HMS Atalanta 1775 by tlevine - FINISHED - 1:48 scale - from TFFM plans

[tlevine]

Thanks Danny.  I remember your jig to get the angles correct..

[tlevine]

The berthing rail attaches to the main rail with two eyebolts.  A stanchion is threaded onto the rail before it is inserted into the eyebolts.  This is secured to the false rail.  Netting extends from the berthing rail down to the main and false rails, leaving an opening for the boomkin.  Conceptually, this is pretty straight forward.  However...  Tulle is netting used to make veils and formal wear.  The netting openings are 0.05" which is 2.5" at this scale.  The netting opening needs to be 3-4".  There is no fabric manufactured that fits the required specifications.  (Believe me, I looked!)  Other options I looked at were hand-tying the netting or finding a non-fabric substitute.  Hand-tying was not going to happen.  The closest I could get was screening material.  This comes in two basic types, metal and nylon.  I found an old screen door and helped myself to a piece of the screening.  The net opening was 3 1/2".  I attached this to the berthing rail with multiple knots.   Still not sure if I like the looks of it, since the netting should be natural and not dark, but for the time being it is the best I can do.

 

 

 

 

[kurtvd19]

Airbrush the screen.  I know somebody that would do it for you if needed.

Kurt

[tlevine]

Thank you Kurt for giving me the obvious solution.  

 

 

[Maury S]

much improved!

Maury

[TomShipModel]

The finish makes a big impact.  Very well done.

 

Tom

[tlevine]

The fore channel deadeyes are next.  There are seven 10" deadeyes and three 7" deadeyes.   I wanted a color contrast with the rest of the hull without wanting to stain the wood so they were made of cherry.  Next time I will use a finer grained wood and then stain them.  These were made on the lathe using a jig.  I ground the profile of each deadeye into opposite ends of a piece of sheet brass.  The pictures illustrate the process.  One of the keys to success is to have as little wood protruding from the chuck as possible to prevent deflection of the wood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The larger deadeyes have a four-piece chain assembly: upper link, middle link, toe (or lower) link and preventer plate.  The smaller deadeyes do not have a preventer plate.  The larger deadeyes have links made of 1.25" iron and the smaller deadeyes have links of 1" iron.  The basis process was to form appropriate sized loops of brass wire and silver solder them.  These are then squeezed around the deadeye, leaving a lower loop through which the middle link will insert.  There is an inward angle on the lower loop but I did not form this until I was ready to install the entire assembly.  The toe link was made similarly, using a nail instead of the deadeye to form the upper curve.  The heights of the lower bolts of the toe links was taken directly from the plans.  The middle link was formed and threaded through the upper and toe links.  Using a heat sink on the two ends of the middle link, the middle link was also silver soldered.

 

 

 

The preventer plates were made from brass strip.  In real practice, these were forged from square bar stock.  To simulate this, I engraved a line down the middle of the plate.  You can just barely make this out in the plates shown below.  The top of the plate has a bend in it to compensate for the thickness of the toe link.  The location of the lower bolt was determined after the entire assembly was finished.

 

 

The final result after blackening and installation of the channel molding and the four preventer bolts.

 

 

 

The shankpainter chain attaches to the hull above the fore channel.  It's purpose is to secure the anchors.  I had some chain left over from a kit which had almost the correct size links (3/4" diameter).  

 

 

The spanshackle ring was made from brass rod.  The curved section was shaped first.  Then the rod was bend to form the side arms.  Finally, the length of the lower arms was determined and the ring was soldered closed after the ring bolt had been threaded on to the ring.  I chose not to add deck planking under the ring so it is installed elevated above the beam the thickness of the deck planking.

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

47 minutes ago, tlevine said:

I wanted a color contrast with the rest of the hull without wanting to stain the wood so they were made of cherry.  Next time I will use a finer grained wood and then stain them.

I would DEFINITELY suggest you use at least Castello, preferably English Box, for the Deadeyes. By the time you get to the ones for the Mizzen Backstays they are LESS THAN HALF the size of the ones you just made (without losing any of the detail). If you thought Cherry wasn't up to the task for the first ones it certainly won't be for the smaller ones . See the last pic in THIS POST.

 

If you don't already know, a good source of English Box is one of the old type folding Carpenter's rules. The newer ones were made of an inferior grade timber, you will need to source one from about pre-1980 or so from a Garage Sale or 2nd-hand tool merchant. One rule will be more than sufficient for all the deadeyes and blocks for a couple of models . EDIT - they are also on E-bay but I can't guarantee the timber used in any of them. This one at least LOOKS old enough . Ignore the exorbitant Postage quoted - that's to Australia if the link comes up the same as mine. The actual price is comparable with what I've paid for them in the past.

