Venetian Round Ship c. 13th century by woodrat - FINISHED - 1:32 scale - fully framed

[michael mott]

Thanks Dick.

Michael

[cog]

Wouldn't it be easier with the frame support still attached to finish the "ribbons", Dick

[woodrat]

Carl, I have removed the support for the moment so I can properly fair up the floors under the vessel. I may put it back on later but the temporary wale around the top timbers seems to provide good stiffness. The stem and sternposts are not yet fixed to the keel. This allows access to the inside of the hull for fairing. I am learning as I go but, so far, so good.

Dick

[woodrat]

The hull is removed from the building board while it is faired. Applying the garboard strake and ribbands is straightforward. Then it wil go back on the board.

Dick

 

 

 

[Louie da fly]

Looking good, Dick. It's coming together well.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

Thanks, Steven.

I have faired the hull and installed internal stringers and clamps.The larger wales are positioned where the floors overlap the futtocks at the bend of the bilge as well as where the futtock overlaps the top timber at max breadth. I haven't finished pinning the wales. No trenails were used on the Contarini 1, only nails.

I have put the hull back into the building frame so I can apply the ribbands for bow and stern.

Cheers

Dick

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Louie da fly]

Interesting way to go, Dick, doing the main framing and then adding stem and sternposts. Was there a particular reason for this?

 

BTW, are you using nails for fixing? I take it they're just temporary - what are you replacing them with?

 

Steven

 

PS: Nice precise work.

[woodrat]

20 hours ago, Louie da fly said:

Interesting way to go, Dick, doing the main framing and then adding stem and sternposts. Was there a particular reason for this?

 

BTW, are you using nails for fixing? I take it they're just temporary - what are you replacing them with?

 

Steven

 

PS: Nice precise work.

Only nails are being used as this was how the original was built. No trenails were used according to the relazione of the excavation. I have not connected the stem and stern posts. I will do this after the bow and stern framing is completed and faired. I used this method for my Essex and Gros Ventre builds.

Dick

 

[Louie da fly]

Thanks for the info, Dick. Is there any particular advantage to leaving stem and sternpost till after the bow and stern framing is done and faired?

 

Steven 

[Baker]

Beautiful work

Somewhere I have read that in warm waters mostly iron nails were used. Because the wooden treenails were eaten too quickly by woodworm.

 

found it. Source : Joao Baptista Lavanha, who died in 1620

Edited November 24, 2018 by Backer
update

[woodrat]

Steven, just ease of access for the Dremel. You could join the posts up now. The strength is largely in the wales rather than the attachment of the keel to the posts. I need the frames in place before I can extend the wales to the posts. There were no cant frames in this vessel and the bow and stern frames were curved floors placed along the curve of the posts and reinforced with vertical futtocks. I believe there must have been some vertical bow timbers to reinforce the hawse holes but these were not preserved in Contarina 1

 

Thanks, Patrick for the info on iron nails. What was the book? Steffy?

Cheers

Dick

[Louie da fly]

Thanks, Dick. That makes a lot of sense.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

The first two bow frames are in. Not quite perfect but I think I have the hang of it. Although there are no actual cant frames as we usually understand them, it seems inevitable that some frame rotation or canting creeps in. Note how the floor timbers are now tilted to match the curve of stempost. the curve of floors and futtocks is the same as for the rest of the ship.

 

 

 

Cheers

Dick

[druxey]

Interesting method of construction, Dick.

[cog]

so true druxey. Dick, I wonder how you will make things fit ...

[woodrat]

11 hours ago, druxey said:

Interesting method of construction, Dick.

 

7 hours ago, cog said:

so true druxey. Dick, I wonder how you will make things fit ...

So do I. The venetians managed it.  Unfortunately not all of the bow survived so some extrapolation will be needed.

