HMS Winchelsea 1764 by glbarlow - 1:48

[glbarlow]

Chapter 9, Forecastle deck, is Complete

 

A big event for me, 9 of the 12 chapters are now complete with over two years gone by since I began. Chapter 9 is devoted to the forecastle deck and all the details that set it apart. My last post, a single photo, showed a lot of the deck complete, I’ll back up a bit to show how I got there. It’s a long post so hopefully it’s worth the read.

Like the outboard planks the center line follows the “every plank a project” with each plank unique widths and cuts. The center three planks are the interior width of the bitts divided by three (as the template shows). The planks meeting the bitt posts on either side are also a custom width. The forecastle bitts line up with the base installed below on the main deck making them seem one. This is a cool, but unfortunately barely visible detail. Someone suggested mini wireless camera under there, that might be fun.

 

I’d done complex cut-outs to fit around the main deck hatches, nonetheless these take time and patience to get a precise fit. Since the main deck I’ve acquired this very thin, small razor saw with micro-teeth that made the cross cut cleaner than with the #11 blade still used for length wise cuts.

While the mast ring provided is certainly fine I just can’t seem to remove enough char to make it work for me. So like I did for Cheerful I made my own.  They’re kinda fun to make, using a square of boxwood heavily glued to a wooden dowel and turned on the mill. The outside and inside diameter is measured and cut to form a ring, then I use some router cutters and totally wing it to create the design. I freed it from the post carefully with acetone, painted the inside Matte Black, added two coats of WOP and it’s done. Fun.

I’ve since made another for the mizzen. I had to force myself to keep this one simpler.

The catheads were made up and added. The challenge is to get the right angles, which hopefully I did. The bigger challenge is having installed one then installing the second the exact same - lots of test fitting on both separate and together before either was glued in. I’m glad I cut the rail before doing the planking. I like the extra detail of the cat beam running under the deck planking. (They are the same, the photo is slightly angled and tilted).

I posted earlier I’d gone a different direction with the belfry using a flat rope pull to the front shaped from a small bit of blackened brass and heavily weathering the roof to simulate lead. It and the forecastle rails were added, these are laser cut to fit either port or starboard, so being careful with that and a little sanding to match up to my version of the beam and they’re on. Glue and clamp in two stages, inside then outside, easier to maintain alignment. (again a little warp on the photo not the model, I need to learn to hold my iPhone straighter).

 

I noticed, and not sure how I’d missed, in the single photo I posted earlier the hatches weren’t done properly. I had two choices, leave them as they were or replace them. Who am I kidding, once I noticed it I had one choice. I was able to remove and replace them without damaging the coaming, a few coats of WOP later…

 

The spanshackle cleats are not glued in. I’m not sure I like what I made with flattened 22 gauge wire so I may come back to those later.

Up next the forecastle rails and timber heads. First I tested the fit of the rails to my bow. It’s quite remarkable (as in how did I happen to manage that…) how well they fit. As with the cap rail the key was pulling out the Chapter 9 templates long long ago when the bow was being constructed around chapter 2-3. The tape is there because the little timber heads kept flipping out of my fingers into an area it’s’ now difficult to access.

Then I got to spend lots of time with sanding sticks and a #11 blade shaping 24 little timber heads. Time consuming but well worth the time for the final look. Can’t wait for the Q-deck timber heads, lots more of them. A fun, and lengthy, process was slowly sanding and shaping the cat block to follow the curve and width of the rail plus adding the additional two cleats and support posts. A good time was had by all. They have detail that is lost in the photo due to the black paint.

First starboard then port to complete the fitting, painting, and installing the rails. These rails are extremely delicate. I broke both of them at one point or another. Fortunately they were clean breaks and I was able to repair them, after light sanding and painting the breaks aren’t visible. Once again where’s the fun if I don’t have to fix something I broke.

 

With that, some photos of the completed forecastle: 

I’m pretty happy with how it all turned out. The AYC planking, boxwood fittings, black painted railing, and RED bulwarks and breasthook really look distinctive and pretty cool I think. This is really the first element that is totally finished. A nice sense of accomplishment, and an early concern about what will I do when the whole model is finished, oh no.

