HMS Camilla c.1776 by wyz - 1:48 scale - 20 gun post ship

[wyz]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Third time's a charm?

 

     I haven't posted anything in the HMS Camilla build log recently because, for the last month, there hasn't been a log.  What???  There used to be one.  What happened?   Well, here's the story.  From the start of the Camilla project I have had problems.  Yes, some were self inflicted, but one giant one was not.  If you remember six months ago I got schizo about what model I wanted to build, made a premature move to another project, and then gave the newly started Camilla away only to change my mind once again.  Yes, that was a mistake.  I shot myself in the foot with that ill-thought-out move.  A few months later I started the project again.  All was going well with Camilla v. 2 and I had made some good progress on the model out of the gate.  I had completely shaped the hull's exterior using templates.  This was no small job for a large scale bread & butter construction, very labor intensive in fact.  I was also well along with carving out the interior too.  Then came that fateful night over the 4th of July holiday when tragedy struck.  I had been working in the shop for over six hours and was about to call it a day.  As is my usual practice I spend a little time cleaning the shop before locking up.  I had just finished vacuuming the work table and building board when I heard an explosion.  One of the neighborhood kids set off a powerful firecracker nearby, probably a cherry bomb or an M80.  Whatever it was it was VERY LOUD!  It startled me and terrified my little dog Toby.   He was in the shop trying to find some comfort lying on the cold concrete floor.  The poor little guy becomes inconsolably frieghtened by loud sounds, and with the explosion he Immediately ran to me.  At that very moment I had just put down the vacuum hose and was moving towards the the work table to reseat the model in its place on the building board.  I had taken it out and placed it upside down on the far side of the work table in order to vac the surface of that board.  With Toby under foot I had to quickly sidestep so as to not walk on him, but in doing so I stepped on the vacuum hose, tripped, and fell forward onto the work table.  My full weight came down on the building board sending it into the model.  The Camilla shot off the table and landed hard on the concrete floor.  Time stopped!  When I peered under the table my worst fears were realized.  The model was in pieces.  Both support arms had broken off the hull, the temporary keel was cracked and had partially come loose, and worse, 2 large pieces of the starboard side had splintered off.  Oh sh_t!  The damage to the Camilla was extensive.  I was sickened to my stomach and so freaked out and upset I just closed up the shop, went upstairs, and looked for a bottle of booze.  Even with a few stiff drinks in me I didn't sleep well that night.  Early the next day I went down into the shop and gave the model a thorough examination, all with the hope the Camilla could be fixed.  Alas, much to my disappointment, the model had sustained irrepairable damage and was now little more than firewood.  @$*%&!$  Where did I leave that bottle?

 

     Shortly after this happened I wrote a text message to Mark (MTaylor) to vent my frustration.  He listened and responded with kind words.  He also shared with me a similar model shipbuilding tragedy that happened to him.  It helped.  Still, the accident was quite upsetting, enough so that earlier that day I went on the MSW website, contacted administrator Chuck Pasaro, and asked him to remove all of my Camilla posts from the MSW scratch build logs.  Looking at it in retrospect that was a big mistake, a knee-jerk action I regret.  Yes, it really did hurt, but the more I thought about it the more grateful I was that the model was still in its infancy.  Imagine how I would have felt had this happened when the Camilla was as far along as say  Dan Vada's Vulture.  That would be far worse than getting kicked in the gonads .... multiple times!  I guess I should count my blessings.  

 

     I'm not a quitter so I'll get right back to it when my head clears of this mishap. 

 

    

 

Tom

[druxey]

Oh dear, Tom, what a tale of woe. I hope you let the neighbour's kids know what unthinking consequences their actions had. I'm glad that you've recovered your sense of equanimity and are prepared to begin anew. You will have your cheering team reassembled here shortly.

 

On thinking over your story, I suppose that the total loss of the Royal Navy's Camilla could be attributed to the War of American Independence....

[wyz]

druxey

 

     Yes, I can just imagine the newsboys yelling the headline to peddle  Ben Franklin's paper.   "Extra, extra read all about it, HMS Camilla Destroyed by Cherry Bomb."

 

Tom

Edited August 9, 2015 by wyzwyk

[SawdustDave]

Now, after all that bad experience Tom, you can consider yourself a real veteran modeler. Ro-do's make us stronger. Do-do's usually turn out to be much better than the original. I think going back to scratch and starting all over again shows character and determination.

Trust me, you will look back and say that unfortunate accident was actually a good thing.

Or maybe not.... Lol

[wyz]

Dave

 

    I just love model shipbuilding too much to let this accident stop me.  Yes, you could say I've been tied up in an emotional dry dock for this past month, but some day in the not too distant future I'll be ready to cast off those lines and get back to modeling again.

 

Tom

Edited February 6, 2016 by wyzwyk

[mtaylor]

It's great to hear you're back in the saddle again.  And no, I won't play Gene Autry.     But seriously, this is excellent news.  BTW, Danny's Vulture did have, as I recall, a meeting with the floor or an approximation to it as I recall.

[wyz]

 

 

Mark, thank you for your support.  You had to know it would be sooner than later that I would get back in the game.  While painful these things happen in life; you just have to fight through it.   Actually I'm rather excited to start the project again; and today I purchased some of the wood, 20- 1" x 6" x 33" pieces of yellow poplar.  Some will say that's a lot of wood, and way more than necessary.  It probably is but extra pieces are always good to have, and sometimes needed.  The stuff I bought is really beautiful stock; straight with no cup, warps, or bends, and pretty much free and clear of knots.  I had to go to this particular lumber dealer several times before they had sufficient wood of quality and quantity for this project.  Well, from the looks of the milled wood (all 6 sides) it was worth the wait. 

 

Hey buddy,are you sure you don't want to sing me a verse or two of Back in the Saddle Again?  LOL

 

Tom

Edited February 19, 2016 by wyzwyk

[jdbradford]

Only if you sing it like Stephen Tyler.

 

Jeff

[mtaylor]

An excellent plan, Tom.  And you can sing it all you want.  It's a good feeling to start a project, even for the second or third time.

[wyz]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prologue

 

     In all my years of building model ships I have never experienced the difficulty of keeping a project afloat as much as I have with HMS Camilla.  This log marks my third attempt to construct a model of this vessel.  It's been a full seven months since the 4th of July accident that did irreparable damage to Camilla II, so I think it's time to bring everyone up to speed on where I'm at.  As stated earlier I purchased and had milled some really beautiful boards of kiln dried yellow poplar back in August.  Since wood is hydroscopic, expanding and contracting with changes in atmospheric humidity, I wanted to air dry the lumber a few more months in the shop environment to insure its stability before starting the build.  Unfortunately the project was delayed even longer when my shop dust filter conked out on me.  Having air filtration is of paramount importance, especially if you're building, as I am, a large scale bread and butter construction hull.  Without one the dust would find its way all throughout my condo and make me and my dog absolutely miserable.  Toby is especially bothered by the wood dust.  To say the hull shaping process produces copious quantities of dust is a gross understatement.  There was no way I was going to work without an air filter so the project was temporarily put on hold.  When Santa brought me a new Jet air cleaner for Christmas Camilla III was finally started.  I've been a busy beaver since then; constructing a new building board, making a much improve set of plywood hull shaping templates, and starting work on the hull.  Yes, the new build is underway! 

 

     Because I foolishly had Chuck Pasaro, the MSW site administrator, remove the Camilla log after the July 4 accident I'm now saddled with the task of doing it anew.  Initially I had planned to make my first post only when I was beyond the point where I was at when I had that mishap, but a problem I encountered this past week has forced me to rethink this idea.  My computer, where I store all my build log photos, crashed on me.  When that happened I had to work hard to get the machine up and running again.  It scared me.  I had only 40 pictures of the new start but these could have been easily lost.  Because the material wasn't backed up I thought maybe I shouldn't wait any longer to post the images I have to the MSW build log site.  This week I will be doing just that.  Please forgive me if you've seen much of this material before, but know that I'm actively working on the model and will have posts containing new stuff in the not too distant future.

 

     Build logs are all different, as each model builder has his/her own style.  Because I most enjoy build logs where construction steps and modelling techniques are clearly and fully explained, and ones where there are lots and lots of photos, I too will do mine in this fashion.  That means my log won't automatically assume the viewers have a lot of knowledge on a particular subject, and that sometimes basic things will be covered.  More experienced builders will no doubt find some of the material I will talk about or show pictures of old hat, or just plain elementary.  To those model builders, of which there are quite a number, I ask that you bear with me when this happens.  At least keep the laughter and snickers to a low decibel level. ;-)  In many ways my build log is geared toward a neophyte scratch builder, especially one who might be interested in trying a bread and butter construction for the first time.  Over the years I've developed a method that's proved very successful for me, albeit one that's quite messy and a bit more labor-intensive.  In this build log I welcome any and all comments, from effusive praise to biting criticism.  If you have a question I'll do my best to answer it.  When I employ a technique and you feel there's a better way please speak up.  Your suggestions will always be welcome.  And if all you want is some good-humored banter, well, I'm up for that too.  You can say anything that's on your mind, providing it's not an infraction in Chuck's rule book ;-)  I'm not thin-skinned so you never have to worry about hurting my feelings.  These MSW build logs have become, for me, a wonderful window into the model shipbuilding community.  They truly make the world a bit smaller by bringing us all together.  Seven months ago I followed very few builds, maybe 3 or 4 at most.  Today I must be up to a couple dozen, and the number continues to grow.  I immensely enjoy your build logs.  Perhaps you too will enjoy mine.

 

Tom

 

    And yes, third time's a charm! 

 

      

 

 

Edited February 13, 2016 by wyzwyk

[mtaylor]

This is great news, Tom.   I was hoping you'd restart it.   I'm reclaiming my chair in the Peanut Gallery.       

[druxey]

Welcome back, Tom. We wait, agog.

[wyz]

Thank you Mark and druxey.  It feels good to be back in the shop again. 

 

Tom

[_SalD_]

Good luck with your new build Tom I will be pulling up a chain and following along.  Tell me has Toby recovered too and is he still allowed in the work shop?

[Landrotten Highlander]

Hi Sal, if you don't mind I shall pull up a chair - you may have the chain

.Peter

[wyz]

Hi SalD
 

     Toby was never physically hurt during the Camilla II accident.  Maybe his feelings were hurt a bit with all the expletives I directed towards him after I saw what happened.  Yes, he's still allowed in the shop, but I am far more mindful of where he is and what he's doing.  I'm also more careful about what I work on when he's there.  Sal, you might want to rethink the chain.  The last time someone used it their butt hurt for a week. LOL

 

Tom

Edited February 13, 2016 by wyzwyk

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Welcome back and good luck with your third attempt.

[SailorGreg]

Yes, Tom, there are lots of fine, skilled and experienced ship modellers on this site.  Then there are the rest of us.  We look forward to your detailed explanations - don't skimp please!

 

Greg

[wyz]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ship

 

     HMS Camilla was a Royal Navy 20 gun sixth rate post ship, the 4th launched of 10 in the Sphinx class.  To paraphrase Wikipedia a post ship was a designation used in the Royal Navy in the second half of the 18th century to describe a sixth rate ship that was smaller than a frigate.  After 1750 the Admiralty criteria for defining a frigate was that it needed to carry at least 28 carriage mounted guns.  This would include carriage guns mounted on the quarterdeck and forecastle too.  Because Camilla was a rated ship, one with at least 20 guns, the vessel was to have as its senior commanding officer a post captain.  A smaller ship, like a brig, might have a lieutenant  as its "captain".  The term post captain, or posted captain refers to an officer who not only holds the official rank of captain but one who also has been given command of a ship.  When this happened to a captain his name was "posted" in the London Gazette.  While sea officers often referred to post ships as frigates the Admiralty was far stricter and more precise in how they described them.  They were however frigate-built, meaning they had quarterdecks and forecastles, but unlike true frigates, they didn't have carriage guns on those decks, at least not initially, and they lacked an orlop platform amidships.  "Post ship" in itself implies nothing as it regards to the rig of the vessel, however, all sixth rates were in practice ship-rigged, that is square-rigged on three masts.

 

     Ordered on April 15, 1773 Camilla was laid down in May the following year at Chatham Dockyard.  Two years later on April 20, 1776 the ship was launched, and 3 months after that she was completed.  HMS Camilla's service life spanned 55 years.  She served not only in the American Revolution but the French Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars as well.   In March 1831 Camilla, now a tired old hulk, was sold out of service. 

 

     The ship was designed by Sir John Williams, a master shipwright at Chatham Dockyard who eventually took over the prestigious position of Surveyor of the Navy when Sir Thomas Slade died in 1771.  While Williams may have been competent in his field he was always in the shadow of Slade, widely regarded as the greatest English warship designer of the 18th century.  By the early 1770's old age was taking its toll on Williams as both his overall energy level and his mental acuity were waning.  Many Williams designs were little more than slight changes to similar looking Slade designs, and too often the alterations made produced ships with comparatively inferior sailing qualities.  History has not treated Williams kindly as his physical and mental health were not up to the rigor and responsibilities the Surveyor of the Navy position demanded of him.  Also he steadfastly resisted change and wasn't as innovative as either his predecessor or his successor.  So, how was Williams' Sphinx class design?  Well, it's said the post ships were seaworthy but their high center of gravity made them slow and not all that weatherly.

 

     HMS Camilla was a relatively small vessel, one of 432 56/94 burthen tons.  It measured 108'  1 1/2" between perpendiculars, 29' 7" moulded breadth, 30' 1" extreme breadth, and 9' 8" depth of hold.  Up until 1794 the complement was 140 men, but was reduced to 134 men after that date.  On the upper deck the ship carried as her main armament 20 nine-pounder cannon.  When launched Camilla was not armed with any carriage guns on either the forecastle or quarterdeck, but this changed in 1794 when 6 24-pounder carronades were added. (2 to the forecastle and 4 to the quarterdeck)   Strangely there are no swivel canon mounts on any Admiralty draught of Camilla or any other Sphinx class ship except one.  There is a profile view of HMS Vestal that shows them.  I found that odd because his drawings of Swan class ships (16 guns), Porcupine class (24 guns) and Enterprise class (28 guns) all show  swivel gun mounts.  Why would they be on some of his draughts and not on others?   I was always under the impression that swivel cannons, by virtue of them not being carriage mounted, were not officially listed as part of the ship's armament.  Their use, the number of and the location of was something at the captain's discretion.  Any thoughts?  Right now Captain Wyzwyk is leaning toward 12 swivel cannon mounts, 4 on each side of the quarterdeck and 2 on each side of the forecastle.

 

 

Edited February 13, 2016 by wyzwyk

[wyz]

Welcome aboard Mark, druxey, Sal, Peter, Christian and Greg.  We're filling out the crew nicely.  I appreciate your best wishes.  It should be fun sailing with you guys.

 

Tom

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Tom,

 

do you know the fantastic drawings of Alexander for the Sphynx?

[wyz]

Hi Christian,

 

     Yes, I sure do know of Alex Matvijets' set of draughts for HMS Sphinx.  I have them in both 1:64 scale and 1:48 scale.  They're wonderful, and so too is his model .... a 1st class build!

 

Tom

Edited February 13, 2016 by wyzwyk

[AnobiumPunctatum]

In my opinion they are the best source together with the original drawingfor your ship to build a model of this class

[wyz]

Christian,

 

     I agree.  Alex's plans will be nice to work to.  Also Admiralty plan ZAZ4009 which shows the body plan with stern board decoration, sheer lines with inboard detail and figurehead, and longitudinal half-breadth for Camilla; and ZAZ3978 a disposition of frames drawing for HMS Sphinx and HMS Vestal.  I'd like to know why he has swivel gun mounts on his drawings.  Do you think he's uncovered something in the ship's logs, or is this, as I mentioned in my post, something at a captain's discretion.  Maybe I'll write and ask him.  Christian, how is it you know of Alex's draughts?  Did you build a model of the HMS Sphinx?

 

Tom

Edited February 15, 2016 by wyzwyk

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Tom,

 

I have the drawings from Alex for the Sphynx and since this week for the Anson. A few years agos before I start my Swan class sloop I thought a longer time to build HMS Sphyx as POF model after Alex drawings, At that time I don't have enough knowledge to reconstruct the frames.

I don't know the original drawings so I don't know where he got the information for the swivel gun mounts on his drawing.

 

I don't found information about installed swivel guns in Winfield, but I think that she had them until 1794. At this time the ship got carronades.

[wyz]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The History

 

     One would think that a naval vessel that cruised the high seas 33 years of a 55 year life span, and actively participated in three separate wars, would have an interesting history.  HMS Camilla certainly has that.  While she was never involved in any single-ship actions where she slugged it out with an American or French foe HMS Camilla was nevertheless a real thorn in their side, capturing, alone or in the company of other British ships, over 43 vessels in her career.  As a cruiser she was a very successful ship, and no doubt made her officers and crew a pretty penny in prize money.  Her involvement in the American Revolution went well beyond just cruising up and down the North American coastline nabbing merchant vessels and privateers.  HMS Camilla also participated in a number of the war's most notable campaigns.

 

     - When Philadelphia fell to the British in 1777 a number of American vessels were caught between the city and a British fleet that had moved up the Delaware River.  In a desperate move the Americans launched three fireships.  Their plan was to not only set ships aflame but also to scatter or force the other ships to retreat enough to allow the American ships to escape.  Canon fire from the HMS Camilla and the HMS Roebuck forced the crews to set their vessel on fire too early.  This allowed the British to lower boats and tow the fireships to shore.

 

     - In May 1779 HMS Camilla was part of the fleet that transported General Clinton and 6000 troops up the Hudson River to capture Stoney Point, a lightly defended position 35 miles north of New York.  It was all part of a strategy to lure General Washington away from  his strong positions in northern New Jersey and West Point, New York.  Clinton wanted to engage and decisively defeat Washington in a set-piece battle on the plains of the Hudson Valley.  After Stony Point's capture the British beefed up the tiny fort's  defense and, with the help of Camilla's crew, hauled up a number of cannon to the elevated location.  This allowed the British to fire down on Fort Lafayette, an American position that defended Kings Ferry.  It was a critical communication and supply link between New England and the western frontier, so control of it had great strategic importance.

 

     - When Washington didn't take the bait and stayed put General Clinton hatched another plan he hoped would get him to move.  From Stony Point he dispatched Major General William Tryon with 2,600 of his 6,000 troops to raid towns along the Connecticut coastline.  Knowing that Washington would have to come to their aid General Clinton amassed a large force in Mamaroneck, New York to go after him.  HMS Camilla was one of Admiral Collier's ships to transport Tryon's force back down the Hudson river to the staging area in New York.  Camilla was then assigned to be part of the raid on the Connecticut towns.  The crew of HMS Camilla helped to disembark and embark Tryon's troops and field artillery pieces in raids on New Haven, Fairfield, and Norwalk.  It was exciting to learn about this because at some time in my life I lived in or very near all of these towns. 

 

     - By the summer of 1779 Massachusetts was virtually independent, with no British forces in the commonwealth.  When the British sent 700 men and 3 small warships to Penobscot Bay (in what is now Maine) to establish a base from which they could project power and  control the coast Massachusetts reacted.   The commonwealth, with some aid from the continental congress, sent a huge expedition of 19 warships and 25 transport ships to dislodge the British force.  The Americans landed their army ashore but their efforts to take the fort failed.  A siege and stalemate developed.  From the beginning there was a complete lack of coordination between Solomon Lovell, general of the land forces and Commander Dudley Saltonstall who led the American fleet.  Saltonstall's timidity and ineptitude prevented a successful assault on the tiny fort.  The British were eventually able to get word to Admiral Collier in New York of their situation and a fleet of 10 British warships was then sent to help.  When they arrived at Penobscot Bay a battle ensued.  Some American ships were captured, some run aground, and the rest set afire by their crews.  Forty three of forty four ships in the expedition were lost, making it the worst naval disaster of the American Revolution.  HMS Camilla was one of the ships in the British fleet.

 

     - When the British strategic focus shifted to the southern colonies in 1780 an assault on Charleston, South Carolina was inevitable.  An attack on the city started in March and once again HMS Camilla was one of the ships in the invading British fleet.  On May 12, 1780 American general Benjamin Lincoln surrendered along with 5000 of his troops.  Several large warships were also captured.

 

     - Even during peacetime interesting things happened to HMS Camilla.  In March 1783, with a newly promoted captain, Camilla was recommissioned.  She sailed for Jamaica in May and while on station there a mutiny occurred.  The crew refused to sail because smallpox had killed several men, worsening a shortage of seamen on an already undermanned ship.  They felt there would be too few men to sail the vessel if they were to encounter a squall or hurricane.  Five ringleaders of the mutiny received 800 lashes.  I can only surmise a punishment of that magnitude would be a death sentence. 

 

     - HMS Camilla was also part of the Walcheren Campaign, an unsuccessful expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France.  The ship helped in transporting troops and horses.  A sizeable force of 40,000 men was landed but heavy losses from sickness brought it to a premature end.

 

    - The last 22 years HMS Camilla was in service were rather uneventful.  She was tied up in ordinary in 1809.  For a short period she was used as a floating breakwater.  She also served as a receiving ship for 11 years.  HMS Camilla was eventually sunk as a permanent breakwater in 1831, an undignified end to a ship that served her country long and well.

 

    

Edited August 22, 2016 by wyzwyk

[wyz]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Model

 

Why did I choose to model HMS Camilla?

 

     Well, I wanted to make a small frigate-built ship-rigged British warship from around the time of the American Revolution.  As the model is to be built to 1:48 scale (1/4"=1') it can't be too large.  HMS Camilla at that scale would make a model 42" long, 32 5/8" tall and 16 5/8" wide.  So that the model doesn't look stuffed into a case I will most likely add another 10-12"  to its length, 6" to its height and  3-5" to its width.  This would give me an approximate cased dimension for the model of 4' 4" long x 3' 4" high x 22" wide.  It's large, but it's still within the limits to be acceptable.  In my opinion many model builders put their finished ships into cases that are too small.  When someone sees my model I want it to give them the impression it's a ship on the wide open seas, not the Ty-D-Bol man's rowboat floating in the cistern of a toilet.

 

     Another major selling point for HMS Camilla is the fact there are a number of good plans available to build from.  Alex Matvijets has a wonderful set of 6 plans for one of Camilla's sister ship, HMS Sphinx.  Very nice!  Also there are a number of Admiralty draughts for Camilla and others in her class showing a number of different views.

 

ZAZ4011  - views of the quarterdeck, forecastle and upper deck (dated April 1776)

 

ZAZ4010  - lower deck and the fore & aft platforms  (dated April 1776)

 

ZAZ4009  - body plan with stern board decorations, sheer lines with inboard details and figurehead, and a longitudinal half breadth plan   (dated April 1776)

 

ZAZ3916   - generic plan of Galatea, Daphne, and Camilla done when the ship was ordered.  It shows the body plan, the sheer lines, and the longitudinal half-breadth  (dated December 15, 1773)

 

ZAZ3978  - disposition of frames draught made for HMS Sphinx and HMS Vestal.  (circa early 1773)

 

     While not a set of plans I am also using  The Fully Framed Model, a series of four books by David Antscherl and Greg Herbert, as an important reference used for this build.  Yes, Camilla was larger than the Swan class ships, but not all that much bigger.  There is a ton of information I can use out of those books.

 

     When I first saw the plans for HMS Camilla I was struck by her beauty.  There were just so many things that caught my eye on this mini-frigate.  I love the sheer of the vessel, the way it gracefully sweeps upward fore and aft.  As time went on ships started to loose this feature and flatten out.  From the figurehead to the ship's lantern the hull and decks of HMS Camilla are chock full of interesting things to look at.  It's visually rich.  One thing I really wanted on the model was a female figurehead and decorative carvings on the stern and around the quarter galleries.  HMS Camilla has them.  I love the challenge carvings present.  Another thing I was looking for was a ship with boats carried amidships on skid beams.  Sphinx class ships carried 3 boats and I want to build this model with two of them set on the  beams and one, most likely the yawl, in the water tied to the ship just astern the quarter gallery.  Ship's boats are one of those features, in my opinion, that can make or break a model's visual appeal.  I suppose it's their size and complexity that grabs your eye.  When they are done with care they are an exclamation mark on a model well built.  Sadly, many model builders aren't as conscientious in making them as they should be, and it can be an unnecessary blemish on an otherwise nicely done model.  In all the years I've been building ship models I've never done a model with a gaff rig and a loose footed mizzen course.  With Camilla I'll have my first chance.

 

     Nothing sells me more on a ship than seeing someone model it well.  Alex Matvijets is doing just that.  He's not building Camilla but HMS Sphinx, a sister ship.  Nevertheless he has an absolutely gorgeous build going, and sets the bar incredibly high for anyone wanting to follow in his footsteps.  I would be very interested if any other people here in MSW have done a Sphinx class model.   Speak up!

 

What method do I want to use to build this model?

 

     Like my past several builds I want to construct this model Georgian style, where I shape the hull with one wood, in this case yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), and then plank over it with more attractive hardwoods like Castelo boxwood (Calacophylum multiflorum) and Swiss pear wood (Pyrus communis)  The planks will be glued and treenailed in place.  Hull construction will be done bread and butter, where eight 1" thick lifts will be glued together into the very rough shape of the vessel.  A temporary keel is added next along with two 8" wide extension arms that extend horizontally from the hull.   The extension arms of this rough shaped hull rest on 8" wide supports that rise vertically from the building board.  The hull is actually suspended 1/16" off the surface of the board and is very secure and stable.  Five pairs of adjustable keel blocks secured to the building board also help to keep it stable.  There is no hull motion whatsoever in mounting it this way.  The beauty of this method is that the hull remains rock solid at all times and can be removed, worked on, and then quickly set back down on the building board in the exact same place, even with your eyes closed! This is because the hull's extension arms rest flush with the outer edge of the supports.  Placing the model back down on the building board can all be done by touch.  After I get the hull mounted I can start shaping it.  This is done with a variety of hand and power tools, along with a 24 piece set of plywood shaping templates.   When I'm finished shaping the hull, drawing the disposition of frames on its surface, and cutting out all of the gunports I can then remove the extension arms from the hull and the supports from the building board.  After the temporary keel is remove I can add the permanent one, the false keel, stem, cutwater and stern post.  The hull will now set down on the board's surface between the keel blocks and will be secured  with a different set of supports that hold the hull's stern post and cutwater.  All of this will be easier to understand with the pictures further into the log.

 

How will the model be finished?

 

     Initially I had no intention to paint the hull, but to use the hues of various wood species to show color.  While this may still be the case I haven't ruled out painting certain areas of the hull. Some of the painted models I've seen here in the build logs have impressed me greatly.  If I go with a variety of different woods I would highlight their natural hues with stains.  The exceptions to this are the main wales, the yards and parts of the masts which are black.  Because I don't use ebony wood I either paint  or use Behlen's Solar-Lux jet black aniline dye on Swiss pear wood.  A variety of woods will be used throughout the model, but everywhere the actual ship was painted red I will use steamed Swiss pear.  That would include the bulwarks, cannon carriages, capstans, and hatches.  The decks will be of either holly or hornbeam.  I have not decided what finish I will use on either the boxwood or the pear wood.  Suggestions are always welcome.

    

 

Edited November 7, 2016 by wyzwyk

[Landrotten Highlander]

Hi Wyzwyk,

I have recently started a  build log on the HMS Sphinx.  Scratch build based on Alex's plans, and I want to show both building methods and life on board on the same model.  Should prove a challange

Peter

[wyz]

Peter

     I'm not sure what you mean when you say you want to show both building methods and life on board on the same model.

 

Tom

[wyz]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Work Areas

 

     I'm very fortunate to have not one but two shop rooms in my condo to build my models.   The front room is where I do most of the construction and the back room is where I work when I'm making tons of wood dust.  Even with this back room I still need to move the Jet dust filter from the front shop when I start shaping the hull with the templates.

 

Front Shop

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back Shop

 

 

     When my next door neighbors decided to redo their kitchen I told them I could put their old cabinets to good use.

 

 

Above photo is a closeup of the sanding drum/thickness jig I made several years back.  It works quite well.

 

Den

 

 

     When I'm not in my shop I spend a lot of time in this room.

Edited February 19, 2016 by wyzwyk