lagrayjr

What has left is the “key” of the shackle.
You might find your way to represent that “key” but following the above method, you have to consider at least the diameter of the holes of the shackles. It’s rather rare to find something to look like nail…3-4 mm long and with less than 0,50 mm in diameter.
 
Thankfully I recalled a tip from another mate some years before.
For those who are not familiar with the inner of a pc, the processor has one of its surfaces full of pins. What I did, is to set up a small fire in my backyard and take the last offer of an Athlon processor….
Then I collected many and ready for use “keys” for my shackles.
For those who will follow the same tip, you will find that many of those pins come out with some lead on their head. Don’t panic. Just keep them with a tweezers over a lighter's flame…

 
....................................................
 
That’s all mates. I hope at least I have inspired you and I’m sorry if you get tired with the use of English language... 
 
Many thanks

Not too much has gotten accomplished on Atalanta these last few weeks.  Two weeks ago she took a trip to the Midwest Model Ship Show in Manitowoc Wisconsin.  Bill Maxwell's magnificent Fly and Atalanta were displayed next to each other as works in progress.  Last week was spent in the garden.  This week it rained so much I was able to put in a little quality modeling time. Next week all the weeds will have grown like...weeds!
 

 
The standards and most of the eyebolts have been added to the main and mizzen channels.  The iron supports for the main studding sail boom are fixed to the main channel.  These are a gooseneck and an eyestrap.  My apologies for lack of photos-in-progress but the camera was not available until after completion.  These are straightforward pieces to fabricate.  The straps taper in thickness outboard to in.  The "neck" on the gooseneck is a piece of brass tubing cut in half and silver soldered to the strap.  There is a step on the eyestrap which was made by soldering an extra piece of brass to the undersurface and filing down the top to form the step. They are bolted to the channel.
 

 

 
There are eight swivel gun mounts, three on the forecastle and five on the quarterdeck. Although identical in configuration, each one is different in length.  I started with a 9" square stock and milled the top part into an octagon.  Then, based on the plan, the final length of the octagonal section was determined and cut by hand.  There is a shoulder transitioning between the square and octagonal sections and this was made with a file.  The square section tapers at the foot except where it abuts the hull.  It is installed perpendicular to the waterline and secured with two bolts.
 
There is a reinforcing strap and socket which accepts the mount for the swivel gun.  In real life, this is recessed into the gun mount.  In 1:48 life, this was made of acid free paper which was dyed with a archival black pen.  I attempted to make a decent appearing hoop but decided the only way to get an octagonal hoop was to also use paper, wrapped three times around the gun mount to get the correct thickness (0.5").  I have also finally cut off the top timbers flush with the rail.  I left them long to protect the top of the ship.  Now, on the port side, the gun mounts will perform the same duty.  They have temporarily been kept long on the starboard side.
 

 

I'd like one of these, a fully functional miniature Bridgeport!
 

Another photos 
 

 

 

 

 

FAIRING THE HULL
 
I haven't posted in many weeks, but I have been busy working on preparing Terror's hull for planking. I've been relatively obsessive about this aspect of my build, because getting the shape of Terror right has been a real challenge. She was modified so many times (and had so many layers of planking), that her hull shape was somewhat of a mystery to me (at least at the bow and stern). However, I think I've reached a stage where I can move forward. 
 
Below I'll present the steps in the process and what I learned about Terror (and Erebus), as I worked. 
 
 
 

Before I could begin faring the hull, it was necessary to fill in the 
stern and bow of the model using filling blocks. I created these 
from 1/4" plywood, laser cut using measurements from the 
ship's plans. This image displays the three starboard filling 
blocks used at the bow. 
 
 

The filling blocks were carved to shape using card 
guides cut to match the lines of the half breadth plan. 
 
 

Placing the filling blocks side-by-side as they were carved ensured that they 
were symmetrical. The lamination in the plywood was also helpful
 in this regard. However, plywood is a poor carving material, 
and I would think twice about using it again.
 
 

In 1839, the solid chock (ice) channels on Terror were extended around the bow. I 
constructed these from several layers of basswood. 
 
 

These chocks were then shaped to match the proper cross section of the channels. 
 
