Kevin Kenny

You are very kind

An interview with Michael 

Photos of foredeck

So we don't go over a well worn discussion. Here is the link to the previous one.

I found this on earlier post on the forum.Checking on Ai it came up with the same reasoning. So i will stick with the red.

“ The following is more likely the reason.   Deck furniture, bulwarks, etc, were red ochre. This was discussed in an earlier post here at MSW in 2021 and it was mentioned that this was for protection from the weather and ochre (earth) colors were inexpensive.  In addition, after long sea voyages and during repairs it was also refreshed. The idea that it would hide blood was coincidental, not the reason it was most often red.  There are a number of contemporary models where much of the inboard works were painted black.  I have no idea if this was original or done at some later time.  The Navy Board stated 18 July 1715 that painting (presumably outboard and inboard) was "not to refresh oftener than once a year or two and the inboard works that are from the weather."  There is no mention of a particular color or hiding blood.  The actual usefulness in protecting the wood from rot and the cost would probably be a bigger concern to the navy than the mental state of the sailors in the age of sail.    If you are next to a man that has had some part of his body ripped off, I doubt hiding the blood on a bulwark would make it any easier to avoid fear, panic  or the onset PTSD. 

Allan

Edited May 28, 2023 by allanyed”

Here is the natural colour of the plywood. I think i prefer the red.

I was unhappy with the colour difference between the plywood and the mahogany so thought I would go back to the safe colour choice. Still not happy with the fit. 

excellent video on boilers

Hi Alan

the recoil from the cannon would push it  all the way back to the end of the breeching line. After which the gun would be reloaded and i feel will need both port or gun tackles to get it back to its firing position. Also pulling on one side of the gun tackle may cause the gun to move to one side. So my guess is that they pulled both sides together. The train tackle was probably only needed when starting the firing sequence. 
 

i also found how the port tackle was flayed. Photograph attached. So they did not coil the side tackles but instead tied it on itself as i did with my guns. These storage solutions for the various tackles would only be used when the cannon was not in use. When in use rope would be all over the place just like it is in a modern racing boat. The tackles would also be tight when the cannon is not in use to prevent ut moving around. 
 

i also found a short video which may be useful to those who never knew how the cannons were used in battle. 
 

This is the first attempt . I am sure that i will make these removable doors and windows a few times before i get it correct. 

Chris that’s just a template. That’s not the finished piece. I haven’t started working on that as yet

This is a copy from the book so it is correct.

Getting to the completion of the forecastle

What a number of the videos and modelers notes seem to indicate is that no one knows what is on the brass and different solvents will affect different contaminants on the pieces. I have acetone and should have mentioned it. Certainly the best results was pickling the pieces. Based on my soldering experience this has never disappointed me. You are right about blackening the photo etched pieces still connected to the frame. I actually used a stiff paint brush with the solvents and could see something coming off in the solution.  My choice would be to prickle the pieces, rinse, then blacken. If they did not take then i would try one of the three solvents i have in the shop until i get success. Thanks for the feedback.

Yes but its a great way to practice and the only way to get it right.

You are right and wrong. I wanted to install the cannon back from the gun port. That turned out to be an error as  the aft train tackle ended up  to close to the eye  on the center of the deck. This was caused by the blocks being too long. I have now been able to reduce the hook down to about 5” while in real life it was probably 3” in length. I just cant make it smaller than this and even this method  is a bit of a cheat as i had to remove the eye at the end of the hook. It will be better on the port side. In any case this will all be sealed up and no one will be able to see it, just you and me. 

First cannon installed 

Blckening brass

Installing the 2 cannons under the foredeck 

I still can’t figure out what my figurehead is  supposed to depict . Thorn?????