HMS Victory 1805 by DarkAngel - Corel - 1/98

[DarkAngel]

Overview 2nd deck

 

Here's a few more pics to get an idea of the overall progress thus far.

 

[DarkAngel]

 

Wasa model acquired

 

Early August I will be acquiring the Wasa 1628 Swedish royal ship by Corel in 1/75 scale. It's a beauty with lots of gilded decorations and over 60 guns.

 

I am in no hurry to start the Wasa, there will be lots of research undertaken before I think about that. Like the HMS Victory the Wasa is still around having been rescued from it's watery grave and brought back to life in the 50's. So there are plans and real life photo's taken to consider.

 

Currently I am reading a few Wasa blogs, and collecting Wasa images

Edited July 27, 2019 by DarkAngel

[DarkAngel]

Lanterns

 

Onboard through out the various decks on the HMS Victory, I noticed there are many lanterns, Primarily above or around each cannon and in area's requiring illumination, like the bottom of stairwells.

 

I had a look around for these parts, but most seem too big for this scale 1:98

 

Considering crafting these to house a tiny electric light possibly, any suggestions  on where these may be sourced ?

[DarkAngel]

2nd Deck installed

Permanently installed second deck after cutting back bulkheads for more streamlined walls as per HMS Victory in Portsmouth. This is required now before I can start the port lining framing on the other side. I can start the hull planking now at any time

 

I'm using the coffee stirrer sticks, white pine 2mm x 5mm for the interior wall and instead of painting them white, I'll just put a satin clear coat to maintain the light natural wood colouring.

 

My plan is to put in a few hanging tables and add a few other items like some barrels, maybe some powder horns a pyramid of cannon balls... extra center sections with cannon balls extending in each direction, And a mast housing bracket (a wooden round base to sit the mast inside). Also a wired lighting setup with severals light above each row of cannons.

 

Pics

Edited July 29, 2019 by DarkAngel

[DarkAngel]

Brass railing on main deck

 

I received a precision screw driver set today and had a go at widening the posts to allow the brass cabling to pass through. I had to go up from a 0.5mm hole all the way up to a 1mm hole to enable the brass cable included in the kit to fit through. I thought I would tackle the top stairs near the middle mast and am happy with the progress thus far. I found that drilling larger holes in the posts caused me to rub off the black patina, so I will need to brush on the 'Liver of Sulphur' solution again after the brass railing is completed.

 

pics

 

 

edit: I used superglue to glue the brass onto wood as I needed a strong quick bond to hold the various connections in place while I planned the next section. Firstly I bent the brass cable to test fit before going for the glue. I was worried about stcking my fingers together, so I used a bit of scrap wood to put pressure on items to be bonded. A bit of superglue on skin comes off by itself after a day, just don't press the glued skin parts together !

Edited July 30, 2019 by DarkAngel

[DarkAngel]

Update Gallery

 

 

[DarkAngel]

Stains

I'm looking at stains for colouring the various parts of the ship that require black and yellow ochre.

 

These are the options I am considering from a local supplier, which I can source in a 50ml proof tint

 

I'm leaning towards using Golden Teak over the white pine coffee stirrer strips (2mm x 5mm) I have for the hull and Black Japan over the walnut strips (2mm x 5mm). Using a lime white wash over the Golden Teak may be a better pale yellow however. 

Edited August 1, 2019 by DarkAngel

[Vane]

4 hours ago, DarkAngel said:

Update Gallery

 

 

Nice, i didnt twist them around for the stairs as well. Should have thought about that now i see.

[DarkAngel]

August update

 

Just started planking the hull. This is the fun bit for many, it's good to see the ship starting to take shape and develop some nice curves.

 

Here's some pics of where I am at including mast support brackets

 

 

Edited August 6, 2019 by DarkAngel

[DarkAngel]

Shipwrights Journal

 

Build Plan Calendar

 

August

 

• Complete hull planking on both sides
• Stain outer layers on hull
• complete lower deck, including satin vanish on walls and stained wood
• complete cannons and rigging for lower deck.
• considering adding another staircase leading to 3rd deck behind stairs near middle mast.

[DarkAngel]

New Gear acquired

 

I bought a Dremel 8220 cordless ion lithium battery model with heaps of accessories. I'd like to try some wood carving for base relief decorations at some point

 

Also I have the circular saw attachment and some router bits. I think I'll get the hand grip accessory or maybe the flexible extender.

 

Also picked up some threads from the sewing shop, using Mercer Crochet No. 40 thread in beige for the 0.8 - 1.0 mm rigging.  It's top quality thread made in france and non frizzy, non kinking  and tightly woven cotton.

[DarkAngel]

Tip:

 

Use Aluminium Pipe for hot steam bath for hull planks

 

I visited another ship builder yesterday and got some good tips and gear from him.  The tip I want to share with everyone is to use a long aluminium pipe with two stoppers and a small hole in the top. This is great for putting in straight lengths of hull planking after filling with boiling water. The chamber acts like a steamer and is about efficient as you can get for ergonomics. Also the small hole is important to relieve the steam pressure inside, without this it can become like a steam pressurized pipe bomb !

