BANYAN

Nice recovery OC; looking good!
 
cheers
 
Pat

Hi lou,   thanks for the encouragement  -  laying the canvas in three pieces was just done for ease to be honest,  the problem I was facing was holding the whole deck piece without doing too much damage to the steps,  this kept happening due to holding the thing, I had to keep straightening the ladder handles, and just lucky none have broken off.
 
OC.

I also cleaned up the top platform for the searchlights (it looks rough but it will paint up ok)  and set about working on some dowel I have, this was rolled across a pice of sand paper back and forth to thin it down - then test fitted in the holes in the platfoms till it ran through smoothly,   I fitted the top platform with ca (while keeping the dowels in place to keep it all square).
So after checking its all square - I more happy as everything lines up as it should, the dowels will be set with ca, and the tops cut level for the searchlights to go ontop.
 
OC.

Hi folks, another update; not much but some progress.  I am being slowed b research at the moment.
 
The steering platform is now complete and fitted over an inverted 'A' Frame  - the rapson slide (not shown) slides across under the platform between the legs of the frame at the position of the cable drum.  

  
The steering compass cabinet is complete but just dry fitted.  The compass cover (pewter aftermarket part cut from its pedestal) is also only dry fitted.  If we use this it will be painted brass.  We are trying to make this by 'spinning' on a lathe to get the base form.
 
The hammock platform around the funnel has now been completed.  This is only 11mm high to give some idea of size so this is a 'close-up' which shows all the 'detail' not visible to the naked eye   As best as I can determine, there was only an outer rail.  the hammocks are stacked vertically and I assumed some are lashed to the rails for stability?  An inner ring would not work due to space and access issues.   When the original photo is zoomed right in, the stanchions and 4 rails are very clear.  I have used black cotton in-lieu of wire for the rails as, at this scale it was impossible to keep the shape of the 0.4mm wire without deformation as I bent it around and through the stanchion holes.  The stanchions are after-market.
      
The companion has also been fitted in place.
 
I have also made a steam whistle (a little early for a steam horn which did not appear for another decade or so (as best I can determine).  This was made from a tube with a rounded solid upper plug, and a bit of rod rounded and shaped to accept the actuator handle at one end - this was drilled through to accept the whistle and is intended to represent the steam cock valve.  The spigot at the base is a locating pin. The photo of the whistle itself shows the item before cleaning and some polishing - this will be left brass.  The ruler in the photo is in mm.
 

cheers
 
Pat
 

Hi folks, another update; not much but some progress.  I am being slowed b research at the moment.
 
The steering platform is now complete and fitted over an inverted 'A' Frame  - the rapson slide (not shown) slides across under the platform between the legs of the frame at the position of the cable drum.  

  
The steering compass cabinet is complete but just dry fitted.  The compass cover (pewter aftermarket part cut from its pedestal) is also only dry fitted.  If we use this it will be painted brass.  We are trying to make this by 'spinning' on a lathe to get the base form.
 
The hammock platform around the funnel has now been completed.  This is only 11mm high to give some idea of size so this is a 'close-up' which shows all the 'detail' not visible to the naked eye   As best as I can determine, there was only an outer rail.  the hammocks are stacked vertically and I assumed some are lashed to the rails for stability?  An inner ring would not work due to space and access issues.   When the original photo is zoomed right in, the stanchions and 4 rails are very clear.  I have used black cotton in-lieu of wire for the rails as, at this scale it was impossible to keep the shape of the 0.4mm wire without deformation as I bent it around and through the stanchion holes.  The stanchions are after-market.
      
The companion has also been fitted in place.
 
I have also made a steam whistle (a little early for a steam horn which did not appear for another decade or so (as best I can determine).  This was made from a tube with a rounded solid upper plug, and a bit of rod rounded and shaped to accept the actuator handle at one end - this was drilled through to accept the whistle and is intended to represent the steam cock valve.  The spigot at the base is a locating pin. The photo of the whistle itself shows the item before cleaning and some polishing - this will be left brass.  The ruler in the photo is in mm.
 

cheers
 
Pat
 

Hi folks, another update; not much but some progress.  I am being slowed b research at the moment.
 
The steering platform is now complete and fitted over an inverted 'A' Frame  - the rapson slide (not shown) slides across under the platform between the legs of the frame at the position of the cable drum.  

