Supplies of the Ship Modeler's Handbook are running out. Get your copy NOW before they are gone! Click on photo to order.
×
robdurant
-
Posts
837 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Events
Everything posted by robdurant
-
Hi all, A bit more work on Ethalion today. I was musing over how the sheer rails went onto the sides of the ship, and decided to go back and have another look at the pictures on the National Maritime Museum website. I remembered looking at the builders models when I started out on this path, and the pictures weren't brilliant, but had a note next to them saying they planned to get better shots soon. Well... cut a long story short, they're there now. (At least either they're new, or I just missed them before.) http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/66303.html Under the main image, if you click the right arrow to view more thumbnails, there they are. You can click the thumbnail, and then if you click the expand icon they're really nice quality images. A slight side note, this model's marked as a Diana class, but the date is 1794, and I'm pretty sure it's Diana, of the Artois class? Happy to be corrected. I'm hoping to replicate the really nice decorative pattern on the tops of the quarter galleries. More pictures of my progress soon. Rob -
For the sake of clarity - and in fairness to Caldercraft, I should make clear that I am using their flue and condenser, as they seem a good likeness and are well made (albeit a bit of a challenge to hollow out the flue.
-
A mini-update on the stove, then. I got some scale OO gauge bricks, and laid them onto paper using PVA to fix them for the fire-proof base. Once completed, the base was painted over with water-down pva to fix it, and provide a kind of glaze. Then it was lined with 0.7mm box veneer to provide a surround. A shot of the stove so far, with plasticard legs, driptray and a lick of paint added. (Kit-supplied background, mine, foreground.) I've left a few areas unpainted, as there are still some details to add. Overall, I'm pleased with it, and it weighs 18g including the white metal flue instead of the white metal version which weighs 65 grams! Happy building! Rob
-
I fancied a bit of a change after wrestling with the stern, so I got out the brodie stove mini-kit and starting putting it together. I'd forgotten how much I dislike white metal. Every time I use it, it just seems to turn to mush. It's hard to stick, and heavy. I didn't want to spend any more money if I could avoid it, though Jason (Beef Wellington) has used a 3D printed one that looks very good from what I can see. So... after a frustrating time trying to turn it into something that looked remotely like a stove, I gave up, and started making one out of plasticard and card instead based on the AOTS plans. Here's the progress next to my shocking attempt at the kit to compare it with... The white metal parts provided in the kit: My attempt at putting them together... Now, starting to build my own (you can see the mess I made trying to paint the white metal one... Here. I'm adding the cowling for the flue, which is slightly angled back in to the centre of the stove: I added the edging using paper - .5mm plasticard looked way too clunky. As it stands now... (Caldercraft kit, left - My attempt, right) You can see the grating details going in, and a whole variety of other detailng will also now be possible. That said, it's debatable how much is worth it, as it's well hidden away in the finished Frigate. Finally, I dug up this photo from when I was visiting Victory in November... a helpful comparison. I've also ordered some scale bricks which will help me make a nice tiled floor for the stove once it's ready to place. For anyone who's interested (and hasn't seen them yet), I put all the photos up online and linked to them on this thread:
-
Those carronades look great! Fiddly little things aren't they. If I had a pound (or dollar for that matter) for every time I realised I could have gone about something a better way, I'd be raking it in by now - I have very fond memories of building Pickle. She was the first wooden model I built, but I got there in the end. It's a fantastic model that I'm sure will give you a great degree of satisfaction. Hope you don't mind my following along. Rob
- 37 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- pickle
- caldercraft
- (and 1 more)
-
Hi all, Thanks again for the likes I've spent a happy day working on the stern of Ethalion today... I mentioned yesterday I wanted to do some more work on the decoration just below the taffrail... I've been working up the courage to try some carving, and the moment had arrived. The narrative involving Ethalion in Ovid's Metamorphoses involves the sailors being turned into dolphins, and so I'd already done a Frankenstinian manoeuvre creating a new figurehead that is a soldier morphine into a dolphin's tail, as below: Now the challenge was to make the stern work too. At present (understandably) it's Diana with her quivers full of arrows slung over her back, and lions on each side showing she's a huntress. But I wanted to put dolphins in the Lions' place... Was my carving up to it? Well, I'm amazed at what some patience can do ... I glued 6x2 strips of castello boxwood edge to edge with carpenters glue and printed out some pictures of dolphins and sketched them onto the