hamilton

Thanks Mark! - I've managed now to (almost) finish the starboard side quarter gallery and am very happy with the results. I cut all the parts for both quarter galleries at the same time to ensure they will be of equal size. And I'll wait until both are complete before attaching them to the hull....Here's the process
 
Each quarter gallery is built up out of 7 strips - 2 5mm x 5mm strips for the roof and the lower part; 2 5mm x 3mm strips as a false backing for the windows; 2 6mm x .5mm strips for the sill and head of the windows; and 1 3mm X 1mm strip for a finishing strip on the top. I shaped all the pieces according to a curve I determined.
 

 
I then shaped the pieces to get the appropriate cant into the quarter gallery.
 

 
Next step was to finish the pieces - I stained the rood and the bottom piece and all other parts were painted black.
 

 
I then assembled it and added posts using 2mm x 2mm walnut.
 

 
Finally, the window frames were added using 1mm x 1mm strip wood, painted white
 

 
Here is a comparison between the kit supplied part and the one I made.
 

 
I still need to add a fnishing piece at the bottom, which I will attempt to make out of sculpy, since I need to do some shaping and my carving skills are nonexistent. Tomorrow I'll do the port side quarter gallery, and then spend the following night making the sculpy finishing pieces and designing the scratch built transom....lots of fun ahead!
hamilton

Thanks Mark! - I've managed now to (almost) finish the starboard side quarter gallery and am very happy with the results. I cut all the parts for both quarter galleries at the same time to ensure they will be of equal size. And I'll wait until both are complete before attaching them to the hull....Here's the process
 
Each quarter gallery is built up out of 7 strips - 2 5mm x 5mm strips for the roof and the lower part; 2 5mm x 3mm strips as a false backing for the windows; 2 6mm x .5mm strips for the sill and head of the windows; and 1 3mm X 1mm strip for a finishing strip on the top. I shaped all the pieces according to a curve I determined.
 

 
I then shaped the pieces to get the appropriate cant into the quarter gallery.
 

 
Next step was to finish the pieces - I stained the rood and the bottom piece and all other parts were painted black.
 

 
I then assembled it and added posts using 2mm x 2mm walnut.
 

 
Finally, the window frames were added using 1mm x 1mm strip wood, painted white
 

 
Here is a comparison between the kit supplied part and the one I made.
 

 
I still need to add a fnishing piece at the bottom, which I will attempt to make out of sculpy, since I need to do some shaping and my carving skills are nonexistent. Tomorrow I'll do the port side quarter gallery, and then spend the following night making the sculpy finishing pieces and designing the scratch built transom....lots of fun ahead!
hamilton

Thanks Mark! - I've managed now to (almost) finish the starboard side quarter gallery and am very happy with the results. I cut all the parts for both quarter galleries at the same time to ensure they will be of equal size. And I'll wait until both are complete before attaching them to the hull....Here's the process
 
Each quarter gallery is built up out of 7 strips - 2 5mm x 5mm strips for the roof and the lower part; 2 5mm x 3mm strips as a false backing for the windows; 2 6mm x .5mm strips for the sill and head of the windows; and 1 3mm X 1mm strip for a finishing strip on the top. I shaped all the pieces according to a curve I determined.
 

 
I then shaped the pieces to get the appropriate cant into the quarter gallery.
 

 
Next step was to finish the pieces - I stained the rood and the bottom piece and all other parts were painted black.
 

 
I then assembled it and added posts using 2mm x 2mm walnut.
 

 
Finally, the window frames were added using 1mm x 1mm strip wood, painted white
 

 
Here is a comparison between the kit supplied part and the one I made.
 

 
I still need to add a fnishing piece at the bottom, which I will attempt to make out of sculpy, since I need to do some shaping and my carving skills are nonexistent. Tomorrow I'll do the port side quarter gallery, and then spend the following night making the sculpy finishing pieces and designing the scratch built transom....lots of fun ahead!
hamilton

Thanks Mark! - I've managed now to (almost) finish the starboard side quarter gallery and am very happy with the results. I cut all the parts for both quarter galleries at the same time to ensure they will be of equal size. And I'll wait until both are complete before attaching them to the hull....Here's the process
 
Each quarter gallery is built up out of 7 strips - 2 5mm x 5mm strips for the roof and the lower part; 2 5mm x 3mm strips as a false backing for the windows; 2 6mm x .5mm strips for the sill and head of the windows; and 1 3mm X 1mm strip for a finishing strip on the top. I shaped all the pieces according to a curve I determined.
 

