Wintergreen

As neat and tidy as ever Ron!
 
Keep it up!

Post One Hundred and Fifty-two
 
Anchors 
As a change of scene, I thought I would make up a couple of the anchors.
The kit includes the four main bower anchors, if the smaller stream and kedge anchors are required they are easily obtained using aftermarket suppliers.
 
The kit provided anchors have a scale shank length of 77mm (16’ 2”) which equates to a weight of 43cwt
This weight falls between the allocated anchor weights for 38-50-gun ships.
The outer diameter of the ring is 29” which scales to 11.5mm.
The thickness of the ring scales to 1.4mm.
A 64-gun ship had 4 bowers at 57cwt plus stream at 15cwt and a kedge of 7cwt 2qrts.
 
The kit anchors are 3d printed and very finely sculpted. All the subtle features are moulded into the shank and arms.
I think the day of the white metal anchor is coming to a close.
As with all resin stuff the parts need washing and priming.
 
The stocks are pre-cut from Pearwood and are faced with a thinner veneer that contains the Trenails correctly positioned and with engraved markings for the iron retaining bands.

3831
The only modification I felt necessary was to taper the arms thickness a little from outside the central area towards the outer ends.
This reflects a more authentic shape.
 
Once primed, I used Vallejo black/grey, followed by dark brown /rust weathering powders.

3824
The anchors on the left have had the weathering treatment, those on the right as painted.

3830
Brass wire of 1.4mm ø was used to make the rings which have an outside ø of 11.5mm.

3835
The ends of the rings were reduced in size to fit the shank and chemically blackened to give a little tooth for the puddening.
 
The stock halves have mortises cut into the inner sides to fit against the shank. There should be a gap between them but I thought it a tad too large so I deepened the mortice somewhat.
Glued together the facings are then added.

3834
Those familiar with my stuff know that I favour heat shrink rubber tubing to represent iron hoops.
 
The final part is to add the puddening to the anchor ring.
I used Syren 0.45mm ø and Morope 0.1mm stuff for the seizings.

3838
In applying the puddening unless you glue the ring in place it needs to be held steady. As I work around the ring I apply pva to help keep it in place.

3842

3847
 

3849
Capt. Pellew is dwarfed by Indy’s anchors.
 
I won’t be fitting or rigging the anchors but as far as I can see there is no reference to this in either manual or plans, so other sources will have to be found; fortunately there are many available.
 
 
B.E.
02/03/2024

Oh, I love babies! (especially when you can hand them back to their parents if they get smelly 😄 )
Two of our grandkids are moving away in May, but the other family is still producing. Next one is due in early June 🙂 
 
Oh, and by the way, nice progress Keith!  

Glad to be of inspiration Andy 🙂
It is a learning curve for me too. I have found out that the first attempt is usually decent, but no 2 goes in the bin because it is done in somewhat of a hurry. Then you settle down and let it take the time it takes and the rest is good as well. For time it takes.
Lovely marking gauges you got there. I'm pondering over miniature tools now and then. Apart from being enourmusly pretty, are they useful?

Don't cheat, you cannot go nowhere without that WD40 Keith! Can't see the duct tape however, that must be in the drawer.

Well they would be if I could match your wonderful joinery skills, Hakan. I rely on white glue and sawdust! Glad to have you on board; I'm enjoying your Atlantica build enormously.
I looked at the Gratitude when researching. It's interesting that she survived the war, unlike so many others. She survived a dreadful storm in 1911, then continued working until 1932. I see she went to Lowestoft before crossing over to Bohuslän. It's wonderful that she is still sailing, and teaching youngsters the art of navigation and sail handling. She is seriously fast, and won the Tall Ships race in 1978. Someone should build her one day...

Soo, this was a funny little piece to piece together, piece by piece, so to say. All dovetails and pins handcut with jewellers saw and filed to fit. 
It is the forward hatch and stairway just aft of the main mast. I decided to give it a wash of staining to dampen the quite white appearance of it. In order to match I sanded the main hatch  coaming also and applied a wash to it too. When dry I will give it a quick touch up with 320 grit paper and apply a couple of layers of laquer.
The bottom edge is sanded to the same rise as the deck beams so I used the top edge as index when mating all the corners. 
The two small blocks in the upper right corner (one with an arrow) was used to get the right size of the openings, and also keep things fair and square.



