HMS Winchelsea by cdrusn89 - FINISHED - 1/48th

[Rustyj]

Nice catch. For whatever reason I did a similar thing before. Much better to find it now than in the middle of planking. 

[cdrusn89]

Thanks Rusty - yes much better to find it now.

 

With the bulkhead U issue resolved (as best I can tell at this point) it is time to put the lower sills in.

 

I thought it might be useful (for me) to see how the marked lines line up with the plans. So I pinned a batten (1/32 X 1/8 boxwood which I have in 24" lengths, the longest AYC batten I can make is about 12") on the marks and set up the laser level to see how it looks. I centered the laser on bulkhead 3 and the batten at that point.

As you can see the laser follows the batten for about 9 -10 bulkheads going forward and 1 -2 going aft.

Then I set the laser up an the plans which are on the wall to see how this compares with the plans.

Admittedly it hard to see in the picture so you will have to take my word that they agree very well. And that is assuming that I have the build board, model, and drawing level which, of course, I have tried to ensure that but..

 

So now to try the other side and then inspect the batten runs to see if there are any "irregularities" although given the above I kinda doubt it.

 

 

 

 

[cdrusn89]

Batten installation competed.

 

Checked both sides again and made two adjustment of less than .1" each.

 

Here are two shots with the battens installed.

 

Off with the battens and on to the port framing.

[FrankWouts]

On 6/21/2022 at 3:31 PM, cdrusn89 said:

Thanks Frank.

I saw from your build log at you added additional fillers at the bow. Did these work out? I am considering doing the same.

Hi Gary,
Yes, at least for me they worked out, as I could not imagine exactly how the curving should diminish from being round at the top of the bow to sharp and almost hollow at the bottom.
I've tested this gradual transition from top to bottom with some leftover scrap planks and I should be okay and have a nice gradual flawless transition when planking further down to the bottom.
Very experienced builders could perhaps make this transition when planking, but I though I could not do that and perhaps have ugly bumps in my bow.

I'm not experienced.... I build a Corel victory 30 years ago and never was able to finishd it (though I still have it).

With all the flaws and not having all parts from the kit anymore I don't feel like it as well...I'll start a new one some day in the future, perhaps the coming 1:64 Amati one...
Frank.
 

Edited July 20, 2022 by FrankWouts

[cdrusn89]

Thanks for the "comeback" Frank.

I have been considering using balsa for the fillers but am not sure how far up the gap I should carry them. I saw that you stopped at about the lower mark on bulkhead W. I was thinking about going all the way up to the top of the bow fillers/bulkhead W deck level but am not sure if that will cause some problem later.

 

[cdrusn89]

I looked ahead to Chapter 4 where the false deck is installed and it looks like filler blocks up to the level of the deck will not be a problem so I am going that route.

[glbarlow]

The bow fillers were definitely helpful for me. I used Balsa, easy to shape and does the job. I went from deck level to keel. I’m sure you noted on the plans the gun-ports follow the sweep of the deck and consequently aren’t level with the waterline. It is essential to get them right, so much later will follow that line. 

[cdrusn89]

Glenn,

Thanks I have the balsa ones ready to install when I get the hull upside down after the upper wales planking.

Yes, when I put the laser level on the plans that sweep of the gun ports is very evident. Hopefully I can faithfully follow that line with the port sills.

[cdrusn89]

Starboard side lower sills installed.

 

The ones forward are much easier than those aft. Some of them are angled in two dimensions - a challenge to get fitted correctly. Good thing Chuck includes seven lengths of the 3/16" X 1/4" cedar. I went through two plus pieces getting this far.

Edited June 23, 2022 by cdrusn89

[FrankWouts]

21 hours ago, cdrusn89 said:

Thanks for the "comeback" Frank.

I have been considering using balsa for the fillers but am not sure how far up the gap I should carry them. I saw that you stopped at about the lower mark on bulkhead W. I was thinking about going all the way up to the top of the bow fillers/bulkhead W deck level but am not sure if that will cause some problem later.

