Cutting out gun ports

[Benjamin sullivan]

hello, i was wondering what the best way to put out gun ports is.

I have done it a few times but they never seem to be all the same ,so what is the best way to cut them out?

[tlevine]

I frame out the gunport before applying the hull planking.  You can use a stick, cut to the correct dimensions, to act as a template to build the gunport around.

[jud]

Wife asked me to put drain holes in a container she had dragged in to plant something in, used a 22 revolver to make the drain holes. After that she used her own revolver for such chores, might try that, shoot a hole in the bulwarks or side, run a jig saw blade through it, attach the blade to a saw, and have at it.  If done carefully, you can do both sides at once and save ammo.  

Edited November 8, 2022 by jud

[allanyed]

Is the hull solid, plank on frame or plank on bulkhead?  Not unlike Jud's method, but for modelers without firearms, if all the planking is up, draw the location of the ports exactly where they should be.  Keep in mind that if multi-decked, the ports on the lower deck are larger than those on the next deck up and so on to the QD and FC.

 

Once the openings are marked, drill VERY SMALL holes just inside the line.  Then cut with a scalpel or a scalpel and keyhole saw (small ones for Xacto work well)  combination.  Use a plug the right size as suggested by Toni and file or use sanding sticks to open the port to the proper size.  Once done add the sills top and bottom and the linings on the bottom and sides.  There were USUALLY no stops on the top of the port but we have seen a couple contemporary models at RMG and I think Preble Hall that have them on all four surfaces.

 

Cheers

Allan

Edited November 8, 2022 by allanyed

[Jaager]

An aspect of gunports that seems to be often missed:

The sides of the ports are parallel to the frames, not perpendicular to the LWL.

The sills and lintels are parallel to the deck at the port location.  In the middle there is little or no difference port to port.  At the ends, each port is individual in shape.

The ports are parallelograms with vertical sides.  A stick used as a gauge for every port on a particular deck produces an inauthentic result.

The gun truck or skid sits on the deck.  The barrel tracks parallel to the deck.

[allanyed]

Hi Jaager

You are of course absolutely correct  but I doubt many builders will follow this, especially at the smaller scales.  

Allan

[Benjamin sullivan]

hmm, but what is the best way to make them all square?

[Benjamin sullivan]

5 hours ago, allanyed said:

Is the hull solid, plank on frame or plank on bulkhead?  Not unlike Jud's method, but for modelers without firearms, if all the planking is up, draw the location of the ports exactly where they should be.  Keep in mind that if multi-decked, the ports on the lower deck are larger than those on the next deck up and so on to the QD and FC.

 

Once the openings are marked, drill VERY SMALL holes just inside the line.  Then cut with a scalpel or a scalpel and keyhole saw (small ones for Xacto work well)  combination.  Use a plug the right size as suggested by Toni and file or use sanding sticks to open the port to the proper size.  Once done add the sills top and bottom and the linings on the bottom and sides.  There were USUALLY no stops on the top of the port but we have seen a couple contemporary models at RMG and I think Preble Hall that have them on all four surfaces.

 

Cheers

Allan

it is a plank on bulkhead.

[Jaager]

Theory here:

 

It is difficult to get an acceptable finish on a gunport by cutting it and finishing the sides of the cut.

It may be a successful procedure to make the opening oversize and inserting a frame of a sill and lintel and having a veneer layer where the frame timbers would be.

If you are set on all rectangular openings, the same jig can be used for every port on a particular deck to glue up the framing.  It is then a matter of shimming each frame.  If the frames are mounted before placing the outside planking, .....

 

[Keith Black]

 I cut squares matching the port dimensions from blue tape and applied them to where I wanted the port openings to be. I then used an Exacto knife with a chisel blade (see photo) and small hammer to cut out around the tape. It's a slow process and it required a good quantity of blades but it worked. Always practice on a scrap piece of wood first. 

 

[Benjamin sullivan]

thank you everyone I will test try a few of these solution.

 

 

[Benjamin sullivan]

so I tried a few, making a frame and fitting it in seemed to work the best for me .

thank you everyone you have all been very helpful and it was good to get ideas from people with more experience.

Benjamin.