Some Idea

Thanks druxey that’s genius I’m going to give this a go and see how I get on. I appreciate the help 👍

Thank you Michael I have made a start on the main hatches which are a little more tricky than they look. Firstly I made a mistake cutting the notches on the wrong side of the sides of the hatches. I'm sure we've all done something similar; I know that I have. So they were consigned to the scrap bin and I started again. Below is a hatch base with the notches now on the correct side! I found cutting the rebate on the curved ends challenging but I got there in the end. Next I made and fitted the metal corner braces - It was only after I fitted them I looked at the drawings again and they were supposed to be recessed into the base. I have decided to leave them where they are! I also need to get some lightweight wood filler to fill the holes that I drilled all of the way through. Now the fun started - trying to get the hatch tops to match the same curve as the base and also to get an all round tight fit. Then the strengtheners were made and fitted. I like making parts like this as it makes the effort of cutting notches etc worth it when it all fits so nicely together. Further reinforcement is added towards the side of the cover which I managed to glue in the wrong place as I misread the drawings yet again! It's not the end of the world but removing them would cause too mush damage so I will alter the nailing to suit. The lifting handles were next - This is the first time I've tried triangular handles as I've never successfully made them before. I usually make them round as I find this a lot easier but at least I've had a go. They're not great and I would love to know how other builders make these parts? I used a triangular file to bend the brass around but it was so fiddly and I found it difficult to get tight bends with straight sides. I've looked at other builders efforts and they look like a perfect triangle so any help for the future would be greatly appreciated I still need to get the nailing done which always takes me a while and then get them fitted onto the main deck. Thanks for all of the comments - Mark

builder_nick what a lovely build and it looks so fragile - amazing

What a fantastic build so far Ronald - your planking and attention to details is as good as it gets - congratulations on finishing this chapter Mark

Thanks Chris its coming along now Thats make so much sense I wouldn't have thought of that. I would like to say that I obviously knew this which is why the rudder is a little high - but........well you know the truth of it 😁 - Mark

Hi Yves I'm not sure what you mean by "fabric" but I think you mean who makes it? It's a Sherline mill - Mark

Some more done on Le Rochefort. Taking the advice given I made some pads for the gudgeons on the un-planked side and also recessed them further into the stern post. Great advice as they definitely look and fit better. I did make a real mess of the recesses though - Now I know what I know I would mill these when making the stern post in the future. It would make the process much easier and tidier. I don't think these pieces are my best work and the rudder does sit slightly high but I've learnt a lot during the process. A picture of the ship with the rudder fitted The next part to make was the tiller arm which is quite a prominent part so it needed to be as accurate as possible. I made the arm and the knob on the end separately and used a treenail to help get a good bond between the two parts. I also straightened up the metal banding around the rudder to make it all look a bit better. Another little milestone in my build is now complete. I am so tempted to now finish off the stern and fit the railings and taff rail but I know that they will get broken at some point. So instead I will resist this and make the main hatches and the pumps. Thanks for the help Mark

Stunning work mate 😊 Your CNC capabilities are just getting better and better. The transition from plans, to CAD configuration to work holding on such a small mill is inspiring - amazing!

Awesome job Phil - congratulations on your fantastic build 🎉

Exactly as wefalck says using a slitting blade. I get good results using quite a course 4” diameter blade and attach the brass to a piece of wood.

If you want to know about wood and its properties and toxicity this is the place https://www.wood-database.com

Hi Mark I too have found this problem so I now cut my own through my table saw. I'm currently using 2.3mm width x 1mm thickness brass and the only way I could achieve this was by cutting it myself

Thanks @dvm27 now thats a nice idea and looks very subtle too

Thanks druxey - I think I should be able to halve the gap as it is now without too much bother which should make things look better.

Thanks Keith Work continues on the gudgeons - I thought that would be easier than the pintles - I was wrong 🤣 I started in the same way as the pintles by bending them to shape and then silver soldering the parts together. I could show you all of the ones that didn't make the cut that I threw away but it would take too many photos. The tube is 3/32 to accept the 1/16th pin - silver soldering tube needs to be done carefully as if the tube gets too hot it will simply collapse. The 3 gudgeons in their rough state which are pretty much at their final shape but they will need a little fettling to get them tighter to the hull. The monograph explains that the gudgeons require recessing into the stern post to reduce the gap between the rudder. I did this but somehow slightly split the wood each side of the recess. I'm hoping that when I glue them in place I will be able to improve the look a little. How the gudgeons look on the stern post - On the side that is not planked I think I will just leave that side of the gudgeon sitting away from the hull. I will leave the fixing holes without nails too but I would like to know what others think about this. I could bend it over and nail it to the frames but from the stern it would look uneven. Please let me know you opinions So now for a massive moment for me in this build - I put the rudder on with the gudgeons just holding on my friction! AND IT FITTED!!!!! Ok the top gudgeon is very slightly low but I'll take that as a win!!! A couple of photo's from the stern One photo from the poop deck So it's still an ongoing part but sometimes I make a part that just surprises me that I pulled it off - it's just one of those things. So still loads to do before it's finished; I need to recess the gudgeons a little more to get the rudder slightly closer and make the tiller arm. I also need to clean up the gudgeons; drill the fixing holes and chemically blacken them. The next time the rudder is fitted its not coming off again (I hope) Thanks to you all for your support Cheers Mark