HMS Vulture 1776 by Dan Vadas - FINISHED - 1:48 scale - 16-gun Swan-class sloop from TFFM plans

[Dan Vadas]

 

HMS Vulture Build Log Resurrection

 

 

Following the Crash of  MSW in February 2013 I’ve attempted to re-create as much of my former Build log as I can. The  following is a very truncated version of the original. It doesn’t contain any of the comments posted by others, as they were unrecoverable. My apologies for that.

 

I've also left out the MISTAKES I made during the construction in the "Resurrection" section. Some of them can be found in this Topic : How I Fix Boo-Boos and Oopsies

 

The original Build Log was started on June 11 2011. Actual work on the model commenced on Wednesday August 17 2011.

The Build Log was terminated on February 14 2013 (the day the Server crashed), and Re-building it started the day MSW came back on-line.

 

 

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Following is an Index to "Points of Interest". you can Click on the Links to jump straight to the First Post that starts a particular Section.

 

Links to other Sites in the following pages, e.g. Tool Suppliers, look like this : Sherline . You can jump straight to their Webpage by Clicking on them. Note : I have no affiliation with any of the Suppliers I have posted Links to - just a happy customer.

 

To return to the Index Click on the "HMS Vulture" Link in the Signature in one of my Posts, or use the "Back" Arrow of your Browser. There are no Signatures under my posts in the Reconstruction phase to save page room.

 

The Index will be updated as work progresses.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Index to Points of Interest

 

Page 1

HMS Vulture - some History of the ship + Links to Build Logs of other Swan Class Ships on MSW

Research and Materials + Links to Suppliers

How the Model will be built

Tools
Preparations

Clamps and Planking Pins

 

Laying the Keel

Lower Apron

Stem and Fore Deadwood

Aft Deadwood

Sternpost

Rising Wood

Cutting Rabbets and Fitting the Mounting Nuts

Cutting, Shaping and Fitting Transoms

Cutting the Bowsprit Seat

Fashion Pieces

Bollard Timbers

Timberheads and Bowsprit Chock

Forward Cant Frames and Hawse Timbers

Forward Cant Frames

Aft Cant Frames

Side Counter Timbers and Timbers on the Side Counter

Aft Cant Fairing

Knee of the Head Construction

Aft Square Frames

Frame Bend

Shifted Toptimber

Fixed Blocks

 

Page 2

Frames all Fitted

Toptimber Aligning and External Fairing

Treenailing Frames

Keelson

Pump Recesses

Stemson

Fillings

Harpins

Ribbands

Limber Strakes

Floorhead Thickstuff and Treenails

Mast Steps

Aft Crutch and Lower Breasthook

Limber Boards

Lower Well and Shot Locker

Chain Pump Inlets

Pump Tubes

Chain Pump Sprocket

Lower Deck Clamps

Footwaling

Internal Treenailing

Aft Platform

Aft Platform Carlings and Ledges

Aft Platform Bulkheads and Spirit Room Hatch

Lower Deck Beams

Fore Platform and Bulkheads

Lower Deck Hook

Block Room and Tar Room Bulkheads

Magazine Bulkheads and Mizzen Boxing

Lightroom

 

Page 3

Finishing the Magazine

Aft Platform Rooms

Upper Deck Clamps and Ceiling

Lower Deck Beam Carling Mortices

Lodging and Hanging Knees

Pillars in the Hold

Opposed Knees, Beam Arms and Iron Knees

Lower Deck Beams, Carlings and Ledges

Chain Pump Inlets and Tubes Fitted

Sleepers

Lower Deck Waterways and Spirketting

Riding Bitts - stage 1

Upper Deck Beams

Lower Deck Planking

Hooked Planks

Lower Deck Treenailing

Hatch Coamings and Companions

Lower Deck Breasthook

Forward Room Bulkheads

Upper Deck Pillars and Beam Set

Forward Rooms Bulkheads and Scuttles

Forward Bulkheads Finishing

Riding Bitts and Sail Room

Wing Transom Knees

Bread Room Bulkhead and Pillars

Aft Bulkheads

Pantry

Upper Well

Upper Deck Framing Finished

Upper Deck Ledges

 

