Frigate Essex by Rafine - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Kitbashed

[rafine]

Thanks Nigel. I look forward to how you will do it on Mordaunt when you get there.

 

Thanks Scott for the nice words.

 

Frolick, I'm confused by your comments on the jeer capstan etc. The item under discussion is the method of mounting the stove to the deck. Any thoughts on that?

 

Bob

[Remcohe]

Nice little stove Bob. Can't help you on what type of base you would need. But should you decide to make a brick one, I expect them to be individually laid

 

Remco

[rafine]

Thanks Remco. If bricks were to be used, I couldn't resist your challenge to do them individually. Fortunately, it seems that bricks were not used.

 

Bob

[samueljr]

Bob

 

It sat in a pan with water

 

Sam

[rafine]

Sam, What did that pan look like, and how was the stove mounted in it? Your prototype is mounted only on a plate, but your drawings show something that looks like wooden beams below the plate. Do you have, or could you draw, a picture of what it should look like?

 

While thinking about the stove mounting, I installed and rigged the first six guns. For this I used blocks and rope from Chuck. I can say without hesitation that I am a satisfied customer. I've used Morope in the past, but I like Chuck's stuff a whole lot better and intend to do all of the rigging on Essex with it. After ordering a variety of sizes, I settled on the 1/8" blocks, the .035" line for the breeching rope and the .008" line for the tackles. 

 

I also made and mounted the main cable bitts. These were done in boxwood and are merely a larger version of the fore riding bitts, previously done. I also added the first ringbolts to the deck.

 

Since I am waiting to receive more carriage kits from the Lumberyard, I will probably do some more work in the bow area, rather than moving back along the gun deck for now.

 

Bob

 

 

[patrickmil]

Wow Bob, the cannons and cable bitts are very impressive. I don't know if you have mentioned this in a previous post, but what size cannons do those represent? I also meant to ask you earlier, I don't recall seeing any discussion of scale for this ship. Is this 1/64?

Edited March 15, 2014 by patrickmil

[Mirabell61]

Sam, What did that pan look like, and how was the stove mounted in it? Your prototype is mounted only on a plate, but your drawings show something that looks like wooden beams below the plate. Do you have, or could you draw, a picture of what it should look like?

 

While thinking about the stove mounting, I installed and rigged the first six guns. For this I used blocks and rope from Chuck. I can say without hesitation that I am a satisfied customer. I've used Morope in the past, but I like Chuck's stuff a whole lot better and intend to do all of the rigging on Essex with it. After ordering a variety of sizes, I settled on the 1/8" blocks, the .035" line for the breeching rope and the .008" line for the tackles. 

 

I also made and mounted the main cable bitts. These were done in boxwood and are merely a larger version of the fore riding bitts, previously done. I also added the first ringbolts to the deck.

 

Since I am waiting to receive more carriage kits from the Lumberyard, I will probably do some more work in the bow area, rather than moving back along the gun deck for now.

 

Bob

I like that Bob,

 

very nice work indeed !

 

Nils

[Guest Tim I.]

Bob,

 

I am really impressed with the crisp and precise nature of your work. Despite the challenges with the current state of the Essex kit, it is developing in fine fashion!

 

Will you be keeping it as an admiralty model, or taking the plunge and rigging it?

 

Cheers,

 

Tim

[rafine]

Thanks Patrick. The cannon are 12 lbrs. The scale is 1:76.8. I wish it were 1:64.

 

Thanks Nils for the interest and nice words.

 

Thanks Tim. Thankfully, the kit issues are largely behind me, since I'm scratch building almost everything now. I will be doing a full masting and rigging.

 

Bob

[Sjors]

That looks fabulous Bob !

 

That beting....you rounded the edges your self ?

That looks great !

I have to do it with my betings....of the Aggy then !

 

[captainscott]

Wow Bob very impressive work, thanks for posting lots of good information.

 

Scott

[rowand]

Hi Bob, I'm new to your build log. Your model is looking beautiful, you are doing a fantastic job! Don't worry about the eyes and hands, they're spot on. Enjoy the build and I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work.

 

Cheers,

 

Rowan D

Edited March 15, 2014 by rowand

[Guest Tim I.]

Thanks Patrick. The cannon are 12 lbrs. The scale is 1:76.8. I wish it were 1:64.

 

Thanks Nils for the interest and nice words.

 

Thanks Tim. Thankfully, the kit issues are largely behind me, since I'm scratch building almost everything now. I will be doing a full masting and rigging.

 

Bob

 

I will be following more intently then! I also would like to build the kit with the rigging eventually.

 

- Tim

[trippwj]

Beautiful work, Bob.  I have a couple of excerpts from AOTS of the stove.

 

 

 

 

 

The patent for the stove is viewable here http://hmsfly.com/pdf/brodie_patent_transcription.pdf

 

The few pictures (from British ships) show it installed on a brick base, however the description in TFEP describes the metal basin. 

 

There is also an article in the downloads section here http://modelshipworldforum.com/resources/furniture/stove.PDF

 

Looking forward to your next update!

Edited March 15, 2014 by trippwj

[rafine]

Thanks so much to all for the kind comments and the "likes". The interest and encouragement are always appreciated.

 

Wayne, I've looked at AOTS and used it to help with the stove, but I still don't really understand the meaning of "bearers" in TFEP or how the metal base plate for the stove was mounted in a metal basin. Any thoughts?

 

Bob

[rafine]

Thanks Dirk. The Victory stove appears to be set on stones, which seems to be the more common arrangement, but not what was done on Essex.

