No Idea

I think this is genius Chuck - I have no doubt that there are many kit builders who would like to build a really decent expert looking POF ship without all of the hassle of cutting the individual pieces and trying to understand plans. I like your emphasis on the accuracy of construction for the builder as they go along too. Good luck with the cant frames.

Hi all A bit of info from Chatham regarding powder barrels https://collection.thedockyard.co.uk/objects/9234/gun-powder-barrel

I agree they look very clever and thanks for sharing - I'm going to look further into these too. Talking of clamps - Looking at your deck clamps running out to the dogs legs I would have been very worried about breaking them off or damaging them in some way as they do look a bit vulnerable. I mean you've done it and they look fantastic but I think I would have put some sort of cross support in first. I just couldn't imagine putting any sort of pressure onto all of that lovely work. Top job 👍

Hi Allen - don't be sorry mate I really appreciate all of the time and information that you have given me. I'm very new to historical ships and I have so much to learn. Without this forum I would struggle to find out the information that I need

We just need a UK blade supplier now! That would be utopia.

Good man Bruce well done - The UK users of Byrnes saws will be very happy with this info 👍

Thanks Allen - Le Rochefort was designed and built to move powder from the shallow port to the fighting ships anchored in deeper water. That is why her hold has very specific design features such as a fully planked interior which was also caulked. The hold deck beams are another unusual feature as I understand it as barrels were normally placed straight on top of the ballast. She also has water tight hatches and the crew had specific instructions regarding the use of the on board stove. The main deck beams are not supported by knees but instead uses a deck shelf which is attached to the deck clamp to give it strength. This was to improve the capacity of the hold itself. So moving powder was her main job and was designed to stay as dry inside as possible. I think that you are correct in saying that the barrels would have been stored on their side and I think this is the way I would like to go. Luckily I'm a non smoker so its going to be quite a safe ship with its dangerous cargo 🤣 Thanks Mark

Thanks Chuck I didn't know that you made barrels and they look excellent - I've just ordered 6 of them from you. I just need to think of a way to make withy bands. Maybe rope would work I don't know. Here's a question for you all though - were barrels stored upright or on their side in the hold?????????

Hi All Yet another update on Le Rochefort. So firstly were the limber boards. These are nice and easy to make 👍 A small strip of wood is placed up against the keelson in my case I cut it 1mm x 0.5mm which did the trick. Then the actual boards needed a rebate cut into them which I did on the table saw. Sorry I only took 2 photo's but once made they just slot into place and have no nails as they are supposed to be removeable. You can see them again fitted in the next photo's. So then I moved onto the hold deck beams - These are very very difficult to get right and its an angle challenge all the way! Its so easy to start off level and then start to go off of level as you move along the hull. I did make an error as I did not space the forward 4 beams correctly and ended up short on the bulkhead. Now I could have removed them but I took the easier route and simply added another beam. There are also 2 half beams that sit next to the pump well and they require a post to support them. I have also only placed a beam on one side of the mast step as I'm not planking the other side and did not want to loose this detail. Enough words here's the result. So the next job is to cut the planks for the hold deck and then half timber it so as the beams etc can be seen through the side holes. Cheers Mark

Allan - cheers for that information - so being from England 5/8th is about 15mm in the real world 🤣 I really like the look of these little barrels and they are not expensive either. https://www.hobbies.co.uk/walnut-barrels-5-s 5 barrels made of walnut for about £3 which I think is about $4? I know that they would be a bit square in dimension but they may work? They may be a little short but wow this would save me a whole lot of time. I would make a master as Jaager suggested but its the staves that are the problem - They are not straight pieces of wood they are convex and so many would need to be made. I just know that when the ship is finished no one will see them except for me - When I'm actually retired I'll have a go at this as his solution will defiantly work. As for withy - I reckon some sanded down rope may work to get the fibres sticking out. Cheers Mark

You know what I've thought about this (I do sometimes) and this is genius - Jaager this would work so well for such a difficult shape and as you say you would only need to make one master. I'm not going to do it as its a project in itself but what a very clever solution - cheers!

Allan you'll probably find that there was a guild of withy men that held the sole job of wrapping gunpowder barrels which was only allowed by the King! I only wanted some barrels and look what I've started 🤣

Thanks druxey - As above I really need to do some proper research and make a decision. I guess when you think about it - no metal = no sparks. I had not even considered this until tonight given the information you guys have supplied. I don't think I'll be getting a job as an armorer any time soon and the crews happy about that!

Keith / Bruce Thanks both for the really good information - I did not know that gunpowder barrels had wooden hoops. Everyday is a school day! I was hoping to be lazy and just buy some off the shelf wooden barrels but you have made me see that as per usual there's a lot more to it than that. I need to try and find out more as I would rather have an empty hold than something that is completely incorrect. Can't thank you both enough for your input here - cheers lads 😀

I dunno - buy a Jolly Roger and I can carry anything. Wooden cannon barrels there's something just wrong with that 🤣 Mate where do you find this stuff this cracked me up 🤣

Cheers Keith but any idea of how big a barrel is to convert it? I honestly have no idea (get your jokes in) at all!

