WackoWolf

DFellingham, you are correct. The USS Hayler (DD-997) was suppose to be a class of it's own, DDH-997 (helicopter destroyer). But the Navy could not get enough funding to build it as such so completed it as a Spruance class destroyer. By the time it was built they were out of parts so had to find them where they could. All of the spruance class destroyers had the SPS-40 Air Search Radar except for the Hayler, it had the SPS-49. It made it easy to find at the piers, when there could be several Spruance classes nested together. As far as that armored door, I remember having to do maintenance on it. We had to bring in riggers just to change the hinge pins. During heavy seas the door would be secured because it could crush someone if it closed unexpectedly. All of the other Spruances and Ticonderogas had a large aluminum door in that location.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Hayler_%28DD-997%29
 
DFellingham, you win. So what have you got?

Mark, one of my personal sayings is "it's not about what knocked us down; it's about how we get back up."  You fully epitomize that with your decision to start anew and use lessons learned to build an even better Licorne!  And ya know what, this new one's gonna be an even more kick-butt beautiful build not only because of the skills you'll be bringing to it, but also because of the heart you'll put into her!
 
Semper Fi, buddy!
Jay

Everyone: Posted the wrong picture in the last package.. shows that I shouldn't do this without having my morning coffee.. enjoy the new and improved pic!
 
Mike Draper
Whitehorse, Yukon
Canada

I have one. Works great.

Richard,
There has been some great advice given to you and every one here. In my opinion probably the most important safety tool out there is the one on your shoulders. If you are the least bit unsure or uncomfortable about what you are doing stop and ask yourself why, if you dont know ask somebody - a habit you have already started here.
One of the commenters here brought up kick backs - They are frightening when they happen and they happen so fast you cant believe it - blink of an eye fast. On second all is well in your world, the next your on the ground doubled over in pain. I am fortunate, I have never been hurt by the couple I have had in my 30+ years as a carpenter. But, I remember a guy when I was in my early 20's who ended up  in surgery to remove a piece of oak from his gut from a kick back. He was cross cutting a board down and left the smaller part between the blade and the fence, it caught the blade and shot back like a bullet.
 
Even a simple hobby knife can send you to the hospital. There is a builder here who has/had nerve damage to their hand from a simple slip. Also since I havent seen it mentioned here yet, look up feather boards, they can be your best friend for some operations. Not only are they a safety device but can improve the quality and accuracy of your cut.
 
Well, not trying to scare you, just wanted to put my 2 cents in.
 
After all that - enjoy this great hobby and be safe.
Sam

The Saw Stop is quite different to a splitter. The former keeps the kerf (slot) made by the blade open beyond the blade. The Saw Stop (Google this to see it demonstrated) is an electronically controlled brake that instantly stops the blade spinning should it touch anything soft and conductive. It can only be fitted to full-size saws, not a Byrnes saw.

Everyone: Managed to finish the deck furniture on the Agamemnon. Still have to add the pinrails but I have managed to finish the deck planking, fife rails and the big stuff. I plan to work on the stern ornamentation for a while for a change and then get back and finish the pin rails. Still have channels and cat heads to finish before I can start thinking about rigging.
 
So much work still ahead...
 
Wish me luck
 
Mike Draper
Whitehorse, Yukon
Canada

I worked mainly on the belaying pin - rack assemblies (fife rails) this weekend, and discovered that the supplied belaying pins where totally out of proportions   
So I spend quite some time in trying to manufacture my own (I created an separate post about how I made them) .. link to the post ..
 
Besides the belaying pins I placed 2 sheaves in 4 knightheads (I believe these where used for the lower yard tackles of the fore and  main mast)
 
i Started with milling of the sheave openings in the knighthead  
 

 
I manufactured the sheaves with a lathe from a 2,5 mm brass rod using an home-made cutting tool, drilled an hole in the middle and used an cutting tool to separate the sheave from the rod
 

 

 

 
Blackened the sheaves and fixed them in position by using a Ø 0,7mm bamboo stick
 

 
Added also some details to the knightheads 
 

 
the cross piece is as suggested by the kit but I did round the edges on the front.
Here are all of them glued into position including the scratch build belaying pins..
 

 

 

Gil,
 
If nothing works.... let it age.  If stain won't penetrate, try putting some stain in a 50-50 mix of water and white glue with a drop or two of dish detergent.  No guarantees on that, though.  If it works, you can paint all the white rigging. 

