BareHook

Well with the corrections nearly complete I thought it might be a good idea to do produce a proto-type build log (of sorts). Obviously unlike other kits ESSEX has already been released but it and the members here on MSW didn’t have the benefit of seeing it come together.
This will hopefully give everyone a chance to see the details in the kit, ask any questions they may have and hopefully clear up any misconceptions about the kit.
How I’ll conduct this is to follow along with the manual, although I won’t be posting the actual pages but some of the photos and details.
I’ll do this over a series of weeks (the manual is 15 chapters). It’s my intent to complete this in no more than half that time.
One note, any updates regarding the corrections will continue to be posted in that thread. This thread is solely about the design and build of the proto-type.
 
 

While watching glue dry over the past couple of weeks, I began to fool around with what to do with the forecastle. The last few days, I came up with my conclusion, and did the deck planking that I'm going to do. The result is a margin plank at the perimeter, a strip of planking down the center, and a small band of planking at the aft end to support the barricade and belfry.
 
All of the planking is holly, with the margin planks cut from sheet, using card stock templates, and the rest from strip, fitted around the openings and bitts. The caulking is simulated with pencil and the treenails are again simulated with golden oak filler in drilled holes. Wipe-on Poly finished that work. I also added the the steam hatch and the coaming for the stove stack at this time. I probably won't add anything else until after the bulwark planking is in place.
 
Bob

This set of photos shows the remaining four guns. 6, 9, 12 and 18 pounders the guns are ebony and the carriages are made from cherry. 

This set of photos shows the gunport lids being installed.

This set of photos shows the capstan, anchor and pump. The capstan was made from rosewood, the anchor is boxwood and walnut and the pump is beech wood.

Four more guns made up, mounted and rigged -- only four more to go on the gun deck. I can't imagine doing this on a 74. As usual, I added the deck ringbolts. I also ran the anchor cables into the open hatch and added a piece of grating in an open position. Lastly, I tied off the fore lower sheets to their bulwark cleats since they will be unreachable when the deck framing goes on.
 
Bob

Hello friends,
thank for the kind comments and likes.
Karl    
 
 
 
T e i l   4 7
 
 
Upper-Deck
 
 
The upper deck armament is made up of 12-pdrs canons.

I would think the counter/stern planks would be enclosed by the hull planks, or the ends of the hull planks are exposed.
 
Ken

This set of photos shows the sweeps stowed on the quarterdeck.

This set of photos shows the rudder and catheads installed.

I probably could convert from any schooner, but when I start scratch building, I want to build as historically accurate as possible. Right now I'm "cutting my teeth" or building my skills on some ficticious kits that i'm renaming after each of my kids.
 
Ken

Hello again –
 
I have just completed the construction of the stern, which was complicated enough to merit its own log entry.
 
The design is a bit of an exercise in imagination, without any hard facts to go on.  The Advice Prize draught has no information at all; the stern outline is shown as part of the station lines plan, but without any decorations or indications of the shape of the counter, transom or even the top of the taffrail.  Budriot’s drawing of the stern of Le Mercure is excessively florid, with lots of carvings, an intricate nameplate, and even flaming finnials at the upper corners of the taffrail.
 

 
Not only is this much too ornate for the QAR (and for Le Mercure, which was a merchant ship), but the heights of the windows do not match the deck heights taken from the Admiralty draught.
 
After playing around in Photoshop for a while a simplified layout was designed with many of the same elements that went into the quarter badges.  This was passed before my masters and approved.
 

 
The first section worked on was the lower transom just above the counter.  The wide moldings were set matching the locations of the similar ones on the sides of the hull and the field between them was painted blue.  The decorative boxes were taken from the plans and cut from cherry veneer.  Wood glue was sparingly applied and they were taped down until solidly attached.
 
The light colored ‘flowers’ were carved from 1mm boxwood.  They do not appear to be fleur-de-lis, but I could not make out any further details in Budriot’s drawing.
 

