hamilton

Thick stuff, limber strakes and lower deck clams have now all been installed. While this is more or less straightforward as a process, it is finicky - particularly getting the heigh of the deck clamps correct and symmetrical, which took a lot of triple and quadruple checking and marking and re-marking and adjusting and correcting....you get the idea....while the practicum covers the installation of the thick stuff at the first futtock heads prior to the lower deck clamp, it seemed wise to me to fit the clamp first since the thick stuff over the futtock heads is directly below it - this would allow me to outline those areas of the hull where the foot waling is to be applied - in three strakes between the limber strakes and the first strakes of thick stuff and between the latter and the second strakes of thick stuff. I've also cut and fit two of the three lower deck beams - not for installation, but as reference for the positioning/height of the well and the pillar in the hold. Looking forward to the challenge of the deck framing, but there's still quite a bit to do before getting there.... It's unclear from the plans where the middle of the three deck beams sits....from a drawing supplied in the practicum it looks like it sits athrwartships so that its forward edge is in line with the forward edge of frame 3-forward, but it could also be aligned with the aft edge of frame 2-aft.....I may lift measurements of the hatch openings on the lower deck, since the forward and aft edges of that opening are defined by the deck beams....this should give me a more or less accurate result I think.... Here are the photos - slight progress on the last few, but...... hamilton

One last update before bed - I've installed the limber boards and one strake of the thick stuff at the floor heads - tomorrow this work will continue - hope to be able to finish the thick stuff and lower deck clamps then, and then the foot waling if there's time. I'm considering how to finish the model - I think I will fully plank one side inboard and outboard but leave the other side unplanked, except for the thick stuff inboard and below the wales outboard. Bye for now hamilton

So a real milestone reached today - the basic framework is complete - almost a week of tweaking and fairing the frames with a combination of Dremel rotary tool, sanding sticks, hand sanding and occasional file work...as I mentioned before I found it both easier and more difficult to fair with the full frames as opposed to the occasional bulkheads used on most kits. On the one hand, its much easier to see what "fair" actually is since the frames are so close up against one another (the fact that it's a mid-ship cross-section also helps), on the other hand, there's a lot more finesse and detail work that needs doing, one much be quite gentle initially and try to find how to apply maximum elbow grease without damaging the frames (I speak from several experiences!) and some spots are a little trickier than others. But I'm glad that I knuckled down and fought against the dreary repetitiveness of the process - I think the results are pretty decent. Main issues I can spot are with the gunport and sweep port sills, which are not as finely joined as they could be - but since these joints (except around the inside edges of the gunports) will be covered I'm not sweating it too much and I'll see if I can fill the gaps later on in the build as necessary. I also made and installed the keelson - a pretty straightforward part to make. Cut it a little long and sawed off the ends once it was situated properly. I won't be installing the ribands shown on some pics of the completed cross-section framing, as I will be fitting out the model and I would have to remove these later anyway. The workshop's getting a little hot in the afternoon sun, but I might try to mill some strips for the limber strakes and thick stuff this afternoon and continue on....Initially I thought I would go back to Bellona once I had reached this stage with Echo, but I may just press on with the cross-section - I promise I will return to Bellona eventually - but I really don't enjoy hull planking too much so.....delay delay delay I guess!! Enjoy the photos and by for now hamilton

Thanks Dave - I tried my hand at cutting a 15" (scale) billet using a thin kerf blade on the 10" table saw - it worked out well, but I'll take the caution on the kickback....I have a bandsaw and have used it to cut billets before, but it feels a bit clunkier to me without a really good fence....I made a couple of trial fences for the bandsaw using 1/2" mdf and 1/2" plywood, so once I get a new blade for the bandsaw I'll have a swing at this....in the meanwhile, the 15" billet (3" wide and 30" long) should suffice for what's coming up next - the limber strakes, thick stuff and ceiling planks in the hold......and I'll be able to use the mini table saw to cut these....gotta say scratch building is pretty fun so far..... hamilton

Thanks Druxey. Fortunately the cost of pencils and paper is far lower than the cost of wood! I have made some experiments, none particularly convincing and only for a plank-on-bulkhead project, so could effectively cheat from the body plan. I have some primers on lofting, but if you could recommend a good source I would appreciate it! hamilton

