ianmajor

I am making steady (slow you may say) progress on the open rails. I have fitted the 8 swivel posts around the quarter deck.     For the rail I had bought some 5x2mm beech strip which would make it the same width as the cap. Looking at BE's <Pegasus>  and Dan Vadas' <Vulture>  I realised the rail should actually be narrower. So I ripped it down to 3x2mm.   Since the gap twixt cap and rail would not be as wide as Pegasus/Vulture I looked at other models for inspiration on supports and for the shape of the ends. The nearest was a contemporary model of a 24 gun sloop at the NMM which I am working towards. Below is an extract from a MNN photo the full version can be seen <here> .     I cut mortices in the rail to accommodate the swivel posts and had a trial fitting. To spport the rail at the rear I have fitted a length of 2x2mm beech stained black on top of the cap.     Looking at the rear of the rail in the photo I think I could attempt a tafferail which would have to sit on top of the quarter rails. If I go this route it will make it easier to mount a stern lantern.   The question then comes up about the shape of the leading end of the rail.   I have been following thibaultron's log on "going From a 2D Drawing to a 3D Printed Part Tutorial" <here> which inspired me to have a crack at using Sketchup to look at the rail options.   After a couple of evenings playing around I came up with the following two 3D plans. The first is in the style of the 1740 24 gun sloop, the second is in the style of a reduced version of the Pegasus/Vulture rail.   I think I am biased towards the first one. Any views on this? My Sketchup rendition is a bit ropey but not too bad for a first effort.  
  My wife watching me using Sketchup for the first time reminded me that I had sworn to turn my back on technology during retirement. As a result she says my epitaph will include the phrase "A Failed Luddite". I gave me such a severe attack of the giggles that any further work that evening was abandoned.

Nenad, Mark, Piet, BE and Pat thanks for the kind words and all the likes.   I have been out and about recently. One journey took me to Preston (UK). The docks there have mainly lost their original industrial purpose and have now been redeveloped as a leisure marina. We usually go to the Marina Cafe/Chandler's. In there we are surrounded by boating goodies whilst having a pot of tea. Hanging from the ceiling is a model of a ship that is 7ft long......     It was given to the Cafe by the builder's daughter. According to an attached plate it is called the Elizabeth after that same daughter rather than an actual ship. It is supposed to be based on "Nelson's Victory" but the rigging suggests an earlier ship. It is very well made but has a few oddities such as the channels are too low down. Worth a look at if you are in the area.  ​

I have finished the fixed caps on both sides of the quarter deck and am preparing the open rails. Some of the main supports are the swivel gun posts so I started with these.
  For barrels I used Caldercraft 1:64 scale 0.5 pounders. At 14mm long they are about 2mm too long but I thought they would be OK.   They are nicely turned but where they had been parted were a little rough so some tidying with a fine file was needed.   At the rear of the barrel is a hole. To represent the handle I used 0.7mm nickle silver wire. For the knob on the end I cut 0.5mm lengths of 1.25mm brass tube which I threaded on to the wire and fixed with a blob of silver solder. A little tidying with the file produced the final ball shape. The wire was trimmed so that when fitted it protruded by 8mm from the rear of the barrel. The trunnions were more 0.7mm wire. All these items were silver soldered together, the handle shaped and blackened.     To make the "U" shaped supports I produced a filing jig similar to the one I used to make the chain links for the pump <here>    . In this case I produced one "link" per gun with holes 6mm appart. I silver soldered a length of 0.7mm nickle silver wire to the middle of these then curved the links in to a "U" shape. These were blackened and fitted to the barrels.   The trunnions on the barrels had been left slightly long so with the supports in place I filed them to length. This produces small burrs which lock the supports in place.     The following photo shows the first barrel mounted on a temporary piece of wood. Some of the blacking had not taken very well so I cleaned it up and repeated the process to better effect.     To get the construction of the post and cap right I produced a rough diagram:     I am using 3 x 3 mm beech for the posts which will be shaped in to a "squared D section". The caps will be brass with the same cross section. The caps will have a circular hole in the centre to fit on the end of the post.   The caps were made from 6mm diameter brass rod. I first mounted it in the lathe and drilled the centre 2.5mm. This was then moved to the dividing head on the mill to machine it to the "D" shape. The faces were at 0, 45, 90, 135, 180 and 270 degrees.   This was returned to the lathe and each cap was turned off 2mm long.   Each cap was then soft soldered on to a sheet of 0.3mm nickle silver to close the top of the cap. A 0.7mm hole was then drilled in the middle of this to take the cannon. The cap was blackened.   The cannon was then fitted to the cap and retained in place by glueing a short length of 1.25mm tube as a collar on the end of the support rod avoiding gluing it to the cap.   The top of the beech post was drilled 1.3mm to clear this collar.     The cannon and cap were temporarily fitted to the top of the post. When permenantly fixed it will swing from side to side and up and down - no doubt someone will try it in future!       Now to finish off the other 11 swivels.  

