HMS Diana 1794 by DaveBaxt - Caldercraft - 1:64

[RossR]

59 minutes ago, DaveBaxt said:

I have used it quite a few times already and is very handy for exactly this sort of job. Hope this helps

Thanks.  I have been running lines through the blocks or spliced eye and you have to create tension by winding up the secondary lines.   Your solution eliminates that.   

[DaveBaxt]

11 hours ago, RossR said:

Thanks.  I have been running lines through the blocks or spliced eye and you have to create tension by winding up the secondary lines.   Your solution eliminates that.   

To be fair it was not my initial idea but perhaps one of the modellers who has built the Diana before me. So I thank you who ever you are and apologize for not acknowlegding your help at the time.

[DaveBaxt]

Channels

                Rather than continue with securing the 18lb  Cannon to the gun deck I thought it would be prudent to fit the channels first to prevent any damage to the gun barrels during the above process. I apologize for what appears to be a lot of toing and froing and after looking more closely at the NMM plans, it was my intention to fit the mizzen channel as can be seen in a copy of NMM drawing (below). Although this drawing differs from the drawing given in the book AOTS Diana and the plans produced by Caldercraft, however  the photos of various models of the HMS Diana in the AOTS book shows the  same layout as the NMM plans.Below is a copy of the shear plan from NMM archives.

I have asked the question on a thread I created as regards to which type of mizzen channel should be fitted for the mizzen mast and is open to some interesting discussion. Here is the discussion in question.

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/36616-position-of-mizzen-channel-on-atois-class-frigate-1794/#comment-1046158

          After making the shorter mizzen channels as depict in the above NMM drawing I then realised that due to  either the height of the lower gun ports being slightly higher up on my model ( due to perhaps the fitting of bloomfield cannon )or a slight miscalculation on my behalf of the position of fitting the ships shear lines , I have found that the distance between the mizzen channel and the top of the lower gunport is too narrow to fit a shorter chainplate of any substance ,that is if I were to fit the shorter mizzen channel in its lower position. As I had origonally taken the position of both upper and lower gun ports at an earlier time and also when I was unaware of the possibility of fitting a  shorter mizzen channel I have decided to continue to fit the longer channel higher up, as depict by the AOTS Diana book.It would apear that a number of recent modellers have followed this approach and what can also be seen from the above drawing albeit in feint lines.So can both positions be correct?

            Here are a couple of photos of the channels I have made from what I think is boxwood. Still some work to do such as clean up the profiling of the edges and to shape the inside edge to fit the hull. I am finding the use of scrapers against the grain and working in different directions quite a difficult and time consuming task and feel i may need to use a small file to touch up a number of areas.I  have also tried to taper the channels which also need some finishing off as can be seen with the use of a 12" rule. I have also drilled though the channels to take 0.7mm brass rod to help with securing the channelsinto position.

 

 

Edited May 5 by DaveBaxt

[DaveBaxt]

Unfortunately my skill at trying to sand an even taper without causing any bevelling was a bit limiting so I found a better way of tapering the channels using my Proxxon milling m/c and placing a 0.5mm thin strip of walnut under the outer edge of the channels and then machining one side. I then turned over the piece and then placed a 1mm strip under the outboard edge and then machined another 0.5mm off the othe side outer edge, tapering down. This gave me taper from the inner edge of 2.7mm down to 2mm. This is probably over scale slightly but I didn't want to go any thinner as I was concerned about still maintaining some strength in the piece. Hopefully the brass pins will also add a bitof strength.

 

               I have had a few issues of securing the Caldercraft deadeyes in the past but have decided to persevere with their chain plates and fit them onto the channels before fitting the channels to the hull as I am hoping now will be more accessable. As for fitting the channels to the hull I drilled right through from front to back and sharpened the ends of the brass rods and with a good tap with a small hammer penetrated the hull . I still need to remove some more material from the inside surface of the channel so that the channels will sti perpendicular to the mast , at present they are sitting square to the hull/tumblehome and don't look right.. II am considering using 5min epoxy resin to secure the brass pins into the channels and hull but just using UPV for the wooden parts. Although I have douple check the positions but still worry if they ever needed to come off again............

        I am waiting on mantua channels brackets to arrive as there are not enough brackets that came with the kit so want them to all look the same.

 

   

 

 

 

Edited May 10 by DaveBaxt

[DaveBaxt]

Continued with work on the the channels and blackened the many small chain plates ,links and preventer links.. After visiting my local modelling shop I noticed they supplied different diameters of piano wire. So I decided to use lengths of 0.8mm piano wire instead of brass for additional strength when securing the channels to the hull. 

             I have had difficulty with using the Caldercraft deadeye strops in the past so this time I glued them into the recesses using epoxy resin ,hoping this would make a much stronger job. I also made a couple of small tools using dowl and piano wire for turning the deadeyes. For the record I now wish I had used boxwood deadeyes instead of walnut especially the smaller 3.5mm size as these were of poor quality as a lot of the holes were spaced in the incorrect positions and don,t look to good. Unfortunately I have now glued these into position and I am unable to remove them without damaging the channels.The apoxy resin is super strong but I think the next time I will definitely not be using the Caldercraft walnut deadeyes and their strops.