 

From the deck downwards, there won't be anything in the way when I look at other build logs. No special reason or logic: my left over piece of wood just wasn't bigger than this... Balsa would be fine I guess, though it sands away more easily than the plywood sides ofcourse...so take care there won't be bumps in your fluent 'flow'....

Edited June 23, 2022 by FrankWouts

[cdrusn89]

Thanks Frank,

I used balsa fillers on the Charles P Notman (BlueJackets 1/96 scale kit) for most of the hull so I am familiar with the "balsa bulge" that occurs if you are not careful.

Almost done with the lower sills. As the instructions say " building the skeleton and framing is not much fun".

[cdrusn89]

Port side lower sills complete.

I used a T-Square on the build board to check that the sill was correctly oriented, i.e. that the sides facing port and starboard are vertical and thus that what will become the bottom of the gun port is not tilted inboard or outboard. I tried "eyeballing" it but when I measured I was consistently off, usually with the sill tilted inboard.

 

Now on to the top sills and other upper "pieces".

[cdrusn89]

Upper sills done on port side.

 

I got kind of carried away and put an upper sill across every bulkhead, not just those shown in the plans. Hopefully I will  not regret this later but I think it will give the hull structure more stability during the additional fairing to come.

 

I am torn between fairing this side and then doing the upper sills and fairing on the starboard side or doing the starboard upper sills now and then fair both sides.

 

I will consider that while I take my afternoon nap.

Edited June 23, 2022 by cdrusn89

[cdrusn89]

Gunports completed on both sides and fairing completed.

 

I took this opportunity and did some fairing/thinning on the inside as well, especially at the bow as that is necessary before adding the bollard timbers.

 

Stern timbers next - should be interesting.

[cdrusn89]

It took a good bit of thinning Stern Timbers C and D (actually I just did D so as not to disturb C location with respect to the outer hull) to get the combined C/D into the slot. I looked carefully at the slot(s) themselves and after I corrected for the laser angle they were straight so I have no explanation for why the C/D was significantly (maybe ~ 1/32") too thick to fit in the slots on Bulkheads 27, 28 and 29.

 

I was puzzled that the instructions made no mention about the stern timbers relative location (fore/aft). The drawings seems to show that the stern is about 4mm longer at the centerline than at the outer edge. 

I  looked at Frank Wouts' build log and saw where Chuck said that the three pairs of stern timbers provide that curve with the A timbers being the furthest aft (Dah).

 

So with that mystery (to me) of how the stern timbers are supposed to be arranged I set about trying to figure out how to do that. Given the arrangement it seemed the best way to proceed was to anchor the C/D timbers first since they are furthest forward and are the hardest to adjust since the support is across three bulkheads with a notch to boot. The A and B timbers are essentially just in slots so they are easier to adjust.

 

With only 2mm of fore/aft spacing between the pairs of stern timbers it is going to require more than a "seaman's eye" to get the timbers in the right places.

 

So I built a "jig" composed of a piece of (flat) fiberboard and four machinist blocks to give me a surface to mark where the stern timbers are located. If I had a handy piece of squared paper I would have glued it (contact cement) on to help with locations but...

 

So here is the jig with the C/D timbers in place.

I measured and both C/D timbers are equidistant from the centerline and the same height above the keel (aka build board). Just to be sure everything is level I put a digital level on the hull and got a 0.00 reading with the sensor on bulkheads 17 and 19.

 

So now I glue the C/D timbers in place (with thin CA so I do not have to move anything) and move to the B timbers which should be 2 mm further aft than the C/D timbers.

 

 

Edited June 26, 2022 by cdrusn89

[cdrusn89]

To make sure I got the B timbers 2mm aft of the C/D I got a 2mm thick piece of scrap and clamped it to the fiberboard and then moved the board back into position with the newly added pieces touching the C/D timbers. I then moved the B timbers to rest against the fiberboard and checked the measurements. The ends of the B timbers are now 2mm further aft then the C/D timbers and are ~30mm from the centerline, which agrees with the Stern Framing Plan.

 

More thin CA and on to the A timbers.

[cdrusn89]

So here are the stern timbers which match up pretty well with the framing template except the starboard C/D timber is a bit too far inboard. I am assuming that at least some of this will be corrected by the sills and framing but that is yet to come.

