Dziadeczek

Hi fellow shipmodelers, It has been a long while since my previous post - time spent on my attempts to photoetch at home, as well as other home tasks, eg. staying alive and healthy recently, socially distancing myself, and such, but finally I have some constructive reporting to post now. I closely followed the online tutorial on photoetching given by Mr. Gene Berger, which was suggested earlier on by one of the members. Many thanks for it to the Gentleman. I also had a very pleasant telephone conversation with Mr. Berger himself, where he gave me some extra tips. Well, after many trials and errors and various changes into the exposure time and the concentrations of my chemicals, yesterday I finally managed to obtain an acceptable plate. It is not perfect, but it is good enough for my model (Boudriot's 74 guns in 1:48). What I did is, first - I had to change the cheap developer from some generic Sodium Hydroxide I obtained somewhere online, into the one from Micromark, because my generic NaOH simply did not want to develop anything and subsequently my etchant could not etch anything. It turned out to be a big lie rather than lye . :-) Waisted that way lots of time and material! Also, I managed to pinpoint the best exposure time for my UV lamp I built earlier. It turned out to be about 90 - 120 seconds only! (45 to 60 secs on each side). The UV light in there really takes care of the photoresist quite quickly, as opposed to the ordinary incandescent light or unpredictable sunlight. The first trial of a partial plate with the above settings - and the first time a modest success! Voila!!! My second time - this time with the whole plate rather than its part only, turned out to be not so good. I found out, that the chemicals, both the Micromark developer and the etchant (ammonium persulfate - in my case) are rather unstable and quickly degrade, not just after the first process of etching, but even after a few days, being stored in plastic containers (bottles) and they produce unexpected and unacceptable results - partial, blotchy etching in places and overetching elsewhere. So, yesterday I decided to prepare brand new chemicals and yet another new brass plate and start all over again. I warmed the etchant to 42 deg C and started the whole process after succesfully developing it. After a few minutes I noticed that the temperature of etchant in the tank was rising. Towards the end, when all elements were about etched, the temp was already 65 degrees C! I think that this was due to the size of my plate 4.5 x 10 in. - quite a big area of etching. This must be quite an exotermic reaction! Anyway, to make the whole thing short - after 30 minutes of etching, the plate was done! See the attachments. I enclose two attachments, the first one shows my artwork I prepared on the Photoshop, and the second one - etched elements from yesterday, shows my parts after the etching. I cut them out with small snips and freed them from the rest of my plate and blackened them with Birchwood Casey - the one for brass/copper. Here I loosely placed them in the same manner as they are on my artwork - to compare both. In conclusion, I have to say, that the entire process of photoetching at home is certainly doable, (though quite tricky), however one must prepare oneself for it beforehand. Firstly, obtain or build a suitable UV exposure lamp, get a laminator, get a few plastic containers for developer and water, get a good etching tank with temp control and a bubble agitator and all neccesary chemicals and photoresist. Very critical to the entire process is to properly prepare the brass plate, to be as close to perfection as possible, shining like a mirror, free from any debris and grease from your fingertips. Use only distilled water for the entire process. And also the process of applying photoresist onto the plate is quite finicky. Observe exact UV exposure time! If you do everything properly, the rest is just patience - exposing your plate in the chemicals and waiting for the results. I had lots of experience with an old fashioned B/W analog photography from my earlier, young years, but this process, although somewhat similar in principles, is more demanding and unforgiving. You have to be more exact throughout it, for any deviations will result in unexpected and undesireable results.

Mike, You should have the possibility to change the white ballance in your camera as well. Set it to "incandescent" and, if it is necessary, furthrer tweak the ballance in post prod - if you shoot in RAW. Also, if you can set your camera to aperture priority mode, select the smallest f. stop, for example f.22 and your camera will automatically choose appropriate exposure time . This might be some long time, a few seconds or so, but you said, you are using a tripod, so who cares, you are not chased anywhere and can wait... This small aperture will give you deep depth of focus, everything from close by to most distant details will be sharp (well,... almost, for in order to truly get EVERYTHING razor sharp, you have to use a technique called "focus stacking". But, I am sure you know about it already...) Also, I found out that the best light for photographing models is using daytime light, outside, but in a cloudy day, not direct sunlight. Admiring your modeling skills!!! :-) Thomas

On p. 142 I scanned above, it is stated that the cyllinders were made of elm, which is very hard and moisture resistant wood, additionally reinforced with iron rings, and this simple construction was very robust, requiring little, if any maintenance, only occasional replacement or greasing of the boxes (valves), so it is quite unlikely that these barrels were susceptible to cracking/ breaking, unless being directly hit by the enemy's fire during a battle. The text also says that the pump was capable to extract (suck) about 25 gallons of water per minute. I imagine, that if the barrel was cracked/broken, similar amount of water would rush into the bilges. Considering the size of the hull, this wouldn't be so much - after all, there were other pumps onboard to use... Jean Boudriot says that in French vessels, the working part of this barrel was made from a bronze pipe, only upper and lower ends of the pump were made of elm. As we know, bronze is quite strong, unlikely to crack or corrode. It is used even nowadays for plumbing in certain countries, e.g. Germany... I fully agree with you all, that the life onboard those vessels was very dangerous (not even considering loosing one's life during a battle, where opposing forces were desperatly trying to kill each other!). Even after all these years since then and numerous improvements, it is still one of the most dangerous occupations today! BTW, I found out in B. Lavery's book an illustration, showing a combo-elm pump, which allowed drawing water from both sources, either an inner cistern or directly from the sea. Interesting... Stay safe and healthy, Thomas