 
Above the top molding were the windows in the captain’s cabin.  There is no false light in the center because the rudder head ends in the gun deck below the cabin.  The field was painted grey and the moldings, fluted columns, and capitals were cut and applied using the same techniques as for those on the quarter badges. 
 
There are six columns framing five windows.  I did the two outermost ones first because they have the biggest angle to vertical.  Then the remaining area was divided into five equal spaces and the central two columns were mounted vertically.  The last two were fit by trial and error to sit halfway between the inner and outer columns.  They were cut and recut several times until I was happy with the look of the windows that were formed.  As before, the windows were glazed with white glue that was painted on.  While it was tacky the mullions were cut from birch and laid in.
 

 
At the top of the taffrail you can see the added piece of basswood that was cut and fitted to give it the double recurved shape from the plans.  The joint was filled and sanded and the field was painted blue
 
 

 
Moldings were pieced together above the windows and along the sides.  At the top, sections of molding were steam bent to the curves and attached.  Ribbons of cherry veneer were shaped to the curves of the moldings and edged with a thin molding strip.  In the center a pair of volutes (similar to fiddleheads) were carved and applied.
 

 
The volutes are a little intricate, but I got a lot of help from the illustrations in “Carving Figureheads & Other Nautical Designs” by Alan & Gill Bridgewater.  If you can picture a snail shell seen from the side, that’s what they look like.
 

 
The stern was now complete, but the upper area cried out for some sort of contrasting decoration.
 

 
I could have made simple circles, like those on the Mercure drawing, but I decided to get a little fancy and carve a pair of laurel wreaths, symbolizing victory.  I got a simplified image of a wreath off the internet, resized it and duplicated it a number of times before printing.
 

 

 
The paper image was cut out and spray glued to a piece of 1mm boxwood, which was itself glued to a piece of dark contrasting scrapwood.  Using a sharp cornered bitt, the outline of the wreath was cut through the box until the dark wood showed all around.
 

 
This left the paper and boxwood standing up from the background ready for detail carving.
 

 
Using a medium sized bitt, notches were cut to indicated the locations of the leaves, and the paper was removed with a drop of mineral spirits.
 

 
A smaller bitt was used to define the leaves and cut the indication for the central stems.
 

 
A pointed diamond burr was used to further refine the leaves and to slope the lower edges so there was some depth to the carving.   
 

 
The burr left some soft and fuzzy edges, so once the piece was separated from the backing piece with a drop of acetone, it was cleaned up with a knife, needle files and a fine sanding stick. 
 
Here are the pair of wreaths attached to the model.  With them, the stern is now complete.
 

 
The headrails will be the next area to be tackled.  Until then . . .
 
Be well
 
Dan
 
 
 
 
 

Nice build and interesting subject! Makes me want to go to the "Dark Side"
 
Ken

When I started out, I learned a great deal about rigging techniques from Robert Hunt's Freshman Practicum "Building the Armed Virginia Sloop".  The techniques are generic and I still follow Bob's hints/techniques. 
 
I just posted pictures in the Completed Kit Built Models Gallery.  With Bob Hunt's practicum, the MS's Armed Virginia Sloop is a great build and learning project (pictures attached).
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder

I planked the inside - believe it not, the three small planks above the quarterdeck are really walnut!  Very pale, but they are to be painted anyway.
 
Also fitted the wale and the black strake.
 

 
 

 
 
Painted those, and placed simple masking tape ready for painting the inner planking.
 
Here again I failed to research enough.  For those newbies painting, read this about masking tape - http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/2223-masking-tape/
 
I particularly like the advice to seal the edge of the masking tape with clear sealant.  Next time!
 

 
 
Painted the inner, and started planking the upper exterior.
 

 

 
 
As I started cutting back the planking around the gunports
 

 
 
                                                                                            I realised I had missed the bit in the practicum where I should have placed upper sills in the gunports.  So, I tried to carve some filler blocks, but soon gave up, and grabbed the wood filler!
 

 
 
I then realised my gunports were less than neat, so I filed them to a better shape, accepting that I will need plenty of repainting.
 

