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Independence 1775 by DocBlake - Artesania Latina - 5/16" scale.


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I completed and installed the rails, the catheads, the timberheads, the quarterdeck ladders and the timbers that define the gun ports.  The only major parts left on the hull (except for cleats, eyebolts etc.) are the channels, the swivel gun mounts and the quarterdeck and poopdeck railings.  The masts are done.  Once the spars are made it's on to rigging.

hulldone1.jpg

hulldone2.jpg

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I've got a question.  Was the very top of the topmast ever painted/stained black on a ship from the colonial period?  I photoshopped a picture of my masts to show what I'm talking about.  I think the contrast would look good, but I'm not sure if this was ever done.

masts1_thumb_jpg_113c386a26df30b60d43e8ac1be856aa.jpg

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I have a few tasks left before moving on to the rigging.  The masts, sprit, boom and gaffs are complete.  I need to  finish the yards.  The plans call for the fore mast to have a topsail yard and a crossjack yard, but the main mast has no yards!  Both Halifax and Sultana had both yards on both masts and I'm moving in that direction.  On the hull I need to complete th quarter deck/poop deck rails, the channels and the swivel gun supports.  I also need to add the head rails.

 

I've been avoiding the whole head rail problem, because I can't find an easy solution to constructing them.  The kit parts are crap (the scroll work on the stem is metal, again!), so I need to start from scratch.  Since this is a fictional vessel I'm not bound by any convention in how I construct the rails.  Is anyone aware of a good log or tutorial on constructing head rails from scratch?  I can't bring myself to leave them off, because they really do help define these schooners, but I'm having trouble getting my head around how to construct them. 

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I spent the weekend working on the head rails.  Since this is a small, simple vessel, I opted for simple head rails and no figure head.  I dyed the rails black and applied a coat of poly.  The glare of the light makes the rails look shiny.  Much less so in real life.

 

I really sweated the head rails, but I think they turned out OK.  I just broke the whole thing down into individual parts and it wasn't as hard as I thought

Rails1.jpg

rails2.jpg

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Those head rails look cool Dave, real nice work

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  • 1 month later...

I've been busy.  We are replacing our cedar deck and we spent a week in California (the Bay area) since my last post.  I haven't been doing a lot of modeling at all.  I did want to rename this schooner "Clio" after the Muse of History in Greek mythology.  My friend Mike Shanks was able to laser etch some ebony I had on hand.  I then painted the etched name using white acrylic paint.  Sanding the face with a 220 grit sanding block took care of any excess paint on the name plate.  I then glued the name to the transom.

clio1.JPG

clio2.JPG

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Hi Dave,

Your model is looking beautiful!

David


Current Build - St. Roch, Billing Boats; HMS Agamemnon, Caldercraft (on hold)

Previous Builds - Armed Virginia Sloop, Model Shipways; Constitution, Model Shipways; Rattlesnake, Mamoli; Virginia Privateer, Marine Model Co, restoration; Prince de Neufchatel, Model Shipways; Charles W. Morgan, Model Shipways; Pride of Baltimore II, Model Shipways, Bluenose, Model Shipways (x2); Niagara, Model Shipways; Mayfower, Model Shipways; Shamrock V, Amati; HMS Pegasus, Victory/Amati

 

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I have been following this build for sometime. It is very pleasing to see her taking shape beautifully.

You have done a master job! 

Regards, Scott

 

Current build: 1:75 Friesland, Mamoli

 

Completed builds:

1:64 Rattlesnake, Mamoli  -  1:64 HMS Bounty, Mamoli  -  1:54 Adventure, Amati  -  1:80 King of the Mississippi, AL

1:64 Blue Shadow, Mamoli  -  1:64 Leida Dutch pleasure boat, Corel  -  1:60 HMS President Mantra, Sergal

 

Awaiting construction:

1:89 Hermione La Fayette AL  -  1:48 Perserverance, Modelers shipyard

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Thanks David and Scott!  More to come.  Next up are swiss pear deadeyes dyed black to simulate ebony.  The channels will be boxwood with a molded edge.  I'm also planning to add quarter badge windows of boxwood to contrast with the pear planking.  Mike Shanks is instrumental in all of this.  Stay tuned!

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Really looking forward to seeing this all come together!! Windows and deadeyes look awesome

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After a lot of thought I decided to include quarter badge windows.  This is a small, simple ship so I opted out of all the elaborate carving and went with a simple 4 pane light that Mike Shanks cut out for me in boxwood.  I took a cue from Dr. Clayton Feldman in his "Lexington" build and added a curved rain diverter and sill, both of which stand proud of the window.  Simple molding strips form the sides of the framing.  All these parts are of ebony.

badge1.JPG

badge2.JPG

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Windows look great Dave. The ebony trim really sets them off

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Hi Dave,

 

I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately. But, I show up and see that your Colonial Schooner is looking terrific! Nice job on that hull planking! That lower hull looks slick.

 

I like the contrasting color of the timberheads against the bulwarks too.

 

Very fine job. I'm sorry I haven't been paying closer attention!

 

Clare

Clare Hess

He's a -> "HE"

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Is that going to be a cross section or the full ship? She'll be a biggy :o.

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I needed deadeyes in an odd size because of the scale of the ship.  I also wanted them black.  6mm would be 9" in scale diameter.  That would work.  Mike Shanks, using his CNC, cut a bunch of them out of swiss pear that are 6.5mm in diameter.  The only problem is that there was no way to cut the grooves along the circumference.  I did that by hand, and sanded the deadeyes smooth.  Then I dyed them black.   The photo shows the raw deadeyes and the finished product.  they still need to be coated with tung oil.  The second photo shows the remade deadeyes compared to the stock ones supplied with the kit.  They are a bit bigger.  Perfect!EYES1.thumb.JPG.7cd36f4c9672a6d1404004bb2913e30a.JPGEyes2.thumb.jpg.93081da543fe4a0011dd10b05a591a71.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

I took a little time to work on this build today .  I'm using the rigging plans for "Halifax" so there three pair of shrouds per mast fixed to the channels rather than 4 as in the kit.  The 4th shroud is secured to a cleat.

 

I made the chainplates from 20 gauge copper wire doubled up and soldered together.  After blackening, I'll drill holes for the nails that will hold the chainplates to the wales.  The channels are made of boxwood, as is the chainplate cover strip.  there's a decorative profile cut into the channels and the cover strip.

channels.jpg

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The chain plates look good Dave. Do you use silver solder?

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Thanks Dave. I was hoping you would say that, as that is what I use also and have had no problems yet.

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I glued the channels in place.  I've read in a couple of sources that the stress on the channels by the shrouds is upward and inward.  Knees were sometimes used to counter the forces, but were planed atop the channels rather than underneath.  Here is a photo of Robert Bruckshaw's HMS Brittania with the knees on top.  I cut out some boxwood knees and set them in place in the second photo.  It IS a different look, but there is historical precedent, I guess.  Anyone have comments?

channelknees1.jpg

channelknees2.JPG

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The chainplates were blackened and the deadeyes stropped.  They were then mounted on the channels, with the chainplates nailed to the wales.  The coverstrips, which cover the chainplates and "lock" them in place have not yet been added.

deads1.JPG

deads2.JPG

deads3.JPG

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