The chapter 10 parts are laid out and the planking ripped and ready for work on the Q-deck. Thanks as always for stopping by with your comments and likes, hope you made it to the end of this long post.

 

Edited January 26 by glbarlow

[Matt D]

Beautifully done, Glenn!  Your work is amazing.  

[scrubbyj427]

Looks fantastic Glenn! I noticed your reds and blacks have a slight semi gloss finish, are you using WOP on all your paint finish?

I really really want to finish my Winnie now. 
 

[Chuck]

Nicely done!!  That looks really good.

[glbarlow]

3 hours ago, scrubbyj427 said:

slight semi gloss finish, are you using WOP

Thanks For the comment. 
 

No WOP on the paint except for coamings, since the deck, hatch are so close it works better altogether (and the wales for the same reason)

 

I use two Admiralty black paints. Ironwork black which has a nice matte finish (the stove and the guns) and Dull Black which couldn’t be more mis-named is only on the cap rail, timber heads, and forecastle rails. That finish is all the paint and is a bit semi gloss. It’s really not that shiny though, it bounces the light back a lot in photos. 

The Winsor Newton Crimson Red while very RED has nothing on it. It’s actually pretty flat and also bounces the lights back in photos. 

Edited January 26 by glbarlow

[glbarlow]

2 hours ago, Chuck said:

Nicely done!!  That looks really good

Thank you Chuck, I really appreciate the comment. I remember looking at your model long ago wondering if I could even come close. 

[glbarlow]

3 hours ago, Matt D said:

Your work

Thank you Matt, much appreciated. I have a lot of good modelers like you to copy…I mean emulate. 

[KennyH78]

Just awesomely fantastic!  Right on par with Chuck's prototype in my opinion.  I will definitely use your log as one of my resources for my build.

[glbarlow]

11 hours ago, KennyH78 said:

definitely use your log

Thank you for the kind words. Mine isn’t close to Chuck’s but is a testament to the quality of his design, instruction, and parts. I am glad when my log is a reference for others as I do try to provide useful detail. 

[ERS Rich]

Smokin! 

[glbarlow]

Continued progress on chapter 10. 

The deck furniture is just roughly sitting there, still more work to do on wheel plus the final outer row of planking to add. Mini-me dropped by, I like that he provides scale to see just how big this ship was in reality. 

[scrubbyj427]

Looks really nice Glenn, so many nice details on the QD and with the gun deck below it really brings it to life. You’re almost there.

JJ

[glbarlow]

Thanks JJ, still seems like a long way to go, but I’m in no hurry to get there. 

[scrubbyj427]

4 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

Thanks JJ, still seems like a long way to go, but I’m in no hurry to get there. 

No need to be, but the finish line is in sight.  Sure wish I could finish mine while glue drys on Portland. 

[KennyH78]

Looking really good. Glenn.  She is shaping up to be a very superb model.

[glbarlow]

27 months after starting the Last Plank has been laid (More coats of WOP to come). 

The two center outer rows were a treat (that’s what I say when endeavoring to be positive). 

Edited February 16 by glbarlow

[Rustyj]

T

47 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

27 months after starting the Last Plank has been laid

 

That's a milestone worth celebrating. Like everything else it's well done!

[glbarlow]

3 hours ago, Rustyj said:

milestone worth celebrating

Thanks Rusty, I kind of feel that it is…no more big stuff. 

[jfhealey]

That really is looking very fine indeed.

Fred

[Chuck]

Nicely done.  Yes its all fiddly bits from this point.  But I am sure you will enjoy it.

 

 

[glbarlow]

1 hour ago, jfhealey said:

looking very fine

Thank you!

[glbarlow]

1 hour ago, Chuck said:

But I am sure you will enjoy it.

Thanks Chuck. Absolutely, I’ve been forward to these next steps, fun stuff. 

[westwood]

As always perfect and clean work Glenn,
Simply beautiful!

[glbarlow]

I'm near complete with Chapter 10 and will post more soon.

Meanwhile, with the transom cap rail added the stern is officially complete.  The model has come a long way from it being framed out, looks just a tad different now.