Here it is still moist after the staining hence the quite dark colour. It is not glued in place yet either. The real deal was through bolted from top down through the deck beams. I will not bother with that. I know my limitations (I think). 😉 

Cheers guys!

Alas, sawdust!
Same scale, a lot bigger... as per usual I have started with the stem pieces. By no means perfect and also managed to incorporate some sapwood in the lower part of stem. I will redo the stem buildup another day. Today I was more interested in what kind of challenges I have with tooling. Square faces and all that. Anyway, it didn't come out half-bad. Also, being constantly tired, long days in the shop is not feasible sadly enough.
 
But why start building, the drawings aren't finished, are they?
No, they're not. But I had some challenges in "seeing" the stern part since the center-line has different widths (sidings) around the rudder and propshaft. Therefore I though it better to start putting the center-line together and move on with drafting after that.
 
The wood is apple, if anyone wonder. Harvested some 10 years ago... 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

Soo, this was a funny little piece to piece together, piece by piece, so to say. All dovetails and pins handcut with jewellers saw and filed to fit. 
It is the forward hatch and stairway just aft of the main mast. I decided to give it a wash of staining to dampen the quite white appearance of it. In order to match I sanded the main hatch  coaming also and applied a wash to it too. When dry I will give it a quick touch up with 320 grit paper and apply a couple of layers of laquer.
The bottom edge is sanded to the same rise as the deck beams so I used the top edge as index when mating all the corners. 
The two small blocks in the upper right corner (one with an arrow) was used to get the right size of the openings, and also keep things fair and square.



Here it is still moist after the staining hence the quite dark colour. It is not glued in place yet either. The real deal was through bolted from top down through the deck beams. I will not bother with that. I know my limitations (I think). 😉 

Cheers guys!

What a nice build you've got going here Andy!
I'm glad to have found it. The similarities between our builds are quite striking, however, you go into much greater detail in keeping to the original than I do. Hats off for that, sir!
On the other hand of course they are similar! Atlantica is a scaled up version of a British smack built 1903 in Porthleven, which is basically just around the corner from Brixham 😄 
 
So, I'll grab a seat a little to the side here. Is the popcorn machinge functional or do I bring my own?

Soo, this was a funny little piece to piece together, piece by piece, so to say. All dovetails and pins handcut with jewellers saw and filed to fit. 
It is the forward hatch and stairway just aft of the main mast. I decided to give it a wash of staining to dampen the quite white appearance of it. In order to match I sanded the main hatch  coaming also and applied a wash to it too. When dry I will give it a quick touch up with 320 grit paper and apply a couple of layers of laquer.
The bottom edge is sanded to the same rise as the deck beams so I used the top edge as index when mating all the corners. 
The two small blocks in the upper right corner (one with an arrow) was used to get the right size of the openings, and also keep things fair and square.



Here it is still moist after the staining hence the quite dark colour. It is not glued in place yet either. The real deal was through bolted from top down through the deck beams. I will not bother with that. I know my limitations (I think). 😉 

Cheers guys!

Soo, this was a funny little piece to piece together, piece by piece, so to say. All dovetails and pins handcut with jewellers saw and filed to fit. 
It is the forward hatch and stairway just aft of the main mast. I decided to give it a wash of staining to dampen the quite white appearance of it. In order to match I sanded the main hatch  coaming also and applied a wash to it too. When dry I will give it a quick touch up with 320 grit paper and apply a couple of layers of laquer.
The bottom edge is sanded to the same rise as the deck beams so I used the top edge as index when mating all the corners. 
The two small blocks in the upper right corner (one with an arrow) was used to get the right size of the openings, and also keep things fair and square.



Here it is still moist after the staining hence the quite dark colour. It is not glued in place yet either. The real deal was through bolted from top down through the deck beams. I will not bother with that. I know my limitations (I think). 😉 

Cheers guys!

Ladies' pads make great emergency bandages ... don't ask how I know this 🫢

Soo, this was a funny little piece to piece together, piece by piece, so to say. All dovetails and pins handcut with jewellers saw and filed to fit. 
It is the forward hatch and stairway just aft of the main mast. I decided to give it a wash of staining to dampen the quite white appearance of it. In order to match I sanded the main hatch  coaming also and applied a wash to it too. When dry I will give it a quick touch up with 320 grit paper and apply a couple of layers of laquer.
The bottom edge is sanded to the same rise as the deck beams so I used the top edge as index when mating all the corners. 
The two small blocks in the upper right corner (one with an arrow) was used to get the right size of the openings, and also keep things fair and square.



