Frigate Essex by Rafine - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Kitbashed

[augie]

Nice catch on those pumps.  That full length overhead shot is spectacular, Bob.

[rafine]

Thanks so much Patrick, Nigel, Joe and Augie. It will be my pleasure if this log proves useful to future builders.

 

Bob

[MEDDO]

This looks really great. At such a small scale too.

[rafine]

Thanks very much Michael.

 

Bob

[gjdale]

Fantastic work as always Bob. She just looks better and better.

[rafine]

Thanks so much Grant. Always appreciated.

 

Bob

[Blue Pilot]

I sat down last night to read this log all the way through.  After two glasses of wine I was still reading.  Wow!  I hope one day I have your skill.  My next model is a bashed Mamoli Rattlesnake, in many ways similar to your build of the Essex,  so I thought I could get some tips from a master craftsman!  I will be trying your tree nail method and if I ever copper a ship I will refer back to this too.  When I see your skill and look the planking on my current build the Pride of Baltimore II, well lets just say I still have a lot to learn.  Thanks for this great log it is a treasure trove of information of how to do it tips, tricks, and techniques for many like me who are mere apprentice craftsman. 

[rafine]

Thanks so much Mark for your very generous comments. BTW, no matter how long we do this, we all still have a lot to learn.

 

Bob

[Chuck]

Been a while since I checked in on your Essex.  Its looking A-Ok Bob.  Framing those decks is a lot of fun...

 

I am looking at those images though and have a question,  did you give the quarter deck beams and forecastle deck beams a camber?  I remember when I started building her many moons ago..The decks had quite a bit of camber from what I remembered, its hard to tell from the photos but they look flat or is it just an optical illusion?   With no camber the fittings along the center of the gun deck might look very tall.  I am wondering if the absence of camber is what I am seeing.

 

Sam sure did add a lot of nice detail to those deck fittings.  At that scale is great to see a kit show them all.  They look great Bob,  you are almost done for crying out loud....you work quick.

 

Chuck

[rafine]

Thanks for looking in Chuck. Two things on the deck camber: First, using the kit bulkheads, the gun deck is dead flat. Any noticeable camber on the quarter and forecastle decks looks odd. Second, reference to the section drawings in AOTS Essex (there are no section drawings in the kit plans), shows that at small scale the camber is barely visible without use of a straight edge. My choice was to keep the upper decks consistent with the gun deck. 

 

With regard to the kit deck fittings, I really can't comment because I have scratch built them from boxwood. BTW, I have enjoyed using your blocks and rigging line in doing the gun rigging and expect to use them for all the rigging.

 

Although we retirees get a lot of modeling time in, I'm afraid that "almost done" isn't quite the case. I expect a few months more on the hull, and then there will be the masting and rigging.

 

Bob

[Gahm]

Beautiful detail! And your progress is just amazing!

 

Thomas

[rafine]

Thanks so much Thomas.

 

Bob

[Rustyj]

Hi Bob, Again a first rate job on the deck framing and good catch on the pumps. Even knowing the scale I

sometimes forget how small some of the deck pieces are and then you put the penny in there and it seems

huge!  Great work and explanations!

 

Also "almost" done for me is the portion or part I'm working on at that moment. Keeps me from thinking about

the 1-2 years I may have in a single project.    

[rafine]

Many thanks Rusty. There are certainly times when I wish it were the scale of your bomb vessel cross-section .

 

Bob

[Rustyj]

Yeah that would be fun but you would not want to put that baby in your lap!  

[cookster]

Hi Bob, just checking back in after being away for a while.  Your Essex is really coming along, I love all the little details you've added.  Keep up the good work sir!

[Beef Wellington]

Bob - take my hat off to you for persevering with this kit - trying not to let this taint my view of the kit once they solve all the production issues.  You're really proving you can work through the challenges with beautiful results.  I'll definitely be watching from here onwards.

[rafine]

Thanks so much Wes and Jason

 

Bob

[rafine]

In my last update, I had made and fitted, but not installed, the main jeer bitts. They are now mounted. I have also made and mounted the main topsail sheet bitts. The other new items are the forward cranks for the chain pumps and their supports. As with the other deck fittings, the wood parts are boxwood . The cranks are blackened brass wire and the belaying pins in the bitts are blackened brass parts. As with the aft cranks, I chose to simplify them by merely bending the wire, rather than attempting a multi part assembly at this scale.

 

I'm now working on the next batch of guns.

 

Bob

[Guest Tim I.]

Amazing...

 

- Tim

[Trussben]

Those main Bitts look excellent Bob, well done.

 

Ben

[NMBROOK]

Excellent work Bob!!!   Just a quick question,have you tried the B.Casey brass black on any soldered parts yet?I have given up with the Carrs stuff,not overly impressed,but they do a different blackener for solder,just wondered if this would do both.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[rafine]

Thanks so much Tim, Ben and Nigel. 

 

Sorry Nigel, I haven't tried the Birchwood Casey on any soldered parts and have no idea how, or if, it works on them.

 

Bob

[Blue Ensign]

What a wonderful example of mini joinery those last photos show, lovely work Bob.

 

B.E.

[aliluke]

Exceptional work Bob. She's turning into a jewel.

[rafine]

Many thanks B.E. and Alistair and also to all the "likes". Always appreciated.

 

Bob

[patrickmil]

Looking good Bob. Excellent work as usual.

[MEDDO]

I keep having to remind myself this is a kit.  Excellent bash. It really shows off the flexibility of builds which one can obtain.

[rafine]

Thanks so much Patrick and Michael.

 

Bob

[rafine]

Four more guns made up, mounted and rigged -- only four more to go on the gun deck. I can't imagine doing this on a 74. As usual, I added the deck ringbolts. I also ran the anchor cables into the open hatch and added a piece of grating in an open position. Lastly, I tied off the fore lower sheets to their bulwark cleats since they will be unreachable when the deck framing goes on.

 

Bob