Mark,
  Thanks for the information. That was an interesting discussion we had.   I have had a few distractions from my modelling recently one of which may be of interest to modellers of older sailing ships.   I visited Dunham Massey house with my wife. It is a large house and grounds which is a few miles south of Manchester (UK) which owned by the National Trust (of which we are members). My wife found the house and gardens interesting. However I had a ferret around a small dark building called the "Well House" which was the original source of water for the main house. Inside are a pair of elm tree pumps of a similar design to those used on ships which would have been used to lift water from the well.   Below is a photo that I took of them. It is a view up the elm wood pipes towards the roof of the building. The right hand pump still has its handle which is visible in the photo. I could not see a handle on the other. There appear to be slots in the sides near the top from which the water would have emerged in to a header tank for the house.    

......actually Mike, brave is not the right word. Insane might be a better adjective. My wife was watching me a few days ago and said "Would it not be better to start again?". What answer can be given to a woman's logic that can explain a man's folly? 
 
 ​   

Pat, thank you for your encouraging words. They are greatly appreciated from someone whose skills and knowledge I greatly respect. Your Endeavour is on my "follow" flag list. I fear if you go through my log in full you will only see the bodger's view on life!
 
Mike, the brass rod made a huge difference. I thought 1.0mm diameter rod would just flex around but the result is very strong - like steel reinforcement in concrete I guess. I could have done without the concern that the drill bit would emerge in an embarrassing place - better to do it during initial build!
 
Following our PM discussion where I felt the Corel canon was a 12 pounder (based on Chuck's diagram), I played with my "Hahn" spread sheet - yep, the carriage is spot on for a 12 pounder at 1:75 but the barrel is a little short. Seems like our Unicorn/Lyme has much bigger teeth than the prototype.     Be afraid - be very afraid...........of our little boats!
 
 
 
​     

I think this was in the cross-over from the round ports and decorations to the square ports and no decorations on the ports.  Looking super, Ian.

Hi Ian, I agree on the circular port rings.  Pretty odd, but unique looking I suppose.
 
On the rail for the quarterdeck, in the first option, does the rail extend to the fore end of the quarterdeck or nearabouts?  If it came up short, I wonder if it would have been a safety hazard.  Otherwise, aesthetically, I still say option 1 looks better.

Mike, Pat and S,
 
Thanks for your input. You have helped me to decide on option 1. For the front curved part of the rail I have turned a ring of boxwood 8mm outside and 4mm inside diameter which is 3mm wide. This will be cut in to quarters to make the curve.
 
Mike, the rail stands just over a scale 6ft above the quarter deck so would give adequate protection. It looks low because the Corel quarter deck is too low IMHO. I have pondered the gun port rings before and agree that they don't seem to add anything structurally. Many of the ships prior to the mid 18th century seemed to have had circular decoration around the gun ports even where the ports were square. I was wondering whether the rings on Unicorn/Lyme were primarily to support such decoration. None of the plans give any clues on this.