 

I'm going to give this a go

 

Plus add some vinegar to the hot water to help soften the wood fibers. My plan is to bend directly onto the hull and use a glue that can bond wet... like Gorilla Glue or Liquid Nails.

 

Do anyone else have any good tips for preparing the wood for bending ?

Edited August 9, 2019 by DarkAngel

[Jonesey]

Hi DA

 

Regarding your plan to glue whilst the wood is still wet - don't forget the wood can/will shrink when drying and the last thing you want is for unsightly gaps to open up on your hull

 

Best to dry fit and shape whilst wet, let dry, then glue.

[DarkAngel]

Planking around the hull

 

Bending the planks for the hull has begin. I have snapped a few coffee stirrer sticks in an attempt to check how far they can be bent by pressure alone. Pretty good flexibility for 2mm thick pine. However using heat, boiling water and steam yields much better results. Looks like doing one plank at a time is the way for me to start, pinning into place, checking any movement as the wet bend section dries and readjust the pins and clamps to ensure wood warp or shrinkage is dealt with as time progresses.

 

Thanks Jonsey for your input, now my focus is on ensuring the wood movement is managed.

 

I have decided to bend the wood directly onto the hull, and work on one plank in each series. I plan on dividing up the hull into 25mm sections (horizontally) to allow 5 planks to be calculated for each section, tapering and recalculating the section after each plank is laid. This method enables me to lay one plank per section and allow to cure before beginning the next plank in each series.

 

Pics thus far 

Edited August 11, 2019 by DarkAngel

[Jonesey]

Looking good mate.

 

Next time you take some photos, could you do a couple looking at the stern?

I'm curious as to how it all fits together back there

[DarkAngel]

4 hours ago, Jonesey said:

Looking good mate.

 

Next time you take some photos, could you do a couple looking at the stern?

I'm curious as to how it all fits together back there

Sure can, the Stern is a little tricky to get it to fit and my first thought was to have to modify the bulkheads to get the pieces to sit flush. However what I found is that my second test fit made a much better connection without having to modify the bulkheads. The method I used was to not actually glue the bulkheads onto the frame to allow a bit of shuffling around to get all the pieces to fit together. Also the rear frame on mine had big gaps when it connected to the main frame. Later on the bulkhead sections are reinforced and glued into place as the build progresses with the cannon backing boards.

 

My earlier blog entry #28 outlines and has photo's of the Stern section. You will see a gap there in the frame. I shall take some photo's as requested after the current planking job has cured. I shall be moving on to planking the hull from the Stern, and will need to undertake some more shaping and filing before planking some sections.

[DarkAngel]

Stern pics for Jonsey

 

 

[DarkAngel]

Japan Black stain

 

I have been using the Japan Black stain on the walnut wood with great results, three coats gives a nice deep black which does not come off when submerged in boiling water. This makes it easy to stain first and then apply to the hull. PVA glue doesn't stick well to the stain so I have only stained the outside, and is easy to clean off any PVA over spill with a wet cloth.

 

I have stained over the oil infused walnut and the stain still absorbs and darkens the wood nicely. The nice thing about stain is that you can still see the wood texture beneath and feel the smooth wood on the outside. I plan on using a satin varnish however to protect the finish for years to come.

 

pics

 

 

[Jonesey]

Thanks for the pictures mate, just what I was after

[DarkAngel]

Coffee Stirrers

 

Check out how naturally white these coffee stirrers are for hull planking !

 

Edited August 13, 2019 by DarkAngel

[DarkAngel]

Updates:

 

First look at various cannons mounted

The hull is coming along nicely and I have had time to drill my first 2.5mm hole for the large cannon to be mounted in a hatch. The large cannon sticks out a bit more than the smaller carriage mounted cannons but I think it looks ok  ,

 

Stain and ambient temperature

 

The hull planking is going well and I'm pre staining the walnut whales black as I go. They require a 12 hour layover between coats and need 3 coats. I have also discovered the stain requires temperatures over 10 deg C to dry properly and it's winter here with temperatures much cooler than that overnight, so I need to reassess the time of day allocated for staining. Catching the noon sun outside seems to work better and gives me a chance to get some vitamin D.

 

I have decided to go with a light acrylic wash instead of a weak yellow stain to keep the pale yellow ochre paint consistent throughout the ship. I have also stained more of the walnut timbers black for the same reason. Everything really *pops* with the Japanese Black accentuating the natural wood. 

 

Enjoy the pics 

 

edit: This next pic is a mockup with walnut whales as yet unstained. I have added a 3mm plank to widen the second (third) row of cannon hatches.

Edited August 14, 2019 by DarkAngel

[Vane]

I am sorry but I cant really figure out what order you are doing things in here? Are u planking both 1st layer and the 2nd at the same time? And adding Canons as well?

 

[DarkAngel]

1 hour ago, Vane said:

I am sorry but I cant really figure out what order you are doing things in here? Are u planking both 1st layer and the 2nd at the same time? And adding Canons as well?