 
I then shaped the pieces to get the appropriate cant into the quarter gallery.
 

 
Next step was to finish the pieces - I stained the rood and the bottom piece and all other parts were painted black.
 

 
I then assembled it and added posts using 2mm x 2mm walnut.
 

 
Finally, the window frames were added using 1mm x 1mm strip wood, painted white
 

 
Here is a comparison between the kit supplied part and the one I made.
 

 
I still need to add a fnishing piece at the bottom, which I will attempt to make out of sculpy, since I need to do some shaping and my carving skills are nonexistent. Tomorrow I'll do the port side quarter gallery, and then spend the following night making the sculpy finishing pieces and designing the scratch built transom....lots of fun ahead!
hamilton

I've built several Corel kits and I've enjoyed them all. And when I first opened the box about a year ago I was not disappointed. The wood and parts supplied with the kit are of very high quality and they even include some yellow coloured strips for the outboard bulwarks.

 



 



 

I got a little more concerned when this evening I took a look at the plans and the instruction booklet, and began testing some of the CNC parts against the plans...

 

While Corel's instructions have always been a little off, the plans they provide have always been excellent. Not so here, I think. Four sheets of plans are provided with very general information. These are complemented by a more extensive illustrated instruction book, which is alright at showing basic construction steps. However, when I tested the centre keel against the sheet showing the ship's profile, I was shocked to find how far off it was...Thankfully the kit-supplied part did match the plan containing the CNC templates...however, now I wonder how trustworthy the plans will be for taking measurements during the ship's construction. I'm sure this won't be too much trouble....

 



 



 

Hello all:
 
I've not yet quite completed the Model Shipways Glad Tidings, but since I've been under the weather today and in no mood to work on the current build, I thought I'd jump into some research, reviewing and trouble-spotting on my next build, Corel's HMS Greyhound.
 

 
According to Corel, this kit represents a 20-gun frigate of 1720, and in my initial (albeit solely electronic) research, I did discover a couple of references to a "Greyhound" dating from 1720. However, I also found more common references to a sixth-rate 20-gun frigate built at the Deptford yards and launched in 1719. It seems that the Corel kit could reference one of three historic ships:
 
1. HMS Greyhound (1712) - a 20-gun sixth-rate captured by the Spanish in 1718
 
2. HMS Greyhound (1719) - a 20-gun sixth-rate broken up in 1741
 
3. HMS Greyhound (1720) - a 20-gun sixth rate on which I could find little information.
 
In addition, I found references to a sloop called Greyhound, which is clearly not this vessel, but that has a much more colourful history chasing pirates. The National Maritime Museum also has in its archives the log of a Lieutenant serving on the HMS Greyhound with the dates 1713-1727, dates which overlap all three of these vessels - though it is possible that this is the sloop...
 
In any event, it was only after the 1719 Establishment that the sixth-rates were formally defined:
 
-- 20 guns on the upper deck (6lbs)
-- 364 tonnes
-- 106ft (gundeck); 87ft, 9in (keel)
-- 28ft Beam
-- Complement of 140 officers and men
 
Apparently three sixth-rates were newbuilt to the 1719 specifications, one being Greyhound, while seventeen others were rebuilt to accommodate the Establishment. I suppose the 1719 and 1720 vessels I've found could be one and the same. In any event, the Corel kit corresponds to the most general specifications - full ship rig and 20-guns on the upper deck. Though I found out that technically this type/size of vessel would have been called a "Post Ship", frigates being defined as ships of at least 28 guns....confusion and contradiction abounds!
 
Anyway, that's about all the historical information I could find...now on to the kit....

Thanks Mark! - I've managed now to (almost) finish the starboard side quarter gallery and am very happy with the results. I cut all the parts for both quarter galleries at the same time to ensure they will be of equal size. And I'll wait until both are complete before attaching them to the hull....Here's the process
 
Each quarter gallery is built up out of 7 strips - 2 5mm x 5mm strips for the roof and the lower part; 2 5mm x 3mm strips as a false backing for the windows; 2 6mm x .5mm strips for the sill and head of the windows; and 1 3mm X 1mm strip for a finishing strip on the top. I shaped all the pieces according to a curve I determined.
 

 
I then shaped the pieces to get the appropriate cant into the quarter gallery.
 

 
Next step was to finish the pieces - I stained the rood and the bottom piece and all other parts were painted black.
 

