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jbshan

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Everything posted by jbshan

  1. jbshan
    The W. A. image is c. 1470. An Italian engraving of 1470-1480 showing a very similar ship has what may be a cathead. You pays your money and takes your chances, but at least it gives a time frame for the transition.
  2. jbshan
    Just as a guess, mind, the famous illustration of a 'Kraek, by W. A.' has a large focs'l jutting out over the hawse area and no catheads. It wouldn't surprise me if the use of a small 'crane' for lifting the anchors became necessary when the focs'l no longer jutted out so far and could be used to handle the anchors.
  3. jbshan
    Boudriot describes the outer appearance as being 'peppered' with trunnels and other fasteners. You have the plank fasteners, and far more of those than most modelers show, the knees, assorted throughbolts for eyebolts, ringbolts, belaying points, etc., and all of those somewhat smaller in diameter than most modelers depict. Most certainly there would not be lines of 3 or 4 inch diameter fasteners running up the hull at 8 or 12 foot intervals and nothing else, which is what you sometimes see.
  4. jbshan
    I can heartily recommend NOT Gesso. It works fine for the underlayment for paintings, but really sucks trying to sand down on a boat. If the filler is balling up while sanding, it may not be dry enough. Wait until you can't smell it even a little bit. If there are storms in your area, it may take a few days to totally dry.
  5. jbshan
    Obviously no room for any ports there. I hope you can keep the satyrs away from the ladies you've put on already. They have quite a reputation. I suspect if an artist had room to fill he would put something there, and if he ran out of room might leave off something that was actually there. SOS has so many carvings, one more or less probably wouldn't have been noticed, until somebody actually starts looking for them.
  6. jbshan
    In regard to the illustrations, I wonder if any are from the second iteration of the ship. I was looking at a model of the second version, with the flat transom and blue background, and that was flat across the beakhead bulkhead also, with no room for the 5th and 6th openings. Also note in the third illustration there are shields instead of cats at the bottom of the 'stack'.
  7. jbshan
    In re paint: The paint loss shows how easy it is to 'rock' the sanding/filing tool at the end of the stroke, whereby you lose the corner's sharpness. You have to consciously lift the tool at the end of the stroke. The paint surface is what is to my mind the typical brushed acrylic finish. I find using several layers, each thinned down, avoids the brush marks and built-up texture (transom and mast cheeks). These can be desirable on a painting, but not on a model. In re planks: You got 'er covered, which was the object of the exercise, not the actual number of planks used. I, too, try to keep things symmetrical for looks if no other reason, but in actuality I suspect they didn't fuss over an inch or so. Port plank an inch wider, next time starboard will make up for it, depending on how the planks come to them. If you keep to your bands, measuring each time from the previous plank, it'll come out in the end.
  8. jbshan
    The 'tiled floor' in the magazine is pallets, to be able to take it up in sections. Think of a bunch of small hatches laid flush to the beam & carlin tops.
  9. jbshan
    Mee-ow!
  10. jbshan
    It is possible the two observation ports were intended to have guns, at least to be able to, since the tactic when the ship was new was to come in, make a big turn and get out, firing guns from both broadsides and all quarters as the ship turned. When the ship was actually built, it may have become obvious that the anchors and rigging got in the way. Do they have similar carvings and surrounds as the ports you have just done? If so, they may originally have had the capability to mount guns.
  11. jbshan
    Normal work on a square-rigger took some 4-5,000 calories a day. That's better than many ashore could get. (c. 1800 or so) Stuff needing to be moved on board would be brought to the hatch below the hoisting gear and lifted from there. Even mounting a gun barrel onto its carriage might be done with the gear midships. As shown in the sheet (on the link I posted) loads needing to go outboard, the hoisting gear would get it up in the air, then tackles from the main and fore yards would be used to swing it outboard and lower into boats. Reverse to load something inboard. On a model, you could certainly show a ship's boat being hoisted in- or outboard using the yards. If you definitively knew there was a crane aboard you could show that. The 'crane' has a diagonal spar with tackle on the end, this is the 'jib' and jib cranes are still in use everywhere.
