ChrisLBren

Thanks guys - your compliments are giving me some motivation to get back in the shop this weekend.  Work and the babies are making it really tough right now.  I can see the finish line - if i can just steal an hour here or there it should help me to get some momentum going again.  

Hi Mike,
 
Kit bashing to me always sounds way more difficult than just buying a scroll saw, quality wood, source whatever fittings you need (from Chuck for instance), and doing it yourself with solid plans (smile).  Look forward to watching your progress !
Chris

Hi Keith
I have never seen the frame joints highlighted on modern or contemporary models.Many original Admiralty models didn't have built up frames like the original ship,just as many didn't have detailed interiors.There are a lot of original construction details omitted from many of these models.The main aim was to convince the Admiralty they wanted your design.Accurate representation of the hull construction was unnecessary as this would follow the stardard practice of the time.This was also the case with masting and rigging which is why the models were presented unmasted Many of the pics you see now of these models have had masting and rigging added at a later date,which was done at the request of the private owner of the model.
To 'highlight' these joints,off course is entirely a personal choice.If you were to enter into a competition I feel your model may be marked down as a result,but of course you are at the mercy of the judges on the day so who knows.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Work is slowly progressing on the port side.As I have proved everything on the starboard side,this acts as a template for the port side.This has enabled me to fit the gunport frames earlier in the process to make it easier to shape the internal profile.The handy thing with the gunport design is that tweaks are easy.Some of the holes for the linings have been adjusted and boxwood veneer shims used to ensure perfect alignment when sighting down the side of the hull.I have also been able to fit the lower counter side timber earlier than before.The rather random looking pear blocks at the bow are for shaping to match the other side.The are placed to ensure adequate material to carve the shape out of.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

I have started a job on the side that will run in conjunction with the main construction work.This is that of the figurehead.There are differences between museum model and the kit.The main one being there are two 'characters' behind the lion.I say characters because I am still uncertain as to what they are They remind me very much of the 'purple' thingy on Matti's Vasa build .However these affect the shape of the prow considerably and I will need to produce this trio of carvings to be able to determine the prow shape.
Some good news is that the museum model's Lion is tailless unlike the one on the kit plans and it is not clutching an emblem also shown on the plans.It is a nice change that research actually simplifies a design .Anyway I chose to take a copy of the Lion shown on the plans and use this,just omit tail and emblem,as it will be far more convincing than my freehand drawing attempts.The copy was glued onto a piece of European box of suitable thickness.
I first milled the slot for the prow,but leaving a small section at the feet.This will be removed later when the bulk of the shaping is done,it simply serves to keep a little strength for now while the rough work is done.The profile was cut using a combination of the miller,large scalpel and burrs.The result in the pics is from about 8 hours work!!.
The very thin wafer at the mouth will hopefully be the tongue when finished
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Not much to show for last weekend's work.  The garden has taken over most of my free time.  I have completed the upper deck hatches and ladderway.  The head ledges are bolted to the deck and the coamings are treenailed.  Even though I used a light colored wood for the treenails (bamboo) they are barely visible.  The nails securing the grating battens to the ledges were made by making a dimple with the point of a compass and then highlighting it with pencil. I scribed the main hatch cover to simulate a three piece cover.Openings have been cut into the aft hatch cover to accommodate the main jeer bitt pin. This will not be installed until I am ready to work on the quarter deck beams to prevent damage.
 

 

 

Hi Pat,
 
I've done a lot of reconsidering and re-thinking things.  This thing is still evolving as just when I see an answer, I find two more questions lying in wait.  I'm sticking with his basic method and add some things here and there to make life easier in my mind.  For example, in his builds, he cuts apart the plan view and traces the gunports, deck clamps, etc on to the frames.  I'm going with reference marks and tabs on the frames.  Just a different approach, I think.

In my last update, I had made and fitted, but not installed, the main jeer bitts. They are now mounted. I have also made and mounted the main topsail sheet bitts. The other new items are the forward cranks for the chain pumps and their supports. As with the other deck fittings, the wood parts are boxwood . The cranks are blackened brass wire and the belaying pins in the bitts are blackened brass parts. As with the aft cranks, I chose to simplify them by merely bending the wire, rather than attempting a multi part assembly at this scale.
 
I'm now working on the next batch of guns.
 
Bob

Thanks Brian - big fan of your work and all of your posts here helping out.  
 