 
I then assembled it and added posts using 2mm x 2mm walnut.
 

 
Finally, the window frames were added using 1mm x 1mm strip wood, painted white
 

 
Here is a comparison between the kit supplied part and the one I made.
 

 
I still need to add a fnishing piece at the bottom, which I will attempt to make out of sculpy, since I need to do some shaping and my carving skills are nonexistent. Tomorrow I'll do the port side quarter gallery, and then spend the following night making the sculpy finishing pieces and designing the scratch built transom....lots of fun ahead!
hamilton

Thanks Mark! - I've managed now to (almost) finish the starboard side quarter gallery and am very happy with the results. I cut all the parts for both quarter galleries at the same time to ensure they will be of equal size. And I'll wait until both are complete before attaching them to the hull....Here's the process
 
Each quarter gallery is built up out of 7 strips - 2 5mm x 5mm strips for the roof and the lower part; 2 5mm x 3mm strips as a false backing for the windows; 2 6mm x .5mm strips for the sill and head of the windows; and 1 3mm X 1mm strip for a finishing strip on the top. I shaped all the pieces according to a curve I determined.
 

 
I then shaped the pieces to get the appropriate cant into the quarter gallery.
 

 
Next step was to finish the pieces - I stained the rood and the bottom piece and all other parts were painted black.
 

 
I then assembled it and added posts using 2mm x 2mm walnut.
 

 
Finally, the window frames were added using 1mm x 1mm strip wood, painted white
 

 
Here is a comparison between the kit supplied part and the one I made.
 

 
I still need to add a fnishing piece at the bottom, which I will attempt to make out of sculpy, since I need to do some shaping and my carving skills are nonexistent. Tomorrow I'll do the port side quarter gallery, and then spend the following night making the sculpy finishing pieces and designing the scratch built transom....lots of fun ahead!
hamilton

Might be too late for this... but hold off gluing unless it's spot gluing  you can remove later.  You want to align tops, bottom, and the philisters between the two.  Once you're happy, then glue.  I took photos during my process and could compare both sides at once. 

Oh yes, many have asked about colour, which I explained why I used what I did a few pages ago. If you look at the carriages here on the lower gun deck  middle gun deck, you can see the original Vallejo colour I was going to use - but after much thought, I went with what I know works for longevity and stability, as the model will be shipped around quite a lot and subjected to changing temperatures often.
 

Thanks Mike.
 
Ok.. I lied.. not intentionally... I couldn't wait to shape the whelps.  It has a few rough spots to be cleaned up, but I'm pretty darn happy with it.
 

Thanks for dropping by and the kind words Aldo, Juergen, and Mobbsie.
 
I've been working on the gundeck capstan.  I'm on hold for the foredeck capstan as it's smaller and I wanted to see how the big one went first.  Taken several tries but that part of learning. Mostly, I had issues with the power tools.. the mills specifically in setting things up.  Somewhere around here are probably 10 to 15 bits of things that went flying off before I figured how how to get everything clamped down perfectly..   Live and learn.
 
I also had to do some research.  The plans and most of the builds I've seen for French ships show the capstan style from the late 1600's to the mid-1700's.  I finally located several pics of some ship models for the mid-late-1700's.
 
First picture is of the parts (but not the whelps).

 
This was the fun part.. using the rotary table.  Had a bit of problem figuing out how to secure things to it. Took a couple of runs to various hardware stores for some M6 screws and nuts but I got it sorted out.   Below are the parts set up for rounding off and starting the machining.  The spindle has been machined down.  As for the chunk on the left,  I ended up using a tapered wood screw to center the wood square pieces and secured with washer and nuts.  I didn't get a picture of that.

 
After machining in the pawl slots on the bottom and the bar slots on the head, I assembled everything (but not glued) for a size check. Twas a bit too high.

 
After re-sizing the height, I finished the shaping of the head and then reset the height again.... it was still to high.  It's been taken apart, re-machined for height and reglued.

 
Right now the whelps blanks are drying in position and I'll spin it on the lathe to shape them.  Probably tomorrow.  I hope.
 
Side note.. I have an old coffee cup that is kept about 1/4 full of alcohol.  Simple matter to drop the whole assembly in and in a bit, it comes apart.  Wipe off the softened glue and the parts are as good as new.  Save a lot of re-making parts when some part of the assembly need re-work or replacement.

Thanks for looking in John and Lawrence. 
 
