HMS Terror by DanielD - FINISHED - OcCre - Scale 1:75 - Second Build Started 10/4/2020

[DanielD]

I’ve discovered that building small things is not an easy task. This is the first of two structures on the stern to build. These structures are not a part of the OcCre HMS Terror kit and are based on the plans of Dr. Matthew Betts build log.
 

Edited December 14, 2020 by DanielD

[DanielD]

14 hours ago, DanielD said:

I’ve discovered that building small things is not an easy task. This is the first of two structures on the stern to build. 
 

 

As with other Terror builders, I have come to the dilemma of painting the stern deck structures white (more historically accurate from what I can find) or to stain them like the other deck structures will be. It's a lot of hard work making these little houses just to cover them up with paint. Keith S and clearway choses to stain theirs and they look great. Do I chose to make them blend in with the other deck structures or paint them white (historically more accurate) but take the chance that they will stick out like a sore thumb. Thoughts and opinions appreciated...

[clearway]

it's a tricksy one Daniel! As you are going with the painted look i would say paint them (sand back between coats to reduce wood grain effect being too harsh). However at the end of the day you are the shipwright so just go with what you feel is right😉.

 

Keith

[DanielD]

It’s been a long week at work so little progress on the deck works. I did finish the second stern building. A little more sanding and then ready for paint. I think I will be true to the Terror and paint them white.

 

I could always make new versions...

 

 

[clearway]

Between you, keith s and myself i think we are the only ones to deviate from the occre deck plan, and between us one will have the right look for the deck houses (problem with the plans is they show Erebus not Terror though they were very similar).

 

Keith

[DanielD]

9 hours ago, clearway said:

Between you, keith s and myself i think we are the only ones to deviate from the occre deck plan, and between us one will have the right look for the deck houses (problem with the plans is they show Erebus not Terror though they were very similar).

 

Keith

To help with the "starkness" of the white, I think I might try a bit of black or brown wash to tone down the white a bit and to highlight the detail on the doors. If it doesn't work, I can paint it white again, my airbrush setup if fairly quick.

 

Daniel

[clearway]

on my military models i give them a coat of black primer and go gentle with the top coat leaving shadows/ patches of darker colour if that makes sense?

 

Keith

[Keith S]

4 hours ago, clearway said:

on my military models i give them a coat of black primer and go gentle with the top coat leaving shadows/ patches of darker colour if that makes sense?

 

Keith

 

That's how I paint the little figures for my garden steam train. It works a treat.

 

Daniel I did actually build one of the little deckhouses and paint it white. I wasn't sure I liked how it looked on the model and asked my wife's opinion and she said it looked "very model-y" which are her exact words and I suppose she meant it didn't look realistic. In any case, I didn't paint them in the end which my wife thought looked nicer but I haven't 100% decided not to paint them. I have an acquaintance who is knowledgeable about the Franklin ships and I showed him a picture of the UNpainted ones and he said something like "well I suppose you could say they were weathered from being in a storm or something" which I took to mean he thought I should have painted them. 

 

Other Keith (clearway) has chosen to make his model in natural wood finish so it's obvious why he didn't paint his. Mine is a little bit more on the "painted" side, so I reserve the option to paint the houses if it turns out they won't look so "model-y" on a more completed model. 
 

For what it's worth, I am looking forward to seeing what yours look like painted. Nice job on them, by the way.

 

One thing I am looking for opinions on is where the "horse" for the spanker-boom sheets would have attached on the sides. The deckhouses get in the way of where it would usually go.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by Keith S

[DanielD]

3 hours ago, Keith S said:

One thing I am looking for opinions on is where the "horse" for the spanker-boom sheets would have attached on the sides. The deckhouses get in the way of where it would usually go.

 

Chuckle....I know what you wrote is English, but I’m going to have to do a bit of nautical research to have any clue in what you said. I would not want to miss understand a “spanker-boom sheet.”  Sorry, just caught me off guard.  

Edited December 19, 2020 by DanielD

[Keith S]

Ha ha. Sorry- the "spanker" is the big fore-and-aft sail on the mizzen. Its lower spar is the "boom" and the "sheets" are the ropes that control it. They often go from the tip of the boom to both corners of the stern in an arrangement called a "horse". Or at least that's what it's called on a small boat. The little lockers on the stern of the "Terror" are located right in the way of where I would otherwise install this bit of rigging. I wonder if the curved backs on them are designed that way to allow the sheets to ride over top of them, or whether some alternative was employed.

[clearway]

i should maybe have stated i meant design wise as opposed to colour wise with deck houses😁.

[DanielD]

Today I took the plunge and painted the stern structures white. Now trying to decide to leave the door knobs gold or chemically tarnish them black...

 

 

Edited December 21, 2020 by DanielD

[clearway]

Don't look too bad at all- i would blacken them if going for the painted look.

 

Keith

[DanielD]

Thanks for all the views and likes everyone. Today in the shipyard I finished building the 10 spoke ships wheel that I obtained from from syrenshipmodelcompany.com.  This is an upgrade from the 8 spoke wheel that comes in the kit, but we know from the discovery of the Terror that she has a ten spoke wheel. The kit from Syren is wonderful, just be patient and take your time building it. Took me several hours, each! But worth it in the end.