Page 4

Upper Deck Waterways

Mast Wedges

Main Mast Partners

Aft Beam Arms, Carlings and Ledges

Mizzen and Foremast Partners

Main Topsail Sheet Bitts part 1

Upper Deck Hatch Coamings

Capstan Step

Upper Deck Planking

Top and Butt (Anchor Stock) Deck Planking

Upper Deck Treenailng

Counter Timbers

String in the Waist

Quarterdeck Clamp and Transom

Ebony Wales and "Dummy" Treenails

"Black" Strake

Topside Planking

Port Stops and Sweep Ports

Spirketting,Quckwork and Inside Sweep Ports Trimming

Treenailing Spirketting and Quickwork

Upper Deck Companions

Helm Port

Lower Counter Planking

Garboard Strake

Lower Hull Planking

Top and Butt Planking

Tricky Plank

Hull Planking Continues

Hull Planking Finished

Starboard Sheer Strake

 

Page 5

Scuppers

Main Topsail Sheet Bitts

Main Jeer Bitts

Forecastle Deck Beams

Hawse Holes Finishing

Fore Topsail Sheet Bitts

Bucklers

Upper Deck Breasthook

Bowsprit Partner, Hanging and Lodging Knees

Manger

Riding Bitts

Galley Stove 1

Galley Stove 2

 

END OF BUILD LOG RECONSTRUCTION

 

Chain Pump Cisterns

Pump Chain

Pump Brakes

Rhodings

Forward Stanchions, Cistern Hood and Pump Dale

Capstans

 

Rudder

    Main Piece

    Bearding

    Pintles

    Spectacle Plate

    Bands

    Gudgeons

    Rudder Shipped

    Rudder Coat

 

Forward Athwartships Aft Cabin Bulkhead

Bulkhead Doors

Aft Athwartships Aft Cabin Bulkhead

Longitudinal Aft Cabin Bulkhead

Upper Counter Planking

Forecastle Bulkhead

Forecastle Bulkhead Lights

Making Stern Light Frames

Stern Lights Completing

Rudder Head Trunk

Great Cabin Lockers

Completing Great Cabin

Rudder Head Partners

Transom Iron Knees

 

Guns

    Brackets

    Barrels

    Capsquares

    Drilling the Bolt Holes

    Axletrees

    Carriage Assembly Jig

    Trucks

    Bed

    Quoins

    Hardware

    Breech Rigging

    Side Tackles

  

Forecastle and Quarterdeck Carlings

Forecastle Knees

Catheads

Catheads Fitted

Cathead Caps

Steam Grating Coamings

Steam Grating

Galley Cowl

Cowl Baffle

Breast Beams

Forecastle Half-Door and Light

Quarterdeck Hanging Knees

Cast Knee

Quarterdeck Lodging Knees

Beam Bracket

Quarterdeck Hatch Coamings

Capstan Step

Forecastle and Quarterdeck Waterways

Forecastle and Quarterdeck Planking

Forecastle and Quarterdeck Treenailing

Bulwark Spirketting

Gun Rigging Re-do

Gangboard Knees

Planksheers in the Waist

Hances

Making Timberheads

Timberhead Jig

Forecastle Planksheers

Forecastle Timberheads

Quarterdeck Timberheads

Gangways and Gangboards

Entry Steps to the Waist

Gallows Crosspiece

Preparing Tuck Molding and Waist Rails

 

Quarter Badge

   Quarter Badge Stools and Munions

   Upper Finishing

   Lower Finishing

   Carving the Finishing and Glazing Lights

   Pilasters

   Quarter Badge Crown

 

