HMS Terror by Erebus and Terror - FINISHED - Scale 1:48 - POB - as fitted for polar service in 1845

[druxey]

Very cunning indeed, E&T!

[Guard-Officer]

Very Impressive research and build.

Its no wonder they are using your great work and sharing it!

I look forward to your next update!

[Erebus and Terror]

 

 Skylights and Ship's Wheel

 

I've been on a several month hiatus from model building, during which progress has been rather slow. However, over the last few weeks, I have been able to get back to my project. Here are the latest results....

 

 

The Skylights

 

HMS Erebus and Terror each had two skylights located on the aft of the upper deck. Both follow a design originally adopted by HMS Terror in 1836.  The sides of the skylights were rimmed with panes of glass to allow sunlight into the captain’s cabin and officer’s mess. Unusually, their tops had no peak or even a slight camber – attributes confirmed by the daguerreotype and the NMM model of Erebus. Interestingly, the daguerreotype indicates that the panes were not protected by brass rods as was standard on many Royal Navy vessels of the era – an indication of the peaceful aims of  the expedition. In addition, the aft skylight on HMS Trincomalee, which is very similar to those used on HMS Erebus and Terror, provided important details for my recreation. 

 

The 1836/1837 and 1839 plans for Terror/Erebus indicate the skylights may have had collapsible sides, at least on the starboard. This would have permitted ventilation, if necessary, though the plans seem to indicate the ultimate aim was to enable the skylights to be used as makeshift companionways.  In this scenario, it is likely the roofs of the skylights would have been removable. I opted not to model these aspects of the skylights, as I had no information on how these features were designed.

 

Laser cutting the wheel components.

 

 

Comparing the parts to the plans.

 

Preparing the plastic stock for the windows. I use electronic

blister packaging for this. It is crystal clear, quite thin, does not discolour

in the sun, and is easy to work. 

 

The window panes were inlaid as one strip. I 

scoured and sanded the interior to simulate

window frost (and to obscure the inside of the POB ship). 

 

The completed skylights.

 

 

Mini-Crozier stands next to the his skylights. 

 

 

 

The Ship’s Wheel

 

The 1836/1837 and 1839 plans of HMS Terror and Erebus show that their wheels were slightly smaller than those typically used on Royal Navy ships, being more consistent with those used on merchant vessels of similar size. The recently recovered portion of  Erebus’ wheel, as well as the Le Vesconte daguerreotype, reveal that the wheel itself was relatively plain and was held together by copper alloy screws or nails. Fine examples of this type of  wheel can be found today on HMS Unicorn and HMS Trincomalee. Trincomalee’s wheel isperhaps closest in design, with distinctive grooved felloes nearly identical to those on the HMS Erebus wheel found by Parks Canada.

 

Like most large Royal Navy vessels, Erebus and Terror’s wheels had ten spokes, each radiating at 36 degrees from the barrel. Usually, survey vessels ships of this size would have had an eight spoke wheel; the extra spokes would have substantially increased the strength of such a small wheel, and perhaps it was deemed necessary for arctic exploration.

 

The Le Vesconte daguerreotype indicates that the top of the wheel pedestals were protected by a very heavy moulded brass guard plate. This can be confirmed by the subtle reflections seen on the plate in the daguerreotype. HMS Trincomalee has similar heavy copper guard plates on its wheel pedestals.

 

 

Laser cutting the wheel components.

 

Th finished sheet. 

 

I used the wheel plan to assemble a building jig. 

 

The completed jig. 

 

Gluing the felloes. 

 

Creating the outer groove in the felloes. The same

procedure was used for the inner groove.

 

The rim was notched to receive the spokes. 

 

I don't own a lathe, so each spoke was laser cut 

from sheet stock, then filed into final shape. 

 

Assembling the wheel. The card stock allows for 

the spokes to be centered on the rim. 

 

Spokes in position. 

 

The completed wheel with a 10 cent piece for scale. 

