allanyed

One of the many positive things to me about the thoroughness Chuck puts into his kits is the taper of the knee of the head both fore and aft as well as vertically.  This is a pretty basic design item and something seen on virtually all British naval vessels, (and maybe merchant or nations' vessels as well), yet, for whatever reason, the majority of other kit manufacturers seem to ignore this completely.  
Allan

Hi Ross,
I don't think you are misreading the plans, the plans look to be incorrect.  There is a great description in your Lees book (congrats on getting a copy!!) on pages 2 to 4.
 
Thanks for the compliment when you wrote You have forgotten more about ships than I will ever know, it was a very nice thing to say.  Trust me Ross, I am no expert compared to many members here and I do forget things from terminology to methods all the time.   I just have been fortunate to have accumulated a good library of books, plans, and contracts over the years and use them as references all the time.    Regarding forgetting things, in general it's  part of life and in the words of Bette Davis:  😀

Allan

Hi Ross,
 
Live and learn, this is a new one for me.  Which lines would have a block attached to the wooldings?  I realize this may not apply to ships other than those of the RN, but based on James Lees', The Masting and Rigging English Ships of War, there were always wooden bands nailed to the mast on the top and bottom of rope wooldings so they could not slip on the mast.  This makes sense for any nation.   I cannot picture how a block can be rigged to these with them enclosed inside the wooden rings.  
 
Thanks
 
Allan

If you have a hair dryer in the house, it works almost as well if turned on high.   The downside is you need to make sure it is yours, not hers!     Hot air guns have a higher end range and usually come with a variety of tips that are more useful than the hair dryer attachments.
Allan

Try soaking them in water for an hour or so then follow the methods you are using again.   I find it easier to use a cheap hot air gun than an iron.   Just be sure the temperature is set so it does not scorch the wood. Mine has 7 settings.   The hot air is easier to maneuver than an iron.    
Allan

Good choice at this scale.  At 1:85 any caulking is really not necessary and more often than not, it is out of scale and obtrusive looking.   Still, your choice is a good one.   Black tissue paper glued to the edges also does a very nice job of it as it is thin enough to be to scale and is much cleaner looking than pencil.  You can find this on-line and at most craft stores.  One package will last for many many years.
 
Your planking looks very neatly done.   You mentioned lengths.   The lengths you chose are hard to tell in the photos. The lengths of deck planks near the center line of course varied a lot with the deck furniture and openings, but the longest "straight"pieces would be in the neighborhood of 3 1/2"- 4" at your scale.   It is too late now, but they were normally laid in a three or four butt shift. (see first drawing below)  It appears in the photos that you used a two butt shift pattern.   I assume this is a kit error, but something to keep in mind for future builds.  Regardless of kit or scratch, maybe consider getting a copy of Goodwin's The Construction and Fitting of the English Man of War or other book that covers an array of items.   Much/most will apply to ships of other nationalities.  There are dozens of other books as well, but this one covers a lot.  An example is the deck planking of decks carrying cannon.  The four or so outboard most strakes were often anchor stock or top and butt pattern for the added strength on decks that had cannon rather than straight pieces.  See second drawing below.
 
Both drawings below are from Goodwin's book.  The first is on page 58 and the second is on page 52.
 
Is there a reason you are not using PVA glue?  I don't think there are many fans of contact glue in ship modeling, but may be wrong on this.
 
Allan


 

I agree that holly is indeed limited as to where it can be used effectively, but one of the things I love to make from holly are frames for ships boats and sometimes the planking as well.  If soaked for a few minutes in water, they bend like paper and hold their shape once dry.
Allan

 

Welcome to MSW Chris.  Looks like a nice kit that you have,  There is a contemporary drawing of Ontario (16) 1780 at the RMG Collections site you might want to download as a reference.  https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-84516    After a quick look the kit plans seem to be very good.  Thanks for sharing your build.
Allan

Welcome to MSW Chris.  Looks like a nice kit that you have,  There is a contemporary drawing of Ontario (16) 1780 at the RMG Collections site you might want to download as a reference.  https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-84516    After a quick look the kit plans seem to be very good.  Thanks for sharing your build.
Allan

Looking forward to your build Rick.  You surely picked the number one kit maker for our hobby, bar none.   One of the best things about the Syren model kits is that Chuck thoroughly researches each offering, confers with experts in ship modeling, then builds the model so he can work out any small issues before going into big production.
Allan

If the piece is already glued on the model I tape a soaking wet paper towel to the part and rehydrate it every few hours.  Takes overnight and then some at times.   Another example, but purposely gluing parts together that will need to be separated....... when I have to make very small strips of wood such as window frame pieces that are about 0.025" square at 1:64 I thickness sand a board to that thickness then cut strips with a rule and scalpel.  These are never exactly at the same thickness as the original board, but too small to take through the thickness sander one at a time.  I glue 5 or 6 pieces side by side with the hand cut edge being the wider face of the glued up strip.  I then can run through the sander without worries.  Once done I soak the assembly for an hour or so and the glue melts and the pieces come apart very easily.   Takes a little scraping of the glue afterwards but otherwise a relatively easy task.  Thicker pieces take longer but can be done.  The hard part for me is having patience.
Allan

