Sloop Mediator by qwerty2008 - Scale 1:48 - BOTTLE - using plans by carlosgf

[qwerty2008]

I kept telling myself that I should finish a model model before starting a new one but I just couldn't resist and started on the Mediator. The model is built using plans from carlosgf and will serve as a practice run for a 1:20 scale radio controled version that I will start on after I finish my Byzantium.

 

Sloop Mediator 1745:

 

Dimensions:

 

Length of Gundeck 61' 4”
Length of Keel 44' 0”
Breadth 21' 2”
Depth in Hold 9' 9”
Burthen 104 74/94

 

Armament:

 

Gundeck 10 British 4-Pounder
Gundeck 18 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

 

Service history:

 

1745........... Purchased at Antigua
1745/03/18. First commissioned
1745/05/09. Arrived at Portsmouth. Valued at £104.15.8d for the hull and £150.15.0d for the masts, yards, furniture and stores.
1745/06/04. Taken by La Naiade
1745/06/10. Refit at a cost of £571.4.11d
1745/07/29. Foundered in Ostend harbour
1745/07/31. Wreck abandoned

 

This build log will hopefully have some more structure then my other logs starting with the index.

 

 

 

Index

1. Cutting the bulkheads 

2. Fairing the bulkheads

3. Filler blocks

4. Making the keel

5. Planking part I (above the wales)

6. Planking part II (below the wales port)

7. Port Side Paint (with question)

 

 

 

Lextin.

[SawdustDave]

I took a look at those plans Lextin.... Understand why you want to build this one. Looks nice. Looking forward to your log posts.

[qwerty2008]

Cutting the Bulkheads: (3.00 hours)

 

 

The plans (sheets 4-15) where printed then glued to a sheet of 1/4 inch Birch plywood which I then proceeded to cut on the bandsaw. As the plans were made for 5mm ply I had to cut the slots in the bulkheads a bit wider then they where men't to be, needless to say this took a bit of practice to get right so some fit a little loose and had to be shimmed with card stock. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lextin.

[qwerty2008]

Fairing the Bulkheads: (4.00 hours)

 

 

 

The fairing was done with a sanding drum on my Dremel rotary tool and I just beveled the bulkheads using the lines on the plans as a guide then used a strip of heavy card to check fairness and was pleasantly surprised that it ran flat against all the bulkheads the first time acting as a testament to the quality of the plans. There are still a few spots that need touchups but that shouldn't take long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lextin.

Edited March 15, 2015 by qwerty2008

[mtaylor]

Got my coffee and some popcorn... I'm here, too.   You're off to a flying start.

[Omega1234]

Got my coffee and some popcorn... I'm here, too.   You're off to a flying start.

Me too! Lextin - when do you sleep??! That's some fast and nice work there!

 

Well done.

[sonicmcdude]

Nice start. The bulkhead method is my favorite one so I will be here to learn some and maybe suggest some things. 

[SawdustDave]

And I've been accused of being fast.... You go GET'EM Mate!

[qwerty2008]

Me too! Lextin - when do you sleep?

 

Lately: between the hours of 7:00am and 10:00am.

 

 

And I've been accused of being fast.

Just wait until I get burned out and stop building for months at a time.

 

 

Lextin.

[SawdustDave]

"Burn out"....Been there, done that. Had to put it down for over two years.

[qwerty2008]

Filler Blocks: (8:00 hours)

 

I made the filler blocks for the bow and stern as well as the gunport sills. The sills where made by cutting a strip of wood to the with of the gunports and using the miter box to cut them square, then they where beveled to fit the openings and glued in place. The filler blocks where made by first marking the shape on a scrap piece of wood then cutting rasping and finally  sanding them flush with the bulkheads. After everything was in place I went over the entire hull with a palm sander (Black and Decker Mouse) now I am down to the part where I just want to run my fingers along it feeling how smooth and even it is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lextin.

Edited March 16, 2015 by qwerty2008

[qwerty2008]

making the keel: (12:00 Hours)

 

 

The keel is done. I made the keel from cherry and the false keel from oak. Most the cutting was done on the bandsaw, I used the drum sander in the drillpress to sand the pieces right up to the lines then used a file to make the joints fit perfectly. I simulated calking by rubbing pencil on the inside of the joints prier to gluing. The entire keel was glued in place so that planking can commence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lextin.

[Mirabell61]

Nice work Lextin,

 

a fine model hull with beautiful lines....

