Beef Wellington

Standing rigging
 
 
Mizzen mast
Again I started low and aft at the mizzen mast with the standing rigging.
First I prepared the tackles and shrouds around the masthead. Then, after putting up the first three shroud pairs, I installed the respective stay and tried to balance the forces on those lines, while keeping the mast upright. Several deadeyes had to be reset to get an more or less even distance from the deadeyes on the channels. Then the remaining shrouds were set up. First priority always has an equal pull on all the shrouds and the deadeyes forming nice parallel lines only second. In fact I think that on real ships all those ropes constantly worked and resetting of the shroud lanyards probably was an constant process, keeping an even pull on all that shrouds during hot, cold, dry and humid weather. I doubt that every time the deadeyes were newly aligned as well. At least this is my excuse for the uneven line of my deadeyes.
 
To set up the ratlines (yay!) I used cow hitches at the ends and clove hitches between.
 
Finally the crowfoot was set up.
 
A first few corrections to the strength of some lines in the plans were necessary:
- the strength of the futtock shrouds on all masts is of course the same as that of the associated topmast shrouds.
- the catharpins in the plans are to fat. According to Lees they should be 25% of the main shrouds which are 1,3mm - I took 0,25mm line for the catharpins.
 

 
one seaman to set up the ratlines and two to supervise him - efficient would be different...
 


 
 
 
 
 
 

I think there are a number of somewhat misleading statements made in the article especially regarding the potential size and nature of the wreck, but intriguing none-the-less.  Will be fascinating to see how much is preserved and whether this is truly a 'warship'. 
 
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10087485/Mysterious-40ft-long-shipwreck-Royal-Navy-warship-discovered.html

I think there are a number of somewhat misleading statements made in the article especially regarding the potential size and nature of the wreck, but intriguing none-the-less.  Will be fascinating to see how much is preserved and whether this is truly a 'warship'. 
 
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10087485/Mysterious-40ft-long-shipwreck-Royal-Navy-warship-discovered.html

Hi 😊

I think there are a number of somewhat misleading statements made in the article especially regarding the potential size and nature of the wreck, but intriguing none-the-less.  Will be fascinating to see how much is preserved and whether this is truly a 'warship'. 
 
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10087485/Mysterious-40ft-long-shipwreck-Royal-Navy-warship-discovered.html

I think there are a number of somewhat misleading statements made in the article especially regarding the potential size and nature of the wreck, but intriguing none-the-less.  Will be fascinating to see how much is preserved and whether this is truly a 'warship'. 
 
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10087485/Mysterious-40ft-long-shipwreck-Royal-Navy-warship-discovered.html

I think there are a number of somewhat misleading statements made in the article especially regarding the potential size and nature of the wreck, but intriguing none-the-less.  Will be fascinating to see how much is preserved and whether this is truly a 'warship'. 
 
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10087485/Mysterious-40ft-long-shipwreck-Royal-Navy-warship-discovered.html

Very nice looking stern Dunnock!  Its amazing how much work needs to go into this area but the results speak for themselves.  BTW, I think you are referring to the "rudder coat".

Completion of the Module #4: Galley and Smoke house + Dinghies: 
 

 
The dinghies were printed by a friend who is an expert with Resin 3D printers. I tried to print them with my PLA printer and the results were mediocre at best. With the resin printing, they came out really nice and smooth. Printing these dinghies required tilting the design, to allow for a smooth result as shown on the picture below:  
 

 

 
All the benches and floors are from the BENSWORX kit and have been covered with some 1/32 inch planking. The tillers are simply a tooth pick....
 

 
More pictures of the finished module: 
 

 
The davits again, gave a very poor result on the PLA 3D printer. I decided to just keep the bases, drill them and use a brass rod of 1.5 mm to build the upper part of the davits. They look a hundred times better.... The rope drums are the drums from the kit, but simply reduced at 75% during the printing process. These smaller units are more in line with the davits.
 

 

 

 

 
The dinghies are still missing the oars, being painted....
 

 

 
Notice on the above picture the two ladders (can we call these stairs?) going from the forecastle deck to the lower deck. Ladders are from the kit but the piece of upper deck was described in a previous post and is not part of the kit. Trying to get as much resemblance to Snowberry as possible...
 

 

 
A couple of overall views of the beast: 
 

 

 
With the deck in place, it is now really looking like a Corvette: 
 

 

 
Next will be Module #5, the engine room. The next module is a significant amount of work due to the numerous parts going on top of the engine room. I will be describing it in a little while.
 
Yves
 
 
 
 
 
 

Not that much done today but enough.. a bit more work later to be done later this evening.
 
The counter has been soaked and pinned (but not glued).  I wondering if this in right position .  Feels (mentally) like I"m too far astern and it needs to in the direction of the arrow.