If you put them in a block/rock tumbler for part 6 it really helps to get a more rounded shape and easier than getting sanding by hand..
Allan

Welcome to MSW Ralf,  we hope you have a wonderful time here.
Allan

Fantastic idea Giampiero!  We are scheduled to be in in Italy the first week of September, 2025 so I will be in contact with Tiziano and you this time next year.
Ciao
Allan

If you put them in a block/rock tumbler for part 6 it really helps to get a more rounded shape and easier than getting sanding by hand..
Allan

Keep in mind the 1794 edition is about masting and rigging, nothing about the structure of the hull. The Sim Comfort print of Steel's Elements and Practice of Naval Architecture, if you can find one, goes for about $1000.  You can find all the scantlings from the 1719-1750 Establishments, The Shipbuilders Repository 1788 and Steel's Elements and Practice of Naval Architecture in one book from Seawatch books.  If the era Steel covers is your only interest The Elements and Practice of Naval Architecture, including the scantlings, are free to download  https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Elements_and_Practice_of_Naval_Archi/TWsmw-QqvmAC?hl=en&gbpv=1    Once you download it, scroll down to page 496 to get to the principal dimension folios.  Keep in mind this is for British ships, but lacking better information on US ships, these should be close.  This download was mentioned in a post here at MSW in 2017.
 
Allan

Welcome to MSW Ralf,  we hope you have a wonderful time here.
Allan

Hi Navarcus
Memory may not serve here, but from what I do recall from my marine engineering courses the type of engine had nothing to do with the diameter of the propellors.   I sailed on steam ships as well as diesel propulsion with prop diameters up to about 19 feet.  The azipods found on today's ships are upwards of 20 feet in diameter as well. There is a practical limit on the diameter no matter the type of propulsion which is possibly one of the reasons larger ships have multiple props.  
Allan

Propellers are intended to push a vessel through the water. The faster a propeller rotates, the greater the push. Increasing the size (diameter) and area of the propeller blades produces more push for a given RPM. The larger the diameter the faster the end of the propeller blade rotates at a given RPM. If the end of the propeller blade moves too fast it moves faster than water can move. As it turns it leaves holes or vacuum bubbles in the water. This is called "cavitation" and it causes two problems.
 
First, there is a lot of energy involved and cavitation can rip bits off the trailing edge of the propeller - and even cause pits in the blade surface. This will create imbalance in the propeller, and that creates vibrations in the prop shaft that can wreck the foundations in the shaft alley and even destroy the turbine or motor turning the shaft. This is considered a bad thing.
 
The second problem is noise. When the cavitation vacuum bubbles collapse they create a popping noise. This is like going into the reading room of a library and banging on a pan with a hammer. Everyone within hundreds of miles can hear cavitation. It is anti stealth!
 
So if you can't have one big propeller turning really fast to get the push you need, the solution is multiple smaller propellers turning slower than the speed that causes cavitation. And modern "twisted blade" propeller designs were created to minimize cavitation.
 
 

Keep in mind the 1794 edition is about masting and rigging, nothing about the structure of the hull. The Sim Comfort print of Steel's Elements and Practice of Naval Architecture, if you can find one, goes for about $1000.  You can find all the scantlings from the 1719-1750 Establishments, The Shipbuilders Repository 1788 and Steel's Elements and Practice of Naval Architecture in one book from Seawatch books.  If the era Steel covers is your only interest The Elements and Practice of Naval Architecture, including the scantlings, are free to download  https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Elements_and_Practice_of_Naval_Archi/TWsmw-QqvmAC?hl=en&gbpv=1    Once you download it, scroll down to page 496 to get to the principal dimension folios.  Keep in mind this is for British ships, but lacking better information on US ships, these should be close.  This download was mentioned in a post here at MSW in 2017.
 
Allan

Thank you Allen. I totally agree with you about Chuck and his efforts to help the modeling community. Best in the business!
 
Best Regards .... Rick

Or in easy to read tables here https://thenrgstore.org/collections/books-and-practicums/products/steels-tables-of-the-dimensions-of-a-ship-of-each-class-in-the-british-navy

The bulkhead spacing on many  kits has a much bigger spacing of the bulkheads (deck beams).    In the case of Polaris from OcCre, as mentioned above there is no such ship in real life so maybe it's best to go with what feels right to you as it is a beginner kit.   See post #5 in the topic https://modelshipworld.com/topic/34238-occre-polaris-is-there-a-real-role-model/      For example if this was a multi deck ship the upper deck beams are about 4 feet asunder.  The forecastle and quarter deck beams are closer to 2 feet asunder.   For your single deck vessel it is probably a guess, but two feet to three feet asunder would probably be OK.   
 
Give careful consideration to the hull planking which is usually much more of a challenge.   Study the tutorial by David Antscherl here at MSW in the Articles Database and the four part You Tube video by Chuck Passaro as it will serve you well in the future.  
 
Allan
 

Welcome to MSW Ralf,  we hope you have a wonderful time here.
Allan

Looking forward to your build Rick.  You surely picked the number one kit maker for our hobby, bar none.   One of the best things about the Syren model kits is that Chuck thoroughly researches each offering, confers with experts in ship modeling, then builds the model so he can work out any small issues before going into big production.
Allan