BANYAN

Hi folks, continuing to research for our club build of HMCSS Victoria (1855), we have unearthed the following in the Contract.  She was not fitted with deadeyes, but rather Lanyard Plates as invented by Leut. James Rigmaiden.  The patent was (I think) in 1849, and a model of the arrangement was displayed at the Paris Show in 1850/51.
 
Some wording we have found states that the invention allowed ships to fire their canon closer to the shrouds with this design.
 
I have found several online (pdf) books that chronicle or summarise the Paris Show stating that the model was on display (item 291) but have been unable to unearth any useful information.  I have also looked in Goodwin, Lees and Steel with no joy.  I have also trawled through the NMM's collections with no joy.
 
As the names suggests I believe these would have been metal plates that replaced the deadeyes but retained a lanyard, but probably in a much more compact design - alternatively, they may even have been an early form of rigging screw/turnbuckle?  The Victoria was fitted with some very leading/cutting edge technology for that time as a one-off build and plenty of (Gold Rush) money lavished on her.
 
Has anyone heard of these, or even better (please make my day) provider info and/or illustration of the arrangement?
 
Any help, advice or pointers would be much appreciated.

Hi folks, continuing to research for our club build of HMCSS Victoria (1855), we have unearthed the following in the Contract.  She was not fitted with deadeyes, but rather Lanyard Plates as invented by Leut. James Rigmaiden.  The patent was (I think) in 1849, and a model of the arrangement was displayed at the Paris Show in 1850/51.
 
Some wording we have found states that the invention allowed ships to fire their canon closer to the shrouds with this design.
 
I have found several online (pdf) books that chronicle or summarise the Paris Show stating that the model was on display (item 291) but have been unable to unearth any useful information.  I have also looked in Goodwin, Lees and Steel with no joy.  I have also trawled through the NMM's collections with no joy.
 
As the names suggests I believe these would have been metal plates that replaced the deadeyes but retained a lanyard, but probably in a much more compact design - alternatively, they may even have been an early form of rigging screw/turnbuckle?  The Victoria was fitted with some very leading/cutting edge technology for that time as a one-off build and plenty of (Gold Rush) money lavished on her.
 
Has anyone heard of these, or even better (please make my day) provider info and/or illustration of the arrangement?
 
Any help, advice or pointers would be much appreciated.

...

Thanks you Chris and Sinan!
 
Two days later...
 

 
The plastic sheets are not covered with varnish now, so they looks just like plastik
 
Alex

Apart from the excellent build quality of his machines, the single other quality that sets them apart is his service.  As another example, I purchased one of Jim's earliest ropewalks.  While the build quality was great I rapidly became very frustrated with the quality of the rope it was producing.  We corresponded for some time and Jim was quite patient.  It became evident that trying to sort the problem by email was not going to work out, so Jim asked me to return the machine (at his cost) for him to have a look at.  Now remember I live down under so this was not cheap   In his words " I can't have a customer on the other side of the world unhappy with the product".
 
It turned out one of the pulley belts had stretched (was too slack) and was causing inconsistent lay up of the rope.  Jim returned the machine to me (again at his cost) and all is working fine now.  Not too many companies would go to that extent!  I have every machine Jim has built and none have let me down yet - that is simple testimony of the quality of his products.
 
Jim you can pay me later - two crates of beer should do it  - sorry folks being flippent - just a very happy customer!
 
cheers
 
Pat

Hi again folks, another small update.  I have started to dry assemble the mast components to check for fit, alignment etc.  The following photo shows the start of the Fore Mast.
 
Thanks for looking in Dave and for your most kind comments - still learning quite a bit as I progress
 

Tops
 
With the lower masts constructed, I have moved onto the tops and as you can see, my planking technique is improving but I have some way to go yet.  I do not intend using plank joint trennels on the tops as the scale is much too small.  I have now tried several different ways of simulating the caulking and have settled on using a 2B pencil rubbed along one edge of the plank as the best finish at this scale.
 


The trestle-trees are just loosely fitted and will be adjusted to their correct position when the tops are fitted to the masts.  I have yet to do the trennels for the platforms.
 
It took me a while to determine the best technique to create the futtock deadeyes and straps.   Eventually I realised that I could create the eye for the deadeye from brass wire.  Soldering this closed is not such a problem as these deadeyes are black, and a coat of Raven Oil soon hides any char/scorch marks.  I then flattened the tail using a pair of flat jaw pliers (no grip pattern on the inside of the jaws).  Once the tail has been flattened and cut to length I drill a small hole for the hooks that will secure the futtock shrouds.
 

 

 
The completed top platforms are shown below along with the futtock deadeyes ready for mounting when I assemble the masts.
 