Chesstrees

Channels

Sheer Rails

Standards

Drift Rails

Main Studding Sail Boom Irons

Fenders

Entry Steps

Swivel Gun Mounts

Fore Jeer Bitts

Belfry

Forecastle Railing and Spar Rack

Companion Top

Ship's Wheel

Quarterdeck Ladderway

Ladderway Railings

Quarterdeck Breastwork

Fixed Gangway Newel Posts and Railings

Taffarel

Taffarel Capping Rail

Ensign Staff Block and Clamp

Quarter Pieces

Roughtree Rail

Brake Pumps Fitted

Steering Rigging

 

 

 

This INDEX has grown too large, so I will start a 2nd one. It can be accessed by clicking the link below.

 

Link to Index Part 2

[Dan Vadas]

HMS Vulture - some History of the ship

 

HMS Vulture was a 16 gun sloop of the Swan class, launched on 18 March 1776. She served during both the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary War before being sold for disposal in 1802. The Vulture is perhaps best known for being the warship to which Benedict Arnold fled on the Hudson River in 1780 after unsuccessfully trying to betray the Continental Army's fortress at West Point, New York to the British.

 

HMS Vulture had several areas of difference to previous ships of the class - she may have been used as an "experimental platform" for a few innovations. Whether these changes were later implemented on other ships is unknown.

 

Length of Upper Deck : 96’7”

Breadth : 26’ 4”

Depth of Hold : 12’ 10”

Burthen : 300 Tons

Armament : 16 x 6 Pound Guns , 16 x ½ Pound Swivel Guns

 

 

There were 24 ships of the Swan Class built between 1767 and 1780. Here is the complete list :

 

Swan (1767)    Kingfisher (1770)    Cygnet (1776)    Atalanta (1775)    Pegasus (1776)    Fly (1776)    Swift (1777)

Dispatch (1777)   Fortune (1777)  Hound (1776)    Hornet (1776)    Vulture (1776)    Spy (1776)    Cormorant (1776)

Zebra (1777)    Chameleon (1777)    Fairy (1778)    Nymph (1778)    Savage (1778)    Fury (1779)    Delight (1778)

Thorn (1779)    Bonetta (1779)    Shark (1779)    Alligator (1780)

 

Some of these ships are being built by other members on MSW. Here are the Links to them :

 

HMS Kingfisher :   Remco      Erik    Bob    Jeff

 

HMS Atalanta :   Toni

 

HMS Pegasus :   Ray     Andy     flyer     Bummer!    Maurice     Aldo     Spyglass     Caroline    daveor   Nils

 

HMS Fly :   Christian     Chris     DiKri     Vitus    Adeline

 

More Build Logs will be added to this list as they are submitted.

[Dan Vadas]

Research and Materials

 

This model is built using the four volume set of "The Fully Framed Model, HMN Swan Class Sloops 1767-1780" (hereby referred to as TFFM) written by David Antscherl and Greg Herbert (available from Seawatch Books) :

 

 

Further information was gleaned from copies of the original plans from the Royal Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. Formerly known as The National Maritime Museum, I refer to it as the "NMM" in this Build Log.

 

  

 

Admiralty Models supplied a set of Plans of the Main Deck, Side Elevation and Deck Beam Profiles printed on Mylar. Also a CD of all the profiles of the Frames. I printed these out on A4 size sticky-backed Label Paper.

 

NOTE that the Mylar plans from Admiralty Models are based on HMS Kingfisher, an early "Swan" Class ship. There are several differences in ships that followed later, hence the need for the NMM original plans for the particular ship you are building.

 

 

Timber for the model was purchased from HobbyMill. This was pre-thicknessed to the various sizes need for each set of parts :

 

 

The timber used :   Steamed Swiss Pear (two shades) for the majority of the Hull Framing and Deck Framing

Castello Boxwood for Planking

Ebony for the Wales and Detail parts

Holly for very light colored parts and the Cutter Planking

 

The above came from HobbyMill, I received the ones below from other modellers.

