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

[Maury S]

Tony, Is there a sill between the bottom of the doors and the deck?  Seems standard procedure on boats.  I don't have the book with me right now to look it up.

Maury

[druxey]

For cable handling, the bulkhead panels would be hinged up under the forecastle against the beams, Robin.

[druxey]

Sorry, Robin: it is the lights that can be hinged up and aft for ventilation. The sections of the bulkhead would be struck for cable handling in this case. I apologize for any confusion.

[tlevine]

Maury, there would be a cant (sill) into which the bulkhead would fit.  In my case, I will make edge pieces rather than rabbet out a cant.  These will be installed after the bulkhead is permanently installed, after the forecastle deck is completed.

 

Robin, thank you for your comments.  Everything you say makes total sense and I remember the discussion from Dan's build.  However, when in doubt follow the plans.  Atalanta's deck plan from the NMM show the double doors in the location I have constructed.  So either there was a "doggie door" built into the bulkhead for running cable or else the bulkhead was removed as it would be in a combat situation.

[tlevine]

Work has reared its ugly head again and left me very little free time for modeling.  I finally was able to devote a few hours to Atalanta over the weekend.  Moving aft, the next items to fabricate are the main topsail sheet bitts (mtsb), the gallows cross-piece and the main jeer bitts (mjb).  None of these items will be permanently installed until later to prevent inadvertent damage and to facilitate installation of the pumps and axletree.  

 

The mtsb consists of two bitt pins, the bitt cross-piece and the gallows cross piece.  The pins are secured to the upper and lower deck beams with bolts and there is a score for the upper deck beam on the fore face of the pin.  There are also scores in the fore face for the insertion of the cross-piece. This is also bolted to the bitt pins.  Finally, there is a sheave in the pin just below the cross piece, along with a cheek block.  The top of the pin has a decorative panel as seen on the plans.  These were made by adding vertical and horizontal strips of wood to each side of the bitt and then tapering them to give the appearance of a beveled panel.  A pin was placed in the top of the bitt to secure the gallows cross-piece.  You will notice that the lower ends of the bitt pins for both the mtsb and the mjb are different port and starboard.  This is because the port side is fully planked and the starboard side is left open.  I did not want to damage the lower deck planking during their installation.

 

 

 

In TFFM, David gives three examples of typical gallows cross-pieces.  I selected the one with the ogee edge as anything fancier is beyond my carving capabilities.  At this point the piece looked too plain and I recalled how nice Remco's looked so I decided to try and give it a decorative edge effect. Using French curves, I first drew in the shape of the carving with pencil.  I knew some of the lead would end up in the depth of the cut and make it stand out better.  Next, I used the tip of a dull #11 scalpel blade (also with the French curves) to start outlining the carving.  Once there was sufficient depth, I switched to the tip of a triangular file to widen and deepen the cut.  All of the edges are chamfered.  Finish was applied to the gallows cross-piece but not to the bitt pins and it was pinned in place.  The bitts will be given a finish after they are permanently installed.

 

 

 

 

 

The mjb is similar in construction to the mtsb with a few exceptions.  First, the cross-piece attaches on the aft face of the bitt pin, not the fore as in the mtsb.  Secondly, the top mortises into the lower side of a quarter deck beam.  I made a card template of a quarter deck beam to set the exact height of the pin.  Finally, on Atalanta, the pin narrows above the cross-piece.  

 

 

 

 

 

[Remcohe]

That looks very nice Tony.

 

Remco

[Maury S]

Does the seaman stay in his hammock, or move around the ship?

Maury

[tlevine]

Thank you Remco and thanks to everyone for  the likes.  Maury, he's a lazy piece of you-know-what and I can't get him out of his hammock.  Actually, I had to remove some of the ledges to install the jeer bitts.  I never liked the colors so he is going to receive a new paint job.

[tlevine]

Time to work on the pumps and cistern.  I had previously rough-shaped the hexagonal pump tubes and left them long for final shaping later.  There are four tubes that terminate in the cistern and in front of them are the two hand pumps.  Each of the tubes was cut to length based on the drawings in TFFM.  They were bored for insertion of the pistons later.  They have been dry-fit into their openings in the deck and main mast partners.  The nozzles for the hand pumps point 45^o aft.  I did not have any metal supplies with me this week so they will be finished and permanently installed later.

 

 

 

 

 

The cisterns are relatively straightforward.  They are essentially boxes with two vertical side and two canted sides sitting on legs which are wider in the front than in the back.  There is a slot outboard for insertion of the pump dale and holes in the bottom for the pump tubes.  The outboard feet are taller than the inboard ones to compensate for the thickness of the mast partner.

 

 

 

There is a removable cowling which covers the pump wheel and chain assembly.  I have decided to make the port cowling and leave the starboard cistern uncovered to demonstrate the wheel and chain.  They still need to be detailed and I have not decided whether to show the pump dale.  Where would it be stored when not in use?

 

 

 

The cisterns are temporarily set in place behind the main mast.  There are a lot of structures in a very small space. 

