bdgiantman2

Making the breech ropes.
 
There are many ways to do this.  I have simplified it.  Here is a step by step.   I am using my poly rope so CA glue was used.   
 
Start with a breech rope slightly longer than you will need (.055 tan).  Have four eyebolts with rings at the ready.   Also have whatever line you intend to use for seizing ready.   In my case some Guttermann mara 120 thread that matched my rope color.  Note that I have made a loose granny knot on this.  Or one simple overhand knot but left open and ready to go!!!
 

 
Place one ringbolt on the rope and simply bend it over to form a loop.  Leave the tail a bit longish.  I just squeeze the loose loop as shown below with my fingers.  No helping hands needed.  Then I slip the seizing "open knot" onto the end.   Easy peasy.  Then cinch it tight....
 

 
This is what it looks like.  And yes the seizing needs to be pushed closer to the end of the breech and ringbolt.  No glue as of yet.
 

 
Use a tweezers that you are comfy using for this stuff.   Slide the seizing which is still just a loose overhand knot closer to the end.   It may open a bit.  Thats OK.  Just tighten it again when the seizing is where you want it.  At this stage I place the tiniest bit of CA glue (any glue will work here)  on the knot after tightening it.  Then I use my fingers to brush away any excess so it doesnt make the rope stained or discolored.   Yes you get CA on your fingers.   But the rope stays perfectly clean.   I see folks moaning that CA darkens and stains the rope.  This is nonsense if you wipe most of it away before it dries and you dont use too much to begin with.
 

 
No discoloration....super simple method and no helping hands or wacky jigs yet.
 

 
It may be hard to see in the photo below.   But
I take one loose end of the seizing and pinch it between my fingers and away from the seizing.   I am basically pinching the ringbolt and top of the looped breech line.   See the other loose end hanging off the far side?
 

 
Take that loose end and simply wrap it around the breech two or three times.  I have seen folks wrap like 25 times and make a long seizing.,  This never lays correctly and will look sloppy.  I keep my seizings always very short with at maximum only 3 wraps around.  Then I add a drop of CA to the top of the wrapped seizings.  Just a small drop.   No knotting needed.   I pinch and brush the excess CA away with my fingers to keep it clean without darkening at all.  It will only stain if you douse it with way too much CA.  What  a mess that makes and changes the texture of the rope.  Your fingers get sticky and pull the fibers of the rope etc.  I just dip a toothpick into some CA on a scrap piece of wood and barely touch the seizing.  
 

 
Then using a tiny scissors which I have maybe 5 of.....these are spring loaded micro scissors that are very sharp.   I cut the loose ends of the seizing very close to the breech rope.  You dont want to see any sticking out after cutting.  Sometimes a mall amount of CA on that end and using a tweezers to fold it into the breach rope will solve this issue.   I hate when the cut loose ends stick out.  Cut both loose ends.
 

 
Its nice and neat and no discoloration or staining.  Rope is clean and crisp as it should be.  Note the long "loose" end of the breech rope.
 

 
Time to trim that with a sharp blade.  Trim it close and at an angle.  To keep the end of the cut rope from fraying I sometimes put some CA on the op where I am going to cut it.  Then immediately wipe it away with my fingers again to keep it clean before it dries.   
 

 
The cut end....note the angle of the cut and the clean rope with no fraying or staining.
 

 
Then slide two ringbolts on the breech rope which will be inserted on the gun carriages later.  Take the last one and repeat the process to seize the other end just like we described.
 

 
Only now you should slide the cinched seizing and adjust the length so the overall breech rope is the correct length.   Then just finish it as you did the other side.
 

 
Then I make a simulated fake splice in the center to place on the  cannon or Carronade.  I make sure one of those ring bolts are on each side of the center first.  It is very important.  Then I use my plan for the breech line to find the center.   I use a sharp awl to then pierce the center of the breech rope.   I always use 4 strand breech rope so I can pierce it with two strands on each side.  Then I use some CA to stiffen the splice and keep its shape.   I pinch and brush away the excess before it dries....right away.   It will hold its shape.   No shiny spots or staining or discoloration.
 

