sonicmcdude

Starting over with a few pictures to show where I'm currently at. Still saddened by the loss of years of accumulated knowledge.
 

 
Regards,
Grant.

Aft and fore deck placing ...

Breech Rigging
 
The Breeching is a 4" rope on a 6-pounder. As with all ropes and lines it was measured by it's circumference. The diameter is about 1.25", which is 0.66mm in 1:48 scale. The line I'm using is 0.7mm - as close as I can get.
 
The first thing I had to do was work out exactly how long the Breeching should be. TFFM specifies three times the length of the barrel, but I wasn't sure whether that was the whole rope including the half-hitches and seizing around the ring in the hull and the loop around the cascabel or the overall length without any twists and turns.
 
I've made up an overlength piece which has already been tied and seized around one of the rings. I figured the best one to try out the length on was the port with the most obstructions behind it - any further back and the pumps would be in serious trouble .
 
I used a piece of double-sided tape to temporarily fix the gun to the deck, fitted the eyebolt on the ring into it's hole and looped the rope around the cascabel. This now gives me the measurement I need - I'll undo all but the seizing and make all 8 breechings the same length :
 

 

 
  Danny

Thanks again to Kevin, Sjors, Mark, Janos and Aldo - I'm really pleased with the way the guns have turned out too. It was well worth the effort and expense of buying the barrels and capsquares, there was NO WAY that I could have made them as well as this , although it took quite a bit to "finish" them.
 
Here are a few pics of all the completed carriages. Rigging them up will be the next job :
 

 

 

 

 
  Danny

I don't understand a thing about it but nice drawings……..
 

Unbelievable!!! Arrived almost overnight - of course, I'll have to wait until I'm back at the workshop on Sun. to open the box.
 
The Admiral has set strict regulations governing modeling tools & supplies - she states that the beatings will continue until compliance is 100% 

1:60 HMS Naiad 1797
Part 184 – Case Base
 
First let me thank those of you who commented on the last post and all who have commented in the past.  Your thoughts have been very much appreciated.
 
Having started this log with the drafting of the plans, It seems reasonable to continue to the very end with the construction of the display case.  In this part I will discuss the base, which I needed in order to take final photos of the model for Volume II.
 
The case is designed so the model can be displayed on the base with the top removed.  The top will later be made, glazed with cell-cast Plexiglas® sheet.  The corner posts will be installed in square mortises in the corners of the base, screwed from the inside and will be removable..
 
In the first picture, the long wide 4/4 K/D cherry plank shown in the last part has been cut in two.  It will be edge joined to form the base panel.  This piece was left over from the material for the Victory case.
 

 
The pieces are oriented so the grain will hide the center joint line.  The faces to be joined are not quite straight and will need some work to fit neatly.  In the next picture the joint edges are being squared and straightened using a 22” joiner plane.  This long plane will straighten the edge, but care (and patience) is needed to make it square.
 

 
Finally after a fair amount of test fitting and planing the two pieces are matched and ready for gluing. 
 

 
Titebond dark glue has been applied to both edges in this picture and the pieces will next be positioned and held in place with pipe clamps until dry – as shown in the next picture.
 

 
This picture shows the top of the base panel.  It is still damp from washing the excess glue from the surface.  Most of the joint will later be covered with wood chocks to simulate a shipway of sorts. 
 
In the next picture the top panel has been cut to size and sanded.  Side rails have been molded and are being fastened to the top panel using corner pieces that will also hold the vertical case stanchions, plus glue blocks along the inside corners.  Since the inside corner pieces are glued on their end grain, they are also screwed to the sides.
 

 
The next picture shows the case posts being fit into the corner mortises.
 

 
These posts will later be cut to length and slotted to fit the glass.  Note in this picture that the side rails were rabbeted on the inside top edge to form the base slots for the glass.
 
In the next picture wood chocks for the shipway are being installed down the center.
 

 
 The blue tape defines the line for these and the pieces at the sides set the spacing.  In the next picture the model has been brought back to mark the holes through the base.
 

 
Holes were then drilled to accept the original bolts used to hold the model to the building board.  The model was then set up and aligned so the side supporting struts could be fitted and glued between extended chocks as shown.
 
In the next picture the base has been lightly stained and a polyeurthane wipe-on finish is being applied in several coats.
 

 
Finally, a picture of the model on the finished base.
 

 
Later, when I complete the case I will post that construction.
 
 
Ed

Well i tried just a little sanding and here is result.
 

Well somebody is on vacation and somebody works
 
Continuation
 

 
Works on deck. Its mix of ink and glue. It's very dirty but also fast and effective
 



 

 

 

 

Trucks
 
I gave a bit of thought on the easiest way to make the Trucks (wheels) without resorting to using dowel - the grain would run the wrong way, although at this scale it would be difficult to pick the difference.
 