 

Australian Cherry Ballart for the Bitts and other Deck Fittings

English Box for Small Detail Fittings and Carvings

 

Also from HobbyMill came a complete Masting Package :

 

 

Finally, I bought a Cutter Timbering Set and the Photoetch Set from Admiralty Models :

 

[Dan Vadas]

How the Model will be built

 

My intention is to build this model as Fully Framed with the Starboard side open and the Port Side fully planked - both Hull and Decks.

 

Interior details like the Footwaling and Thickstuff (Port side only), Deck Clamps, Mast Steps, Breasthooks, Cabin Bulkheads, Companions (ladders) etc will be added.

 

The Decks will feature all the fittings like the Guns (Port side only), Bitts, Pumps, Capstan, Anchors etc.

 

All Masts and Yards will be fitted, and the ship will be fully Rigged.

 

A Scratchbuilt Cutter will be included.

 

This model will be completely Scratchbuilt, down to the Rigging Line and Blocks. The only "Non-Scratchbuilt" parts in this model will be the Gun Barrels. These will come from Shipmodels in Russia, cast in Brass by Alex Baranov. Sorry, but I don't have the skills to make them as well as he can .

 

I expect it will take me about 3 to 4 years to complete this model. But I'm in no hurry, so it may take longer .

[Dan Vadas]

Tools

 

 

I have been building wooden ship models for over 30 years, and in that time I have accumulated quite a large collection of Modelling Tools :

 

Numerous Xacto Knife handles of three sizes - it saves a lot of Blade changing. Hundreds of Blades for these, both Stock and Modified.

Same with Pinvices - I have four Handles fitted with the most commonly used size of drill bit. Several boxes of Minidrills plus larger sizes in both Inch and Metric.

A Swivel Vise - no serious modeller should be without one. Also a couple of sets of "Third Hands".

Razor Saws, both "push" and "pull" cuts - two handles plus many blades. Some of the blades have been ground down to enable cuts in very tight places.

Dozens of Clamps of every description - you can't have TOO MANY of these.

Cork Sanding Blocks, some modified to sand inside curves. Home-made Sanding Sticks of every shape and size imaginable.

Various shapes of Mini Pliers.

Various Needle Threaders for Rigging.

A Jim Byrnes Drawplate for making Treenails.

 

Now the "fun" bits - the Power Tools :

 

A Sherline Long Bed Lathe

A Sherline 8-axis Mill. A Digital Readout for both Lathe and Mill.

Nearly every Accessory for both the above.

 

Jim Byrnes Table Saw, with all Accessories.

Jim Byrnes Thicknesser.

Jim Byrnes Disc Sander.

An ancient Dremel Scroll Saw, modified with an almost Zero-Clearance Base Plate. Still going strong 30 years later . EDIT - I recently purchased a 18" Carbatec Scroll Saw as the Dremel finally gave up.

A small Taiwanese Drill Press - cheap, but quite good quality.

Three Dremel Tools, one is Cordless.

A Proxxon Mini Engraver.

A Proxxon Mini Bench Grinder for sharpening drills and other tools.

 

You CAN successfully build a model with the "bare necessities" of hand tools, but there's nothing like a GOOD QUALITY Power Tool to make numerous items of the same shape and size. The precision they give you when cutting timber or metal is also very difficult to match by hand.

[Dan Vadas]

Preparations

 

Before any work commenced on the model there were some other things to build.