 
Finished breech rope.
 

 
 

Fred, I am sorry that I do not have any pictures of the making of the entry steps.
But the method was the same as for the fancy moldings.
 
I'm slowly moving on here are some photos

 

Lower platforms (aft)
I've been held up a bit in getting these completed due to some mohs surgery on my neck and face. Thankfully, the doctors got it all and it's healing quickly.
 
I did these platforms the same way as the fore platforms. The angles of the beams are a bit trickier, especially the ones further aft. As usual I used spacers between the carlings which were removed after the carlings were glued in. All of this will be covered by the platforms, but if they showed I would definitely mortise them.

Making the foremost aft platform proved to be an interesting project. This was done in sections moving from the center out. Tricky but lots of fun to make.

I ended up using Chuck's laser cut mast coat rather than doing it from scratch. Just wasn't in the mood for the inevitable re-dos.

Mike

Riding bitts
Making these turned out to be an interesting project. The basic shape for the pins and cross piece was taken from the plan drawings. The bevel on the ends of each piece was made by hand turning the disc sander set at 45°. Instead of using a file to shape the thin step beyond the bevel I simply added 1/64" caps made from strip wood.

To shape the round offs for these pieces I wrapped some 180 grit sticky backed sandpaper around a pencil which was then turned in the drill press for shaping. 

Mike

You're developing or thinking about an even bigger design? Oh snaaaaaaaaaaaaap!! Must be one of the 3rd rates, but could be something bigger. Your engineering skills are impressive. I can tell you and Mr. Passaro think very similarly. 

You're developing or thinking about an even bigger design? Oh snaaaaaaaaaaaaap!! Must be one of the 3rd rates, but could be something bigger. Your engineering skills are impressive. I can tell you and Mr. Passaro think very similarly. 

Take at look at Blue Jacket, I saw a 5-blade prop on there you can buy. Not sure the scale. https://www.bluejacketinc.com/shop/fittings/under-water/propellers/5-blade/f0918-1-1-2-dia-rh/

Pretty vessel, I can see why someone would convert into a personal yacht. Thank you so much for your service, I will follow this blog with interest.
 
Brian D

Still trunnelling and nothing new to share. I'm at about the 50-yard line right now. I wish I had more time for making trunnels and installing them, but I don't. I'm just doing the best I can via the time that I have available. Installing the trunnels is fast. It's making those darned things that take up a lot of time.  
The NRG should launch a "Trunnel Savings and Loan" where 'investors' build up a reserve of various needed trunnel materials... and people like me can become a member and borrow readymade trunnelling materials, when desired, then pay that material back via monthly installments of the same trunnel material(s) borrowed, 'trunnel interest included', in order to keep the trunnel stock reserve afloat and growing! Maybe even offer 'Trunnel Stock' where shares can be purchased at 'X' amount of material inches per share of stock and dividends paid out in free future trunnel materials. 😏  Mind you... I haven't thought this out thoroughly. I just came up with this brilliant idea after drinking a pint of 4.7% ABV Pale Ale. Let me toss another pint or few down my neck and I'll 'surely have the perfect plan' concocted! 
     

You and Mr. Ribbits have done a great job. Carry on!!

She may be a beast, but I am impressed with your scratch-building this whole thing the way you are. Portland is coming along very nicely, keep it up
 
Brian D

Hamilton -
 
I've been following your build quietly and you have overall done a great job on this cross-section. Is this just me, or in the picture looking straight down over the model, it looks like the aft wall of the pumphouse is off center too far to the right?? I am sure that I would have made that same mistake myself making such items.
 
Brian D

I get reminded a lot doing this hobby how Rome wasn't built in a single day concerning progress.  Model is coming along nicely, doing a great job.
 
Brian D

You can try also making a stub mast on a spare flat piece of wood and practice the sizing that way. Archjofo has very good pictures how he does sizing with descriptive articles as well.

