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

[druxey]

Joel: stay with this log and all will be revealed! In short, the laps will be bevelled in a while and gains cut at bow and stern. It will be done just as in full-size practice, but considerably smaller.

[druxey]

Further progress. The garboard is in on the port side and the forward plank on the starboard. The interesting thing is that, at any point in planking, provided one has spiled and shaped the plank to lie without stress, one can remove the model from the plug and it will retain its shape.

[captainbob]

Great  work.

 

Bob

[michael mott]

I am still getting my head around that fact that these planks are only 1/64th inch thick. How are you preparing the stock, and what size is it before you do the spieling?

 

Michael

[georgeband]

Superb execution, but what really impresses me is the detail planning that precedes the constructional steps so that you pre-empt the problems.

One question: what is 'Gesso'? It is not something I see in the shops in England. 

 

George

[druxey]

Michael: I cut the stock several thou over-thick on a Byrnes saw with a micrometer adjustable fence. I then process it through his thickness sander to within .004" of finished dimension. A fine sanding block removes sanding marks and completes the prepared stock. The leaves I'm using are just under ¾" wide.

 

George: gesso is the (usually) white compound artists use to prime canvases. These days it has an acrylic base. Once dry, one can sand it to a very smooth surface. Any reputable art store will carry gesso. (The word is pronounced with a hard 'g', as in 'jesso' - or 'George'!)

 

Thanks again for the 'likes', folks.

[druxey]

A little more time was spent on completing the starboard garboard strake. The next step is to shape the lands for the second strake of planking. If one were to omit this step, the second strake would not have any gluing surface and there would be a gap under the strake, A. Obviously, a bevel is required. It varies in angle along the strake according to hull curvature, B. To cut this accurately, I took some scrap wood the width of a strake and rubber cemented some 220 grit sandpaper along one edge, C. Keeping the 'safe' corner of this along the mark-out of the second strake's far edge, it is easy to shape the correct bevel along the installed strake. The next instalment will show this completed.

 

A note: I found the short pins under the keel not very effective in holding the keel straight, as the keel kept popping off. On a another long narrow hull I would drill the pins all the way through the keel.

 

A digression: One side effect of modelling an open boat at this small scale is the amount of wood required to build it. Very little is needed, making this a very economic exercise in materials, but not in time.

Edited February 5, 2016 by druxey

[michael mott]

Having the sanding block the same width as the next strake is brilliant, I wish I had thought of that.

 

Michael

[druxey]

As Oscar Wilde said, "You will, you will," Michael!

[AON]

I read the message in my e-mail program and didn't fully understand; then I opened the forum and saw your drawing.... and the light turned on!

Edited February 5, 2016 by AON

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Wonderful pictures and descriptions. I need also a clnker build boat for my sloop. So there is a lot to learn.

[mtaylor]

The little things we never think about and then we see someone else do it and...as others have said... the light goes on. 

[druxey]

Here are a couple of photographs of the land - the bevel - being sanded on the edge of the garboard and of the gain at the end of the rabbet (arrowed). The gain is basically a rolling bevel. It ends at 45 degrees so that the next plank will come in flush at the rabbet. Essentially clinker becomes carvel over the last 9" or 12" of the strake.

[Mark P]

Greetings Druxey;

 

A clear explanation and a very useful tip.  Many thanks for showing us.  The photographs are a great help also.  This will be a very interesting model to follow.  It always seemed a miracle to me that these unseaworthy-looking vessels managed to stay afloat even in the relative calm of a river. They are lovely to look at,  though. 

 

Following on from Siggi's post above,  I have some close up shots of the carving on Prince Frederick's barge in the NMM,  which I have been intending to post on the contemporary models gallery.  Some of these show the interior,  although I had to take them through the glass,  so they are somewhat obscured. 

 

I can post them here as well,  if you wish,  or send them by PM or other method.

 

All the best,

 

Mark P

[druxey]

Mark: if you have detail photos of the interior of the forward part of that vessel and near the tiller, posting those would be very helpful. Thanks for the kind offer.

 

Yes, these crafts were very lightly built but surprisingly strong. Think of them as predecessors of today's 'eights' rowing shells.

 

These two photos show how the lap disappears into the rabbet at the bow. The second strake also has a rolling bevel that fits the one on the edge of the first strake. You can also see that there is no gap along the lap, as the bevel that was sanded in takes care if this. PVA glue was applied with a very small brush and any excess cleaned up immediately.

[druxey]

The second strake is in on the port side. One can see the gain at the bow and stern, as well as how the boat keeps its shape when taken off the plug. From here on it is simply a matter of spiling and shaping each plank as I work up (down!) to the sheer strake. All one need do is make sure to conform to the mark-out on the plug.

[Mark P]

Greetings Druxey;

 

I have some photos of the stern,  with mermaids holding dolphins,  and other carving details,  but unfortunately none of the rowing benches.  I do remember that they had the typical central plank joining all the thwarts,  and parallel to the keel.  However,  I will be back at the NMM before too long,  and I will take some more pictures for you.

 

In the meantime,  I am posting those I have already taken.  For anyone else interested in the details of the carving,  I will also post these on the contemporary models gallery.

 

All the best,

 

Mark P

 

The first two (they were last when I uploaded them!) are of the interior of the cabin,  and taken through the glass.  It takes a few moments to realise what is inside the glass,  and what is a reflection.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Mark P

[druxey]

Nice details, Mark. Thank you. The carved works are wonderfully executed.

 

The rowing benches on these barges do have a central element to them. The items I'm particularly interested in are the standards supporting the ends of the thwarts and whether there are also supporting standards above the transom. These cannot be seen on the usual photographs of the barge.

[Mark P]

Thanks Druxey;

 

I will take some pictures of these unknown parts.  I should be at the NMM within the next couple of months.  I will keep you informed.

 

All the best,

 

Mark P

[mrjimmy]

Very fascinating build, Druxey.  I'm amazed that you can remove and replace the hull from the plug and that it still maintains its size while being so fragile. Can't wait to see what you do with the carvings.

 

Jim

[druxey]

Thank you, Mark! 

 

Jim: the strength of the assembly at this stage is surprising, even though the individual parts are so flimsy. If the planks are cut accurately so that there is no stress in the hull, it will not distort. In past experience, sometimes the breadth will expand slightly when the shell is complete, but this is easily corrected when the internal elements are added, producing a very strong model indeed.

 

The barge I'm modelling is not the Prince Frederick's one in Mark's photos: this one, while similar, has far less carved work. However, it will be a lot of fun to do when I get there!

[druxey]

Three strakes a side completed now. Rubber bands and small soldering clips make fine hold-downs while roughly shaped planks are drying out.

[Mark P]

Greetings Druxey;

 

It is so impressive that the partly-built hull can be removed from the plug like this.  A testament to the accuracy of your work (and the efficacy of your glue!)

 

All the best,

 

Mark P

[Jim Lad]

Just catching up, Druxey - she looks beautiful already!

 

John

[Chuck]

Lovely!!!

[dvm27]

Well done, Druxey. There's just something beautiful about a clinker planked hull. Perhaps it shows off the ships lovely lines better than carvel planking.

[Burroak]

She's looking great Druxey

 

Greg H.

[Engelmann]

I don't like it, I Love it!!

[michael mott]

 

There's just something beautiful about a clinker planked hull. Perhaps it shows off the ships lovely lines better than carvel planking.

Not to mention the Accuracy needed to pull that off.

 

Michael

[AnobiumPunctatum]

It's not model building, it's an art. Every step so clean and crisp. There I have a lot to learn