 

Using the directions in TFFM I constructed a Building Board :

 

 

I added Supports for the Keel, fore and aft, from clear Acrylic (Perspex) :

 

 

I also made two Squaring Jigs for the Cant Frames and one for the Square Frames :

 

  

 

I made a Jig to measure up from the Baseboard that can be used inside the Hull :

 

 

The Baseboard was marked for the Plan View using a tracing of the Mylar Plan :

 

 

The Frame Profiles were printed from the Admiralty Models CD onto A4 size "sticky-backed" Labelling Paper :

 

[Dan Vadas]

Clamps and Planking Pins

 

I made 16 clamps of this type. They are used primarily for clamping Planking where the clamp can fit between two Frames :

 

 

These Clamps are very useful inside a Hull, mostly used for Planking again. I made 12 of them also :

 

 

The (6) Parallel Clamps hold pieces together without pulling them out of line like normal Spring Clamps tend to do :

 

 

An overview of the first batch of Clamps I made - I added some more of each type after this pic :

 

 

One day soon I'll post a "How To" make the various Clamps in the Modelling Tools Forum.

 

I also made 12 Planking Pins. These use a 0.5mm pin, which is the size of most of the Treenails used on the model. They come in handy where I need to use a Pin directly through a Plank etc :

 

[Dan Vadas]

Laying the Keel

 

It's finally time to make some sawdust .

 

Work begins with the Keel. The fore part of the main keel uses a Boxing Joint to fit up with the Apron :

 

  

 

The Keel itself is made in four sections. Each has a Scarf Joint :

 

 

I clamped the keel to the edge of my Building Board to ensure it was straight while the glue dried :

 

[Dan Vadas]

Lower Apron

 

This is one of the hardest pieces to construct in the whole ship. The whole Fore Frame Assembly relies on the accuracy of the frame rebates. There was also considerable work involved in shaping the Boxing Joint to fit the Keel  :

 

 

  

[Dan Vadas]

Stem and Fore Deadwood

 

The Stem is made in two sections, with a Scarf Joint between them. The Boxing Joint between the lower part of the stem and the Apron has also been cut in. Note the 90 degree orientation of the two joints :

 

 

 

The upper and lower parts of the stem have been glued together. Here they are being fitted to the Apron :

 

 

 

 

The Fore Deadwood has been fitted :

 

 

 

 

Copper wire "bolts" have been fitted through the Boxing Joint and the Scarf Joints along the Keel :

 

 

  

 

 

Finally, the Stem was tapered from top to bottom, and also in a fore-aft direction :

 

 

 

 

The upper part of the stem is slightly different to TFFM on the NMM plans.

[Dan Vadas]

Aft Deadwood

 

The Deadwood afore the stern is made from five pieces of timber. These are bolted top to bottom in the real ship - the bolts are up to 14 feet long. They have similar rebates to the Apron for the lower ends of the Frames. The Deadwood is an area that has differences to the TFFM plans :

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

The Deadwood is tapered from top to bottom. In this pic the Starboard side has been done and the Port side is marked in readiness :

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Sternpost

 

 

The Sternpost is laminated from two pieces. It has some rather interesting rebates cut into it to receive the Transoms and the Planking :

 

 

  

 

  

[Dan Vadas]

Rising Wood

 

The Rising Wood sits atop the Keel. In reality it is rebated to accept the Frames - it's easier to rebate the frames themselves as the joints look the same either way :

 

 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Cutting Rabbets and Fitting the Mounting Nuts

 

 

A Rabbet was marked and cut the length of the keel using a "V" gouge and Xacto blades.

 

 

 

 

The rabbet gradually changes angle at approximately the start of the Deadwood to accommodate the change in angles of the planking :

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stainless Steel Mounting Nuts were now fitted into the Keel for the screws that hold it to first the Baseboard, and later the Pedestals :

 

 

 

 

 

The Keel was screwed to the Baseboard :

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Cutting, Shaping and Fitting Transoms

 

 

The five Transoms were marked by first applying each profile that had been printed onto the Label Paper from the CD. An Awl was used to mark the limits of the tapers :

 

 

 

 

 

Each transom was then shaped to a generous "oversize" using chisels and sanding blocks. The rebates for the sternpost were cut :

 

 

 

 

The transoms were then glued to the sternpost, making sure they were both in line with the marked baseboard and also parallel to it at each end :

 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Cutting the Bowsprit Seat

 

The Bowsprit Seat was cut in next, using a straight piece of brass round which was taped to the "convergence point" where the bowsprit would intersect the keel if it continued that far. This point is marked on the Mylar TFFM plan, and coincides with the NMM plan.

