dvm27

Looking forward to this build Albert. Hard to believe you're shelving Anson after all that work on the frames!

Good question Johann. Navy Board models (when rigged) used silk. Some of these models have survived to today with original rigging. Silk has been around for ages. There were questions about the effects of UV light on silk but a recent study does not seem to consider it is a major factor (see article below). Perhaps one of our ship readers here who have attended the ship model conservators conference in England could comment. On the Navy Board models in the Naval Academy Museum the silk rigging does have a lovely catenary. Does your silk line assume natural curves Joann? Preserving silk: Reassessing deterioration factors for historic silk artefacts N. LUXFORD1,2 , D. THICKETT2 AND P. WYETH1 1 Textile Conservation Centre, Park Avenue, Winchester SO23 8DL, UK 2 English Heritage, 1 Waterhouse Square, 138-142 Holborn, London, EC1N 2ST, UK nl1@soton.ac.uk Silk can be found in numerous examples of costume, flags and banners, tapestries, upholstery, etc., in collections worldwide. These objects are unique records, offering invaluable evidence of political, economic, and social histories. However, silk is susceptible to ageing, and the preservation of such artefacts is of significant concern. The deterioration of silk causes embrittlement of the textile leading to splits and tears, and eventually a powdery and very friable fabric. Interventive conservation treatments, to consolidate silks, may radically alter their appearance, dramatically affecting the way in which visitors see and interpret the objects. Alternative preventive conservation methods are being sought to improve the longevity of silks in cultural heritage collections, by optimising the display parameters. Light has long been considered the major cause of damage to silk objects, which has lead to lower light levels for displays. However, recent research on medieval tapestries casts doubt on this. Unfaded silks on the reverse were found to be in a similar deteriorated condition to the faded silks on the front. Other environmental factors are important, and circumstantial evidence implicates raised humidity (RH), although there has been little research on this factor. Here we report the results of preliminary experiments in which we have investigated the effects of RH, as well as light, on the deterioration of new silk; relative humidities were chosen to reflect a variety of typical display conditions. The temperature and RH dependent kinetics of silk ageing were determined, by assessing the changes in mechanical properties and silk fibroin molecular weight. Initial results confirm that light (with the UV component excluded) is not necessarily the critical factor causing damage to silk objects. This has implications for the collections management and display of historic silks, leading to a reassessment of the most appropriate environmental parameters for the preservation of silk objects. And, from another source: Silk has been with us for a long time. Records indicate that silk has been in production before 6803 BC. Silk is archival. There are examples of still brightly colored silk found in China from the third and fourth century BC. Silk was alsothe painting support of choice long before canvas or paper was ever used. Protecting Fine Art Silk Paintings Dirt - When the silk painting is steamed, the dyes are bound in the fiber. The painting is hand washable using a mild soap and can be ironed with high heat. Light - more specifically, UV light can fade the colors in a textile. The best way to protect a silk painting is to keep it out of direct sunlight. Framing the artwork under UV-protected glass such as museum glass can eliminate the impact of fading. Moisture - silk resists mildew and most other bacteria and fungi. Moisture and humidity can make the silk fiber brittle over time. So it is especially critical, if framing under glass, to make sure that there is air flow around the painting to reduce the possibility of moisture build up. __ Reference - You can find more information on the history or biochemistry of silk and silk painting in the book "Silk" by Mary Schoeser, Yale University Press, 2007

Ship builders always have a reason for everything. But could the reason for the eccentric bowsprit simply be to allow access to a central beakhead bulkhead door? In Doris's model the doors are offset so a central bowsprit heel would be possible if the bulkhead were framed differently. Curious!

I quite agree with your review Bob. If this was just a coffee table book it would be magnificent. But it is so much more. Grant's extraordinary knowledge of these ships and insights into their origin makes it a fascinating read also. I encourage everyone to provide a subtle hint to their significant other that this book is the ideal holiday gift. You won't be disappointed!

You are truly an artist, Doris. Just noticed those elegant scarph joints in the wales. Also love the work on your beakhead bulkhead. Will there be doors eventually to allow passage?

