robdurant

I think I'm right in saying that Ray switched to beech for the rails on his fantastic HMS Diana precisely because it would bend so well when steamed. It seems to be a strength of beech wood and I noted it down because I'll need to follow in his footsteps when I get to that point.
 
Link to Ray's post about Beech rails
 
Fantastic build! This model is well up there on my "would like to build" list so I'm following with great interest.

The kit includes a small (7/8") replica of the America's Cup trophy, cast in Britannia metal. I sprayed it with rattle can chrome which I think is a good impression of polished silver at this scale.

Inbetween coats of clear, I took the photo-etch pieces off and started to work on them. The skylights are half-etched to show the guard rods, but it is all brass color. I painted them with dark grey, then wiped off the highlights with a paper towel (dry) The net result I think gives them some depth.

So onward to the 1/16" black boot-top tape, and the 1/64" gold cove moulding tape, followed by three coats of gloss clear. I'm happy with the result.

Hi all,
 
Thanks for the likes and encouragement.
 
Jason: Yes, I had noticed those concealed gun ports... I'm hoping I'll be able to work them into the stern fascia when I get that far. It's amazing the way the space on these ships were used in so many different ways. I'm glad I wasn't the one getting the table ready for the officer's dinner after the ship's company had pulling a wet anchor cable through that space on a stormy day! Another reminder what a different world it was.
 
In the meantime, I'm making progress with the hull coppering. Given how long this task takes, in a confined space, I invested in a proper mask to protect my lungs from the superglue. (If anyone's interested it was a "3M model 4251 Maintenance-Free Organic Vapour/Particulate" mask). The difference is stark. Once it's on, I can't smell the superglue, and after at least 7 hours so far, I haven't noticed any adverse effect. Previously, when I did the coppering on Pickle (much smaller!), I was noticing after a day working on it, I was wheezing. So - I have not stocks in masks, but I'd strongly recommend this as essential not optional if you're doing a boat this size.
 
I use a stick with blue tack on the end to hold the tile, then I use another offcut of first planking material to put superglue onto the back of the tile. The blue-tak holder is then used to position the tile, and hold it in place until dry. The superglue gives just enough time to push it up against the neighbouring tiles before it sets. This method seems to result in very little superglue going in the wrong place. You'll notice that I've put masking tape on the parts of the hull that will be exposed when finished. Early on I had a tile drop, thankfully onto the part of the hull that will be covered up, and it left a dark mark on the planking. I don't want that to happen to all that lovely boxwood!
 
Any tiles that don't quite go in the right place can be gently lifted off with a craft knife.
 
I've left the pot of tiles open in the hope that they'll all start tarnishing at the same time. I shuffle the pot round occasionally to give all the tiles a chance to get some air.

 
Finally, a near escape, and a lesson that I should have already learned!
 
I decided to move the table the boat was on, and thought to myself - "I'm only moving it a few metres - it'll be fine...I'll leave the boat on the table while I move it... " Well, the table leg got caught, and before I knew it the table had stopped but the hull was sliding towards the edge of it... Suffice it to say I had no time to do anything but cry out...
 
Thankfully the hull slid half off the side of the table, and then stopped, and I was able to catch it... !!! To say I was shaken is an understatement. It would have dropped five feet onto a wooden floor... Anyway - by the grace of God, and with no thanks to my own stupidity and laziness - the model lived for another day!
 
An advanced new years resolution! Don't be lazy. Move the boat somewhere safe. THEN move the table. Time will tell whether I've learned my lesson fully enough!
 
Happy building to you all.
 
Rob

Yay! The planking's complete.
 
I'd be further along, but last week my wife said - why don't you take the day and get down to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard - frankly, I didn't have to be asked twice. Not least because I'd already got the annual ticket.
 
Anyway - the planking's complete, and I've marked up and painted the blue section on both sides.
 


I've also completed the lower counter planking. Interestingly, wandering round Victory I noticed that the port in the lower counter on Victory IS a gunport... but if that were the case on Ethalion, the port would be on the lower deck - an odd place to have cannon...
 
I was struggling to get hold of 2mm boxwood in the UK, until I realised that Guitar Stringing (the stuff they put on the edges round the body) is 6x2mm and you can get it in castello boxwood. I've bought a bunch of it, and I'm planning to use it for the companionways and gratings.  I put a sheet of sandpaper inside a stock pot to sand the curve into the top. It's the perfect radius.
 


Once I was satisfied that was going to work, it was time to get on with the hull again. And following the lead of Jason (Beef Wellington) and Ray, I've decided to copper the hull earlier than the instructions suggest. One day in and I'm about 150 plates in to the task... It just about feels like I've made a dent in the task! Each tile is picked up with a stick with inverted duct tape on the end, and a little CA applied to the back with another stick. Then it's placed on the hull, with just enough time to position it before it sticks. I painted the hull below the the waterline black to seal it a little before I started the coppering - that stops the CA leaching away into the hull... I was getting through a lot of CA on the first few tiles before I realised that was the problem! I'm using the Caldercraft copper... I quite like the effect, even if the rivets are way too pronounced for scale, and once it's gained its patina it becomes less noticeable.
 

