NMBROOK

I agree with Demonburger,the problem being is the differences in what each builder may want out of a particular kit.It may be possible to do as marks out of ten for particular categories e.g.instructions,timber,fittings,plans,historical accuracy/actual existence etc but I do think it would be wrong to generalise.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Thank you very much indeed Grant And thank you for another alternative,we will be heading for a new thread in shore leave at this rate  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

I have now fitted all the upper gunport cills.These have been faired off flush inside and out.The counter side timber has also been fitted,but the lower hull is still to shape at a later date.There is quite a bit of difference between kit and builders model in this area.Franklin states in his book that the stern balcony actually has a grated deck.The carvings below the balcony act as knees to support this deck and to a lesser extent the stern structure.This is not easily visible in pictures but after enlarging the NMM pics as much as possible it became clear how this construction worked.
This is a far as I am taking this side for now,work will commence on the port side.There a still some small round gunports to create for the poopdeck,but I am not confident to the actual finished level of this deck at the moment so they will be added a little later.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Too many variables imo.
 
1) Different people place different values on different things.
2) Kit quality within a manufacturers range can vary dramatically.
3) Manufacturers and kits often focus on achieving different objectives (beginners, experts, high scratch building content, laser cut and cast parts for everything, simple instructions, complex instructions, scale, fidelity etc).
 
Perhaps compare similar things together.
 
Compare frigates, sloops, 1st rates, 3rd rates, galleys, galleons, etc from each manufacturer perhaps instead.
 
 
Another thing to discuss and compare would be construction methods and the kits/manufacturers that use them. How many prefer the keel and ram attached to the false keel and how many like it separate? Who prefers single planking and who prefers double? Copper tape, copper tiles, imitation wood, or solid painted copper? Gunports, metal frames, metal inserts, wooden, laser cut, hand cut ? etc.
 
 
To begin, I love the way Mamoli kits are structured for the expensive kits (Friesland, HMS Victory, Royal Louis) with lots of bulkheads, and a construction method of putting two 10mm blocks through each bulkhead. Providing a very solid base compared to say the Constructo HMS Prince which was both hard to use a keel clamp with and without such a solid support.

 

Ebony cannon
 
Well, after turning 8 barrels from boxwood (I had decided that it would be overkill to try casting from resin, and it did only take a day to do) I did decide to follow Nigel's suggestion and turn the cannon in ebony after all. It seemed to me that boxwood allowed a little more accuracy, but the appearance after painting wasn’t as nice as that of ebony.
 
I also decided to make the carriages at the same scale as for the 3pdr cannon. I won’t go into the process of making the carriages smaller, as I used the same techniques as for the 3.5pdr carriages that I made last time.
 

 
To make sure I didn’t go off the line too much when drilling out the bore, I used BluTak (a kind of putty) to act as a depth gauge.
 

 
Holes for the trunnions
 
I had not covered in my last posting how I drilled the holes for the trunnions. This had caused me to think a while because I needed to drill a horizontal hole through a barrel that has a changing diameter along its length.
 
In the end, the answer was simple. Using the CAD drawings I found that in order to lay the barrel so that the centre line was perfectly horizontal, I’d need to raise the edge of the muzzle swelling by 0.45mm. So I rested and held the barrel on a plank with some BluTak and placed the muzzle on some feeler gauges that combined to a depth of 0.45mm.
 
This assembly was fixed to my x-y table and a 1mm hole drilled through so that the top of the trunnion went through the central line of the bore. You’ll note the faint pencil mark in front of the reinforce ring that shows the centre line of the barrel.
 

 

 
The trunnions
 
The trunnions themselves were again made from strips off a bamboo chopstick pulled through a drawplate to 1mm diameter.
 

 
You can see the different barrels from ebony, boxwood and painted pear when compared to the original barrel below.
 

 
Finally, you can compare the carriages and barrels as they went through their evolution. (For those with questions about the acrobatic abilities of the captain, he is not standing on the barrel, but is behind).
 

 
Should you ask whether it was worth it to make a small difference to the size of the cannon and their carriages, all I can say is that they now fit the cannon ports much better. That as well as the fact that I've improved my skills slightly as a result of all this fiddling around.
 
Now I will be working on the rigging for the cannon, and I've started to plan for the belaying pins and racks.
 
Tony
 

Thank you very much indeed Grant And thank you for another alternative,we will be heading for a new thread in shore leave at this rate  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

I have now fitted all the upper gunport cills.These have been faired off flush inside and out.The counter side timber has also been fitted,but the lower hull is still to shape at a later date.There is quite a bit of difference between kit and builders model in this area.Franklin states in his book that the stern balcony actually has a grated deck.The carvings below the balcony act as knees to support this deck and to a lesser extent the stern structure.This is not easily visible in pictures but after enlarging the NMM pics as much as possible it became clear how this construction worked.
This is a far as I am taking this side for now,work will commence on the port side.There a still some small round gunports to create for the poopdeck,but I am not confident to the actual finished level of this deck at the moment so they will be added a little later.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

It is indeed smashing stuff Nigel. Here's another phrase for you: it looks as flash as a rat with a gold tooth!