 

120 grit sandpaper was glued to a piece of brass tubing of the correct diameter. This tubing was an easy "slide fit" over the brass round bar. The sandpaper "carriage" was moved back and forth on the upper part of the Stem until the Bowsprit Seat was at the correct depth :

 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Fashion Pieces

 

 

The first pieces of Hull Framing are known as Fashion Pieces. They fit to the ends of the Transoms and attach to the Keel.

 

These were cut from the profiles on the CD in similar fashion to the transoms. I cut them to the FULLEST part of the profiles, ignoring the tapers, the SECOND time around. The first time I attempted to make them to the taper shown on the profiles with poor results - when I fitted later frames they were TOO SMALL and had to be re-done. A hard lesson learned   .

 

I used my smaller Squaring Jig to fit them :

 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Bollard Timbers

 

The two Bollard Timbers attach either side of the Stem, and are the first of the Hawse Timbers which make up the forward part of the hull framing.

 

These were marked out from one of the patterns supplied on the CD and bevelled and tapered to the patterns - not a good idea, as they finished up fractionally small once again but not enough to be a major concern.

 

 

 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Timberheads and Bowsprit Chock

 

The Bollard Timbers are topped with "Knightheads" - decoratively carved tops that were used for fastening some of the forward Running rigging. I carved these with an Xacto knife and round needle file :

 

 

 

 

Next I "spot-glued" the Bollard Timbers to the stem and cut the opening for the Bowsprit into them. This was finished off with the same sliding sanding tool I used for the step in the top of the stem :

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bowsprit Cross-Chock is a deceptively difficult piece to get right due to the many different angles involved. The picture below shows it just after fitting - it hasn't been fully trimmed to match the surrounding timbers yet :

 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Forward Cant Frames and Hawse Timbers

 

Before any more of the Hawse Timbers can proceed the first two Forward Cant Frames needed to be made and fitted. These were once again made from the CD patterns.

 

They are each made in two sections, joined together by a scarfed Chock - it's almost invisible on the frames in the picture but can be clearly seen on the plan below them. As the Port side will be Fully Planked I only use the Chocks on the open Starboard side - the Port side just gets a simple scarf joint :

 

 

 

 

The two Cant Frames are now fitted using two Squaring Jigs aligned with the markings on the baseboard :

 

 

 

The Hawse Timbers are now cut and bevelled, and "spot-glued" into position - there is still a considerable amount of work to be done on them before final fitting :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The positions for the Hawse Holes are now marked using an adjustable Height Gauge.

 

The Mylar Side Elevation was glued to a piece of board with the bottom of the keel flush with the bottom of the board and mounted vertically to the wall behind my workbench. The height gauge was then set up directly off the plan :

 

 

 

 

The assemblies were then removed from the hull and the hawse holes drilled and filed to an "under-size" which will be enlarged later in the build :

 

 

 

The Air Gaps (ventilation to stop the timbers rotting) were cut between the hawse timbers and the assemblies permanently glued in :

 

 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Forward Cant Frames

 

The remaining Forward Cant Frames were now cut and assembled :

 

 

 

 

Rebates were cut into the frames that side the Bridle Port. The top one has a horizontal cut in the upper end, while the bottom one is "birdmouthed" :

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cant frames were all glued to the apron. Temporary spacers are glued in to hold the tops in position :

 

 

 

 

The lower ends fit into the rebates in the Apron. Each pair has a reducing angle where they fit to the apron. The angles were done on the Byrnes Disc Sander using the tilting base.

 

 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Aft Cant Frames

 

The Aft Cant Frames are made in similar fashion to the forward ones. They sit in the steps in the Aft Deadwood :

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fillers are fitted between the Fashion Pieces and Sternpost beneath the lower Transom :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the Forward and Aft Cant Frames are now fitted :

 

 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Side Counter Timbers and Timbers on the Side Counter

 

No, I'm not repeating myself . The two names in the title are real.

