AON

Just opened this log. Will start posting here once some items are organized. I was reading about maps and charts and once again they alluded to navigators using special instruments. After having researched how it was done with different instruments I decided to create a 3D model of a working mariners Astrolabe. At this moment I am printing the last part... well my printer's doing the work... I'm outside basking in the summer sun ☀️.

Gundeck done. Upperdeck started with the plugs in lieu of the upper cill at the eight (4 per side) midships gun ports. I will post a photo of that later today. I made my top timbers thicker then needed because they are quite thin at 5-1/4, 5-1/2, and 6" deep (about 3/32" at 1:64 scale). I was concerned I might damage them as they seemed fragile to me, so I now have some additional sanding to do. Presently I am into hour 6 of 15 to 3D print the last part of my working mariners astrolabe. I'll likely create a build log in the 3D section for it.

Wonderful use of the width jig and centering template.

He states that he scratched it with a thin file. There is no mention of any other steps. If there were any I would certainly like to read about them!

Looks like a real challenge. I'll bet standing back 2 feet it looks pretty darn good.

I like how you did the window panes.... I think I may be copying that.

On this day in 1815 Napoleon surrendered to Capt. Maitland on board the Bellerophon.

Nice job! Now for me to remember it all. I was concerned about the metal end of your clamp maring the plank when turned to tighten and was imagining various ways to avoid it ... and then you showed the simple soft wooden nose piece add on solution. Simple and effective... like everything you show us. Thank you.

Thanks. Sitting in the office waiting now. It was scary at first but, like everything else, after I managed the first one or two I felt better about it all.

Gun Deck upper cills done. One lower cill done... and I am quite happy with it. It is not sanded flush yet and will have to wait a few days as I'm off to the eye doctor for my 9 week visit.

There seems to be as many ways to cut a gunport as there are ways to make mistakes. I had to find a method I was comfortable with... this after all is my first time and I honestly wasn't looking forward to cutting holes into all this work I just got done. After having tooled around long enough trying my hand at various methods of cutting the gunports I finally brought the ship outside and started cutting. I decided to use a rotary combination drill-saw bit in the flex-cable of my dremel. The bit has a drill cutter point and rotary cutting notches on the shaft. It was plunged through at the centre of the square outline, holding a level and square as I could I cut up to within about 1/16" of my upper cut line (top of the upper cill) then changed direction left, then back to the right to free the top of the frames, then back to the middle, then down to within 1/16" of the bottom cut line (bottom of the lower cill) then cut across to pop them off. So far I've only been working on upper cills. I wrapped sand paper over my 1/2" wide flat file and holding it level, I sanded to the upper and lower lines. I then marked the thickness (height) of my upper cill onto the edge of the frames at each side so I knew where the notch had to stop. I used my mini triangular file to sideways shape the upper cill notch. This was cleaned up a bit with a sharp X-acto knife. In the photo below you will see the sides need to be opened to get the proper opening width. I then took my cill timber and cut it to a bit more than 1/8" the required length. This was held to the opening and I pencil marked off the bottom distance of the notch to cut away. This was cut away in bites with a chisel. Fitted to the opening and sanded to look right on a piece of sand paper laying flat on the table top. The far side was then cut and shaped to fit likewise. Below you will see it dry fitted.... almost there. Then after some more fiddling about it slid into place. Apply some glue. Assemble. Let sit 20 minutes to grip. Sand flush. Done. On to the next one. I will post my lower cill installation when I've get around to having a few done and I can (of course) pick out a better looking effort. (and yes... the aft gunports are a wee bit skewed as they should be! 🤪 )

I completed the other two lower mast tops (fore and mizzen). Below are all three side by side with swivel guns temporarily installed on the main and fore tops. Then I clamped them down onto my storage board with the rails protected against a secure upright block. Put this into the cardboard box and put that into the box with my mast storage rack. All safely tucked away.

