AON

Just wonderful work, Bruce!  Waiting for the reveal of the entire model in display!
Clear skies and sharp tools!
- Gabe

(Although, we both know what clear skies in January on the Canadian prairies really means)

Wrapping up some final details... the ensign and staff are mounted, and the main sheets fitted...

The main shrouds are about half "rattled", and I'm thinking good thoughts about the crow's nest...
Getting there!
Bruce
 

Gregory and druxey - thanks both for the information.  Your ideas should definitely improve my efforts so I'll give them a go.

My method is to use a long length of wire, and bend one end into a short 'V'. Then thread on the ring. The next step involves holding the two end of the V (inverted so gravity moves the ring out of the way) )in a parallel plier and squeezing the V together using a needle-nose pliers. I then release the ringbolt and, with fine wire cutters, cut the short end at an angle and then the longer end to make a stem.
 
As observed by Gregory, the bolt is partially sunk into the wood. After drilling a suitable hole, I open it up using a miniature jewelers' screwdriver tip held at about a 35 degree angle. This forms a sort of countersink for the ringbolt.

You should get a lot of feedback on this, but I was particularly taken by a method Chuck demonstrated with Speedwell.
Instead of making eyebolts that look like the little jewelry eyelets provided with most kits, one simply makes a U-shape from the wire being used.
The following is clipped from the post by Chuck.
 


You then counter sink this "eyebolt" into your work and it looks very realistic.
The "hole" you sink it into needs to be a little oval shaped instead of round.
I have since observed this feature on contemporary models and artifacts.

Here it is on a salvaged gun carriage.
 

Here is an example from a contemporary model. It is really effective for small applications like the gun port lid.
 

Thanks very much Alan   - I would say that your idea of a lanyard is probably spot on.  It would be so easy to lose the cover at that point on the ship.

I find making card stock templates of items that need to nest against others a tremendous help.
 
I also believe the hatch frame covers had lanyards attached so they wouldn't get washed overboard. If this is true you could make the cover and show it removed perched up on one corner of the frame. Maybe someone could confirm the lanyard as I cannot seem to find the source of this information.
 
Great work BTW!

I find making card stock templates of items that need to nest against others a tremendous help.
 
I also believe the hatch frame covers had lanyards attached so they wouldn't get washed overboard. If this is true you could make the cover and show it removed perched up on one corner of the frame. Maybe someone could confirm the lanyard as I cannot seem to find the source of this information.
 
Great work BTW!

Good morning Mark.
I want to thank you for your posting #1967 (7 Nov 2020) explaining how you made and use your deck beam jig.
I am about to start re-making some upper deck beams that have a noticeable rise but my freehand method was a terrible idea (they've been torn out)... then I recalled you made a jig.  It took a bit to find until I decided to do a search with "deck beam jig" and *BAM* there it was.
I suspect my curved deck beams will be much better on the next run.
Alan

Hi Alan,
 
I'm glad it will help. After looking at a lot of advice on how to do this, I didn't trust my free-handing in a lot of the ideas.
It took a little time to make the jig, but then you can crank out flawless beams every time, and very quickly.
The only fiddly bit is measuring the actual angle of the top surface of each beam from a horizontal line (I did this from the plans) and then setting the jig angle accordingly.
Also be sure to crank down the clamps; a beam blank slipping in the router table is a disaster.
Also, be sure to mark each beam with its location and orientation; it is so easy to mix them up afterwards, particularly the ones closest to center where the slope is not as apparent.
If you need any help or clarification, please don't hesitate to ask!
 
Mark

Enjoyed seeing her at today's club meeting!

Thanks Alan! The help given me by yourself and others really helped the build come together!
I am looking forward to presenting my first installment of Lilla Dan's rebuilding in April, also by then St. Roch should be in her case.

Enjoyed seeing her at today's club meeting!

Enjoyed seeing her at today's club meeting!

Happy New Year everyone!
Now that the relative riots are over, the turkey coma has passed, and the decorations are being put away for another year, it is time to get back to modelling!
St. Roch now has her mainmast installed!
The steps to finish the spars and main sail, and to assemble the mast, are the same as I carried out for the foremast, so I won't be repeating them here. The first picture is the mast assembled, held in my drill press vise that I brought to my model bench. Note the running rigging is pre-installed, and the cargo derrick is in place with my scratch built gooseneck.
Note also the chain and footropes on the main boom...

St. Roch originally had a gaff mainsail, but this was cut down and the gaff removed by captain Larsen after her maiden voyage. Presumably the smaller sail area helped her sailing characteristics, which were not very good. And here is the mast installed onto the ship...

The running rigging has been belayed to the pins at the mast foot. The back stays are installed. The main stay is installed to the spreader on the mast.
The crow's nest will be installed above the spreader, which keeps the stay out of the way of the nest. I made the Jacob's ladder and installed it between the top of the shrouds and the bottom of the nest. 
As will be seen, crew climbed into the crow's nest through the bottom, not over the top.
The shrouds have yet to be made and installed.
 