OK Bluto, here is the previous page nr. 142 from the above mentioned book. This should give you further explanations to your questions. Not being any expert on pumps, I think that the water let inside the hull through those horizontal pipes from the openings in the bulwarks below the waterline, was directed into the watertight cistern, and from there it was sucked up, onto the decks by means of the elm tree pumps, to be used for cleaning the decks and/or for extinguishing fires, or such. An alternative was to draw water directly from the sea, without this cistern - look on the pic 5/14. The stale water in the bilges was removed rather by the chain pumps - being more powerful than the elm tree pumps. (also, in the book "The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600-1815" by Brian Lavery, there is an entire chapter (13 pages!) devoted just to pumps. If you read it, you'be an expert on the topic, for sure!) :-)

There is a pretty good explanation on the anatomy and function of the elm tree pumps, as well as this so called "flooded cistern system" on pages 142 & 143 in Peter Goodwin's "The Construction and Fitting of the English Man of War 1650-1850". I am attaching a scan of p. 143 here. Also J. Boudriot talks about pumps in vol. 2 of his '74 gun ship", and even though those are French with small differences of their details, the principle is the same. Regards, Thomas

After I twist my ropes on a ropewalk, I always stretch them a bit in my hands. The ropes are like rubber bands, so they will slightly stretch and the individual strands at the same time will "lock in". Any ugly "fuzziness" I burn away over a flame. Then I pull them through a chunk of bees wax two to three times and again pull them tightly between my fingers to remove excess wax. The heat generated will also melt the wax which will sink in. I make my ropes mostly from cotton crocheting fibres, not from polyester, which is even more 'rubbery'. On my Corel's "Victory" (bashed) the shrouds retained initial tightness after more than 10 years.

If you can locate a medical needle of appropriate (to your scale) thickness or other steel tubing, cut off its end and sharpen the edge. Press and twist it into the decking to obtain small circles - this will give you great looking simulations of your treenails.

I didn't realize that his is double planked. If so, I still would order more planks, remove those upper ones, and repeat upper planking, making sure that they come into the rabbet in the stem as well as the sternpost. Perhaps they were originally too short? Maybe, as ASAT suggested, he should cut those upper ones in the middle of the hull and replace those shorter pieces with new ones, saving on work and material, but I would stagger the butts to look more naturally. Before attaching a garboard strake, I would detach a false keel from the keel and file off edges on both surfaces, thus creating a, sort off, groove after glueing them together. This would became a rabbet, where the planks' edges would go. By the way, he said that his planks were pre-cut, but he didn't mention that they were also pre-spiled. If so, I still wouldnt' trust the kit and spile them myself. My three pennies...

I am afraid he is not only talking about this hole marked in my pic as "A", but he didn't properly do spiling of his planks and did not run the lowest plank (garboard) all the way to the bearding line - as "B". Also, his planks don't abutt into the bow section of the keel (into the rabbet) but end before it. Kalakukko, do yourself a favor and read a couple of tutorials here on planking the hull by David Antscherl and Chuck Passaro and, after obtaining extra replacement planks from Korabel, remove wrong planks and do the spiling (determining the correct run) of your planks,- replace them, and everything should be OK.

Put a few drops of cutting fluid onto the teeth of your blade and on the brass sheet before cutting - it makes the cutting easier, quicker and cleaner.

I can cut hardwood on my PREAC saw as thin as a sheet of paper!

This is a setup I built many years ago, following an article in an old magazine "Family Handyman" . This workbench is about 8 feet long, permanently screwed on into the wall so it hungs above the floor and therefore doesn't have any legs, so it is easier to sweep the dirt underneath it. It has its own light sources (fluorescent tubes), a dust extraction system for your power tools and three (originally four - in the article) drawers for your loose stuff/tools and/or materials. I built only three sections (limited space), although the article shows you how to build a four sections' unit. Everything is obtainable in Home Depot or similar home centers. But, in order to build it, you must have at least basic hand/power tools, eg. full size table saw/circular saw, power drill, hammer, and so on. If you want the entire article with plans, I could find it in my junk, scan the pages and send them to you. Happy New Year! Thomas

If it is lead you are using, how do you prevent lead corrosion on your gun barrels later on? Coat your guns with something to prevent air from attacking lead? Thanks for a very informative video! Thomas

Aha, I understand. Are you building your exquisite model together with him? On the nameplate I see your name in the left lower corner, and in the right lower corner his, "Kpt. KL" Or is he just a historical/know how expert for you? Regards, Thomas

Are you sure it is a seat-of-ease? It might be it, or it might be something else... Check out this thread: (I am trying to imagine these poor souls trying to get inside that barrel in order to ease themselves, while having the "urge".... Where was the entrance to this structure? A door through the bulwark? From the top of this barrel?). Also, Druxey had a point - this thing hungs directly above a gunport, which would make the crew of this gun "difficult" to operate it during the "use" of this facility, I think...