wood, then I set to work. I chain-drilled round the outside of the dolphin to get the shape, and then gently and slowly, with a brand new x-acto blade carved away. Here are some of the stages as I went, and the finished items... I may thin them down a little more. The tails proved almost impossible to keep stuck to the dolphin during this process, so were carved separately and glued on. Painted, they fit quite nicely with the existing decorations. It's made me want to try some more bits! The bug has bitten! I then spent some time getting the top angle of the stern right so that the rail sits parallel to the line of the side rails as they approach the stern. Once this angle was right, I glued on another strip of box to neaten up the edge (the ends aren't stuck down yet in the picture below). The observant among you will notice that somewhere along the line I also lost one of the decorative bits that goes between the windows and search as I might I could not find it. Happily, Caldercraft provide one spare... I need to make sure I don't lose that one! Next step is to mark the extra decoration between the dolphins and the ladies at each end, and paint that in before sticking the decorations in place. Then I think I shall store this somewhere safe until I'm a bit further along. Take care Rob
-
Hi everyone. Thanks so much for the likes and encouragement. A small update. First I filled the stern counter with balsa to give some support to the upper counter (and provide more area for it to be glued to)... I also extended the lower counter to add on the curve at the top (I left this off earlier to avoid it getting bashed, and I'm glad I did). Having pinned the quarter galleries and pieces at the stern (with 1mm brass rod), I got the point where I was comfortable with their fit. I don't know how else I would have managed as it feels like you need twenty hands to do this, and masking tape isn't up to the job. I finished the glazing of the quarter galleries (from the inside) and placed some strips of wood behind the plastic to give it some more support. I don't want it falling into the model later! Then, having double and treble checked everything, the quarter galleries were stuck into position. Once in place, the upper counter was fixed, again according to the pins that had been put in place. It was fixed having shaped it, and with the stern gallery in place (but not glued yet - it isn't glazed, and I want to do of the decoration off the model) to make sure it all fitted together. Here are the pictures so far. I'm really pleased with the sweep of the gunports and windows. Also with the box window frames. Happy building Rob
- 275 replies
-
- 14
-
-
Wow... those guns look fantastic all lined up. And the stove looks the bee's knees too.
-
Thanks Jason. I started by working out a template for the windows (based on the AOTS diagrams extended out in the same way as I calculated the transom shape). Then I printed it out and stuck sellotape over it to stop the pva from sticking to it. I put some cereal box card behind it to give it a bit more substance, and clipped it behind the transom lining up the diagram with the window apertures. I'd already lined the apertures with boxwood. This was boxwood veneer (0.7mm thick officially but actually closer to .5mm when I checked with the micrometer). I cut it to about 3mm for the window surrounds, and to ~0.75mm for the internal framing (using a sharp scalpel and lots of patience). The pre-cut edge of the veneer was always placed facing out to ensure a good square edge: the cut edges I achieved with the scalpel were nowhere near as clean. The verticals were put in as single strips, carefully checking the heights with the digital vernier calipers and using the point of the calipers to mark the wood rather than trying to mark it with a pencil which is just hopelessly inaccurate. Often the strips needed very slight amounts shaving off the ends to fit neatly. Sometimes it would take two or three attempts. Once gently placed in position I used a paintbrush to apply watered down pva to fix the vertical in place. The horizontals were done the same way, but as three separate parts for each horizontal. Tweezers were an absolute must, and it took a lot of attention to make sure the line followed the diagram underneath, but the PVA allows the part to be re-placed as many times as necessary. Finally, I realised pretty quickly that not only was good light a must, but the light needed to be directly overhead, otherwise the shadows make everything look completely out of whack. Hope that's helpful. If you've got any questions, just ask. Rob
-
A mini-update... Stern lights... the carpenters glue still needs to be cleaned up a little, but I'm going to let it set really hard first. Once these have clear plastic glued behind them they'll be plenty strong enough
-
Hi Jobbie Yes that's right. Just normal baking paper that you use to line cake tins. I sellotaped it over a sheet of A4 paper to give it some strength. I use a mac and in the print box it has a "flip horzontally" checkbox. So it really couldn't be easier. It's also useful for printing out bits of plans for port and starboard. Just hit print and select the checkbox as necessary. Thanks to all for the likes and kind words of encouragement. Rob
-
