garyshipwright

Yes sir there is. Just look at the ones in the gallery. What you seeing on them is not a lining but the cells and the side of the frames, at least on the English ships. Gary

Hi Mark I don't believe they were to worried about the rabbet for the gun ports because she doesn't go to sea and just another way of cutting back on the amount of money that has to be spent taking care of her. does seem that sombody forgot the port stop or couldn't figure out how it was post of been done. Gary

Hi Siggi I have read this out of Steel and its not giving you the thickness of the lids but the stops which are the space from the edge of the gunport opening to the end of the plank around the port or the overlap of the sides of the lid, that makes up the water type seal. The thickness of the lid depended on the thickness of the planking at that port. I do believe that both the english and French navy along with the others probably all made their lids the same way. With out the inner linner you would not have much of a strong lid to keep the water out. Probably was easier on the model builders at that time just to make the lids the same thickness as the outside planking. Today am not sure about how other builders will make their lid's but I probably make them with both. I also read in Boudriot 74 gun ship book that they also cut the planks off a couple of inches before the opening of the port to give them a stop or flushed, when they were closed. I do believe that the lining was cut back about the measurment of the stops that you show above. Hum come to think about it what if they didn't add a linning to the lids. . Seems that the parts of the hinges are keeping them together. When it came to those main frames and cutting in to them it was a no no. Gary

Hi Guys. Just a late reply on the theard about the ports and the lining. I have done some research on this and do believe that Mark P, may just be right about it. I don't think they did a lining around the inside of the port which like some would say cost money to do and really didn't do nothing. Why would you need 3 inches of lining as a stop when you have such big timbers already. Am not sure how many read Fincham who was a Master ship wright for the English Navy I do believe and wrote several books on the subject. I went and took a look in his book Outline of Ship Building written in 1852 and was wondering what is port stops. My self am thinking that they put a stop lining around the inside of the gun port itself and am sure a lot of folks think the same thing. In Fincham book he tells you what the port stops really are and until now had no clue what it is other the the port linings.Which is total wrong for me The contract's I have says that the stops can not be more then 2 and 1/2 inches which doesn't tell me much, until now. Here is what Fincham say's about port stops Part 4, vocabulary of terms, page 94. Port stops are the ends and edges of the planks left round the ports, from one and a half to two and a quarter inches from the sides of the timbers and upper and lower parts of the sill, to receive the port lids and half-ports. Seems, that this is saying size wise, the same thing from my contracts. I understand this is a bit of time from Alfred's building to Fincham time but would the term have been different back then. Don't believe so. Sorry for being late with a little bit more info on this. Now all I have to do is rip out all the sill's I put in. :o{ Gary

Hi Mark. You might able to get a look at Steel's rigging and seamanship vol 1 and 2 which was writtern in 1794, reprint by Sim Comfort Associates in1978. Also Steel's Elements of Mastmaking, sailmaking and Rigging reprint by Edward W. Sweetman. This is a smaller book then rigging and seamanship but do believe the info came from that. This one was also writtern in 1794 and was reprint in 1932 The last on I have come up with is Lever's Young sea officer's sheet anchor also done by Edward W Sweetman reprint in 1963 and was from the second edition 1819. Hope this is of help when you get to that point sir. Gary

Does any one have a lighting system on their Optivisor? I added one but it stop working really shortly after turning it on so am looking for a better one. I like my optivisor but it would be so much better when you add a light to it. Gary

Thank you sir. Gary

Hi Guys. I just finished building a variable height table for Alfred and its already made me wish I had made one years ago. The family and I was in IKEA a few years back and saw one of their desk and gave it a try. Thought how nice that would be for working on Alfred. That thought stuck with me and a few weeks ago I was in office depot and looked at one that sat on top of the desk but was to small and a little high on the cost so I still didn't get one. I finally got serious a with cash in hand went shopping on line that is. Well got to thinking why don't I just build one to suit me and Alfred. I went and brought the pieces for it linear actuator, dc power supply, control system, a couple of piece's of ply wood and 4 drawer slides. So after a week it was done and today I used it for moving Alfred up and down and as I said earlier which I had done this a few years back. Here are some photos of it. Probabley end up adding some shelfs to it and a few other things. Gary

Hi Matiz. I take it you mean razor blades good sir? Enjoying your build very much. Thank you for sharing it with us and always enjoy your updates. Gary

Mark in the book Legacy of a Ship Model, the Princess Royal 1773 by Rob Napier, page 91, he has a picture of the aft side of the port round house and it is not very deep at all and no door was installed on it. Sort of like being in a out house with no walls or door. Wonder were the hung the rope/ toilet paper. Mark I took a second look at more of the photos of the Princess Royal and seems that it did in fact have door's for the round house. There is also a photo that shows the dog leg frame( the core of the model which looks just like what you have drawn. Good job sir. Gary

Mark the stanchion at the dog leg landed some what on the dog leg frame. I believe that's what I found when I was working on alfred, sort of rebate in to it. More like a half stanchion.

Mark go to the gallery at the top of the page, then go to page 2 and there are a few outstanding photo's of the head work of 74's. When you look at them as a whole it makes it look like the had a lot more room. Even the Bellona is there. Gary

Hi Mark here is a photo of the Victory showing the doorway with a little set of stairs. Gary

Mark could the door have been on the inside of the beak head bulkhead. Thought I saw a photo or maybe it was the victory that showed this. If so wouldn't that given them a couple of more feet with a set of stairs to help get you in there. Think I see if I can found the door. Gary