Rudder
 
The rudder is made from three pieces of walnut glued longitudinally and shaped to conform to the pattern depicted in Marquardt's drawings.  The following picture shows the rudder fitted; however the chain rudder pendants have yet to be fitted.  I'll do this after the rigging as they will be quite prone to damage.
 

 
The collar for the rudder is made from calico cloth which will eventually be treated with a diluted PVA solution stained a very pale/light grey and weathered to simulate canvas.  In the following photo you can see where I am starting to clean the edges and touch-up the paint.  This will all be second coated to give a uniform deeper colour.

Ports and Hull Fixtures
 
The airing and loading ports were cut into the hull planks with a sharp chisel and the hinges applied.  The port hinges are photo etched shim brass which have been blackened and glued with CA.  These were drawn up in Corel Draw and etched by a contact in the Railway modelling world.  I was quite pleased with most the etched pieces and will definitely use this process in future builds; maybe even try etching myself.

I decided to apply the hinges to the airing ports opposite to that normally fitted to most models.   I have based this decision on intuition, but I should check this against contemporary models and references for accuracy.  My thoughts were that these would have been used mainly in port where when the ship was laying into the wind, the wind would be funnelled into the port.  This principle also works if the ports were opened in calm seas in the tropics where the ship's motion would funnel the wind into the ship as the port lid would open aft.
 

 
The gangway steps were made from a single length of walnut which was shaped by scraping with a profile cutter made from a hacksaw blade with a mould shape cut into it.  Individual steps were then cut off to length and glued into place.  The following photo shows the gangway steps, boat skids and the starboard sheets fairlead (with brass sheaves).
 

Deck Planking
 
I have tried to remain true to scale with the planking.  The size of planks in ships was determined by the availability of timber stock at the time, so I opted for something in the mid-range for a typical plank length in this era.  The plank size I used was based on boards of 12 inches width by 25 feet long (actual), which at 1:60, equates to 5mm wide by 125mm long.  This proved very convenient as the kit supplied deck 'Mukall' planking plank strips, were 0.5 x 5mm wide.
 
For the deck planking, I again opted for a 4 plank butt shift, centred from a slightly wider king plank.  This was a relatively straight forward activity, and with her bluff bow, there was no need to worry about nibbing and joggling into a margin plank.  I was not sure whether to use a waterway or not, but in the end decided not to, as at this scale it would have been a little too awkward (for my skills at that stage and as a first build).  I now regret that decision, but I have learned a valuable lesson.  I have not ruled out the option of a retro-fit just yet.
 


The mast holes were drilled at this stage.  I had placed filler blocks of poplar pine between the bulkheads in these areas to provide additional support for the masts.  These were pre-drilled and then redrilled under a very large mill working with ever increasing drill bit sizes until achieving the correct diameter.  I used a protractor to determine the correct rake from the kit plans, and reconfirmed with Marquardt (based on dockyard drawing/plans).  Dummy masts (dowels) and a digital angle level were used to ensure the masts were correctly raked and aligned (fore-to-aft) on the model.

The model is shown in her working cradle which is made from pool spaghetti (available at Clarke Rubber for the Aussies).  This has proved a very versatile building cradle since completing the first layer of planking.  I used the Amati keel holder during the assembly of the skeleton and first layer of planking.
 



 

Wales and Anchor Lining
 
The wales were glued to the first layer of hull planking before applying the second layer.  I used continuous run planks of the appropriate thickness which I butt jointed.  I do not think that the owners/builders of a collier would have expended money on the Admiralty preferred anchor stock joinery.  As the wales were to be painted, I did was not overly concerned with the joinery; a good sand and coat
of paint hid most of my poor quality joints .
 
The anchor lining and bolster were applied over the second layer planking and sanded down to be flush with the thickness of the
wales.  The side view of plans and drawings provided with the kit are very misleading as this feature is, by the nature of a 2D drawing, shown flattened or fore-shortened as this feature is located at the start of the curvature of the hull.  As such, the drawings do not truly reflect the actual curve imposed to these strakes. 
 
To achieve the positioning and sweep of these planks, I temporarily fitted the anchor where it would ride when hoisted in and lashed to the fish davit; I then let the anchor swing through its path watching the end of the flukes as it swung after it would have been released from the davit to hang from the cathead.



 

Hull Planking
 
The planking timber supplied in the kit (limewood) was used for the first layer, and Sapele (Entandrophragma Cylindricum) which is in the Mahogany family/genus, was used for the veneer second layer (5mm wide strips).  I decided to use a 4-butt shift planking pattern which have been aligned to fall on the closest frame (estimated only).
 