 

The ice channels were glued in place on the bow and scrap wood 
was used to rough out the bulwark shape. The excessive
use of glue didn't escape Mini-Crozier's critical eye. 
 
 

The gaps in the bulwarks were filled using basswood strips of appropriate thickness. 
 
 

Rather than filling and sanding seams and gaps, basswood leveling strips 
were applied to the upper surface of the ice channels. The channels
were then filed to shape using card stock templates. Scrap wood was 
used to fill in any large gaps in the bulwarks. 
 
 

The completed bow just prior to sanding. I checked the symmetry 
and level of each side of the ice channel obsessively with a height 
gauge while the model was still on its building board. The
asymmetry of the filling stock used to shape the bulwarks 
is a product of the odds and ends in my spoil bin, and while 
unsightly, it won't be visible when the model is planked. 
 
 

This image shows the faired forward bulkheads and bow filling blocks, just prior to final
sanding. The merchant-like shape of Terror's bow and the imposing nature of the ice 
channel grafted to it can be seen in this view. Note how far the ice channel 
overhangs the bow relative to the port side of the ship; this is because it 
sits on three layers of planking, including a layer of 3" lower planks,
 a second layer of 8" planks, and a third layer 
of even thicker reinforcing planks. 
 
 

An image of the faired stern, detailing the single filling block used 
in this area. The stern rabbet is in the process of being finalized
in this image. 
 
 

With the hull faired, the stern timbers could be installed. These 
were laser cut from Swiss pear.  The outermost stern timbers, 
on the left, were cut in two sections, as they form an angle 
when installed correctly. 
 
 
Prior to describing how the stern timbers were installed, it is important to note how this area of the ship was designed by Oliver Lang, the shipwright who refit Erebus and Terror for the Franklin Expedition. Because of  the massive size of the propeller well and the rudder post which formed its aft wall, Lang had little room left to fit the six stern timbers and four stern lights (windows) in the counter. His solution can be seen in the 1845 Erebus and Terror stern model in the collection of the National Maritime Museum, in Chatham. 

Inspection of the propeller well in that model shows that the stern timbers were actually used to form side walls of the well. However, they could not be fayed directly to the sides of the rudder post as this wouldn't leave enough space for the stern lights (windows). This meant that the stern timbers had to be inset into the sides of the rudder post by three inches to form the side walls of the propeller well. Remarkably, Lang achieved all of this with almost no modification of Terror's existing stern framing. With the rudder post locked directly into the two central stern timbers, the whole structure was incredibly robust.  It is important to note that the inset stern timbers may not have been needed on Erebus, which had a slightly wider counter than Terror. 
 
 

Simplified plan of Terror's counter architecture. Note how the stern timbers overlap 
the rudder post. Also noteworthy is the position of the upper deck transom, 
which could be fayed directly to the aft side of the rudder post in this configuration. 
 
 

In this image, the slot/inset for the stern timber has been cut into the rudder 
post. Note how it is level with the interior sides of the propeller well. 
 
 

A view from the aft side of the rudder post showing the insets for the stern timbers. 
Note the square slots in the stern filling blocks cut to accept the heels of the stern timbers 
(no wing transom was required for construction for this stage).
 
 

Checking the fit with a stern timber. This won't be visible in the finished model. 
 
 

Checking alignment. 
 
 

The stern timbers were fitted with the help of a jig. The jig was designed to be
clamped to the bulwarks, using the station lines printed on it as guides. 
 
 

Detail of the aft part of the jig. 
 
 

A height gauge was necessary to ensure that the jig was properly aligned along its aft margin. 
This gauge slid tightly over the aft support of the building board, using the tracks on the left. 
 
 

The jig and height gauge in place, with the center two stern timbers 
installed and clamped. 
 
 

"Wing transom" filling pieces. These are not entirely accurate architecturally 
(they are more like half-transoms), but were carved and sanded to shape 
to provide a platform for planking the stern. 
 
 

The "wing transom" in place. Note the very slight curve in the transom. As confirmed 
by the 1845 stern model and the 1839 model of Erebus, Terror's 
stern was very square indeed. 
 