Seven pump housings and 10 spears later... I'm ready to fix them into place.  The photo is just for position only.  I went with cherry on the spears as think that once they age some and darken up, they'll provide a nice contrast.  I'm still debating on putting the operating ropes on the two aft ones. 
 


 
Now to start figuring out the capstan... 

I got the first one done.. actually I got two done, but the second went flying off into the ether.  Must be a space warp or time gate in my workshop.... 
 
First pic shows an overall side view.
 

 
The next one is through a gunport to show it in position.
 

 
I'm hating the macro.. shows every nick and bit of dirt....  I still need to make the pump rod.
And a confession.. that's not metal.  The straps are paper and the pipe is some insulation stripped from a wire.
 

The deck is finally sanded but no finish has been applied.  I'll hold until all the deck furniture and the aft area of the great cabin is completed.
 
So on to some deck furniture....  I'll preface this with: DON'T TRY THIS!!!!!!!!!!
 
I chose to do the pumps next.  Octagonal in shape with a peculiar hourglass chunk of metal at the top of the pump rod.  Rope is lashed around this, the runs up to a long bar lashed to the mast.  The other end of the bar has a rope coming back down with 10 smaller ropes attached to it.  Thus, as many as 10 men could be pulling down the rope and operating one pump.  I presume in an emergency 20 men on the gun deck and 20 on the quarterdeck could get all 4 pumps working at the same time.
 
Four pieces of pear were cut from stock... 1/4 inch (7 mm) by 1/4 inch (7mm) by 2" (51mm) each.  I marked them appropriately.
 
 
I then took a piece of fir and put an appropriate groove in it, mounted it squarely and securely in the vise on my mill.  The pic shows the mounting along with one of the pear pieces.

 
Here's where life gets interesting with one of those "what could I possibly be thinking" moments.  I hand fed the pear through the mill on three sides and was feeling pretty good about the way things were going.  Flipped for the 4th side and then.... the bit hit something.. small knot?  Not sure and probably never will know.  The wood was ripped from the jig and my fingers and sent flying into the ether.  I've got two fingers on my right hand missing about 10 sq. mm of skin on each and a nasty cut on one finger of the hand.  There's blood on the mill and bench.  The pear piece is somewhere not to be found and my fingers are covered in bandages (plasters) and I'm asorbing liquid anesthetic from a brown bottle.
 
So.... lesson learned.  Don't hand feed.   I'm reworking the scheme to clamp the wood for milling or I'm headed to the tool store tomorrow to find a halfway decent (hopefully a really decent) miniature plane.

Played with a mockup of how much of the gundeck will really be seen.  It was a real eye-opener to me.
 
The first pic show both the foredeck and quarterdeck and walkways mocked up and on "beams"   The second shows how much is actually visable.
 
Based on this, there's not going to be a MkV deck, but I do want that whole deck smooth as a baby's backside. And all appropriate furniture in place. 
 
Back to sanding and sanding and sanding and.....
 

Time for an update... been much going on in real life and in the shipyard.  Janet's healing nicely and is ahead of therapy.  She hopes to be back in the pool in about 2 weeks.  Work is still a four-letter word.
 
The gundeck is finally and completely planked.       
At least for now the planking is version MkIV there may be a MkV.  Per the picture, the yard crew is sanding and holystoning the deck. The left side is in progress.  The right awaits them and their implements of smoothness.
 
Version MkI was an attempt at planking where the planks follow the run of the hull. The planks have a curve to them.  I started by full-width at mid-ships and planned to taper at bow and stern.  After about 50% planked, I found that I needed to do some drop planks so off I went.. However, at 1/8" (approx. 3mm) wide planks, I soon realized I was making mess and ripped out the planks.
 
Which lead to MkII.  Nibbed!!!  I put in a margin plank and started nibbing.  Again, the width of the planks became an issue along with, as I found out, the French at that point time didn't use nibbing.  Yep... ripped it out.
 
The, MkIII...hooked scarfs.   Yes.!!!..  Hmm... er.. no.  Needed wider planks. Nothing in stock. Rip out the few planks installed and back to the drawing board.
 
So we come to MkIV.  I've ordered sufficient stock of silver maple in boards of sufficient dimensions to permit hook scarfs.  But decided not to wait.  Figured since about 75% of the gundeck won't be seen ("uh-oh", the crowd mummers) I'd figure out a method.  Got out the dremel and put a groove into the lower part of the waterway where it meets the beams thinking I could slide the deck planks into the groove and give the appearance of the waterway on top of the planks.   That works.
 