The darker colour showing below the wale is the fortunate result of a failed experiment in which I had attempted to simulate the tar based 'brown stuff' used on Endeavour as a protective layer against 'worm'.  I tried a bitumen based coating applied to car bottoms (anti-rust) which resulted in a great and authentic looking bottom.  However, with time and a little hot weather, it soon became apparent this was a major error as the bitumen based coating started to melt.  After scraping it back and re-sanding it, the bitumen that had soaked into the wood and crevices gave it a very nice look.
 


After some sanding and a coat of Testor's DullCote, it came up quite nicely.  I decided not to simulate the trennels in the side planking as it made the model look a bit busy, and most would have been covered by paint anyway.
 

Constructing the Hull
 
Unfortunately I did not keep any of my photographs taken during the construction of the skeleton of the hull; the hull is shown here with both planking layers completed.
 
The backbone and bulkheads were plywood but I found them to a good fit with no warping which was a real bonus.  I filled the space between forward bulkheads with balsa fillers which I then shaped as part of the fairing process.  A valuable lesson learned here was to seal the balsa with a diluted PVA solution as the glue I applied to the planks was being rapidly absorbed and not bonding to the planks.
 
I also fitted pine blocks to either side of the backbone at the points where the masts would be fitted to provide greater strength when I drilled the mast holes later.

Other Builds
 
While completing this build, I have also been diverted with some other interesting builds along the way.  Amongst these are  having made a start on Chuck’s Syren and his Longboat.  I have also completed a Battle Station (based on Russ’ plans) - see here


 

The Builder's Yard (Workshop)
 
I originally started building this model in a spare room in the house.  I have since built a workshop (aand many more "honey please do! small jobs) which have contributed to the extended model build time.  However, finally, I can concentrate on the build!
 

 

 

Thanks John and Ben, but "you ain't seen nuthin' yet " .
 
Cowl Baffle
 
There is a wire reinforcing ring around the rim of the cowl. This was silver soldered on and cleaned up.
 
A baffle is attached to the opening of the cowl to regulate air flow to the stove's firebox.
 
I cut a disc of 0.3mm sheet, drilled two 0.7mm holes through it and silver soldered the two sliding pins. I filed the protruding ends down to simulate a peened over end.
 

 
Next I fabricated two sleeves for the slides to travel in from 0.75mm ID tubing and a 0.5mm pin to locate them correctly. These were CA glued into the cowl - too much heat would have been needed to solder them in and I risked destroying my previous work.
 

 

 
Finally two wire handles were drilled into the cowl and CA'd in. The whole assembly was blackened in stages and polished.
 

 

 
  Danny

Steam Grating
 
I've made my first (and maybe ONLY) Grating - this goes over the stove. I'm a bit reluctant to make too many more (maybe some on the quarterdeck) as they hide too much detail beneath.
 
The grating stock is 0.79mm thick English Box, a fraction oversize (they should be 0.75mm) but I decided to make them the size of a 0.030" kerfed saw blade on the Byrnes saw using the Micrometer Stop.
 
My first job was to make a list of the spacings (i.e. the Micrometer stops) using a spreadsheet. This made it a lot easier to work out accurately than trying to remember and then calculate each one (especially if I'm interrupted   ) :
 

 
Then I set up a piece of 2mm thick stock and started cutting 18 slots halfway through using the micrometer to set up each one (I made a couple of spares "just in case" - I needed them too ):
 

 
Then I cut each strip off against the fence, again using the micrometer stop. The measurements are identical to the previous cuts :
 

 

 

 
Assembly is the same as using kit gratings (fiddly, but at least they were cut more accurately than most kit ones). I dipped the grating into diluted PVA and let it dry :
 

 
After sanding the grating to size and gluing it into place I sanded the roundup in. I've also fitted the Cowl Base :
 

 

 
  Danny

Hello friends, and thank you all for the likes, wow!  really appreciate the encouragement it gives me. 
 
Today, after I mowed the back yard, I did some more "steel plating" on the sub.  Tedious work but I think it's beginning to look more like a steel boat. 
 
So, I'll share a few pics of the difficult area, the stern end.
 

I had to stick the prop shaft assembly back on for the picture, looks better I think     I try to follow the layout of the steel plates as much as possible from the photos I have.  These plates are all in not pressure sensitive area, i.e. they are not the pressure hull.  The plate with the oval thingy is the stern torpedo door.  That "thingy" looks like a hand-hold or to assist in closing the door manually.
 

A straight side shot.  I may or may not cement paper to the rudder/keel brace.  I also don't know yet how to finish the aft end of the prop shaft tear drop thingy.  Well, does it look like steel plates now?
 

Looking towards the stern.
 

