Landrotten Highlander

This last week was Spring Break for us.  I took a few days off so I didn't get much done.  I was able make a little progress on the paddlewheel.  They just need the buckets and they will be complete.  Hopefully, this next week will be a little more productive.
 
 

 

 

Continuation
 
We have seen in few post an height adjustable table. It is particularly interesting when work while standing. An height adjustable chair is also helping.
 
Taking pictures also helps to see errors we would not note otherwise as in the last picture  which shows that there are still some adjustments to be made in the lenght of some parts.

Thank you again, all, for visiting this log and for your comments. 
 
A small update. The corner seats forward of the coach have been made and installed. These were some trouble, and I made three sets before I was satisfied. Running the moulding along the edges where the grain direction changed was difficult, as there was a tendency for tear-out.
 
Instead of wooden standards uniting the thwarts and sides, there are iron straps. On Prince Frederick's barge, the arm of the strap that runs across the thwart is inset flush to the thwart's surface. The side arm is bent as appropriate over the inner sides of the planking. This detail completes the structures in the rowing section.
 
While the model is invertible without risk, I shall be cleaning up the outer sides of the planking and softening the edges of the laps. It is also time to make and fit the gudgeons.

The cannon were addressed next.  My original intention was to cast my own cannon.  But after looking at the dimensions of the cannon available through Syren, I decided to cheat and use his instead.  Maybe someday...  I also purchased Chuck's monograms to apply to the cannon barrels. I bored the barrels to the correct diameter and then blackened them in Birchwood Casey. Specifically, they were cleaned in isopropanol and blackened for approximately thirty seconds. They were then rinsed in water and wiped dry.  The process was repeated five times.  Finally, they were rubbed down with a paper towel.  The monogram was applied with CA; Titebond did not hold.  The monogram was "painted" with archival marker.  Now it is time to mount the cannon barrel.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

I am stunned to realize that I have not posted on this build log for almost two months!  Well, work and life just have a tendency to get in the way.  I have started working on the armament.  There are sixteen cannon on Atalanta.  I will be showing the eight on the port side.  This project has taken three times as long as I had anticipated and is not over yet.  
 
The first step is making the carriage side.  I laminated strips of costello the correct thickness together.  The various steps were milled into the laminated blank.  The curved under-carriage was roughly milled and the filed smooth.  The pictures show the blank from different angles.
 

 

 

 
Holes for the various bolt were drilled while the blank was still intact for stability.
 

 
The remaining parts of the carriage (axles, wheels, bed) were made.  There was nothing complicated about any of these parts.  The front and rear wheels are different diameters. These were turned down on a lathe and then cut off with a razor saw to prevent chipping. 
 

 
I made a very simple jig to facilitate assembly.  On the left side one can see the two size holes for the wheels.  The center hole for the axle was drill by inserting the wheel into the jig.  This helped prevent splitting.
 

 
The next pictures show various views of the partially completed carriages, including various rings, the bed bolt and the wheel pins.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Finally the quoin and the rest of the bolts were added.  The quoins were hand carved.  
 

 

Hi All,
I learned today that two ship-wrecks from the 'golden age of sail' have been found
 
The first link relates to the portugese vessel 'Esmeralda', which sank of the coast of Oman in a storm in the year 1503.  Most of the ship has disappeared due to its location in shallow water, but plenty of unique artefacts (including what they think is an astrolabe) have been found.
 
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/mar/15/marine-archaeologists-discover-rare-artefacts-at-1503-shipwreck-site
 
 
The other thing I read  this mornng (it is in Dutch/Flemish) is about a Dutch Fregat built in Medemblik, West Friesland around 1708.  The archeologists are 95% certain it is the 'Huis te Warmelo' and sank apparently by stricking a rock.  The remarkable thing about this wreck is that the ship is in excellent condition - the cold water has preserved the wooden construction so that even the guns are still standing on the deck.
 
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20160314_02182297
 
Would love to hear from anybody that can shed some further light on both vessels.
 
Slainte
Peter
 

Hi All,
I learned today that two ship-wrecks from the 'golden age of sail' have been found
 
The first link relates to the portugese vessel 'Esmeralda', which sank of the coast of Oman in a storm in the year 1503.  Most of the ship has disappeared due to its location in shallow water, but plenty of unique artefacts (including what they think is an astrolabe) have been found.
 
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/mar/15/marine-archaeologists-discover-rare-artefacts-at-1503-shipwreck-site
 
 
The other thing I read  this mornng (it is in Dutch/Flemish) is about a Dutch Fregat built in Medemblik, West Friesland around 1708.  The archeologists are 95% certain it is the 'Huis te Warmelo' and sank apparently by stricking a rock.  The remarkable thing about this wreck is that the ship is in excellent condition - the cold water has preserved the wooden construction so that even the guns are still standing on the deck.
 
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20160314_02182297
 
Would love to hear from anybody that can shed some further light on both vessels.
 