 

The second wheel compared to the first. 

 

The barrel was made from three pieces of sheet stock, 

and filed to final shape. 

 

Gluing the barrel to a wheel, using the spindle as a guide. 

Note the damage on the barrel - caused by a dull blade. 

 

The completed pedestals, with the brass guards in place. Limited information 
on the pedestal hubs was available, so here they are made as simple brass tubes.

​They are barely visible in the completed assembly. 

 

The completed ship's wheel, after applying a coat of Minwax poly.

 

 

 

 

As always, for more content, please see my blog, Building HMS Terror.  

 

 

[druxey]

Nice to see your return, E&T. I was beginning to wonder what had become of you and your model. Super result with the steering apparatus - particularly as you did this without a lathe!

[mtaylor]

That is a great looking wheel, E&T.  And an very interesting method of designing and building it.

[AntonyUK]

Hi E&T.

Nice research.. Down to the details as always.

And the ships skylights and wheel are stunning. What a brill idea for building the ships wheel.

The wheel spindles look good and you don't have a lathe. WOW

And it's nice to see you back on the forum

 

Regards Antony.

[Erebus and Terror]

Thanks everyone for the likes and comments! 

 

I hope to have more consistent updates in the future, now that I'm back at it. 

[Erebus and Terror]

FAIRING THE HULL

 

I haven't posted in many weeks, but I have been busy working on preparing Terror's hull for planking. I've been relatively obsessive about this aspect of my build, because getting the shape of Terror right has been a real challenge. She was modified so many times (and had so many layers of planking), that her hull shape was somewhat of a mystery to me (at least at the bow and stern). However, I think I've reached a stage where I can move forward. 

 

Below I'll present the steps in the process and what I learned about Terror (and Erebus), as I worked. 

 

 

 

Before I could begin faring the hull, it was necessary to fill in the 
stern and bow of the model using filling blocks. I created these 
from 1/4" plywood, laser cut using measurements from the 
ship's plans. This image displays the three starboard filling 
blocks used at the bow. 

 

 

The filling blocks were carved to shape using card 
guides cut to match the lines of the half breadth plan. 

 

 

Placing the filling blocks side-by-side as they were carved ensured that they 
were symmetrical. The lamination in the plywood was also helpful
 in this regard. However, plywood is a poor carving material, 
and I would think twice about using it again.

 

 

In 1839, the solid chock (ice) channels on Terror were extended around the bow. I 
constructed these from several layers of basswood. 

 

 

These chocks were then shaped to match the proper cross section of the channels. 

 

 

The ice channels were glued in place on the bow and scrap wood 

was used to rough out the bulwark shape. The excessive

use of glue didn't escape Mini-Crozier's critical eye. 

 

 

The gaps in the bulwarks were filled using basswood strips of appropriate thickness. 

 

 

Rather than filling and sanding seams and gaps, basswood leveling strips 

were applied to the upper surface of the ice channels. The channels
were then filed to shape using card stock templates. Scrap wood was 
used to fill in any large gaps in the bulwarks. 

 

 

The completed bow just prior to sanding. I checked the symmetry 

and level of each side of the ice channel obsessively with a height 
gauge while the model was still on its building board. The
asymmetry of the filling stock used to shape the bulwarks 
is a product of the odds and ends in my spoil bin, and while 

unsightly, it won't be visible when the model is planked. 

 

 

This image shows the faired forward bulkheads and bow filling blocks, just prior to final

sanding. The merchant-like shape of Terror's bow and the imposing nature of the ice 

channel grafted to it can be seen in this view. Note how far the ice channel 

overhangs the bow relative to the port side of the ship; this is because it 

sits on three layers of planking, including a layer of 3" lower planks,

 a second layer of 8" planks, and a third layer 

of even thicker reinforcing planks. 

 

 

An image of the faired stern, detailing the single filling block used 

in this area. The stern rabbet is in the process of being finalized

in this image. 

