cog

You must 'ave flattende your forehead considerably since you started this "hobby" of self-mutilation ... glad the problem with the rudder it's an easy fix, for fixing your forehead would be another matter altogether  

You must 'ave flattende your forehead considerably since you started this "hobby" of self-mutilation ... glad the problem with the rudder it's an easy fix, for fixing your forehead would be another matter altogether  

20.2. Finishing the hull. Protection planks.
The hull area behind and below the trawl gate was protected against the rubbing of the trawl and the trawl rope by a local doubling of the hull planks

Gluing the planks.

Doubling finished.

Thanks  for your comments and interest Patrick and Keith.
And also thanks for all the likes.
 
This week I finished the bulwark:
I make some rings of copper wire...

...and three large oak cleats.

Rings and cleats attached on the port railing ...

...and starboard railing.

beautiful work Johann. It shows you took the time to prepare!

gorgeous!

I think you're right, Druxey.   Back to the drawing board.   Luckily, an easy fix.    I rechecked my sources and yes... it's the bevel.   <smacks forehead on desk> One of the French logs that I referenced, had it as I did... an extra piece.  

Hello,
thank you for the interest and the LIKES.

This is how the gun looks full rigged on the model ship.
It's pretty tricky to install the cannon on the deck.


I replace the unsightly ropes in the hammock cranes with new, darker ones. I bought the previous ropes.
But now I can make the ropes myself with my ropewalk.
 

Thanks for the likes, and in particular Mark and Alberto for the suggestions. At the moment I'm just going to put the issue of the oars on the back burner, but I think I'll be putting in the "oar racks" as I originally intended to unless I come up with a better explanation/solution for what was done with the upper bank of oars when going into combat.
 
In the meantime, I decided to cut down the parapet behind the lion's head, so the head is more obvious. From Haldon's experiments it's clear that a fair bit of shielding against the heat of the Greek fire was necessary for the siphonator - Haldon's collaborators wore firefighters' outfits or something similar and still complained about the heat. But the lion's head itself should give sufficient shielding where the parapet doesn't.
 
I marked the outline of the lion's head against the parapet:
 

and cut along the curve:

Then I had three goes at cutting a curved top timber for the parapet. First time it was a little too short and also I cut it from too thin a piece of wood, so it didn't go far enough back to cover the full thickness of the parapet wall.

   
Version 2 was going great until I cut it out of the block I was carving it in - and cut it too thin again! Tried gluing it back to the piece I'd cut it away from. Didn't work, of course - there seemed to be a chip missing and I couldn't get it to line up anyway. 
 
Third time worked well - I took my time, glued version 1 to a bit of wood that was definitely thick enough

and using version 1 as a guide carved the concave surface until it matched the top of the parapet smoothly.

Cut version 1 off and continued carving until it was the way I wanted it. And glued it into place.
 
The lesson to be learnt - take a break when you need to. Don't grit your teeth and go ahead when all you want to do is throw the whole thing against the wall.
 
Now, I thought I should give the evidence for the whole lion's head thing,  It comes from the Alexiad, the biography of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos by his daughter Anna and relates to a naval campaign against the Pisans in 1098-9 AD. 
 
[Emperor Alexios ] knew the Pisans were masters of naval warfare and he feared a sea battle with them. Accordingly, on the prow of each vessel he had the heads of lions and other land animals affixed; they were made of bronze or iron, and the mouths were open; the thin layer of gold with which they were covered made the very sight of them terrifying. The fire to be hurled at the enemy through tubes was made to issue from the mouths of these figure-heads in such a way that they appeared to be belching out fire.
 
It looks to be a one-off occurrence, not by any means usual procedure for dromons. So of course almost all modern dromon models and representations, no matter what century they represent, have animal heads on the siphons - some of them pretty inappropriate, and only rarely those of lions. 
 
Yes I'm putting one as well, but I can justify my decision . . . on the basis that it looks so cool . . . 
 
Steven
 

Ai, that ain't nice. You don't get a like for that. You want to solve this I presume ...
 
What I would do:
Get a piece of wood with the same thickness. Copy the outline to a piece of paper and adjust/correct the crooked part. Paste the drawing onto the wood, and cut it out with a "mini saw bow". Cut it just outside the line, which will make it slightly to big. When finished sand the surplus off carefully. Sand off the drawing and stick it on the keel.  
If you want an easier way out:
Correct the shape of the blue rectangle on the left side. The gap at the bottom will get bigger, but we'll deal with that later. File or sand the top to the horizontal you need. Take some scrap pieces of wood (probably there is some in the box, else you need to quickly start to collect scrap wood  )with straight sides. Glue those pieces to the sides of the blue rectangle (front and back), in such a way, the sides of the scrap wood follow the correct line of the vertical slot. Do it on both sides. Voila, quick an' dirty
 
Who said you wouldn't get value for money ...