I have now fitted all the upper gunport cills.These have been faired off flush inside and out.The counter side timber has also been fitted,but the lower hull is still to shape at a later date.There is quite a bit of difference between kit and builders model in this area.Franklin states in his book that the stern balcony actually has a grated deck.The carvings below the balcony act as knees to support this deck and to a lesser extent the stern structure.This is not easily visible in pictures but after enlarging the NMM pics as much as possible it became clear how this construction worked.
This is a far as I am taking this side for now,work will commence on the port side.There a still some small round gunports to create for the poopdeck,but I am not confident to the actual finished level of this deck at the moment so they will be added a little later.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Thank you very much indeed buddy I love that phrase,much more PC than the one I use  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

I have now fitted all the upper gunport cills.These have been faired off flush inside and out.The counter side timber has also been fitted,but the lower hull is still to shape at a later date.There is quite a bit of difference between kit and builders model in this area.Franklin states in his book that the stern balcony actually has a grated deck.The carvings below the balcony act as knees to support this deck and to a lesser extent the stern structure.This is not easily visible in pictures but after enlarging the NMM pics as much as possible it became clear how this construction worked.
This is a far as I am taking this side for now,work will commence on the port side.There a still some small round gunports to create for the poopdeck,but I am not confident to the actual finished level of this deck at the moment so they will be added a little later.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Smashing Stuff Nigel.. it is indeed the Cats Pyjamas !!  
 
Eamonn

I have now fitted all the upper gunport cills.These have been faired off flush inside and out.The counter side timber has also been fitted,but the lower hull is still to shape at a later date.There is quite a bit of difference between kit and builders model in this area.Franklin states in his book that the stern balcony actually has a grated deck.The carvings below the balcony act as knees to support this deck and to a lesser extent the stern structure.This is not easily visible in pictures but after enlarging the NMM pics as much as possible it became clear how this construction worked.
This is a far as I am taking this side for now,work will commence on the port side.There a still some small round gunports to create for the poopdeck,but I am not confident to the actual finished level of this deck at the moment so they will be added a little later.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Fabulous work mate, really looking forward to see the round gunports, they are a big part of her look!
 
/Matti

Beautiful work Nigel !!!!!!
 

I have now fitted all the upper gunport cills.These have been faired off flush inside and out.The counter side timber has also been fitted,but the lower hull is still to shape at a later date.There is quite a bit of difference between kit and builders model in this area.Franklin states in his book that the stern balcony actually has a grated deck.The carvings below the balcony act as knees to support this deck and to a lesser extent the stern structure.This is not easily visible in pictures but after enlarging the NMM pics as much as possible it became clear how this construction worked.
This is a far as I am taking this side for now,work will commence on the port side.There a still some small round gunports to create for the poopdeck,but I am not confident to the actual finished level of this deck at the moment so they will be added a little later.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

I have now fitted all the upper gunport cills.These have been faired off flush inside and out.The counter side timber has also been fitted,but the lower hull is still to shape at a later date.There is quite a bit of difference between kit and builders model in this area.Franklin states in his book that the stern balcony actually has a grated deck.The carvings below the balcony act as knees to support this deck and to a lesser extent the stern structure.This is not easily visible in pictures but after enlarging the NMM pics as much as possible it became clear how this construction worked.
This is a far as I am taking this side for now,work will commence on the port side.There a still some small round gunports to create for the poopdeck,but I am not confident to the actual finished level of this deck at the moment so they will be added a little later.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

I have now fitted all the upper gunport cills.These have been faired off flush inside and out.The counter side timber has also been fitted,but the lower hull is still to shape at a later date.There is quite a bit of difference between kit and builders model in this area.Franklin states in his book that the stern balcony actually has a grated deck.The carvings below the balcony act as knees to support this deck and to a lesser extent the stern structure.This is not easily visible in pictures but after enlarging the NMM pics as much as possible it became clear how this construction worked.
This is a far as I am taking this side for now,work will commence on the port side.There a still some small round gunports to create for the poopdeck,but I am not confident to the actual finished level of this deck at the moment so they will be added a little later.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Looks great Nigel - the first photo really shows the lines, much more interesting (and I'm assuming challenging) than the later ships.  Intrigued to see how the stern comes together.

I have now fitted all the upper gunport cills.These have been faired off flush inside and out.The counter side timber has also been fitted,but the lower hull is still to shape at a later date.There is quite a bit of difference between kit and builders model in this area.Franklin states in his book that the stern balcony actually has a grated deck.The carvings below the balcony act as knees to support this deck and to a lesser extent the stern structure.This is not easily visible in pictures but after enlarging the NMM pics as much as possible it became clear how this construction worked.
This is a far as I am taking this side for now,work will commence on the port side.There a still some small round gunports to create for the poopdeck,but I am not confident to the actual finished level of this deck at the moment so they will be added a little later.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

I have now fitted all the upper gunport cills.These have been faired off flush inside and out.The counter side timber has also been fitted,but the lower hull is still to shape at a later date.There is quite a bit of difference between kit and builders model in this area.Franklin states in his book that the stern balcony actually has a grated deck.The carvings below the balcony act as knees to support this deck and to a lesser extent the stern structure.This is not easily visible in pictures but after enlarging the NMM pics as much as possible it became clear how this construction worked.
This is a far as I am taking this side for now,work will commence on the port side.There a still some small round gunports to create for the poopdeck,but I am not confident to the actual finished level of this deck at the moment so they will be added a little later.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Just a thought Michael if you haven't had reached the 'gluing' stage.I dare say though,unless you had posted something,none of us would be any wiser.They cannons really do look fabulous.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

That's a nice production line you have set up Michael That is a LOT of parts but I am sure the result will be more than worth it in the long run.One last suggestion re the drilling jig,label it and put it in the tool box,you will probably find it will come in again I used to throw mine away,but have now learnt to save them,the small ones at least as they take no space up.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Yes I think that would work, I would add a simple wooden moulding strip to match the one above the name to complete the effect.
 
B.E.
I

Hello B.E.
 
here only a rough photomontage of the thought....
 
Nils
 
 
 

as if it were to be..., These two decorations were srplus on the etched sheet anyhow