Slainte
Peter
 

bolting of the whelps with .03 monofilament
 

 

Hi All,
I learned today that two ship-wrecks from the 'golden age of sail' have been found
 
The first link relates to the portugese vessel 'Esmeralda', which sank of the coast of Oman in a storm in the year 1503.  Most of the ship has disappeared due to its location in shallow water, but plenty of unique artefacts (including what they think is an astrolabe) have been found.
 
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/mar/15/marine-archaeologists-discover-rare-artefacts-at-1503-shipwreck-site
 
 
The other thing I read  this mornng (it is in Dutch/Flemish) is about a Dutch Fregat built in Medemblik, West Friesland around 1708.  The archeologists are 95% certain it is the 'Huis te Warmelo' and sank apparently by stricking a rock.  The remarkable thing about this wreck is that the ship is in excellent condition - the cold water has preserved the wooden construction so that even the guns are still standing on the deck.
 
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20160314_02182297
 
Would love to hear from anybody that can shed some further light on both vessels.
 
Slainte
Peter
 

Hi All,
I learned today that two ship-wrecks from the 'golden age of sail' have been found
 
The first link relates to the portugese vessel 'Esmeralda', which sank of the coast of Oman in a storm in the year 1503.  Most of the ship has disappeared due to its location in shallow water, but plenty of unique artefacts (including what they think is an astrolabe) have been found.
 
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/mar/15/marine-archaeologists-discover-rare-artefacts-at-1503-shipwreck-site
 
 
The other thing I read  this mornng (it is in Dutch/Flemish) is about a Dutch Fregat built in Medemblik, West Friesland around 1708.  The archeologists are 95% certain it is the 'Huis te Warmelo' and sank apparently by stricking a rock.  The remarkable thing about this wreck is that the ship is in excellent condition - the cold water has preserved the wooden construction so that even the guns are still standing on the deck.
 
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20160314_02182297
 
Would love to hear from anybody that can shed some further light on both vessels.
 
Slainte
Peter
 

Hi All,
I learned today that two ship-wrecks from the 'golden age of sail' have been found
 
The first link relates to the portugese vessel 'Esmeralda', which sank of the coast of Oman in a storm in the year 1503.  Most of the ship has disappeared due to its location in shallow water, but plenty of unique artefacts (including what they think is an astrolabe) have been found.
 
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/mar/15/marine-archaeologists-discover-rare-artefacts-at-1503-shipwreck-site
 
 
The other thing I read  this mornng (it is in Dutch/Flemish) is about a Dutch Fregat built in Medemblik, West Friesland around 1708.  The archeologists are 95% certain it is the 'Huis te Warmelo' and sank apparently by stricking a rock.  The remarkable thing about this wreck is that the ship is in excellent condition - the cold water has preserved the wooden construction so that even the guns are still standing on the deck.
 
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20160314_02182297
 
Would love to hear from anybody that can shed some further light on both vessels.
 
Slainte
Peter
 

Hi All,
I learned today that two ship-wrecks from the 'golden age of sail' have been found
 
The first link relates to the portugese vessel 'Esmeralda', which sank of the coast of Oman in a storm in the year 1503.  Most of the ship has disappeared due to its location in shallow water, but plenty of unique artefacts (including what they think is an astrolabe) have been found.
 
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/mar/15/marine-archaeologists-discover-rare-artefacts-at-1503-shipwreck-site
 
 
The other thing I read  this mornng (it is in Dutch/Flemish) is about a Dutch Fregat built in Medemblik, West Friesland around 1708.  The archeologists are 95% certain it is the 'Huis te Warmelo' and sank apparently by stricking a rock.  The remarkable thing about this wreck is that the ship is in excellent condition - the cold water has preserved the wooden construction so that even the guns are still standing on the deck.
 
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20160314_02182297
 
Would love to hear from anybody that can shed some further light on both vessels.
 
Slainte
Peter
 

Thanks Ken....maybe a future tech session at the club.  But there really isnt much to say.  Its done the same exact exact way that so many folks make them.
 
I just wrap the rope around a dowel.  I try and use the smallest amount of white glue...just on the top of the coil.   
 
Thats the real trick....try not to handle them too much and certainly less glue is better...watered down white glue.  Otherwise the rope gets mashed and you stick to it and pull fuzz up from it.  Keep your rope clean.  Less handling is key with clean fingers.
 
Then I take one of the hanging coils and wrap it around the top tightly to form the handle....so-to-speak.  Wrap it around the coil from the inside.   Twice around does the trick.
 
By the way,  none of the belaying pins are glued into position yet.  These coils are just temporary placed on top of them at this point...I will eventually just pull them off and store them in a box until rigging begins.
 
