HMS Cruiser by Thunder - FINISHED - Caldercraft - 1:64 Scale

[Thunder]

As second planking completed down to the lower position of the wales I am expecting things to get more difficult from here. It is obvious that too plank the next section down the planks would have to be tapered more than half its width. Consequently drop strakes will be needed at the bow. I decided to drop one in straight away.

 

First strake tapered to 2mm.

Next strake down ready to fit. 2mm wide at end and then 2mm where the first strake ended.

 

Take a look at the stem. This design has it flush with the termination of the second planks above the wale position. I can find no evidence for this being correct. Also, it would look a lot better if I added a section of timber here. 

[Thunder]

Second planking working down. One full strake and then another drop strake

 

Started working up from garboard and down as well. One strake left on each side and stealers to do.

 

[Thunder]

Not posted anything for a while. To be honest not thought that there was much of interest to anyone. Anyway since last post have:

1. Completed second planking
2. fitted Wales.
3. fitted entry port steps
4. completed the deck planking
5. fitted cat heads
6. Bulwark capping
7. timber heads

I broke both of the for timber heads, (are these knightheads), so these are very weak.

You can see the timber head in place above the starboard cathead. I could not get happy with the positioning of this as these are supposed to be an extension of the ships frames and as such would not pass through the cathead. I have cut the larboard one off and then filled it.

I have since re-installed these aft of the catheads as in the plans at the NMM.

 

I have since completed the head timbers and Hawse holes as well as the gun port gun tackle eyebolts and rudder brackets. Not photographed yet.

[lmagna]

6 hours ago, Thunder said:

To be honest not thought that there was much of interest to anyone.

Can't speak for others but I always find your builds interesting and well executed.

 

For some reason there are a number of older posts on this build that have not shown to me when I look in. I don't know why this happens but I have noticed it with other postings that I may have followed if I had seen them.

[Thunder]

Lou, Thank you for taking an interest, Below is another view of the deck showing the nibbling strake and planking.

Gun port eyebolt positions were drilled through a simple jig made out of two layers of scrap ply. The larger layer had the jig holes drilled through, the smaller layer is the exact size of the gun port. Has a planking screw through the centre so can be passed through the port and held from the outside whilst drilling for the eyebolts from the inside.

 

Take a note of the hawse hole positions as predetermined by the kit. They are too far from the stem post. Any anchor cable would rub on the cathead brackets when running in a direct line too their access to the cable tier. If you look to the next photos of the outside of the hull you will see they are too far out compared to the cheeks.

 

Funny our good the kit looks to you photograph it.

View of headrails etc, Not much like the kit, I managed to shape the grating / marines walk by soaking for hours and then shaping with a hot iron.

 

 

[Thunder]

Gratings in place on the deck. None are these are true to size of the plan. I cut the deck back to the apertures on the false deck. Big mistake, not only are the grating parts provided insufficient in length to cover the holes the subsequent built size are not to plan.

 

My advice would be to plank the deck completely and apply the gratings over the top. Not correct to real manufacture which is the opposite way round. The over issue is the small gap between the gratings and between them and the companionway. The planks are too small and to easy to keep breaking away. Hole for the companionway ( still visible above) is also too large. I have this ready to put in place and have had to run a plank round the bottom edge to make it wide enough to cover the hole.

[Thunder]

Rudder pintles added, rudder ready to be fitted but leaving off for now. Paint will need touching up.

Hull entrance steps

[Thunder]

Hull nearly complete just some tidying up to do.

 

I used Manns floor varnish to finish the hull and deck. I put this on another topic.

 

 

 

[Beef Wellington]

Nice progress Thunder, I do like the look of the walnut and black, very appealing.

[Thunder]

I know I have been bad in not posting updates but I now need some help. If there is the interest here I will bring it up to date. What I need help with is below.

 

I have got to the stage of building the lower masts and can not decide on metal bands, as the kit instructions suggest, or rope wooldings.

My reason for uncertainty is that the kit has cannon and so assuming is portrayed as built which would be 1796. I can find no mention of the metal hoops replacing the wooldings before 1800. Even though I have this detail I also know that most references are very deficient regarding these smaller war ships and I also know that the smaller warships were always used for testing new technology. This means any rigging details can swing either way.

 

The construction of the caldercraft lower masts is closer to the woolding pre 1800 method but again this does not allow for the transition period that 1796 sits firmly in.

 

would appreciate anyone's thoughts or results of their research.

[Thunder]

Went with the metal bands, not due to kit instructions as probably flawed but because I believe new inventions were tried on smaller classes of vessel and would like to think it was tried on this one.

 

If went by James Lees would have been wooldings but, as with most reference material, these books deal mainly with ships of the line.

 

Come on Ian McLaughlan, when are you going to do volume two to fill that gap??

[Thunder]

I have been asked for an update so here goes!

 

Model moved on then had a break to finish some old OO gauge kits.

 

Rudder shipped and rigged.

 

Ships wheel and tiller rigged. You also get a good shot of one of the cannons installed. From memory found tiler length incorrect to kit and had to position ships wheel different to plans due to this.

 

 

[Thunder]

Capstan built and installed with pawls added.