When the wood gets here, I'll make another executive decision on ripping it out and doing it right, or letting it go and do the forecastle and the quarterdeck "properly".   The decision will be based upon how does it look with a ship's boat, guns, etc in place.  Once the sanding is done, and I've made some cardboard cutouts to see exactly what's visable and what isn't, I'll decide.   Before I get hit with "that's not the way the real ones were done"... I know.  I'm taking similar liberties at this point much like H. Hahn.  No knees for the deck beams, etc.  His pictures show planking much like what I have done, but admittedly.. I'm no H. Hahn.
 

Here's the pics to date:
 

This ship caught my attention the first time I saw the plans because it had a white flag. Laughed a bit until I researched it. But then the lines caught my eye. She's a 32 gun, frigate of the 8 pound gun class.

A bit of history... built 1755 in Brest. Not too much in the way of history available except for some highlights:

1756 - Carried troops to Quebec.

1757 - with Marsaint's divsion on the 21 Oct. A "most bloody conflict" with the British off Santo Domingo. No ships lost on either side, but a high casualty count.

1762 - expeditions against British shipping and the Sale pirates.

1778 - she was part of a small fleet in company with Le Belle Poule, Hirondelle and Le Coureur. They ran into Keppel's squadron. Licorne as surrounded and captured. La Belle Poule had a famous two-hour duel with the British and escaped to a nearby bay.For the next five years it was known as HMS Licorne  in the British Navy.

1783 - Sold out of the service.
From the plans, it appears to be a good beginner scratchbuild. Clean lines, minimal carving. Some things from the Hahn plans needs changing such as the mast caps and the cannon rigging. I'm still researching via Boudriot and Frolich.

I'm planning on completely planking her, but that may change.

Anyway, I ordered a bunch of Hahn's plans a few years ago out of curiousity... guess I was walking down the primrose path to the minefield and here's where I've landed.

Not knowing what to order in the way of wood.. I guessed and ordered the wood for the Confederacy from The Lumberyard since both are 3/16" scale. Blew it a bit.. keel on the Confed is 1/4", on the Licorne... 3/16", same for the frames.. Luckily, I have a thickness sander... unluckily.. that's a rather large pile of wood. But, I'm happy. I'll make the frames a tad thicker and order some 3/16" sheet for the keel, etc. Next time.. I'll study the plans closer.

So... here's where my build begins. Started by scanning and copying all the plans as blueline prints fade with time. Laid out but not cut the building board. I've enclose pic of what I've built to date: Pics of the Famous Ed Measuring Tool and my frame jig. Pic of some of the framing wood with my thickness sander (daunting in person). And lastly.. a work in progress... my shipwright. Currently looks like Krylon the Cylon, but he'll get better. Once he's finished, I'll properly name him and start building frames.
 
Due to the website crash, all the descriptive stuff is gone.  I'll post all the pics to-date and then start text, etc. on my next post.
 
 

Hamilton,
 
That's what I had to do with the Constellation's quarter galleries and it looks like I'll have to do it again with the Licorne.  There just isn't a top view of them on the plans.      One thing, before you glue anything down on one side, make darn sure the same part is the same size for the opposite side.  Twas a lesson learned the hard way.

The window frames themselves were photo etch that came with the kit, but with a jig they could easily be made up using styrene or strip wood. If you have a good hobby shop near you, see if they stock Evergreen or Plastruct strips for the styrene option, or Mt Albert Scale Lumber for the strip wood option.
 
Andy

Hi Hamilton,
 
I guess I got twisted around a bit on quarter galleries vs. quarter badges.     What Goodwin shows is a quarter gallery.. albeit a small one.

Hi Mobbsie:
 
I've coppered only 2 hulls in my time - the Phantom and the Kate Cory. I didn't really worry about gore lines (though if I had read this log I might have taken a different approach). So far, your coppering looks great. Make a pot of tea and a sandwich or two and keep on going!
hamilton

It's actually not that hard to do.
 
All I did on mine was trace the outline of the quarter badges onto some basswood of an appropriate thickness of basswood and with careful cutting and filing, and sanding, it took me about an hour to make each one.
 
Andy

Great suggestion, re adhesive backed foils - I actually have a long strip of 1/4" copper adhesive that would suit - a bit of paint and it could work well. I may not be able to get to any attempts for a couple of days - we're prepping my workshop our living room/dining room for painting....
hamilton