 

 

With the hull faired, the stern timbers could be installed. These 

were laser cut from Swiss pear.  The outermost stern timbers, 
on the left, were cut in two sections, as they form an angle 
when installed correctly. 

 

 

Prior to describing how the stern timbers were installed, it is important to note how this area of the ship was designed by Oliver Lang, the shipwright who refit Erebus and Terror for the Franklin Expedition. Because of  the massive size of the propeller well and the rudder post which formed its aft wall, Lang had little room left to fit the six stern timbers and four stern lights (windows) in the counter. His solution can be seen in the 1845 Erebus and Terror stern model in the collection of the National Maritime Museum, in Chatham. 

Inspection of the propeller well in that model shows that the stern timbers were actually used to form side walls of the well. However, they could not be fayed directly to the sides of the rudder post as this wouldn't leave enough space for the stern lights (windows). This meant that the stern timbers had to be inset into the sides of the rudder post by three inches to form the side walls of the propeller well. Remarkably, Lang achieved all of this with almost no modification of Terror's existing stern framing. With the rudder post locked directly into the two central stern timbers, the whole structure was incredibly robust.  It is important to note that the inset stern timbers may not have been needed on Erebus, which had a slightly wider counter than Terror. 

 

 

Simplified plan of Terror's counter architecture. Note how the stern timbers overlap 
the rudder post. Also noteworthy is the position of the upper deck transom, 
which could be fayed directly to the aft side of the rudder post in this configuration. 

 

 

In this image, the slot/inset for the stern timber has been cut into the rudder 

post. Note how it is level with the interior sides of the propeller well. 

 

 

A view from the aft side of the rudder post showing the insets for the stern timbers. 

Note the square slots in the stern filling blocks cut to accept the heels of the stern timbers 

(no wing transom was required for construction for this stage).

 

 

Checking the fit with a stern timber. This won't be visible in the finished model. 

 

 

Checking alignment. 

 

 

The stern timbers were fitted with the help of a jig. The jig was designed to be

clamped to the bulwarks, using the station lines printed on it as guides. 

 

 

Detail of the aft part of the jig. 

 

 

A height gauge was necessary to ensure that the jig was properly aligned along its aft margin. 
This gauge slid tightly over the aft support of the building board, using the tracks on the left. 

 

 

The jig and height gauge in place, with the center two stern timbers 
installed and clamped. 

 

 

"Wing transom" filling pieces. These are not entirely accurate architecturally 

(they are more like half-transoms), but were carved and sanded to shape 

to provide a platform for planking the stern. 

 

 

The "wing transom" in place. Note the very slight curve in the transom. As confirmed 

by the 1845 stern model and the 1839 model of Erebus, Terror's 
stern was very square indeed. 

 

 

Rough transverse framing was installed to support the stern timbers. This 

framing is not accurate to plan or scale but rather simply supports the structure
and will not be visible when the model is planked. See the above plan for the
 correct framing. As with the bow, I obsessively relied on a height gauge to 
ensure the entire structure was level and square. 

 

 

A port side view, detailing the stern architecture. Note how the stern 

timbers adjoined the propeller well and rudder post. 

 

 

The completed stern.

 

 

Completing the construction and fairing of the model's stern was a milestone for my project. Not only is the model now ready for planking, finishing this stage of the build revealed a minor mystery surrounding how Lang planked Terror's stern . Lang's 1845 stern refit plan stated that an "....additional part of the wale [was] added to the after end of the ship to form the well or trunk..." for the propeller. Unfortunately, his plan does not reveal if both layers of planking were extended to accomplish this (Terror was double planked against the ice). However, with the construction of this part of the model, his solution became clear to me.