 

Rough transverse framing was installed to support the stern timbers. This 
framing is not accurate to plan or scale but rather simply supports the structure
and will not be visible when the model is planked. See the above plan for the
 correct framing. As with the bow, I obsessively relied on a height gauge to 
ensure the entire structure was level and square. 
 
 

A port side view, detailing the stern architecture. Note how the stern 
timbers adjoined the propeller well and rudder post. 
 
 

The completed stern.
 
 
Completing the construction and fairing of the model's stern was a milestone for my project. Not only is the model now ready for planking, finishing this stage of the build revealed a minor mystery surrounding how Lang planked Terror's stern . Lang's 1845 stern refit plan stated that an "....additional part of the wale [was] added to the after end of the ship to form the well or trunk..." for the propeller. Unfortunately, his plan does not reveal if both layers of planking were extended to accomplish this (Terror was double planked against the ice). However, with the construction of this part of the model, his solution became clear to me.

If my model is correct, then it shows that the first layer of Terror's hull planking did not need to be modified in any way by Lang.  In fact, it could simply be left in place, terminating at the edge of the lower counter, as was typical of bomb vessels. Again, if my model architecture is correct, then it shows that Lang could have just extended the second layer of planking to the rudder post. The 1845 stern model shows that this planking rose straight up the rudder post and, when it hit the counter, turned to trace a graceful arc, running from the upper end of the stern rabbet to the lowest portion of the counter at the sides (these planks were fayed directly to the previously planked counter). Lang's stern plan shows that the second layer abutted a beveled margin plank on the counter, although this isn't detailed on his stern model. 
 
 

My planking plan for Terror's stern. The red lines show the lower planking, while 
the white lines show the upper level of planking. The overlap of the planks 
accords well with the 1839 midships section for Erebus and Terror. 
 
 

The current condition of Terror. She's just about ready for planking. 
 
 

A view from the upper deck. 

Skylights and Ship's Wheel
 
I've been on a several month hiatus from model building, during which progress has been rather slow. However, over the last few weeks, I have been able to get back to my project. Here are the latest results....
 
  The Skylights
 
HMS Erebus and Terror each had two skylights located on the aft of the upper deck. Both follow a design originally adopted by HMS Terror in 1836.  The sides of the skylights were rimmed with panes of glass to allow sunlight into the captain’s cabin and officer’s mess. Unusually, their tops had no peak or even a slight camber – attributes confirmed by the daguerreotype and the NMM model of Erebus. Interestingly, the daguerreotype indicates that the panes were not protected by brass rods as was standard on many Royal Navy vessels of the era – an indication of the peaceful aims of  the expedition. In addition, the aft skylight on HMS Trincomalee, which is very similar to those used on HMS Erebus and Terror, provided important details for my recreation. 
 
The 1836/1837 and 1839 plans for Terror/Erebus indicate the skylights may have had collapsible sides, at least on the starboard. This would have permitted ventilation, if necessary, though the plans seem to indicate the ultimate aim was to enable the skylights to be used as makeshift companionways.  In this scenario, it is likely the roofs of the skylights would have been removable. I opted not to model these aspects of the skylights, as I had no information on how these features were designed.
 

Laser cutting the wheel components.
 
 
Comparing the parts to the plans.
 

Preparing the plastic stock for the windows. I use electronic
blister packaging for this. It is crystal clear, quite thin, does not discolour
in the sun, and is easy to work. 
 

The window panes were inlaid as one strip. I 
scoured and sanded the interior to simulate
window frost (and to obscure the inside of the POB ship). 
 

The completed skylights.
 

 

Mini-Crozier stands next to the his skylights. 
 

 
 
The Ship’s Wheel
 
The 1836/1837 and 1839 plans of HMS Terror and Erebus show that their wheels were slightly smaller than those typically used on Royal Navy ships, being more consistent with those used on merchant vessels of similar size. The recently recovered portion of  Erebus’ wheel, as well as the Le Vesconte daguerreotype, reveal that the wheel itself was relatively plain and was held together by copper alloy screws or nails. Fine examples of this type of  wheel can be found today on HMS Unicorn and HMS Trincomalee. Trincomalee’s wheel isperhaps closest in design, with distinctive grooved felloes nearly identical to those on the HMS Erebus wheel found by Parks Canada.
 