Edited June 27, 2022 by cdrusn89

[cdrusn89]

So on to gluing in the stern timber sills and top pieces.

 

Here are the center window frame, sill and top piece in place and everything looks good so I glued to top piece in place.

 

 

When it dried I thought about the lower sill and wondered whether the sill should be oriented level with the build board as the piece #2 is in the photo below or square with the face of the stern timber as piece #3 is below.

The text in the instructions is silent on. the subject and the pictures aren't much help. Depending on where you look you could make a case for either.

 

The framing plan isn't much help either. I am going to look at some other build logs but if someone "knows" the answer  (or has a definitive position) please respond.

 

[glbarlow]

The sills are level with the deck (so build board) as window sills would be from inside the captain’s cabin. You’ll see it in most every build log I’d imagine. 

Edited June 28, 2022 by glbarlow

[cdrusn89]

Thanks Glenn. I checked four build logs last night but there was not conclusive evidence in any of them.

 

Level with the deck it is!

[glbarlow]

Mine shows them level along with a test fit of the windows 😊

Edited June 28, 2022 by glbarlow

[scrubbyj427]

Definitely level with the deck, I missed that on mine and had to straighten/carve them out late in the game in order to finish out the window frames. If you look way ahead to chapter five, pg.8 you will get a better idea of what’s to come.

[cdrusn89]

Back from three weeks on the "Great European Tour" on Viking.

 

Much fun but I think I saw one or two Austrian/German medieval town centers too many. Was ready to come home and face the vagaries on present day air travel. Everything turned out "okay" and on-time in the end.

So back to Winchelsea transom.

 

When I left I was so bummed out about the fit of the window frames that I ordered a new set of stern timbers "just in case" the present structure appears unsatisfactory after all the fairing is done. I have that in hand now so am going to continue fairing down to the 3/32" thickness called for and then check the window fit.

 

One issue that has happened at least three times during the fairing to date is glue joints breaking, upper pieces twice and once on the lower. Perhaps I am being too "energetic". The rubber bands in the picture below is holding the lower sill at opening #4 in position while the glue dries.

Here is a shot from the other side - the template is two inches behind the transom so it should not match up exactly. That will be one of the checks along with window fit after I get the fairing done.

 

Latest measurement at the top of the upper sills in .1270" while 3/32" = .0938" so I have some more sanding to do.

 

[glbarlow]

Precision here pays big dividends when you plank the counter and later and the transom piece. Test fitting Chapter 3 parts where you can really helps as does cut out copies of the friezes. 
 

it’s all looking great, nice work. 

[cdrusn89]

Thanks Glenn - precision is always my intention, not achieved frequently but always my intention 😀

 

I got the transom thinned down to close to the 3/32" mentioned in the instructions without more than three of four stops to re-glue a seam that came apart.

 

Here it is with the template I glued to a backboard and used in the initial placement of the stern timbers.

Close but not exact. Not sure what, if anything, I can or should do about the apparent mis-matches. Some are due to the perspective in the photo and I have not faired the outboard timbers to the hull shape yet.

 

I clipped the stern transom to see if there is a problem with the window openings.

Looks like the #5 lower sill is too low at the outboard edge. I will try and get a "really small shim" to fix that but will wait until I actually have the transom in its final position as I did not spend my than a minute adjusting the transom position so this may not be the only "correction" required.

 

The next step is to fair the outer stern timbers and bulkhead 29. By the way did I miss installing the "stern planking fillers"? They are on the drawing and included in Chuck's pre-cut materials but I do not see when they are installed, clearly before planking and if this is the point where the fairing of the stern below the transom is done it would seem that they should by installed and faired in now.

 

On another subject while I was on vacation I got the set of "decorations" in boxwood. As these are supposed to be the Porsche of Winchelsea decorations I wanted to see how the figurehead will look on the stem. I had to do a bit more sanding on get the figure to fit correctly (God forbid trying to sand the figurehead) but here is how it looks. Clearly this is the last time it will be here for a long, long time.