If my model is correct, then it shows that the first layer of Terror's hull planking did not need to be modified in any way by Lang.  In fact, it could simply be left in place, terminating at the edge of the lower counter, as was typical of bomb vessels. Again, if my model architecture is correct, then it shows that Lang could have just extended the second layer of planking to the rudder post. The 1845 stern model shows that this planking rose straight up the rudder post and, when it hit the counter, turned to trace a graceful arc, running from the upper end of the stern rabbet to the lowest portion of the counter at the sides (these planks were fayed directly to the previously planked counter). Lang's stern plan shows that the second layer abutted a beveled margin plank on the counter, although this isn't detailed on his stern model. 

 

 

My planking plan for Terror's stern. The red lines show the lower planking, while 

the white lines show the upper level of planking. The overlap of the planks 
accords well with the 1839 midships section for Erebus and Terror. 

 

 

The current condition of Terror. She's just about ready for planking. 

 

 

A view from the upper deck. 

Edited May 31, 2016 by E&T

[mtaylor]

Wonderful on the design and beautiful on the execution E&T.  Your research into this ship is really paying off.

[AntonyUK]

Hi E&T.

Very nice progress.

Nice work on the Bow area. The ice channels give a rather strange look to the bows.

It always amazes me on how easy you people put together a Stern architecture. So many different angles and compound angles makes these area a nightmare for me.

Well done.. just amazing work.

 

Regards Antony.

[druxey]

Thank you for this mega-progress instalment, E&T!

 

It's interesting how, during construction, things that were not clear on drawings suddenly become 'ah-ha!' moments. I've found this very satisfying. I see you had one of these nice moments with the configuration of the lower hull planking layers at the stern. I'm certain that you are correct, as this makes perfect constructional sense in terms of strength. Well done!

[Erebus and Terror]

Thank you everyone for the likes and Mark, Antony, and Druxey, I appreciate your kind words. 

 

Antony, I had a lot of trouble with the stern - until I built my jig. Then it came together fairly quickly. I wish now that I had framed it properly, even if won't be seen under the planking.

 

Druxey, those "ah-ha" moments are a sincere pleasure of this build, though I admit with the discovery of Erebus they are also increasingly fraught with indecision.  My one saving grace is that Terror was a different ship with a different history. If I follow the plans and available historical documents there is always a possibility that I'm right.

 

That is of course until they find Terror! 

[EdT]

E&T,

 

I love the wheel.  Beautiful piece and a great lesson for those without machine tools.

 

Ed

[Erebus and Terror]

Thanks Ed, for the wonderful comment. Much appreciated. 

[Erebus and Terror]

HMS TERROR FOUND!

 

Some people have asked me how I feel about this discovery. To find out.....

 

http://buildingterror.blogspot.com/2016/09/hms-terror-found.html

 

 

[druxey]

Thanks for your thoughts on this discovery, E&T. I'm looking forward to more pictures and information on the find. The fact that the hatches were battened down and the ship relatively intact is interesting. Does this imply that the ship was abandoned in an orderly manner? Were there plans to return to her? So many unanswered questions - for the moment.

[Erebus and Terror]

Thank you Druxey. I hate to speculate on what this means, but the implication from the articles I've read  is that it was manned and in good condition when it was in Terror Bay, and therefore supposedly didn't drift there. Regardless, much more archaeological work by Parks Canada will need to be completed before any firm answers can be provided.  

[Erebus and Terror]

PLANKING TERROR'S TOPSIDE

 

Over the summer months, I have been working steadily on my model's topside planking, while it seems the real Terror has been biding her time, waiting to reveal herself to the world. Despite the excitement of the discovery, my work continues, though perhaps with somewhat more adrenaline than previously.  

 

I began this part of the project by cutting out the numerous ports on Terror's bulwarks, and then proceeded with planking the entire topside down to the level of the chock channels. The planking followed a carefully laid out plan that I devised for the entire model. 

 

Based on data in 1845 stern plans by Oliver Lang, the strakes on my model Terror vary between nine and ten scale inches wide whenever possible. Consistent with information gleaned from the original ship's contract, each strake is approximately 24 scale feet long (where possible), and follows a three plank shift. Deviations from this plan were necessary in many portions along the topside, where ports interrupted the normal planking layout (and common sense indicated a butt would not be necessary).  