You wrote: " I needed to walk away and shake my head clear a few times, review a number of books and re-read passages many times.  This is the kind of stuff that cranks me up and gets me jumping for more! Yes I really enjoyed it that much."
 
Oh, you've got it bad, Alan!

While I move ahead with my forward cant frames and the tree nailing of my aft cant frames to the deadwood, I want to complete my bowsprit.   As I had made a number of rookie errors I thought I'd best get both my sketching and math down clearly on paper.  I've made two bowsprits to date.  The first was a quickly turned cigar shape on the lathe at proper dimensions to simply see the fit in the bollard clearance hole and determine my satisfaction with the diameter (posted earlier).  The second was properly shaped on an Ed Tosti style board as he'd shown on his Young American build.  This last one is not quite right so I will do it again.  Practise makes perfect... or nearly so!
 
To start with I must say I snagged a copy of an excel document entitled Masts and Rigging from somewhere.  I believe it was this forum.  I checked the properties and the author was Danny Vadas.  I've found it to be a very helpful tool to cross check with.  As I cannot see the formulae controlling the results in the cells I need to verify the numbers as best I can.  The following explains the process.  I am new to this so it also serves as my reference for later on as I will do more of this.  I also snagged a copy of another excel document entitled Steels Dimensions by Y. Miroshnikov which is equally as useful.
 
I must say that I found The Fully Framed Model Vol. IV by David Antscherl to have been very helpful because of the photos, plans and descriptions.  The same can be said for Rigging Period Ship Models by Lennarth Petersson.  They helped me understand what I was looking at or searching for.
 
The following detailed explanation is quite long.  I hope you do not mind, but I find the process fascinating.
 
BOWSPRIT with CAPS, BEES and BEE BLOCKS
As mentioned earlier I used REES's  Naval Architecture (1819-1820), page 106, plate VIII for the dimensions, however he does not give much information regarding the Bee's and the Cap.  I had looked at The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships (figure 116, page 185) but something wasn't quite right between this and some Vanguard kit builds I've been following.  I needed to look deeper.
 
Key dates: HMS Bellerophon was ordered in 1782, launched in 1786 and completed in 1787.  This immediately suggests Rees might be a poor choice due to its date of 1819-20.
 
I went to The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860 by James Lee.
 
All the information required is in Section 1.  Mr. Lee agrees with Mr. Rees with regards to the ratio of the tapers of the bowsprit, but length and diameter differ in Appendix I ( Length = 0.6 x the length of the main mast = 104.25 x 0.6 = = 62.55 feet versus 64 feet;  diameter = 62.55/3 x 1.555 = 32.3 inches versus 36 inches).  Appendix II of Lee's reads HMS Valiant 74 gun 3rd rate Bowsprit was 36" diameter x 69'-5" long.
 
Due to the scale of my build (1:64) a difference of 3.7 inches (at scale = 0.06") diameter is not at all noticeable, and 1.45 feet (at scale = 0.27") difference in length is arguable.  As REES shows details I will follow his plate VIII as best I can.
 
Mr. Lee suggests that looking down at the Bees they were somewhat scalloped fore and aft for the time period of my build.
 
The Bees were 2-1/4 times the diameter of the bowsprit at this location (2.25 x 20 = 45 inches long); their breadth would be 2/3rds the diameter (2/3 x 20 = 13.3 inches wide); their thickness inside was 1/4 the diameter (1/4 x 20 = 5 inches thick at the bowsprit) and tapered to 4/5ths the thickness to the outside (4/5 x 5 = 4" thick outboard).  The outboard edge tilted upwards by the thickness of the inner edge plus 1 inch.  This would be 6 inches.  This is all different than what was shown in The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships.
 
I will be following Mr. Lee for the Bee's and Bee Blocks.
 
Below the Bees are the Bee Blocks.  They were 7/9 times the length of the Bees (45 x 7/9 = 35 inches long).  They were half the width (13.3 / 2 = 6.65" wide) and 2 inches per foot of length in depth ( [35 / 12] x 2 = 5.83 inches deep).
 