Like most large Royal Navy vessels, Erebus and Terror’s wheels had ten spokes, each radiating at 36 degrees from the barrel. Usually, survey vessels ships of this size would have had an eight spoke wheel; the extra spokes would have substantially increased the strength of such a small wheel, and perhaps it was deemed necessary for arctic exploration.
 
The Le Vesconte daguerreotype indicates that the top of the wheel pedestals were protected by a very heavy moulded brass guard plate. This can be confirmed by the subtle reflections seen on the plate in the daguerreotype. HMS Trincomalee has similar heavy copper guard plates on its wheel pedestals.
 
 

Laser cutting the wheel components.
 

Th finished sheet. 
 

I used the wheel plan to assemble a building jig. 
 

The completed jig. 
 

Gluing the felloes. 
 

Creating the outer groove in the felloes. The same
procedure was used for the inner groove.
 

The rim was notched to receive the spokes. 
 

I don't own a lathe, so each spoke was laser cut 
from sheet stock, then filed into final shape. 
 

Assembling the wheel. The card stock allows for 
the spokes to be centered on the rim. 
 

Spokes in position. 
 

The completed wheel with a 10 cent piece for scale. 
 

The second wheel compared to the first. 
 

The barrel was made from three pieces of sheet stock, 
and filed to final shape. 
 

Gluing the barrel to a wheel, using the spindle as a guide. 
Note the damage on the barrel - caused by a dull blade. 
 

The completed pedestals, with the brass guards in place. Limited information 
on the pedestal hubs was available, so here they are made as simple brass tubes.
​They are barely visible in the completed assembly. 
 

The completed ship's wheel, after applying a coat of Minwax poly.
 

 
 
 
As always, for more content, please see my blog, Building HMS Terror.  
 
 

Hi Mick and Mark,
tanks for the nice comments,
Thank you all for the LIKES.
Meanwhile, I made the thwarts with supports.

Continuation.
 
 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Hello
Gerhard, Carl and Giampiero,
about your interest I am very pleased.
Thank you for that, and also for the many LIKES.

The grating on the floor of the aft cockpit was a special
Challenge.
I think you can see from the plan, what I mean.

 

 

 

Full optimally has not succeeded. Next time, maybe.

Hi Gerhard,
 
I do it again!

 

 

Second deck

4th picture  a tool to turn ropes coils with a coil ejector

Another photos 
 

 

 

Another photos 
 

 

 

 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 163 – Bower Anchors 3
 
In the last part the fabrication of what will be the port bower anchor was completed.  That anchor has still to be blackened and mounted.  Work on the starboard anchor went on concurrently and is described in this part.  In the first picture the shaft and arms of that second anchor have been soldered and it has been set up to solder some short lengths of telescoping square tube that will be used to shape the boss for the wood stock.
 

 
The configuration is different from the first iron bar stock anchor.  In the next picture shaping of the fully soldered anchor has just begun.
 

 
On the first anchor the shackle bolt was soldered in place on the finished anchor.  On this anchor the wooden stock must be installed before the shackle so the shackle bolt was threaded into the shackle to avoid soldering with the wood stock in place.  The threaded rod and shackle are shown below.
 

 
The still unshaped anchor is also shown in this picture.  The shackle threads were made with a jeweler’s tap and die. 
 
The next step was to make the wooden stock.  In the next picture one of the two halves is being mortised to fit over the square anchor shaft.
 

 
Before final shaping of the wooden stock, the iron bands were made.  This may appear backward in sequence but I think it is easier to do the final fitting of the bands by light sanding/filing of the wood stock, rather than to precisely size the bands. 
 
To accurately shape the bands a wood form was made to match the anchor stock shape.  This was marked for band location and copper strips were bent around the form at each location.  In the next picture a razor blade is being tapped with a hammer at an angle to cut the overlapped band to precisely size it and form the joint for soldering.
 

 
The next picture shows the band joint (and the cut damage to the wood form).  It was then removed from the wood, soldered, replaced on the wood form and cleaned up with files and abrasive sticks.
 