 

 

  Danny

[druxey]

I'd take Danny's advice on Castello or even English boxwood for those deadeyes, especially the small sizes. Dyeing is easy, if a little messy. Incidentally it's easier to solder up the chains before putting in the deadeyes. After cleaning and blackening the chains, a gentle squeeze with needle-nose pliers closes up the ring of the deadeye link around the deadeye.

[kurtvd19]

Toni:

I have nylon jawed pliers for this kind of work on a blackened or plated part.  You can wrap some tape on a regular set for a temporary soft jaw pliers.

Kurt

[tlevine]

Thank you gentlemen for your thoughts.  Definitely, I will go for a different wood next time.  As I am not rigging her, the smallest size deadeyes are the 7" ones.  I have actually finished all of the deadeyes.  Once the tung oil finish is applied, a little 400 grit sandpaper takes care of any fuzz.  As it is an oil based penetrating finish, I can put the entire assembly through the blackening process without damaging the deadeye.  Once installed on the hull, I applied an acrylic clear matte finish coat to the links.  Kurt, I wrap a little masking tape around the tips of some needle nose pliers.  I have never heard of nylon jawed pliers.  

[tlevine]

I am in the process of constructing the lining and bill board.  On a Swan class, the lining overlays the main wale.  Would it have been painted to match the wale or left bright?

[TomShipModel]

Hi Toni,

 

I have seen billboards left bright understanding that they are intended to get  "beat up" over time and would be periodically replaced.  A scarred up painted billboard would be a bad thing I'm thinking.

 

Tom R

 

 

[clifforddward]

One caution about Dan's recommendation regarding sourcing boxwood from older folding rules....Dan lives in Australia, so it may very well be that down his way old folding rules are made from Boxwood....but here in USA the leading historical manufacturer of folding rules was Lufkin Rule.  I'm confident Lufkin started manufacturing in New England, but at some point they moved their folding rule plant to Apex, North Carolina just down the road from me.  Back in the 1980's I sold instrumentation to Lufkin, so got a good opportunity to see the operations and equipment they had been using to make rules.  For some decades prior to that point Lufkin sourced the wood for their folding rules from their company owned timber tracts in Maine...it was white pine, not boxwood.  I do not know about earlier manufacturing, but suspect at least since WWII Lufkin used white pine for their folding rules. 

 

My Grandfather's old folding rule is a USA produced Stanley looks like white pine to me...wood appears too soft to be boxwood.

 

Perhaps a UK manufactured folding rule would be boxwood...would be interesting to investigate as I believe they could be cost effectively sourced via eBay if not old enough to be a collectable.

[Dan Vadas]

58 minutes ago, clifforddward said:

Perhaps a UK manufactured folding rule would be boxwood

I'm guessing you're right Cliff. Back in the early 20th century to about 1980 in Australia we would have imported all our Stanley rules from England. You're dead right about the Lufkin rules - I accidentally bought one without checking it. It was indeed pine, and finished in the bin . I bought about 6 or 7 English Box rules from a used tool merchant. I still have a couple left.

 

Good points re the Billboard from Tom. I'd agree with his thoughts. BTW - I left mine unpainted.

 

  Danny

[druxey]

Contemporary models show the paint job carried across the billboard to match.

[EdT]

Very nice work, Toni.  I appreciate the issues with turning deadeyes.  I wish I could say that my turnings are exemplary, but they are not, but here are some personal thoughts about smoothly finished turned deadeyes and other small parts: 

 

I would strongly second Danny's recommendation on using genuine Euro Boxwood for its superior hardness.  It can be found online.  Since it will be stained and small pieces can be used, color imperfection common in current offerings is not an issue.  In comparison with other species, relative hardness properties according to an online Wood Database are proportionately as follows: Eurobox, 2840; Castello 1800, Swiss pear 1660, Hard Maple 1450, Cherry 950 and, for comparison only, Basswood 410.  So apart from color, cherry is not a good choice.  Pear is much better if color is paramount.

 

Some other things to consider that I have found helpful: 

 

Smooth turnings are best produced by tools that shave vs. tools that scrape.  Most contour cutters are scrapers because it is very difficult to sharpen a complex shape to take shavings.  For example, furniture turnings that are shaved require very little sanding compared to those made with the usual scraping tools - unless a burr is formed on the edge - not practical on small tools.  Also, a wide cutter will rip out more fibers that a narrow tool. Single pointed or rounded cutters with correct relief angles (about 20 deg for wood) have the best chance of shaving.  Use the calibration wheels to form the shapes.  

 

Use the very  highest turning speed and the very lightest feeds when using a machine lathe designed for metal cutting - like Unimat or Sherline - espeicially with wide contour cutters that put a lot of stress on turnings.