 

I marked the position of the port sills using paper guides (this is the reverse 
of the printed plan, used on the port side)

 

Each port was carefully cut out with a sharp blade.

 

The port sills were lined with holy.

 

Terror's bulwarks were riddled with ports. Here the bitts have been modeled 
from Swiss pear and are portrayed in an unworn condition. 

 

Details of additional bitts.

 

In the stern, Terror had two large chocks on each side. These were cut from Swiss 
pear sheet stock and the correct shape transferred to them from a card cutout. 

 

Ensuring the chocks are symmetrical.

 

The finished pieces. 

 

And again after installation. 

 

Planking began at the solid ice channels and proceeded  strake by strake (tier by tier), following the 
plan I had devised. Terror has an extremely bluff bow, and care had to be taken here. While spiling 
would be preferred, I am constantly worried about my wood supply and used a technique taught 
by Chuck Passaro. It worked very well, despite planking in scale thickness (here 4").

 

The port side, after a coat of Minwax Wipe on Poly. Not the bottom 
strake is left untreated so that I can glue the ice channel top to it. 

 

Comparing the symmetry of planking on both sides of the knee. Following 
the planking plan and marking off the hull carefully ensures 
less variation. 

 

Terror's bow is so bluff, and the scale plank so thick, that I resorted to using a plank bending tool 
to achieve the proper curvature. I dread planking the second layer on the wales, which 
are over 9 scale inches thick!  I expect hot water immersion , or hot iron bending, 
will be my only option there. 

 

Planking surrounding the many ports at Terror's bow.

 

The planking plan indicated that one plank, in particular, would be very complex. 
I measured and marked it off carefully before cutting. 

 

Installation involved dry fitting, careful sanding, dry fitting again, sanding again, and 
repeating constantly until it was acceptable. 

 

 

Planking amidships, showing the three plank shift.

 

 

 

Detail of the chocks after planking.

 

The completed planking run on Terror's starboard side.

 

The next task in my project will be to frame the stern lights (windows) and install them. Until then, I hope we get to see more images of the real ones from Franklin Expedition 2016. 

Edited September 18, 2016 by E&T

[druxey]

Nice to see you back and progressing, E&T.

 

Try laminating the wales in two or three layers. Don't attempt to bend them in one! You will certainly need to spile the lower hull planking, especially at the bow. Looking very nice so far.

[Erebus and Terror]

Thanks for the kind words Druxey. Getting a "very nice" assessment from a master planker like you certainly helps with motivation. Cheers.

 

I agree, spiling will be my only option below the channels.

 

I did some tests with some pear last night, and I've been able to bend the thickest planks sufficiently with hot water soaking and a jig. It certainly raises the grain though.

 

Perhaps the easiest way might be to add moulded shims to the bulkheads and just plank it once with thinner stock, though that causes problems with the double planking visible in one small section of the sternpost.

 

Decisions, decisions!

[druxey]

Good luck with this, E&T as you figure out your best strategy. Pear is certainly amenable to bending.

Edited September 19, 2016 by druxey

[Erebus and Terror]

A WINDOW ON HMS TERROR

 

By 1845, Terror’s stern windows were very different from those Captain John Sheridan gazed through as he bombarded Baltimore in 1814. In 1812, Henry Peake designed a relatively traditional stern gallery for HMS Terror, which included seven stern lights in addition to six windows arranged on her port and starboard quarter galleries. Each of the stern windows had nine panes, while the smaller quarter gallery windows had six panes.

 

Henry Peake's original 1812 design for Terror's stern gallery and quarter galleries. 
NMM, ZAZ5662

 

When Terror was first converted for polar service over 1835 and 1836, its vulnerable quarter galleries (and the water closets they contained) were removed, resulting in a reduction to five stern windows. Contemporary artwork by Owen Stanley indicates that the windows retained their original nine-pane configuration during Back's harrowing Arctic expedition of 1836-1837.

