clloyd

Further work!
 
I got a calm sunny day - so got the chance to take her out and sand the upper hull - that job is 90% complete.  I can still see a couple of places that need smoothing down a little more.
 
I've been working on the interior (most of this is not glued or varnished - just placed for assessment).
  Shot racks mostly done.  I ran out of 6lb shot, so need to get some more
  Jeer bits are well under way - the decorative bar at the top cost blood to make.
 



 
after redoing the gunport height it's nice to see the trial gun sitting nicely in the port.
 

 
Which gives us my latest full hull picture!
 

 
Colin

Further work!
 
I got a calm sunny day - so got the chance to take her out and sand the upper hull - that job is 90% complete.  I can still see a couple of places that need smoothing down a little more.
 
I've been working on the interior (most of this is not glued or varnished - just placed for assessment).
  Shot racks mostly done.  I ran out of 6lb shot, so need to get some more
  Jeer bits are well under way - the decorative bar at the top cost blood to make.
 



 
after redoing the gunport height it's nice to see the trial gun sitting nicely in the port.
 

 
Which gives us my latest full hull picture!
 

 
Colin

Finally got the main deck planking finished.  Crappy mobile camera shots - sorry.
Sanding is about half way through - it's mostly smooth, but I can still see and feel a few irregularities in the deck.
 
Not being able to see into the guts of the ship also gives it a much more finished feel straight away.
 


 
 
Short term to do list:
Finish sanding exterior hull.
finish interior planking. 
install main deck fittings.  I have a few things built, but just need to get down now and install ringbolts and cleats and work my way down the deck.  I'll probably leave guns until the very last minute before installing upper deck beams.
 
Colin

Finally got a chance to get out the camera and get some photos for an update.
 
I've made a chunk of progress, and after being static for so long it really feels good to be moving forward again.
 
I work on different aspects of the ship depending on location and how much noise I can make after the kids are asleep.
 
Hull:
 
Starboard side finished planking.  I marked out for trenails, but on rereading McKay I've tossed the idea of trenailing the whole hull, since the historical records show she had painted sides.  Since you can't see real trenails under paint, I've decided against that headache (hence the filler on much of the rest of the hull).   There is one plank sitting low, and for the moment it is filled.  If I'm unhappy after sanding I can still replace that one.  I've reworked the gunports and am much happier with the line they take.
 
Sanding awaits nicer weather.
 
Gunport lids are shaped and just dry fitted in place at the moment.  Sheaves done, and are temporarily in place until the inboard works are complete.
 


 
I got out my holly and have gotten on with the job of planking the gundeck.  Looking at top and but planking and a curved layout had put me off doing it for a while, but it's turning out to be an ok job.  Mckay shows straight planking, so I've had to redraw myself.  It's probably wrong in how butts lay in respect to hatches, but my head was hurting even trying to figure this out, so I'm just happy that it's probably a slightly more historically accurate rendition.
 
Caulking is paper.  I like the effect but may go with a grey for the upper deck.
 



 
My late night quiet task has been to shape more masts.
 
Jib - fairly straightforward.

 
Main topmast - still WIP, awaiting sheaves, ironwork blocks etc, but the basic shape is there.  What was nice was to take the topmast and be able to run it up through the lower trestletrees and mast cap the way it was supposed to work.
 

 
Colin

Further work!
 
I got a calm sunny day - so got the chance to take her out and sand the upper hull - that job is 90% complete.  I can still see a couple of places that need smoothing down a little more.
 
I've been working on the interior (most of this is not glued or varnished - just placed for assessment).
  Shot racks mostly done.  I ran out of 6lb shot, so need to get some more
  Jeer bits are well under way - the decorative bar at the top cost blood to make.
 



 
after redoing the gunport height it's nice to see the trial gun sitting nicely in the port.
 

 
Which gives us my latest full hull picture!
 

 
Colin

Finally got the main deck planking finished.  Crappy mobile camera shots - sorry.
Sanding is about half way through - it's mostly smooth, but I can still see and feel a few irregularities in the deck.
 