Mike, Pat and S,
 
Thanks for your input. You have helped me to decide on option 1. For the front curved part of the rail I have turned a ring of boxwood 8mm outside and 4mm inside diameter which is 3mm wide. This will be cut in to quarters to make the curve.
 
Mike, the rail stands just over a scale 6ft above the quarter deck so would give adequate protection. It looks low because the Corel quarter deck is too low IMHO. I have pondered the gun port rings before and agree that they don't seem to add anything structurally. Many of the ships prior to the mid 18th century seemed to have had circular decoration around the gun ports even where the ports were square. I was wondering whether the rings on Unicorn/Lyme were primarily to support such decoration. None of the plans give any clues on this.

The fishing hook is placed over the fluke ...
 

 

 

 
... and if pulled up ends up automatically on the right place the small shoe underneath the channels :-)
 

 

 
and secured with the chain and nicely stowed should look like this.
 

 
soon to be updated :-)
 
XXXDAn
 

Flashback ...
 
The night before Augsburg was a long one as I wanted to discuss all things anchor with the savants present there.
 
So I prepared all the ropes and bits and it was not too bad, but still many details laying in the obscure.
 
So this what was prepared and discussed, the overhaul with all the valuable hints that I got will be done soon :-)
 
So please excuse some sloppy ropes, that was still work in progress :-)
 
First the anchor hanging at the hawse, cat block is already lowered.
 
 
 

 

 
Then the cat block is to be hooked in ...
 

 

 
Anchor being towed up by the cat tackle 
 

 

 
The anchor is saved by a rope (name? german Perturleine), that is fixed the way it is in Portsmouth - many do think that  was a bad idea ;-)
 
I always wondered that the clamp has no roll to minimize chafing, but actually I realized, there is no movement, the rope is just used statically.
 

 

 

 
Then the cat block is taken out, the anchor is hanging on the rope (that should go through the clamp, I forgot ...). The cat block is taken aside.
 

 

The first sketch IMO. Looks to me like it would be more sturdy.

Very nice work/progress Ian.  Add ne to option 1 also for the rail - looks more natural.
 
cheers
 
Pat

I am making steady (slow you may say) progress on the open rails. I have fitted the 8 swivel posts around the quarter deck.     For the rail I had bought some 5x2mm beech strip which would make it the same width as the cap. Looking at BE's <Pegasus>  and Dan Vadas' <Vulture>  I realised the rail should actually be narrower. So I ripped it down to 3x2mm.   Since the gap twixt cap and rail would not be as wide as Pegasus/Vulture I looked at other models for inspiration on supports and for the shape of the ends. The nearest was a contemporary model of a 24 gun sloop at the NMM which I am working towards. Below is an extract from a MNN photo the full version can be seen <here> .     I cut mortices in the rail to accommodate the swivel posts and had a trial fitting. To spport the rail at the rear I have fitted a length of 2x2mm beech stained black on top of the cap.     Looking at the rear of the rail in the photo I think I could attempt a tafferail which would have to sit on top of the quarter rails. If I go this route it will make it easier to mount a stern lantern.   The question then comes up about the shape of the leading end of the rail.   I have been following thibaultron's log on "going From a 2D Drawing to a 3D Printed Part Tutorial" <here> which inspired me to have a crack at using Sketchup to look at the rail options.   After a couple of evenings playing around I came up with the following two 3D plans. The first is in the style of the 1740 24 gun sloop, the second is in the style of a reduced version of the Pegasus/Vulture rail.   I think I am biased towards the first one. Any views on this? My Sketchup rendition is a bit ropey but not too bad for a first effort.  
  My wife watching me using Sketchup for the first time reminded me that I had sworn to turn my back on technology during retirement. As a result she says my epitaph will include the phrase "A Failed Luddite". I gave me such a severe attack of the giggles that any further work that evening was abandoned.

