Chasseur

Fig-127 The angles brackets. rings and fittings are all fabricated from stock brass, and soft soldered in place to complete the single unit.  This was then dropped into the hole between the Frames, from where the original sample came out and soft solider in it’s  final resting place.  Jock the Riveter is useful to have around, to keep the scale of things in view at all times.

Fig-126 The main hatch I originally made up from brass sheet and angle, to the shape and size indicated on the original Ships Plans of 1878  - It was only later that I realised that this was not supposed to be a scale drawing of what was actually fitted, but more a symbolic  indication of the size and the placing of the Hatch.  For actual detail I used photo and data of the hatch as it is today, as I feel that it is most probably the original one.  The rectangle shown here of fine sheet brass, being silver soldered together to form the sides of the new Main Hatch.

Fig-125 The now completed Hull centre section, ready for fitting out, but shown here along side the original Half Model,  with the relevant Half Frames removed.

I appreciate that very much Popeye....effective looking sails can be some of the hardest things to replicate...and keeping the web of rigging that controls them is just as critical.
Now I'm back at the beginning stages again of yard fabrication and rigging for the mainmast.  Much of what I learned along the way of fabricating the foremast will truly expedite this next masts construction.
Foot ropes, stirrups, and eye bolts will all be added prior to install.
I'll be off work for 11 days during the holidays so I hope to get loads of work done.
 
Thanks again for your fine comments and compliments.
 
Rob

wow Rob.....that fore mast looks awesome!  the sails look great and the rigging is mind blowing !   such a beautiful job   

Now that the yards are all sized...I will begin by starting from the top(disregard the main yards progress...it was done out of sequence), first by rigging the royal yard and mounting it first, then the topgallant, and so forth and so on.......
 
 I lurnt some things...and this time.....I will fully rig the yards prior to mounting.  I hope to expedite the main from experience I gathered from the previous mast.
 
Rob

I then decided to make the main yards....so I fashioned them and then decided to make the main yard...with its foot ropes and stirrups.
This one has all the pad eyes installed...even the sheet chain guide and truss.
 
Rob

This would be a prudent move.....I agree.  However, I think I will not add the backstays until I first add some of the main stays.  I want them installed inboard before I do outboard work.  It will be some doing, but I agree.
 
I opted to not do the stays tonight, but rather focus on making eye bolts for the many block connections that will be taking place on the masts as well as the yards.
But first I chose to make a new tool to make this process move along much quicker. 
So I fashioned a hoop for my hand  drill...make a collet to fit it because the stainless steel hoop wire was far to small for the drill vice.
Once done I was able to knock out several dozen in no time.
 
Here are a few pix of the job...one with a finished padeye on it....another showing the tool and still another showing the beginning process as I first begin to twist the eye(this one is not finished)
 
Rob

getting caught up with your progress Michael is always a treat!  you have amazing metal skills      rigging looks great!

Love all of the little details especially on the sails!
Keep it coming Rob.

Hi Michael,
yes I would like to try and find some time for another visit. Right now tied up with work and professional studies in the evening. I have 2 weeks off at Christmas to catch up with family, work on HMS Wivern ship in bottle and eventually get back to the Preussen SIB. I’ll PM you closer to the 25th.
 
As always outstanding work and nice fix to the dead bar and consultants. There was never a doubt in my mind that you wouldn’t resolve the problem.
Jeff

Just caught up to this. Hope you and Judy are well. Now that the beast is it of your Man Cave it looks like you  ‘all of a sudden’ have tons of space. Thanks again for the tour of your shop, the shim stock, and I look forward to the completion of the cutter. As always top notch workmanship!
Jeff

Fine work mark,  reminds me of my Agostini Vic build on here before the site problem  - this was my ships barge I had built.
 
OC.

I'm back with you Mark.  Just take care of yourself.  Nice work on the boat.
 