Looking very good! 😊

As it was nice out today I relocated to the patio. Working on the lower fore and mizzen mast tops. Also finished reading A History of Canada in Ten Maps by Adam Shoalts and was surprised by the last chapter describing John Franklin's three assignments to map the coastlines and islands of Canada's arctic. He was a midshipman on the Bellerophon at Trafalgar. The first was a disaster where many died and he and those few survivors almost starved to death. If it weren't for the kindness of the local indigenous people he wouldn't be a footnote to history. He managed his second assignment four years later (1825), but hadn't learnt his lesson from the first, how to be a team leader and listen to those who had survived the rigours of the wilderness of Canada. Everyone knows how the last assignment (HMS Erebus and Terror 1845-47) ended, stuck in the ice, once again resulting in some resorting to cannibalism and starving and freezing to death. The late great John Franklin was described by the survivor's of his first expedition as incompetent! Interesting.

You might avoid some scale problems by assembling your piecing in the 3D program and seeing the fit before you print. I admit sometimes the file size can be large, but the parts can be "shrink wrapped" so they are just one block/shell placed on another block/shell to reduce the size of the overall assembly file. On the other side of that coin, this did offer you an opportunity to tweak it up some!

I like the framed photo on the wall of the last one

I seem to recall reading that the larger carronade balls were hollow to make them lighter to handle but the weight label stayed as was referencing the diameter of the ball.

Lieste had mentioned a figure in Winfield of an 80 gun ship with two carronades and four guns on the forecastle. The only book I have by Rif Winfield is The 50-Gun Ship and the figure is not in that. I found a copy of the very expensive (almost $500) book British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates by Rif Winfield on Google that allowed viewing of a very few selected pages. Lieste confirmed this was the book and he sent me the image which is of HMS Foundroyant launched in 1788. THANK YOU! She also had the 6 carronades on the Roundhouse. The count of 80 guns excluded the carronades. They were extra. Carronades were not counted unless they replaced guns. What is really nice is the image shows a top view of the deck with the guns so there is no question as to their location. Via Google I found an image of HMS Illustrious in the selected viewing pages of the book. She is a 74 gun ship launched in 1799, and she has the extra ports on the forecastle for carronades. I also found HMS Swiftsure of 1800, an 80 gun ship with the extra ports.

I can sleep well tonight. I found one image of the 74 gun Illustrious in that era that has the gun ports in the same pattern as the 80 gun ship Lieste just sent me. THANK YOU! I will post images tomorrow as 4am to 10pm is a long day for me. Good night all.

I have been searching Bellerophon, Elephant and Goliath but from 1786 to 1800. The point you make about the opposite ordnance is very interesting.

The documents mentioned in my above posting are ADM 52/2752, ADM 52/2779 and ADM 52/3359. I never thought there was anything but the 74 guns. I never searched further once I found she wasn't on the list of ships issued carronades. Then I discovered the swivel guns. Now there are the carronades. So short answer is no I hadn't but now I shall. How did you know they mentioned the guns before got your hands on copies? were they posted on PRO to read?

Can you post that portion of the image? I'd very much like to see it. In my mind I can visualize the carronade mounted on the cat tail beam that runs athwartships aft of the head and on top of the forecastle deck as I see the cat tail beam might be an impediment to the carriage of the 9 Pdr cannon. Then the other concern might possibly be the bowsprit, jib boom and yards rigging being in the line of fire(???) .

I received a response from Kews. They sent me links to help me search. I spent 3 hours searching from 4AM to 7AM. I found 3 documents, masters logs for the periods of 1790-91, 1793-94 and 1794-95. These may or may not have any mention of guns and there placement. I did not find any mention of Ordnance or Gunner's records for this ship or her sister ships. I tried looking at models and figures at NMM.... I hate the new layout.

Yes please.

I copied out the documents in an attempt to zoom in to read but that made them a little fussy. As best I can tell it reads that the 74`s had 12 Pdr carronades fore and aft in 1779. I have a statement from the boy that the 74 I`m interested in had 18 Pdr aft and 32 Pdr forward. If I can get this as a document from the gunner (his father) and it gives the location other than ``forecastle`` I`m golden.