 

 

Hi Vane, nice to see you again

 

I am planking the 1st and 2nd layer for the rows of cannons and cutting out the port hatches as I go.

 

So my planning and progression on the hull planking was as follows.

 

one:  Build a frame or port lining for the cannon hatches onto the bulkheads to preplan the location and positioning of the cannon hatches with the following considerations:

• The locations of the bulkhead framing to avoid cutting into
• The number of hatches per row, spacing and overall number of cannons
• Ensuring the cannon rows are in line with the rear cabin side windows (on the cabin side template)
• The placement of the rigging in relation to the cannon hatches
• Location of the entry door, steps and vertical 'runners' around the hatches nearby

 

two:  Smooth off the bulkheads and port liners to allow hull planking to flow over everything smoothly

 

three: Begin planking with the following considerations with the cannon hatches, and pre staining Japan Black on the walnut whales to avoid bleeding into the white pine wood (coffee stirrers) layer later

 

Considerations

• Ensure I can add the top deck later by not planking over the top deck. This enables me the ability to complete the lower deck before adding the top deck
• After each plank has been added, mark where the cannon hatches are to be as the port lining is covered. The red paint outline helps with this.
• Cut out the cannon hatches after the glue has had time to cure on each layer of planking to ensure the correct size of the cannon hatch and that the marked out area matches the port framing precisely before starting the 2nd planking.
• Allow for the first planking and second planking to be placed differently to allow overlap of planking between the layers and strengthen the hull
• Mark and cut out the position of the hatches on the second layer of planking ensuring the size again of the hatches matches the port holes for the cannons

 

four: Check the depth of the cannons extending beyond the hull is appropriate after adding the outer layers and inner layer of hull. To do this I have drilled one hole to do a test fit of a cannon into the backing board. This helps now incase I need to redo the backing boards for the lower cannon rows before they are planked over.

 

 This is where I am up to currently...

 

five:  Continue to plank over the lower hull with a focus on sectioning areas to calculate the tapering of planks required as I go.

 

six: Repeat above steps for the other side of the ship.

 

note: Still need to line the hatches with an offset internal thin frame a couple of mm in and paint red and paint pale yellow ochre on the 2nd layer of planking before adding the cannons,

Edited August 14, 2019 by DarkAngel

[EJ_L]

A word of advice with planking, it is usually advisable to work both sides at the same time. Reason being that when installing the planks, they can pull the bulkheads out of alignment fore and aft. If the sides are worked together, any misalignment can be caught earlier and more easily corrected if the opposite side is not fully planked which locks all the parts into place. Some people recommend going plank by planking opposite each other, I usually go in bands. With where you are in the build, I would recommend evening out the opposite side around your gun ports before proceeding further. Then you can do another band and swap back and forth between the two sides keeping progress even. 

 

This method is also helpful on the second planking for keeping the number of strakes even and the same size on both sides. This becomes very noticeable where the sides come close to each other at stem and stern.

[DarkAngel]

Aha !

 

Thanks EJ as always for your sound advice.  I shall indeed follow your advice and begin to strengthen the other side of the hull by adding port liners and planking

[Vane]

Thanks for the explaination. When i did this on my kit i first did the first layer, woodfill, sanded, 2nd layer, sanded, measured, cut gunports and painted. 

[DarkAngel]

Update

 

Port hatch internal frame

Here's a look at the internal framing and a hatch fitted from the Corel kit.

I have modified the hatch by gluing the surround onto the hatch and filing down the metal hinge part to make it look more like the original HMS Victory hatch hinges. I have also drilled two 0.5 mm holes in the metal bands to attach a 2 mm ring to tie onto a rope. I'm thinking of using the smallest heat shrink tube I can find to attach to the hull where the rope goes through to the inside.

Edited August 16, 2019 by DarkAngel

[DarkAngel]

Wallace: Thats a nice pic

 

Cannon hatches

 

I was thinking of crafting hatches as you suggested, but that's alot of work to find suitable material to make hinges for alot of hatches. So my first thought was to try and use the kit hatches and see how they look. I have just added wood to the back of the kit hatch which will be painted red to match the port lining. Maybe I could glue wood on the front too... making the hatch even thicker but would look more like your pic above.

 

here's an update pic of the back of the hatch.

edit: Adding wood to the front would make the hinges look like they are carved into channels on the front. As my hatches are going to be mostly open, I think the focus on wood for the back is good enough

 

2nd edit: Another solution is to wood over just the surround that is inset to make it flat ontop. I may try this for a few hatches that will be closed and see how they look painted over.

Edited August 19, 2019 by DarkAngel

[DarkAngel]

I may also try engraving grooves into the front of the metal hatch to match the surrounding timber planks... I'll take pics of this when a sample done

[EJ_L]

If you are not needing the hatches to be functional, card stock can be easily cut to resemble hinges. Use small wire for the barrels at the hinge and paint all black. Bolts can be simulated by dimpling the card stock. I've done this on many a door and hatch and they turn out good.