looks like I have found a new glazing material to use on windows (in this photo it looks a little cloudy - it was not completely dry yet).

 
Here’s the painted screen along with the equipment that will make up the secondary conn: Kit-provided magnetic compass binnacle (shortened somewhat to bring it to scale), a gimbal mounted gyro repeater, S/P phone panel, and a set of repeaters for things like shaft RPM, rudder angle indicator, etc. After test fitting this last piece I decided it was too big and redid it in styrene instead of wood.

Here’s the finished product mounted on top of the DASH hanger:

FWD01 Level Details
 
The primary scratch details remaining for the 01 level are the two antenna stub masts. Both serve as the anchor points for the bottom of 3-wire HF fan antennas and the port one also has a UHF stovepipe antenna mounted on it:


 
The stub mast had ladder rungs on them for maintenance of the antennas, fortunately Gold Medal Models’ 1/192 ladder fret has individual handgrip rungs along with a nice template for drilling their holes:

 Trying to drill 2 sets of holes on a piece of 1/16” styrene rod was beyond my capabilities so I just used the template to mark their locations. Here’s the finished 01 level with the stub masts, line reels, 5/38 Practice Loading Machine, MK32 Torpedo Tubes, and the section of “pipe railing” (for lack of a better term) outboard of the fueling connections, used to keep the refueling hose from chaffing on the sharp deck edge:



Next up will be detailing the DASH hanger.
 

Hi David
              Nice to see your start of the kit. It should have cannon ball in it, and yes the deck planks are rubbish and so is the dowel, I replaced both, the only kit dowel used was on the lower masts the rest was replaced with walnut, some castings needed some work, I did find Jotica replaced some poor items and some castings missing without any trouble. Look forward to Diana`s progress, two and a half two three years is a reasonable build time I will be in that time frame myself most rigging done now.

Lower stun sail booms
One other outstanding job was to make and add the lower stun sail booms, the plans and instructions are rather sketchy on these, so a look at the box photos sorted out the main mast ones,but it does not show them fitted to the fore mast but they must have been fitted and a look in R P S M shows them hooked into the hull,the kit supplies enough brackets for four booms so I just lined up the fore mast ones with the yard, and added them the same as the main mast one.

Spritsail Yard
I decided the next job would be to fit and rig the spritsail yard,this has now been completed with photos below. My next job will be to add the fore ,main and mizzen braces, again leaving the gaffs and the the tac sheets for access, also at some point soon I will make up the ships boats,most likely after the braces.










 

Ahoy, me hearties.
 
I'm just starting this log a little after the event but too far. Any suggestions or criticism welcome.
 
I'm spreading my self a little thin as I'm also doing a 1/130 & 1/350 Cutty Sark at the same time as this so progress my be patchy. But they will all be finished. Eventually.
 
When I first bid on this "vintage" model on eBay. It was simply for a chance to try building a wooden boat. As I've always stuck to plastic kits in the past. But as an ex cabinetmaker I though it was about time to take the plunge.
 
When I got the winning bid I began to do a little research. Only to discover that this small working boat which was bought by OCL way back when. Was the very same boat I spent a day sailing up and down the Thames way back when OCL had just bought her/him. Back even befor there were a comforts just long benches and wooden tables. But that day has sat in my mind all these years, 40 ish that is.
 
And to find I've been a victim serendipity thrills my inner child with great pleasure. Like I said having been a wooden top for too many years I'm hoping to leave her with as much wood showing as possible. Which considering she's built of steel is fine by me. As she will still be the same memory for me but why try to hide the wood. Let the beauty of nature shine is my hope and feeling. But time will tell.
 
Sadly there are no instructions for this model. I don't know if there ever were. As the new laser cut version varies in several details. But I've got the plans, the knowledge of wood, and a stubborn streak a mile wide. So I'll end this part of my journey with a picture or two of her as she was yesterday, on arrival.
 


 
And how we stand this afternoon
 

 
So I'm going to set sail for now and add to the captains log soon.

I started work on the hull plates today using 5mm wide paper strips that represents a scale widthe of between 5 and 6 feet, i am spacing them with an equal gap and started from the keel plate and working towards the torpedo bulge, on the kit there are two graved lines for and aft that i assume represent the finish of the plates.
I diluted a mix of PVA glue and stuck them down with this applying a smear over them to lock them in abit, when dry i hope to sand them lightly to blend the whols thing in.
 
Here is just the two pctures.
 
OC.

Greetings,
 
I was able to get some more time in at the bench today which is always a good thing, because the prospect isn't too good this coming week.  I finished mounting all the windows, mast, mast supports to the Day Cabin.  The yard was glues to the mast along with the cleats on each side at the mast base.   
 