The Trucks are 4" thick, the Hind Trucks are 10.5" in diameter and the Fore Trucks are 12" diameter. On larger guns they were made from four pieces of timber with the grain running crosswise to each other and bolted together, but a 6-pounder's trucks were made from one solid piece.
 
I started off by cutting a strip of timber a little wider than the required diameter. I set up a simple stopper jig on my mill vice by CA'ing a couple of pieces of scrap to the top and drilling the 2mm centre hole. Then I cut the piece off square on the table saw.
 

 
To hold the piece into the lathe for turning the outside diameter I used a spare mandrel from my Dremel accessories. The screw was only 1.7mm, so I turned up a small brass sleeve to give a snug fit to the hole. When tightened it held the piece of timber beautifully.
 

 

 

 
I found it difficult to remove the truck from the mandrel, so I drilled a slightly smaller hole than the truck in a piece of scrap. By placing the piece over the hole I could easily remove it by pushing it into the hole :
 

 
There was a burr on one side of each piece after turning it, so to hold the rather awkward round piece without damaging it while sanding I drilled another hole in my piece of scrap which was slightly larger than the diameter of the truck and a bit less than it's thickness. The piece protrudes slightly from this hole, and a couple of wipes with a sanding stick soon removes the burr :
 

 

 

 
A view of the progress so far. The carriage sits on top of a 5 cent piece :
 

 
  Danny

Thank you Sinan. The Bracera is a nice vessel and you should have a lot of fun building it, especially that it lets you customize it as you wish (as did the builders and owners of the real ones). I will start posting new pictures as soon as I'm back from vacations.
 
Alex

Nice build Alex... I will be around and wait for more pictures.. I think that the kit is nice too, and is pretty near to me, so maybe will be a third Bracera in the future after yours and Elmir's   

Ahoy Eric
 
Sorry she isn't all cleaned up. Holiday weekend and all. She likes to party

Thanks Mark, Kevin, Aldo and Druxey.
 
Carriage Assembly Jig
 
I've made up a jig to assemble the carriages, I can do four at a time.
 

 
The one in the foreground is completed (for now), three are glued together in the jig, and one is being set up :
 

 
  Danny

A little bit more work done on my Bracera build. I sanded the hull of the vessel, shaped the bow and is now ready for the second planking. I had problems at the stern with clinkering so I hade to put filler (diluted PVA and sawdust) on both sides as the hull was getting paper thin. I am not happy with the second planking strips that I got with the kit so I am thinking of buying cherry veneer and making my own. In the meanwhile, I started working on the rudder and stained the cargo bay.

Well all of the steps have been made and attached to the hull. The back of
each step had to be sanded to fit so the tread was level. I did them one at a time
so I didn’t mix them up. To keep the steps in an even row I clipped a ruler
to the hull and used it as a stop.
 

 

 
Then while I was working on the Triton the Admiral called to me and wanted
me topside. Being the good mate I jumped to, set the cross section down and
went to see what was up. Upon returning to the shop I looked at my work bench,
and mind you I have a mastiff that can put her head on my desk with all four feet
on the ground and regularly does, and almost had heart failure…………...
 
 
 

 
I tipped toed over, gently picked her up and placed her squarely back away
from the edge. Needless to say I didn’t do anything more that night. I figured
I had used up every bit of luck I had and only bad things could happen!  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Not quite as much progress has been made as hoped for, the Admiral desired a "galley" renovation, which has taken a bit longer than anticipated. All the brackets are tacked into place with contact cement to allow the marking of fixing holes and to make a template for the gangways. This will also allow me to accurately trim the lengths of the brackets so everything looks symetrical.
 

 
Grant.

The gun deck framing is now installed, with it's hanging knees, pillars and waterways. No finish will be applied until after the deck planking is on. The knees were cut from boxwood sheet and shaped and fitted before the deck framing was installed, but were not mounted until afterwards. The pillars were made from boxwood strip. Because I don't have a lathe, I opted for a somewhat simplified shape that I could do with files and sandpaper. They were cut oversize and fitted and installed after the deck framing was in place. The waterways were made from redheart strip and nicely hide any gaps from the fitting of the knees. Prior to installing the deck framing, I also added a bit of deck planking to the lower deck to serve as a base for the ladder down from the gun deck.
 
The gun deck planking will be next up. As I said earlier, I've decided  to mount guns on both sides and will plank at least enough of the deck to support the guns. That probably won't be for a while, as we're going to be going north a few times to visit the kids and grandkids.
 
