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bruce d

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Everything posted by bruce d

  1. bruce d
    This may help. Below is a detail from a drawing showing how sternposts were connected to keels in Woolwich shipyard (circa 1820). The subject is a 74 gun ship. A bit later than your subject Don, hope it helps.
  2. bruce d
    My stash is complete, I can't see how I will need more. I know some of these old measuring sticks are collectable and steer away from them. The ones that really should have been thrown out because of wear & tear are good enough for harvesting. Oh boy, things ain't what they used to be. He sent you blanks?!?! Nowadays I would expect the response to be a law suit for snooping into trade secrets. The wood in my rulers marked 'boxwood' is harder than Castello. A broken yardstick from around 1900 is the hardest of the pieces I have so far cut.
  3. bruce d
    Hello Tony, you did not misunderstand my question 👍 but I am not the original poster. I think the OP wanted to know the same thing as me: if I am looking at an old ruler, how do I know if it is boxwood? It sure helps if it says 'boxwood' on the ruler, but otherwise, as far as I know, it is the hardness of the wood that distinguishes it from the softer Castello, and it is the grain that tells you it is an unamed hardwood. Both of these points say what it is not, neither is a way of confirming what it is. I have a stash of rulers. All the ones I got pre-lockdown, when I was able to fondle them in a shop, are the real deal. Most of the ones I got off fleabay are also proper old boxwood but a couple have sneaked through. One of them is hard, practically without a visible grain and very nice to cut/carve. However, the wood once exposed is a pink-ish colour and I just don't believe it is boxwood. So, to get back to @Smile-n-Nod's question and with apologies for the hi-jack, what is the feature of boxwood that distinguishes it from the rest of the woods and made it so popular with modelmakers in times gone by?
  4. bruce d
    Sooooo... how do we tell the difference? Is it only by comparing the hardness against Castello?
  5. bruce d
    Hello Ben and welcome from the UK. I look forward to your build log, have fun. Bruce
  6. bruce d
    Alex, I would suggest using fine wire wool instead of sandpaper. Be patient and you will probably get a surface finish that will be ready for painting.
  7. bruce d
    Please let us know how it works out for you.
  8. bruce d
    B.E., I did a double-take when I saw those weights. You are fearless. Looking good ✔️
  9. bruce d
    Hello Graham and a warm welcome to MSW. It looks like there may have been a hiccup with your picture, nothing is visible. What is the kit? Since you got it 'some years ago' it is possible it has been updated so if you have the manufacturers model number from the box that might help also. Regards, Bruce
  10. bruce d
    Nice job on the reversing gear. It all looks like a working piece of machinery. 👍
  11. bruce d
    Looking good 👍
  12. bruce d
    Hello Gus, As Ron said they are legal. Also, they have good customer service. The owner is an enthusiast. HTH Bruce
  13. bruce d
    Hello Alexis, The blue on the brass is left over from the etching process. It was called 'resist' and was the barrier between the etchant and the area of brass that was not to be etched. You may be able to remove it without sandpaper but it is not possible to be certain without knowing exactly which product they used. The blue film was able to 'resist' the powerful etchants so of course it does not just peel off. There are 'etch resist strippers' available for people who make their own printed circuit boards but there is no guarantee that these modern products will work on this old blue product. Very few of the old products are still used because they used aggressive, nasty chemicals so modern resist uses different strippers. Try cellulose thinners if you can, also the type of solvent used by plumbers to bond PVC tubing. If this doesn't work, I am afraid it is time to start sanding. Good luck! HTH Bruce
  14. bruce d
    Job done, now to wait a year. After cutting I sealed the ends with PVA and cleared a bookshelf in my study. Recently I said in another post 'I have too many vices'; well, look at picture #2 and see that I put some of them to use. 😇 Many thanks to all for the advice.
  15. bruce d
    Hello Tom, In case it affects your decision, she was sheathed with wood in the first part of her career when known as Bethia. She was then sold and renamed Bounty and refitted to prepare her for the breadfruit mission. She went straight to the refit after purchase. So, Bounty was coppered but during her time as Bethia she was not. HTH Bruce
  16. bruce d
    My understanding is that the Carron company presented demonstrations of their new product and sought feedback. It had good selling points, such as lower crew requirement and faster rate of fire, and I recall nothing (it has been a while since I read up on it) concerning problems caused by recoil. Before long, Captains wanted this weapon on their vessels. Izzy, can you share the documentation that specifically relates to the Carron policy?
  17. bruce d
    🎼 Always look on the bright side of life 🎼
  18. bruce d
    Hi Mike, I got a 'log-in-required' message when I tried it.
  19. bruce d
    Superb.
  20. bruce d
    Regarding the earlier point about hiding the identity of fireships, I believe one of Cochrane's legitimate complaints about the leadership on the night of the attack on Basque Roads was that the fireships were too far from the target. They were recognised by the French in time to react. See Clive in post#2. Clearly the element of surprise is lost if the fireship stands out either by appearance or actions.
  21. bruce d
    ... and another Spanish gunboat dated 1797. http://ao.sa.dk/ao/data.ashx?bid=31921484
  22. bruce d
    Bit late but ... https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/85102.html This type of gunboat was still in use a few years later in the Barbary wars. Sorry, no book 🙁
  23. bruce d
    Ah! It is not visible to my eyes. Thank you.
  24. bruce d
    Hello Christian, May I ask how the moulds are attached?
  25. bruce d
    👍 Oh boy Allan, your timing is amazing. Thank you. I have nearly completed thawing out my 'on-hold-for-the -winter' build and planking is on my mind. I will judge whether my deck is a success or not by the 'invisibility factor' of where hatches, capstans etc. meet the planking. The goal is to avoid hatches and fixtures appearing to sit on top of the deck or look like they are sitting in a cavity cut out of the planks. Also, a symmetrical run of the planks. In other words, the same issues your post raises. I have a plan but am fully prepared to use the eraser so will be watching this thread. Couldn't find an emoji of someone rubbing their hands in anticipation, so thanks again. Bruce

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