Recently I was looking for wooden belaying pins 10 mm long, but all of them were ugly and fat, not proportioned well at all. Someone had 11 mm brass ones looking OK, but it turned out they were out of stock at the moment. So, I reluctantly decided to make my own. I used bamboo skewers of appropriate thickness (from supermarkets) and prepared myself a brass former, following advice of Ed Tosti here: He is making here sprockets for his wheel, but the principle is the same. First make a former from metal (I used a short piece of brass rod, which I drilled through on a lathe. Then I filed one side to an appropriate profile for my pins. Finally I inserted skewer into the hole and using only mini files, shaped the pin to an appropriate look. This method allows for fairly quick fabrication of belaying pins and for repetition of identical shapes, which is important.

Exquisite build of an exquisite model! Congratulations! Just wanted to make sure your plate reads "CEGIELSKI" and not "CEGIEISKI", as below. (It is a well known Polish locomotive manufacturer, even today.)

Wow! It looks like someone might jump start it in a sec or two!

I'd rather paint the moulding strip first, off the model, and then carefully glue it to the model - this way the paint job is perfectly straight without any blobs and unevenness.

The book (vol.3) is ALREADY available. I ordered it a few days ago and it is on the way, I should receive it in a couple of days...

You can make very easily and cheaply a suitable heat control gadget for your electric plank bender to avoid burning the wood. Use an ordinary household dimmer (non digital one) and a double wall socket and wire them together and mount in an electrical box. All materials available in home centers like the Home Depot, Lowes or such...

I would, firstly, use thinner battens (or even black thread instead - like in D. Antscherl's article). The thinner the battens, the more precise measurements you can take there. Then I would divide EACH bulkhead's edge into six (since you have six battens on each side of your hull) EVEN spaces and marked these points there with a pencil. Finally, I would affix the battens to the edges of your bulkheads exactly in those marked points. That way, you'll end up with all elliptical 'belts' - areas between the battens, from stem to stern, as being perfectly symmetrical to each other, and also on both sides of your hull, so your planks, which will go into those spaces, will also be symmetrical.

IMHO start with one of the simpler kits, BUT THE ONE YOU LIKE. Follow the kit's instructions, otherwise, modify and kitbash what you think you can tackle, with your skills and/or your workshop. Don't rush and enjoy the building process! You are going to have hard time however, to end up with one of your kits as a museum quality model. Not the same quality of materials and details in those kits... Thomas

:-) I forgot to mention that my Vic model I was building ~ >10 yrs ago and never to this day finished it (some masting and rigging remains...). That was an old Corel kit which I substantially bashed, added my own wood, rigging line, ornamentation and cloth for sails, and so forth... Among the items missing in the kit were four top deck cannons. Rather than ordering them directly from Corel, I decided to make them myself. And - apologies - now that I checked the (very dusty - sorry!) model again, I see I turned them not from wood, but from brass! I remember I used one of the kit cannons for its overall shape and filed a brass template of its profile. I mounted this template in the duplicator and CAREFULLY and DELICATELY following its shape, I turned them. Each one came out tiny bit different than the others (especially the reinforcing rings on the barrel) , but after cleaning them with files and polishing them, they turned out acceptable. Also, it is advisable to grind both ends of duplicator's bits to form a steeper cone, more pointy, the tip should be narrower and almost as sharp as the exacto knife? That way you can turn more intricate details. Long time after, and now, I am scratchbuilding 1:48 scale French 74 gun ship (after Boudriot) and for this one, I used all brass turned cannons, using a CAD/CAM method. This is a far better way than using a duplicator - all cannons turned out beautifully, all are identical!!! But, if you are unable to turn them on a computer, I think that using a duplicator is a worthwhile try - see if it works for you. Here are 5 pics of what I was talking about - first two show those 4 missing in the kit guns mounted on the quarterdeck, I made. Actually, I made 6 of them - two spare ones you can see placed loosely on the poopdeck. The rest of the pics show other guns placed on the top deck and especially on the forecastle - those came in the kit.

I have this duplicator and I also have a Sherline lathe. Have done some work (wooden cannon barrels for my Victory 1:98) with this setup - works reasonably well. Still, you have to finish your turnings with miniature files and fine steel wool for details. (Nothing beats CAD/CAM turning in brass, though!) The article mentioned was in nr. 105 of Model Shipwright ( I believe that in the Ships in Scale as well) and the Unimat lathe was used there. For a Sherline lathe you'd have to slightly adopt this duplicator, fashion legs for the base to bring the entire unit to an appropriate level. But it can be done fairly easily. If you want this article (4 pages), I have it digitalised and can send it to you via the email for your reference. PS: Similar setup can be seen in the Channel Islands Maritime Museum in Oxnard, S. California. This is a duplicator used by Ed Marple for his models (See pics attached).