Dick

[woodrat]

I was able to complete the framing of the bow section. The tilted floors from the wreck were reproduced. The timbers above this level in the Contarina 1 wreck did not survive and have been guessed at. You will note that canted frames became necessary and seem to work. Breasthooks and deck clamps applied.

Dick

 

 

Edited December 26, 2018 by woodrat

[druxey]

A very interesting form of construction, nicely executed as usual, Dick.

[Louie da fly]

Another piece of "learning by doing" - probably the only possible way to construct the bow framing; hard to predict in theory, but the obvious road to travel when doing it in practice.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

Chaps, I have completed the framing of the stern and used a slightly different technique. It was quite difficult. Fairing of the frames and pinning was made easier by keeping the stern separate from the main hull. I will now attach the stern module.

Making the tilt floors

15 deg. angle

then angle to match that of the futtock

 

Tilt floors fixed in place

 

Stern uprights in place

 

stern detached and fairing up commences

 

Fairing done and breasthooks in place

cheers

Dick

 

Edited January 29, 2019 by woodrat

[cog]

interesting, and effective method I'd say

[Louie da fly]

Fascinating work, Dick. Very interesting to follow your working out of the structure.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

Thanks Carl and Steven. The hull framing is complete and awaiting fairing so I can fix the wales.  Overall the framing of the bow and stern is fairly consistent with the Contarina find. I am presently researching the quarter rudders and have decided to make a swing mount. This allowed the rudder to be swung up and secured when not in use and allowed easy removal and replacement of the rudders ( in some mediaeval ports it was a requirement on anchoring or docking to remove the rudders so the master couldn't  do a quick scarper and avoid paying the port fees).

Cheers

Dick

[woodrat]

The wales have been attached. I have inserted the main throughbeam in the stern. This a major structural element as the quarter rudder applies its turning moment through this beam. Pilgrims in round ships have described how, travelling in steerage, they could feel every movement of and twist of the ship when they leant against the throughbeam.

Cheers

Dick

 

 

Edited February 16, 2019 by woodrat

[druxey]

This reconstruction is fascinating! Nice going, Dick.

[Louie da fly]

Beautiful work, Dick. The hull has really taken shape well.

 

Regarding the side rudder, I take it you already have the TAMU paper on the development of rudders/steering oars?

 

Steven

[woodrat]

Thanks Steven and Druxey and everyone for the likes

 

Yes Steven I have read Lawrence Mott's definitive treatise on the Development of the Rudder. I use this plus some of my own interpretation of the iconography. In addition, new information from the Black Sea wrecks will be used to reconstruct a usable swing system for the quarter rudder.

Cheers

Dick

[Louie da fly]

Thanks, Dick. Looking forward to seeing your interpretation in practice.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

This is my plank bending jig. Planks are soaked for 24 - 48 hours. No steaming.

 

the framing of poop. The stern deck framing is underneath the poop. Note the pillars with the red balls. This will become the shelter for the steersman.

Making the external supports for the poop. This can be used to make complex curves. 0.5 mm planks are glued and clamped and allowed to set overnight. It saves a lot of carving.

 

 

sorry about the soft focus

 

 

I will show the swing mount for the quarter rudder in the next installment

Cheers

Dick

[woodrat]

This in my concept of the swing mount used to attach the quarter rudders. The rudders had to be removed and given to the port authorities as a safeguard against sneaking out without paying port fees. So the rudders ahd to be easy to remount. Also, loss of a rudder was not uncommon at sea and mounting a new rudder had to be straightforward. (and a sight easier than remounting a stern post rudder. The quarter rudder had to be able to swing horizontally out of the way in shallow water to prevent damage. Also the weather rudder could be withdrawn if the ship was heeling. The ship was steered then by the lee rudder. There were many different variants of swing mounts. Here is a contemporary illustration showing a swing mount.

 

This how it is on my ship:

 

 

 

 

This the rudder rotated up ( this would be done by a rudder hoist) and would be even more horizontal when fully raised.

 

Dick