 
Using the wood form for fitting, clean-up and polishing avoids damage to the actual stock and also keeps it clean of metal dust.  In the next picture the six bands have been fitted.
 

 
Fitting of the bands required light filing sanding of the wooden stock to the point where each band would fit tightly at its final location.  In the above picture the polished bands have been pressed into place, and are ready for blackening.  In the last picture all of the iron parts have been blackened and the anchor is ready for assembly.
 

 
All of the metal parts were pickled in heated white vinegar, polished, soaked in TIVA cleaning solution, and rinsed before treatment.  The copper bands on the stock were brushed liberally with liver of sulfur solution.  When black, the assembly was rinsed in clean water.  The brass anchor and shackle parts were dipped in diluted Birch-Casey brass black, brushed until black, rinsed, buffed with Q-tips, and allowed to dry.
 
The tight fit of the bands on the stock and the stock on the shaft may be sufficient without glue.  I may use a tiny drop of CA on the underside of each band and on the anchor shaft just to be safe.  The anchor shackle will be attached to a soldered chain shackle so will be installed later when those parts are made.
 
Ed

Hi Carl,

thank you for your interest and kind words.
All other thanks for the LIKES.

Here some news:

 

Hello,
thanks for the comments and likes and for looking in. 
Here I show the to cut out of the raw locks
and another images of the interior works of the gig.
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Gary, I strongly recommend that you secure the keel to your building board by bolts through the keel as suggested by Ed Tosti. The pipe clamps that you are using will get in your way as you progress building the frames. Eventually they will all have to be removed. In addition the wires you're using to stabilize the frames will be of great help  however, they will get in your way and have to be removed when you start working on the internal structures and gun ports. You will have to stabilize the ship using the heights of breath externally. This requires the keel to be firmly attached to your building board. Ed discusses this in one of his later post but I cannot remember exactly where it's located. I am currently building the Naiaid and am just finishing the lower deck. I hope this suggestion will keep you out of a significant problem later on. Great build and I am enjoying watching it. Laman

I agree with Brian C - The Model Machines Drawplate  is brilliant - one of my favourite non powered toys!! I have used bamboo BBQ skewers to treenail/Trennel/trunnel on my last two builds. I think tree nailing and another dimension to the hobby and, if done well, looks great. I found that the bamboo skewers went through the drawplate well, but had to be sliced longitudinally several times in order to fit into the larger holes. This meant slicing with a hobby knife. I found this to be a pain for two reasons. Firstly getting the hobby knife to slice evenly along the length of the skewer was sometimes difficult. Secondly I tended to cut, stab and splinter myself  with the knife &  bamboo slivers - klutz!!
 
I ended up making a simple jig to halve, quarter and then further divide the skewer if necessary - without blood and swearing!!!(see pics below)
 

 
The Byrnes Drawplate - an engineering masterpiece!!!
 

 
- take 2 identical pieces of pine which are slightly bigger than a razor blade and drill 2 holes through them (clamp together for drilling so holes line up perfectly in both)
 
- insert  bolts which will be fitted with wing nuts for quick adjustment
 
- Fit both pieces of wood together and tighten wing nuts
 
- Drill a hole (about the same size as a bbq skewer) down the centre of the 2 pieces of wood - make sure that half the hole you drill is in each piece of wood. - a bench mounted drill will achieve much more accurate results than a hand held one.
 
- Do the same with a smaller drill bit - for use once you have quartered your skewer.
 

 
- fit your razorblade over the bolts
 

 
- slide the top half of the jig over the bolts and tighten with the wing nuts
 

 
- the jig can be adjusted by tightening or loosening the wing nuts - this will accommodate any slight variation in skewer diameter.
 
- Push then pull the skewer over the razor to produce an even slice.
 
                                 Happy tree nailing!!

Thank you very much Martin,
 
as already mentioned to Bob, there will be a walkbridge between promenade- and forecastle deck. As far as I know this could be used by passengers and crew to move around.....
In some pics (Norway Heritage, for KWdG) it shows this bridge in simple gangway character, so I`m not sure if not perhaps this position was only the resting place for the ships own gangway during travel.....
 
Nils
 

 
this pic found and  borrowed from the web....
 