 

 

[DanielD]

Today in the shipyard, some rudder hatch work and some initial mast fitting.

 

[DanielD]

Exciting day, I finally received my copy of James Lee's The Masting  and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860! This book can range from $50-$350 US, so I waited and looked, was patient (at least for me) and finally found one in the states for $80. Thank you ClearWay for pointing me to the AbeBook store as that is where I finally was able to find one close to where I live. Now to find time to read it...

[clearway]

nice work Daniel. will seem daunting at first but becomes clearer. It does help  being sectionalised into different categories.

 

Keith

[DanielD]

1 hour ago, clearway said:

nice work Daniel. will seem daunting at first but becomes clearer. It does help  being sectionalised into different categories.

 

Keith

 

Keith, I started to "review" gloss over the book and realized that I don't know what "Class" of ship the Terror is, which is apparently important to lookup mast sizes, etc. How does one figure this out? Is it in the book? If so, I've yet to come across that. It seems that the Class 10 calculations seem to work out closest to what you and the other Keith have said about the mast diameter. I'm not trying to prove you wrong, please don't take it that way, I'm just trying to follow along and come to the same conclusions as you both did.  

 

Daniel

[clearway]

I based mine on the diameters of the masts went with a 10th class frigate though i did lengthen the height of the mizzen topmast a little to allow for the gaff topsail. When you look at the dimensions for the occre topmasts on the aforementioned frigate you will see the dimensions are the same more or less, so occre got something right! 

 

Keith

[DanielD]

7 hours ago, clearway said:

I based mine on the diameters of the masts went with a 10th class frigate though i did lengthen the height of the mizzen topmast a little to allow for the gaff topsail. When you look at the dimensions for the occre topmasts on the aforementioned frigate you will see the dimensions are the same more or less, so occre got something right! 

 

Keith

 

Thank you!

 

WOW! There is so much in this book that I'm not sure what to do with all of it, and I've only read the first two pages! Thus a few questions...

 

For the Taper Ratio of the fore and main masts, after year 1800: heel 5/6; first quarter 60/61; second quarter 14/15; third quarter 6/7; hounds 4/5; and head 3/4. Does this mean that the mast will have a bit of an hour glass shape? If I'm interpreting this correctly, which there is a good reason to believe I'm not, if I have a 7mm fore mast, then the following dimensions at the specified location would be: heel 5.83mm; first quarter 6.9mm; second quarter 6.5mm; third quarter 6mm; hounds 5.6mm; and head 5.25mm?

 

Does this mean that from bottom to top there is a 1.75mm diameter change? If so, that certainly is enough to notice and worth doing...right?

 

Daniel

Edited December 29, 2020 by DanielD

[clearway]

Rather than go exact with the ratios what i do is work out the doubling + length of the bibs , make the tops then square the mast so the top is a snug fit- then i work the taper in if that makes sense (a pic of finished squaring on my log), but yes the taper is noticable (look carefully at the pic of my finished masts) especially on the topmasts and t'gallants.

 

Keith

[DanielD]

A little more work on the deck structures.

 

 

[clearway]

oooooo now that does make it look atmospheric😉.

 

Keith

[DanielD]

Good evening everyone, I’ve started work on the Mizen mast following James Lee’s instructions. Most things make sense, thanks to both Keith’s (clearway and KeithS) great examples. My question is regarding the battens, the eight small strips of wood above the hounds, with a length of 3/5 up the head, with the purpose to “protect the rigging from touching the iron hoops or chafing the mast head.” Does this mean that there should be a at least two, maybe more, hoops above the hounds? OcCre’s plans do not show this, no surprise, but should be easy enough to add if that is what should be there.

 

 Keith and Keith, is this how you understand this phrase?

 

[DanielD]

Oh, and happy new year everyone! 🎉 🎊 

[clearway]

Happy New YearDaniel. The masts in Lees books show the set up on large man o wars don't bother with hoops or bands above the top, Oh and no top fitted on terror and erebus just the cross and trestle trees on the mizzen. The pic on top of page 10 on my log shows the mizzen complete bar the eyes for the blocks.

 

Keith

[DanielD]

5 hours ago, clearway said:

Happy New YearDaniel. The masts in Lees books show the set up on large man o wars don't bother with hoops or bands above the top, Oh and no top fitted on terror and erebus just the cross and trestle trees on the mizzen. The pic on top of page 10 on my log shows the mizzen complete bar the eyes for the blocks.

Keith, thanks! I missed that detail. Thankfully I have nothing glued, so won’t be a problem to fix. So no hoops above the trestle tree, are the battens needed? Also, without the top, how does one attach the upper shrouds? Just planning for future rigging problems...

[clearway]

the battens are on all three masts (not topmasts heads though) There are holes drilled into the ends for the shrouds to pass through from the topmast , and will attach them to a collar around the mizzen.

 

Keith

[DanielD]

A little more work on the deck structures, slow progress...

 

[DanielD]

Today’s challenge, build the battery cover, aka the base of the capstan. Getting it to fit correctly and snap in place was a bit of a chore, but a nice fit in the end.

 

Oh, and I imagine the work table was a place to review charts as well as work on equipment. My wife suggested placing a map on the table. So I printed a small map of Terror Bay...

 

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by DanielD