  12. jbshan
    Here is a partial description of some hoisting gear: http://uvsmgshipmodelguild.wikispaces.com/Hoisting+Tackle This is all self-contained, and could be used for hoisting boats, cargo, guns, whatever. There has always been a need to load and unload heavy items.
  13. jbshan
    Given the recipes I found were with yellow peas, I wonder if 'pease porridge' might include sulphur. I'm thinking maybe the old 'tallow bottom' made with tallow and soap, that lasted only a few months. If that were mixed with sulphur, maybe it would not mix well and be a bit lumpy, hence 'pease porridge' looking.
  14. jbshan
    Pease porridge: yellow split peas, cooked 40 minutes with a ham hock, served with salt & pepper, maybe a little butter. Yum.
  15. jbshan
    'White stuff' is train oil (fish, seal or whale), rosin and sulphur. 'Black stuff' is tar and pitch. 'Brown stuff' is sulphur, tar and pitch. Sheathing involved a sacrificial layer of thin plank (up to 1 inch) laid over a mixture of tar and hair. The worms were supposed to eat through the plank and get repelled by the tar and hair. Should add that is all from Brian Lavery, 'The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600-1815'.
  16. jbshan
    Hull's built, spars not, other stuff got in the way, but I have the plans easily accessible. Dumb sheave and holes in dolphin striker shown on sheet #4 Use a ruler to track lines as they weave their way through. Notes pointing to lines help too. T'gallant stay is starboard, flying jib stay is on port, blocks etc. are the same.
  17. jbshan
    The topgallant stay comes down from the mast, through the dumb sheave in the jibboom, which is a slot in the end of the jibboom, on another sheet of the plans, through a hole in the dolphin striker, to a block, part of the tackle that hooks to the eyebolt on the hull. The fall of the tackle is belayed inboard. You sometimes have to go to more than one sheet of the plans to get all the info needed. Mark, not disparaging your post, I have the plans for Niagara for reference.
  18. jbshan
    Dave, the manger was indeed for animals as well as cleaning the cable as it came inboard (it scrapes across the rear wall of the manger). The scuppers are for ooze from the cables and other likewise messy things from the animals.
  19. jbshan
    Thanks, Sir. I was afraid you were going to say the oars were held in place by smoke and mirrors. Invisible oarsmen I can understand. Looking forward to the next installment.
  20. jbshan
    A wonder, Sir. One final question, if you will permit, what is holding the oars up in position? They seem to be like the floozie in the old movie, without visible means of support.
  21. jbshan
    See? 7 months in and you're teaching already.
  22. jbshan
    Remember that 'steep learning curve'? Everybody climbs it in their own way. Seems like you're finding yours.
  23. jbshan
    Mike, this log, from this page forward, has lots of pics of the planking process. Some have big dips showing, but the next one, from a different angle, it looks smooth. http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/313-niagara-by-lb0190-model-shipways-wood-pob-164th-lb0190/page-13 One thing you can do is to mark on each bulkhead, once you have the bands laid out, the widths of the planks. 'Six planks, over this distance need to be this wide', then mark that width. Even if you don't exactly match the calculations, it gives you a guide for each plank.
  24. jbshan
    I can't find a particular photo showing the plank in that area, but check a few build logs. Certainly get the wobbles out so the next plank will have a smoother edge to match. There will perhaps be a dip in the area between the masts, but try to get it out by the time you get to your next band. A pic or two would help.
  25. jbshan
    I cut my Niagara rabbet with the bulkheads OFF the center plate. I used them as guides while I was cutting, but took them back out while actually cutting. I used a very small hand-made chisel for the actual cut into the center plate, checking back and forth with a short piece of plank for size, and sliding the appropriate bulkhead back in to check the angles. Cut a little, check, cut a little more, check again.

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