Little progress:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I continued with the bandage of the topsides, I realized I had made a serious error to paste the thresholds of the gunboats: the angle between the threshold and the side wall is pretty sharp and this did not allow for a perfect installation of the course below thresholds, for obvious reasons, leaving a little 'air.
I removed very carefully thresholds and set the course and the joints redone, everything went perfectly, although I remove a threshold, have resulted in the rupture of an oarlock to the coast, but this will not be seen because it will be covered by the plating .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rich,
 
I understand what you mean about the pre cut gun ports 
I have to do the same with the Aggy but I find out when you marked the gun ports correctly, you can use a small file to sand the ports to the pencil line....
I have to see if that's working for me also.
 

ready

Thursday, January 16, 2014 - Small but important progresses. .    Yesterday, Wednesday, I spent a couple of hours to find, plan and fix on the sides of the hull, with the usual two-component epoxy glue, new decorations, elements that should be applied before fixing the chain plates. 
 
Then, while waiting for the glue to take its course, I have finished the preparation of the individual pieces that make up the chain plates that I had in mind to build for my Soleil.
 
01 P1090723.jpg

02 P1090724.jpg

 
Today, however, I was able to proceed with the assemply of the chain plates . . my bigger problems was the need to weld some pieces, task which for me had always been rather problematic. But this time I put new right efforts and, with the proper tools and the correct method I finally managed the job . . 
 
Below two pictures show you ten "prototype" chain plates . . but I'm so satisfied of the result that I will pass to mass production soon: I need to build about sixty of them.

 
03 P1090721.jpg

04 P1090722.jpg

 

Updated pics, and some dry fitting

I finished the installation of the courses between the doors and started to finish with fine sandpaper to remove the glue residue and the excess of black cardboard. I also finished the edges of the gunboats and scuttles the oars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

the last days busy with the finalization of the painting work (still several days to go !!!!)
but in order to see some progress, I have mounted some items already
 

Pictures as promised.
 
The first shot shows two of the three types of rollers used on the boom conveyor. The top carriage rollers are the ones I'm going to have cast. That's the one on the right. Too many variables to make fabricating 50+ of them worth while. I'm going for the easy road.
 
The ones on the left are to support the belt on its return to the heel. There are considerably less of them. A small break from reality here, in the name of simplicity. These "rollers" are actually a set of wheels spaced out along an axle, rather than a complete roller. Since visibility will be somewhat limited, I opted for this approach. It still looks good enough for me, or anyone poking around.
 
The second photo shows the boom head and the head roller installed, as well as some of the return rollers.
 
I am currently working my way down the boom towards where the boom drive will be installed. I've got a little thinking to do in that area as I have a good idea how the boom drive worked, I just need to figure out the construction.
 
Andy
 

Thank you all for your input, and helping me decide where to go from here. What bothered me was the stark white appearance of the coiled line, rather like white nylon or white cotton rope which it certainly would not be.  As such, it becomes the center of focus rather than a coil of rope in the background.  This is where I wish I had modified the color of the line before beginning the rigging.  In fact I did experiment but was not pleased with the result.  I should have persisted using the expert advise from some of our members.
 
I'd like to use the full coils if they can be blended in with the background.  The following photos are experiments in retrograde coloring of the lines.  The problems are obvious.  Areas with C/A glue will not take up stains, if one succeeds with the coils, all other lines will have to be altered and most of all, it's a pain................    I've tried to use similar lighting in the photos, however, we all know how lights and cameras drastically alter the appearance. I'm experimenting with washes (very dilute paint) but of course masking become a daunting task.  I'll report later on the results (or lack there of).
 
Each photo of untreated line is followed by one of treated line.  The unfinished coil on the right can be used as a control.  Unfortunately, they were taken on different days. Cheers, Gil
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

Sorry Peter...but we have been taken to the cleaners before.  This is not what the project was created for.  No reason to redraft the plans.  Then the arguments begin about who owns the redrafted plans....it just gets ugly.   Folks seeing the parts take shape and asking you privately to sell them the pieces.   Putting you and the site in an awkward position.  It happens all the time.   We already have other sites distributing the plans to its members after they signed up here for them and the funny thing is they arent continuing the logs here.  Instead they continue them on other european sites along with others who now have the plans.
 
Its just not right and this is an unusual request beyond the scope of what the project was intended for.  The project was started to allow folks to learn how to make the parts by hand using various means.   Not have them laser cut or milled  and the plans redrawn.
 
Sorry,   we mean no ill-will but as others have said.  Simply get a set of plans from the NMM and make something  electronically.  I am actually doing the same as well.  You will learn a lot more about lofting frames and such rather than just copy what is already drafted by someone else.  In addition the plans are only given to folks who have shown they have built the keel and other parts initially.  Just redrawing them doesnt count.  Chris only has two posts on the site and none since attempting to get the plans.  That is also a red flag.  No interest shown in the other logs or other areas of the site or our members.  Look at it from our perspective.   We dont know you at all.
 
 
 
Chuck

Unfortunately we will not be able to give you access to the drawings.  This is one of the stipulations of the original drafters and the admin agrees.   There is really no need to redraw them as they are already drawn electronically and made available to model builders.   I dont understand why you would simply copy them in CAD since they are already done.
 
