Rudolf

HMS Surprise,
"a trim, beautiful little eight-and-twenty,
French build with a bluff bow and lovely lines,
weatherly, stiff, a fine sea-boat,
fast when well handled,
roomy, dry…"
 
(Patrick o´Brian)
 
 
Roomy indeed ...with a max headroom of about 150cm under the forecastle...
 
One of the most important features for the common sailor must have been the pantry.
The galley stove was a giant thing concerning the little availlable space.
 

 
This oven is more or less in working condition but most of the different brass parts are glued together.
 

 
You don´t see much of it now but at least you know it is there.....
 

 
Not far away and of similar importance is the waste management system.
roomy and definitly not dry...
 

Thank you for your kind welcome contributions
 
Indeed I found some almost forgotten pictures from the early beginning of ths project.
 

 
Building the bow section I felt inspired by the plank on frame guys   Surprises stern is rather unpretentious, she is a french corvette of under 500 tons.
 

 
Miss Unité as she appeared before make up...    and in full dress
 

Most of Surprises metal parts are not brass but alluminium.
 
The Guns
 

 
The 12pounder guns are too big for such a small frigate, but I followed POB  in this detail. Despite the weight, it is empirical obvious that you can´t handle them properly.
 
The barrels are tin casts in silicone molds, the carriages constist of some 50 pieces each
 

 

 
 
Hendrik
 

Hello Greg, the scale is 1:48
 

 
Well the pictures above represent more or less the actual status, meanwile shrouds and stays have partly been rigged.
 

 
It all started with a quite conventional framework from plywood. The depicted laser measurement of the completed hull was just a joke, but it turned out quite helpful to fix the waterline...
 

instead of clumpsy carvings I invented a more "impressionist" way of applying plausible looking, but rather indefinite details, using wood putty and photo etched oakleafs. The whole area is painted anyway.
 

 

 
Miss "Unité", the figurehead was created from a mixture of materials, using plastic bodyparts, copper and putty. She tured out to have a (late) 19th century look rather than representing the 18th but frankly, I like her
 

 
Hendrik

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 132 – Forward Lockers
 
There were two forward lockers that abutted the forecastle breast beam and the bulwarks at the side.  The enclosure on the port side was evidently (also?) used as a toilet.  These were undoubtedly used to stow gear that needed more protection than that afforded under the open forecastle.
 
With the windlass permanently installed, these enclosures could be constructed and the ladder ways between them and the windlass also installed.  In the first picture a panel of siding has been edge glued and is being fitted between the rails of the port bulwark.
 

 
 
After fitting, the panel would be cut off square to size.  These would most likely have been made using tongued-and-grooved planks maybe 2½” thick.  To accentuate the plank joints, the edges were rounded before edge gluing – as was done for all the other deck structures.
 
The next picture shows some pieces in assembly.
 
 

 
Although the workshop is in the basement, I get very bright sunlight through the windows this time of year – hence some overexposure in some of the pics.  In the next picture the end walls have been fitted and the fore-and-aft wall with the door is being test fit.
 

 
In the next picture the wall has been installed, the roof has been planked and is being smoothed out.
 

 
The flat faced curved riffler is being used for this.  Note that door hardware was installed prior to setting the wall.  In the next picture the edges of the roof planks are being pared flush with the chisel.
 

 
The next picture shows both enclosures installed.
 

 
The ladder way on the starboard side is also installed and the glue on some decking for the port ladder is drying.  In the last picture the second ladder way has been installed and roof planking on both enclosures painted.
 

 
 
 
Ed

Not to hurt feelings here, but...  Those of us "of a certain age" can remember the time when every boy's education in how to hone and dress a fine edge on a cutting tool began around age seven or eight when he was given his first pocket knife, an item of personal kit every male carried in his pocket for the rest of his life.  Sadly, with all the metal detectors around, few men carry pocket knives anymore and few mother's would tolerate their seven year old son having a pocket knife of his own.  (I suppose they are strictly forbidden on the grounds of any grammar school these days. Parents today seem ignorant of the fact that what "can put your eye out!" is really the most fun when you're a kid.)  Consequently, outfits like the good folks at Lee Valley have made quite a business of selling all sorts of slick gizmos that promise to ensure success in an endeavor which, up to maybe fifty years ago, most kids had mastered by age ten or twelve.  Strange how one generation can master operating a personal computer without a second thought, but can't sharpen an edged tool without all sorts of guides and machines and so on.
 