Not being able to see into the guts of the ship also gives it a much more finished feel straight away.
 


 
 
Short term to do list:
Finish sanding exterior hull.
finish interior planking. 
install main deck fittings.  I have a few things built, but just need to get down now and install ringbolts and cleats and work my way down the deck.  I'll probably leave guns until the very last minute before installing upper deck beams.
 
Colin

Finally got the main deck planking finished.  Crappy mobile camera shots - sorry.
Sanding is about half way through - it's mostly smooth, but I can still see and feel a few irregularities in the deck.
 
Not being able to see into the guts of the ship also gives it a much more finished feel straight away.
 


 
 
Short term to do list:
Finish sanding exterior hull.
finish interior planking. 
install main deck fittings.  I have a few things built, but just need to get down now and install ringbolts and cleats and work my way down the deck.  I'll probably leave guns until the very last minute before installing upper deck beams.
 
Colin

Finally got the main deck planking finished.  Crappy mobile camera shots - sorry.
Sanding is about half way through - it's mostly smooth, but I can still see and feel a few irregularities in the deck.
 
Not being able to see into the guts of the ship also gives it a much more finished feel straight away.
 


 
 
Short term to do list:
Finish sanding exterior hull.
finish interior planking. 
install main deck fittings.  I have a few things built, but just need to get down now and install ringbolts and cleats and work my way down the deck.  I'll probably leave guns until the very last minute before installing upper deck beams.
 
Colin

Finally got the main deck planking finished.  Crappy mobile camera shots - sorry.
Sanding is about half way through - it's mostly smooth, but I can still see and feel a few irregularities in the deck.
 
Not being able to see into the guts of the ship also gives it a much more finished feel straight away.
 


 
 
Short term to do list:
Finish sanding exterior hull.
finish interior planking. 
install main deck fittings.  I have a few things built, but just need to get down now and install ringbolts and cleats and work my way down the deck.  I'll probably leave guns until the very last minute before installing upper deck beams.
 
Colin

Finally got the main deck planking finished.  Crappy mobile camera shots - sorry.
Sanding is about half way through - it's mostly smooth, but I can still see and feel a few irregularities in the deck.
 
Not being able to see into the guts of the ship also gives it a much more finished feel straight away.
 


 
 
Short term to do list:
Finish sanding exterior hull.
finish interior planking. 
install main deck fittings.  I have a few things built, but just need to get down now and install ringbolts and cleats and work my way down the deck.  I'll probably leave guns until the very last minute before installing upper deck beams.
 
Colin

Cheers Mobbsie!
 
To hide the rather slow progress, I'll post a few 'state of the build' pics.  Ratlines and futtock shrouds all done, although there are one or two ratlines that I may yet redo.  First picture falls into the 'warning by me take' category, I'd completely missed a double block on the mizzen mast which was rather painful to get on with all the shrouds in place.  Definitely try to get this one onto the mast before any shrouds.  I did have a pleasant experience though, after having somehow made the served length approx 10mm too long even after mocking it up, I couldn't face remaking it.  Found that carefully applying some GS Hypo glue around the served line at the appropriate point allowed it to be cut cleanly with no frayed ends!  
 
I've also noticed that the tension in the main and preventer stay has been reduced, despite having stretched the line before installing.  Not sure whether its necessary to redo the heart lashings to tighten, only potential problem I can foresee will be when the braces get put on they may pull the stays unnaturally out of alignment, but this seems somewhat inevitable anyway so still pondering this one.
 

Depending on how subtle you want to be, you can also take a hypodermic needle of appropriate gauge, grind the angle off it, and "stamp" a circle on the end of the planks.  The indent on the wood will be visible, but the effect is a lot more subtle than the drill and fill method.
 