  
The steering compass cabinet is complete but just dry fitted.  The compass cover (pewter aftermarket part cut from its pedestal) is also only dry fitted.  If we use this it will be painted brass.  We are trying to make this by 'spinning' on a lathe to get the base form.
 
The hammock platform around the funnel has now been completed.  This is only 11mm high to give some idea of size so this is a 'close-up' which shows all the 'detail' not visible to the naked eye   As best as I can determine, there was only an outer rail.  the hammocks are stacked vertically and I assumed some are lashed to the rails for stability?  An inner ring would not work due to space and access issues.   When the original photo is zoomed right in, the stanchions and 4 rails are very clear.  I have used black cotton in-lieu of wire for the rails as, at this scale it was impossible to keep the shape of the 0.4mm wire without deformation as I bent it around and through the stanchion holes.  The stanchions are after-market.
      
The companion has also been fitted in place.
 
I have also made a steam whistle (a little early for a steam horn which did not appear for another decade or so (as best I can determine).  This was made from a tube with a rounded solid upper plug, and a bit of rod rounded and shaped to accept the actuator handle at one end - this was drilled through to accept the whistle and is intended to represent the steam cock valve.  The spigot at the base is a locating pin. The photo of the whistle itself shows the item before cleaning and some polishing - this will be left brass.  The ruler in the photo is in mm.
 

cheers
 
Pat
 

Hi folks, another update; not much but some progress.  I am being slowed b research at the moment.
 
The steering platform is now complete and fitted over an inverted 'A' Frame  - the rapson slide (not shown) slides across under the platform between the legs of the frame at the position of the cable drum.  

  
The steering compass cabinet is complete but just dry fitted.  The compass cover (pewter aftermarket part cut from its pedestal) is also only dry fitted.  If we use this it will be painted brass.  We are trying to make this by 'spinning' on a lathe to get the base form.
 
The hammock platform around the funnel has now been completed.  This is only 11mm high to give some idea of size so this is a 'close-up' which shows all the 'detail' not visible to the naked eye   As best as I can determine, there was only an outer rail.  the hammocks are stacked vertically and I assumed some are lashed to the rails for stability?  An inner ring would not work due to space and access issues.   When the original photo is zoomed right in, the stanchions and 4 rails are very clear.  I have used black cotton in-lieu of wire for the rails as, at this scale it was impossible to keep the shape of the 0.4mm wire without deformation as I bent it around and through the stanchion holes.  The stanchions are after-market.
      
The companion has also been fitted in place.
 
I have also made a steam whistle (a little early for a steam horn which did not appear for another decade or so (as best I can determine).  This was made from a tube with a rounded solid upper plug, and a bit of rod rounded and shaped to accept the actuator handle at one end - this was drilled through to accept the whistle and is intended to represent the steam cock valve.  The spigot at the base is a locating pin. The photo of the whistle itself shows the item before cleaning and some polishing - this will be left brass.  The ruler in the photo is in mm.
 

cheers
 
Pat
 

......... continued.
 
All the boats, with the exception of the one already fitted to the deck :

 
The boats fitted to the deck :


 
I'm going to re-fit this launch. For some reason I missed the marks when gluing it down :



 
Danny

Thank you Carl and John.
 
The last two ship's boats are of different construction again. The hulls are made from thin (0.12mm) paper, with the inner and outer skins glued together before shaping and gluing the two halves along the keel :

 
The interiors and keels were then fitted. These two boats hang from davits. I made them from 0.6mm and 0.3mm brass wire and then painted them :

 
For ease and accuracy of fitting the davits to the boats I made a jig :

 
Two straps are used to secure the boats :


 
The boats and davits finished :


 
Continued in next post ..........

Thank you all for your kind remarks about this model. She has been sitting there waiting for me to get serious about finishing her. The first area that I want to get sorted is the access to the interior and the companionway. I have been struggling with this area for some time on and off and now it will get done.
 
Chuck the fid gets pulled from the topmast and then she will just clear the doorway at 73 inches, no worries.
 
Michael

Steven,
 
The following is from an excellent book Galleys and Gunpowder by John Guilmartin, an expert on 16th Century galley warefare.  Although discussing vessels built 500 years later than your Dromon,  I think that his comments still may be helpful.
 