A friend of mine who is an architect blew up the plans of LGV to 1/36 to give me an idea of size - right around a 43 inch hull which is doable.  My passion is French Naval Architecture after reading Boudriot's 74 Gun Ship series.  As much as I love the idea of building L'Orient - she will be over 63 inches at 1/48 which just doesn't work for my space considerations.  I could shrink the plans to 1/64 and she is doable - but I don't want to build full frame anything smaller than 1/48 so she would have to be POB.  
 
So ( I could change my mind yet again) - but I want to build full frame so my next project will be LGV at 1/36.  At this scale you have so much room for detailing and sculptures are easier to realize.   She has an interesting history in connection with Western Australia and has elegant lines.  The 74 awaits in the wings if I ever finish this one !
 
As far as approach - it will either be exclusively pear wood (Belgian School) or i will use boxwood for sculptures as I do have some good English boxwood stashed.  No dying pear to resemble ebony, no simulated caulking, but all fastenings and joinery will be executed.  As far as finish - i want to explore some options - pure tung oil worked really well on Confederacy - but does involve buffing - which could be a nightmare on a full frame build with all of its nooks and crannies.  I may need to look into wax as a possible alternative.  Some of the French Modelers use old fashioned shellac which was used on the original museum models - very tricky in its application.  
 
More photos on Confederacy later this week,
Chris

I'm still working and not just daydreaming about my next project.  Chesstree installed - bit of glare as the tung oil dries - hoping to tackle the fenders and ladders next

I'm still working and not just daydreaming about my next project.  Chesstree installed - bit of glare as the tung oil dries - hoping to tackle the fenders and ladders next

Hi All. Well the infamous "set up"   has been completed and I finally got my lazy
butt in gear and took some pictures of the finished bomb vessel.  
 
It has been a great "little" project that I had a lot of fun with. I hope you enjoyed it too.
 
Thank you for all your comments and likes. It means more than I can express.  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

I have completed the basic 'inner' hull structure to the starboard side.As I am waiting for a timber delivery I thought I may as weel sort out the lower gunport linings.After studying Euromodels drawings and also pics of the builders model,it became apparent there were differences not just in the position of gunports but also the height  and shape of the top of the hull sides.Because I want to reflect the design of the NMM model I would have to address these areas.The most notable fact is there is a gunport right forward on the museum model that is missing on Euromodels representation.Looking at the design you would probably only get a musket in there,but it is there nevertheless.Also the stern galleries are very different and you will notice the gunports are close up to this.This basically meant starting from scratch and the bulk of the ports were moved aft slightly.An additional port would then fit in at the beakhead,but also the first and last port on the main gun deck are spaced differently.My revised design reflects this. 
There is a three page article in John Franklin's book covering the builder's model which gives the exact gunport sizes and wale scantlings and spacings.The Euromodel kit design shows upper wales that are too small in comparison.In order to get things to work the top edge of the hull has been increased in height to compensate for this.You will notice the additional pear laminations on the top edge,the bulkheads are too short to run to the top.The lower of the pear strips has been 'dowelled' with 0.7mm copper wire into every pear upright.This has resulted in an incredibly strong hull wall even before planking.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Perfectly built model without any "simulated" caulking.  
 
http://5500.forumactif.org/t671-modele-le-gros-ventre-au-1-36-par-gbesson

Another small, but tedious, step forward. The next batch of guns have been made up, mounted and rigged. I also added some more deck ringbolts. As with the prior gun batches, these were done with the kit barrels, modified Lumberyard carriage kits and blocks and rigging line from Chuck. I have one last batch of 8 guns left to do, but these will wait for a while.
 
Next up will be work on the pumps and the bitts for the main mast, as well as the remaining framing for the quarterdeck. I'm also working on the sizing of the various rigging lines, so that I can add the lines that need to be belayed before their attachment points become inaccessible because of the deck framing.
 
Bob

Fun discussion Nigel - but maybe I'm off here in understanding conversions - 1/32 is 1.5 times larger than @1/48 and 1/24 is 2 times larger than @ 1/48.  1/36 is 1.33 which just seems odd....

Thanks Dirk.
 
Hi Ben, Yep I'll probably be able to start laying some planks after I get back from the CT conference.
 
The first step in chapter 4 is to plank the lower counter. I used boxwood strips for this.
The method Chuck describes has the planks wet in water for about 15-20 seconds and
then edge bent and clamped. I probably soaked them for about 45 seconds. A hair dyer
was purloined from the admiral and using the hottest setting the planks were dried. Once
they cooled they were removed from the clamps and there was little spring back.
 

 
Here is the counter planked. The outer edges still need to be faired.
 