 

 

[Chuck]

Make sure you fair the outside of the hull back at the stern sufficiently.   I am referring to the outside stern frames.   You want to have enough space after you put on the transom for the stern window fillers back there.  So they leave a nice lip for your window inserts for the false lights on the stern.

 

Hope that makes sense.

 

Most folks under fair and they dont have enough space for it.

 

Chuck

[cdrusn89]

Chuck,

    I think I understand about fairing the outer stern timbers.

 

   Is this the time to install the stern planking fillers?

[FrankWouts]

The thin window templates numbered 1 to 5 are a help for the stern fillers and window sills to line up exactly from left to right, so that your windows will fit exactly and line up nicely both horizontaly and vertically. The templates 1 to 5 are exactly the same size as the windows.

Try placing them now, and most import: before you test fit the windows. You might have to chisel a bit away form the fillers and / or the window sills, as the line from left to right where the top and bottom of the windows will touch are not in line exactly thusfar to my eye, but this could be the picture perhaps.

I found this the most difficult part, to both have a rounded stern with the six stern timbers, placed in the correct angle and distance when viewed from the sides, while a the same time line up the fillers and sills where the windows will come inbetween...

I'm sure you'll do great, as everything looks very, very good and clean on your build!

Edited July 20, 2022 by FrankWouts

[cdrusn89]

Thanks Frank.

To fair the outboard timbers I cut out the stern transom template and extracted the outboard timber profile and traced it on the timbers.

As Chuck had warned about not taking enough material off the timber I sanded until all of the blue was gone.

In order to fair the underside of the timbers I decided it would be easier if the hull was upside down so I re-engineered the blocks I used previously and to make sure I did not impact the stern timbers, left them "hanging" off the end of the building board. The rubber bands are holding the last failed glue joint back together. I think I had to do that five or six times. For those who follow - use plenty of glue when installing the sills.

Having done the starboard side I moved to the port side and am now on faced with a problem.

 

I may have been too "enthusiastic" in the material removal on the starboard side.  It appears that I have removed the "lip" where the timber transitions from curving up (if the hull is upside down) to horizontal. When I did the port side I stopped before I got that far.

 

Here is the starboard side as it appears now.

The blue tic mark is about where the "lip" would be.

And here is the port side.

I think I am going to have to find a way to rebuild the lip on the starboard side.

 

Need to think about this a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cdrusn89]

Since I had a "spare" set of the Chapter one laser cut pieces (in Cherry) I decided to sacrifice one of the "C" timbers to provide the fastest (and probably easiest) path to a piece to replace the lip on the starboard side. I had already disposed of the carrier sheet from the cedar package but could have used the Cherry carrier to outline and cut a new cedar version. I purchased the Cherry set in anticipation of switching between wood species if it seemed appropriate (or just for variety) so this seems a reasonable use of the material. In the unlikely event I should need a complete chapter 1 Cherry package I will have to fabricate one "C" timber from scratch using the other one in the package as the template - not very likely as I see things now.

 

After cutting the timber so only the part aft of bulkhead 29 is present, the next task is to figure out how much of the timber needs to be added.

 

Here is the new timber clamped along side the one where the material is to be added. I tried to keep the replacement aligned with the existing  but that was not to easy in the confined area so I comported myself that this is going to be a pretty crude estimate anyway so just marked it when I had it " close" to aligned.

After a bit of disk sander work and multiple passes with an 80 grit sanding block here is the final shape of the piece to be added.

And here it is glued onto the existing timber.

While waiting for the glue to set I put the window templates back in place to see how badly off the fit was now that everything has been faired (and several junctions re-glued).

 

I took some mental gymnastics to get the figure out where template #1 should go since the hull is now upside down.

 

Here is #1

I think this is the worst fit - I am tempted to try some light sanding on the timbers to try and get it "better".

 

Here are #2 and 3.

Both show a small gap at the bottom and #3 has a smaller gap at the top. Not sure either is large enough to warrant "corrective action".

 

And #4 and 5

Again small gaps at the bottom of both. Probably too small to attempt to remedy.

 

At least that is how I see things. If someone has suggestions please let me know.