That is a good tip - I've been eyeballing it so far, but this would work way better. Thanks Greg! hamilton

Minor update re - fairing the frames. As can be seen from the photos above, there's quite a bit of fairing to do on my cross-section. I think that much of this could have been circumvented by completing all the frames and checking them for fairness prior to installation, but.... So far I have been sanding inboard and outboard since this past Sunday and the work continues. Fairing seems both easier and harder with a fully framed model. On the one hand fairness is much easier to gauge since the frames are so close to one another, making it much easier to identify where the trouble spots are. At the same time, it is not possible to just grind into the frames and care needs to be taken not to dislodge them either from the keel (which has happened now once) or from the battens at the toptimbers (which has happened several times) or to break off a futtock (as also happened once)....so there's a balance to be found between the elbow grease necessary to actually get wood and a light enough touch so as not to damage or dislodge the frames.... I'm working largely with three sanding sticks - a 4" square one, a 1" round one and a 2" flat one - all with 100-grit sandpaper. I've also cut some 2" x 3" sheets of sandpaper at 100, 250 and 400 grit for finishing. There were a few placed both inboard and outboard where I used my Dremel with a drum sander to sand down frames where they were standing significantly proud. I was very nervous about using the rotary tool, but in the end it proved quite easy and safe for removing excess wood quickly and along one frame at a time without touching the adjacent frames. There is still more fairing to do, but I hope that by the end of the weekend I will have completed the final components of the initial framing of the cross-section - namely, the keelson, exterior ribanbs and the the top timber extensions for frames 2-A and 3-F above the gunport. No photos today since the work is not yet done. But soon... hamilton

Back from holiday now and back at the bench both yesterday and today to finish up the final frames - frame set 5. These were mostly straightforward except the toptimber of frame 5 aft is shifted forward 1.5" - not difficult to achieve with some shims under the frame. The only other features of these frames are a notch on the forward face of 5-forward to match the one on 4-aft for the pump dale scupper and a fore/aft tapering of the top of the toptimber of 5-aft. The final stage of the framing of the cross-section has now bee reached - installing the sills on gunports and sweep ports, inboard & outboard fairing of the frames, installing the the keelson and temporary ribands along the toptimbers. I am going to be finishing the model, but I'm not sure whether to do the inside edges gunport and sweep port frames now or later. Makes some sense to do them now, before laying any planking, but maybe there's merit to doing it later on? I do have the practicum for fitting out the cross-section, but it isn't possible any longer to order the wood package as pre-milled sheets and strips. I do have a Byrnes thickness sander and micro table-saw, and have a stock of unmilled 2" x 3" lengths (30") of boxwood, as well as the wood list that was posted on the now-defunct Admiralty Models website. I invested in a thin-kerf blade for my 10" table saw, so I think all I need is a good set of digital callipers and I can mill the wood necessary for the fitting out. There is quite a bit leftover of the wood supplied in the framing package, as well, so....we'll see how things progress. At any rate, when I complete the components noted above I'll be going back to Bellona for a while - at least until I finish the second layer of hull planking and clean up a few things from earlier in that build. I may return to Echo then, as it has been a lot of fun so far. Confidence building for a fully framed model of a complete ship - ideally I would love to build a 1:48 fully framed version of the HMS Blandford, which I built about a decade ago from the rather poor Corel kit....but my lack of drafting knowledge beyond some rudiments is a real obstacle.... In any case - here are the pics - enjoy and bye for now hamilton

Beautiful job on the planking Ronald! hamilton

Amazing work Yves! And beautifully displayed! hamilton

Thanks for trying Ronald! And thanks for dropping in Nearshore! It looks a little rough compared to others, but I'm very happy with the results so far. hamilton

It didn't!!

