Jump to content

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


Recommended Posts

Thanks, guys!

 

Mike: The hull is 17-1/4" long with a 5" beam.  By contrast, the Lauck Street AVS Patrick Henry is 22" long with a 6-1/2" beam.  This is a pretty big model of a pretty small boat!

 

Next I started in on replacing the stock stem, keel and stern post.  Those parts are made of walnut in the kit and are shown in the first photo.  They are OK, but I wanted the hull planking and those parts made of pear, so they needed to be redone.  The stem was a single piece, and the keel is three sections, scarfed together.  I traced the stem on a piece of paper. I'm not a naval architect, but the second photo shows my proposed layout for a built up stem.  I think it looks OK and makes logical sense.

 

I cut out all the parts, shown in the the third photo.  I need to fine-tune the fit, blacken the joints to simulate caulk, and glue the parts together.  The kit has no false keel, but after thinking about it, I think I'll add one made of rosewood...just for the contrast in wood colors!

post-3900-0-47007400-1468677947_thumb.jpg

post-3900-0-19012300-1468677962_thumb.jpg

post-3900-0-11925100-1468678000_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's going to look real good Dave. Nice work

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm starting to rethink what I want to do in terms of hull planking.  Originally, planking above the top wale was to be pear, between the top and bottom wale was boxwood, and planning below the bottom wale as well as the stem, keel and stern post were to be pear also.  This is what Clare Hess did, and it makes for a handsome model (photo 1).   In his practicum for a kit-bashed "Rattlesnake", Bob hunt shows a planking technique that simulates the white anti-fouling coating below the water line on these ships.  One builder (photo 2) used pear above and holly below the waterline (photo 2).  That's what I would like to do.  I don't plan to show the framing as in photo 2, but I would like to use the pear and holly combination.

 

If I use the holly, can I still use pear for the stem, keel, sternpost and rudder, or do I need to switch to a more subdued wood like boxwood?  I think the contrast between the holly and the pear would actually look cool, if not historically accurate.

 

How do I determine where the waterline falls?  I've added a photo of the plans, and as you can see the keel slopes downward as it moves aft.

 

What do you all think?

post-3900-0-16818600-1468778151.jpg

post-3900-0-99998200-1468778172.jpg

post-3900-0-08514800-1468778331_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dave - the waterline should be on one of the plans.   If it's not.. well, I have no idea then, but I would expect it to be on the plan sheet that was used for the initial construction of the hull, not the rigging or sail plan sheet which is what it appears you are showing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Naw, Brian.  This is an AL kit.  The plans are more "suggestions" than actual plans!  I'll have to guess on the waterline.  What do you think of the color scheme (holly with stem, keel, sternpost and rudder and planking below the wale to the waterline of pear)? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bow of this boat is flat.  There is no center keel sticking out to carve a rabbet into.  I glued a piece of 1/8" wide stock, 1/32" thick (my hull planking will be 1/32" thick) to the inner curve of the built up stem to form a rabbet when it's glued in place.  I will do the same for the keel and the stern post.

post-3900-0-38044900-1468793771_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Naw, Brian.  This is an AL kit.  The plans are more "suggestions" than actual plans!  I'll have to guess on the waterline.  What do you think of the color scheme (holly with stem, keel, sternpost and rudder and planking below the wale to the waterline of pear)? 

 

I like the picture you posted of doing it that way.  It will be a lot of work getting the planks to flow together perfectly where they are actually two different pieces and maintain the waterline like that, but if you nail it, the effect is great!

 

Seems strange that none of the plan sheets show the waterline at all.  I'll have to keep that in mind if I ever consider an AL kit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the plan you posted: Is it possible that the bottom on the plan is the correct horizontal; which means that it can be used to draw the water line?

But Brian is right; there should be at least a mark on the stem and stern to use a reference points.

And I also agree that it's not easy to make a water line from two different types of wood.

Keep us posted.

Ken

 

NO PIRACY 4 ME! (SUPPORTING CHUCKS' IDEA)

 

Current Build:  

Washington 1776 Galley

Pilot Boat Mary of Norfolk

Completed Builds:

Continental Boat Providence   (from Completed Gallery)  (from MSW Build)

Continental Ship Independence  (from Completed Gallery)  (from MSW Build)

Rattlesnake   (from Completed Gallery)  (from MSW Build)

Armed Virginia Sloop  (from Completed Gallery)

Fair American (from Completed Gallery)  (from MSW Build Log)

 

MemberShip Model Society of New Jersey

                  Nautical Research Guild

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I fitted the stem, keel and stern post to the model.  The problem with AL kits is that adding those parts at this point makes clamping them in place correctly impossible!  I decided to use small brads to hold the parts in place when the glue-up happens.  I pre-drilled holes for the brads, used double-sided scotch tape to hold the stem and other parts in place and tapped the brads into the plywood central keel/profile former.  Since I plan to fit a false keel of rosewood all of the nail holes on the keel will be hidden.  The rudder will hide the 2 on the stern post so the only hole to be worried about is the one in the forward surface of the stem.  Some pear sawdust mixed with white glue should make a putty that will make the repair inconspicuous.

post-3900-0-36642000-1469040602_thumb.jpg

post-3900-0-11679100-1469040622_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With the stem, Keel and stern post installed I'm ready to start planking.  I thought a little about the deck.  Why were the bulwarks so low on these colonial schooners?  The quarter deck and the poop deck had railings to prevent men from falling overboard.  the bulwarks on the main deck and fo'c'sle were only about 2 feet high!  Here's a picture of "Hallifax" from Chapelle's book with a man drawn on deck.  Not too safe!

post-3900-0-08467000-1469394139_thumb.jpg

Edited by DocBlake
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well id say its something to do with the fact that these weren't really warships but cargo ships that probably spent alot of time by the ports loading and removing cargo. While some of them were built for the king to be warships many like Halifax and Sultana were converted from their original purpose and ultimately had whatever armament they could carry grafted onto them.