 
 

 
 
In fact, I will also have to repaint the wales and strakes, after I finish removing all the excess glue.  More is not better with CA!
 
Cheers,
 
Brett

Hi again to all, and thanks for the likes and comments.
 
I replaced the images on page 5 that disappeared, but I ended up with some duplicate images that I could not remove.  Just ignore them.  I am also having trouble with line spacing, so this is stretched out more than it should be.  If anyone knows how to fix this, please let me know.
 
When the last segment ended, a month ago, the ship had the basic hull structure done and planked as was the visible portion of the gun deck.  The initial cambered deck structures were in place, ready for planking. 
 

 
There has been a good deal of work done since then, so this segment is fairly long.  
With the quarterdeck structure in place I could do the upper gunports with their square wreaths.  They were located from the inside of the bulwarks such that the 4-pounder cannon would run out through their centers.  A series of small holes were drilled around the perimeter of the port to allow the square lining tube to slide through, as I had done for the larger lower ports.  Fit was done carefully, but did not need to be precise, since the outer edges would be covered by the port wreath and the inner edges would be covered by the bulwark planking that would be added later.
 
The wreaths have simple decorations done with small carving bitts in the Dremel.  The circular carving was done with a sharpened brass tube.  An image of the first one was sent off to the museum for review.  Once it was approved, the rest were shaped and installed.
 

 
Next came the gangway ladders and hull loading skids on both sides of the hull.  These require 10 vertical pieces, all fitted to the curve of the hull and notched around the several horizontal moldings and wales.   It started with a paper pattern cut from an index card.  Where I cut it too large at the bottom a small piece of sticky note pad was laid on to cover the gap.  Then a wooden pattern was cut from the paper one and fitted to the hull.
 

 
Once I was happy with it the top surface was blackened to remind me not to use it on the model (I will need it for model #2).  I cut and stacked 5 layers of cherry with the pattern on top.  These were all given a coat of clear finish and then “spot welded” to each other with CA glue, one of the few times when CA was used. 
 

 
The inner faces with the notches were cut on the band saw, then the outer faces were shaped with a tabletop belt sander to match the profile of the pattern.  In the photo you can see the small piece of wood with perpendicular faces that was used to keep the stack aligned and vertical during the shaping process.
 

 
Once they were shaped they were popped apart with a blade between the layers.  The clear finish does not let the CA enter the grain, so there is no wood splintering or loss.  This is a technique I use frequently when multiple parts are called for.
 
The first side of the ladder was installed on the hull and secured with metal pins.  Treads ½” long (18” in scale) were glued to the hull with PVA glue and the second side of the ladder was fitted to them and to the hull. 
 

 
Once the three skids were installed they were reinforced with shorter pieces at their lower ends, similarly notched and fitted.  This is the port side, with the gunports open for the eventual installation of the broadside.
 

 
And here is the starboard side with closed gunports where the cannon will be shown housed on deck.
 

 
In the photo you can also see the sheaves for the sheets of the fore course and spritsail, as well as the chesstree for the tack of the main course.  The chesstree was made of cherry, carved with various drill bitts and carving tools, then secured with glue and metal pins.  This may be overkill, but for museum work I try to insure that pieces will not fall off any time soon.
 

 
You can also see the details of the gunport and its lid.  As with the gunport lid on the stern ports in the counter, the hinges are made from 1/16” brass strip with the hinge barrels coiled with wire bending pliers.  Three holes for bolts were drilled in each and they were chemically blackened before installation.  I have not tried the copper/liver of sulphur technique that Ed Tosti and others use, but it looks like something I want to try.  No matter how well I clean the brass before immersion, the finish always comes out uneven.  Eyebolts were made up and installed in the lower corners and the lifting ropes were tied.  The central one leads through a hole in the hull and ties off to a cleat above the gunport.
 
The iron fittings for the recoil rope and train tackle protrude from the hull and have diamond shaped washers.  They are mounted quite low on French ships, as you can see in this photo of L’Hermione, the reproduction ship that is the subject of a series of current articles by Roger Marsh in S-i-S.    Although that ship is larger and almost 70 years later than QAR, these fittings seem to be consistent.
 