Looking down on the hull. I am concentrating on the starboard side and do that first.  I'll have to mirror the port side to it.  The difficult part is from what you see here towards the stern but the bottom is done upside down.  The rest is on the build dock, it's steady that way.
 
Cheers 

John,
 
Stag looks tremendous. She looks close to complete, too. Have you thought about how you'll display the completed Stag?
 
Cheers,
 
Elia

Thanks everyone for your like votes, much appreciated!
 
Hello John, thanks for looking in and your most kind comment.  Yes, I guess this part of the build is perhaps the most complex of all.  Although I am not even thinking about the deck launch torpedoes, the deck gun and the A A guns.  I'm taking it one section at a time. 
 
I was able to work a few more hours on the boat and made the diagonal braces for the prop shaft bearing housing.  I also shaped the outboard dive plane hinge braces and installed two dowels in each.
 
Nothing is assembled yet because there is still some fine-tuning and adjustments to be made.
I need to figure out what steps need to be taken first and in what order I need to proceed from here.  Many small and not so small details to do and I don't want to get caught in having to remove something or try to work around something that's in the way just because of being impatient or not thinking ahead  
 
I may use two part epoxy cement to fasten this assembly to the hull for extra strength and it allows me some time to position it in the correct place. 
 
The pics below may not show much difference with the ones in the previous post but some of the parts are new and some are remade because I was not satisfied with them.
 
Okay here are some pics with comments.
 

Stern end view.  The new diagonal braces are pinned and glued to the prop shaft bearing housing and so are the small horizontal braces but the whole assembly is still temporarily stuck on and hanging by the prop shafts through the bulkhead.  The two outer dive plane braces are also still temporarily stuck to the bearing housing.  They will most like be the last to be cemented to the bearing housing.  Some metal work is yet to be done to them like the net cutters at the leading edge and the dive plane hinge receptacle.
 

Top view. The pencil marks on the dive plane hinge braces are areas that need to be removed for the brass plates for the plane hinge receptacles.  I may use two part epoxy cement for that.  I may do the same with the net cutters at the leading edge.  btw, these braces are made by glueing three layers of 1 mm plywood, they are nice and strong. 
 

Another view from the top.  You can see a hole in the trailing edge of the diagonal brace, that's for a dowel to attach it to the hull.  I also need to make a fairing for the area behind where the prop shaft comes out of the hull.  I will most likely do that with all this stuff off of the boat, that's another reason for waiting.  btw, that brass strip on the right side of the rudder hinge/keel is for the rudder hinge fixture and will be cemented to the bottom of that assembly.  Some of the wood still to be removed.
 

Port side view.  The dowel hole in the diagonal brace is now easily visible.
 

Close-up shot.  I have already shaped the inboard braces for better hydrodynamic performance    
 

Looking aft on the starboard side.  The diagonal brace still needs to be hydrodynamicaly shaped, it was still in the process of glue curing.
 
Cheers 

Some real nice work there Mark; she's looking very trim and ship-shape.  With all that extra time in retirement this will be finished by the end of the year won't it?
 
cheers
 
Pat

This morning I ventured into the shipyard (garage) and tackled the net cutters on the trim vanes.  I also cemented the paper covering on the vanes.
I used "Liquitex" glazing medium for the glue and semi finish.  This stuff is used by artists when painting pictures with acrylic paint.  I don't use the stuff for my paintings, I like the good old oil paints or watercolors.  Although acrylic paints have their place in the art world.
 
In any case, when fully set I can lightly sand it to smooth out the brush marks and dull it some.  In this case it really doesn't matter because the boat will be painted anyway in the colors when placed into service by the K M (Koninklijke Marine, Royal Navy) in 1939.
 
The one vane actuator on the port side needs a "repair,"  the hinge pin hole is a tad too large.  I need to plug the hole and re-drill it.  No biggie.  I'm glad it works and looking okay
 
So, now the boat has some teeth 
 

As you can see I used brass shim to make the teeth.  It's made in two parts, one strip with the width of the vane and curved to match.  The teeth part is also made from the same shim stock with a "foot" bend at 90 degrees and the teeth cut into the other part.  It was then soldered to the base strip and final fit to the leading edge of the vane.
The teeth assy was glued to the vane with CA glue.
 
Cheers,

Good morning all,
 
Some more updates related with the construction of the first work boat. Not much I'm afraid, as I had to carry out some maintenance works in the house.
 
Here goes.
 
Nearing the finish line.

 
Starting off with the decks of the boat.

 
 
Shall upload more updates next week.

Have fun at the show Danny, and we all expect you to come back with the "Best in Show" prize!

Mark, that planking is very neat!  With that quality of joinery she would not need any caulking of the seams; the old shipwrights (original builders) would be proud of your efforts.
 
cheers
 
Pat