Time for a little update. Remaking window template for quarter galleries to get right size of windows I've continued shaping the quarter galleries. I'd been concerned that the window apertures were too large, and the uprights too narrow. I've remade them and lined the apertures with box to match the stern gallery. (see below for photo) Lining windows These were lined with Boxwood - 6mm x 0.7mm boxwood veneer cut in to 3mm strips. By using the outer edge, a nice square edge is found to go flush with the gallery. Painting decoration on stern gallery I got out my best brush and got to work painting the decoration on the gallery - to my eye this looks so much better than the somewhat heavy brass photo etch which lacks a little something in detail. I tried painting the decoration on the uprights between the windows, but found that too tricky, and the photo etch for these parts is quite nice, so I've used that. (photo before I changed the painting on the uprights for photo-etch) Shaping above and below quarter galleries A lot of time was spent fashioning these 3D puzzles... Each part is unique, and needs checking constantly to get it to fit well. They're not perfect, but thankfully they will be painted, so a little filler will hide a multitude of sins! Lettering on upper counter I used an inkjet printer on baking paper to transfer the lettering onto the upper counter, then painted over the impression. It took about 10 attempts to get the print in the right place, but then it worked quite well... It isn't perfect, but I'm quite happy with it. Crew The crew arrived and were duly painted, ready to help getting a sense of proportion. First attempt at carving I wanted to include the feathers shown in AOTS above the uprights where the wide curve ends on the gallery. So it was time to break out the proxxon engraving set. Taken from 2x6mm boxwood (guitar stringers). Again, as a first attempt I'm reasonably happy, but I think I'll probably end up taking these off and thinning them down - they're a little heavy at the moment. Testing spacing for decorations on stern gallery I placed the white metal decorations provided in the kit onto the stern to check the spacing. It fits pretty well, but the lions really ought to become dolphins, and the centre figure of Diana needs to become a Georgian representation of a male figure of Bacchus, or perhaps Acoetes as per Ovid's Metamorphoses... We'll see how brave I'm feeling. On the plus side, this can all be done off the model, so many attempts are easily possible. I can keep going til I'm happy! And finally, a picture of the pieces in place on Ethalion...
- 275 replies
-
- 14
-
-
Hi Chuck It looks really great! Will the masts be stepped on deck or will a slot be cut out at some point? I wondered whether that was what the black marks were for but they seem too far forward and aft for the fore and mizzen masts respectively? Really fascinating to see your well thought through design coming together. Cedar looks lovely too. Thanks Rob
- 1,784 replies
-
- 4
-
-
- winchelsea
- Syren Ship Model Company
- (and 1 more)
-
Hi Peter, What a beautiful bridge... great photography too! Nice job you're doing on those gun carriages. Once they're all in place, the focus will be on the overall effect rather than the individual detail... are you going to rig them? Rob
- 366 replies
-
- 2
-
-
- bellerophon
- victory models
- (and 2 more)
-
Thank you OC it's very kind of you to say so. It's so great to see others builds and get ideas and encouragement. Thanks to everyone for the likes. Rob
-
Another brief update... more work on the quarter galleries. The quarter galleries are a little proud at the moment, but I will be adding a strip for the tafferal (?) so this should fill in that space. It will also neaten the edge of the stern lights. These photos do give an idea of how tricky all the angles are... there's another block to go beneath the one already in place, and then the metal casting below that... On top, there are two more blocks... each has to be carefully shaped, and then duplicated on the other side. I've replaced the four walnut parts per side with two 6mm box parts (although it did feel a little wrong painting it!) Nothing's glued in place yet. I've also filled the grain and painted the stern transom. Happy building! Rob
- 275 replies
-
- 13
-
-
I've updated the template above to include a former for the aft edge to provide support for the top and bottom templates. quartergalleries_templates.pdf So, here are the first attempt at the new quarter galleries... I pritt-sticked the templates to the parts on 1mm ply and cut them out (scissors and craft knife), then soaked the fascia and fixed it round a metal cutlery pot to bend it to shape... Soaking the fascia took the paper off, and I managed to build the starboard quarter gallery with the window part upside down! The effect was to make the curve upwards even more pronounced - it really looked odd... I didn't take a photo, but trust me, it was all wrong It didn't take along to get it fixed. I'm much happier with the line... the windows are perhaps a little large - I need to have a re-measure - but I don't think they look out of place. (Note the upper counter is a card mockup and the masking tape came unstuck as I took these photos... ) The black and the white fuzz you can see is the remnants of the paper templates. Also, this evening I finally got round to it and tidied my boat building space.... (will wonders never cease!)