 

The Side Counter Timbers are the two pieces that extend from the Wing Transom to the Taffrail. They have a rather interesting shape :

 

 

 

 

The pieces were cut from thick stock and filed to shape. The one on the left is completed, the one on the right had been shaped on one side only when this picture was taken :

 

 

 

 

I used the Squaring Jigs to align them with the markings on the baseboard. They are only glued to the Wing Transom and are rather fragile at this stage :

 

 

 

 

"Third Hands" were used to support the Timbers on the Side Counter while the glue dried :

 

 

 

 

When the temporary spacers were glued in the whole assembly became a lot more stable :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Aft Cant Fairing

 

The inside of the Aft Section has been partially Faired. It's a lot easier to do to this stage before too many other frames are fitted. Final fairing will be done at a later stage :

 

 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Knee of the Head Construction

 

The Stem is constructed from eight pieces, which were through-bolted on the real ship.

 

Construction starts with the lowest one - the Gripe. A card template of the Stem was first created, and the inner edge cut to it. This was dry-fitted numerous times until a perfect fit was achieved, then the outer edge was cut in. Much work was involved in getting a good fit to the keel joint. "Caulking" was applied with an Archival Ink Pen :

 

 

 

Next is the most complex one - the Lacing Piece. This took about 2 hours to make.

 

I had an accident much later in the build and snapped this piece    . The full story can be found HERE .

 

 

 

 

The next two pics show six of the pieces making up the Knee :

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Knee tapers in both a fore-aft direction, and also from top to bottom :

 

 

 

 

The two upper pieces of the Knee. The Gammoning Slot and Bobstay holes have been drilled in :

 

 

 

 

Rubber Bands were used to hold the Knee while the glue dried :

 

 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Aft Square Frames

 

I traced the printed CD patterns on Mylar film, transferred them to the timber and cut them out to the largest extents. Then I used double-sided tape to hold them in position on the patterns and glued them together :

 

 

 

 

The two pics below show the components of two typical adjacent frames. Note the differences in the positions of the joins, and the extra Floor in the lower one. The scarf joins for the Chocks in each piece have not been cut yet :

 

 

 

 

 

The frames were fitted to the keel using a large Squaring Jig. A square was used to align the outer edges to the plan marked on the baseboard :

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Frame Bend

 

A Frame Bend is used in every third frame. This is two frames joined together with a spacer block - in reality these were bolted together. I've only used two spacers on the unseen Port side :

 

 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Shifted Toptimber

 

Toptimbers were "shifted" to maintain the correct opening sizes for the Gunports etc.

 

The one shown in the first few pics below (the first one I'd ever made) was actually re-built later on, as I'd miscalculated the correct amount of "step" needed at the join :

 

 

 

 

 

 

The re-built frame after being fitted :

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Fixed Blocks

 

There are two Fixed Blocks each side of the hull in the Waist - one single and one double. The single block is for the Main Tack, and the double block is for the Fore Sheet and Spritsail Sheet.

 

These were made by laminating spacers between two strips :

 

 

 

 

 

They were then sanded to size on the disc sander and the slots were cleaned up with a thin needle file :

 

 

 

 

I turned the Sheaves on my lathe. The larger ones are 0.9mm thick and the smaller ones are 0.75mm thick. They are 4.8mm in diameter :

 

 

 

 

 

The blocks were later morticed into the frames :

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

Frames all Fitted

 

Work continues on fitting the rest of the Square Frames. I fit about 8 frames from each end at a time and Fair the insides to make access easier :

 

 

 

 

The Deadflat Frames - Station 0 - are made by joining three frames together with spacers :

 

 

An overall view of all the frames fitted to the keel. The Gunport Sills were all cut in and fitted as I did each section of framing :