 

 
width 6 mm, railing hight 8 mm
 
 

 
telescope support for adjusting the correct hight

Update
 
cleats on forecastle deck edge, mounting of spare anchor,  and fastening of five turnbuckle screws per side,  for the shrouds (M1 threads, left / right) and foremast backstays
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 161 – Bower Anchors 1
 
Work on the channel deadeyes and chains has been progressing, but a change of pace was necessary, so I began work on the ship’s anchors. 
 
Like most ships Young America carried several – probably two bower anchors, a smaller stream anchor and an even smaller kedge anchor.  This last was probably small enough to be stowed in one of the forward lockers or below the forecastle so I will not model it.  Over her very long career she carried different types of bower anchors, and very likely more than one type at a time.  The photo taken at San Francisco, probably in the 1860’s shows her swinging a wood stock type from her starboard cathead.  The New York photo, which I believe was taken later, shows a Trotmans anti-fouling type on the port cathead.  These two types span the range of development during the period.  I decided to make one Woodstock and one bar stock – bypassing the Trotmans type for now..
 
The first picture shows the arms of one of these being sawed out of some 1/8” thick brass plate.  This took a while and used a few jeweler saw blades, but it worked well to rough out the pieces using a drawing fragment as a pattern.
 

 
The next picture shows both bower anchors during fitting of the two main pieces.
 

 
The shaft was silver soldered to the arms using copper-phosphorus solder.
 

 
The anchor to the right has been soldered and given a first filling.  This joint took some heat.  I used a full sized propane torch.  I would have used the small oxy-propane torch but was out of O2.
 
In the next picture the side plates that thicken the shaft around the hole for the bar have been soldered on.  The second fluke is set up to be soldered.
 

 
In the next picture the flukes have been soldered on and the holes drilled for the bar and the shackle.
 

 
In this picture the filing and smoothing is well along.  The final anchor, less the bar stock is shown in the next picture.
 

 
This is almost ready for blackening.  I expect to mount this anchor on the port side of the forecastle in roughly the position shown in the last picture and may secure the stream anchor to its shaft.
 

 
These anchors obviously took up a lot of deck space and also added considerable weight to the bow, but this seems to have been where they were stowed.  They were not easy to move around.
 
Ed

Thanks for the "likes" and comments... time for an update.
 
 
 
Thanks Dan.   I did a similar thing by cutting the outline of galleries in thin basswood.  This gave me reference points.  I then added cardboard and basswood until I was happy.   At that point, I destroyed them for piece parts.  
 
Here's where I am today... not a major update but it's getting there.
 
I made the basic frames which provide the anchors for the the windows and planks between them.  I added a stop for the windows and planks and the molding strips to these pieces before installing them. The moldings were carved using a scraper.  
 
I then measured and fit repeatedly (even remade them a couple times)  until I was happy with the locations and appearance.   The pictures look strange, maybe it's the camera angles but there is a slight curve to these and they are dead on at .5" between the top and bottom. 
 
Next up will be to make and fit the windows and planks, then the drops and the top.   I have windows plugged into CorelDraw for cutting on the laser but still need to tweek them a bit.  The drops are cut oversize and I'll start working on them also.
 
Lastly, there's some joinery issues, but those will be hidden with the carvings for the taffrail.  I've them cut to size but not carved.
 
Now for the pictures.  As always, clicking the pictures will enlarge them.
 



 
 

update
 
build log part 33
 
 
here is a little update on the forecastle stairways, the cargo hatches, the medium sized cargo derrick and the anchor handling crane........
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

Gary, I strongly recommend that you secure the keel to your building board by bolts through the keel as suggested by Ed Tosti. The pipe clamps that you are using will get in your way as you progress building the frames. Eventually they will all have to be removed. In addition the wires you're using to stabilize the frames will be of great help  however, they will get in your way and have to be removed when you start working on the internal structures and gun ports. You will have to stabilize the ship using the heights of breath externally. This requires the keel to be firmly attached to your building board. Ed discusses this in one of his later post but I cannot remember exactly where it's located. I am currently building the Naiaid and am just finishing the lower deck. I hope this suggestion will keep you out of a significant problem later on. Great build and I am enjoying watching it. Laman