Foremast

... continue ... Fore and aft arrangement, complete view of work in progress. Alex

Hello all, we are still in the fore area. Here, I had to solve a double problem. First, the whole portion of the main deck that's beneath the foredeck is well visible, because of the great fore opening; this means I had to make a complete and good-looking arrangement about: frames, hanging knees, deck beams and - above all - internal planking. Second, the bulwark had to be thin: either because this wasn't a structural part of the ship (shipwrights surely used a thin timber-covering avoiding dangerous hight weights and saving a bit of money ...), or because of the gunports, where an excessive visible thickness of the planking would have been terrible to see. So I decided to make a very light double planking. The internal one, with 0,5 mm thick mansonia nut strips, a bit stained and sanded to simulate something old and gloomy. The external one, with 1,0 mm strips of the same wood. So making, I solved an additional problem: how avoid fissures between the strips? Being the internal area well visible, and as well the external one , even the smallest crack between the strips would have shown an awful (and unrealistic) spot of light. I couldn't use glue to fix strips side to side: because of their minimal thickness, I would have been sure to have lots of glue residues. The trick was to place the two plankings at different height. The internal one, began and ended with a 2,5 mm-wide strip, while in the middle all strips were 5mm wide; the external one was all made with 5 mm wide strips. In this way, the bulwark is thin enough, resistant, without fissures ... and only an expert eye can see that it was made in double planking. Regards Alex

I really appreciate your words. This model began as a joke ... but step by step it has been involving me and - quite obsessed like every modeller - I have tried to give a few answer to the amount of question of this kind of ship ... Hoping they're realistic enough. Cheers Alex

(...continue...) It helped me the use of a template, clamps and a square ruler. The the ribs were stained, to contrast the future color of the bulwark.

Hello all, now, beginning of the upper fore structure. The difficult was to mantain simultaneusly: the vertical aligment, the parallelism, the horizzontal chamfering of each rib. Regards Alex

What an awesome model!! Which plans ave you been using? Cheers Ale

It's a long time that's raining, here. I don't remember the shape of the sun and if something is springing out of my neck, probably they are gills. Alex

Thanks for the good words, Popeye, Augie, Mark. I'll not change the aft structure, right or wrong it is. I can think so: this ship anticipates a typical later arrangement of the stern ... About the strange engineering: I saw something similar in a black and white ancient drawing (if I succeed in recovering it, I'll post it here) and thinking it was quite reasonable, I made those crossings; main beams have a section of 5x5 mm (in scale, 25x25 cm), secondary beams have a section of 3x3 mm (in scale, 15x15 cm). I can confirm that the resultant structure is significantly strong. Cheers Alex

Hi, Augie! Just ask ...... here it is Stern view is nicer than bow. Alex

...continue ... Some other pictures of aft middle deck, and view of fore and aft middle decks completed. Cheers Alex

Hi Paul, Outstanding! this is another model in which I'd like to go aboard. Do you know how I could shrink myself? Cheers Alex

Michael, I've read your entire log and I'm staring in front of my PC, looking at your work. Wonderful! I'd like to shrink also myself and go aboard with that shipwright I've seen in some picture ... !!!! Regards Alex

Until now I have been using a double painting. First a liquid sealer, then an acrylic satin varnish. You can see the final effect on my model (Half Moon), in the completed models gallery of this forum. Obviously, filler and varnish must have the same thinner-basis. But now I want to test a different treatment: I think to finish the next model with linseed oil; it has a very interesting satin-effect. Regards Alex

thanks friends, for your good words! @Augie: it's truely useful to keep this sort of "reminders" on our ships. Only, it's a pity having to wait the next model ... to follow those tips!!!! Cheers Ale

Thanks, Michael! the word "research" gives to my work more than it deserves: I'm only searching to replicate what I have been seeing in ancient paintings. If their authors painted certain details, those details had necessary been part of the ship. So, I'm trying to guess the relevance, the goal of some of them ... and I'm happy to notice, sometimes, that something makes sense !!! With lots of mistakes: you see, I have made a round-shaped profile of the protruding upper deck. It's a great mistake and when I discovered it ... was too late to rectify. I didn't have the heart to demolish all the poop deck, so it is still there, to remember me: "pay attention". Cheers Alex

Thanks, druxey! I tried to do something that had sense... And I have discovered that it's a quite resistant structure. At least, it is enough similar to what appears in the paintings, so I think this could be possible. I hope ancient Hansa shipwrights aren't angry with me .... Cheers Alex

wooooww ..... Alex p.s. Yes, I'm the same Alex

... continue ... After pricipal beam's placing, here are the longitudinal beams. They lay on other beams, crossing them. In this way, the upper structure can be quite strenght to support the whole aft deck without risks for the Hansa ship's crew. Cheers Alex

Hi, avsjerome! In my opinion, maple is an excellent wood. Not only for its strength, but also because it's easy to bend. If it's a bit wet, even the most difficult curve becomes possibile. Cheers Alex

Hello mates, Now I propose you the second part of middle-decks realisation, in the aft area. These are pictures of the beginning. To ensure an absolute parallelism between beams, I placed them in their whole lenght, then I cut their central portion. I made no hanging knee - but only a simple vertical support - because the main deck will be here covered and only a few details will be visible. Among them, no hanging knee! Also in the aft castle, the external edge of the middle deck will be joined to the bulwark's rail, so it must protrude a bit from the hull. Regards Alex

Thanks, friends! I think and hope so. If it goes by another way, I'm ready to lay my axe and leave the job of shipwright. It helped me the picture of "Lisa von Lubeck" above, and also the original Heinrich Winter's project (below, some images extracted), clear enough about this aspect. I only have added middle decks: new deck at the aft, a deck instead brackets at the fore. All decks lay on beams, as shown in ancient paintings, with their (reasonable, I trust) supports ... so I think and hope something similar had existed. Cheers Alex

I agree with Kevin. Nobeless oblige, Paul!!!!

Hello all, these picture show the complete middle deck in the fore area. It protrudes a bit out of hull's shape because it will be connected up to the gunwale. The lateral profile of the middle deck, in fact, is also the edge of the lower external frame as shown in the paintings above. Regards Alex

Advocate for lobsters ? Interesting ... !!! However, what kind of fee? Grilled lobsters, I think, could be a good remuneration for a defending, but perhaps there would be a conflict of interests. Again: a very interesting and well made model Alex

Hello Popeye! After reading your log ... the accuracy of your work made ​​me a strong desire to eat fresh lobsters!! When are you going to fishing? Cheers Alex