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sharkscanner
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thibaultron reacted to a post in a topic:
Model Shipways Vanguard ?
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Canute reacted to a post in a topic:
Caldercraft Agamemnon riding bitts
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Canute reacted to a post in a topic:
Caldercraft Agamemnon riding bitts
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Canute reacted to a post in a topic:
Model Shipways Vanguard ?
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mtaylor reacted to a post in a topic:
Caldercraft Agamemnon riding bitts
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mtaylor reacted to a post in a topic:
Caldercraft Agamemnon riding bitts
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Caldercraft Agamemnon riding bitts
sharkscanner replied to sharkscanner's topic in Wood ship model kits
That's the whole point. On the Caldercraft plans, the bitts are shown on the UPPER gun deck, along with the stove. But this the hawse holes DO NOT open onto the upper gun deck. They are on the same level as the LOWER gun deck. Hence my moving them one deck lower, which is where they are typically located on two-deckers (as discussed earlier). -
Disaster has befallen me. Plans and instructions for my Caldercraft HMS Mars were completely ruined by water. I've only got as far as assembling the bulkheads and deck, so still a long way to go. Does an anyone have an old set or a photocopy I can borrow or buy? John
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Caldercraft Agamemnon riding bitts
sharkscanner replied to sharkscanner's topic in Wood ship model kits
Belatedly, I can report that I was in fact able to insert the riding bitts into the lower gun deck (at least the rearmost ones). Having put so much work into making the thing, I decided it would only annoy me every time I saw it in the spares box, so I decided it would either go through the hatch or be broken in the process. Of course, with the other decks and planking already in place, I was only able to glue it, not pin it, but it won't be taking any load so I wasn't concerned. But it was a real exercise in pretzel folding my fingers to get it through the hatch, and I lost hold of it a couple of times, but persistence won the day. Of course, you can barely see the bitts through the open hatch (which will be partly blocked off by the stairway later on), but at least I know it's there... -
If I recall correctly, the Amati and MS versions also differ in the material used for the major parts (bulkheads etc); Amati uses the compressed 'manufactured wood' (like the new "Revenge" kit), but the MS kit was cut from plywood. I also recall that there was some discussion about whether the Amati and MS parts were of slightly different sizes, although both were marketed as 1/72 scale. MAybe somebody can cast some light on that? Another difference is that the Amati offering has etched and cast parts for different vessels besides Vanguard, but the MS version is Vanguard only. The MS version had laser(?) cut wooden cannon carriages rather than the 'all-in-one' cast metal carriages offered by Amati, and turned brass instead of cast guns. I had the MS version, but sold it on after getting hooked by Caldercraft's slightly larger 1/64 scale kits. John
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mtaylor reacted to a post in a topic:
Caldercraft Agamemnon riding bitts
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mtaylor reacted to a post in a topic:
Caldercraft Agamemnon riding bitts
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Canute reacted to a post in a topic:
Caldercraft Agamemnon riding bitts
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Caldercraft Agamemnon riding bitts
sharkscanner replied to sharkscanner's topic in Wood ship model kits
Hi Jason, Many thanks for your observations and for the link to the NMM plans. I see what you mean about the faint outline of bitts near the stove. I don't want to second guess this, but maybe the draftsman originally drew them on the upper gun deck, then realized the mistake and tried to erase them? Who knows? But riding bitts located on the upper gun deck seem pointless, because there's no evidence that the anchor cables passed through this level. As you point out, the draft also shows the more typical arrangement of bitts, stove, capstans etc., which certainly makes more sense if the anchor cables passed along the lower gun deck (and that also agrees with the position of the hawse holes). So, regretfully, I think I am going to leave the riding bitts in my spares box.. there's no way I can retro-fit them on the lower gun deck. Instead, I might add a second capstan farther back on the upper gun deck, although it will be mostly hidden. Cheers John -
I am well into construction of my Caldercraft Aggie, but I modified the construction along the way, by framing out all the gunports before planking, instead of cutting them all out later (thankfully it worked!). The hull is now planked and coppered, and I've begun working on the innards. I am about to start fitting out the gun deck, and here is where I ran into a problem. According to the kit instructions, the big riding bitts go here, just in front of the stove. But according to my references, on two-deckers these bitts should be one deck lower, on the lower gun deck. This is the arrangement (stove on the gun deck, riding bitts on the lower gun deck, below the hearth) according to the fold-out plans of the 74-gun ship in Rees ("Naval Architecture"). Furthermore, Peter Goodwin ("construction and fitting of the English Man of War 1650-1850, p. 175) is quite emphatic; "They were always found on the lower gun deck of two-decked ships and on the gun deck of frigates and sloops." Sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere, but I would like to know if there is evidence that Agamemnon's design differed from other two-deckers in this respect? Has anybody seen the original plans? Should I leave off the riding bitts? Seems a pity, because they add a nice detail.. but not at the expense of accuracy.
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Just ordered mine, and looking forward to working on it and taking a break from 'Agamemnon'.. this one won't need thousands of copper plates! John
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Whatever happened to the planned 1/64 scale 74-gun ship? I was waiting for that one!
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