Bob

lower deck

Thank you friends for comments!
 
continuation:
 



 
Marked for cutting - improvised cargo bey



 
Fine sanding of hull before paint will wait still because some more things must have be done before



 
Little saw works well First cuted planks for improvised cargo bey


 
Preparations for deck planking
 

 
Next is sanding

Sinan,
 
I have gotten much happier about this Craftsman 10" 3 wheel bandsaw since I found out why the band kept jumping off at practically every use.  I found out that the tires had stretched out a bit, and one was fairly loose.  After swapping it to a carrier wheel, and contact cementing all the tires in their tracks, It seems to be a model machine.  I can rip off 3" planks with a rip fence added, and cut strips off of the planks to the size I need.  I am not working in micro size strips, so it is a big help.  I just sand the stuff with a block and strip it.  I had once considered junking it until I discovered how loose the tire was.  Centrifugal force was raising up the edges and letting it move in the groove. Once it slipped up on the retainer ridge, the band would jump off the wheel.  It is dreadfully difficult to get back on all 3 wheels at the same time.  Thankfully I seldom have to do that any more.  It has become my favorite tool since then, and it runs the quietest of any of my other tools.  I just about do all my cutting with it now. 
 
Walt Biles

1:60 HMS Naiad 1797
Part 181– Deadeyes and Chains
 
I will admit that making deadeye chains is one of my least favorite tasks, so it is well that it comes near the end of the project when my desire to get finished overcomes my reluctance to working on these.  I find it difficult to exactly measure the required lengths of the chains and lack the patience to make all the easily deformed pieces straight.  However, having said that, the task must be faced.  There are a lot of steps to the process I use.  I will merely summarize.
 
Turning the deadeyes is the easy part.  I use a shaped cutter as shown in the first picture.
 

 
After these are polished in the lathe and parted off, the holes are drilled with the aid of the indexing head in the mill,  The next picture shows a finished deadeye fitted with its binding,
 

 
For the large deadeyes the bindings and chains were made from 20-gauge copper wire.  When stretched this is just slightly (⅛”) larger than specified.   Close enough, when considering that wire sizes are limited.
 
Once the correct binding size is found by trial and error, the assembly shown above is used to help determine the length of the two chain loops that connect to the bolt at the top of the preventer plate.  This measurement is taken as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The next step is to find two links to fit this measurement.  I do this by selecting two from a group made by wrapping wire around a tapered plate then parting off a number of loops of increasing size.  The next picture shows the tapered plate being wrapped with pre-stretched wire.
 

 
The next picture shows three stages in making a soldered loop.
 

 
The lower loop in the picture is as-cut.  The middle one has had its end curved to close the gap for silver-soldering. 
The loop at the top has had a small amount of copper-phosphorus solder paste applied and is ready for the heat.
 
After soldering, the toe loop is crimped around a wire at the bottom end and soldered at the bottom.  The middle loop is then fitted between this and a binding loop and soldered.  The deadeye is then fit into he binding and shaped around the deadeye.  The next picture shows a set of these hanging from pins in their final locations.
 

 
After assembly the chains are test fitted at the measured location.  Since the model will not be rigged they need to be taut for appearance purposes.  If the chain does not fit in the measured location, I try it at other places until a nice fit is found.  When the set is complete the chains are polished up, straightened and blackened.  They are then installed.  The next picture shows the completed chains on the fore channel.
 

 
Ed

I was able to get the fenders made and installed. With the moldings in place that would
require cutting notches into the fenders and getting them to fit the curve of the hull too.
Hmmm seemed a little difficult to me. Then I remembered Chuck (thanks again!) had
us cut the molding away and just slide the fenders in place. Then I just had to sand
them to fit to the hulls contour.
 

 

 
Fit was good and it took a fraction of the time and no waste, oh ok I messed one up
and threw it in the scrap heap, but to me that is no waste!  
 
 

 
 

Thanks for the kind words, gentlemen. 
 
Mario,
It's been in the 80's until Friday.. it's now 106o F here. 
 
Well, it's been a week of hell at work with long days and seemingly short nights and this coming week isn't promising to get any better.  But I did manage to finally get the first strake laid and after a bit of tweaking, I'm happy.   I flipped the photo to see it "right side up".  This is the first strake above the wales.  I'm planking upward... or downward....or fiddlesticks...towards the chain wale as this is lower in profile than the wales and I can sand them without damaging the wales. 
 
The wale line goes pretty much straight back from the bow and about 2/3rds of the way, it starts sweeping upward.  The width is pretty consistant from 6 planks wide at the stern, through the mid-ships to about 1/3rd of the way from the bow then ends up a the bow 6-1/2 planks wide.  I'll get creative with some wider wood at the bow area or slip in a stealer... maybe a half-checked stealer... ???
 

Thanks Ben. Sorry, I must have missed your post.
 
Framing for the gun deck is now done except for cutting and fitting the hanging knees and making and fitting the pillars. None of the framing has been given any finish at this point. The gun deck framing, like the lower deck framing, was built entirely off the model. I am really happy with the method. The photos show the framing at various stages of completion. The last is with the framing temporarily in place on the model. 
 
I have now decided that I will do enough deck planking to allow for placement of guns on both sides. The waterways and deck planking will be done after the framing with knees and pillars is installed.
 
Bob