I've seen this gorgeous model Nigel - thanks for sharing !  As you've mentioned - its up to the builder to determine his/her own style.  On my Confederacy build I completely borrowed/stole Frolich's approach.  When I get to my next build - Im hoping to create my own style.  I do know this - I'm going to scale up - either 1/36 or 1/32 (which again seriously wondering why I haven't seen a ship depicted in 1/32 scale)

How about no caulking ?  Most classic museum models do not depict it - this is more or less a recent addition in ship modeling.
Chris

How about no caulking ?  Most classic museum models do not depict it - this is more or less a recent addition in ship modeling.
Chris

How about no caulking ?  Most classic museum models do not depict it - this is more or less a recent addition in ship modeling.
Chris

Jeff Hayes at HobbyMill has provided me some of the best service and product in my 20 +  years as a sales person period. Communication has never been an issue and follow up has been first rate. 
Chris

Thanks Brian - big fan of your work and all of your posts here helping out.  
 
A friend of mine who is an architect blew up the plans of LGV to 1/36 to give me an idea of size - right around a 43 inch hull which is doable.  My passion is French Naval Architecture after reading Boudriot's 74 Gun Ship series.  As much as I love the idea of building L'Orient - she will be over 63 inches at 1/48 which just doesn't work for my space considerations.  I could shrink the plans to 1/64 and she is doable - but I don't want to build full frame anything smaller than 1/48 so she would have to be POB.  
 
So ( I could change my mind yet again) - but I want to build full frame so my next project will be LGV at 1/36.  At this scale you have so much room for detailing and sculptures are easier to realize.   She has an interesting history in connection with Western Australia and has elegant lines.  The 74 awaits in the wings if I ever finish this one !
 
As far as approach - it will either be exclusively pear wood (Belgian School) or i will use boxwood for sculptures as I do have some good English boxwood stashed.  No dying pear to resemble ebony, no simulated caulking, but all fastenings and joinery will be executed.  As far as finish - i want to explore some options - pure tung oil worked really well on Confederacy - but does involve buffing - which could be a nightmare on a full frame build with all of its nooks and crannies.  I may need to look into wax as a possible alternative.  Some of the French Modelers use old fashioned shellac which was used on the original museum models - very tricky in its application.  
 
More photos on Confederacy later this week,
Chris

Thanks Brian - big fan of your work and all of your posts here helping out.  
 
A friend of mine who is an architect blew up the plans of LGV to 1/36 to give me an idea of size - right around a 43 inch hull which is doable.  My passion is French Naval Architecture after reading Boudriot's 74 Gun Ship series.  As much as I love the idea of building L'Orient - she will be over 63 inches at 1/48 which just doesn't work for my space considerations.  I could shrink the plans to 1/64 and she is doable - but I don't want to build full frame anything smaller than 1/48 so she would have to be POB.  
 
So ( I could change my mind yet again) - but I want to build full frame so my next project will be LGV at 1/36.  At this scale you have so much room for detailing and sculptures are easier to realize.   She has an interesting history in connection with Western Australia and has elegant lines.  The 74 awaits in the wings if I ever finish this one !
 
As far as approach - it will either be exclusively pear wood (Belgian School) or i will use boxwood for sculptures as I do have some good English boxwood stashed.  No dying pear to resemble ebony, no simulated caulking, but all fastenings and joinery will be executed.  As far as finish - i want to explore some options - pure tung oil worked really well on Confederacy - but does involve buffing - which could be a nightmare on a full frame build with all of its nooks and crannies.  I may need to look into wax as a possible alternative.  Some of the French Modelers use old fashioned shellac which was used on the original museum models - very tricky in its application.  
 
More photos on Confederacy later this week,
Chris

Thank you to everyone who has supported and recommended my products.  As with most things there are two sides to each discussion and our past experiences guide our decisions going forward.
 
My experience with PayPal has not been positive and I've always felt that their security had serious deficiencies.  In the past this was underscored by the fact that within minutes of receiving any correspondence from them, I would receive spam from all over the world.  Yes, I've been a long time member and my information was hacked in one of their documented attacks a number of years ago.
 
About two years ago I experienced an identity theft issue that was traced directly back to their security.  As a future preventative measure I discussed this with a couple of my banks and they explained that a high percentage of their identity theft issues were related to PayPal transactions.
 
So as a business and personal decision I do not plan to offer their services.  My perspective is that it would seem illogical for me to reward a business who harmed me and from a personal basis why would I ever want to jeopardize my financial status over a hobby.
 