Colin

Hi, and thank you Pat!
 
a small update from the yard. I'm working on hinges and handles. Hinges are from black paper, rubbed with pensil to recieve metal look. Handles turned from brass nail. Now the photos:
 

 

 

 
Alex

This build log will trace my scratch build of HMS Pandora in her 1790 configuration.  Build started about 2009 and was initially documented on the original MSW.  I'll recreate the log as best as possible, but my memory and not having all the photos to hand mean that the initial part will be not as in depth as the original.  It'll probably take week or so to catch up.  If you have any questions in the meantime ask - I may be a bit fuzzy on details, but should be able to answer.
 
The Choice:
Pandora was chosen as a successor build to HMB Bounty that I completed about 2009.  I wanted something bigger, military, with a south seas link, existing plans, and since Pandora was historically connected to Bounty it was a logical choice.
 
History:
HMS Pandora was a 24-gun Porcupine-class sixth-rate ship of the Royal Navy launched in May 1779. She is best known as the ship sent in 1790 to search for the Bounty and the mutineers who had taken her.
 
Her first service was in the Channel during the 1779 threatened invasion by the combined fleets of France and Spain. She was deployed in North American waters during the American Revolutionary War and saw service as a convoy escort between England and Quebec. She saw successful service as a convoy escort, but the end of the American war the Admiralty placed her in ordinary at Chatham (1783).
 
Pandora ordered to be brought back into service in June 1790 when war between England and Spain seemed likely due to the Nootka Controversy. However, in early August 1790, 5 months after learning of the mutiny on HMS Bounty,it was decided to despatch her to recover the Bounty, capture the mutineers, and return them to England for trial. She was refitted, and sailed from Portsmouth on 7 November 1790, commanded by Captain Edward Edwards and manned by a crew of 134 men.
 
Fourteen mutineers were recaptured on Tahiti, but 3 months searching the islands of the south pacific failed to find the Bounty and remaining mutineers.  She turned for home, but in attempting to navigate the Great Barrier reef she ran aground on 29th August 1791, and sank the next morning with the loss of 31 crew and prisoners.  She remains in about 30m of water about 140km east of Cape York.
 
Build:
The goal is to build a 1/64 scale reproduction of the ship in her 1790 configuration.  Archeological findings have shown the guns and carronades with which she was equipped.   The scale was chosen to match my previous build of Bounty.  I chose to do POB as it is a fairly straightforward way of constructing the hull and I didn't want as a first scratch built to tackle the huge task of figuring out how to frame a hull.
 
Sources:
The primary source of plans for the build is McKays Anatomy of the Ship: Pandora, with help from Antscherls Swan class books, and my library of 18C ship books.
 
(pics to follow)

Thanks for all the likes and comments, definitely keeps one going.
 
Just a few progress pics on the ratlines.  Judging from the majority of comments, these seem to be one of the most disliked steps and maybe one of the last major hurdles for a first build (after planking, coppering, rigging carronades).  All said, I'm pleasantly surprised and actually finding this a quite enjoyable.  But lets be clear, my results are far from perfect, but passable I think.  Obviously work still to do.  Although natural line seems to be in vogue, found this a little distracting so went with black glacee thread close to the needed dimension.  Overall, pretty happy for a first effort.
 
Lessons learned for next time:
Masts and shrouds should be built and mocked up prior to identifying the line of the chains.  Not too noticeable, but my 'rough and ready' method didn't take account of the actual lie of the shrouds over the tops and resulted in some of the chains not lining up as well as could be with final shroud placement I hate to blame materials, but I suspect that aftermarket ropes would result in big visual improvements and build enjoyment vs the standard supplied stuff which never seems consistent in size, shape or 'roughness'.  My mind is absolutely made up that additional cost is probably worth it. The tops and the channels are not parallel, although it looks best (IMHO) if the ratlines are parallel to the top and the channel where they meet, its pretty simple to slightly adjust the ratlines to achieve this in between.  
4mm spare walnut strips were used to 'clamp' the shrouds and provide the correct spacing (found that sitting these on top of the knots below and tying next set on top resulted in the almost exact spacing needed.  This technique helped a lot!