Copper plating the rudder was challenging because of the changing angles and cut-outs but any small gaps I have covered with Tamiya copper paint.

 
 The pintles and gudgeons are made from 3x3 boxwood planed down to 2x2. The pintles proved relatively straight forward with holes for the pins drilled before cutting the strip down to size. I made the spectacle plate from leftover stanchions from HMS Fly cut down and twisted into the right shape. The position and sizing of the gudgeons needed more care, each being placed separately and alignment with the rudder checked. The top three gudgeons I pinned in place but the lower four are just ca’d.
 

The first two gudgeons fitted

 Completed and rudder mounted
 
The photo-etched straps were too thick to allow free movement of the rudder and anyway were not sized correctly for my boxwood version so I used black card cut into 2mm strips following the pattern given in AotS.
 

 

 
I will add the cloak (not sure of the proper term) that seals off the rudder from the sea and the chains at a later date.
 
I think the next stage will be to work on the lower/gun deck. The stern was complicated enough and judging from other logs, the head looks more so, therefore I’m putting off work on this area to another time in the hope of tackling something simpler.
 
David

There surely is, but not one I made.

 
Together with a 24-pounder long gun I found it in a small village shop many years ago. The barrels are cast iron and the woodwork Oak.

 
Nice items and very heavy, not sure of the scale but the long- gun barrel is 15½” muzzle to button, and the Carronade 11½”

The Breeching ropes I made myself at The Chatham Naval Dockyard on their demonstration ropewalk.
 
B.E.
 

Post twenty
 
That fairing business
Looking at the hull, the topsides have a subtle and rather elegant concave shape to the bulkheads and gunport frames.
On my model the gunport frames stand a little proud of the bulkheads, and I am concerned not to alter the shape of them.

0437
My first task is to sand the vertical gunport frames in the vertical plane, flush with the bulkheads.

0440
I then sand the longitudinal frames.
At this point you will see that all but one of the aft bracing jigs has broken off.

0445
Finger Sanders are used for this job.

0442
I then move onto sanding the whole side down to the point where the char is removed from the bulkhead edges.
For this I use the coarse side of a soft sanding block, moving along and downwards.

0447
I am now starting to use a test plank to check along the topsides. I check at different points down to the Upper deck level
What I am looking for is any indication of lumps or depressions as the plank passes across the bulkheads.
 
Moving on, below the lower deck, fairing the bulkheads continues.
Bulkheads 5- 7 only need the char removing, from 8 aft the chamfer increases as with from 5b forward to the bow.

0456

0458

0461
Again, a test plank is constantly used to check that full contact is made across all bulkheads.

0468(2)
 

0470(2)
I’ll faff around with this for a while yet, or at least until my patience wears out, but time spent on this not particularly enjoyable phase of a build does pay dividends later on.
 
B.E.
29/09/21
 

Post Nineteen
Fitting out the Foc’sle
A modest modification but one that cleans up the area around the bow.

0411
A paper pattern from the plan is used to mark out the area.

0420
Fairly straightforward, spare Pearwood from the bulwark and spirketting frets cut to fit.

0421
Frame 1-1 (with the notched extensions to take the carlings for the Fore deck) may yet be shaped to represent a  knee below deck level.

0426
I am pleased to note that Chris has taken into account the difference in size of the Bridle port, something I failed to modify on my Pegasus build, and it still niggles.
 
For the present that’s all that’s required for this modification.
 
Before I add any paint to the model or add the upper deck planking it makes sense to me to get the outboard fairing done, so this will be the next task.
 
Oh what joy.
 
B.E. 24/09/21
 

 

Post Eighteen
Modifications, Modest and Middling.
Waterways
I fitted waterways and scuppers to Pegasus, so there’s no reason not to do so on the larger Sphinx.
Rooting around my timber stock I found some 1mm Pearwood square stock, probably also supplied by Chris with one of his other kits.
The tricky bit is chamfering an angled face on this tiny strip to take part of the scupper.
I fitted the strip first and then used a micro chisel to cut the angle.

0400(2)
Scuppers are 4”ø  in the round, scaling to 1.5mm holes.
The pre-cut scupper holes on the provided etched deck are around 1.2mm ø.

0402(1)
The scupper is angled downward part thro’ the waterway and part on the Margin plank.
That’s it for the present, I will need to represent the lead flanges at some time later in the build.
 
What to do about the Bow space.
As mine is a modification build my eyes are constantly being drawn to that area of the Upper deck below the Foc’sle.

0399
This is an unfinished area, no internal bulwark planking, unfaired frames, and an engraved closed bridle port lid on the outer planking pattern, which closes off any possible view of this area.
 
What should be there is internal planking running to the stem and breast hooks with the hawse holes between.
What is provided is the Bowsprit step, the Riding Bitts, and the Fore Jeer Bitts.
 