 
On the inner side of the bulwarks the gun tackle fittings are also a bit different.  Rather than an upper eyebolt for the train tackle there is a hook in the bulwark.  This matches the fittings recovered during the excavation of La Belle by the folks at Texas A&M.  Here is how it is represented on L’Hermione.
 

 
And here are the fittings on the model.  I did not mount the breach rope rings loose since they will all either be hidden or in use.
 

 
Next I turned to the quarter badges.  These are a combination of the simple one from the Advice Prize and the florid one from Budriot’s Le Mercure.  Because the interiors will not be seen, I did not have to piece them together, as Chuck is doing with his Winchelsea, but could make them solid.  Here is the final layout which is sized to the moldings on the hull, along with the base plate of 1/16” thick cherry and the structure piece made from 3/8” basswood.
 

 
The basswood was cut to be 1/8” smaller than the base plate all around, then the side panels were angled down from the central flat section to the edges.
 

 
An initial color coat of blue for the panels was painted on, with a dark grey for the backing of the light.  The window is framed by fluted columns topped by molding capitals.  Here you can see the several pieces that made them up.  The flutes were cut as channels in a long strip on the table saw, then parted off with the miter guage set to the proper angle.
 

 
Once the columns were set, the upper rounded framing piece was shaped and the moldings were cut and applied.  Then the basswood piece was mounted on the cherry base plate.
 

 
Additional pieces of cherry veneer were cut and installed around the perimeter of the piece, as were the window mullions.  The decorative elements were shaped to fit the spaces below the black molding.  A modified scallop shell was carved at the bottom of the drop.  Window glass was simulated by painting the panes with white glue and letting it dry while lying flat.
 

 
Here are the two mirror image quarter badges.  They are not precisely symmetrical since the hull moldings are slightly different on the two sides of the model.
 

 
Once completed, they were offered up against the hull and the moldings beneath them were chiseled off to let them lay flat against the hull planking.
     

 
The deck structures were laid in and tested for their final locations.  The grating and other fittings on the quarterdeck were laid out, which gave me the final locations of the mast holes and the length of the captain’s cabin and poop deck.
 

 
The three removable deck pieces were planked in the same manner as the gun deck, although the tops of the binding strakes were not raised above the rest of the planking.  A square hole was cut into the quarterdeck for the grating, which was sunk till it matched the level of the binding strakes.  The outboard sections were made from sheets of holly veneer with the planks scribed in.  This simplified the process of tapering the planks immensely on the quarterdeck and poop deck pieces.   Deck beam locations were penciled in and fasteners for each plank were drilled, filled, and sanded flush.
 

 
For the foredeck the cherry margin plank was installed first, then the central planks and binding strakes.  The outboard pieces were cut overlarge to allow me to shape them as if they were nibbed into the margin planks.  Once they were cut they were offered to the deck and the outline of the nibbing was drawn on the margin plank.  The overlaps were carefully chiseled out of the margin plank till the holly pieces fit tightly into their spaces.
 

 
Caprails were cut from 1/16” cherry.  These were fairly simple straight pieces, although the width tapered from 10mm (15”) at the waist to 7mm (10”) at the extreme aft where the rail meets the transom.
 
With the quarterdeck located and planked, the square holes for the anchor davits could be cut.  Above them the curved caprail was shaped from five pieces of cherry, scarfed together, the given a final shaping after installation.  In the photo some temporary straight anchor davits are laid in, but will be removed and replaced with bent ones in the final fitting out.
 

 
So here is the current progress.  Not visible are the steps for the fore and mizzen masts that lie under the decks, as well as the mounting block for the bowsprit.  These were drilled and carefully aligned so the masts would line up along the centerline with the correct rake for each. 
 


 
Next I will detail the transom and put together the headrail structures.  I hope to bring this to you soon.
 
Be well
 
Dan

Thanks Terry. I'm afraid that the only thing I could teach is to grow older, have more time for modeling and substitute more patience and perseverance for diminishing physical capabilities.
 
