allanyed

This was emailed to the SW Florida ship modeler membership and I found it interesting.  Hopefully others here will, as well.
Allan
 

While the below probably will be of little to no help for building the model itself, you may find it interesting as a fan of ECB.
Allan
 https://mysticseaport.org/explore/vessels/emma-c-berry-noank-smack/

Have a look at the wood grain for the chocks. In your pictures it has the wrong direction. You should turn the template by 90 degrees.

A bit more progress on Echo. I took some time over the weekend and studied the framing tables supplied by Admiralty for the cross-section, sorted through wood, made copies of the frame patterns and started work on the deadflat frame. I also made the framing square jig, the pattern for which is also included with the other documentation for this build - it is suggested to use heavy card for this, but having an ample supply of 1/16" basswood strip, I decided to use that. 
 
For the deadflat frame, I first cut out templates of the individual frame elements, but realised that cutting and refining the chocks and cross chocks might be done more precisely and efficiently if I made billets for this purpose. The chocks and crosschocks are made from different thicknesses of boxwood depending on their location - 10.5", 10" and 8.25". The cross chocks for the forward frames are all 10". So I made 4 billets - 1 10.5" x 5/8" x 3 1/4", 1 10" x 5/8" x 3 1/4", 1 8.25" x 5/8" x 2 1/4" and for the cross chocks 10" x 1 3/4" x 2 1/2". I cut these billets over long for the number of chocks required so I could use the excess as a handle to refine the angled portions of the chocks on my disc sander. The straight edge will be cut using a chisel and refined by hand.
 
I have yet to refine the futtocks so the images below show them as I rough cut them on the bandsaw.
 
Enjoy and bye for now!
hamilton
 

Terrific start. If you haven't downloaded the instructions from our website http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://admiraltymodels.homestead.com/Echo_cross-section_framing_instructions.pdf
please do so. They're free but not sure how long the website will remain there.

I could find no clear answer, just more questions.   Most of the photos of boats on ships that I looked at had nothing stowed but there are a few that had some things on board.  There is a photo of a cutter and larger boat on a ship on page 217 of The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War by Brian Lavery.  There is nothing in the cutter, including the rudder.  The other boat, which looks like a launch or longboat  boat, has rope and oars stowed.  The oars rest on the thwarts but pass under some kind of cross piece.  I thought this might be the windlass, but looking at contemporary drawings such as the long boat and launch below, the windlass is too low for the oars to rest on top of the thwarts yet pass under the windlass.  
 
Another example is https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-66300 but both of these may be the model builder's choice, not actual practice.  Also, ships of war might have a different set of rules on such things.  Having any loose items left in the boats while on board was probably a bad idea.  With multiple boats, and before having multiple davits, often some would be stacked one on the other, another reason to not keep items stowed on board.
 
Seeing a few items on board may or may not be how it was done but, for me, having a few of these items add to the overall look to a boat build. 
 
Allan

I sliced up a substantial holly log about 30 years ago. The log was 9 inches in diameter and I cut it into 1 inch thick planks. I sealed the ends with aluminium yacht primer (because I had a tin lying around...) and stacked the planks separated with 1" pine stock for drying. The planks did distort a bit during the drying process and a mould did develop over the surface during the first year (while the sap was still wet). I also remember getting quite worried that my lovely wood would be wrecked! However, as far as I remember, once it had dried I was able to brush the dead mould off the planks. 30 years later the holly is a lovely creamy white throughout. So Im sure yours will be fine in a few months time.
 
I still have most of it left, awaiting a suitable project. The photo below shows one of the plank with a chunk taken out to make some of the finer bits of my trireme model (e.g. the Trierarchs chair https://modelshipworld.com/topic/21958-trireme-olympias-by-richard-braithwaite/page/4/ ) , where something harder and more precise than lime was needed.
Holly is just about my favorite wood for model boat making. I think the grain does a passable imitation of oak in miniature and it can be carved as fine as paper if needed.
 

Further, SS actually stands for Steam Ship as opposed to MV for Motor Vessel, or SV for Sailing Vessel.
Some other designators:
TS  Training Ship
RV  Research Vessel
CS  Cable Ship
MT  Motor Tanker
MY  Motor Yacht
GTS  Gas Turbine Ship
NS  Nuclear Ship
 
Regards,
Henry

Like Phil,  I would use Lees' formulas but keep in mind they are for English ships from 1625 to 1860 so there may be other info out there that is more appropriate.  For our scales, the Lees figures are probably very close.  I THINK my math is right on this. If you are unsure of the topmast shroud size, but know the lower mast diameters, again from Lees, you can multiply the diameter of the appropriate lower mast X 0.198 for the fore and main masts to get the circumference of the top mast shrouds and futtock shrouds.  The circumference of the mizzen futtock shrouds would be 0.25 the diameter of the mizzen lower mast.  At our scales finding the exact right size rope is difficult unless you make your own, but hopefully this might give you a little guidance. 
 
Allan

I've watched the first few minutes.  Want to watch with no distractions and to take notes.  However, it seems to be very informational on a subject the still at times confuses me.  Thanks for sharing the link. 