 
Overhand knots were used on first and final shroud as these seemed least bulky, I just couldn't get the cow hitch to work well for me, maybe next time...Snakes's channels are mounted very high so a ratline is needed right on top of the deadeyes.  This means that deadeye lashings make most sense 'sitting' on top of the deadeyes as I've seen in a few photos of the real thing (not prettily lashed to the shroud).  I also wanted to try and get a little natural sag into these, results are proving to be mixed, but adjusting is easy once in place to try to get close to desired look.
 
 
And the current state...quite the mess with all the untrimmed ends

Stunningly beautiful work.  Inspirational!
 
Colin

Finally got a chance to get out the camera and get some photos for an update.
 
I've made a chunk of progress, and after being static for so long it really feels good to be moving forward again.
 
I work on different aspects of the ship depending on location and how much noise I can make after the kids are asleep.
 
Hull:
 
Starboard side finished planking.  I marked out for trenails, but on rereading McKay I've tossed the idea of trenailing the whole hull, since the historical records show she had painted sides.  Since you can't see real trenails under paint, I've decided against that headache (hence the filler on much of the rest of the hull).   There is one plank sitting low, and for the moment it is filled.  If I'm unhappy after sanding I can still replace that one.  I've reworked the gunports and am much happier with the line they take.
 
Sanding awaits nicer weather.
 
Gunport lids are shaped and just dry fitted in place at the moment.  Sheaves done, and are temporarily in place until the inboard works are complete.
 


 
I got out my holly and have gotten on with the job of planking the gundeck.  Looking at top and but planking and a curved layout had put me off doing it for a while, but it's turning out to be an ok job.  Mckay shows straight planking, so I've had to redraw myself.  It's probably wrong in how butts lay in respect to hatches, but my head was hurting even trying to figure this out, so I'm just happy that it's probably a slightly more historically accurate rendition.
 
Caulking is paper.  I like the effect but may go with a grey for the upper deck.
 



 
My late night quiet task has been to shape more masts.
 
Jib - fairly straightforward.

 
Main topmast - still WIP, awaiting sheaves, ironwork blocks etc, but the basic shape is there.  What was nice was to take the topmast and be able to run it up through the lower trestletrees and mast cap the way it was supposed to work.
 

 
Colin

Finally got a chance to get out the camera and get some photos for an update.
 
I've made a chunk of progress, and after being static for so long it really feels good to be moving forward again.
 
I work on different aspects of the ship depending on location and how much noise I can make after the kids are asleep.
 
Hull:
 
Starboard side finished planking.  I marked out for trenails, but on rereading McKay I've tossed the idea of trenailing the whole hull, since the historical records show she had painted sides.  Since you can't see real trenails under paint, I've decided against that headache (hence the filler on much of the rest of the hull).   There is one plank sitting low, and for the moment it is filled.  If I'm unhappy after sanding I can still replace that one.  I've reworked the gunports and am much happier with the line they take.
 
Sanding awaits nicer weather.
 
Gunport lids are shaped and just dry fitted in place at the moment.  Sheaves done, and are temporarily in place until the inboard works are complete.
 


 
I got out my holly and have gotten on with the job of planking the gundeck.  Looking at top and but planking and a curved layout had put me off doing it for a while, but it's turning out to be an ok job.  Mckay shows straight planking, so I've had to redraw myself.  It's probably wrong in how butts lay in respect to hatches, but my head was hurting even trying to figure this out, so I'm just happy that it's probably a slightly more historically accurate rendition.
 
Caulking is paper.  I like the effect but may go with a grey for the upper deck.
 



 
My late night quiet task has been to shape more masts.
 
Jib - fairly straightforward.

 
Main topmast - still WIP, awaiting sheaves, ironwork blocks etc, but the basic shape is there.  What was nice was to take the topmast and be able to run it up through the lower trestletrees and mast cap the way it was supposed to work.
 

 
Colin

Finally got a chance to get out the camera and get some photos for an update.
 
I've made a chunk of progress, and after being static for so long it really feels good to be moving forward again.
 
I work on different aspects of the ship depending on location and how much noise I can make after the kids are asleep.
 
