HM Bomb Vessel Granado 1756 by Timmo - FINISHED - Caldercraft - Scale 1:64

[Beef Wellington]

Nice work on the guns Timmo.  I think these are going to be the death of me on my Snake as there are 18 of them and I'm just trying to figure out the rigging aspects.  Curious on your blackening method whether you tried diluting with hot water to see how that played out?  I must confess I wanted to use the blackening approach but I just couldn't get a consistent finish with all the different metals involved in the carronades, yours are looking very nice and the rope work looks great.  Which part of the cannon carriage did you 'pin'?

[Blue Ensign]

Nice work on the guns Timmo, I was faced with the same issue when deciding on the size of the breeching ropes for the Pegasus six pounders.

 

The breeching rope is 4” circ = to 0.5mm ø line at scale, but I thought it looked a little thin so I upped it to 0.70mm ø which looked better to my eye.

 

Cheers,

 

B.E.

[Tophog]

Guns look great. Very nice work.

[Timmo]

Thanks chaps,

Jason, the trunnion brackets were pinned at one end only with the remade versions, mainly because my hamfisted cutting off of the dome headed pins all but destroyed one end on both sides. The next ones will just have a piece of brass pin through one end and bent over at the top to look like a pin.

Hopefully this anatomy of the ship diagram shows what I mean

 

 

As for the blackening, yes I tried the dilution with half hot water as per the instructions. In the past this resulted in some immediate tarnishing and nothing further on less left overnight. I suspect that the water cools and lessens the catalyst effect, hence why I tried less water-ration of 75% solution to 25% water- but more heat. Carefully and sparingly applied of course. I had to remove the metal objects a couple of times and give the solution a reheat in the microwave but it seems to have given it the tickle up needed to continue the reaction.

[Timmo]

Finished planking the foc'sle this evening. The beam supporting it was installed first. It's a bit tricky to get it to shape. I filed too much off one end and had to pack it with about half a mm of walnut to get it to the right length again.

The planking was fairly straight forwarding and is turning into one of my favourite parts of the build so far. I was almost going to add treenails to the decking on the granado as per the anatomy of the ship book but despite so me good test results on a planked mock up thought it might be a bit much for the scale on a vessel this size and best left to something bigger down the track like a frigate or 74. Given the number of plank ends due to deck features like the mortar beds on the granado it would be treenails everywhere which could look like a sever case of measles. Next project maybe.

 

 

Planking with the bowsprit in place and tracing a pattern off the plans gave a reasonably snug fit

 

 

Some trouble aligning the bowsprit resulted in a bit too much vigour on filing out the slot at the forward side. This will have to be filled later and is a repeat of what happened on my sherbourne build. One day I'll learn...

[Timmo]

On to the capping rails and sheer rail. This is the part which makes the kit really come alive in my opinion as it covers the last of the messy bits and makes the hull look complete.

The kit comes with a piece of extruded brass which is nicely shaped a a decorateve moulding. Which runs around the dge of the hull. It's perfectly good but there are two issues- the pedestals for the swivel either have th be cut to fit through is, or the brass cut, which I imagine will be difficult. Next there is only enough brass for the main capping rail. It leaves the foc'sle capping without the same treatment and also the quarterdeck rails. For consistency's sake I had a crack at making my own from timber. This is something a former MSW member did on a now lost build log so credit to them.

Basswood is about all I can lay my hands on at hobby stores around here. It takes shaping well but is quite soft so care is needed not to dent it.

 

The first step was to scribe a light centre line down the middle with callipers.

This was then filed out with a half round file. Gentle pressure only and the tip of the file should follow the existing groove.

 

Sand paper folded in half run down the centre helps smooth things out.

 

Because i had odd sized basswood the shaped edge was cut off thin enough for use. A small plane and sandpaper thinned w back edge down to the desired width. Sanding on all sides rounded the edges.

Comparison here with the brass part.

[Timmo]

Here's how the basswood part looks temporarily in place. It will be down to careful painting to make it really work. If not its back to brass.

 

Yes it's Sunday arvo so time for a beer as I work. If you don't like beer skip this but judging by some logs ship building is as much about the experience as the building and an afternoon in the shed with tools and a new beverage to hand is my happy place.

 

With thunder rumbling in the background and the sound of distant duckshooters trying their luck it's feeling like winter so today's choice is Monteith's barrel aged porter. For those of you not familiar with NZ beer Monteith's was a smaller brewery founded on the west coast of the South Island in the 1860s. Back then, much as now it was all just coal mines, rugged mountain ranges with lots of bush and rain, but an extraordinarily number of pubs and breweries. Despite being bought out by big brewery DB about a decade back and production moved north Monteith's still turns out some decent seasonal beers. The porter, made back on the coast and not in the big city plant, is aged in American oak barrels and the traces of Pinot noir is not just marketing nonsense but detectable. There's a very subtle malt in this porter but its a case of less is more as it allows the hints of oak to flow though with a lingering caramel finish. Porters with an alcohol content over 5% usually feel a bit sharp but the subtle blend of flavours in this takes the edge of this one even at 6.5%. Recommended for any ship build on a grey day if you can find it.

 

[gjdale]

Nice work on the molding Timmo - looks at least as good as the brass, and will probably be easier to paint too! That beer sounds interesting - not sure that I'd manage more than one if serious work in the shipyard is required.

