allanyed

It takes most builders years to reach higher and higher skill levels, but as it is an ongoing process I do not understand why these would be separate goals? Is there an example where we would choose a subject we like but are then unable to use this choice to start or continue to develop modeling skills as well? Inquiring minds and so on😀 Allan

Assuming you plan to leave the nails in place, the use of metal fastenings depends on the ship/nation/era. Scale also matters. I am pretty sure treenails made of wood were more common than metal fasteners in the age of sail but at scales smaller than about 1:48, even wooden treenails tend to look oversized. On the real ships, they were near invisible. There are a number of beautiful French models by Bernard Frolich where he used brass nails but only AFTER the planks are glued in place. He is explicit that the heads must all be filed off which is no easy task. If there are not, they will be totally out of scale. Regarding holding planks in place while the glue dries, if the planks are properly pre-shaped by spiling or hot edge bending, they should should hold with PVA in less than a minute, or even less with CA which some folks prefer. If you do nail them, be sure they are not fully hammered home so you can pull them out easily unless you prefer to file the heads off. You can then rub a little PVA in the holes a few at a time and then sand the hull while the glue is wet which will fill the holes with sanding dust and replicate treenails. Allan

Nice model! For the future, the painted bottom is usually from the water line down, the top being parallel to the ground and it is easy to do. Mark the line then tape along the line with pinstriping tape. This is pretty narrow so I then add a strip of painter's tape as well. Once the tape is on tight, spray or hand paint a clear poly or some such. Once dry this will seal the edge of the tape to minimize bleed through when you paint the bottom. You can then hand paint (or spray if you cover the model where you don't want any paint.) Example is below Allan

Also consider using the book for the detail work as well as the contemporary high res drawings available on Wiki Commons from RMG to compare with whatever kit you choose. Plans J2027, 2028 and 2029 for starters. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:HMAV_Bounty_(1784) Each is over 40MB, so very clear. Allan

If you are speaking about planking actually I find it much easier to bend, including edge bending, than boxwood, pear, and other harder species. It is easier to work if pre-bent with heat. If soaked for some hours and then bent and heated it is even easier. Have you watched the four You Tube videos by Chuck Passaro on proper planking techniques? He shows how to taper the breadth of the planks at each bulkhead or frame and how to pre-bend them so there is little or no bending of the plank on the model itself. Allan

Christian, are you referring to Vanguards of Empire or Great Ships of the Armada Era by Peter Kirsch. I did wind up purchasing the latter and it is quite informative. Allan

The deck of your model looks great! I might be missing something here but why do you want to oil the deck? Glue will not bond well to oiled wood and if you use another finish such as a varnish or other similar product the glue will bond to the finish and not penetrate the wood. You can add your items first then apply a finish such as a varnish or poly (or oil) or other material that you want to use with a brush so you do not coat anything you do not want coated. If it is an eye or horse or something like that it does not matter as you will be drilling through the finish and into the wood. To which items are you referring that might be problematic? Allan

Great photo and thank you for your sentiment for the holidays. A Merry Christmas to you and a great 2024. Allan

WELCOME TO MSW!!! What size are the cases? Sounds like a good quality regular saw from a hardware would suit, but how are you going to move it around when you change ships? Maybe better off with a mini. Byrnes is considered by all that have used one as being the best but I am not sure on delivery since Jim passed away a few weeks ago. The business is still going, but you might want to give them a call to see what the status is on getting one if that turns out to be your choice. Remember that the blades are small compared to a full size table saw so you are somewhat limited on the lumber size it can handle. Allan

Thanks for sharing your build! Just a thought................. there is a build of the Portland 1770 that shows something I had not seen before and might serve well for all builds, kit or scratch. The location/breadth of the planks are laser marked on every bulkhead. It would probably be easier for kits as most are now laser cut whereas scratch is still more the old fashioned way. This should make it much easier for the builder to shape the breadth of the planks at each bulkhead so they are consistent from keel to top timber rather than having some planks very narrow and some very broad at any given bulkhead. https://modelshipworld.com/topic/34684-hms-portland-1770-by-scrubbyj427-148-4th-rate-50-gun-ship/ Allan

I too like that idea as long as the waterline of the model is sitting perfectly horizontal. Allan

Hi Gregory, I am taking your comment in good spirit.😀 I merely passed on what I found in historian Adrian Caruana's book on English Sea Ordnance volume II, page 386. His CV is most impressive and he was considered the leading authority in the world on English ordnance. It might just be that some others did not do the research. While Caruana states guns less than 32 pounders used pairs of single sheave blocks, I am sure there were exceptions for other large guns such as the 24's on any given ship. In the end nothing is gospel in this hobby of ours but I would rely on the likes of Caruana before the majority of kit makers or others that perhaps have less expertise in this area. Allan

I totally understand your dilemma but the pic below is a copper plate from the Constitution with nail dents versus rivet bumps. I think the reason Vanguard went with the laser cut circles is that they are much closer to scale (1/4" nail with half inch dents full size) and the larger number of them as on the actual ships. Goodwin has drawings and dimensions of the plates and such in his Construction and Fitting book. Allan