Looking really great Ian.  You're pretty handy for a Luddite  For what it's worth, I like the first rail also.  Either is nice, but it might be worth seeing if that rail would give enough protection for folks on the quarterdeck?
 
Those portholes are interesting, particularly where they bulk of them extends above the bulwarks.  I'm wondering why they were like that?  Functionally they don't seem to have much value, but maybe it was for aesthetics?

I am making steady (slow you may say) progress on the open rails. I have fitted the 8 swivel posts around the quarter deck.     For the rail I had bought some 5x2mm beech strip which would make it the same width as the cap. Looking at BE's <Pegasus>  and Dan Vadas' <Vulture>  I realised the rail should actually be narrower. So I ripped it down to 3x2mm.   Since the gap twixt cap and rail would not be as wide as Pegasus/Vulture I looked at other models for inspiration on supports and for the shape of the ends. The nearest was a contemporary model of a 24 gun sloop at the NMM which I am working towards. Below is an extract from a MNN photo the full version can be seen <here> .     I cut mortices in the rail to accommodate the swivel posts and had a trial fitting. To spport the rail at the rear I have fitted a length of 2x2mm beech stained black on top of the cap.     Looking at the rear of the rail in the photo I think I could attempt a tafferail which would have to sit on top of the quarter rails. If I go this route it will make it easier to mount a stern lantern.   The question then comes up about the shape of the leading end of the rail.   I have been following thibaultron's log on "going From a 2D Drawing to a 3D Printed Part Tutorial" <here> which inspired me to have a crack at using Sketchup to look at the rail options.   After a couple of evenings playing around I came up with the following two 3D plans. The first is in the style of the 1740 24 gun sloop, the second is in the style of a reduced version of the Pegasus/Vulture rail.   I think I am biased towards the first one. Any views on this? My Sketchup rendition is a bit ropey but not too bad for a first effort.  
  My wife watching me using Sketchup for the first time reminded me that I had sworn to turn my back on technology during retirement. As a result she says my epitaph will include the phrase "A Failed Luddite". I gave me such a severe attack of the giggles that any further work that evening was abandoned.

Nenad, Mark, Piet, BE and Pat thanks for the kind words and all the likes.   I have been out and about recently. One journey took me to Preston (UK). The docks there have mainly lost their original industrial purpose and have now been redeveloped as a leisure marina. We usually go to the Marina Cafe/Chandler's. In there we are surrounded by boating goodies whilst having a pot of tea. Hanging from the ceiling is a model of a ship that is 7ft long......     It was given to the Cafe by the builder's daughter. According to an attached plate it is called the Elizabeth after that same daughter rather than an actual ship. It is supposed to be based on "Nelson's Victory" but the rigging suggests an earlier ship. It is very well made but has a few oddities such as the channels are too low down. Worth a look at if you are in the area.  ​