 

 

Terror's stern lights in 1837. Note the cipher and ship's name depicted above the hanging rudder.

 NMM, PAF0275

 

Since the time of Parry’s second Arctic voyage, 24 years previously, polar exploration vessels had been fitted with "double window-frames" (1), and Terror undoubtedly had double windows installed for Back’s 1836 -1837 Arctic voyage. Parry described that during the coldest months, "cork shutters" were inserted between the sashes on HMS Hecla (1), and it is possible that cork shutters were used on Terror’s subsequent polar voyages. 

 

Contemporary images suggest that Terror's stern gallery remained unchanged during the Antarctic expedition of 1839-1843, when Terror was under the command of Francis R.M. Crozier, although the 1839 Terror and Erebus plans indicate that significant changes were made to the great cabin itself. 

 

In the spring of 1845, Terror and Erebus had their sterns dismantled and reconstructed to accommodate large wells needed to raise and lower their new screw propellers. The centre window on the stern of each vessel was removed to make room for the new well. Green-ink annotations on Terror’s 1836 plans show that her stern frames were shifted slightly forward during the 1845 refit. The reasons for such an extensive refit are unclear, but it may have been necessary to redesign the stern framing to accommodate the weight and stress of the new propeller system. 

 

While it appears that the remaining four stern windows were kept (roughly) in their original positions in 1845, the windows themselves were redesigned from a nine-pane to a four-pane configuration. We know this because of a remarkable woodcut of the great cabin of HMS Erebus, which appeared in the May 24th, 1845 issue of the Illustrated London News (2). The accompanying article described that the windows were “double[d]”, similar to those used on Parry’s voyages. Astonishingly, high resolution images of the cabin illustration in the report clearly show the double sashes.

 

Why the stern lights were modified to a four-pane design is unknown, but the woodcut indicates that by 1845 the window muntins were much more robust than those on a typical stern window. A sturdier design might have been thought necessary, after the unprecedented heavy seas and storms Terror and Erebus encountered during their Antarctic expedition.  However, we know that the thickness of the glass was not increased, because window glass recovered from HMS Erebus in 2015 has the same  thickness as that specified on Terror’s (i.e., Belzebub’s) original 1812 building contract (3). 

 

Below, I’ll outline how I have recreated Terror’s windows for my model. Though few pictures have been released, they appear to compare well with the recent Parks Canada images of Terror’s stern. 

 

 

References:

 

(1) Parry, William Edward. 1824. Journal of a Second Voyage for the Discovery of a North-west Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific: Performed in the Years 1821- 22-23, in His Majesty's Ships Fury and Hecla, Under the Orders of Captain William Edward Parry, R.N., F.R.S., and Commander of the Expedition. London.

 

(2) Departure of the “Erebus” and “Terror” on the Arctic Expedition. Illustrated London News, May 24th, 1845. Volume 6, Page 328.

 

(3) National Maritime Museum, ADT0010

 

 

Construction of the stern windows began with laser cutting the 
sashes from a sheet of Swiss pear. 

 

A bevel was added to each muntin with a hand file. The filed 
windows are on the left, the unfinished windows are on the right. 

 

Comparing progress to the original woodcut.

 

Instead of adding four individual panes, I opted to add a single simulated pane. 
This was achieved by carving out the backside of the windows to 
accept the simulated glass. 

 

The window panes were made from high quality PVC blister packaging material. 
It is crystal clear, resists yellowing, and bonds well with CA glue. The painter's 
tape protects the surface from scratches and permits patterns to be drawn 
on the surface. 

 

 

A beading line of CA was used to glue the panes in place. 

 

Allowing the glue to dry. 

 

A pair of finished windows compared to the woodcut. Note the double 
sashes in the woodcut image. 

 

Gluing the sills to the sashes. These are not the proper configuration, 
but will not be visible on the finished model. 