This was emailed to the SW Florida ship modeler membership and I found it interesting.  Hopefully others here will, as well.
Allan
 

This was emailed to the SW Florida ship modeler membership and I found it interesting.  Hopefully others here will, as well.
Allan
 

Yes, do try to avoid cross-grain wherever you can. G1, for instance, has one arm completely cross-grain. Rotate it until the grain runs at about 45 degrees to each arm.  You can minimise waste by placing parts on a 'V A V' principle.

You could stop right here and it would be an amazing model.
 

What a difference some paint makes.   Bulwarks are painted however as usual, I will be applying many more thin coats over the next few weeks as I progress.   
 
Before and after...
 

 

Like Phil,  I would use Lees' formulas but keep in mind they are for English ships from 1625 to 1860 so there may be other info out there that is more appropriate.  For our scales, the Lees figures are probably very close.  I THINK my math is right on this. If you are unsure of the topmast shroud size, but know the lower mast diameters, again from Lees, you can multiply the diameter of the appropriate lower mast X 0.198 for the fore and main masts to get the circumference of the top mast shrouds and futtock shrouds.  The circumference of the mizzen futtock shrouds would be 0.25 the diameter of the mizzen lower mast.  At our scales finding the exact right size rope is difficult unless you make your own, but hopefully this might give you a little guidance. 
 
Allan

Actually, Druxey spotted it, I just enlarged it to see what it was all about.   Good eye for the  old guys.

Baker,
Fascinating article, thanks for posting.  
Allan

beechwood
 
https://albaola.org/en/the-keel/
 

Beech would be an appropriate wood for a 1:60 keel.   But not a lot of help as something readily available as a economical domestic species in the Philippines.
The tropics in South America have several desirable species,  so the climate does not preclude the possibility of a domestic at reasonable cost per BF. 
From just reading the Wood-Database only Hard Milkwood comes up as a possible.  It may take making friends with an old crotchety independent hardwood sawmiller to get a lead and source for domestic lumber with appropriate  characteristics and get it in lumber form.  With a chainsaw, a kiln, and a bandsaw, no tree would be safe - theoretically.

The futtock shrouds transfer forces from the topmast shrouds to the mast. Therrefore, I would think they would be the same diameter as the topmast shrouds. Lees' Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War says the futtock shrouds were the same size as the topmast shrouds.

Channels
                Rather than continue with securing the 18lb  Cannon to the gun deck I thought it would be prudent to fit the channels first to prevent any damage to the gun barrels during the above process. I apologize for what appears to be a lot of toing and froing and after looking more closely at the NMM plans, it was my intention to fit the mizzen channel as can be seen in a copy of NMM drawing (below). Although this drawing differs from the drawing given in the book AOTS Diana and the plans produced by Caldercraft, however  the photos of various models of the HMS Diana in the AOTS book shows the  same layout as the NMM plans.Below is a copy of the shear plan from NMM archives.

I have asked the question on a thread I created as regards to which type of mizzen channel should be fitted for the mizzen mast and is open to some interesting discussion. Here is the discussion in question.
https://modelshipworld.com/topic/36616-position-of-mizzen-channel-on-atois-class-frigate-1794/#comment-1046158
          After making the shorter mizzen channels as depict in the above NMM drawing I then realised that due to  either the height of the lower gun ports being slightly higher up on my model ( due to perhaps the fitting of bloomfield cannon )or a slight miscalculation on my behalf of the position of fitting the ships shear lines , I have found that the distance between the mizzen channel and the top of the lower gunport is too narrow to fit a shorter chainplate of any substance ,that is if I were to fit the shorter mizzen channel in its lower position. As I had origonally taken the position of both upper and lower gun ports at an earlier time and also when I was unaware of the possibility of fitting a  shorter mizzen channel I have decided to continue to fit the longer channel higher up, as depict by the AOTS Diana book.It would apear that a number of recent modellers have followed this approach and what can also be seen from the above drawing albeit in feint lines.So can both positions be correct?
            Here are a couple of photos of the channels I have made from what I think is boxwood. Still some work to do such as clean up the profiling of the edges and to shape the inside edge to fit the hull. I am finding the use of scrapers against the grain and working in different directions quite a difficult and time consuming task and feel i may need to use a small file to touch up a number of areas.I  have also tried to taper the channels which also need some finishing off as can be seen with the use of a 12" rule. I have also drilled though the channels to take 0.7mm brass rod to help with securing the channelsinto position.

 
 

I enlarged it and it indeed looks like another vessel or some such behind it.
Allan

Latest update: decking is completed forward the break in the deck. I couldn't find any examples of partially planked decks online, so I went with what I thought would look good. Full planking to frame 5, but then progressively staggered open deck further aft. The nibbling was time consuming, but very satisfied with the results. Deck furniture installed as well. Finished with tung oil. I need to touch up the paint on the capstan. Aft of the break is next. The first pic  below shows the difference the tung oil makes, compared to the color of unfinished aft section.

 
 
 

I enlarged it and it indeed looks like another vessel or some such behind it.
Allan