Here it is still moist after the staining hence the quite dark colour. It is not glued in place yet either. The real deal was through bolted from top down through the deck beams. I will not bother with that. I know my limitations (I think). 😉 

Cheers guys!

Hello,
that was a week of drawing. But at least I will build the cabins after the standard drawing. If it was really so, I don't know

May be I make the bed place a little narrower. But here I can store the cannon in the cabin.

This is the version they used at the Medway. The difference is, at the Medway the cabins are going until right behind the mast. So they are a little broader, but there is at least no space left for the cannon. 
They had this cabins for the master and someone else, but I think that the master must look in this case for a place in the lobby for his maps and octant. When the 1.Lt. and the master had this deck, there are these extra cabins. Below the drawing for the 1745 establishment.

The carpenters where also busy and build the spirketting for this deck.

 
 

Soo, this was a funny little piece to piece together, piece by piece, so to say. All dovetails and pins handcut with jewellers saw and filed to fit. 
It is the forward hatch and stairway just aft of the main mast. I decided to give it a wash of staining to dampen the quite white appearance of it. In order to match I sanded the main hatch  coaming also and applied a wash to it too. When dry I will give it a quick touch up with 320 grit paper and apply a couple of layers of laquer.
The bottom edge is sanded to the same rise as the deck beams so I used the top edge as index when mating all the corners. 
The two small blocks in the upper right corner (one with an arrow) was used to get the right size of the openings, and also keep things fair and square.



Here it is still moist after the staining hence the quite dark colour. It is not glued in place yet either. The real deal was through bolted from top down through the deck beams. I will not bother with that. I know my limitations (I think). 😉 

Cheers guys!

Thanks Ed.  Yes, my shop has grown enormously from the first days.  I cut the original masts from a billet with a jewelers saw, and spent hours (days) sanding them flat and square.  Now it's a few minutes work.  But I spend most of my time still with files, chisels, and sand paper.
 
I'm getting the fore and main tops ready.   One of the tasks is making the futtock plates for those deadeyes I showed in the last post.  I used the method described by David Antscherl in Vol. 4 of The Fully Framed Model.
 
Here is the test piece, and a bunch of square wire cut for the rest--

 
The wire I bought was supposed to be "dead soft" meaning it should be not spring back when bent, but I found I still had to heat it red hot to make it truly malleable.  The wire pieces were bent around a drill--

 
They were then silver soldered at the "bottom" end. This would allow them to be bent back apart to insert the deadeyes.  This shows a series of them ready to solder.  You can just see the dab of solder paste about halfway along each piece--
.
 
That arrangement didn't work so well.  Only three of the pieces soldered well, because when liquid, the silver followed gravity rather than the gap in the wire.
Turning the pieces this way worked better--

 
Here are some ready to be soldered, some successfully soldered and filed smooth, and some cut to length with a hole drilled for a hook--
 
 
All for now,
Ron

Silly posts or not, it would of course be possible to do the tail piece using a lathe and controlled bed. It would take two clear passes with the dovetail bit. The pins, not so much because you get a rounded inner surface.
Anyway, I only have a wood lathe and no usable index table (and no dovetail bit of mini size) so hand tools it is.
The coaming came out pretty neat. Here it just sits in it place, not glued in. Two coats of water base matte lacquer applied to the sides. 


And finally a perspective picture of the build. As usual with all the debris in the background 😄 

Pax et bonum!

Post One Hundred and fifty
 
Completing the ports
The two  enclosed Qtr deck ports remained to be done.
Usual top hinged lids into the Great cabin, and a pair of side opening doors into the Coach and Bed space.

3660
I thought I had done with queries about ports, but I’m not entirely convinced why side opening doors are shown in the position they are, constrained by Mizen chains which only allow  them to open half way.
 
They are a feature usually found in positions above the channels, or at the foremost bow port, where space is restricted.

2231
This shot onboard Victory taken when I blagged my way onto the Poop deck shows similar doors in place.
 
The photo also has other interesting features. Note the tube thro’ which the port lid lanyard goes inboard, and that the port only has one lanyard presumably due it being of lightweight construction over a Qtr deck cabin.
 