There were two holes in each Bee at one for each of the the foretop stay and the foretop preventer stay and one spare per side.  These holes were elongated slightly fore and aft to better receive the stays as they passed through the Bees and Blocks.  There were no sheaves at this time.
 
What size hole do I need in the Bee for the Stay to pass through?
If I know the size of the rope I can determine the hole size needed to clear.
 
I went back to The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860.
In Appendix I it explains that the sizes of  fore topmast stay and the fore topmast preventer stay are calculated to be a proportion of other considerations....
 
The topmast stay is 1/2 the size of the lower stay.
The lower stay is 1/2 the diameter of the lower mast.
The fore topmast preventer stay  was 3/4 the size of the topmast stay.
 
 
The foremast was the same proportions as the main mast.
The main mast diameter from 1773 to 1794 was 9/10 inch per 3 feet of length.
How long was it?
 
In my time period the main mast length was 2.23 times the ships beam.
The ships beam per the contract was to be 46 feet 9  inches (561 inches).
561 x 2.23 = 1251.03 inches (104.25 feet).
The main mast diameter would be 104.25/3 = 34.75 x 9/10 = 31.3 inches diameter.
The foremast would have been the same diameter.
 
Now things start to not make sense to this novice.
If the lower stay (rope) is half the diameter of the lower mast it would be 15.65 inches diameter!
I think he meant size of rope which was the circumference not the diameter!
 
The diameter is the circumference divided by Pi (3.1416).
15.65/3.1416 = 5.3" diameter rope.
 
The top mast stay is half this 5.3 x 1/2 = 2.65 inch diameter (or 8.33 inch rope by circumference = 2.65 inch diameter)
The topmast preventer stay is three quarters this or 2.65 x 3/4 = 1.98 or simply 2 inch diameter.
 
I will  make the holes 3" diameter (at 1:64 scale is 0.05" diameter = #55 drill bit).
 
Since I'm all warmed up I may as well carry on with the Jib Boom details and get it over with.
 
JIB BOOM
I took the dimensions for my Jib Boom directly from REES's Plate VIII.  The major diameter is 11" and the overall length is 51'-0".  Only the heel end is octagonal in shape for a distance of 4'-4".  The length differs from what is described in The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860.  Mr. Lee directs the length of the hex shape at the heel to be 3.5 times the diameter (3.5 x 11 = 38.5 inches).  Mr. Lee also directs the length of the Jib Boom to be 0.41 x the length of the main mast (0.41 x 104.25 = 42.7 feet).  This is a difference of 8.3 feet (1.5" at 1:64 scale).  The diameter is to be 7/8 inch per 3 feet of length or 12.5 inches.
 
Mr. Lee also gives some drawing details for the Heel Lashing Hole and Heel Rope Sheave.  The slot in the Jib Boom for the Heel Lashing Rope Sleeve (sheave) is horizontal and the length of the slot is 1-1/16 x the diameter of the Jib Boom (1.0625 x 11 = 11.7 inches).  The slot is located a distance of 1.5 times the diameter from the heel of the Jib Boom (1.5 x 11 = 16.5 inches whereas Mr. Rees locates this at 2 feet).  The Heel Lashing Hole runs horizontally and is halfway between the Jib Boom heel and the slot for the sheave  (8.25 inches).
 
There is another sheave located at the head of the Jib Boom for the Jib Outhauler.  This sheave runs up and down (vertically).  Mr. Lee directs it to be located "a few inches abaft the rigging stop".  For my time period the rigging stop was tapered back to a shoulder.
 
Mr. Rees shows the horizontal heel sheave slot to be 18" long x 4 or 5" wide.  The outhaul couldn't possibly be the same size as the head of the jib boom is so much smaller in diameter than the heel (7.3" versus 11").  In my novice opinion there seems not enough "meat" left either side in the boom to support it.  To double check this I need to know the size of the Heel Lashing and Jib Outhauler ropes which will determine the sheave sizes.
 
Mr. Lee directs that the Heel Lashing is the same size as the Bowsprit Shroud Lanyard which were the same size as the Gammoning which were 0.44 of the Forestay.  The Lower Stays are 1/2 the diameter of the lower mast.  The lower mast was the same proportions as the main mast... 9/10ths  inch per 3 feet of length of the fore mast, which was 0.93 x the length of the main mast which I'd already determined to be 104.25 feet.
 
104.25 x 0.93 / 3 x 9/10 x 0.5 x 0.44 = 6.4 inches circumference / 3.1416 = 2 inches diameter rope.
 