Full modification is not possible because of the kit design but there is stuff that can be done that gives a more realistic impression.

0409(2)
To get an idea I put into place those fittings in this area.
Note: Stage 522/523 of the blurb covers the Fore Jeer Bitts(463) There is a note that the slot in the Gundeck on early batches of the kit needs easing to accept the shaft of the bitts which plugs into the lower deck.
One of the arms of this ‘Y’ shaped piece broke along the grain line whilst trial fitting, Glued together using Aliphatic Resin glue, but it remains to be seen how strong the repaired piece will be.
 
With the parts in place, I can see how to proceed.
 
The bulwarks will be faired, planked and spirketted with the intention of leaving the Bridle ports open.
Manger boards will be installed between the Bowsprit step and the forward side of the Bridle Port.
The Foc’sle will be planked to the extent that the forward Bulkhead is covered and obscured from view.
 
Better get on with it then.
 
B.E.
23/09/21

 

Post Seventeen
Bulwarks and Margin planks.
 
For the Margin planks I am using 4.5mm wide Boxwood strip.
Nothing too severe in edge bending requirements, and I use the etched deck as a template to form the curve.

0355(2)
Using the water/heat edge bending treatment, there is no need to pre-cut the margin.
 
The Spirketting is handed Port and Starboard, fore and rear; it is nicely etched with Top and Butt planking, and I added a slight bevel to the top where it meets the quickwork planking above.
 
Strictly speaking a waterway should be fitted before the  spirketting into which the scuppers are fitted.
Unless the spirketting is reduced in width to allow the fitment of a waterway,(not a good idea) the waterway would need to fit on the deck in front of it, which would cover some of the Top and Butt planking, altho’ only to the extent of around 1mm.
 
Without this fitting the scupper holes drilled in the margin plank make no sense and are probably best not drawn attention to.
On a practical level very little of this will be seen on a model fully built to the kit specification so not really an issue.
 
The deck clamps are fitted above the quickworks, again laser cut parts.
A bit of a puzzlement here, the blurb indicates that the top edge should be slightly higher than the adjacent bulwark.
There are a series of pre-drilled holes in both the spirketting and deck clamp pieces above the gunports, which would suggest are to be aligned. These are described as being for gunport tackle eyebolts, presumably for muzzle lashing when the guns are run-in and stowed.
However, if they are aligned the deck clamp pieces encroach on the top of the gunports.

0356(2)

0359(2)
Plan 11 does show the forward deck clamp strip positioned between 0.6mm and <1mm above the ports, the aft sectioned following the top line of the ports.

0364
Along the bottom of the deck clamp strips are a series of notches. These are for the support brackets for the Gangboards. (many steps ahead) They need to be carefully positioned to neither encroach on gunport or tackle eyebolt slots either side.

0366
The aft deck clamp strips are less complicated only need to ensure that the gallery doorway slot is nicely positioned. A slight trimming of the forward end to meet the fore part is required to fit.
 
I fitted the deck clamp strips without concern for aligning the drilled holes, my main objective to avoid fouling either the gunports or side tackle drill holes.

0370
Internal planking of the bulwarks now completed.

0382
The fairly easy run of the Margin planks can be seen in this shot.

0371
The ‘false’ scarph joint is marked with a scalpel and lined with a pencil.

0376
Before I progress further I will think about adding the waterway because my eye expects to see it and I doubt very much will be seen of the fine top and butt beneath even a light coat of paint.
 
B.E.
22/09/21
 
 
 

Post Twenty-four
 Fitting the Garboard Plank.
I find it more difficult to visualise the garboard run without the keel and stem in place, so these are temporarily fitted.

0618(2)
I made a dummy stem post for the lower part to better gauge where the Garboard plank should start at the forward end.
It seems to me that certainly for the first planking, this really means running the plank to the very outer edge of the false keel and shaping to match.

0622(2)
I decided to use a 10mm wide strip of Limewood for the Garboard, a sort of Garboard plus.
I keep a small supply of 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm wide strips, always useful when it comes to spiling.

0633
I left the aft end of the plank to run naturally as it will need faying down to nothing towards the keel.

0623
The twist as it meets the flat of the keel is evident here.

0630(2)
The position at the bow doesn’t look too bad to my eye.

0625
How this will work out in practice remains to be seen.
 
The maximum number of full width planks remaining down to the keel is now 14.
So, it’s down to using a tick strip approach to fill the remaining space.
 
B.E.
11/10/21
 
 

Post Twenty-three
 
Planking down to the lower deck and stern counter.
I decided that a simple approach of taper and edge bend was sufficient for the next four strakes which take me down to just below the lower deck.
The taper applied is modest, only reducing the plank width at the stem to 4mm.