Honing guides are like training wheels on a bicycle.  They ensure greater success on a first effort by the inexperienced, but encourage dependence.  I'd encourage folks to take off the "training wheels" and learn to sharpen "freehand."  It is an easily acquired skill, regardless of whether you rely on an Arkansas stone, a Japanese waterstone, a "diamond" stone, or even a piece of emery or aluminum oxide paper taped to the (flat) top of a table saw or whatever and giving it a few licks on a strop or steel.  There's lots of instructional videos on YouTube for those who don't have grandfathers to show them how to sharpen an edge and fettle and adjust a plane, spokeshave, or whatever. (The trick is "feeling" for when the bevel is flat on the abrasive surface and keeping it there.)  This was the second thing any apprentice learned, after how to sweep the floor.  You can spend lots of money on electric shop vacuum systems, honing guides and machines and the like, or serve an "apprenticeship" learning the basics instead of buying tools sold to make people believe they will make them better craftsmen.  Unfortunately, the woodworking hobby seems to be going the way of golf, where slick marketers are always trying to sell you a club that's going to improve your game.  Don't let them play you for a sucker!
 
(Okay, rant over!)

thank you, that clears it up. Very ingenious !

planking pic. 
 

 

 

 
It is african walnut 1.8 x 5mm planking from Artesania models.
 

 

 

 
Planking finish and redy for fals kel - frame broken of in stern , isy to glue on again.
 
Well it thake longer than expekted making this log so ill stop for today and kontinu later on . 
 
Cheers  All  
 
Jens.

Hi All
 
I have the idea of building with aluminum at locations where, in fact, is used iron, and it is especially the sea rail I am thinking of.- metal for  metal.           The wood that is in the kit are balsa wood. which in my opinion can only be used for gliders. I use only the deck plates. the wood I instead use is from a scrapped Artesania kit I have taken over - and what is left from Artesania CS     havewer i uses billing wood as filler  mostly to get read of it in a konstruktive way        Her dek is way onder way .     Dek finish     planking started     Its so long a lether i have to cut in 2.              

I will also build inside the captain's cabin, it requires little modification
 

 

 
 
 
I mount  car dashboard lights inside the ship
I  just did it wrong they were connected in series, they should have been parallel connected  -  expensive learning money.
 

 

 

 

 
Cheers All
Jens
 
 

One image from the waterline for effect....I'm currently finishing the mizzen...then I need to add standing rigging to the yards.
 
I'll probably add the royal sail first.
 
I'm sorry..I didn't start this Log any sooner, but I had some downloading problems and a new job to deal with....which as you are probably aware is a lot to handle.......for some any way.
 
I hope this far has been an encouragement for some.  I feel, a dioramic story is more powerful a theme to convey emotion and involvement then a  static display.  
That is just me......I want to entice an emotional connection......to bring the viewer.....if for a moment...closer to the adventure of what is ships and ship building...and to appreciate the powerful  significance of maritime history.
 
Thanks for viewing.
 
Rob

I have so much more to do to complete this build.......but first......I want to show some images of the yards I built for the fore mast...again weathering takes precedence (fun for me).  I'm glad I only had to make these four.

Lets begin rigging.  Unlike the CS, the Ferreira was rigged not unlike a schooner...were wooden slats replaced ratlines on the shrouds.
 
Working along....I finished one side at a time.

The figurehead was painted ..unlike the stark white figurehead of the Cutty Sark.  She was draped in a pale blue gown and was painted to look like a Portuguese princess.......probably representing a Ferreira family Matriarch. 
 
Again, using ample artistic license, I moored the Ferreira and partially slung her starboard anchor midwater.

Now we need some masts......being that I had to build these from scratch....I copied the fore mast from a previous CS model I completed and fashioned the main and mizzen from wood stock and material on hand.  the fore mast was the original iron and the later wood replacements.
 
I decided to partially sail rig the Ferreira  with jibs loosely furled and the fore mast royal hung to dry....while the main sail is also hung to dry loosely.  All sails are in severe disrepair and discolored by man made and natural stains.
 
Here are the masts and the cargo boom mounted on the main mast.

Back to the build.  Railing differed from the 2 ships....CS had a double run rail while the Ferriera for some reason did not...I suspect damage during her near capsizing may have been the culprit.
 
The forcatle needed degrading as well as the deck needed to be strewn with nautical paraphernalia.
Being a local cargo carrier she had a winch installed on her schooner main mast to aid in cargo laying...this would have been accomplished by the mains main yard.
 
