Jump to content

HMS Bellona 1760 by SJSoane - Scale 1:64 - English 74-gun - as designed


Recommended Posts

Hi everyone,

 

The top chocks are finally finished, and I went for the black on natural idea. It is starting to look good with the natural gratings and black coamings.

 

I have shown the size of the upper chock in my hand. Challenging.

 

On to the lower ones...

 

Mark

 

post-477-0-48915000-1362948695_thumb.jpg

post-477-0-43694300-1362948704_thumb.jpg

post-477-0-05214700-1362948712_thumb.jpg

post-477-0-02312100-1362948713_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Challenging?????  Mark, I think you are now the master of understatement.

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

 

Thanks, Grant, Mark, Michiel, Robert, Ben, druxey and Karl. This has been a steep learning curve for me. Of all the things I read over the years, and watching other great build logs on this site, I had no idea that the chocks of the capstans were going to be so challenging. They have to fit very precisely into the angles between the whelps, or you can see the mismatch; they are angled at the back to fit against the angles of the drum, which you can also see if it is not right; they are beveled on the sides to fit the birdsmouth rabbets; and they are rounded on the front so that they make a perfect circle around the capstan, which you can see if it is not a perfect circle. They are too thin to clamp in a vise without breaking them with the force of a file, and almost too small to hold in fingertips. I sanded and filed a great deal off my fingertips while working on these. I became obsessive about not letting them slip from my grasp, because there was no way I would ever find them again.

 

I can't wait to work on a big project like the spokes of the helm! ....;-)

 

Best wishes,

 

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent work sir!   I have found a pair of very heavy short length tweezers used by the watchmaking folk to be of great use with these tiny bits. I  also got tired of filing away my fingers. Ill post a picture in favourite hand tools.

 

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Thanks, Michael and druxey, that was a steep learning curve. But the great thing is, I figured it out and learned some new skills along the way. I had to be even more patient than usual, and walk away when I got impatient. And I had to be more systematic than usual, while carefully adjusting each face. I made a few sanding jigs that helped; I'll try to post those later. I also learned that I have to get even more tools....a few more files to expand my range of coarseness, and Michael, I look forward to seeing the watchmaker tweezers. Those could really come in handy!

 

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amazing craftsmanship, Mark.  Looks absolutely perfect from the pictures.

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

Perhaps a little late but there is a member of the ROPE in Japan that did a complete set of plans for the  HMS Bellona including the frames in CAD format. I have only seen the CD with the plans  one time but as I remember they were well drawn. 

 

Cheers,

Guy

The Learner

Cheers, Guy
The Learner
Current Member NRG,SMA

 

Current Build: HMS Triton 1:48 on line

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Thanks, Mark and Grant. My wife asked me if we would ever see this when the model is done. I explained that the modelmaker of the original 1760 Bellona model is likely looking over my shoulder, making sure I keep standards up...

 

Guy, it is probably late for me at this point. I lofted all of the frames back in the 90s before I started using CAD. And the details are now half a lifetime of research based on dozens of sources. It would be interesting to see someone else's reconstruction of the ship. Are the drawings published anywhere?

 

I am taking a break from the hull for a short time, while I sort out the Byrnes ropewalk and set up a rigging table based on Steel. I have posted a few questions over in Tools and in Rigging. I thought it better to keep these off the build log.

 

Best wishes,

 

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Hi Guy, I would be interested if you don't mind looking into it. And thank you Runner63, I appreciate your comment.

 

I spend a day putting in more carlings and ledges. I had to re-do one space between beams, because I originally put in two rows of ledges and they were too close together to match the texture of the rest of the deck. So out they came, and a single row went in. Good thing I am in no rush....

 

Best wishes,

 

Mark

post-477-0-78233200-1364523284_thumb.jpg

post-477-0-01521500-1364523286_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Hi everyone,

 

Remco, you are so right. The rush is definitely to get into the shop!

 

Last night's photos weren't great. Here is one in the daylight. (my photos seem to be smaller than usual; I'll look into that.)

 

In setting up for the mainmast partners, I discovered that my original hatches and gratings were not sized correctly. So in the spirit of re-doing, I am working on a more systematic way of doing gratings. Each one needs to be adjusted just ever so slightly in the spacing both ways in order to fit exactly in the correct coaming size. So rather than the usual method of cutting on the table saw, which does not easily allow minute adjustment for each grating, I decided to try it on the mill. Here is my first experiment. The spacing came out perfectly in the test.

 

It is fairly scary turning that big sawblade on the mill without any kind of saw guard. But I needed the diameter to clear the housing of the motor when it indexes over. And I needed to build up a block to get the work at a height that the mill can reach when the Z dimension is cranked all the way down. I wear a big face mask, and stand well to the side...

 

The idea is to cut the spaces between the ledges so that the ledges do not quite fall off the blank. Then I can glue in the battens with the ledges already automatically spaced. Once dry, I will sand the bottom of the grating until the ledges reveal themselves, and then the grating is opened up. At least in principle....

 

We'll see tomorrow if I can make this work.

 

Mark

post-477-0-25630800-1364598866_thumb.jpg

post-477-0-01222600-1364598870_thumb.jpg

post-477-0-07138900-1364599318_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brilliant idea for the gratings Mark. I'll surely be filing that one away!

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...