Locating holes for dummy gun barrels

[BikerMart]

In the Amati HMS Vanguard - and others, I am sure, there are dummy gun barrels to be located in the lower gun ports. These gun barrels are to be fixed into a gun barrel 'strip' that runs the length of the deck. But how to determine exactly where to drill the locating holes? My thought is to produce a dowel of some sort - square or round - that is a snug fit in the gun port. And that dowel will have a hole through its center down which I can poke a pointed rod that will mark the drilling location on the strip. Anyone got any thoughts or better ideas for such a jig?

[Charles Green]

Good idea.  The dowels must be close fits, fitting each to its port may be necessary.  The dowels must not tip up or down or the center-lines of the holes (their longitudinal axes) will not lie in the same plane, your marks will vary up or down and the muzzles will not line up.  Is the hull thick enough at the gun-ports to act as a guide to aid in alignment of the dowels? 

Edited December 17, 2021 by Charles Green
Terminology

[BikerMart]

I don't think that the gunports would be think enough to as a guide. They would be the width of gunport 'pattern' ply - 1mm - plus the width of the double planking. But I planned for the dowel to be long enough to seat flat on the barrel strip, and that that would prevent side-to-side or up-down movement.

[Charles Green]

Another idea.  Make thin, fitted patterns (squares, more or less), one each for each port.  With the patterns off the model, center and glue the barrels on them, then glue the barrel/pattern assemblies to the gun barrel strip.  You may have to shorten the barrels to allow for the thickness of the patterns.  

[BikerMart]

I'm liking that idea! The gun ports need to be lined. Maybe the fitted patterns would become the linings. Kind of like a box, with the gun barrels attached to the bottom of the box. Food for thought indeed.

 

[Charles Green]

I've been wondering if the gun barrel strip lays vertically along its length or does in roll with the contours of the bow and stern?

[BikerMart]

While I have not yet assembled the bulkheads to the keel, I can see that the gun barrel strip will be vertical along its length.

[Charles Green]

Great!  That will simplify everything.

[Charles Green]

BikerMart:

 

 

Visualizing the method suggested, I see a possible chink in the system.  The center's of the gun-ports themselves must all line up and uniformly follow the deck shear.  If the port's don't line up fair, then centering the barrels in them will only reproduce the error.   Critically sight along the hull and determine if the port sills make a fair line.  If not, no matter how you attach the barrels, some adjustment will be necessary. 

[Gregory]

What about this..  A variation of your original idea..

 

 

 

Just a wood template that fits snugly in the port with a pointed awl that rests in a groove to mark your strip..

Of course you will be  fine tuning the template to position the barrels where you want them..

 

 

Edited December 21, 2021 by Gregory