The final interesting feature for detail fans is the knot secured on the Mizen channel.
 
This is the reason at the time I wanted to look over the Poop.
The knot secures the Rudder pendant which attaches to the chains and is used to control the rudder should the tiller lines be shot away.
 
Back to INDY..
Notwithstanding the above, the side doors do make a nice feature and provide additional interest to the build, more so if displayed closed.

1901a
I used a normal port lid as it makes more sense to me.
 
Stern Ports
There are two stern ports engraved on the lower counter, the plans show use of provided hinges (PE47) over the patterns, but I didn’t seem to have sufficient to do this, but the Laser board Syren straps filled in nicely.

3794
This is not a very prominent area of the model but that is no reason not to enhance it.
3796
Addition of double lift rings and lanyards complete the effect.

3800
The trickiest part is securing the lanyards thro’ the lifting rings using a false splice.

3799
Getting the needle thro’ the 0.3mm line is a severe test of my aging eyesight.
 

1900a
Still lot to do on this build.
 
B.E.
26/02/2024
 

I’m looking at the third photo of the interior and can’t wait to see how you are going to replicate that!

The lego sorting is finished and the eye is Ok for some low dust workshop activities (I wore a pair of goggles just to be sure). Yesterday and today I recommenced work on the hull.
 
The following three pictures show internal views of Cangarda.


In the accommodation spaces the hull frames are hidden behind the internal cladding. I assume that space between the cladding and hull is full of insulation.  The only space where the framing is left exposed is in the engine room. 
 
In the accommodation spaces I decided to use balsa to create the walls. 

This was installed in the fashion of barrel making - the balsa only being slightly thicker than the depth off the webs on the frames. An internal view might make this confusing remark clearer. The internal surfaces will be sanded flat and clad internally when Cangarda is removed from the building board.

With the circular saw being out of action the cutting of the balsa was done with a razor saw.
 
I was distracted from the balsa work when I realised I had mistakenly made the prop shaft casing 18mm diameter when it should have been 14mm. I started carving it back but decided I needed a guide, so I turned up the guide indicated by the white arrow.

Positioning the guide in the casing allowed me to roughly carve the casing to approximately the correct size.

I then shaped a sanding block to the correct external diameter and finished the resizing by sanding.

It will probably take another week or so to finish the balsa work. The walls of the engine room will be devoid of the balsa filling.
 
 
 
 
 

Thanks, JJ, druxey, Michel, and all those looking in, and liking.  I appreciate the encouragement.
 
I took a leap of faith and followed Ed Tosti's lead from his Naiad books to start permanently gluing (well, there's always Isopropanol) each transom as it is fit.  I really hate gluing anything until I feel confident about the whole assembly, but here goes--

 
The lowest transom is glued to the fashion timbers only, not to the sternpost, nor the fashion timbers to the deadwood--

 
I wasn't sure how the assembly would work as it's added to, but it's really quite simple.  Here's the next transom in place on the sternpost, and the previous transom and fashion pieces sitting on the deadwood below it--
 
 
The fashion pieces/transom are then just slid up the deadwood, the lower transom fitted into its spot on the sternpost, and the upper transom test fitted with it's tenons into the fashion pieces--

 
If all is satisfactory (and believe me it took many tests and refinements to the second transom piece before it was satisfactory), then it is now glued to the fashion pieces--
 

 
Now on to the third (from the bottom) transom.  This is the deck transom, and it must slope down and to the sides.  I'm on the third try with the piece pictured here--

 
I took a different approach shaping this one.  Instead of shaping it all over at the beginning, I just thinned it at the top (stern) and two lower forward ends, and made sure those fit, as they do in the photo above.   Here is the piece showing the bottom--

 
And the top--

 
Once this fit was good, I then tapered and smoothed the top and bottom before gluing it into place--

 
So far so good.  Remember the transoms are glued to the fashion pieces here, but not to the sternpost, and the transom/fashion piece assembly can be taken off .  There is an enormous amount of fairing that will need to take place on the transoms and fashion pieces once it's all together.  And I don't know how much of that I will do with it as a separate assembly, or glued finally to the deadwood and sternpost.  We'll see.  I am pleased so far with the general method.
 
All for now,
Ron
 
 

It has been an interesting week.  Lots to report!
 