In these next two pictures you can see the cargo derrick set up, with the crewman pushing his load of sacks to the side of the ship. The tackles used to swing the derrick are left slack on purpose, and the ends will be belayed to pins at the lower end of the main shrouds.


I normally do not include crewmen, since I am not very good at making them. However a friend on another forum and his 3d printer came to the rescue. I thought the open hold looked too sterile and the crewman would give scale to the model, so I used the following picture as inspiration to create this mini-diorama.
 
The photo was taken in 1928 during St. Roch's maiden voyage, as evidenced by her original small deckhouse and the note that she is unloading at Cambridge Bay.

It is interesting to note that there is no sailor manning the winch, the crewman appears to be working alone to get the cargo over the side and into, presumable, a shore boat...
This last picture shows my take on the scene...

Now all that remains are the main shrouds and some final details before St. Roch goes into her display case!
Thanks everyone for looking in and following along, and for your comments and support during my build!
Regards,
Bruce
 
 
 

Hi Mike, to add  to your LED update, as a comparison:
-my bridgeport milling machine  came with a fluorescent light close to the cutter
-2 examples of working lights: on the working table and on the ceiling
 
The best working light you can get are effectively LED lights. The best ones come from photography. You do not really need to adjust the color temperature, it is better to choose one with only daylight which will give a constant light as if you were working outside during the day, this way you will always see the real color of what you are working.
 
It is preferable to have an adjustment for the intensity of the light.
If you want to get rid of the shadows when you are working, you position one light on both sides
The foot of the light is what you could call a universal position adjustment.
 
Continue your good work.

Some more work done and this time it's the windlass pawl which is a very simple mechanism on this ship.
 
Firstly I made the hinge out of brass but I forgot to take any photos of the actual process.  It was quite simple really as all I did was to silver solder some 2mm tube onto some 1mm plate and then put it in the milling machine.  The only issue I could foresee was that the holding point in the vice was very small so only light cuts could be taken.  I also had the machine running at 10k rpm which lessoned the vibration during cutting.  Why is it I always drill one hole out of line?  I wouldn't mind but I centre punched it too........


The pawl has a wooden piece that it is recessed into  - its this wooden part which locks into the windlass.


Finally the completed installation and I'm glad to say that it did fit into the windlass  



My next job will be the hatch surround on the forecastle deck and then the pin rail.
 
Thanks for all of the comments, likes and help
 
Mark
 

Exceptional Execution!!  This scale allows such beautiful detail.   Your milling skills allow precise duplication and give these pieces life of their own.
 
Thanks for sharing this wonderful build with such good descriptions and wonderful photography!  We all look forward to your next post!!

Another update on Le Rochefort and this time it's the catheads and snatch sheave blocks.
 
Making the catheads I found to be relatively straightforward; the only issue I had was that my end mill was too short to complete the sheave slots from one side.  It was just one of those times when you have to trust your datums and turn the piece over to complete the cuts.



Now fitting the catheads is not easy at all.  You need a bit of bottle to cut through your newly made gunwale, moulding and waterway.  I just took my time and removed little pieces at a time.




Next I made the snatch sheave blocks - these are really nice to make as they really make you plan the cutting order to still be able to hang onto them.

Next were the sheaves and I have had this piece of ebony wood knocking around in my drawer for ages.  So I thought it would be very nice to make them out of that.


To finish all of the pieces off I made the ring bolts, iron ring and fitted the sheaves in place.


And finally I fitted all of the parts to the ship




Next up I'm going to finish off the windlass by making the locking pawl.
 
Cheers Mark
 

Daniel
I found "guns" to be quite confusing.
Discovering that swivel guns on the fighting tops and carronades on the weather decks weren't counted as guns.... in this age I can only wonder why?
Even some of that era questioned it.
Alan

DITTO!  😉

Albert as druxey said both hulls are beautiful examples of framing. You are one heck of a speed builder and I really enjoy seeing you build them so quick. Takes me forever just to build just one frame. Keep up the great build's. Gary

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
some update pics
The Taffrail has been drilled and pinned to the stern, and the counter timbers have been cut back to a proper termination level.

The Griffon/Gryphon carvings are coming along but at such a small scale I wonder if I just need more practice or should I use a different wood — Castello versus boxwood basswood (Linden), as I've already lost a hind foot!

I tried using rotary cutters but reverted to mini chisels.
We'll have to wait and see how the head turns out!
🤔

Funnily enough I wasn't sure about whether I would make all of the parts or not as some parts are so readily available on line.  I didn't make the bricks in the stove but the more I build the more important it is that I do make as many parts as possible.  I'm sure that many other builders feel the same as the satisfaction is just so nice when the part you make just fits the ship.