 

Brass wire replaced with piano wire.

Another anomaly with the kit was the number of longer Lower chain plate links part no 259 for the 5mm deadeyes required is 42 ,whereas the number supplied was only 40. The number of preventer links supplied confirms  this shortage, there being 42 of these. I wonder if anyone else has had this problem. So I need to get in touch with Caldercraft as I don,t think I can make these.

here is a sample of the missing lower chain plate strop part no 259. There might be a problem here as these are part of a brass photo sheet but still hoping Caldercraft can supply the missing two links.

 

Edited May 17 by DaveBaxt

[DavidEN]

Hi Dave,

I also had the problem with the missing lower chain plate straps and spent some time making them myself. I subsequently discovered that Caldercraft had included the missing ones on the photo etch next to the ships wheel.

 

Regards,

David

[DaveBaxt]

12 hours ago, DavidEN said:

Hi Dave,

I also had the problem with the missing lower chain plate straps and spent some time making them myself. I subsequently discovered that Caldercraft had included the missing ones on the photo etch next to the ships wheel.

 

Regards,

David

Once again you have come to my rescue. You have probably saved me quite a few £££££. I also take my hat of to you sir for making these items as they do look a bit fiddly for my skill level. 

           After gluing in the deadeyes and their associated strops into the recesses I have noticed that the aft group of deadeyes on the foremast channels are shown on the NMM museum plans as having only 3 large deadeyes rather than depicted in the Caldercraft drawing which has 4 of these 5mm deadeyes . The AOTS Diana drawing also has 3. I have no idea why Caldercraft have this as different but wonder if this was changed at a later date and hence the extra two lower chain plate straps inside  the steering wheel packet.  Unfortuantey I just copied the Caldercraft channels for the number of recessess required and it would require me to make the forward channels again and feel it is too late for this as I do not have enough boxwood  of this size in stock .I just wish I had at least stuck with the other drawings and not used the Caldercraft channels for guidence in this instance, although no doubt they have their reasons for doing it differently.Best regards Dave

Edited May 17 by DaveBaxt

[DaveBaxt]

I thought this would be a good time to make the gun port lids and drill the holes for the ropes for opening them. I then attached the channel brackets after blackening them. I then attached the various  preventer links just above the main wale as per the AOTS drawing and ensured they were in a straight line. It was therefore necessary to make the lower links at different lengths to suit and found this time consuming but hopefully was worthwhile. It was necessary to shorten the channel brackets for the Mizzen channels.

I also attached the stools using 0.8mm piano steel wire and super phatic glue.I also fitted the  top and topgallant backstay stools and associated chain plates and links at the stage too.

I also made up the Anchor boards from 1mm boxwood veneer rather than the supplied walnut ones and made up some boxwood rails using steel shapers to cover the the front of the channels and hide the deadeye strops. 

Edited June 17 by DaveBaxt

[DaveBaxt]

 

Slow progress during the summer season due to other commitments .After sanding down the gun deck in the areas where the 18LB Cannon would sit I secured the tackle to the 18lb Cannon to the decks using thick super glue and fitted 0.7mm breeching ropes and 0.25mm gun tackle to the  Cannon which can be seen at the midship section through the opening at the top deck. .

I have made a start on securing the deck fittings and finishing off  some bits and pieces, including the rudder chains and more deck fittings such as the chain pumps and lower capstan which was supplied by Vanguard models as I wasn't,t happy with one that came with the kit.

Rudder & rudder chains fitted

Lower capstan with top capstan not glued into posiition

Fitting of bushes for chain pumps handles 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 18 by DaveBaxt

[AJohnson]

Nice to see you back on your Diana Dave.  Looking very smart. 

[DaveBaxt]

2 hours ago, AJohnson said:

Nice to see you back on your Diana Dave.  Looking very smart. 

Thank you Andrew. I have never been away for very long but just taking a bit more care.

[DaveBaxt]

Secured the bitts into position and made up the chain pumps handles from 0.8mm brass wire and the connection pieces from 2.7mm square boxwood and reduced to 2mm square and shaped

Fitted the 18lb Cannon balls into the racks at the sides of the hatch coatings and making a start on  fitting the anchor cable (2.1mm tan from Ropes of Scale)and making up a number of stoppers for securing the anchor cable to the lower decks. Finished off the eyebolts and rings for the gun tackle but left off the tackle for withdrawing the gun as I thought this would just clutter up the deck and believe this would be stored away when not in use anyway. made up stantions from the same fittings used for ther chain pumps handle bushes. I have left off the chain pumps until the last in fear of knocking them whilst work on the beams etc.