I realize that some customers may find this difficult to understand, but I look at HobbyMill as a service to this hobby in much of the same way that the moderators offer their service to this website.  It is a break even business where I perform all of the tasks with the single objective of improving the quality of wood products offered to this hobby.  In other words, if I were to shut it down today, it would not have any financial impact on me and I would have a lot of time to spend on my own modeling.
 
I may have my own illusions about this, but I believe that through MSW and my efforts some of the builders in this community have begun to raise their expectations on the quality of milled wood products and services.  My business has grown a lot over the years and I would welcome other suppliers to the community who are willing to provide similar or better quality products, because that would support the objective with which HobbyMill was founded.  Over the years I have advised a number of customers on how to mill their own wood.  I have also added the section on my website covering operation of the Byrnes saw with the intention of assisting customers to improve their own milling quality.  So again, if there are other parties interested in offering top quality wood, I would be happy to assist them because I feel that it is a win for everyone.
 
This thread has been centered on some of my policies and some customers who would prefer me to change those policies.  I realize that some customers may not agree with them, but hopefully this response will provide some insight into my thinking and at least serve to rationalize that they are not arbitrary.  If it were focused on the quality of my product, then I assure you that I would take a different approach.
 
As a home based business my wife is very tolerant of the dust and noise created from milling wood, not to mention the 2 hours each day working on e-mails.  One other policy that has not been brought up is that you will not find my telephone number listed anywhere.  After giving my number out to a few customers, my wife started to become my secretary because I am always in the shop.  My wife didn't appreciate being my secretary and then the calls started to come in at all hours of the night.  So keeping peace at home and getting sleep is the rationale behind e-mail only communications.
 
Another policy is that I do not sell within the state of Ohio to avoid dealing with collecting and filing state income tax.  I do all of the tax filings for the business so I try to minimize this because most of the time the filings would just be zeros.  At one time I would just give the wood to Ohio customers and request that they make a charitable donation to their favorite charity.  That was pretty goofy and it only lasted a few years.
 
My payment policy has always been that I request payment in advance for first time US customers and thereafter I include an invoice.  International customers I always request payment in advance and this is as much as insuring that I'm getting paid in US dollars as it is a credit issue.  All of this has always been on my website.  I realize that my lead times have started to stretch way out, but I try my best to advise my customers of anticipated delivery.  I've only missed one delivery and I sent, unsolicited, a full refund to that customer.  The customer felt that was "over the top" and declined the refund.
 
So here comes Keith.  He asked some good questions on one of Chuck's designed kits, so I contacted Chuck because he designed the Pinnace supplemental wood package that I offer.  Chuck did a good job, as always, explaining some of the issues and we both advised Keith that it would be impractical to implement the modifications that Keith was thinking about and also that the prototype was built using Chuck's original design method.
 
In the interim and at that time I was trying to plan a new batch of Pinnace packages.  Also I had announced both on my website and to Keith what the anticipated lead time would be on the new batch of packages.   I had an announced shutdown coming up and I have other customers who have paid and I've promised them delivery on their orders as well as other repeat customers.  Keith still hasn't placed an order after more than 2 months of communication for a standard package and he is asking about the lead time for a custom package or a standard one with supplemental wood, but he never gives me the details.
 
I did advise Keith that his lead time is dependent upon when I receive an order, what the details of the order would be, and I pointed out the pending shutdown and that his order was rapidly approaching the bubble as to if it would be milled before or after the shutdown.  I also reminded him about the payment policy for new customers.  Keith's response is a rather long rant indicating that my payment in advance policy with an extended lead time was unreasonable.  From my perspective, I had asked an received advanced payment from other first time customers, so waiving this for Keith did not seem fair to my other customers.  Also this is the only time that I've ever received such a response from a customer.   My conclusion was that I didn't feel that it was fair to other customers to create an exception and even though I had invested a fair amount of time to assist Keith, he was never going to be satisfied with my service.  I guess that I could have deliberately lied about his lead time, but that is just not me and also he never provided final details on the order.  As an aside, outside of the policies listed above I have only declined orders from one other person.
 
In the end, it appears that Keith found a source that he is happy with, so all is well in the end as that was my objective from the start.
 
Life is too short and this customer/supplier relationship was just not meant to be.  I wish Keith continued success and enjoyment with this hobby.
 
I rarely post on such matters because they do not add value, but perhaps some readers will have acquired some insight into HobbyMill, it's policies, and my thoughts.  Hopefully they seem logical and reasonable to most readers.
 
Sorry for being way too winded and thanks again for the support!
 
Jeff Hayes
HobbyMill