Hull:
 
Starboard side finished planking.  I marked out for trenails, but on rereading McKay I've tossed the idea of trenailing the whole hull, since the historical records show she had painted sides.  Since you can't see real trenails under paint, I've decided against that headache (hence the filler on much of the rest of the hull).   There is one plank sitting low, and for the moment it is filled.  If I'm unhappy after sanding I can still replace that one.  I've reworked the gunports and am much happier with the line they take.
 
Sanding awaits nicer weather.
 
Gunport lids are shaped and just dry fitted in place at the moment.  Sheaves done, and are temporarily in place until the inboard works are complete.
 


 
I got out my holly and have gotten on with the job of planking the gundeck.  Looking at top and but planking and a curved layout had put me off doing it for a while, but it's turning out to be an ok job.  Mckay shows straight planking, so I've had to redraw myself.  It's probably wrong in how butts lay in respect to hatches, but my head was hurting even trying to figure this out, so I'm just happy that it's probably a slightly more historically accurate rendition.
 
Caulking is paper.  I like the effect but may go with a grey for the upper deck.
 



 
My late night quiet task has been to shape more masts.
 
Jib - fairly straightforward.

 
Main topmast - still WIP, awaiting sheaves, ironwork blocks etc, but the basic shape is there.  What was nice was to take the topmast and be able to run it up through the lower trestletrees and mast cap the way it was supposed to work.
 

 
Colin

Finally got a chance to get out the camera and get some photos for an update.
 
I've made a chunk of progress, and after being static for so long it really feels good to be moving forward again.
 
I work on different aspects of the ship depending on location and how much noise I can make after the kids are asleep.
 
Hull:
 
Starboard side finished planking.  I marked out for trenails, but on rereading McKay I've tossed the idea of trenailing the whole hull, since the historical records show she had painted sides.  Since you can't see real trenails under paint, I've decided against that headache (hence the filler on much of the rest of the hull).   There is one plank sitting low, and for the moment it is filled.  If I'm unhappy after sanding I can still replace that one.  I've reworked the gunports and am much happier with the line they take.
 
Sanding awaits nicer weather.
 
Gunport lids are shaped and just dry fitted in place at the moment.  Sheaves done, and are temporarily in place until the inboard works are complete.
 


 
I got out my holly and have gotten on with the job of planking the gundeck.  Looking at top and but planking and a curved layout had put me off doing it for a while, but it's turning out to be an ok job.  Mckay shows straight planking, so I've had to redraw myself.  It's probably wrong in how butts lay in respect to hatches, but my head was hurting even trying to figure this out, so I'm just happy that it's probably a slightly more historically accurate rendition.
 
Caulking is paper.  I like the effect but may go with a grey for the upper deck.
 



 
My late night quiet task has been to shape more masts.
 
Jib - fairly straightforward.

 
Main topmast - still WIP, awaiting sheaves, ironwork blocks etc, but the basic shape is there.  What was nice was to take the topmast and be able to run it up through the lower trestletrees and mast cap the way it was supposed to work.
 

 
Colin

Finally got a chance to get out the camera and get some photos for an update.
 
I've made a chunk of progress, and after being static for so long it really feels good to be moving forward again.
 
I work on different aspects of the ship depending on location and how much noise I can make after the kids are asleep.
 
Hull:
 
Starboard side finished planking.  I marked out for trenails, but on rereading McKay I've tossed the idea of trenailing the whole hull, since the historical records show she had painted sides.  Since you can't see real trenails under paint, I've decided against that headache (hence the filler on much of the rest of the hull).   There is one plank sitting low, and for the moment it is filled.  If I'm unhappy after sanding I can still replace that one.  I've reworked the gunports and am much happier with the line they take.
 
Sanding awaits nicer weather.
 
Gunport lids are shaped and just dry fitted in place at the moment.  Sheaves done, and are temporarily in place until the inboard works are complete.
 


 
I got out my holly and have gotten on with the job of planking the gundeck.  Looking at top and but planking and a curved layout had put me off doing it for a while, but it's turning out to be an ok job.  Mckay shows straight planking, so I've had to redraw myself.  It's probably wrong in how butts lay in respect to hatches, but my head was hurting even trying to figure this out, so I'm just happy that it's probably a slightly more historically accurate rendition.
 