Sam, it's good to hear from you. It's been a while and I was getting a little concerned about you.
 
I've now made and installed the chain pumps, their aft cranks and crank supports and the pump dales. The pumps were made using the kit laser cut pieces as forms for boxwood planking. The cranks are blackened brass wire and are simplified due to their small size. The forward cranks and supports will be added as I move forward on the gun deck. I am in the process of making the remaining quarterdeck framing and the main jeer bitts.
 
Bob

Alistair, I wish I had realised that earlier!  I hope it will now be in my memory bank, allow to dry before gluing!
 
While sanding I noted a concavity in the hull, and several other small defects.  I filled these and continued sanding:
 
 

 

 

 
At that time I also cleaned up the rabbett joint to allow a better future fit of the top layer of walnut planks.
 
 
Next were the gunport sills and spirketing planks.  I cut the scuppers with a dental laboratory drill, and rounded them with a curved file.
 
Two more errors - I made the scuppers too shallow, and I allowed them to be partially blocked with glue:
 

 

 
I plan to clean these up with another type of dental drill!
 
As you can see, I also placed reinforcements for the oar sweep ports, and to provide support for hawse ports at the bow and planking at the quarterdeck.
 
I think it's hilarious - I keep using such terms, but I have to keep looking them up.  Maybe by model #10 I will understand/remember them! 
 
Cheers,
 
Brett

Thanks Thomas. The cannon barrels are painted with what little I have left of my Pollyscale engine black (no longer available).
 
I've now completed another section of the quarterdeck framing. Before doing that, however, I had to do a chart of rigging sizes so that I could attach the main lower yard sheets to the bulwark cleats that would be inaccessible under the deck framing. The rope sizes were determined by using the tables and formulas set forth in Lees. Rather than using a spreadsheet, I chose to mark the sizes directly on copies of the sequential rigging drawings from the Essex AOTS. I then made a table to convert these sizes to correspond to the rigging line sizes available from Chuck. 
 
I then used the appropriate line size to do the sheets and ran them through the bulwark sheaves and attached them to the cleats. When this was done, I glued down the aft portion of the deck framing, which previously  had been left sitting loose. After that, I built two further deck sections off the model, installed them, added hanging knees to them and then filled in the open portions with lodging knees, ledges and carlings. The whole assembly was given an application of Wipe-on Poly.
 
The final portion of the quarterdeck framing will be done in conjunction with work on the pumps and mainmast bitts, which will be the next items of work.
 
Bob

Planking began easily - the practicum suggested making a reinforcing support at the bow, which I did:
 

 
Then simple 1/8" planks above the wale:
 

 
Later I roughly trimmed out the gunports, and added another plank to the top of those, plus 2 more layers of short planks (very suitable!) at the aft - you'll see those in subsequent photos.
 
Next came 4 planks (1/4") below the wale, with that awkward curve/bend at the stern.  Here my daughter's spare hair-curler came in very useful, as a steam bender:
 

 
These were spiled as instructed, to be narrower at the bow.
 
Next was the Garboard Strake (who thought these stupid names up?).  Here I could not understand the practicum, and anyway I had made a mess of my rabbeting at the very beginning.  So I just used a full 1/4" plank to cover some of my sins.
 
Note to anyone starting this model - if I did it again I would definitely follow the practicum advice NOT the pathetic instructions that come with the kit.  I.E. cut the rabbet before gluing on the keel etc.
 
I was worried that I would not be able to properly align the keel etc with the false keel, and that the glued joint would be too thin to survive.  In hindsight, I think it would have been strong enough, and simply laying the pieces on a flat surface would have aligned them.
 
For my first model ship I used wood glue (PVA) almost exclusively.  This time around I'm using a lot more cyanoacrylate for the planks.  And I do mean a lot! 
 
Hint - vinyl gloves stick less to CA than latex gloves or skin do!
 
