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

[Dan Vadas]

Thanks once again to John, Brian, Jeff, Pat, Tony and Sailor1234567890 .

 

Gangways and Gangboards

 

There is a Fixed Gangway either side of the break for the Quarterdeck to provide access to the quarterdeck from the upper deck and also to allow for boarding, and a Gangboard either side in the Waist to provide a walkway between the forecastle and quarterdeck.

 

The easiest solution to making the framing for the fixed gangway I could think of was to first edge glue the planking together, shape it correctly, and then build the framing onto it. I used Pear for the edging plank for a decorative contrast.

 

 

 

 

The second framing for the unplanked starboard side was copied from the resulting pieces :

 

 

The Gangboards are a simpler affair, consisting of two 9" boards which are affixed to the knees :

 

 

The installed assemblies :

 

 

 

  Danny

[mtaylor]

I like that construction method.   I have those to do on my build, but without the curves.  This method will be perfect.

[overdale]

Lovely work Dan. 

[gjdale]

Very nice Danny. The contrasting wood colours really give it some extra oomph!

[Jim Lad]

That looks nice, Danny!

 

John

[Richard Griffith]

If imitation is the highest form of praise, then my build of the Vulture fits the description.  Dan, your build log inspired me to start my own, and your log is giving me much continued inspiration and encouragement.  Some say I am an expert builder, some are inpired by my work.  My take is I am an excited intermediate builder pushing into the master arena in some aspects and a rank amature in other areas, such as carving in the round. 

 

Well, your blog is a great memtoring help, and your choice of wood colors (colours) is supurb.  But your artistry in construction is what challenges me to higher levels of fit and finish.  I am enjoying the journy.

 

Thus far, I have finished the keel with staples, the stem, both aprons, and fore deadwood, and the capstan.  Next up is the stern deadwood.  The images from Greenwich show a different pattern than shown by David A. for the Pegasus so some drafting is actrually next.

 

Thank you Dan and keep building and posting.                            Duff

[rtropp]

Hi Dan,

Nice work, I just started following your build and am very impressed. I like the look of your tree nailing and wondered how you did it.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[Dan Vadas]

Thank you Mark, overdale, Grant, John, Duff and Richard.

 

Entry Steps to the Waist

 

There are two sets of Entry Steps attached to the fixed gangways, one either side. These have "Winding" treads to transition from the curve in the gangways - quite tricky things to get right as the angles for the slots in the fore stiles are different to the aft ones.

 

I cut the fore slots at 30 degrees, and the aft ones at 27.5 degrees. This gave the required "twist" in the steps.

 

The pics will tell the story of how I made them :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Danny

[Mirabell61]

Outstanding Danny !

wonderfull Wood composition, a really impressing build

 

Nils

[mtaylor]

Wow..that is tricky.  Nicely executed, Danny.

[Jim Lad]

Very classy ladder, Danny!

 

John

[Jeff-E]

Hi Danny,

 

Great work on your construction of the gang boards and steps they look fantastic, especially the steps, and thank you again for sharing your construction methods, most helpful

[Trussben]

As mark said, Tricky but you did a great job, I will have to remember this one.

 

Ben

[clipper]

Hi Danny, I wonder how many people who see your finished model in future years will realise just how tricky it was to plan and create those steps with all of the odd angles in it.

Tony

[Kevin]

The ladders look fantastic - well done

[ajromano]

You keep raising the bar my friend!

[ndeconte]

Insane detail, my hat off to you!

[riverboat]

Hi Danny , just wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Frank

[Moonbug]

Really enjoyed being able to re-locate and catch up on your build, and then to start following it again Danny!

 

- Bug

[Dan Vadas]

Hope you are OK Danny - I need my regular fix of envy at your work and you havent been here  recently.

 

All good - I'm away on holidays at the moment - doing a side project Restoring and Finishing a very rough Del Prado Victory.

 

Normal service will resume next week .

 

  Danny

[rtropp]

Danny,

Beautiful work. This will be helpful when I get to my first scratch build.

 

I am at the early stage of considering my first scratch build. At this point I am planning the tools I might use. Can you tell me, what is the thickest wood you need for this build?

 

Thanks,

Richard

[Dan Vadas]

Danny,

Beautiful work. This will be helpful when I get to my first scratch build.

 

I am at the early stage of considering my first scratch build. At this point I am planning the tools I might use. Can you tell me, what is the thickest wood you need for this build?

 

Thanks,

Richard

 

Thanks Richard, I wish you well on your first visit to the "dark side" .

 

The thickest timber is 18 scale inches for the Hawse Pieces which have multiple curves that need shaping. The rest are 12 scale inches or less, mostly around 9 scale inches.

 

  Danny

[Moonbug]

Looking forward to the next update Dan, enjoy your holidays!

 

- Bug

[Dan Vadas]

Looking forward to the next update Dan, enjoy your holidays!

 

- Bug

 

Funny you should post that just now - I've only just now walked in the door at home and turned on the 'puta .

 

Updates will be forthcoming when I actually get to making something .

 

  Danny

[Dan Vadas]

My apologies to those who commented on this log earlier when I was away - I'd have replied sooner, but the WiFi connection in the caravan park was a real "hit and miss" affair and very unreliable. Thanks to all who posted .

 

Steve - the Planksheers are a scale 14" wide for the full length from bow to stern (7.41 mm in 1:48 scale).

 

  Danny

[Dan Vadas]

Gallows Crosspiece

 

I've made and fitted the Gallows Crosspiece. This is used, not as a Gallows (they used a Yardarm for that ), but as the aft support for the Ship's Boat and spare spars etc. This pic was taken before a finish was applied.

 

I'm at a bit of a loss to see how the fore end of the boat and spars is supported. There is nothing in TFFM that I can find which is used as a fore support . Any suggestions?

 

 

I've also fitted the two half-curved entry steps to the waist which I'd made before I went on holidays.

 

 

A couple of progress pics of the decks. I've applied Minwax Wipe-on Poly to all the areas that I hadn't finished beforehand.

 

 

 

  Danny

[Jim Lad]

Back at it already, Danny!

 

Were the spare spars laid across the gallows and the after end of the forecastle with the boats stowed on the spars, perhaps?

 

John

[gjdale]

She just gets more lovely with each additional touch Danny.

[Dan Vadas]

Back at it already, Danny!

 

Were the spare spars laid across the gallows and the after end of the forecastle with the boats stowed on the spars, perhaps?

 

John

 

That's about the only way I can see it working too John.

 

Thanks for the comment Grant .

 

I'm going back through Volume 2 to make sure I haven't forgotten anything - I skipped a few steps every now and then as I thought it easier or better to do some things "out of sequence".

 

I've made and fitted the Upper Capstan Pawls, which are the same as those for the Lower Capstan detailed earlier in the build.

 

 

  Danny

[Dan Vadas]

Preparing Tuck Molding and Waist Rails

 

The Tuck Molding covers the join between the Lower Counter and the Hull Planking that meets it. I'm only fitting the Port side. The outer end of the molding needed shaping to return to the Wales. The inner face needed bevelling to match the angle of the Counter  :

 

 

 

 

The same molding scraper was used for both the tuck molding and the Waist Rail. There is a slight difference in the actual molding, but it wasn't enough to warrant making a new scraper (which is quite a job - I'm using the same scraper for most of my moldings, the difference can't really be seen by eye).

 

I've prepared a couple of strips of Waist Raiing, which won't be fitted until after the Quarter Badges are installed. The one on the left has it's molding scraped in ready for final trimming to width :

 

 

The Scraper :

 

 

 

  Danny