Caulking is paper.  I like the effect but may go with a grey for the upper deck.
 



 
My late night quiet task has been to shape more masts.
 
Jib - fairly straightforward.

 
Main topmast - still WIP, awaiting sheaves, ironwork blocks etc, but the basic shape is there.  What was nice was to take the topmast and be able to run it up through the lower trestletrees and mast cap the way it was supposed to work.
 

 
Colin

Finally got a chance to get out the camera and get some photos for an update.
 
I've made a chunk of progress, and after being static for so long it really feels good to be moving forward again.
 
I work on different aspects of the ship depending on location and how much noise I can make after the kids are asleep.
 
Hull:
 
Starboard side finished planking.  I marked out for trenails, but on rereading McKay I've tossed the idea of trenailing the whole hull, since the historical records show she had painted sides.  Since you can't see real trenails under paint, I've decided against that headache (hence the filler on much of the rest of the hull).   There is one plank sitting low, and for the moment it is filled.  If I'm unhappy after sanding I can still replace that one.  I've reworked the gunports and am much happier with the line they take.
 
Sanding awaits nicer weather.
 
Gunport lids are shaped and just dry fitted in place at the moment.  Sheaves done, and are temporarily in place until the inboard works are complete.
 


 
I got out my holly and have gotten on with the job of planking the gundeck.  Looking at top and but planking and a curved layout had put me off doing it for a while, but it's turning out to be an ok job.  Mckay shows straight planking, so I've had to redraw myself.  It's probably wrong in how butts lay in respect to hatches, but my head was hurting even trying to figure this out, so I'm just happy that it's probably a slightly more historically accurate rendition.
 
Caulking is paper.  I like the effect but may go with a grey for the upper deck.
 



 
My late night quiet task has been to shape more masts.
 
Jib - fairly straightforward.

 
Main topmast - still WIP, awaiting sheaves, ironwork blocks etc, but the basic shape is there.  What was nice was to take the topmast and be able to run it up through the lower trestletrees and mast cap the way it was supposed to work.
 

 
Colin

Thanks for the comments on the jigs Remco, Mark, dragzz, Doris, John and Pat. I'd toyed with the idea of using the Mill, but after cutting the first swivel mount in a couple of minutes I figured the jig would work quicker .
 
I've now temporarily glued all the Port side mounts in place and sanded the Sheer into them. Now I'll fit the Starboard ones and sand them horizontally athwartships.
 

 

 
  Danny

Nice Jason. 
 
Hearts were one item I chucked out of the bounty kit and made my own - circular holes were one of the reasons I did that.
 
Colin

Hi Guys,
 
Thank you all very much for the very kind words and your concerns, and of course the like buttons, I really do appreciate it.
 
John, great to see you again mate, you've been missed, thanks for the kind words buddy.
 
Kevin, You have been side tracked by a small plastic matter I believe, You'll soon catch up mate.
 
I do have a small update, the ratlines for the Fore Lower Mast are completed now, for a while it seemed 3 steps forward and 2 back with me ripping out completed rows, mainly because they looked like jungle vines rather than ratlines, more droop in them than a bloke on the booze for a week.
 
Some Pics
 

       
 
So that's a small stage completed now, next step is to make the Bowsprit and Jib Boom, with all the accompanying tackle, I want to have a go at making a slider for the Jib Boom which will be a first for me,  there are some very good ideas on site so as long as I don't have to do any welding I should be ok.
 
I have to practice with my micro wood chisel's I bought a week or so ago, with the 2 foot long handles and 18 inch blades I will have plenty to get hold of, my mistake of the year so-far, hopefully I will be able to work with them, if I cant then they didn't cost a lot so little lost.
 
OK guys that me done, your all up to date, most of you will be way ahead of me knowing what's going to happen but still, I need to find out for myself.
 
Be Good
 
Stay Warm / Cool, depending on your hemisphere.
 
mobbsie