From Steels I find the sheave diameter is 5x the thickness of the sheave but in Lee's it is 4x; the sheave thickness is 1/10th more than the rope diameter; the breadth of the sheave hole is 1/16 inch greater than the sheave thickness; the length of the sheave hole is the sheave diameter plus one rope diameter in Steels whereas in Lee's it is 1-1/3 x the sheave diameter.
 
A sheave for a 2 inch diameter rope would be 2.1 inches thick x 10.5 (Steels) or 8.4" (Lee's) inches diameter.  The sheave slot would be 2.163 inches x 12.5 or 11 inches.
 
For the Jib Heel Lashing on my drawing I find a 10.5 inch diameter sheave does not suit my 9.5" across flats hex shaped heel of the jib boom.  I made my Heel Lashing Sheave 8.4" diameter and the hole 2.2" x 11".
 
Search as I might I cannot seem to identify the rope size ratio for the Jib Outhauler.  The Mast and Rigging spread sheet (which has proven to be reasonably accurate up to now) suggests the Spritsail Yard Halliard and Running Lifts and the Fore Trisail Outhauler are all 1" diameter.  As these are all in the same general area it seems reasonable for the Jib Sail to be similar.
 
The sheave for a 1" diameter rope would be 1.1 inches thick x 5.5 or 4.4 inches diameter.  The hole would be 1.163 inches wide  x 6.5 or 5.7 inches long.  Again the differences are those between Messrs. Lee and Rees.
 
I will use the 5.5 inch diameter sheave and the 1.1 inch wide x 6.5 inch long slot for the Jib Outhauler.
 
This fits nicely in my drawing.  PDF attached!
Also a couple pictures from my second Bowsprit.
 
****
This exercise took a number hours over just as many days.  I needed to walk away and shake my head clear a few times, review a number of books and re-read passages many times.  This is the kind of stuff that cranks me up and gets me jumping for more! 
Yes I really enjoyed it that much.
 




Bowsprit + Jib Boom.pdf

so, show us the weathering ...

"lat", oeps, that is Dutch for a thin strip/plank of wood

hanging by a thread ... it gets a whole new meaning ...

bluetack and tooth picks ... you still need the foam though.. Tape on a small plank, sticky side up, even bluetack on plank/lat works like a charm. With railings I'd go for the blue tack on a lat.

I thought you were upto something ... to silent for to long ... very nice radar mate

Greg,
When I look at the pictures from the Fletcher, and I look at your primed hull, I see a difference in the way the hull plating has been lined up in the vertical. On your model it is stepped, on the real life ship the plates sides are a single line from bottom to top, but for a few at the bow ... will you change that or stick to the hull plating layout from the kit

They do have a love of hooked extremities, Kev ...

Ai, that ain't nice. You don't get a like for that. You want to solve this I presume ...
 
What I would do:
Get a piece of wood with the same thickness. Copy the outline to a piece of paper and adjust/correct the crooked part. Paste the drawing onto the wood, and cut it out with a "mini saw bow". Cut it just outside the line, which will make it slightly to big. When finished sand the surplus off carefully. Sand off the drawing and stick it on the keel.  
If you want an easier way out:
Correct the shape of the blue rectangle on the left side. The gap at the bottom will get bigger, but we'll deal with that later. File or sand the top to the horizontal you need. Take some scrap pieces of wood (probably there is some in the box, else you need to quickly start to collect scrap wood  )with straight sides. Glue those pieces to the sides of the blue rectangle (front and back), in such a way, the sides of the scrap wood follow the correct line of the vertical slot. Do it on both sides. Voila, quick an' dirty
 
Who said you wouldn't get value for money ...

I know, Steven, but most use metric nowadays ... at least so it seems ... feeling not so imperial anymore?
 
I knew it! Hence my question for metric Jo.
 
Carl

petite, mais une grande merveille ...                                                                                                                                     (small but super beautiful)

Sam, do you have any metric references ...

Then you would be .......                                                                                                                     in trouble
 
If you haven't read up on your planking. It might be a good idea not to tally any longer ... if you do not know the knowledge db then that is a good place to start. The link will take you straight to the docs for framing and planking. It's nice to be prepared ... Until you've reached the point of no return, you can always change your mind about the colour ... usually you are far beyond it when you find out what colour you want - just pullin' yer leg

You'd better keep your wits about you when you use your mat/mate ... oh which ever ...  I'll leave you to your build. Oh, one advice: Measure twice before you cut to length ...