I installed all the beams and hadn't really notice "it" yet. Just in the zone happily moving along with things.
Started putting in the carlings and as I approached midships it became obvious.
 
What shall I do about it? Installing the orlop deck was meant to be a learning experience to prepare me for those above. The orlop deck was decidedly too deep for anything to be readily noticeable, so lets just move on.
 
Installed all the carlings and it was still there taunting me... "what?" you ask... the hump!!
The aft and fore are high and the deck does a gentle slope downwards towards the midships... or at least that what it looks like on the plans.
Mine has a noticeable rise or camel hump in it. I just won't look at it... but it is still there.
 
I decided to work on the ledgers and needed to make card templates as seen above. I installed them low, down on top of the deck clamp as their thickness plus the grating thickness equalled the beam height. This made sense to me. I could find no photos to suggest I was right.
 
I woke up this morning having made a determined decision in my sleep. I should have dealt with it, the hump, when I first noticed it. I hope this time I've finally learnt that lesson!
I measured the damage... about half a deck clamp in height. How it happened is of no importance, besides, I don't know the answer. Possibly my deck clamps slipped under the  wooden clamps used to hold it in place when glued.
 
I determined which deck beams needed to come out. Cut the smaller carlings with my snips and used my flat nosed parallel pliers to persuade the larger ones to come out... almost like pulling teeth. Used the same pliers to remove the deck beams.
 
Marked the deck clamps and chiselled out the material to, at best, make the hump flat with the lowest points either side of it as seen above.

Reinstalled the beams and checked for flatness. Success! Glued and weighted them down until the glue sets up.

I feel much better about it now. When all is said and done I'll be thinking of how I corrected it, not how it is still hidden down there.
 

Post One Hundred and forty-nine 
 
Thinking more about Gunport lid fittings
Before I start the gunport fixing on the Starboard side, my mind keeps returning to those single lanyard fittings.
 
The provided port lids look pretty enough and the brass etch versions provide an easy fixing to the hull with the combined hinge, port stop and flexible tangs for fixing the lid to the hull in the open position.
 
However, I do like to make changes to enhance historical accuracy where I can, and I think Indy should really have double lanyards.
 
On a model the size of Indy, particularly Navy board style, such detail gains more prominence, not having all the top hamper to distract the eye.

3763
Revision One
I have mocked up a revised port using a spare port lid.
I am using Syren laser board rudder straps, cut to size to act as the hinge straps.
These conveniently have nail holes pre-drilled, the bottom one is drilled thro’ to take the ring bolts for the lanyards.
 
The tricky part is representing the port hooks that secure the hinge.
For the purposes of my exercise, I have used separate tiny segments of Boxwood.
The final touch is to add spots of pva to represent the bolt heads.
 
This would work for closed ports but for open ports wire would need to be inserted in the top edge to replace the tangs on the kit version.
 
Revision Two
I had abandoned an early attempt to drill thro’ the bottom bolt head of the kit  hinge due to broken bits. 
I resolved to try again.
 
I filed the bolt head flat and started the hole with an awl. This time I was able to drill thro’ using a 0.6mm drill in a pin vise without breaking the bit.

3772
I secured the hinge to my mini anvil using double sided tape. 
The ideal solution would be if the hinges could be pre-drilled during manufacture.

3780
Modified hinge straps on the Fore port. The example above it is the laser board version.

3781
The forward of the three port lids will be displayed open.

3782
So, the starboard side ports are fitted with correct double lanyard fixings, and the Port side for a central single lanyard.

3748
Perversely, I think the single lanyard arrangement has a better aesthetic.
 
One last thought on gunport lids:
The second and third ports from the bow, adjacent to the Galley, are without lids. These ports lie beneath the Fore Channels.

3784
This is a tricky area, some contemporary models have them some don’t.
Logical thinking would support the fitting of lids for those adjacent to the Galley Stove. One big wave and out goes the stove fire that the cook has spent some time getting up to heat, but I don't think they lit the stove in very severe weather..
 
I note that Alex M’s drawings for his Anson razee do include lids in this area, and incidentally double lid lanyards.
The fitting of port lids in the open waist and Qtr deck areas was removed by Navy Board order dating from 1703.
 
Well, that little excursion has soaked up a day and a half,
...........time to move on.🙄
 
 
B.E.
 
24/02/2024
 
 

At least you are seeing in stereo now.