 

 Companion way built and installed.

 

Modified due to kit items not covering deck cut out.

 

[Beef Wellington]

Hi Thunder, don't know the answers to your earlier questions on iron hoops.  These very small time period seems to be such a focused time for so many evolutions and other variables that narrowing something down to a 4 year period is probably an exercise in futility so you probably have the license to do what you want.  That's a really nice looking capstan.

[Thunder]

Elm Tree Pumps, Mast Bitts installed.

 

Isn't amazing how you think you have done a good job and then you take a photograph and it shows every little tiny fault. Trouble is you know that with the supplied wood you are unlikely to get it any better.

 

[Thunder]

Now moving onto the rigging. I always research my own rigging and compare with kit instructions. Many items were as per the kit but also many not. I will try to point out differences where I remember.

 

First items rigged are always the gammoning, bowsprit shrouds and bobstays.

 

 

As you can probably tell I have jumped a few stages. The photographs were taken much down the line and you will note that the fore, main and preventer stays have been rigged. If you know the correct order of dressing the masts and  yards you will know that to rig these I would also have rigged the mast pendants and shrouds. 

 

Unfortunately this is a catch up session as I have not been disciplined with my updates.

[Thunder]

It may be worth noting the bowsprit has rope wooldings. The masts, you will see later has iron hoops.  This was my own decision based on information I could find regarding how it was the smaller classes of ships that were used to try new techniques before implementing on ships of the line.

 

Chain plates photographs below. I really struggled with these. I checked and double checked the Wale position but when come to this found the dead eye strops to be the wrong lengths, now photographed this does show these really need some more work.

 

Next photograph shows the shrouds and dead eyes rigged.

 

 

 

[jwvolz]

It's not you on the chainplates.

 

I had to scratch build all the links for them on my Cruiser. If you place them at the correct angles the kit ones, all being the same length, won't work. 

[Thunder]

Photographs of Tops with Catharpins, Crowsfeet, stays, Jeers

 

 

[Thunder]

Bowsprit foot ropes to jibboom

 

 

[Wahka_est]

Your build looks amazing. I really like the look when most of its natural and only some parts painted black.

hope to have the same result with mine.

 

Did you change deck planking material or rigging ropes?

[Thunder]

Hi Wahka_est,

 

I did change the deck planking material, I purchased Lime to replace as I prefer the lighter colour rather than the sometimes orange of Tanjanika. However, purchased some for next project from Cornwall model boats and is was awful. It was not usable with dark streaks every few inches. They wouldn't except it was poor quality.

 

The fore and main stays have had different thread used as when I calculated the size that provided in the kit was too small.

 

[Wahka_est]

Hi

 

hows the build going? Any updates?

[Thunder]

Quick update on rigging process.

 

Now rigged, thread sizes are those calculated from James Lees rather than suggested by the kit. Order of rig is my standard I always use and was developed from the Noel C Hackney book for the Airfix Victory. I produce my own 'manual' for the rigging back tracking as I research for the points best to attach blocks.

 

• Gammoning
• lower mast pendants
• lower mast shrouds, thread used 0.75mm

• Catharpins 0.25mm
• bobstays 0.6mm
• bowsprit shrouds 0.6mm
• Mainstay 1,27mm
• Main preventer stay 0.9mm
• Forestay 1.27mm
• Fore preventer 0.9mm
• Snaking - not rigged
• Crowsfeet.
• Jibboom horses
• Topmast Burton Pendants
• Topmast Shrouds

• Futtock shrouds

• Ratlines
• Shifting backstays

 

 

[Wahka_est]

Really nice!

Hope to get mine to that phase also one day.

[Matrim]

its a lovely kit and yours is progressing nicely!

[bigcreekdad]

This has been a great build log to follow. Especially because of the very clear and close photos.

 

Great looking ship!

[Thunder]

Have now done the topmast standing backstays and moved to the topmast stays. The Cruiser kit does not suggest a fore topsail preventer which I am going to add. However, it does show a main topsail preventer stay. This leads to my next question. Kit shows the main topmast preventer stay rigged above the topmast stay. Topmast stay leads forward and down to a block behind fore mast just below main mast cheeks. Preventer shown running forward and down to a block half way between main mast top and cap. This is exactly as Lee's has it other than the other way round - main stay leads to below cap and preventer to cheeks. Question is, which is correct?

 

Suppose another trawl through books is on the cards.

[jwvolz]

I rigged the preventer topmast stay to a block on the foremast cap and the main topmast stay to a block under the fore top. Check the pictures in build log if you are interested.

 

The link is in my signature. 

 

Most of my rigging came from the brig Irene book. 

 

 

[Thunder]

Thank you Joe, you couldn't have answered at a better time as I was searching for your build.

 

You have rigged as the kit instructions. So the details in the Brig Irene book matches the kit but not Lees. What era is the Brig Irene?

 

I have just noticed that I have done the Main mast stays different to you. Both my main and preventer going to the bowsprit where as your preventer goes to a block on the foremast. Lees puts your method as ending in 1793. Does the Irene in the book date before this?

 

Just looked at the Petersson book and this has Main topmast stay over the Preventer. Now we are 2-2.