 

A nickle for scale. 

 

The completed double windows.  

 

A closeup view.

 

The interior panes were sanded to simulate frost (and to prevent a 
view into the interior of the model). 

 

The port stern lights installed between the stern frames. 

 

A view from the interior of the model. The imposing nature of the 
well can be seen here.  

 

Approximating the view from the great cabin 
(as best possible).

 

The completed stern gallery.

 

Mini-Cozier surveys the pack from the comfort of his great cabin.

Edited December 4, 2016 by E&T

[druxey]

Very nice progress, E&T. Good to see you back again.

[Erebus and Terror]

Thanks Druxey! And thanks everyone for the likes. It's good to be back at it. Should be more soon - companionways and windlass are already completed.

[Erebus and Terror]

COMPANIONWAYS

 

The 1835/1836 modifications to HMS Terror introduced a new fitting to Royal Navy polar exploration vessels– the hatched companionway. Covered companionways began to replace open ladderways on smaller Royal Navy ships in the late 18^th century. However, the special type of hatched companionway associated with Erebus and Terror is rare on Royal Navy plans and models until the middle of the 19^th century.

 

The Companionways on HMS Terror

 

The aft companionway of HMS Terror was a simple box-shaped structure, with a large sliding hatch on its roof. To access the ladderway, the crew would slide the hatch back, and then pull open two small starboard-facing doors.  They would then descend the ladderway backwards, pausing midway to close the doors, and then the hatch, behind them.

 

The 1836/1837 Terror profile plan (1) indicates that this companionway could be removed and replaced with a tall winter deckhouse with a standard-sized door (it was apparently shaped like Terror’s water closet). However, pencil marks on these draughts indicate that this special winter coaming was abandoned sometime after Back’s 1836/1837 Arctic voyage.

 

Prior to 1839, there was no raised companionway in the forward part of Terror. Instead, an unusual hinged trapdoor system was used to access the forward ladderway. Curiously, this ladderway was located on the starboard side of the vessel, and not on the midline as was typical. This feature was changed in 1839, and a raised companionway identical in design, but somewhat larger, to Terror’s aft companionway was installed (2).

 

Unlike its aft counterpart, its doors faced port, and it was located just behind the funnel for the ship’s stove.  Its ladderway below it descended just aft of the ship’s stove. This must have been somewhat inconvenient, as using it would have introduced terrible drafts to the lower deck mess and sleeping area during the winter months. 

 

References:

(1) National Maritime Museum ZAZ5672

(2) National Maritime Museum ZAZ5673

(3) National Maritime Museum SLR0715

 

The basic components of the companionway were cut

from pear wood stock using my local Library’s laser cutter. 

 

Tracks were added to the roof of the companionway. 

 

Terror’s companionways were very simple box-like structures.

 

I had trouble simulating the bronze tracks with brass sheeting, 

so I opted to use a brass foil product here. 

 

Preparing to cut the grooves in the aft hatch. 

 

The companionways with hatches and tracks 

completed.  

 

The completed forward companionway. 

 

The completed aft companionway. 

 

Mini-Crozier inspects the workmanship. A coat of Minwax 

Wipe-On Poly provides a protective finish. 

 

These structures were neither large nor comfortable. Robustness 

seems to have been the primary design feature. 

 

The 1839 Erebus model at the National Maritime Museum (3)

indicates that the doors had small knobs, which I recreated

using brass pins filed to the correct size. I elected to show

the doors with hidden door hinges (the doors 

swung outwards), which is common on modern 

companionways of the similar design.

 

[albert]

Beautiful work.

[druxey]

Nice to see you back with progress, E&T. Lovely work as usual.

[michael mott]

Very clean and precise, lovely workmanship.

 

Michael

[Jim Lad]

More first class work on those companionways!

 

John

[AntonyUK]

Hi E&T.

A long awaited update. And it was worth the wait.

Wonderful work and skill's throughout.

 

Regards Antony.