[Erik W]

Glenn, you do good work.  That looks awesome!

 

Erik

[Rustyj]

Beautiful! What more can I say?  

[glbarlow]

Thanks Eric and Rusty, much appreciated!

 

Also, thank you for all the likes. 
 

Edited March 14 by glbarlow

[KennyH78]

She is looking quite exquisite! Beautifully done! 

[glbarlow]

The Quarterdeck (from the beginning, repeating a couple of update photos)

 

The post is so long it is posted in two parts - couldn’t upload all the photos in one. That’s probably telling me something, anyway….

 

Part 1

 

Chapter 10 is all about the quarterdeck. So with some reluctance in covering up all the knees I began with the outer layer of planking. It’s pretty straightforward, beginning full width and ending with a taper consistent with the included template.

It is obviously critical to have the centerline deck furniture, well centered. Finding that point can be a bit challenging. My way of finding it is once again using my handy laser level. It’s oddly satisfying to watch the laser lighted line go through the center of hatches ending with a little red dot on the stem. Once aligned I just pencil a line across the wood beams, using the light beam.

It’s back to coaming and hatches. With Chuck’s lasered parts these are so much easier than Cheerful and my past models. Aside from more char removal it’s just about carefully squaring them up. Make up some hatches from a Syren mini-kit and jig, then sand to fit. The important is sanding the hatch pieces to near wafer thin until all the char is gone, keeping the curve, for the best look and a nice tight fit in the coamings.

Then some placement testing based on the capstan partners and centerline and I’m ready to paint and install the hatches.

Good time for the companion way ladder. These are nicely made laser cut pieces, again more char removal. Actually a lot of char removal as I want to leave them natural. While assembling is straightforward, they can be a bit of a challenge (and annoying) to get aligned and square (yes the char still shown was remove, damn micro images).

While I was there I also made the four posts. Making one using my Proxxon lathe and needle files is not that hard, making four near the same a little more so. I painted, added pins, located and drilled the coaming, then sat them aside for later (they don't really look this rough, did I say damn micro images already..

I don’t recall who to attribute this tape method of installing the ladder, it works. Lightly tape to the bottom step then run it up the front with a fold over at the top, After multiple test fits, add glue on the bottom and top back, in it goes using the tape with an assist from some blunt tweezers.

First stage of center line complete. There are two schools of thought, not gluing these in before planking and doing so. I opted to glue them in and work around with the planking. At least for me that’s trading a tight fit of surrounding planking vs. a more thorough sanding of that planking, but there are sound reasons to go either way.

Made up the binnacle and ships wheel for later installation. I elected to use the side graphic on the binnacle but not the back. The large graphic was just a bit much for me, just a personal choice. For fun I added compass faces to the little discs inside the binnacle.

 

Like with the forecastle rather than the stacked three rings, I added a mast ring I made from a solid block of boxwood my Proxxon mill. I endeavored to keep the mizzen one simpler.

The center planking requires planning and use of the supplied template. The planking naturally tapers from front to back but since the center five are interrupted with the partners and hatches, each section between has to be fit and tapered separately. Measure and measure again, cut a couple of times, eventually I got it right.

The center outer planks, like the main deck and forecastle, are cut around the partners and hatches. The taper here though is more severe so it’s not just the cut outs (the difference between the partners and the two hatches either side is one millimeter, that was fun), its also matching up also the taper to keep the open area to the outer planks and even flow and equal on either side front to back. Just more careful measuring to match up not only the template but the nuances of my particular hull.

Like the forecastle I marveled at the detail of the cap rails and scrolls before I started the model. Chuck’s design makes constructing these easy, just fit and glue the pieces together. Mine matched up with little adjustment other than the curved pieces, these are provided larger on purpose to match distance and angle it to my model’s hull.

 

I cut the little spacers to ensure I didn’t push down too hard and to keep the rails at an equal height throughout, especially given from here to the transom they are done in sections.