 

Nils

[qwerty2008]

The upper wales: (13.00 hours)

 

 

 

 

The upper wales were made in order to set the lines for the rest of the planking. I made them by first milling the oak planks on the bandsaw and running them trough my improvised thickness sander to make them uniform thickness. The bends where made by heating the planks over a heat gun (this would make the wood flex as if it were rubber) and and bending with my fingers constantly checking the fit. Lastly they were glued in place with PVA and clamped to dry. 

I could have done better on the port side but O-well that's in the past.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lextin.

[Omega1234]

Good progress so far, Lextin. I'm Enjoying following along.

[qwerty2008]

The lower wales (18:00 hours) 

 

 

 

 

Today I made the lower wales, they were made in much the same way as the upper ones except that they where aligned against the planks above them. rather then by the gunports. I also fixed the port side upper wale because it was bugging me. The normal thickness planks are made from cherry which doesn't bend as well as the oak but because their so thin it don't really matter. The scuppers were made with a round file prier to installing the lower wale.

 

The first normal thickness plank.

My thickness sander.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lextin.

[qwerty2008]

Gunport Stripe (22:00 hours)

 

 

 

I have installed the three strakes of planking above the wale, there's not much to say here except that there was a lot of gluing, clamping and waiting for glue to dry.

 

 

 

 

Lextin.

[qwerty2008]

Quarterdeck Molding etc. (24 hours)

 

 

The quarterdeck molding strip and the two planks above it have been made. The cabin roof may need to be made a little taller to accommodate the next molding and one more strake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lextin.

[qwerty2008]

The Garboard Strake: (24:30 hours)

 

 

 

 

The garboard strake has been installed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lextin.

[qwerty2008]

The Lower Planking: (30:00 hours)

 

 

 

 

 

I have started on the lower planking and am moving from the wale down. I am trying to use the least number of drop planks and stealers as per Chucks videos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lextin.

[Mirabell61]

Thanks for sharing these nice pics on your progress Lextin,

 

love those lines and presume youre going for single planking due to your accuracy.....

 

Nils

[Omega1234]

 

Good work there, Lextin.

 

She's looking really nice, with a beautiful hull shape and the way that you've gone about your planking is really nice as well.

 

At the rate you're going, you'll be doing the masting and rigging in no time.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[qwerty2008]

Thanks Nils, Patrick, and everyone who pressed the like button .

Nils: Yes I will only be single planking the hull, the density of the bulkheads makes this fairly easy plus I got lucky when I made my planks as they are the perfect thickness to bend easily but not so easily that they show (unless of course you hold a lamp behind them as they are slightly translucent) the bulkheads.

 

 

Patrick: I surprised myself with that one and hopefully I can keep up the rate as I would like to finish the Mediator before collage starts this fall.

 

 

 

 

Lextin.

[captainbob]

She's coming along nicely.

 

Bob

[qwerty2008]

She wont be coming along nicely at least not for the rest of today as I ripped my thumb nail off with a rotary rasp wile milling some more planks. My last sanding drum went kaput so I set up the rasp to thickness the blank for the next set of planks when my thumb got pulled between the rasp and the guide which was set at 1/8 inch. After it hapend I walked out to the living room to ask for a bandage when I passed out the first time, then after I stood back up I went down again when I came to it felt as if several days had passed since the incident. Basically I am trying to say that I wont be feeling up to working on the model anymore today.

 

 

 

 

 

Lextin.

[mtaylor]

She wont be coming along nicely at least not for the rest of today as I ripped my thumb nail off with a rotary rasp wile milling some more planks. My last sanding drum went kaput so I set up the rasp to thickness the blank for the next set of planks when my thumb got pulled between the rasp and the guide which was set at 1/8 inch. After it hapend I walked out to the living room to ask for a bandage when I passed out the first time, then after I stood back up I went down again when I came to it felt as if several days had passed since the incident. Basically I am trying to say that I wont be feeling up to working on the model anymore today.

 

Lextin.

 

 

Not hitting the like button... there's nothing to like about blood and pain....

[SawdustDave]

I passed out twice just reading your description mate.....ouch!

[Omega1234]

Lextin. That's NOT good news, at all. I hope you're able to rest it and stay away from recalcitrant machinery for a while. Somehow, I get the impression that after passing out twice, you definitely needed more than just a bandage!

 

Take care.

[qwerty2008]

Here is a picture of what it looks like now, the arrow is pointing at the part that was ripped out from under the skin.

 

 

 

 

Lextin

[Omega1234]

Like a scene out of a horror movie! At least you weren't home alone when you did this.