Question on channels and chain plates

[RiverRat]

Wow I just checked Amazon, The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860 is $228.00 US.      I have blown my building budget clear into September......   The Elements and Practice of Rigging And Seamanship. referenced above is available as an online reference and book copies are more in line with my budget at the moment. Looks like that will be my reference for the time being.

 

Sam

 

If you dig for other formats/editions, you can find cheaper. Here's the early 1979 edition. I don't know offhand what the later revision(s) include.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0870218476/ref=tmm_hrd_used_olp_2?ie=UTF8&condition=used&sr=8-1&qid=1372691619

 

Brian

[trippwj]

Finally had a chance to do some searching tonight. While I have not been able to trace the primary source, Goodwin provides a set of tables which give length, thickness, and number of bolts for various rates. He also offers a variety of types of supports as well as noting that the distribution of the shrouds was primarily a factor of avoiding gun ports.

[michaelpsutton2]

I think that as with most things, the practices would have varied over time. There is an addtional factor that brings some confusion to the issue

 

Take just a few quiet minutes to peruse the collections on the Nataional maritime Musuem Website: http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections.html#!cbrowse

 

You will find that almost none of the draughts show brackets for the channels, yet almost all of the detailed models do have them. Maybe the guys who drew the plans felt it it was unnecessary to tell the carpenter/shipwrights how to do their jobs.

[src]

Brian, Wayne, Michaelpsutton2,

Thanks for all the info. this weekend I hope to be able to look into this a bit further. Sorry I took so long to respond, life has been.....busy lately.

Sam

[russ]

Don:

Contact Model Expo and ask them to supply the correct sizes.

 

Russ

[dafi]

I would like to dig up these interesting bits of this thread, that have neither be confirmed or discarded.

 

Me thinks worth to keep it up in the focus :-)

 

Did a little more digging as I was starting to doubt my own comments. The attached drawing is from David Steel.  I have drawn in red lines that show the angle of the channel if it was 90 degrees to the hull.  The red line is 8 degrees higher than horizontal.  Also, what most models do not show is the gap between the hull and the channel.  I do not know if it applies earlier than about 1800 but is written in Steel's Naval Architecture as follows:

 

"They should fay to the sides only where the bolts come through, having an open space of about two inches in the rest of their length to admit a free current of air, and passage of wet and dirt, in order to prevent the sides from rotting."

 

Allan

 

 

Brian and Sam

The number and size of bolts varied for size of ship and whether it is the fore, main, or mizzen channel as would be expected.  Samples follow:

 

                                                                              64 gun                       18 gun

Main Channel

Number of bolts                                                        9                                7

Bolt diameter                                                            1.25"                         7/8"

Iron T-Plates or supports in lieu of wood                    6                               4

 

Fore Channel

Number of bolts                                                           8                                6

Bolt diameter                                                              1.25"                         7/8"

Iron T-Plates or supports in lieu of wood                     5                              3

 

Mizzen Channel

Number of bolts                                                              6                                5

Bolt diameter                                                              1.125"                         7/8"

Iron T-Plates or supports in lieu of wood                        3                              2

 

I found no mention of spacing for the bolts or the T-plates.

 

Allan

 

 

From my observations on contemporary models, the channels are horizontal, not at right angles to the part of the hull to which they attach.

 

Bolt spacing would rationally fall between the slots for the chains, not under them. I've not actually seen a model showing the air spaces - yet!

 

 

Very interesting the information about the spacing. I already wondered by doing the "by the deep 17" why there are no drainage holes in the channels. 

 

I read the same thing about the fenders, those also should be spaced (source do not remember, thankful for hints) and also the sidesteps had holes which also helped to hold while climbing up.

 

Cheers, Daniel

Edited October 11, 2013 by dafi