Build on hold: HM Sultana 1/64th scale

 

Current Build: 31 ton Doughty revenue cutter as USRC Active 1/64th scale (in progress)

 

Future Interests: Ballahoo, Diligence, Halifax and beyond...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, that makes sense, Charlie.  Yet you'd think they'd rig up some removable guard rail where the cargo holds were so that the crew didn't end up in the drink in rough seas.  Can you imagine trying to make your way across the wet deck of Hallifax (or worse yet, Sultana) in a rolling sea without getting swept overboard?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aye probably why these ships had 100% desertion rate (thats what the books say at least). Essentially they were seen as horrible cramped death traps only one had a long standing captain. ;)

Build on hold: HM Sultana 1/64th scale

 

Current Build: 31 ton Doughty revenue cutter as USRC Active 1/64th scale (in progress)

 

Future Interests: Ballahoo, Diligence, Halifax and beyond...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the input, guys!

 

Another problem is that this ship has a windlass, but the plans show the anchor lines coiled on the deck.  Hahn's Hallifax plans also show no scuttle or hatch through which the lines could be led below deck.  Given the very small size of this vessel, it would seem that reducing the clutter on deck would make sense and the anchor lines would be best below, out of the way.  I'm proposing adding a hatch/grate just aft of the windlass for that purpose.  I think it makes sense.

post-3900-0-59480900-1469469717_thumb.jpg

post-3900-0-58912800-1469469734_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It might be that the hawse lines were run down through the main hatch and then when disconnected from the anchors, coiled in hold.  I'm not sure if a ship this small would have had a cable tier.   If you're doing full sails, etc.  I'd just leave the anchor hawses off and if anyone asks, "they're properly stowed below".   ;)

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I'm getting ready to plank the hull.  I need to establish the wales first, but before that I needed to plank the counter.  I used 1/32" thick swiss pear, 7/32" wide.  Because I need to establish a waterline for my "two-tone" planking of the hull, I decided I needed a keel clamp.  Rather than buy one, I spent the afternoon today cutting out the parts out of some 1/2" hard maple I had on hand.  I'll assemble it tomorrow.  I have most of the hardware on hand, but you can build this for less than $5 if you have some 1/2' hardwood around.  I'll post photos of the finished keel clamp tomorrow.

post-3900-0-45750300-1470609918_thumb.jpg

post-3900-0-24884400-1470609939_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I assembled my keel clamp.  The first task was to drill the holes for the carriage bolts which form the pivot points.  They are 5/16", except for the keel clamp itself which has four 1/4" carriage bolts.  The two knuckles that form the 2 axes of rotation were glued and screwed together, and the lower axis piece was glued and screwed to the base.  All the parts were given 3 coats of water-based polyurethane.  There are washers between adjacent wooden parts and where the through star nuts tighten down.  I had most of the hardware on hand, but if you went to purchase it, it would be about $20 as I've built it.  If you substitute plain old metal thumb screws, the hardware should be under $5!

 

The clamp is very stable, even with a model in place due to the large base, but one might consider clamping it to the table top for safety.  It is a little top-heavy!

post-3900-0-08678200-1470752244_thumb.jpg

post-3900-0-62212100-1470752262_thumb.jpg

post-3900-0-33966000-1470752280_thumb.jpg

post-3900-0-13745900-1470752317_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks pretty sweet and practical Dave. Well done

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That would be a great idea, I'm sure it would be much appreciated

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While waiting for my Byrnes thickness sander (which I used to mill the hull planking) I started on some of the deck furniture.  I finished the hatches, and added one to lead the anchor lines below.  I enlarged the companionway from the plan specs.  I need to add iron ring pulls for the doors.  The most important change was to fabricate a galley stack from brass.  The plans actually call for a "smoke stack" made of walnut!  Tha ship would have caught fire after serving the crew their first dinner aboard!

 

I still need to complete the binnacle, windlass, bits and ladders etc.  The woods used are rosewood, boxwood and swiss pear.

post-3900-0-95687700-1470843634_thumb.jpg

Edited by DocBlake
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking great Dave. I think you'll find that your old sander will soon be shelved, the Byrnes one is just awesome. I just finished sanding down a 15/16" x 6" x 12" piece of cherry down to 3/4" thickness and she didn't even grunt :)  :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm already impressed. I resawed my lumber to about  1/16"-3/32" on my bandsaw .  A pass or two with the coarse paper, and a pass or two with the fine and I was good to go.  I am also blown away by the accuracy of the ramp adjustment wheel.  It's dead-on.  A great tool!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...