-
Thanks Jason, though if anyone ought to be taking off their hat it ought to be me. I may yet give up on it and go the same route. I'll give it a go first though. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that
-
To gently ease myself back into working on Ethalion after flu, I installed the first decorative rail along the port side to match up with the starboard. I also used the scraper to create a reasonable supply of decorative rail that will hopefully be enough for the rest of the hull sides and transom. All this was 2x 1.5mm maple. Now, I'm biting the bullet again and getting on with the quarter galleries - I think these have kind of scared me - they're complex, and very visible... So. A good few hours with a computer (Apple Pages), the Anatomy of the Ship diagrams, blown up to 1:64, cereal boxes, scissors, and masking tape... it took a few versions, but here's where I'm up to... Version 1: Swoops down too much - it doesn't maintain the line from the gunports... Version 2 was better... It doesn't look like it, but this took a gentle curve, such that the centre of the panel is lower than the outsides - about 1.5mm across the length of the arc. Here's a comparison with the diagram (although they're not lined up perfectly) I've also put the top and bottom templates in on this photo... The masking tape along the bottom roughly mirrors where the trim will go along the bottom of the gallery - and I'm happy that this seems to line up with the sweep of the ports with a slight lift by the stern, as per the diagram. Also, looking from the stern quarter, the windows match up nicely with the stern lights. And here's the templates I ended up with... I've added a ten centimetre measure vertically and horizontally to check if my printer was behaving and actually printing 10cm as 10cm - turns out it's about 9.96cm when printed. I could compensate for that, but these fit on my model. Also of note, is that these are to fit the scale width stern transom I've made according to AOTS, not to fit the kit transom. The AOTS version is considerably narrower. ethalion_quartergalleries_templates.pdf As an aside (and here's the job I'm avoiding, because I don't want to mess it up!) - here are the steps I fashioned from boxwood with a scraper, files, and patience... I'm happy with the steps, but now they need to be fitted to a hull side with a slight tumblehome... I think I know how to do it, I just need to be brave and get on with it... I don't have any power tools such as a sander with angled bed, so I've made a jig... but I'm struggling to hold onto these little blighters and get them down to the right tread depth, with the right angle to stick out horizontally from the hull... Anyway - quarter galleries first, and then back to the steps. Wow - those close-ups are brutal - they look okay to me in real life! These are going to need some cleaning up... Happy building to you all! Rob
-
Thanks OC. I'm well on the mend now and even started building a jig to sand the angles onto the backs of the steps on the hull sides. More progress soon.
-
Sorry for the lack of updates... I came down with flu, and I'm just getting back to "tired-but-normal-ish"... spent a week having no choice when I slept - it just happened, and I knew it had happened when I woke up again. Anyway. Looking forward to jumping in and getting on with Ethalion again. Rob
-
Brilliant. Thanks Jason. I'll take another look and update it. The logs are available at The National Archives in Kew. You can get a readers ticket for free and order up the logs from stacks. It's a humbling thing to touch the originals.
-
Looking great! I don't think you can go far wrong with balsa fillers. I find it so helpful to give an idea of the contours of the hull when I'm fairing the bulkheads, and it helps with adhesion for the first planking where the hull has the greatest curves, too. The other thing I do is mark the edge of the bulkhead with a sharpie - that way when I'm fairing if the black disappears completely, I know I've started to reduce the overall shape of the bulkhead. Hope that makes sense. You can see the black line left along the sternmost edge of the forward bulkheads in the photo below...
-
Okay - I promised I'd pass on the logs as I managed to transcribe them... Here's the first year of master's logs. EthalionLogTranscription.20180330.pdf I've tried to maintain the layout of the documents as far as possible. Happy reading.
Our Emblem ®