Cheers,

that would be taking a giant step into the dark side.   I've used Billings plans for the Andrea Gail.  I'd never sell her.  recently,  I learned how to resize the parts panel diagrams in the back of the instructions,  and capture it using the snipping tool.   this will be very useful for models that I'd like to do in a larger scale than presented in the kit...I have two of them in mind.

just caught up Mark, lol i was about 30 pages behind, lovely work, i think i was more upset than you when you restarted this build

Hi Michael
 
Your response made me smile from ear to ear!  At least you made it as a 'back up for the soccer team".  I, on the other hand, was always the LAST to be picked for any sporting team☹️.  And, to make it worse, I was never allowed to sing out loud when we had to sing hymns at school because my voice was flat.  I was told that I had to mime the words, instead!!!!!  I still haven't gotten over the humiliation....
 
Oh well.
 
Cheers
 
Patrick

I gather in the part of the World I am currently living in, the 'golden' would be pronounced something like 'do-raad', with a short, open 'o'.
 
BTW, why are these vents collade 'dorade-vents' ? Haven't heard this term before.

Perhaps an odd question: is dorade pronounced "door-aid" or "door-arde"?

Amazing work on the ventilation cowls, Michael! I'd never have thought it possible if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, and in brass, too.
 
Side-mount half-cowls were once rather common on power boats in the US. The "step" at the bottom of the doghouse here seems as if it would allow for a Dorade box-type drain arrangement with the outlet below the cowl about an inch above the deck on the side of the "step" on the prototype, assuming a drain could be run from inboard.  I've never seen them installed in pairs on the same side, which I expect in this prototype was in recognition of the fact that they don't work very well.   They are only half the capacity of a full cowl, so that's half the air flow. Because they are up against the cabin sides, the air flow is further limited. Finally, as the air circulation on a boat of this type is from forward aft, they aren't in a position to contribute much when placed well aft, especially next to a hatch that is frequently open anyway, although when closed up, they would allow some air to exit the saloon. This isn't any criticism of the model, mind you. Just observations about what is now a somewhat rarely encountered fitting.
 
I've seen similar brass fittings, e.g., bells and binnacles, gold plated to good effect. The result is a model that looks like it's brass is kept polished. If you know a dentist or somebody who works in a dental lab, they may be able to do it for you inexpensively. It's a simple process, as you probably know. It only takes a microns-thing coating.
 
Your photos are much appreciated. Before these, I would never have considered making cowl ventilators any way other than by casting or electro-plating a wax plug painted with metallic paint. Either method has significant difficulties and limitations. I expect if one were of a mind to do so, the flanges of two halves as here could be silver soldered together and the excess filed off to yield a full cowl. I vaguely anticipate that making a few of those may well be in my future. Outstanding work! 

Hi Michael
 
Mmmmm....let me see.  I bet that you were one of those kids at school that were gifted and talented at just everything you turned your hands to.  You know, the sort that mere mortals like me just looked at with fits of envy and jealousy.
 
Why am I saying this?  Well, there’s no other way that I can adequately express my admiration for your mastery of this model.  Everything that you’ve done just looks sensational!
 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
 
Patrick
 

Lovely work Michael and I'm back watching and learning again.
 
Cheers,

Hi Druxey, I thing that because the shape is not to difficult and the fact that the shim stock was only .008" might be the reason. Now I am wondering about thin copper stock and who supplies it. I have lots of it in the 16g and up size but not much saller other than the wire I ran through the rollers to form small strip.
Eberhard The only drawback to the cell-cast that I encountered when i was building Architectural Models for a living was the variation in the thickness of the cast material. We got into the habit of sorting the cut 8'x4' sheets into thick and thin 1/8th or 1/4 and 1/16. The 1/16 came in smaller sheets, once this was done it helped with the assembles when cutting multiple parts because the parts would be more consistent.
 
Michael

Wonderful metallurgy.........Michael.
 
It just keeps getting better, every time I look in....love it.
 
Rob

Copper is certainly more ductile than brass, which is why I was surprised at the limited number of annealings that you did to achieve the shape.