The Day Cabin hatch, non-skid, speed wrench and boat hook will be installed after a coat of primer has been applied, which will be at the mercy or the weatherman.  I still have to attach the blocks at each end of the yard then thread the flag halyards through each.
 

 

 
Cheers, Tim

Hi Ray,
Thanks for checking in. Building the Diana has always been on my dream list, just don't have the room for the finished build and its case.
 A Hunt DD should be a great build, they were amazing ships. I can't recommend too highly the Waterline Warships book I referred to in one of my early posts, wonderful ideas on how to detail a DD (HMS Caesar) , even more relevant for a Hunt than a FRAM. Hope you start a build log when you start that one.
Tim

FWD Replenishment at Sea Kingpost & catwalk
 
The FRAMs had a short portable king post that could be rigged forward of the bridge, either port or starboard. Here’s a shot of it on the Basilone. 

And here is one in use on another FRAM:

Although it does not look very robust it did not need to be since both the high line and the in-haul lines were hand-tended. When it was not in use it, and its braces were stowed in a rack on the front edge of a catwalk that was used to rig it.
 
Before putting in the catwalk I scratched some lockers that were used for the 5” Practice Loader that will be installed on the 01 level later:

Here’s the various parts after being made from styrene:

Here’s everything assembled on the model:

Next up will be more detailing of the forward 01 level. 

Lower stun sail booms
One other outstanding job was to make and add the lower stun sail booms, the plans and instructions are rather sketchy on these, so a look at the box photos sorted out the main mast ones,but it does not show them fitted to the fore mast but they must have been fitted and a look in R P S M shows them hooked into the hull,the kit supplies enough brackets for four booms so I just lined up the fore mast ones with the yard, and added them the same as the main mast one.

Lower stun sail booms
One other outstanding job was to make and add the lower stun sail booms, the plans and instructions are rather sketchy on these, so a look at the box photos sorted out the main mast ones,but it does not show them fitted to the fore mast but they must have been fitted and a look in R P S M shows them hooked into the hull,the kit supplies enough brackets for four booms so I just lined up the fore mast ones with the yard, and added them the same as the main mast one.

Substituting the Caldercraft carronades turned out to be not one of my best ideas.  Things were going along nicely until I dry fitted one to the stern-most 'gunport' under the side railing. It didn't fit; it was too high. (The others were fine.)  After much playing around, and a certain amount  of muttering about plots against me, there were only two alternatives. Use the Amati all-metal carronades with their drawbacks; or use the slightly smaller Amati barrels on the Caldercraft bases with some adjustments where necessary.  After more muttering, I opted for the latter, though with some trepidation.  This required drilling 1mm holes in the bottom of the barrels to accommodate the Caldercraft method of mounting them.
 
The first photo shows the relative sizes of the barrels.
 

 
Here is one of the holes drilled.  At this stage no touching up had been done, nor in any of the subsequent photos.
 

 
The Caldercraft mounting.
 

 
The composite dry fitted.  For the last port on each side the bases of the carronades also had the be sanded back to further lower the carronade to give easy clearance.  None of this is noticeable. In all it has turned out quite well, though a bit heart-stopping, and I think the result has been worth it.  But I certainly wouldn't recommend it, and none of this would have been necessary for the other two ports.

Lower stun sail booms
One other outstanding job was to make and add the lower stun sail booms, the plans and instructions are rather sketchy on these, so a look at the box photos sorted out the main mast ones,but it does not show them fitted to the fore mast but they must have been fitted and a look in R P S M shows them hooked into the hull,the kit supplies enough brackets for four booms so I just lined up the fore mast ones with the yard, and added them the same as the main mast one.

Lower stun sail booms
One other outstanding job was to make and add the lower stun sail booms, the plans and instructions are rather sketchy on these, so a look at the box photos sorted out the main mast ones,but it does not show them fitted to the fore mast but they must have been fitted and a look in R P S M shows them hooked into the hull,the kit supplies enough brackets for four booms so I just lined up the fore mast ones with the yard, and added them the same as the main mast one.

Lower stun sail booms
One other outstanding job was to make and add the lower stun sail booms, the plans and instructions are rather sketchy on these, so a look at the box photos sorted out the main mast ones,but it does not show them fitted to the fore mast but they must have been fitted and a look in R P S M shows them hooked into the hull,the kit supplies enough brackets for four booms so I just lined up the fore mast ones with the yard, and added them the same as the main mast one.

Lower stun sail booms
One other outstanding job was to make and add the lower stun sail booms, the plans and instructions are rather sketchy on these, so a look at the box photos sorted out the main mast ones,but it does not show them fitted to the fore mast but they must have been fitted and a look in R P S M shows them hooked into the hull,the kit supplies enough brackets for four booms so I just lined up the fore mast ones with the yard, and added them the same as the main mast one.