 
As it stands, it's looking way too bling for my tastes, but time will fix that
 
I figure I'm going to be coppering for a while, but I shall retreat to working on the quarter galleries if I need a break.
 
Happy building.
 
Rob
 

A small update. There isn't much to report. Just to say that I'm still planking up and down from the wale, and up from the keel on the port side. There's no way to hurry it... it just takes as long as it takes.

I also trimmed back the bow planking to allow the beakhead replacement part to be inserted again.

Ah yes, and a few days ago, I put the second planking on the lower counter, and included the ports.
 
I’ve noticed that in Anatomy of the Ship, Diana, those ports on the lower counter don't seem to be gun ports at all… at least, they aren’t marked as such. They’re ports, yes, but as far as I can tell, the stern-chasers would have been fired from the captain’s quarter’s on the upper deck. The gunports there are extensions of the transom windows. Instead, the ports on the lower deck are far smaller. Perhaps a gun could have been fired through them, but would it have been smaller calibre…? presumably, in anything but a light sea, it would have been far too close to the water to want to fire a gun from there. AOTS shows the lower deck ports as being approx. 8mm square… (including extending the height because the counter is angled on the diagrams)… the Caldercraft plans show these ports as being approx 12.5mm square. I've followed AOTS on this one.
 
You can just about make them out in the picture below...

That's it for now.
 
Happy building.
 
Rob

A small update... I've finished planking the starboard side (all except for a tiny stealer, anyway).  The walnut below the waterline will be covered up with copper tiles.
 

 
 

Thanks Carl and Popeye.
 
I've finished the two 20mm guns needed for the 5th deck. These have turned out a LOT better than the ones I made a few weeks ago . Here are a few pics of progress on them. They are ready for paint :





 
This time I assembled them the right way around, so I could fit the Spent Cartridge Baskets :


 
  Danny

Its one of the most beautifull ships I ever build. I finished my Aggie in spring this year. When you have any question, just ask. Enjoy your build!
Gr.
Hennie

Good morning all, Thanks for all the compliments, likes and for just stopping in.
 Not much has been going on lately just planking and more planking, I am just a little over half done now and going hard. To date I have 38 strakes completed which is approximately 254 planks that equals to about 30.4 meters of .5 x 4 mm strips of beech wood. So, yes, life has been a beech!!
 Really not much to show as it is all kind of boring, I thought if any of you were suffering from insomnia this might help. Here we go: 
 

Planking around transom complete, this was a little exciting 
 

Showing here the little section of planking that needs to be filled in. I really wasn't too sure how the correct way of doing this was but thinking this will all be painted later that this method would do just fine. This is three pieces of .5 x 4 mm planking edge glued together and the rough shape of opening marked out.
 

The back side of the laminated piece was coated with thin ca before cutting to shape, this wood is fairly brittle
 

Final fitting and glued into place
 

And how it looks after the next  strake installed  on either side
 

 
Garboard and broad strakes installed, final trimming and sanding will be done when planking is completed. I have almost completed the area above the waterline, which is all painted, below the waterline is covered with copper plates. Decision now is to just get the hull covered or continue doing it the proper way, which takes a lot more time.
 
 Thanks for stopping in and have a good day

Good morning all and thank you for the likes.
 
Mark: those figurehead images you are looking at are the second figurehead made for the first ship.
The first figurehead is described as: Before it was damaged the figurehead represented Bellerophon as a nude figure draped in a red cloak riding Pegasus, his right arm raised, holding a javelin. The horse’s wings were spread. (source: http://figureheads.ukmcs.org.uk/?p=1715 )
 
On 14 July 1793, southwest of Scilly Isles HMS Bellerophon collided with HMS Majestic in gale force winds where she lost her bowsprit, foremast, main top mast, figurehead and cutwater was smashed.  The figure head was replaced with something a bit simpler as the Royal Navy was issuing orders to try and control the expense on ornamental carvings on the ships of the time.
 
All that remains of the second figurehead of the first ship named Bellerophon, is the head seen in many photos, which was all that could be salvaged due to rot.
 
Alan
 

Nice work Danny; you are achieving very good results from microscopic parts.
 
The items you don't know but think maybe sights ...  perhaps foot pedals.  I know the Bofors guns had pedals for controlling 'traverse'
 
cheers
 
Pat

outstanding

Thanks for the comments Carl, John, Pat and Mark.
 