Sorry,  but we can not allow.   The only reason I can think of would be to have all parts available to laser cut or fabricate.  Something the original project was not intended for.  Plus there are no controls to ensure the parts are not sold or reused for other purposes.  It would not be fair to the folks who worked for years researching and drafting the electronic plans we already have.
 
Chuck 
Admin.

Hi All,
 
newbie here, Chris from Germany. I'm thinking about starting a 1:36th scale HMS Triton and have looked at the first keel drawing and have started some minor CAD work, but first a bit about myself.
 
I have been building models all my life now but mainly aircraft and for the past several years flying scale WW1 aircraft. I designed my own, and for a short while had a company that sold my designs, but this was stopped when real work got  in the way and time became an issue. For about the last two years I have not built any models at all (apart from playing around with a Pocher Mercedes) but have started restoring an E-Type Jaguar instead (I have recently become somewhat of a car nut). Work on the Jag can become frustrating at times because I can't do very much myself due to lack of experience and equipment. When a friend asked me recently how I actually restore it I answered 'I drive parts around in the back of my car'.
 
Let's see if I can install some pictures here:
 

this is an early version B-17 I designed and built around 2007
 

here's an SE-5a that a customer built
 

and here's a Sopwith Snipe that another customaer built
 
This is my 'other hobby'. A 1969 Jaguar E-Type, currently undergoing complete restoration
 

 
So, I've been thinking of building a model ship. My brother, known here as Mr. Hollom, has been doing that for many years now, and I occasionally borrow books to read or just look at and enjoy the models shown there. Over the last few months I have become quite fond of the HMS Bellona, but I'm afrraid a scratch built 74 might be a bit too big for a first project. Then I was looking around for a suitable kit, and for a while thought of doing Calder Craft's HMS Diana, when I discovered this forum. The idea of building a frigate is attractive, as I think it can be handled by a first time ship builder.
 
I've started in my own usual way: the pdf was converted into an image jpeg using my Acrobat Reader and this was then imported into my CAD programme and scaled up by 1.333 to reach 1:36th scale. Being an Architect by profession I use an architects CAD programme, which works well for what I need it for, but it's not really possible to build a 3d model of a sailing ship with it. What I can do is draw out parts 2d like on a drawing board back in the old days. I'm hoping that building in a larger scale might have its advantages over a smaller one when it gets to the details and maybe rigging later on. So eventually I started tracing the keel drawing in a new layer.
 

 
I read in some of the other posts that showing images which contain parts of the copyrighted drawings should be avoided due to copyright restrictions, so I'll try to follow that. I really hope that copying this design into my CAD programme for my own private use does not infringe any copyright laws also. If so, please let me know. I do not intend to make any parts available later on and I will certainly not give away any file etc for kit production or similar. Redrawing the pdf is a somewhat low tech way of creating a digital version as I simply try to hit the existing lines right in the middle when redrawing them. Working with dwg or similar would be much more exacting but I don't even want to ask for them.
 

 
The keel was then broken down into its individual parts and these were laid out as on a 100*30cm plank of wood. From my WW1 modelling days I still own a CNC milling machine which a I want to use here to cut out parts. I'm not even sure if it still works, as it has been stored in my basement for a few years now and it needs to be cleaned and the computer set up again. Also I don't know how it will work on thick hardwood sheets. It could easily work its way through 6mm birch ply which was frequently used on my flying scale planes, so I'm hoping it will be fine using a 1.5mm or larger milling bit. We'll see. After completing the CAD drawing of the individual parts this is then exported into another programme to create the milling files, but more on them later.
 

 
The CAD work so far has been fun, but I really need to know more about how this model will be constructed before I want to start off the milling machine. I have seen modellers here shaving off large portions on the stem deadwood and I would like to avoid that kind of work, as I'm hoping for more of a KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) project here. So I'll pop over to the keel thread here to request access to the other files in order to study them to get the big picture of this model. I hope this CAD work I'm showing here will suffice as a project beginning.
 
more later
 
--Chris

Since they're both 74's and from the same time period, they both will probably seem to look alike. The differences will most likely be in the lines and the details....

Joe, Colin and Antony,  Thanks for the kind words!
 
Mark
 
 
That would be the start of a "really bad day".  
 
Here is the framing for the canopy. In the first picture you can see how it
sets into the slots cut into the bulkhead.
 

 

Greetings all
Well at last I have got the main mast fitted. The truss pendants need rigging up with a block and tackle and a bit of sorting to do. So next is the top gallant to fit and on to the mizzen. I have knocked a bit of rigging loose, but it's more or less unavoidable. What I need to do is go back to the short run of shroud and ratline that I need to repair. So that's me for a week or so. Thanks to you all for viewing and your comments and here we go with some photos. DAVID