 

Bob

[NMBROOK]

Hi Bob

 

I will go out on a limb here.I have a feeling that the metal tray will be slightly larger than the base size of the stove,providing protection to the deck from stray sparks and ash.There would have been ,I imagine an upturned edge on this tray to prevent ash sparks from dropping out onto the deck.Under the tray are timber bearers(visible in Wayne's AOS book exert) to provide a solid base for the tray and support for the stove.If you look at the AOS drawing they show the stoves feet sat on the centreline of the outside bearers,presumably the whole lot is bolted through to the deck.I would take the thick black line at the level of the stoves feet to represent the trays upstand and use this as a guide to it's overall size.It would give you a fairly accurate indication of to how much oversize the tray needs to be.There is some conjecture on my part here,but that is how I interpret the drawing,coupled with a little initiative in that how I would envisage they went about protecting the deck without a suitable protective brick hearth.

 

Kind Regards 

 

Nigel

 

P.S.More fabulous work by the way!!!

[samueljr]

Bob,

 

I was not able to find any source material as to the depth of the basin that the stove would set in, only comments to the effect that it should be deep enough to allow for flow all around and such. I would imagine that as with most things on the ships that it was based on available room, cost, etc and so on.

 

It was (obviously) for catching hot embers and for dissipating heat. I would also imagine that hot utensils may have been quenched in it as well although I would imagine there would be a water cask or such.

 

The drawings (as with most things in the kit) are kind'a a sore spot right now..............

 

Sam

[Gahm]

Your attention to detail and your craftsmanship are amazing! Beautiful work!

 

Thomas

[rafine]

Thanks Nigel, Sam and Thomas.

 

I'm inclined to go with Nigel's view of the construction. That's how I've been interpreting it as well. Barring anything more definitive, that's how I'm going to build it.

 

Bob

[NMBROOK]

Thanks Bob,great minds think alike Seriously though,always good to get someone else's opinion when the drawing information is a 'grey' area.Lets face it,it would have been all too easy and no fun if they had included an isometric sketch of the stove sat on the deck

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[rafine]

I've been continuing with work on the bow end of the gun deck. Completed and installed are the fore jeer bitts and the fore topsail sheet bitts. These were made from boxwood strip with the sheaves "faked" in the same way that I did the bulwark sheaves ( two drilled holes with a scored line between them, blackened with a marker). I also made and installed the fore mast wedges. This was done with a single piece with the wedge lines marked in.

 

I then made up the base for the stove. This was done as discussed in the various recent posts. A metal base plate resting on wooden beams, set in a metal tray with a shallow lip. The parts were made of boxwood, with the beams left natural and the metal parts painted black. This was installed but the stove was stlll left off, although it's position, like that of the bitts , was determined by temporary fitting of the forecastle deck beams.

 

Lastly, I ran the anchor cable from the hawse holes back along the deck and around the riding bitts.With the exception of mounting the stove, this concluded the work under the forecastle deck. I am now working on the forecastle deck framing and will finish that before moving back along the gun deck.

 

By the way, I've noticed that some of the earlier posted photos in the log have now disappeared. Does anyone know how to retrieve them?

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

 

[aliluke]

That looks absolutely superb Bob.

 

One question - wouldn't the anchor cable run through a series of ringbolts attached to the deck to guide its flow into the hold? I could be dead wrong about this but interested in opinion.

 

As for missing photos, I have the same issue. What I've just tried, successfully, is to the delete the missing image references using full editor on the concerned post and then reinsert the images. Bit of a pain though.

 

Cheers

Alistair

[gjdale]

Really, REALLLY, nice work there Bob! Your pictures show just how cramped it would be working around that stove.

[rafine]

Thanks so much Alistair, Grant and the "likes".

 

My understanding Alistair, is that the cable does not run through the ringbolts. "Stoppers" were attached to the ringbolts and then tied to the cable at times.

 

I'm afraid that if there's no easier way to retrieve the photos, they just may have to wait a while.

 

Bob

[patrickmil]

Very nice work on the stove platform Bob. I'm assuming the wood slats underneath the metal pan are to dissipate heat?

[rafine]

Thanks Patrick. Apparently, the stove on it's metal base and  beams sat in the metal pan which was filled with water to take care of the heat.

 

Bob

[hamilton]

Wow! I've been out of it for a while, but I feel like it was just a couple of weeks ago that you were bashing your way through the framework construction - now look at this!! Really great results and fine craftsmanship Bob! 

hamilton

[rafine]

Thanks so much Hamilton.

 

I've now completed the framing of the forecastle deck. This is a total departure from the kit construction which calls for only the beams to be installed. I went with beams, carlings, ledges and knees. All of the parts were made from boxwood, except the lodging knees which were cut from a sheet of cherry of the appropriate thickness, which I happened to have on hand (I had no boxwood sheet of that size). 

 

Owing to the small size of the parts and the cuts needed to be made, I decided to build up the deck framing in sections off the model and then install the completed sections and connect them in place on the model. This was a method that I had tried successfully on my Triton cross-section and I am pleased with the results here, as well. I'm hoping that similar results can be obtained on the larger sections of deck framing for the quarter deck and midship areas. Wipe-on Poly was used to finish the framing.

 

Prior to installing the deck framing, I mounted the stove on its previously mounted base.

 

I still haven't decided how much deck planking will be used, although i'm sure that it will not totally cover the framing. Right now , I'm thinking of using very little planking, at least in this area. I can defer that choice until the rest of the gun deck fittings are done and the remaining upper deck framing is in place. The remainder of the gun carriages have arrived from the Lumberyard and I'm now working on the next batch of guns to be installed.

 

The last photo is a current full profile shot , since Nigel has pointed out that I haven't posted one in quite a while.

 

Bob

[gjdale]

A very nice addition to the kit build Bob - looks terrific.