Next up will be the fitting of the deck beams and skid beams prior to fitting the upper deck. A shame to cover a lot of the work over the last few months

 

 

Edited July 29 by DaveBaxt

[DaveBaxt]

Further preparation made for fitting of the forcstle and quarter decks and fitting of additional beams. For some reason several of the deck beams had to b  moved so that they did not appear in the middle of the hatch openings and scuttles I also fitted a number of the carlings in-between the deck beams. so as to line up with the edges of the hatch openings. This also would give additional strength to the deck. I also made a  frame work for ladders supports and made up a couple of ladders either side of the gangways.

I then marked off the forcsle and quarter decks to take the 1 to 4  deck plank pattern which is the same configeration as the lower gun deck planks. I also cut the deck into 4 pieces as I thought it would be easier to handle in smaller section when gluing to the deck.  Before fitting the deck I made a final check to everything on the lower decks as they should be and finally fitted the elm tree pumps.

              I am now going to take a bit of a break and will be off on holiday so it might be sometime  for the next update

Edited August 7 by DaveBaxt

[AJohnson]

Another milestone on your Diana build, looks great. 
Enjoy your holiday Dave. 😎

[DaveBaxt]

Thank you Andrew your input is always appreciated.

[DaveBaxt]

Completed planking the upper deck, mainly using 1 x 4 mm Tanganyka strips which came with the kit together with some extra wider strips used for joggling. I also used quite a lot of 1mm Tanganyka sheet which was quite difficult to cut and split along the grain. In the end I temporarily glued a 1.5 mm sheet of ply to the Tanganyka sheet to strengthen the Tanganyka whilst cutting and shaping the waterway . I used the same planking pattern as the lower decks(4) with the length of each plank 180mm and staggered 45mm. Unfortunately there was quite a big difference between the colours of the Tanganyka sheet and the strips but hopefully this will not be too noticeable once the decks are covered with the numerous fittings. I also used the drawings off the AOTS Diana book as to which deck openings had either coamings or scuttles  and ended up with a lot of wasted Tanganyika pieces due to attempting to cut this wood along the grain but hopefully I have made a reasonable job of this.

                I would like to thank Andrew Johnson for giving me the idea of using one of the many Liberon products on offer for trating the deck This time I have tried their superior clear oil which I think shows the Tanganyka wood off quite nicely.

           Next up will be the hatch coamings, gratings and the numerous upper deck fittings. Still  a long way to go as am well past the 18 month mark now and no end in site yet but she is beginning to look a bit like a late 18th century frigate..

Edited September 9 by DaveBaxt

[AJohnson]

You have been busy Dave, now I know why you had gone quiet! 😂

Looks good, the natural variations in the wood stand out for now, but as you mention once fittings, armament and rope hanks start cluttering the deck, your eyes will not be drawn to that. One of the joys of making wood models is seeing the natural colours and patterns in the timber, I can see why some don’t use paint or add copper to their hulls. 

[DaveBaxt]

Slow process due to health issues and unable to work on my Diana other than short periods . After laying the deck planking and checking the height of the gun port sill against the 32lb Carronades it was obvious the sill were too high. It  was therefore necessary to remove the 1mm thick sill to remove some of the material or then replace the 1 mm thick sill. In order to do this the sides of the gun ports, also 1 mm thick also required removing. Although this was time consuming I eventually managed  to complete this. Below is a photo of a 32lb carronade in position and it can be seen not parallel with the deck due to the gun port being too high

Once the sills were lowerd then it was possible to fit the 1mm walnut planking on the inside of the bulwarks and cut out the shapes of the gun ports.I then moved onto the hatch coamings and various size gratings. Fitting of the stove chimney.

At this point I would like to Thank DavidEN for giving me the idea of upgrading the ships Wheel to 24mm Caldercraft Deluxe wheel as the one supplied by the kit looked to be on the thin side. Next up will be the 32 lb carronade and 9lb Cannon the latter of which I will once again upgrade to that supplied by Vanguard models.I think I can get away with the Caldercraft brass cannon but feel Vanguatd carriages are a definite upgrade. There are still a number of fitting which need to be completed before finally getting to the ships boats. Hoping my health improves so I can get stuck in during these winter days.

 

 

 

Edited November 6 by DaveBaxt

[AJohnson]

Hi Dave, sorry to hear about your health issues and hope you are on the road to recovery soon so you can keep building your lovely Diana over the winter period.  Looking at the pictures I assume you are like me and build in the garage, hope you have some heating going!

Your improvements to your Diana are looking great. 

[DaveBaxt]

7 hours ago, AJohnson said:

Hi Dave, sorry to hear about your health issues and hope you are on the road to recovery soon so you can keep building your lovely Diana over the winter period.  Looking at the pictures I assume you are like me and build in the garage, hope you have some heating going!

Your improvements to your Diana are looking great. 

Thank you Andrew for your kind words ,it is always appreciated. . Hopefully I am not slowed up for  to long. I moved into the garage where I have most of my machine tools and whilst working on the hull and have more space. For all the other stuff I have another shed which is much more cosy and well insulated..