Lots of scrolling on this page!! Hope this post will push the log to page 3 - I imagine people are getting sick of scrolling, as I am..... In any case a final post before we head out on holiday - just a quick one to show frame set 4 completed and raised on the keel. These two frames were very straightforward, though I wish I had added the taper to the toptimber before assembling the frame - I'll do this with 5-aft which has a similar taper. The only other feature is a notch filed into the aft face of frame 4-aft for the pump dale scupper. There was some difficulty getting these symmetrical port and starboard, but in the end they went ok - we'll see much later in the fitting out stage.... In the meantime, here are a couple of photos of the model as it stands. I head back to full time work on Aug. 15, and I'm hoping to be able to complete the framing before then - assembling and mounting frame set 5, adding the gunport and sweep port sills, installing ribands along the toptimbers and making and installing the keelson. I will then be taking a break from this build - hard to say how long, but I think it's time I returned to the Bellona for a while - she's been neglected in the excitement of making frames and I know that once I get through the lower hull planking the real fun can finally begin. Hope all are well and bye for now hamilton

Frame set 3 is now complete and installed on the keel. Together, frame 2F and 3A define the gunport and I've also removed the tops of the toptimbers on 2A and 3F to open this port - the ends of the timbers still need some refining (and all frames need to be completed) before installing the gunport sills and completing the framing of this feature. The work is not perfect! But it has been a lot of fun! I had been dreading crafting the cast toptimber of frame 3A, but in the end (and given the experience of making 2F which has a more subtle cast aft) it was not that difficult. I made 4 templates from copies of the disposition of frame and fixed these to both inboard and outboard edges of each toptimber with rubber cement. I then marked the portion of the toptimber to be cut away, tested for symmetry and used the same method described above for 2F. In the end, this one ended up actually being a little more straightforward since 2F is cast in more of a subtle "S" curve, while this one is cast out from the bottom edge and the top part is more or less a straight run. The trickiest part was refining them for symmetry and this was less tricky than it was very exacting a slow going. I've cut out all the components of frame set 4 as of this morning, and will start refining and assembling them over the next couple of days. We're heading out to the cabin for a couple of weeks of Gulf Island relaxation - beach combing, swimming, paddle boarding, reading and visiting with friends - a nice break from the city but I know I'll be excited to come back to the bench! I have a week more vacation when we return and then it's back to work - I'm hoping to have the framing done by the time work starts up again, but we'll see..... Bye for now and enjoy the photos hamilton

Beautiful work on the stern decorations - it is mystifying to me how some can keep their hands so steady as to achieve these effects! I think I would need to clamp my forearm in a vice! hamilton

Frame set 2 is now complete and raised on the keel. Frame 2 aft is shortened in line with the gunport and also contains the aft notch for the scupper block (to be added later), so reference lines were drawn for these and the frame was notched out for the scupper block. I added a batten across the aft face of frame 2F at the level of the lower edge of the lower gunport sill and used this to align frame 2A. It will also be useful for bracing the frames when the time comes to remove the upper part of the toptimber to open up the gunport. I won't do this until after I've raised frame 3F, since this one is subject to the same treatment. One photo below shows the notches for the scupper block - the photo makes the it seem out of alignment, but I promise you it is not.... Altogether this is a very fun build. I have been really intimidated by the framing process - having observed others do it so well....but it is a really fun challenge so far - though maybe talk to me when it comes to the deck framing, which seems an even trickier business than this! Bye for now hamilton

A question for @druxey if you have a moment..... The scupper blocks that are inset between frames 3F and 3A and between frames 4A and 5F - I'm assuming that these should stand proud of the outboard edge of the frames to allow them to be flush with the main wale....but how are the inboard sides treated? I'm guessing that the pump dale scupper inboard will be covered by the pump dale itself, but how about the "regular" )(not sure how to designate this) scupper? This is a long way off in the build, but working on frame set 3 has put it in my mind..... hamilton