Looking for activity to add..I opted to build a water line dingy to come along the side to aid on cargo uploading......this added detail contributed to the over all demise the ships state. 

Young America 1853 – POB 1:96
Part 40 – Stern Fancy Rail 2
 
OK.  Christmas is past and it is time to get back to work – slowly at first, starting with a POB build log update – then off to the shop.  In the last part, the aft sections of the stern fancy rail were installed.  In the first picture below, the starboard side section is being fitted.
 

 
This piece was first shaped by tracing the outer profile along the hull – as was done for the stern pieces - then marking its width, its length, and the joint.  In the picture the joint has been rough-cut and is being test fitted.  You may notice that the stern section in the picture has been sanded somewhat.  Actually there is quite a bit of this to be done on the top rail after bolts are installed, to match the rounded edges, etc.  As long as the line against the black and the deck is left intact this is not a problem, since the top of the rail can be refinished without having to cut in the line at the edges.
 
In the next picture the section of rail shown above has been painted and is being glued down with the help of locating pins and screw clamps.
 

 
The next picture shows the clamps gripped under the mizzen channel and the main rail.
 

 
In the next picture the rail on the opposite side is being installed.
 

 
In the picture the leftmost clamp is closing the scarph joint in the rail.  Note also that these rail sections end at the forward edge of the breast beam.  At this point the rail thins down in width, so the next sections along the main deck will be narrower, but the outside line of the rail will be flush.
 
The last picture shows the rail around the poop deck completed.
 

 
The rail at the bow was installed next.
 
 
Ed

Welcome to the "Newsboy" 1854 build log,
 
1st the spars.  Key points include:
 
>>> Studding booms and studding irons were added (not shown on original plans)
>>> Spar design sketches were prepared using parabolic camber
>>> Spars were turned from birch dowels using a Jet mini-lathe
>>> Spars were turned using fine sanding sticks
>>> A digital caliper is a great tool for checking diameter during turning
>>> Rigging ironwork was a combination of Britania castings (Bluejacket) and silver brazed brass fittings (see photo)
>>> Design of rigging ironwork based on contemporary rigging plans
>>> Initial spar outfit based on Rigging Setup Lists
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder

Thank you for your interest in "Newsboy" 1854,
 
Next step is rigging planning / setup.  1st step is to develop a "Standing and Running Rigging Table" in a similar form to that found in Steel's Elements of Mastmaking, Sailmaking, and Rigging (1794).  The table lists each rigging line, size, color, fittings, etc.  Data is taken from the plans and compared to data from other ships.  Rigging lines, chains, blocks, deadeyes, etc. are sized based on standard rigging materials I have in stock (note that I was unable to post a sample).
 
2nd step is developing rigging setup lists where rigging lines, blocks, and fittings are assigned to individual spars for pre outfit installation prior to mounting aloft.  Lists are prepared for the hull, bullwarks, masts, and individual spars.  A sample is shown below:
 
Fore Upper Topsail Yard
 
(2) .015” x 1/16” brass bands (parrel hinges)
(1) .015” x 1/16” brass strip & 1/32” brass tube (parrel assembly)
(3) 1/16” Bristol board yard bands
(2) Drill holes for (2) yard sheaves (topgallant sheets)
(2) Studding boom quarter iron
(2) 3/32” Eyebands
(2) Studding boom irons
(20) Small eyebolts (jackstays)
(2) .020” Brass rod (jackstays)
(2) 3/32” Brass split rings w .015” black line (foot ropes)
(2) Small eyebolts w .015” black line (Flemish horses)
(2) Medium eyebolts w 3.5mm D blocks (topgallant sheets & upper topsail downhauls)
(2) 3.5mm S blocks (upper topsail downhauls)
(2) Medium eyebolts w .010” black line (loose servings) (upper topsail yard lifts)
(2) .015” black line 2” w 4mm S blocks (upper topsail yard brace pendants)
 
The following picture illustrates initial pre outfit based on these setup lists.
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder

Thank you for your interest in "Newsboy" 1854,
 
As I completed the hull and hull outfit, I started to examine the masts, spars, and rigging.  After consultation with a number of master builders at the USS Constitution Ship Modelers Guild; I decided to fit a full fore top in lieu of the cross trees shown on the original plans.  Key points include:
 
>>> Full fore top more typical on fully rigged ships
>>> Cross trees more typical in schooner rigged vessels
>>> Curved fore top provides improved clearance for rotating yards/sails when tacking 
>>> New fore top design based on drawings of other contemporary vessels
>>> New fore top sized to suit original cross trees
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder

Welcome to the "Newsboy" 1854 build log,
 
The following pictures document the completion of hull and deck outfit.  Future posts will address planning, fabrication, rigging setup, and installation of masts, spars, standing and running rigging.
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder

Welcome to to the "Newsboy" 1854 build log,
 
With the deck houses complete, lets continue with the deck outfit.  Key points include:
 
>>> Fiferails were built up from stripwood
>>> Fiferail stanctions were Bluejacket castings
>>> Forward fiferail left loose (2 pieces) for installation after completion of fore lower yard lift and fore lower topsail sheet tackles
>>> 2 deck pumps fitted to permit pumping out P/S of keel and for redundency (1 shown on plans)
>>> 2 water casks fitted based on contemporary practice (not shown on plans)
>>> Water casks were planked over basswood plugs
>>> Belaying pins (brass) were chemically treated and installed
 
As noted, I feel free to add to plan details based on contemporary practice where I see something missing.  After all, most ship model plans are only reconstructions.
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder

Welcome,
 
Some more deckhouse pictures.  Key points include:
 
>>> Deck house bulkheads were glued to together and to their respective coamings using the deck cutout to ensure squareness
>>> Deck beams were fitted
>>> Note windlass pump handles stowed on the forward house front
>>> Note that coamings will not be glued to the hull until all adjacent outfit has been fitted
>>> Note this construction sequence gives a clean paint line between the house sides and coamings
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder

Thank you for your interest in "Newsboy" 1854,
 
With respect to achieving clean paint lines, I try to consider painting in my assembly sequence.  Where possible, pieces are painted prior to final installation to minimize the need for masking (e.g. spray rail, cap rails, catheads in 2 pieces, hatch coamings, etc.).
 
Next steps include fabrication and installation of the deck houses.  The house sides/ends are laminated over false bulkheads with planking and posts to simulate the prototype.  Deckhouse panels are fitted to the respective coamings during construction, and the house assemblies are glued to the coamings before final installation on the model.  For illustration the forward house scantlings/materials are listed below:
Side/end backing – 3/64” sheet stock Coaming inserts & interior stiffening – 3/64” sheet stock & 3/32” sq. strip wood Corner posts – 3/32” sq. strip wood Side/end planking – 1/32” x 3/32” strip wood Side/end upper trim – 3/64” x 3/32” & 1/32” sq. strip wood Window trim – 1/32” sq. strip wood Window shutters – 1/32” x 3/64” grooved planking Door outer frames – 3/64” x 3/32” strip wood Door inner frames – 3/64” x 3/32” strip wood Door panels – 1/32” sheet stock Deck beams – 1/8” x 3/16” strip wood Deck planking – 1/16” x 3/64” glued up decking Deck margin planks – 3/64” x 3/32” strip wood (use 1/16” x 3/32” for future builds) Ladder rails – 1/32” x 3/32” strip wood Ladder steps - .020” brass wire Boat rails – 3/32” sq. strip wood Windlass brake handle stowage – 3/64” sq. strip wood Stovepipe – 3/32” brass tubing Coaming finish – Clipper Pearl Blue Cabin finish – Warm White Cabin deck finish – Ipswich Pine/Bartley Gel Varnish Cabin deck margin planks  - Clipper Pearl Blue Ladder rails, boat rails, windlass brake handle stowage – Warm White Ladder steps – Floquil Engine Black Stovepipe finish – Floquil Engine Black Peter Jaquith
Shipbuilder

Thank you for your interest in "Newsboy" 1854,
 
Next step is after deck outfit.  Key points include:
 
>>> Binacle redesigned based on contemporary ship model plans (original was undersized for 3/16" scale)
>>> Binacle was sheathed with walnut veneer over a solid block 
>>> Ships bell HO scale fitting from Cale Scale
>>> Main sheet block fitted to waterway (to avoid access issues)
>>> Steering enclosure built up from laminated panels, install in coaming, and glued in place
>>> Grating panels fitted for steering station
>>> Mooring bitts built up from laminated stripwood and doweled in place
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder

Thanks for your kind words Omega1234, Mark and Tom!
 
And again some more deck structures.
 
Pumps, hatch and some sort of cabinets. All made of 1 mm birch plywood and 0,6 mm veneer:

 
Cargo hatches:
 

 
Pentry house and winch:
 

 
And everything arranged on the deck but not yet glued: