Greenwich Hospital barge of 1832 by druxey - FINISHED - 1:48 scale

[Mirabell61]

beautiful work Druxey,

 

love those fine sharp lines, and excellent clinker planking...

 

Nils

[druxey]

Thanks again for the likes and comments, everyone. And yes, Ed, I too am mortal!

 

The sequence of construction needs to be carefully considered. Before adding the keelson (making replacement on the plug impossible) a last half-strake needed to be cut and fitted. This will carry all the ornamental scrollwork aft. It has a sinuous S-curve in plan, and required the entire elastic band brigade to damp-shape it into position.

[druxey]

Finally the shell has been completed. It is quite delicate right now, as the last half strake is only edge-glued to the strake below. However, the pink stern is quite strong, even at this stage.

 

Next will be installing the keelson, followed by bending in the frames. The plug, as you can see, has been beaten up quite a bit in the process of planking.

[wyz]

druxey,

 

     Normally I wouldn't be interested in the subject matter of this build but watching you work has changed my mind.  This is an awesome little model, and I can't wait to see how it ends up.  I have no doubt it will be absolutely gorgeous.

 

Tom

Edited February 17, 2016 by wyzwyk

[dgbot]

Question Druxey.  After you complete the other half how will you be able to attach the two and make them look whole?  Many years ago Dana McCalip, my mentor asked me to build two half hulls and then combine them and the end result did not look very good.

David B

Edited February 17, 2016 by dgbot

[paulsutcliffe]

Beautiful planking druxey

[druxey]

Thanks again, everyone, for looking in and your comments.

 

David B: I'm not sure what your question means. Which 'other half' are you referring to?

[dgbot]

If you are building two half hulls then gluing them togther the tricky part would be connecting them.   Unless I am not following your build properly.

David B

[dvm27]

Druxey built the plug in two sections, David, not the model itself. The actual ship was built, clinker style, over the plug.

[dgbot]

Druxey built the plug in two sections, David, not the model itself. The actual ship was built, clinker style, over the plug.

My bad Greg now and then I sometimes miss the key words.

David B

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Really wonderful, Druxey. In 100 years or so (and than I am very very old) I hope that I can also build my models so good.

[Louie da fly]

Beautiful work, Druxey. 

 

Steven

[michael mott]

Druxey I am curious about your method of gluing such delicate planks. The inside looks as clean as the outside, are you thining the glue down and then cleaning up with q tips etc?

 

The hull does look exquisite.

 

Michael

[druxey]

Thanks, Michael. I use white PVA, slightly thinned, applied with a small watercolour brush. The outside is washed down with a damp brush immediately, and the inside is cleaned up afterwards with a dental elevator (looks like a bent mini-chisel). If there is a stubborn bit of glue, a drop of water on a brush does the trick. Should a little of the joint give way, I run more dilute glue into the crack and clamp it shut with one or more of those mini-clips. This rarely happens, as the bevelled land creates a tight joint.

[Mirabell61]

Thanks, Michael. I use white PVA, slightly thinned, applied with a small watercolour brush. The outside is washed down with a damp brush immediately, and the inside is cleaned up afterwards with a dental elevator (looks like a bent mini-chisel). If there is a stubborn bit of glue, a drop of water on a brush does the trick. Should a little of the joint give way, I run more dilute glue into the crack and clamp it shut with one or more of those mini-clips. This rarely happens, as the bevelled land creates a tight joint.

 

Precise and clean glueing technique Druxey, 

 

that`s one to remember, thanks for sharing

 

Nils

[druxey]

Next is to cut stock a scale ¾" square. This is next to impossible without a zero-clearance table and a slitting saw blade. So I made an insert of aluminum sheet and raised the saw blade through this, as shown (upper left). Note that, on this saw, I have an Accuriser II fence. I attached a secondary scale measuring in inches at 1/48 scale. This avoids having to translate from thousandths of an inch (actual) to scale inches.

 

I cut several sheets of 1/64" Castello stock and rubber cemented them to a sacrificial piece of softwood. In this case it was simply a paint stir-stick (upper right). This was then run through the saw and the pieces separated and cleaned up, giving the 1/64" square section required for the frames (below).

[Jim Lad]

Beautiful technique and an elegant hull, Druxey!

 

John

[bensid54]

Thanks for your thread I'm going to use your technique to build the boat for my Ferryman of the river Styx I have always like a clinker build boat with no clue how to do it!

[mtaylor]

I never considered doing that to the Accuriser fence.  That is a great idea.  

[Dan Vadas]

Hi Druxey,

 

I don't know HOW I've missed seeing this build up until now - excellent work, as is to be expected from one of the real masters of this hobby . I'll be checking in more frequently now .

 

I've used the same techniques when building my last two ship's boats (Vulture's and Supply's), and also the Longboat in the Bottle I built recently, all with good success, but nowhere near to the accuracy and execution of yours.

 

  Danny

[EdT]

Love that Accuriser fence.

 

Ed

[michael mott]

Druxey, you are now pushing the bar very high indeed. I can see that I am going to need to sort out a small saw of some kind.

 

Michael

[Mobywon]

I just climbed aboard, this is a fascinating project, Druxey!  it's nice to see you working on something that is an actual challenge for you, and truly wonderful to see your masterful execution!

[druxey]

Started bending in the frames today. They are spaced at 18" intervals and, as previously mentioned, are ¾" square. In the real boat, there were floors and futtocks united by a side overlap. However, as this will be completely invisible in the finished boat, I will omit this detail.

 

As I have other work on hand, the next update will be a few days away.

[michael mott]

Absolutely beautiful workmanship, I look forward to the next update.

 

Michael

[Chuck]

That is looking so nice.  Very clean and precise.  Can you place a ruler along side for a better grasp at just how large this model is?

 

Thanks 

 

Chuck

[jbshan]

Sorry, Chuck.  He lost his 2 inch ruler.

 

druxey, what is going on under the keelson?  Are there notches for the frames, do they pass under the keelson or do they butt into it?

[Erebus and Terror]

I can't express fully how much I admire your work on this. At such a small scale too! Magnificent.

[druxey]

Thank you, one and all. The frames butt to the keelson in the model, Joel. It might, in hindsight, have been easier to notch the keelson to locate the floor ends. I'll include a rule in the next batch of photos, Chuck.

[EdT]

Druxey,

 

Fascinating and beautiful.  Are the two clamps shown in the picture sufficient to hold the frames' shapes?  Are these bent "dry" or are you bending them with heat or another method?

 

Ed