The 37mm guns continue. A tiny (1mm long) brackets on each side of the outer seat brackets :

 
There is a Shock Absorber beneath each of the outer seats, made from 0.5mm wire :

 
What I guess is a bracket that holds the elevation controls. There are 3 pieces to this, a central support and an arm that requires several bends at each end :



 
I'm not sure what this piece is, maybe a gunsight?

 
Getting near the end now, there are only the actual guns left to do. Folding the breech boxes was fairly straight-forward :

 
The gun support brackets. I lined up the pivot holes with a piece of 0.2mm wire and CA'd them together :

 
Two of the gun barrels. The one with the big "bulb" on the end is how they come. The other has been cut to length. Machining of these is excellent :

 
I lined up the guns with the holes in the bracket with the same piece of wire, glued them in and trimmed the wire flush :

 
Last few things were rather difficult to fit due to their very small size. Two flat "ears" at the back end of the breech and a recoil exhaust tube on top of the breech :

 
The guns ready for paint. Only 6 more of these to go (as I need them). I now have to make two more 20mm guns, then I'll paint all four :

 
  Danny

Brilliant - Nelson's favourite! Looking forward to following this log.

Hi Bob
 
Me, I would very much like to follow a Granado log of yours.
 
Seeing what you made of the Vanguard, your Granado should become something well worth her own diary. Not only might your followers learn some new tricks or new views, sometimes it's also nice to see somebody else struggling with the same problems  I had and hopefully come to good and perhaps different solutions.
And besides that it would be a nice place to chat a bit.
 
Cheers
Peter
 

There was a news article about a painting discovered of Nelson that hadn't been touched up.
He didn't have an eye patch but was blinded in one eye and had a wicked scar above his eyebrow.
 
Regarding tiny sailors on the model.  I've been thinking about one at the head on the seat of ease to help explain what those boxes are (seriously).
 
 
 
 

Very well done Dan. Turned out very good (even at 1/200 )

Just crazy stuff!
 
John

Ouch, my eyes hurt even though I am not doing them - nice work Dan
 
cheers
 
Pat

"The rest of the build gets a bit fiddly," you say?  It all looks pretty fiddly to me.  My eyes and brain hurt just thinking about it.  But you're doing a fantastic job on this, Danny.

Thank you Chris, Pav and Carl .
 
I've redone one of the 37mm gun Pedestals, as I wasn't happy with the way it turned out. This time I used a piece of card with a 4mm hole punched into it to hold the pieces more stably :

 
The central columns consist of 4 pieces - a main piece which is narrower at the top, two plates for top and bottom, and a U shaped piece that sits proud of the front end (not shown in the lower pic yet). The main column is etched on the back side to make bending easier, a good idea :


 
There are two "bulges" on either side of the column, consisting of 4 pieces each. First thing is a narrow strip for the base, this is also etched on the back. It's wider at the bottom than the top :


 
I glued the base strips to the column first. To ensure that I get small parts positioned properly I use one or more tiny spots of PVA, sit the piece roughly into position using tweezers or a moist toothpick for very small parts, position it properly with the toothpick or a scalpel, and after the PVA has set enough I wick some CA glue around it.
 
The other 3 pieces needed rolling into shape. The top piece is narrower than the bottom, which also has a different shape top and bottom. The two pieces below are only 2mm wide at the widest point. These pieces were fitted next :

 
I fitted the central piece next :

 
And the bottom piece last. The tiny gaps virtually disappear as they get filled with glue. I later gave the unit a good filing with a diamond-coated needle file :

 
Next I glued the column to the base. The rest of the build gets a bit fiddly, starting with a support for the central seat. I stood the MDF block on it's end for these steps so the piece didn't have to defy gravity until the PVA set. In the 3rd pic below the seat and backrest have also been fitted :



 
This is the backrest, it's rather small :

 

 
Final things for now are the Hand-wheels and the first pieces of the outer seat supports :

 
  Danny

So  head on into re planking the deck   -  I first sorted out enough planks then gave then a light sanding on both faces, then I made the decision to bleach them in some household bleach, I put them all in a large flat bottomed dish - layed them all out flat and bunched together, then poored the bleach over them (enough so they were immersed in bleach) I also ran a sponge over them to make sure the bleach was doing its job well.
After about an hour I took them out and soaked them in plain water to get rid of the bleach, then towel dried and taken to the table.
 
 I dived straight into planking by measuring out the planking plan using 20foot eqv planks, I decided to do a four plank tier system, and so far I have put down three runs.
 
The upper hull planking where the grooves are will need to be filled with wood filler,  fingers crossed and weather allowing (we have our first large amount of snow) I will buy some wood filler tomorrow and get it thinly layered on the hull.
After it has been sanded smooth I have decided that the (mustard)  Yellow Ocre  is too vibrant and deep colouring, so I will add some dull White to it to tame it a bit.
 
OC.

Brilliant - Nelson's favourite! Looking forward to following this log.