 

Round and polish with fine abrasive sticks - 320-400, then 1200 grit and up.

 

Use a non-fading stain, either pigmented (say Minwax) or natural water soluble dyes like walnut extract/VanDyke crystal solutions.  I am currently using the latter for these parts and more diluted solutions for hemp rigging.

 

Hope these ideas are helpful.

 

Ed

 

 

 

 

 

[tlevine]

Thank you Druxey.  All of the photos of contemporary models I had were of larger ships so the wale was not at risk from the anchor.  Ed, your thoughts are greatly appreciated.  In fact, I used your approach as shown in the Naiad books to make my cutter.  Although I did not mention it, the under surface is cut back to minimize the area which is in contact with the wood.

[Mirabell61]

Hi Toni,

 

wonderful view down into the hull at the forecastle showing the beautiful timbering joints, etc.

 

Nils

[EdT]

You are welcome, Toni.  I did use the profile cutter described in Naiad II to make those deadeyes - and the method produced a satisfactory set - with the finish polishing steps.   I have regretted (and apologize) that size and shipping weight issues, the number of drawings with that book, and the large amount of content, limited some descriptions could have been more complete - I think the deadeye description was a paragraph or two (compared to five pages in YA II).  I would have said more about turning speed and emphasized the relief angle under the cutter.  Getting the grinding of the backside of the cutter along the entire profile was not easy.  That, coupled with the larger number of sizes and smaller sizes on YA led me to the single pointed or rounded cutters that required more tool changes and settings, but were able to produce a wider range of sizes - some down to 1/16".  As you probably know from the book, the Naiad deadeyes were Swiss pear.

 

Ed

 

 

[tlevine]

Ed, never apologize for your books.  They are bibles for many of us.

 

The covering boards and bill boards are an attempt to prevent injury to the hull and chain plates while hoisting the anchor.  Both of these structures are designed to be easily replaced.  On the Swan class the lining overlaps the main wale.  There are three of them and they are attached with nails whose heads stand proud for easier removal (I think).  There is a decorative groove near the lateral edges.  In order to get a smooth run for the groove, I made the lining off the model, gluing the the boards together on a piece of paper for extra support.  Then I cut the groove.  I removed them from the paper and glued and nailed them to the model.  The lower two boards required bending in two planes to fit the wale tightly.  After listening to everyone's advice I decided to paint them.  I found the appearance of the bright wood garish against the black wale and decided any commanding officer would feel the same way.  There is a molded platform on top of the lining is wide enough to allow a man to stand on it.  Access would be through the gun port.

 

  

 

 

 

The bill board has two vertical stanchions to which the boards are attached.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[albert]

Hi Toni, very beautiful work.

[tlevine]

The forecastle deck probably had stanchions supporting a line to which netting is fixed.  The object was to prevent sailors from being as easily swept overboard.  I have been unable to find any information as to whether this netting would be located outside or inside of the timberheads.  Any thoughts?  The contemporary model of Atalanta does not show these stanchions.

[SJSoane]

Toni, the project is looking gorgeous!

Mark

[BANYAN]

Very nice Toni, can't help you directly with your question, but my current build (the 1850s, so much later) had stanchions with manropes and no nets.  I am not sure if that was an option in your build era?

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited November 3, 2017 by BANYAN
Fixed intended word

[druxey]

The contemporary model of Amazon, 32 guns (RMG collection) shows these stanchions for manropes, but there is no line or netting.

[TomShipModel]

Toni,

 

Very nice work.  As far as netting on the Forecastle, manropes would have been all that would be there as the netting would be in the way.  Some lines run to timberheads from outboard and some from inboard.  Either way, belaying would require wrapping around the timberhead.  Netting would be a problem I would surmise.

 

Best Regards,

 

Tom

[tlevine]

Thank you gentlemen.  The manropes without netting made more sense to me as well.  

[tlevine]

There are quite a number of stanchions along the planksheer.  On the forecastle, seven stanchions support a man rope.  They were made out of 1 1/4" iron and had an eye at the top.  The base swelled to a collar where it met the planksheer.  Each of these is a different height to compensate for the upward curvature of the forecastle.  These were made with brass wire.  I used small pieces of brass tubing to represent the eye and threaded tubing onto the stanchion to represent the collar.  Both these pieces were silver soldered to the brass wire.  They were blackened and installed onto the planksheer.  A rope was threaded through the eyes and secured to the bollard timber forward and to the planksheer aft.  There is a slight dip in the rope at the third stanchion from the bow but it fits so tightly in the hole that I cannot safely remove it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[alde]

Pretty darn amazing.