Blue Ensign

Looks a good result Jason, those pre- drilled bowsprit caps are a pain because as you say the cap should be in a vertical plane when viewed from the side and the hole for the jibboom needs to be angled to suit the stive of the bowsprit. To make it so the hole becomes too big.

An additional problem on Pegasus was that there was no provision on the starboard side to take the Jack staff; I got around the problem by scratching a new cap and fixing angled inserts in the vice to give the correct stive for the hole before drilling.

Enjoy your trip back home.

Cheers,

B.E.

Hi Revier, thank you.

The model has a plastic cover over it that fits inside the rim of the base.

At 1:150 scale that is the only way to keep it clean. The good news is that with the small scale the overall case size is not too obtrusive.

Cheers,

B.E.

Looking good Bob, I'm pleased you like the lathe, feel partly responsible for pushing you down that road.

Not hinting or anything  but the Proxxon Mill is great for squaring the heads out of dowel for the lower masts where the rest of the length is a slightly tapering round.

Not so relevant for the topmasts where starting with square stock is the better option.

Cheers,

B.E.

Very nice job on the carronade Jason

B.E.

This question  pops up from time to time, I think I answered  a similar question not so long ago, but I can't recall where now, possibly lost in build log.

This is what LG Carr-Laughton has to say in his book Old Ships Figureheads and Sterns.

Red was from very early the regulation colour for inboard works, but during the French Revolutionary war it began to give way to yellow; and indeed other colours seemed to have been used ocasionally, for in the Thalia frigate in 1797 they painted the Quarterdeck and Foc'sle blue.

It appears that in 1801, red being still the regulation colour both for the sides inboard and for gun carriages, the crews of ships were in the habit of repainting the gun carriages yellow when they received them from the officers of the Ordnance; and this implies that the inboard works were also yellow, of which there is other evidence.

In August 1807, the Navy Board instructed the dockyard officers to paint the decks (by which it is meant the sides and the deck fittings, not the flat of the decks) yellow when requested to do so by Captains. Light yellow was usually chosen.

It is likely that both at the Nile and Trafalgar most ships were yellow inboard, tho' probably a steadily decreasing number still kept to the old red.

This looks like a case of Navy board Regulation catching up with accepted practice.

Diana had a fairly long career so probably had both red and yellow inboard works, tho' I hasten to add not at the same time, that would look appalling and not at all in keeping with Georgian aesthetics.

B.E.

Your joinery is a joy to behold Gary, and that capstan is a fine piece of work.

Regards,

B.E.

She looks absolutely wonderful Christian, if I was building Diana I would want her to turn out just like yours.

Re the Figurehead, I also preferred  a natural wood look on Pegasus, and used artists oils to achieve the result I wanted.

Regards,

B.E.

Looking good in the photo Andy, I have been concerned that serving the shroud would make it look too bulky in relation to the others. What size thread did you use in realtion to the given scale diameter of the shroud?

B.E.

I agree with Augie JP, a natural finish would set her off a treat

B.E.

Looking good hamilton you're certainly making her special. Love the kevels, I know they are tricky little beasts to make.

B..E

Very nice work Ray, she is looking splendid, I'm impressed by your T&B deck planking, well done.

B.E.

Hi Martin re the thimbles; in the past I've used cuts off styrene, brass, and aluminium tubing to form a thimble around which I ca the line before seizing. I've also used tiny plastic seed beads flattened off. I used those for the bowlines on my 1:150 scale Seventy-four model.

Thanks for reminding me about Shipahoy Models. I have their serving machine but I now see they also do a sander/thicknesser a fair bit cheaper than the Proxxon version I am trying to resist buying at the moment, a little more delving is required I think.

Cheers,

B.E.

You've come a very long way since then Daniel................

M.

Excellent work Thomas, what a beautiful model, and what a credit to Chuck's design.

B.E.

I am a fan of adding some 'ballast' to models particularly for plastic kits. In my opinion it gives a better feel to the hull and does add a little stability when working on the hull. I use washed gravel packed in plastic bags and taped and pva'd inside the hull.

I find it less necessary and convenient with wooden pob kits by the nature of their structure, and certainly with my current build with mdf keel and bulkheads it is heavy enough. If I think it is appropriate to add weight to a pob kit I screw metal plates along the keel  between the bulkheads.

B.E.

Great series of photos IIhan, very neat work, and useful jigs, well done.

B.,E.

Some fine detail on those shots Ferit, I like the neat little sheave for the Fore sheets, very nicely done.

B.E.

That's a fine set of boats Chris, well done.

B.E.

Nice lines Mark, the results of all your hard work is clear to see. Useful thing to be able to flip the photos, helps the eye detect any  discrepancies in  the sheer line. Getting the wale line right is one of the crucial aspects of a build. Did the French use Top and Butt or Anchor stock planking on the wales, or have they made life more simple for you by using straight planks?

B.E.

Very nice Grant, well done

B.E.

Hi Bob according to Lees the corners of the caps were given a  round up until 1820 this accords with the drawings by Steel in his 1794 book.

Fine finish you have achieved on the 'bee lines' Bob, the last time I did a Victory model, it took months before I was satisfied with the position and width of the black lines, they are very tricky to get right.

Cheers,

B.E.

Knightheads usually had sheaves running tho' them two, sometimes three, and often with  belaying pins horizontally thro' the top part.

Lees shows lines attaching to knightheads in his rigging plans of ships of the first quarter of the 18th century.

B.E.

An attractive looking model Pierre, and I love the way you have completed the Quarter Galleries.

I was moved to see what Rif Winfield had to say about Serapis in his reference work British Warships in the age of sail 1714 - 1792.

Built by Randall & Co Rotherhithe. 44 gun 5th rate revived Roebuck Class

As built 140ft 4" X 38ft 2" launched 1779.

Captured by the Bonhomme Richard 23/09/1779 after  fierce battle following which the Bonhomme Richard sank. She was transferred to the French Navy but was burnt by accident off Madagascar July 1781.

The class name vessel Roebuck was commisssioned in 1775, 140ft x 37ft 10" she was armed with 20 x 18 pounders on the gun deck 22 x 9 pounders on the Upper deck (later 12 pounders) and 2 x 6 pounders on the Foc'sle. She has a long career being broken up in 1811.

19 revised Roebuck class ships were built, the name Serapis was re-issued to a new vessel of the class built in 1780.

I look forward to seeing your build continue.

Regards,

B.E.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading thro' your log Michael, what skill you have, and what a beautiful cutter you are building, a joy to behold.

B.E.

I tend to refer to 'Crowsfeet'

Are those Futtock plates made of soft metal, if so you may be able to drill holes further up the  plate by hand and then reduce the length.

A job for later tho' once you can see what's involved.

B.E.