1. Page 87:  “Finally, the beak of the galley, the “spur” provided a useful boarding bridge for the attackers.  On galleys of most nations it angled upward slightly and had a reinforced,iron-shod tip.  If the spur could be lodged forcefully among the rowing banks of an enemy galley it would ride up over the apostis and give the boarding party an all-important height advantage in launching their assault.”
 
”Many misconceptions have arisen concerning the uses of the spur.  It is generally viewed as a ram, yet its position above the water line makes it abundantly clear that it was not a ram in the classical sense.  The classical parallel for the spur of modern and medieval galleys is the Roman Boarding Bridge not the Greek ram.”
 
2.  Page 222  One final structural detail of Ottoman galleys (at Lepanto) deserves comment.  Although the bows of Ottoman galleys were lower than Christian galleys   the beak or “spur” of Ottoman galleys was particularly stout.  Iron-shod to assist it penetrating light upper planking, it was angled upward to allow it to ride over and break down the apostis of an enemy galley.”
 
I hope that this is helpful.
 
Roger

Nice work OC; she is really showing some great detail.
 
cheers
 
Pat

Nice work Greg, some very nice weathering effects you are showing - very realistic.
 
cheers
 
Pat

Looking forward to these updates
 
cheers
 
Pat

Sounds like you have a good grip on the spur now Steven; enough to make a very good 'case/argument' for the iron sheathed spur.
 
Look forward to seeing this fitted.  
 
cheers
 
Pat

Hi Steven, at this point I would suggest that my 'recollection' may have been from a post in a build log in an earlier iteration of MSW which was about a bireme or trireme - and most likely referred to the 'ram'.
 
I think you are correct in your assumption/choice of the iron spur - I found the following in "The Age of the Galley" edited by Robert Gardiner  (Conway Books) page 103 in the Chapter "From Dromon to Galea..." - I have omitted the greek terminology:
 
"..The prow housed the ship's main offensive weapon, a flamethrower for Greek Fire, above which was a fortified foredeck.  The prow also had a spur, referred to by the Anonymous by the classical Greek embulos, which was either made of iron or iron-clad. .."  
 
The source reference used for this is "Anonymous, #6.2: Eti de kai ..." This refers to an anonymous treatise commissioned by the Pariclios and Parakoimomennos 'Basil', dated c AD960.  Apparently the anonymous author derived much of his information on ships from the Onomasticon of Julius Pollux  c AD178. 
 
The information in the "The Age of the Galley" is an article in the Mariner's Mirror 79_4 (1993), pp387-92 which argued that dromons had spurs and not rams.
 
I hope this helps ?  Do you have that article from the MM?  If you don't I do have it, and can get the relevant info for you (send me a PM)
 
cheers
 
Pat

I will have a look later today Steven; hopefully, find it but now that Carl mentioned the rams I am beginning to wonder whether this was the association n my befuddled brain   get back to you soonest.
 
cheers
 
Pat

Looks good Steven.  WRT the spur coat I think recall reading somewhere that these were bronze; may be worthwhile investigating.  If I find the source of the info I will let you know.
 
cheers
 
Pat

Ah, another form of a 'prayer wheel' (bent over using them as in saying prayers) - Interesting concept but all overtaken with calculators and the like these days

Nice work and a great idea on the slits Dave.
 
Another thing that may help with maintaining spacing of the shrouds is to do the major ratlines (that go all the way across first, then fill in between.  I think I did the bottom then the middle and then the top majors, then the intermediates.  That helped me keep the spacing while I did the minors.  If your current jig resolves the spacing issue ignore this ramble
 
cheers
 
Pat

Looking forward to these updates
 
cheers
 
Pat

Good luck with the move Michael - hopefully no new repairs needed the other end
 
cheers
 
Pat

Thanks Michael, that is awfully good work at that scale.  Great trick to remember for the paper too - thanks
 
cheers
 
Pat

That is simply stunning work; what is the size (diameter) of the compass card Michael?
 
cheers
 
Pat

Hi Michael, how disappointed I am that I found this build too late   I will need to take some time to read back through.  
 
That compass is a work(ing) of art; a model in itself.
 
Very much enjoyed seeing how you did this.
 
cheers
 
Pat