Trucks and ships its all the same - if its on its gone 🤣

Hi Keith what a great find and thanks very much for looking for me! Ok maths was never my thing so does anyone know what size a 1/24th gunpowder barrel should be? I'm clueless so any help would be great.

Hi Allan - I've just read my post back to myself and its one of those posts where I assumed everyone had the same conversation as me in my head 🤣 You are quite correct to ask this and I should have said - I'm looking for gunpowder barrels! I must apologise to everyone who isn't physic and for those that are - well you know 🤣 No mate you wasn't - Its my lack of explanation! You can see why I drive a truck for a living and not a mega manager 🤣 I have these conversations with myself and just expect everyone else just to keep up!

Hi Can anyone help? I'm being completely lazy here and I don't mind admitting it but I would like some 1/24th scale wooden barrels for my build. I don't own a lathe and for the amount of use it would get its really not worth me buying one. In fact I don't fancy making the barrels at all 🤣 So does anyone know where I could purchase some good quality 1/24th wooden barrels - and they need to be made of wood. I can't find any but I'm sure that someone will know the answer on here. I live in the UK and don't mind importing them but I do need good quality ones. Its not mega important as I can easily leave the hold empty but I think they may add something to the finished build. Cheers Mark

Some more done on Le Rochefort Simple bases for the samson posts which are then fixed to the keelson. The wood used is 1.4mm square The samson posts themselves - Although I had already carved one of these I pondered for quite a while how to machine them instead. In the end I just carved them again and actually I really like the finished posts Next I made the two beams that the posts attach too just to make sure that everything aligned ok. A few pictures of the posts and beams dry assembled Now I need to think about the limber boards as once the hold deck beams are in place I think they would be quite tricky to do. So those are my next jobs Cheers Mark

Have you tried roughing up the surfaces? This has worked for me before.

This exactly what I would do - I'd cut the damage completely off in a straight line down towards the keel. I would then glue a new piece in strengthened using dowels and then shape it to suit.

Hi Chris - Firstly I can only give you my experience as I am no expert with table saws but this is me. I buy my blades from Jim and Donna Byrnes as I think it's important to give their business as much sales as possible. The last blades that I received from them are made by Martindale and to my eye they look exactly the same as the Malco blades. For anything above 6mm I tend to use the 4" 0.4 110T blade as is does not deflect and gives a very clean cut. I can usually cut 13mm thick wood with this blade but I can't force the wood through. It has lots of teeth and can get clogged and overheat if I do. So I've learnt to just let the blade and the saw do its thing in its own time. It's hard to describe but I can feel when it's not right I just know. Anything thinner than 6mm I drop down to a 0.3 blade as it gives such a lovely clean cut. For small pieces I use a 0.2 blade and this is my favourite as its just so ridiculously accurate. The planks I cut are often at least 500mm long and I usually have no issues at all. If you are getting stalling and the fence is set to exactly how it should be it's probably the way you are using the saw. My advice would be push the wood through as intended which is pushing from the rear of the piece keeping it tight to the fence. Because the blades we use are slitting saws its no good trying to straighten a cut half way through as this will just twist the blade and cause it to stall. Make sure that the side of the wood that follows the fence is perfectly flat - I've made up a simple sled to make sure that I have a true face and also turn the piece over often to keep that true face. And that's it I guess but I'm sure many others will have better opinions than me. I've had my saw now for many years and this is the first time ever I've even considered checking the fence. It just goes to show to me what a great machine this is. I did cheekily ask Jim to get on and make us a spindle sander again and I wait in hope that he will! Mark

Hi both The fence is set completely parallel up to the middle of the blade as the fence has a taper ground into it beyond that point. The taper is around 0.10mm from the centre of the blade towards the end of the fence. These measurements will be in my head forever as I have measured them so many times. I ran a piece through for the umpteenth time and it still jammed so I simply changed the blade. After changing the blade the saw worked exactly as it should with no jamming at all. In fact I've been using it since and it's like new - no jamming; clean cuts and no hesitation in pushing the wood through. Definitely a blade issue and I should have kept it to check it out but I used it like a Chinese throwing star and its stuck in a tree somewhere opposite our home. That thing cost me a few hours of my life I'm never getting back 🤣. I didn't even get the piece in far enough for heat to become an issue. In all of my years of machining I've never seen this before and it completely perplexed me trying to sort it out. This is why I posted my findings to maybe save someone else the frustration of such a simple issue. We work with such fine tolerances that it doesn't take much to jam up a perfectly good machine with a one off dodgy blade Mark