Giampiero, the plastic/resin are just a prototype to define the shape and alignment.
Scrubby will CNC machine boxwood blocks for the final parts. At least that is what I could understand 🙂
 
Yves

She may be a beast, but I am impressed with your scratch-building this whole thing the way you are. Portland is coming along very nicely, keep it up
 
Brian D

She may be a beast, but I am impressed with your scratch-building this whole thing the way you are. Portland is coming along very nicely, keep it up
 
Brian D

Hello colleagues,
Thank you in advance for your kind feedback.
 
When I started the final rigging, I was a bit too optimistic...😁
 
Making more blocks for tackles for truss pendants, redirecting the braces, bowlines, etc.
Before I take the model out of the dust cover as announced and start the final rigging, I thought that it would be more clever to make the missing blocks so that I can then make the craft room dust-free.
This required a lot of research to get some clarity about various design details.
In particular, it was about making the tackles for the truss pendants of the lower yards. The truss pendants themselves are already attached to the lower yards. Later, when attaching the lower yards, the ends of the truss pendants have to be guided through the sheaves on the trestle trees. Then thimbles have to be tied into the ends, to which the rope tackles can then be hooked. This drawing from the Atlas de Génie Maritime illustrates the principle.
 

Source: Extract from the Atlas du Génie Maritime Pl. 23
 
 
These tackles and other blocks with corresponding strops and thimbles, depending on the use, can be seen in the following picture.

Some time ago I also made a series of guide blocks, as shown below, which are hooked into the area of the belaying pin rails.

 
Accordingly, there shouldn't be too many blocks missing now. So I will now look through the rigging again using the monograph in conjunction with the pictures of the original model that I have available in order to capture as many blocks as possible. The tackles topsail halyards spring to mind and there are certainly still some deflection and guide blocks missing from the upper rigging.
 
With regard to the final rigging, I am wondering how the standing parts of the braces are correctly attached to the stays. There is certainly a specific way of attaching them (knots, banding, etc.). Unfortunately, I have not been able to find anything about this so far, neither in the specialist literature nor on the Internet.
 
I would therefore be very grateful if you could give me some advice.

To be continued...
 

I finished the stbd side planking of the main wale up..finally. I apologize in advance to anyone who takes on this planking behemoth!
I attempted to give a more “worn” look to the wales, similar to some of the contemporary models I’ve seen, I need to play with it a little more but I think it adds a little character. 
I still need to clean up the gunports a little more and then paint the margins of the planks after another coat or WOP, but I’m finally making some noticeable progress. 
Thanks for looking in.
JJ
 

Thank you Brian;
 
it is hard to stay focused at the beginning when you are just cutting pieces but when it starts to get a shape than all exitement begins..
 
 

I get reminded a lot doing this hobby how Rome wasn't built in a single day concerning progress.  Model is coming along nicely, doing a great job.
 
Brian D

I get reminded a lot doing this hobby how Rome wasn't built in a single day concerning progress.  Model is coming along nicely, doing a great job.
 
Brian D

Now came one of the more complicated parts.

Hello friends. With my limited abilities at this time to be working on the keel and ribs like I am wanting to, I have changed my focus for the time to the favorite topic of the gun carriages.  I have provided you a picture of the wheel chassis for one of the carronades. I found pieces of styrene that came molded in a square shape and filed away one of the sides. That provided me the opening for the wheels and the block of wood that I make still. Each of wheels are 1/16" wide, used a small diameter dowel I found in my workshop that proved the perfect size.  

With the weather remaining nice here, I have been attempting to make new progress despite limitations involving certain power tools.  Currently working on several more of Eagles rib frames in addition to more on the guns from my last post. Using a giant sanding block a member of my local guild gave to me, I thinned down the two widest frames on Eagle and have them sitting in position (Frames 7 and 8 on the jig plan). The frames of identical shape immediately behind are being shaped up and will be constructed hopefully soon.  Also been attempting some other rib construction both in bow and stern (Frame P in the bow and Frame 36 which is sternpost).  In the photo you will also see the keel guides I have made but haven't yet screwed into place yet.
 
Brian D