Doris had posted a video, long ago, of her sculpting the figurehead. It was her usual meticulous method of turning a blob of clay into a work of art by adding a bit of clay here and a bit there. I recall her spending several minutes fine tuning a leg and hoof that already looked perfect to me. No smoke and mirrors involved - just the same building up process she used for the smaller carvings.

Lovely work, Marsalv. Assembling them off the model in the jig you've created certainly simplifies the process somewhat.

Excellent work, Kevin. Now back to your Swan!

Five years, Ed? It seems like time flies by, especially as you get older. I admire your precision with a hand file. My father-in-law was a machinist and told me one of the skills new workers had to manage was achieving perfectly flat surfaces using only a file and both hands. I find that even after years of practice I still chamfer one edge or the other doing this freehand.

You know your're doing a great job when those carlings assume a sweet curve. Lovely work, Ben!

This is a fabulous book with impeccible writing and gorgeous photographs. It looks like a coffee table book but is so much more. I have texted Grant expressing our appreciation for his work and I know he himself is very pleased with the production of this volume.

One of the loveliest features of some of the Navy Board models and Dr. Longridge's Victory is the graceful catenary of the stays. I notice it developing in my only rigged model made 15 years ago. I suppose it's impossible to duplicate on a new model as real rope has weight, especially when wet, that just doesn't scale down to create a catenary. I have seen this replicated with rope spun around a wire core (Lloyd McCaffery) to very good effect. The photo with the fully loaded fairlead planks is fantastic, Ed!

Extraordinary work, Mark! Those small filler frames are so perfect they almost look fake. No gaps after all these years? Just curious - were those moulding blanks cut to shape or steamed into shape?

Mark - there is a nice video on making a form tool for the cascabel of a cannon on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3-XFfc82ew In fact, all of his videos (including turning a cannon barrel) are mesmerizing.

I agree with Chuck that the best course would be to but a sheet of 1/4" thick x 3" wide boxwood sheet from Jason. If you don't have a small table saw he may even slice off the 1/4" x 3/8" keel slice you need from the sheet. If you are scratch building your brig you'll certainly have need of the rest of the sheet at some point.

I love working with boxwood Brian. It has little grain and maintains a crisp edge. I'm curious as to what part of your ship would require a baulk of wood larger than Jason can provide. Perhaps the main mast of a First Rate at 1:48 scale?

This sets the bar for what ship model kits should look like!

I was wondering about that Mark, as the guns looked to be sitting a bit low in the ports without the decking under them. As I have learned, much of your painstaking work will be hidden once you add the deck(s) above. But we'll always have those photos (which we never look at).

Yes you are technically correct, Alan. What I have used are simulated bungs. I'm not sure I've seen a model deck correctly spiked, countersunk then bored to receive a bung. That level of detail would be quite remarkable. The point is that the trunnels I use are @ 1.75" in diameter, roughly the same diameter as a bung. So the end result looks the same except the bungs are end grain. To quote David Antscherl in The Fireship Comet "I did not treenail the deck, as in the original ships the plugs that covered nails and other fasteners were virtually invisible, as they were side-grained rather than end-grained." Bottom line is that they should be barely visible at 1:48 scale.

Another huge fan, Doris. Would love to see you demonstrate your techniques at a Nautical Guild Research meeting one day!

Very clever, Mark. It's a very hard area to apply clamping pressure to.

The canvas top and belaying pins are just marvellous, Michael.

Perhaps apply cyano liquid over the repaired joint? It should penetrate and strengthen the area.

I look forward to this build. As Heinrich mentioned, it is in the same class as our Speedwell ketch-rigged sloop of war. I also question the use of a wheel vs. tiller on a ship of this size but have not seen contemporary plans for Wolfe (if they exist). I do have the Wolfe monograph by Shipyard and it is very well done. The card model kit is not inexpensive and I do hope they included it.

When drawing bamboo down to 0.018" they are barely perceptible on the model, especially if you sand the plank before installing them on the model. On your next model, where you'll have thousands of them, make sure you bamboo stock is fairly uniform. I ran out while making my last model and the replacement bamboo was decidedly darker.