Both frames in frame set 2 have now been assembled and it remains only to mark/cut out notches for the gunport sills and the scupper. This was a challenging process with the cast toptimber of framer 2F, but in the end it was not quite as difficult as I feared it would be and I'm very happy with the results. I do want to take a bit of time to outline the process... The first step was to transfer some reference marks from the disposition of frame drawing to the frame drawing, using tick strips to measure off and square these up. Horizontals were drawn across the frame drawing to ensure symmetry athwartships. I then clamped the frame components in place on the drawing and transferred the marks to the outside and inside edges of the toptimber. I then cut a template from a printout of the dispotion of frame drawing - actually 2 to tack onto the outside and inside edges of the frame, being careful to orient them correctly! These were tacked with rubber cement and the areas to be cut down marked onto the frame piece. This was a little finicky since the disposition of frame drawing does not accout for the outward curvature of the frame itself, resulting in templates that are short compared to the toptimber piece itself. This was not too difficult to correct for, but required a lot of back and forthing from plans to part. The area to be cut was marked out on both inside and outside edges. I then clamped the piece to a slab of 3/4" ply and, using a #11 blade stated gradually removing the wood by making a cut down to the line, slicing wood off carefull edgewise from the face of the piece to that cut and then using sanding block and file to clear out the excess material. I did a little bit at a time, following the gradual shallowing of the cut and then sanded the surface down smooth. To cut the other side, I glued a small strip of basswood of an appropriate thickness to the plywood slab to accomodate the cutaway I made previously and to straighten the piece so I could remove material on the other side using the same technique described above. This took a bit of time and care, but worked out ok in the end. And now I have my first properly cast toptimber! If I can get a bit of time tomorrow I'll notch the frame out for the elements described above and then raise the frames on the keel....fun times! Enjoy the photos and happy modelling

It's hard to write and wipe the drool off my chin at the same time! Saving my shekels now..... hamilton

Thanks TMJ! This bolsters the plan I had in my head but because I've never made a plank-on-frame model before I wanted to test the waters with the community a bit! Thanks again hamilton

Thanks Druxey - it's more the actual cutting away that is giving me the nerves.....but the plans and practicum, in addition to Vol 1 of the Swan series have taken a lot of the mystery out of things - I think in this instance it's more that a lack of practical experience at this approach to ship modelling makes it seem really daunting - I've decided to cut a couple of extra top timbers to practice on and get a feel for how to achieve the proper result hamilton

Frame set 1 is now complete and installed. Frame 1-aft was very straightforward - the last such frame for a while....(see photos below) I feel like constructing the first 4 frames, while challenging, is kind of a like a tutorial to get you used to the process - with a couple of little quirks thrown in (like the cast toptimber of frame 1 forward). From here, though, things seem to get much more difficult, with a much more significant and complex cast to frame 2-forward and frame 3-aft and the gunport to manage between these....I spent today making templates for the components of frame set 2 - using 11.5" stock for the toptimbers of the forward frame to accommodate the cast aft. It's a bit of a mystery to me how to achieve the cast....I had thought I could do this using the belt sander, but given the curvature of moulded dimension of the frame, this would be very difficult to get an even result in the cast along the sided dimension.....my feeling is that taking a template of the sided dimension from the disposition of frame drawing and having at it with some sanding blocks will likely be the way to go....I may clamp the part in the bench vice with the sided dimension facing upwards to make the process a little easier, but I am open to any and all suggestions on how to approach this...... In any case - there's other work to do before turning to these cast toptimbers so I'll dig into that before facing this challenge! Bye for now hamilton

Thanks for the response TMJ, but no - I'm talking about chopping the frame down to lay on the gunport sills and what is the best way to approach this. Here's the photo again with the area highlighted..... hamilton

Hi there: I'm working on the Admiralty models HMS Echo cross-sectional model and had a question about how to cut the toptimbers out to frame the gunports. It seems to me there are at least two possible approaches, and I'm hoping to hear from those more experienced than me how best to approach this (understanding that "best" is both subjective and relative).... 1. Complete all frames of the cross-section and then cut the frames off appropriately for the gunports. This method benefits from the strength provided by having all frames in place and with battens added at the top of the toptimbers - though to my mind it seems pretty tricky to cut away the frames even with a small keyhole saw..... 2. Shorten the frames that fall in line with the gunport as they are added to the model, reserving the toptimber pieces for the extensions above the gunports - this seems easier in terms of cutting away the frames, but I wonder if there are difficulties that my lack of experience is hiding from me if I go this route.... I hope the question is clear......Here is the disposition of frame drawing for clarity - the frames in question are 2-aft and 3-forward. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide! hamilton

yes, Druxey - this is easier to see in the photos than on the model - there is a definite roundness to the inside corners that needs correcting...fortunately the files are small enough to get in there...added to the lengthening list!! hamilton