[j21896]

Looking fantastic Timmo!  I agree, the capping rail really is a huge milestone toward that completed look.  Looking forward to seeing yours installed.

 

Cheers,

Robert

[Blue Ensign]

I think you made the right decision Timmo, the wooden moulding is somehow more appropriate and what a fine job you have done on it.

 

Enjoy your ale.

 

Cheers,

 

B.E.

[Beef Wellington]

Tim, can only add my voice to the chorus of approval.  I especially like the idea of highlighting a 'building beverage of choice'

[aliluke]

Hi Timmo

Nice to find a fellow kiwi tucking into some Monteiths and doing a very modelling job on the Caroline. Great work in every aspect. I'll keep my eye on it and have a brew too!

 

Cheers from (not) windy Wellington.

Alistair

[Timmo]

Thanks Alistair. I don't believe you that it's not windy in Wellingtown. I think my avatar would be more appropriate for you.

There's a lot to be said for splendid isolation in Aotearoa but I hear what you say about our northern hemisphere friends not knowing the tyranny of distance when it comes to having to fork out for postage.

[Anja]

Hello Timmo,

 

 

Have great day,

 

Anja

[Ferit]

Hello Timo,

Happy birthday...

And very successful improvement... very clean well-done build...

Edited May 29, 2013 by shiponthehorizon

[Bummer!]

Nice job on the capping rails there...

About the blackening... Heating the liquid in a microwave may not be a good idea, you never know what the waves does to the chemistry.

I used a plastic cup that was dishwasher safe and put it in a water bath. Kept the water hot but not boiling. keeps the blackening agent at more or less constant temperature. 

[Timmo]

Some experimentation with the sheer rail colour scheme.

A rough paint job tried to settle on the final yellow (humbrol 74 linen) and combination

 

Option 1 with yellow strip in the middle of the the molding

 

 

Option 2 with the opposite. Suggestions welcome on which one anyone likes the look of. I'm leaning towards this one.

 

[Blue Ensign]

Tricky one that Timmo, I'm not quite sure, either way quite a tricky paint job but one I've no doubt you are up to.

 

Had you considered a plain varnished affect for the rail with the centre picked out in the  same blue as the bulkhead?

 

B.E.

[Captain Slog]

Hi Timmo,

 

Build is coming along nicely.  Your cannons look fantastic.  I will start on mine soon, hope they look half as good as yours.

 

By the way, I prefer option 2.

 

Cheers

Slog

[Timmo]

BE, is this what you were imagining?

I knocked this out of some walnut hull planking as the other mouldings were made from basswood for ease of carving and bending. And aren't walnut that would match the hull.

I don't mind this but there's a section on the hull at the bow between the sheer rail and foc'sle upper capping rail that is to be painted blue. I suspect the rail might disappear into the swathe of blue at this point.

Still, this was good practice and I think this is the pattern I'll use for the head rails.

As always suggestions welcome. This can be option 3.

 

[Blue Ensign]

Hi Timmo , yes that is the sort of arrangement I had in mind. I see on the AoTS cover drawing that the rail is painted black in the centre of the moulding which picks up with the wale and the capping rails. I see what you mean about the blue section along the Foc'sle topsides, but you have an artists eye as evidenced by your work on the bulkhead and I'm sure whatever you eventually decide upon will look good.

 

Regards,

 

B.E.

[jaerschen]

Hi Timmo,

 

there are to see so much fine models and your's requered also. I love your accurate mode of practice.

[Kevin]

sorry to fence sit, i like all the options

[Timmo]

Great suggestion from Blue Ensign.

I've gone with the natural walnut capping rail with a blue strip down it. This required abandoning the basswood ones I'd made but in hindsight the walnut didn't splinter at all really as I'd feared and turned out better than expected. I like the way it ties in the colurs without being too garish.

Just the top of the rails to be painted black and the same treatment for the quarterdeck rail.

 

[Beef Wellington]

Sorry I missed the vote Timmo, the option you picked looks very sharp indeed!

[realworkingsailor]

Very nice! You've definately proven that less is sometimes more.

 

Andy

[Timmo]

No worries Andy, dangerous precedent I nearly set there- modelling by committee! I'm a slow enough builder as it is but Imagine how little work would be done if I asked the group to decide next time..... Maybe someone should start a log like that with each step determined by popular vote. As long as its not me. Ha ha.

[gjdale]

Good choice Timmo. Your artist's eye is clearly well focused. Looking mighty sharp. As for the committee, as long as they are only "advisory" and not an "executive" committee, we should do just fine! Otherwise, the words 'camel' and 'horse' come to mind.

[Kevin]

after my fence sitting yesterday - i agree you made the right decision

all the best

[Timmo]

Quarter deck rails under construction. These had about 1mm sanded off the outside edge to allow the molding scratch built molding to be glued on and still leave it the same width. This is important as the rail meets with a curved end piece running onto the main capping rail. The groove was cut into this piece with a drill, blade and file a before and is visible in the latter pics.

 

 

The rail painted up and test fitted.

 

 

The fore section with painting completed.

The stripe was easier than expected. I masked and painted with the test strips in yellow seen earlier but the blue ones were done by hand with a brush which followed the groove fairly well. The timber was varnished first to prevent the paint bleeding into the still fairly loosed grained walnut. This allowed a blade to be scraped along the rails to clean up the edge with the acrylic paint coming away in a sharp edge with just some spot scraping to tidy.

 

Edited June 5, 2013 by Timmo