I have finished the fixed caps on both sides of the quarter deck and am preparing the open rails. Some of the main supports are the swivel gun posts so I started with these.
  For barrels I used Caldercraft 1:64 scale 0.5 pounders. At 14mm long they are about 2mm too long but I thought they would be OK.   They are nicely turned but where they had been parted were a little rough so some tidying with a fine file was needed.   At the rear of the barrel is a hole. To represent the handle I used 0.7mm nickle silver wire. For the knob on the end I cut 0.5mm lengths of 1.25mm brass tube which I threaded on to the wire and fixed with a blob of silver solder. A little tidying with the file produced the final ball shape. The wire was trimmed so that when fitted it protruded by 8mm from the rear of the barrel. The trunnions were more 0.7mm wire. All these items were silver soldered together, the handle shaped and blackened.     To make the "U" shaped supports I produced a filing jig similar to the one I used to make the chain links for the pump <here>    . In this case I produced one "link" per gun with holes 6mm appart. I silver soldered a length of 0.7mm nickle silver wire to the middle of these then curved the links in to a "U" shape. These were blackened and fitted to the barrels.   The trunnions on the barrels had been left slightly long so with the supports in place I filed them to length. This produces small burrs which lock the supports in place.     The following photo shows the first barrel mounted on a temporary piece of wood. Some of the blacking had not taken very well so I cleaned it up and repeated the process to better effect.     To get the construction of the post and cap right I produced a rough diagram:     I am using 3 x 3 mm beech for the posts which will be shaped in to a "squared D section". The caps will be brass with the same cross section. The caps will have a circular hole in the centre to fit on the end of the post.   The caps were made from 6mm diameter brass rod. I first mounted it in the lathe and drilled the centre 2.5mm. This was then moved to the dividing head on the mill to machine it to the "D" shape. The faces were at 0, 45, 90, 135, 180 and 270 degrees.   This was returned to the lathe and each cap was turned off 2mm long.   Each cap was then soft soldered on to a sheet of 0.3mm nickle silver to close the top of the cap. A 0.7mm hole was then drilled in the middle of this to take the cannon. The cap was blackened.   The cannon was then fitted to the cap and retained in place by glueing a short length of 1.25mm tube as a collar on the end of the support rod avoiding gluing it to the cap.   The top of the beech post was drilled 1.3mm to clear this collar.     The cannon and cap were temporarily fitted to the top of the post. When permenantly fixed it will swing from side to side and up and down - no doubt someone will try it in future!       Now to finish off the other 11 swivels.  

Mark,
  Thanks for the information. That was an interesting discussion we had.   I have had a few distractions from my modelling recently one of which may be of interest to modellers of older sailing ships.   I visited Dunham Massey house with my wife. It is a large house and grounds which is a few miles south of Manchester (UK) which owned by the National Trust (of which we are members). My wife found the house and gardens interesting. However I had a ferret around a small dark building called the "Well House" which was the original source of water for the main house. Inside are a pair of elm tree pumps of a similar design to those used on ships which would have been used to lift water from the well.   Below is a photo that I took of them. It is a view up the elm wood pipes towards the roof of the building. The right hand pump still has its handle which is visible in the photo. I could not see a handle on the other. There appear to be slots in the sides near the top from which the water would have emerged in to a header tank for the house.    

I have finished the fixed caps on both sides of the quarter deck and am preparing the open rails. Some of the main supports are the swivel gun posts so I started with these.
  For barrels I used Caldercraft 1:64 scale 0.5 pounders. At 14mm long they are about 2mm too long but I thought they would be OK.   They are nicely turned but where they had been parted were a little rough so some tidying with a fine file was needed.   At the rear of the barrel is a hole. To represent the handle I used 0.7mm nickle silver wire. For the knob on the end I cut 0.5mm lengths of 1.25mm brass tube which I threaded on to the wire and fixed with a blob of silver solder. A little tidying with the file produced the final ball shape. The wire was trimmed so that when fitted it protruded by 8mm from the rear of the barrel. The trunnions were more 0.7mm wire. All these items were silver soldered together, the handle shaped and blackened.     To make the "U" shaped supports I produced a filing jig similar to the one I used to make the chain links for the pump <here>    . In this case I produced one "link" per gun with holes 6mm appart. I silver soldered a length of 0.7mm nickle silver wire to the middle of these then curved the links in to a "U" shape. These were blackened and fitted to the barrels.   The trunnions on the barrels had been left slightly long so with the supports in place I filed them to length. This produces small burrs which lock the supports in place.     The following photo shows the first barrel mounted on a temporary piece of wood. Some of the blacking had not taken very well so I cleaned it up and repeated the process to better effect.     To get the construction of the post and cap right I produced a rough diagram:     I am using 3 x 3 mm beech for the posts which will be shaped in to a "squared D section". The caps will be brass with the same cross section. The caps will have a circular hole in the centre to fit on the end of the post.   The caps were made from 6mm diameter brass rod. I first mounted it in the lathe and drilled the centre 2.5mm. This was then moved to the dividing head on the mill to machine it to the "D" shape. The faces were at 0, 45, 90, 135, 180 and 270 degrees.   This was returned to the lathe and each cap was turned off 2mm long.   Each cap was then soft soldered on to a sheet of 0.3mm nickle silver to close the top of the cap. A 0.7mm hole was then drilled in the middle of this to take the cannon. The cap was blackened.   The cannon was then fitted to the cap and retained in place by glueing a short length of 1.25mm tube as a collar on the end of the support rod avoiding gluing it to the cap.   The top of the beech post was drilled 1.3mm to clear this collar.     The cannon and cap were temporarily fitted to the top of the post. When permenantly fixed it will swing from side to side and up and down - no doubt someone will try it in future!       Now to finish off the other 11 swivels.  

