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

[Dan Vadas]

The plank has been fitted and the Chocks have been trimmed. The entire inner forward leg needed cutting off, plus a bit more :

 

 

 

 

Note to any other Swan builders - your Inner Chocks may be a little different to mine ... this could be just a peculiarity of Vulture's Main Mast Partners and placement.

  Danny

[Sjors]

Hi Danny,

 

It looks great but can you tell me what they are?

It has a purpose ( if it is the right word) but I don't know what……or why or when…...

 

[Dan Vadas]

Hi Sjors,

 

They are the bases for the Chain Pump Cisterns. The four tubes go to the bottom of the hold and contain the chains and "buckets" that pump water out of the bilge.

 

You'll get the idea of how they work as I make the whole thing  .

 

  Danny

[cog]

Dan,

 

You took your time getting there mate   I'm glad you're on the roll again, as will  you certainly. You have a magnificent start with the pump and cistern. It looks real sharp.

 

As with Remco's build, I'm glad I reread it, for there are quite a few things I missed the first time. I'll probably go through it again, as I will certainly have missed things again.

 

Good to have you back at the work bench!!!

[mtaylor]

Danny,

 

Good to see you back in the shop and working on Vulture.  The cisterns and placement are interesting in that they look to be abutting the mast. 

[Sjors]

Thanks Danny,

 

I'll wait for it and stay tuned….

 

[Dan Vadas]

Thanks Carl and Mark - it's good to be back at work on my ship at last  .

 

Yeah Mark, there's not a lot of room between the forward part of the Cistern and the Mast - about 2 1/2".

 

Here's an update for you Sjors - I'm about half finished with the Cisterns. They look out of alignment in the first two pics, but that is the way they fit :

 

 

 

 

The Pump Dales (drains) will fit into the slots in the outboard end. I'll only be fitting the port side one :

 

 

 

 

The hole in the side is for a drain bung :

 

 

 

  Danny

[Jim Lad]

Danny,

 

It's great to see your 'bird' progressing again!

 

John

[newbuilder101]

Nice detail. Everything looks very clean and crisp...great job!

[BANYAN]

Great to see you back at it again Danny; missed your earlier post re the meat - what a smell that must have been! 

 

Seems the lay-off (unintentional) have done nothing to deminish your acquired building skills.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[rth385]

Hi Dan,

I echo everyone's comments and praise !! You are the ultimate craftsman.

Thanks for sharing and in fact teaching us some of your immense skills.

Regards,

Russell

[Dan Vadas]

Thank you John, Sherry, Pat and Russell  .

 

Pat, the smell is still hanging around a bit - I have all the doors open and the fans roaring just to be able to work again (the things I have to do ... :D ).

 

Russell - your praise is gratefully accepted, but it's a little over-the-top .... there are far better modellers on this site than myself. I'm still a comparative novice at this game compared to them (have a look at EdT's "Naiad" or some of Doris's incredible work, to name just two).

 

  Danny

[Dan Vadas]

Hi all,

 

I've tidied up the Cisterns a bit - the angle I had between them earlier wasn't right (I thought so too, and when I checked Greg's TFFM Volume III it was confirmed). It turns out that I'd forgotten to allow for the extra thickness of Vulture's unusual Main Mast Partners. No big job, just a little more trimming off the Inner Chocks soon put it right.

 

I've spot-glued in both cisterns and also the Main Topsail Sheet Bitts and Jeer Bitts. Now that everything lines up I can mark where the Rhodings (bearings) for the Chain Pump Cranks will go :

 

 

 

 

 

  Danny

[Jim Lad]

Phew!  That looks a bit neater, Danny - great stuff!

 

John

[cog]

Danny,

 

How much room is there left between those 'bits'(?) and the cisterns, i.e. can you still pull a rope through? From here it looks like they are touching, which they are probably not.

[Sjors]

Thanks for the update Danny 

 

I know now what it is….

There is gonna be a lot of details.

I think that's a strong part of scratch build.

You can show a lot of details…..

 

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Really nice, Dan

[WackoWolf]

Excellent work Danny. When done she is going to be Beautiful. Keep the pictures coming, like watching this build.

[runner63]

Great work on your Vulture Dan, Looking better that the first time.

 

runner63

[druxey]

Looking good, Dan. I really like your main mast partners. It's always nice to see unusual features shown on a model.

[Dan Vadas]

Pump Chain

 

This is the Chain for the starboard Chain Pump - I'm only making one of these, as the port side will have a cover on the Cistern.

 

The chain is made from the pieces supplied in the PE set from Admiralty Models. It's a little on the fiddly side to make, but I came up with a rather easy way to put it together. I should have taken a few step-by-step pics, but my explanation will have to suffice.

 

After cutting all the required pieces from the sprue I started by fixing one link in my vise with half of it protruding. Then I picked up a second link with small pliers and pushed some 0.5mm brass wire through both pieces. The wire needed a good cleanup with 1000 grit wet and dry to slightly reduce it's diameter.

 

Next I picked up a third link and threaded the wire through it alongside the second link, making three links joined at the same point. A drop of medium CA glue held the joint firmly. I then snipped off the wire on both sides a little longer than "flush".

 

I continued in this manner for three single and four double links, then I slipped on the one (and only) "saucer" that will be visible - there is one every fourth single link, but I only need seven singles in the length around the Sprocket between the two Tubes.

 

When I completed the whole length I placed each pin on my anvil and carefully peened each side of the wire to keep it all together. Then I gave the whole chain a bath in Acetone to remove the CA - the chain actually works, and doesn't come apart at all (OK, one joint did - not quite enough peening, but not hard to correct).

 

I'll blacken the chain before fitting it. It took me about 1 1/2 hours to make 50mm of chain.

 

 

 

 

 

  Danny

[Remcohe]

Nice pump chain . Are you speechless?

 

Remco

[BANYAN]

Remco, I think Danny may be fishing for a bite - so I will be the first

 

How did you do it then Danny?  I am assuming you have made a jig/template by which to mass produce the individual plates from thin strip brass, predrill, then painstakingly assemble the chain?

 

Very nice result; looks great mate!

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Dan Vadas]

Thanks Remco and Pat.

 

No. I wasn't speechless, just running late for work - I'm writing the text for the post at the moment (at work ). Give me a couple of minutes.

 

EDIT - Text is finished.

 

  Danny

[Jim Lad]

I'm disappointed, Danny.  I really expected you to make the full length of both chains and fit them, even though thay won't be visible!

 

John

[Dan Vadas]

I'm disappointed, Danny.  I really expected you to make the full length of both chains and fit them, even though thay won't be visible!

 

John

 

There weren't enough links supplied in the PE set John   .

 

  Danny

[Jim Lad]

I thought you were a scratch builder!

 

John

[trippwj]

Good answer, Danny!  Nice looking build as well!

[BANYAN]

Awww; he's cheating     now where is that sheet of PE I had for my ....

 

Look forward to seeing the blackened chain in situ.

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited March 27, 2013 by BANYAN

[Pirate adam]

That looks fantastic. The chain on the open pump is going to be a really nice detail. Great to see new work again on your beautiful model.