 

Continued in the next post…

[glbarlow]

The Quarterdeck - Part 2 of an extra long post

The capstan and companionway post and rails are installed. The rails are 3/64 square boxwood fitted between the posts. The

‘locks’ for the capstan are from 1/16th square boxwood, shaped, painted, with a blacked nail as their pivot. The scratch from a dropped tool on the beam behind was later fixed. I really need to stop dropping stuff.

It starts to come together (Wheel and binnacle just sitting there).

I used the template to cut down the transom framing posts to their final height. This razor saw comes in handy for tight, fine cuts.

The provided center curved laser cut piece also has to be bent. I took a left over beam and sanded its curve to match the template then repeatedly heat bent the center piece to the proper shape. I also used a thicker gel CA which gives a bit longer set up time and a near welded attachment to the posts. There is no way to clamp it so for a few wild seconds on it goes, fit, check, slightly panic, hold in place, abort, no stay with it, step back, did I get it right, yay I did.

The outer wings are laser cut extra large to allow for the angles and width necessary to match up each unique hull shape. They take a good amount of time to sand, file, and fit, but what a nice look it turns out to be. I couldn’t really paint off the ship and as you can see in the photo got a little paranoid about painting it installed.

It all turned out fine in the end. As I noted in the previous post, the progression from framing to a completed stern has been a really fun trip. I’m really pleased with just how different, detailed, and so much better this element of the model has turned out in comparison to anything else I’ve built. It think it’s pretty cool.

I spent a really long time on the breast rail. First it was frustration with char removal. I created a separate post on this topic in another forum and got some great ideas. I ended up using all of them, and adding some really nice special purpose Glardon Vallorbe needle files to my collection. As I’ve mentioned before, jewelry maker websites like Rio Grande are the best source for these and other tools I use. I also added this set of metric set up blocks. I bought them on a whim with no specific purpose in mind, but I find myself using them a lot. They are on  Amazon and just keep coming in handy.

 

Anyway, after adopting new methods and Chucks assurance to just dig in and shape them given they are made bigger than needed I finally got there, more or less. I made this rail three times, the first time the bottom rail broke (Chuck was kind to send a replacement), the second time, despite using a spare beam to match up the angles, I didn’t get it right and I still didn’t I like the look of the posts. So I took it apart again and spent even more time with char removal and shaping before reassembling again.

This is a major element of the model, I’m ok with how it turned out in the end. Though even now I feel like starting over knowing I could still do it better.

My tool set for the q-deck rail sections. The little posts with squares on them in the center are my jigs to place, drill, and add the two eye and ring bolts on each upright before they were installed. It was so much easier to do now than trying to drill and mount once on the ship.

 

There’s those set up blocks again, the 12.5mm one was the right size to square up the opening (eventual gun port) between each upright. The thinner longer ones I used to keep the uprights aligned for the eventual top rail.

 

I just love bending 24 gauge wire for eye and ring bolts, doesn’t everyone. I’m pretty good at it by now.

And on they go, section by section.

Finished off with the fragile top rail. I painted it off the model. The thin tape strips mark where the rail aligns with a post. I stripped off the paint on the bottom side of those tape marks so the glue was bare wood to bare wood. I don’t trust any glue to adhere paint to paint - so this and also roughing up the wood with a #11 blade or chisel is my practice. I could have painted it on the ship I suppose…with my luck I’d drop the brush on the frieze, so no.

 

You can also see I, again, knocked off a port lid. I’ve done this too many times to count. I really, really, really should have waited until the very last thing to install these. The vinyl hinges look great and are great, but they are fragile. Obviously all I need to do is not knock them off, but I’m really good at it. So far I’ve been able to glue them back on.

The laser level again came in handy along with a measured spacer for centering, squaring, and locating the ships wheel. Once located I roughed up the wood on the deck, again not trusting any glue to adhere to the multiple coats of WOP.

The Qdeck furniture is now all installed.

 

And there we have it. One more post with finished chapter ten photos.  Thank you for stopping by and for your likes and comments, hope you made it to the end of this long post.

 

I'm going to do a third post with Chapter 10 Complete photos.  There is a limit on how many can be uploaded in a single post, it seems I like to test that limit.

Edited March 16 by glbarlow