0578
I’m very much old school and prefer to use the wet and heat system of plank forming. Only requirements a long plastic tube for soaking, and an old hairdryer donated by Mrs W.
 
In summary:
Mark the taper, soak, cut taper, mark edge bend centre, (where applicable) form bend, apply heat, pin, and glue.

0574
I work the strakes singly, Port and Starboard, matching the bow tapers as I go.
With Sphinx, the tricky part is to get the sharp bend up to the counter as neat and smooth as possible.

0580(2)
All the stern strips are separate and staggered along the bulkheads between the stern and b/h9.

0573(2)
The bend didn’t prove too difficult to form and should be easier with the thinner Pearwood strips of the second planking.

0584

0586
Once the planks are formed I test fit them using clamps and pins before gluing, applying a blast of heat with the strips in place.

0599(2)

0597(2)
I’m taking things at a leisurely pace at present, other stuff to do, so fitting the four strakes each side has taken several days.

0602(2)

0603(2)

0608(2)

0615(2)
 
 
Moving onto the Garboard….
 
 
B.E.
10/10/21
 

Thanks all, done now! Off to the digital library 

Downhill now 

Some nice chains and anchors, and the clean up crew 

Bowsprit and Jib Boom
The bowsprit was remarkably fiddly, but gave lots of learning so I'm reasonably pleased.
 
The bowsprit requires 13 cleats and a bee to be placed reasonably carefully.  This I did by machining shallow slots using my Proxxon mill.  I took the photos below after I had fitted the cleats, but the slot for the bee is visible.  The square tenon to take the cap can also be seen.    Machining that was relatively straightforward though the undercut on the top surface was a tittle tricky
 


 
Far more tricky was the cap itself.  As has been remarked before, the kit-provided part with two circular holes bored perpendicular to the surface is virtually useless.  In the picture below, on the LHS you can see what happens when you machine a square slot for the tenon -  it is not possible to fit the square slot around the circular hole (I did the geometry - but I'll spare you that).  On the RHS is the cap I scratch built.  Easy to machine, hard to design, so here's my sketch of the cross-section - crucial to that was determining the angle of the bowsprit (19º above horizontal), and the width of the jib boom seating bracket (2 mm).
 


 
Here it is assembled (with interim gammoning around the boom)

 
Bumkins added

 
Painted and rigged - with Petrejus's  "hour glass" gammoning.
 

 

 

 

John, having looked at your idea of a Spanish Burton, which I had not even considered, if all three blocks are used this would work if a 'purchase winch' was used.  However, the Rigging Warrant lists 4 x 10" and 2 x 9" SINGLE blocks, which suggests two guntackle purchases, with perhaps each being tailed with a runner (whip)?  Here is a workable configuration for a 'Spanish burton' arrangement for the gin blocks (which will have alternated between Port and Stbd for the fore and main masts).  Still need to bite the bullet and go by the Rigging Warrant listing or by the Contract Specification - the correspondence is silent on this, and unfortunately the imagery does not show either configuration.  The following (and previous post) is looking from the front.
 

 
Thanks again John
 
Pat

Hi guys, a small bit of progress - see below a piccy of the PE for the tops - the fold line will enable me to create the angle-iron trestrees and the after ends of the rim for the 'D" fore rims.  I will need to attach the rest of the rim front, and drill out for the various eyebolts (start holes already etched).

 
I am also back to the Tyes and Purchases/Halliards again.  Having progressed to other things, I revisited this and realised I had got it all wrong and need to sort out the topsail tyes again.
 
Here is the predicament -  the Specification called for the fitting of Purchase winches for the topsail yard.  The correspondence from the ship build superintendent (that I have been able to access so far) is silent on them.  As this person was very detailed and informative in his very regular reports, it is unlikely he will have neglected to inform if these had been omitted.  
 
The Rigging Warrant does not mention them but does offer a very complex arrangement that does not align with the arrangements described by any of the contemporary or more modern authors consulted.  The Rigging Warrant 
lists the tye for the fore topsail as 68’ of 9/16” chain with “Gin on Yard and 2 Hanging Gins Iron”.   It also lists a halliard associated with the fore topsail tye, made up from 27 fathoms of 2½” hemp rope, associated with four 10”, and two 9” single blocks, and two travellers under the ‘Thimbles’ column. 
 
The only way such a list of items could be configured (as far as I can determine) is for the gins to set up as shown in the following image (I drew up in CAD).  The tails of the chain have long links for the associated halliards.  As two traveller thimbles + 4 by singles blocks suggests two separate halliards.  Halliards were normally a pendant set-up to the port channel (for the foremast) and the purchase to starboard.  The only arrangement I can determine here is that two separate up-and-down halliards with a runner (whip) was used?
 
Any other ideas guys?  
 

 
cheers
 
Pat