Here you can see the first couple of planks at the keel:
 

 
The practicum has you using full length planks for this first layer.  I had planned to try proper planking, but decided to follow Alistair's advice, and go with Bob Hunt's plans.  After a few more planks you are left with an irregular shape to close off:
 

 
A bit of spiling to plug the gaps:
 

 
And it's time to start filling and sanding:
 

 
 
The last photo points out another mistake I made.  The practicum suggests soaking difficult planks for two hours before bending.  I soaked for one hour - still waaaaay too long.  You can see how they had swollen then shrunk after gluing.  10 mins would be enough for basswood, I think!
 
Cheers,
 
Brett

Got this info from BlueJacket, A rigging seminar in May
 
BlueJacket will be holding a RIGGING CLASS here in Maine on Monday, May 5th thru Friday, May 9th.
Space will be limited to 12 people. The class hours are 9-3 with a lunch break.  This gives ample time to do some sightseeing etcetera if you like.
The fee for the course is $400 and is fully refundable up until two weeks before the start (April 21st).  Up until 1 week before (April 28) it is 50% refundable.  Price of class includes a pin vise, 5 x #76 and 3 x #67 drills, needle-nose pliers, tweezers, and a hobby knife with blade.
On Monday afternoon we will tour the BlueJacket facilities, and participants will receive a 10% discount on purchases anytime during the week of class. 
At the end of class, we will ship instructional items and tools for you.  We have arranged a special room rate of $112 at the Fireside Inn (formerly Comfort Inn) in Belfast, which is where the class will be held.  Breakfast is included. When you make your reservation, ask for the BlueJacket rate.  Here is the web link: 
http://firesideinns.com/maine/belfast/
 
Of course, you can stay at any of the other fine hotels and B&Bs in the area if you prefer.
So call us and reserve your spot.  We have always sold out the previous classes we have held in the past.
 
Syllabus
Use of tools
Types of ship's rig
Terms and definitions
Reading rigging plans
Proper shaping of masts and spars from square stock
blocks and deadeye stropping
The bow - gammoning, catheads, bowsprit
Stepping the mast
Standing rigging
Running rigging yardarms, booms, gaff, jib
Knots and coils
Davits, gun tackle
 
If the demand for this class far outstrips our 12 spaces, I promise to hold it again in the fall.  I want everyone who wishes to take this class to be able to have the opportunity to do so.
 
There's nothing I'd rather do than work on, or talk about model boats. Have fun! 
  
Sincerely,
    
Nic Damuck
BlueJacket Shipcrafters, Inc

Another small, but tedious, step forward. The next batch of guns have been made up, mounted and rigged. I also added some more deck ringbolts. As with the prior gun batches, these were done with the kit barrels, modified Lumberyard carriage kits and blocks and rigging line from Chuck. I have one last batch of 8 guns left to do, but these will wait for a while.
 
Next up will be work on the pumps and the bitts for the main mast, as well as the remaining framing for the quarterdeck. I'm also working on the sizing of the various rigging lines, so that I can add the lines that need to be belayed before their attachment points become inaccessible because of the deck framing.
 
Bob

I had a hard time with the fashion pieces as well, I think I fabricated and scapped 2 or 3 before I was happy. Regarding the wale, dont worry about the fixes, they are on the first layer and your second layer walnut can be laid over the fixes. And finally, dont kill yourself with the close-up photography, it looks good for showing particular details and questions, but the naked eye is the quality standard, your build is looking good!
 
Ken

While working on the next batch of guns, I decided to make the lower main capstan, the first of three capstans that will be done. As with the other deck items, I chose to make the capstan from boxwood strip and sheet. It was a very enjoyable piece to make, with the exception of the 16 tiny chocks that had to be individually fitted between the whelps. Very fiddly work, but satisfying to get it done.
 
The guns are well along and should be mounted and rigged in the next few days.
 
Bob

Excellent! You always take "scratch building" to the extreme
 
I wish I had the space and patience to attempt some of the methods you have demonstrated on this build and appreciate the drive and focus it provides myself and others to take the extra effort in achieving such incredible detail on our builds. Enough said!
Ken