Nenad, thanks for looking in and for your comments. And guys thanks for the likes.
 
I made some final adjustments to the pump parts then installed the pump sub-assembly permanently in to the waist area. A few photos.
 
The first shows the sub-assembly in place with the elm tree pumps fitted. To the right of the photo is the superseded pump that was supplied with the kit - it is, in my opinion, a 19th century design so is a 100 years too late for this Unicorn.
 

 
An opposite view with the stub mast in place. I cheated with the rhodings - these are simply rectangular blobs of thick black paint.
 

 
A couple of before and after shots.
 
The first is looking across the waist area towards the stern. The left half is as it was being built as per the Coral plan. The kit supplied pump can be seen towards the rear of the quarter deck. An unlikely position since its tubes would have gone straight down in to the captain's cabin - hum. And would you really position your pumps on the highest point on the decks simply to shoot the water in to the sea? This would be rather a waste of effort methinks.
 
If I remember correctly Peter Visser on his Unicorn re-positioned this pump on to the upper deck just behind the main mast. A simple and effective modification.
 

 
 
The second is the view straight down on the waist area. The upper view is the original. I think the modified version looks better.
 

 
One problem. The original woodwork was varnished more than 30 years ago and has darkened with time. I have used the same varnish on the new woodwork and am hoping that in time it will darken to match.
 
Well, at long last, that is the waist area finished (I think). Time for me to climb out and revisit the fore and quarter decks. Now where to start....? The oversized belfry comes to mind, possibly improve the capstan, or perhaps a binnacle . This will all be playing with wood which is right outside of my comfort zone - so I will be struggling (again)  .   
 
 
 

Hi Mike!
So I am ready to continue))
Deadeyes... In this case, I used the photo-etched parts.
 

 
But this is only one of the possible options. It is always possible to come up with something else, depending on need.
For example, in this case I made them from a wire of 0.15 mm diameter -
 

 

I think that it does not really matter. I stack the mast, depending on the circumstances. In this case, this option has been easier.
 
Mainmast... In this case, I'm going to use another method. The deck has an opening for the mast. The mast will be placed in the bottle separately from the yacht.
 

 

 
I want to test this method for my other project.
 
I am ready to answer other questions, if it will be necessary for you.
 
Best Regards!
Igor.

Many thanks Mark, Piet, Daniel and to all who LIKE this little project!
 
Piet, I use an epoxy resin with the addition of a color pigment for the production of sea bases in all of my projects. In addition, I use white acrylic paint to simulate foam and transparent acrylic gel to simulate waves.
 

 

 

 

 
The whole process of making the sea looks so: epoxy - a little white paint - gel - a little white paint - a little gel.
 
This morning I put the first portion of the gel, and now it dries.

Hi Mike!
Thank you for your feedback!!
Now I will try to answer your questions (if my English will allow me it to do well enough )
 
I'm going to use 2 ways for install the masts.
Foremast equipped with standing rigging, but its lower end is not fixed to the deck. There is a small recess in the deck for the mast's lower end.
Then I'll just push the lower end of the mast and the mast is deepening as I need to get up.
Please, look at this picture

 
Are these small parts the deadeyes? (see photo, please)