Also its just a great idea to experiment and make them well ahead of time.   You will need to use more than just one size.  Test them out before rigging begins.  Here are the five or six coils I will eventually hang on this rail.   You need to use thicker rope sometimes...how does it effect the rope its hanging next to?   How do you need to bend it so it hangs nicely in front of or in back of the coils next to it?  Should I vary the length of the coils a bit so its not to uniform?  Does it look too messy and hap-hazard?  These are the questions I am pondering at the moment.    I am just fumbling through it like everyone else.  The rails will fill up quickly and it gets harder to make them look natural.  Better to have a test run now rather than when you have all of that rigging.....shrouds....and backstays.....in the way.   Its just too frustrating then.  It becomes an after thought almost.  Because such a large grouping of rope on these pin rails becomes an important focal point...its a good idea to spend more time on it rater than wait. Otherwise it will detract from all of the other hard work you did.
 
Take a lot of photos of your test run from various angles as well.  Its a huge help.  I am still fussin....these close-up photos are brutal.  It often looks so much better just viewing the model first hand.  The naked eye can never see this level of detail as shown in the macro shots.
 
Chuck
 

 

 

Continuation.
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
The beginning of the relation is available at this address:
 
 
http://5500.forumact...ndre-1-24#66516
 
 
 
Regards, Paul

Head figure for Pegasus model. First, design model in 3D, then CNC mashining and manual finishing of.

here are some pics of the stern gallery. I have left some blinds down and some up (coloured blue).
Dick
 

 

The lines I have hanging are in much larger coils and may hang more naturally...I have images of hemp rope on ships looking like that.  BUT having said that...rope coils made on deck and meant to be kept neat....well that may be different and why I thought to make them tighter and more circular.
 
Take a look at this.  This is actually a training session in Maine on board a sailing ship.  I believe they may have been handled differently but I agree the old rope may have been very stiff indeed.  But who knows in the end.   The only real way to make the coils on deck more natural would be to make them very sloppy as if a drunken sailor made them.  If they coiled them like this fella it looks pretty plausible.   And pretty easy to make a good circle of coils.  I imagine the sailors got quite good at it very quickly.
 

 
vs. hanging
 

 
and my interpretation for comparison...
 

 
Chuck

Well, you'll all have to wait a bit yet. 
 
The forward deck/platforms are made and fitted. The same card template strategy was used as for the footwaling and aft platforms. There are a few more details on the thwarts to take care of: iron strap standards that attach them to the side. Then there are small corner benches to make and fit just forward of the coach (cabin).

Continuation.
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
The beginning of the relation is available at this address:
 
 
http://5500.forumact...ndre-1-24#66516
 
 
 
Regards, Paul

Continuation.
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
The beginning of the relation is available at this address:
 
 
http://5500.forumact...ndre-1-24#66516
 
 
 
Regards, Paul

Thanks again for your encouragement, folks.
 
All the thwarts are now in, along with their longitudinal pieces. Once I figured out my strategy, this was easier to accomplish than I thought. After marking out and cutting recesses in the thwart, a small tongue was glued underneath. This prevents the longitudinal strip from falling through and allows it to sit flush to the thwart. The recesses are carefully marked and cut using a scalpel. The longitudinal is cut to length and the corners bevelled to 45 degrees using a fine sanding stick. I found that using a chisel here was difficult, as I could not cut the corners consistently.
 
Next are the two small platforms or decks forward of the first thwart. That will complete internal work at the fore end of the model.

The bow of this ship has certainly been a challenge.  Here she is, still very much in the rough.  I have installed through frame V.  The sheer line still needs to be defined, but I will worry about that later.  I experimented with a yellow Titebond woodglue that I am not a fan of.  Switching back to Elmers Carpenter - a white glue for the duration. At this stage, I am 72-hours into the build, again, averaging about an hour or so each day.
 

 

You will note that the template is still on the port frame V. As per the book, I am trying to keep the templates on as long as possible.
 

The shape of the bow at the sheer line has turned out a little sharp.  I plan to correct this in the planking stage.  Otherwise, she is symmetrical. 

Had some time today to rig the carriage tackles.   I used 1/8" single blocks and .012 light brown rope.  I also used my 3mm hooks.   These were all made off the model and took some considerable time to make.   They fixed in position and the end of the tackle glue to the deck.  Then a small rope coil was glued on top of that.
 
I also took the time to experiment with a few rope coils for the pin rails.  I wanted to improve my abilities here and there is no time better than now.  With no rigging in the way I can experiment with different lengths and techniques and see how they will look.  I think these look pretty good.   I tried about a dozen different sizes and configurations.  The goal of course is to make them look somewhat natural without making my crew get in trouble for being so sloppy and undisciplined.  
 
Now to go through the whole process again on the other side.  Yikes.
 

 

Turned some pillars for under the thwarts freehand with files. As there are only five to make, it was not worth the effort to make a contour pattern. The pillars will be almost invisible in the finished model anyway! The stock was 2" square.
 
Started cutting and fitting thwarts. The ensign staff step was also added under the wider thwart before the area became inaccessible. The thwart itself has now been drilled for the staff and installed (third photo).

I completed the lining of hawses and the hole for the wall of the mainsail