Welcome back Kenny. Your planking is spot on, kudos!!! The trouble with the frames is that, based on contemporary scantlings for a 30/32 foot long boat, they were moulded only about 2.5 inches at the head and sided about 2.75" (0.05" X 0.057") so difficult to work them to the proper size once the planking is done. With the frames too thick the gunwale that sits on top of the frames will be too large. It was likely about 3.5 broad by 3.75 deep so just covered the head of the frames and upper most strake of planking. Allan

I am really curious to see what others think this work is valued at. I think 150-200 hours is a good guess. As to what that costs, figure out your hourly rate at work and then you have the cost of labor. If for example you are making $35 per hour the value is upwards of $7,000. Add cost of materials ($100-$150?) she owes you $7,150. Probably won't fly, but I'm not a lawyer. Allan

This is a great habit!! When you think you have things looking really good take some closeups and look again. Invariably I wind up doing a bit more finishing or sometimes replacements which is for the better. For a first model and such a small scale your work is wonderful. Allan

I Googled Wiki Commons Bounty and three plans popped up so can be saved in low, medium and high res. Thanks for the lead Gregory! Allan

Love the sails Tom!!! They look really good overall and far nicer than the out-of-scale sewn cloth sails we see too often. The use of the copper foil is also very nice, but I am curious as to why you chose to have what appears to be big bumps in the photos rather than the indentations they would have had in real life from the small nails used to attach them to the hull. Allan

Lovely model Maciek! I realize it is probably a kit mistake, not yours, but for the future, small cannon (below 32 pounders) used only single blocks, not doubles on both the running out tackle and train tackle. This is a common error with several kit manufacturers so you are not alone. Nothing wrong with using glue on your sails, it actually might be a better way to go. Sewing will never be to scale at our most common scales just as cloth is usually far out of scale. Just as an FYI, many builders have switched silk span as it is much more realistic looking and no sewing is involved. Again, very nice work. Allan

Prior to the 17th century the largest boats were nearly always towed, at least on English boats, using two ropes, the boat rope and gust rope. This started to change during the 17th century for the English ships. Smaller boats were carried on the ship midships. Later, even larger boats could be carried on board. Before davits were introduced about 1790 the boats were raised and lowered from the ship by tackle suspended from the main and fore yardarms. They were stowed midships, on deck, or in larger ships on beams over the waist area. Brian Lavery goes into some good detail on how this was done on page 233 of The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War. The following is his description of hoisting boats. Because the largest boats were stowed between the mainmast and foremast, in the longest open space on the ship, a complicated tackle was needed for hoisting them in and out. Draughts of boats often show ringbolts fitted inside the hull, which were used to attach the ropes used in hoisting. The first stage was to raise the boat from its position amidships. Two pendants hung from the masts, one from under the the top of the mainmast, the other from under the top of foremast. When in use these were joined together by another rope known as the triatic stay, which was the same length as the boat. A tackle was hung from the lower end of the pendants, one to lift each end of the boats. Once the boat had been lifted, it had to be swung outboard. The mainyard and foreyard were angled inward towards one another, and a tackle was extended from each yardarm to one end of the boat. If the boat was heavy, the yards had to be supported with extra ropes in addition to the normal lifts. There is more, but this is the gist of it. Pics below may help. Allan

If you have not already done so, you might benefit from watching the You Tube video (4 part series) on proper planking techniques by Chuck Passaro. It will help you immensely. Part 1 --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCWooJ1o3cM Allan

There are really two choices, the way some kits suggest where many of planks do not end at the rabbet near the bow which, generally speaking, is not correct, or the way it was actually done. I don't think one is easier than the other, so your choice. If you decide to go with actual practice there are tutorials here at MSW in the Articles Database https://thenrg.org/resources/Documents/articles/APrimerOnPlanking.pdf and the four part You Tube video by Chuck Passaro. I think that as you will have straight planks you will not be able to spile the planks as in the tutorial so the method used in the videos might be better. Part 1 is

Other than the Vanguard kits I would avoid the others mentioned for various reasons unless you are not concerned with accuracy or are ready to do a lot of research and are OK with kit bashing. Also consider the following high quality project. https://syrenshipmodelcompany.com/hms-winchelsea-1764.php Allan

There was both stone work and brick work in the cooking area. The below is limited to the 1780 era but these are color drawings of the stone work, flue, copper, stove and hearth brickwork (shown in red) for a 36 and a 64 at RMG Collections. The legend describes the various parts. Allan

Thanks Lieste, I was giving the information from Andriana Caruana's second volume ( 1715-1815) regarding English ships and I misremembered the word highlighted below. I just rechecked and confirmed my memory did not serve me well, my apologies. During the War of the Spanish Succession which lasted from 1702 to 171, there were some spectacular English successes such as the capture of Gibraltar. The Spanish had known liking for swivel guns, and the capture of a place of such importance as Gibraltar would have included the capture of an arsenal; it is suggested that this is how the swivel gun RE-appeared <not appeared> in the Royal Navy. I do not have Volume I of the Caruana set so hopefully some member that has it can lend more to this discussion. Thanks for the correction, very much appreciated. Allan