Morgan

I brought a second bed direct from Proxxon (Code 27020-31) and mounted it and the lath end-on-end on some MDF. The bed cost €14.30 (+ postage) a couple of months ago, try your Proxxon dealer to see if they supply spares. Obviously not as good as a single piece extended bed, but it does the same job. Gary

Not sure I recognise that, if you studied at the LSE it’s fair to say you have a London centric view of the UK, the rest of the UK varies tremendously from London and quite a lot of us are doing OK. Where I live disposable income is a lot higher than London and quality of life much is better. Sure as Wefalck says we have our poor sections of society, but we have free welfare, education and health systems that capture even the poorest in UK and European societies, there is a value to attach to those benefits which has to be factored in to international comparisons. But as you say your POV

Will this mean compromises somewhere down the line? Got a space picked out to display mine, front and centre in a bay window at the front of the house. Although the Admiral keeps talking about house downsizing, I’ll have to work on dragging my feet on that for a while yet! Gary

Hi Mathew, I’ll tag along with this build if you don’t mind. Regarding the Wales the practice was to ‘run-out’ the thicker planking with a couple of planking strakes of increasingly diminishing thickness, this drawing is taken from Steel for a 74 gun ship and you can see how this works in actual practice. But for the real Victory she is no longer single planked at the Wales, and in reality a lot of her planking is comprised of laminated material (due to cost and availability), but in this respect it is not unlike your double plank build. Arthur Bugler’s Midship sectional drawing captures the actual restoration planking practice where you can see the second layer of planking being used to simulate the Wales and their run-out. I hope adds to what Mark and clearway have said. Gary

As you asked!!! How about mini chain and elm tree pump kits? Also, not sure on the feasibility but I struggle to get realistic after market hammock cranes, they tend to be fairy naive. BTW - the consignment of gun carriages, binnacle and grating landed and I must say the quality is excellent. Gary

Mark, It is to take the fluke of the anchor when it is stowed and help hold it in place. Gary

What’s the anticipated availability for these Chris? I have several projects present and future these would complement. Gary

Hi Lin, Nice progress you are making. If you are struggling with carving Then the route previously mentioned by David (aka Shipyard Sid) of using Sculpey isn’t a bad one, I went down that route and the result is below, just a bit of painting to go and it will do. It’s also fairly inexpensive and easy to work. Gary

Hi Mark, The positioning of the Wales on the Victory at present follow her 1765 plans and were installed in her 1920’s restoration, she has been re-planked many times over the years, including the Wales, and none of her ‘skin’ is original except possibly for a few Hook and Butt strakes below the main Wale. There is evidence that during her refit prior to Trafalgar that the Wales may have been lowered by circa 2’. The plans for the Boyne held by the National Maritime Museum were based on Victory’s pre Trafalgar refit, and these show the lower Wales. So it would not necessarily be incorrect to go with the lower Wales. I’ve included an abstract of the Boyne below where the lower edge of the Wales is clearly denoted by the thick line, you can see a lighter line parallel to this one denoting the upper edge of the Wales running parallel, best seen if you look at the rearmost lower port where you can clearly see the Wale transects the port at its bottom edge as opposed to more towards the top as per victory’s current configuration. Gary

I brought what I thought was the 1805 plates only version here in the UK from a book dealer at £300, when it landed last week it was both volumes! Sim Comfort 1977 limited edition 105 / 500. I’m not complaining but wish I’d tried my luck at the Lottery the day I ordered it.

Urban myth is they once had ‘broon’ dedicated dependency ward at the local hospital for those caught by its heady aroma once too often! Gary

I have their Treenail maker, it’s a lot faster than using draw plates

Anatomy of the Ship series book - AoS

If the laser engraved deck and gratings were available for Alert I’d opt in for a set, I’ve got time to include the into my build. Gary

I’d buy in to that approach. Gary

Nice are you still thinking of doing something similar with the ladders as hinted at above if so I’ll head up the que with an order 😊 Gary

Hi Chris, This is certainly the type of option I’d be interested in. Gary

Hi Chris, That is welcome news, I probably spend more on fittings than on kits (second only to my spend on books), there is I believe an outlet for after market fittings. It would be nice to see a UK/European high quality outlet. I’m willing to spend on quality and like Chuck’s fittings but as he often points out himself the cost of international shipping can be prohibitive so I welcome a complimentary service (not that I’d be giving upon Syren, high quality competition can only be a good thing). Gary

This shot was probably taken when trying to break out of the ice, it looks like water in the foreground and they worked ahead and behind the ship to break ice and clear room to take a run in an attempt to break through. As you can see the sails are full so they are probably trying to apply pressure to the stem to break through to the water ahead. Scott used this process as did Shackleton a decade later (he learned from Scott) to try and reach open water. Gary

Hi Jack, Can you put me down for a boxwood set please. I’ve opened a build log but it will be a while before I start as I have an ill family member to care for, but I’m gathering the parts so once the opportunity arises I can make a start. Thanks Gary

Hi Sanders, Nice to to see another NE member on the forum. Have a good root around here and you’ll find all you need, and as you will know from your browsing if you can’t find it just ask there is a wealth of talent here and people are only too willing to share it. Gary

Dafi, If you wanted to pin it down there are The National Archives, under ADM 160 (and sub-divisions) Ordnance Office, but it would be a hell of a search through the letters sections unfortunately, there seems to be no single returns book as there was from 1803 onwards. Chances are that most of the guns stayed with her from refit to refit as they were set aside when taken out, so the 32 Pounders are probably the same ones from 1788 onwards through to Trafalgar and beyond. They were all made by Walker & Co.. The reference I mentioned earlier I would look for was from ARMING THE ROYAL NAVY, 1793-1815: THE OFFICE OF ORDNANCE AND THE STATE by Gareth Cole, he states “Victory herself appears to have been armed with old pattern cannon” and then provides the reference “An Account of Iron Ordnance on Board of His Majesty's Ship Victory, Chatham. 28th April 1803', TNA ADM 160/ 154. Although, it is not known if these were replaced in the summer of 1805 while she was at Portsmouth”. We know from the 1803 and 1807 returns (the ones I sent you) that they were the same throughout, so we know they were iron, and probably date to at least 1788. If these were the old pattern guns, probably Armstrong, they may have stayed until the refit in the 1810’s. A comparison with Armstrong / Bloomfield pattern guns and those on the deck lower deck of the Victory would tell you which ones they actually were if you want to go that deep into it. Gary

Also, and I have to re-find the reference, he mentions that prior to the 1800 refit the 32 Pounders were of the old type, by which I presume he means the pattern that preceded the Blomfeld, in which case there would be a noticeable difference on your dummy barrels muzzle swell. He also thinks they may have been on at Trafalgar but we know this is not the case as we can trace them to 1803 and some remain on board. Gary

Hi Dafi, Concerning bronze cannon Bugler at page 21 says “It is also interesting to note that by 1790 all brass ordnance had been succeeded by cast iron throughout the Navy and it is very likely that the last remaining brass ordnance in the Victory was discarded during this repair (1788)”. Not definitive but opens the possibility of brass cannon up to this point. Gary

Jeff is right, that’s what I did. You will then get a follow-up email. Gary