 

 

 

 

[Jim Lad]

Excellent work as usual, Toni.

 

John

[druxey]

Where were pump dales stowed when not in use? Great question. My guess is overhead, between two deck beams. However, if anyone has good contemporary evidence, I'd love to know.

[Maury S]

Toni, Great work.  I think the cover looks a bit odd.  I'd shorten it up a bit so it's not past a half circle.   Make sense?

scroll down...http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/513-echo-cross-section-by-maury/page-9

Maury

[Dan Vadas]

Well done Toni.

 

I agree with Maury - the cover does look a little odd the way you've built it. It seems to dive inward a little at the bottom.

 

 Danny

[tlevine]

Thank you, John.  And thanks for all the likes.  Maury and Danny, I agree with both of you.  I will be sanding it down before final installation. Overhead stowage of the pump dale between the beams makes sense to me Druxey.  I will probably install the port side dale.

[tlevine]

It has been a long time between posts but I hope to make up for that over the next month.  There is always so much to do in the summer that there is not much time for sitting inside and breathing in sawdust.

 

For months now I keep "hearing" robin's not-too-complementary comment about my lazy sailor.  Of course he was right and so he has been evicted from his bunk and set off to work somewhere where he cannot be seen.    Since his bunk is no longer occupied, I have rolled and tied it to match the other two bunks.  

 

I went back to the plans and David's drawing and reworked the cistern cover.  It looks much better now.

 

The pump axletree is supported at the ends by support brackets.  Most of the Swan class ships used wood standards but Atalanta's plan show a metal bracket instead.  These are bolted to the hatch coamings.  These were made with 1.5" brass wire and tubing.  The parts were then silver soldered.  I have left one end long; this will be inserted into the coaming.  I assume there is a bolt on the underside of the coaming.  They will be blackened.

 

[druxey]

Welcome back, Toni! Nice brackets.

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

G'day Toni

Just started to read your log. Amazing details and workmanship.

Greg

[tlevine]

Gosh, guys, it's nice to be missed.  More pics today or tomorrow (having computer issues).

[tlevine]

At first glance, the pump brake is an imposing structure with its multiple right angles.  Add to that the need to make the port and starboard brakes look alike. The axletree is made from five segments of 1.5" brass wire.  The vertical connectors are fabricated from 3" square brass rod which has been drilled to accept the axletree segments and shaped with files.  The various pieces were silver soldered together except where the long segment inserts into its fore connecting rod. This allows for fine adjustments in length during the final installation.  Don't forget to insert the wheel!

 

 

 

I am lucky enough to have Admiralty Models' PE set for the Swan class and this includes the wheel components and links of chain.  This is assembled like a bicycle chain, alternating double and single links.  Brass wire was inserted through the holes and the ends peened to secure it.  The picture also shows other components of the PE sheet.  After blackening, the chain look great in person but terrible on camera so I only am showing a top view to demonstrate the linking process.  

 

 

 

As a next step, everything is temporarily assembled to check for gross mistakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[druxey]

Nice work on the axletree and brakes, Toni!

[mtaylor]

Nice work, Toni.  It's going to look sweet all final assembled.

[dgbot]

I am glad to see your work again Toni. It is an inspiration to many of us,

David B

[Maury S]

Toni, Looks great.  I'm working up to making the axle trees for my Echo Section.  This is quite helpful.  Thanks for sharing.  Maury

[tlevine]

Robin, just to make sure he didn't creep back into sight, I snapped off his feet and threw him into the brink.  Thank you Druxey, Mark, David and Maury.  And thank you everyone for the likes.

 

The final assembly is complicated by the fact the the height of the axletree must exactly fit the opening in the cistern cover, both in height and distance from the midline.  I had to remake the stanchions twice (and in one case, three times) to get the perfect fit.  The outer leg of the stanchion is inserted into a hole drilled in the hatch coaming.  The inner leg is secured with a bolt.  In the photos the metal looks unevenly blackened.  In real life it does not look blotchy.

 

 

 

This is one of the rare times I used CA.  I was concerned that the Elmer's Yellow would not hold the metal.  Once everything was secure, the chain was glued into the outer pump tube and then draped over the wheel assembly.  The port assembly turns; the starboard does not.  You can also see the pump dale sitting next to the port cistern.  This is a straight-forward box with a tongue to insert into the side of the cistern.  Since I have not decided what I will eventually do with the ordinance, I decided not to install it onto the cistern.

 

 

 

 

 

Now that everything is secure, I will make and install the rhodings.

 

[druxey]

Good stuff, Toni! Those chain pumps look good enough to raise water.

[dgbot]

Toni your patience and hard work Pais off on a beautiful assembly.

David B

[Jim Lad]

Beautiful pumps you've got there, Toni.

 

John

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Really nice work, Tony

[SawdustDave]

Absolutely beautiful job on the pumps Toni. Enjoying your fine work here.

Dave

[Martin W]

Ahhh, so that's what chain pumps are supposed to look like!  Wow!

 

Cheers,

 

Martin