Frigate Essex by Rafine - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Kitbashed

[rafine]

Thomas, I wish that I were as confident as you about the outcome of this one.

 

The bow section of the framing is now "done". I thought the aft end was a challenge, but the bow turned out to be at least as difficult. The problems were the same -- incorrect drawings, dimensionally incorrect parts and really no way to know if I was getting it right when I was done. Again, the best that I can say is that the framing is now "fair" and hopefully can be planked. I still need to make and add the bow filler pieces. 

 

I'm going to do the stern framing now. I'm hoping that the stern frames are correct, but I know that there are discrepancies between the drawings and Sam's prototype photos, so we'll have to wait and see.

 

Bob

[Chuck]

It looks very good Bob.   The skeleton is the most difficult part.   Once you start putting the skin on those ones she will be a most enjoyable project.

 

Chuck

[samueljr]

Bob,

 

Hard to tell from the pics, did you check the bevels on BH 's # 3, 2, 1 going into the stem? It looks a little severe. Did you check it with batons?

 

Also I see you've framed in your QD gun ports. I cant tell from the pics if you've angled the BH's yet as per fig 3i and 3j in the manual. It would be difficult to without the stern framing in place as it sets the high point. You may find that your QD gun ports will be too shallow once the BH's are angled.

 

Sam

[augie]

I see you're not wasting any time.  Looks good from here.

[Sjors]

That's not bad at all !

You see you can do it?

Keep faith in your self and it works !

 

[rafine]

Thanks, Chuck, Augie and Sjors. I'm hoping that you are all right about the outcome. At the moment I'm feeling like the guy who jumped from the 20th floor window and shouts as he passes the 15th floor, "so far, so good".

 

Sam, I had to adjust the bow bulkheads as I did with the aft ones.  I beveled them using battens, but as I've said, it remains to be seen how it will work out. The quarter deck may need to be adjusted, but I've already used more isopropyl than I've ever used before, so a little more will be no big deal.

 

Bob

[patrickmil]

Bob, I think you are doing an excellent job with a kit that has already proved to be a serious challenge. Your last photos have really helped me appreciate how many bulkheads are in this kit. I'm very anxious to see some planking going on.

[aliluke]

Bob

Without being able to see or understand the frustrations in detail it is hard to see your frames as not being very good foundations for a well made ship. Well done and I hope the sailing is in kinder air from here on! Seems to me, that even in adversity, you'll always do a very "rafined" job.

 

Cheers

Alistair

[rafine]

Thanks so much, Patrick and Alistair. Your very kind words are always appreciated.

 

Bob

[Jaxboat]

Hi Sam

Thanks for your follow-up on this issue. I know it has to be frustrating for you  . I think we are all lucky (Including Model Expo) that Bob was involved in an early build of the kit. I have the kit and it will sit on the shelf until all of the fixes are put into place. I am still looking forward to building it.

Best

Jaxboat

[gjdale]

Hi Bob,

 

I just have to echo everyone else's comments and say well done under difficult circumstances. I hope you reach fairer winds and calmer seas soon.

[rafine]

Thanks, Grant. I hope so too.

 

Bob

[texxn5]

Hi Bob, looks great from my perspective.  Somehow, I'm just finding your log.  I'll keep observing....

[rafine]

Thanks, John.

 

I've now added the stern frames and stern filler blocks. At the risk of sounding nit picky, this went alright, but with the prospect of trouble down the road, as a result of a few issues: first, I found the stern drawings confusing and inconsistent with the prototype photos in the manual (i went with the photos--I think); second, the frames were a little thicker than 3/16" which required some sanding to get them to fit into the spacers provided to supposedly ensure the proper spacing of the frames to allow for installation of the stern windows. I foolishly assumed that once the frames fit in the spacers that the windows would be no problem. That was a big mistake. The windows ( which are nice laser cut items) are too wide to fit between the frames. This wouldn't be a big problem, except for the fact that the frames are so thin at this scale that very little sanding is possible. When I get to window installation, I'll have to enlarge the space between the frames or scratch build new windows.

 

The filler block material is not provided, so i used some basswood I had on hand. The work is straight forward for anyone who has done it before. I didn't follow the 2 piece pattern shown in the photos, but made continuous blocks.

 

I now need to do the bow filler blocks and probably clean up the shaping of the bow as well.

 

Bob

[cookster]

Thanks for sticking with it Bob.  Hopefully once you have the frame built and properly faired things will become more straight forward.

Edited September 27, 2013 by cookster

[samueljr]

Bob,

 

Just checking in........  

 

As we've discussed your plywood is fatter than the 3/16" that I designed and build the proto-type with. Even the slightest discrepancy will throw those windows off. Their tolerance when I designed them is basically zero. They fit perfectly on the proto-type. They are so delicate that there is no adjusting them. The only recourse would be to sand the stern frames as you did. Even then the spacers may not be able to align the frames correctly after they've been "worked on". Can't really design for heavier stock (or lighter) for that matter. 

 

Once you've completed the stern framing and beveled the Quarter Deck Bulk Head extensions take another look at your QD gun ports. Did you take them from the top of the Bulk Heads or the Gun Deck up? If you took them from top down you may be off a little. it wouldn't show up until you start to frame the Quarter Deck in and set guns.

 

How heavy is your plywood? Are all the pieces consistency that weight/thickness?  let me know.

 

This is fun!................. NOT LOL........

 

Sam (I'm switching to stamp collecting)

[rafine]

Thanks, Wes.

 

Sam, all of the plywood is thicker than 3/16', running from 13/64" to 7/32". I took the sill of the quarter deck gun ports from the gun deck framing, not from the bulkhead tops.

 

Bob

[samueljr]

Bob,

 

Don't know what to say. With the stock being anywhere from a 1/64" to 1/32" heavy you're "all over the place".

 

I was just "talking" with Jax about this. at 5/32" = 1' scale, a 1/32" is the equivalent of 2-1/2" in reality. The drawing programs allow us to get to "DNO" so 1/32" (which is about a pencil line) off is big.

 

Multiply that trying to fit something between two pieces off and you're fighting almost a 1/16" of an inch. I wouldn't know where to start. 

 

I'm at a loss right now. An error on the drawings is fixable, (shouldn't happen but never the less it's fixable) Even a wrong part (ie bulk heads can be rectified

 

Don't know how to have design "chase" product though.........

 

??????????

[samueljr]

Just decided I'm doing my next ship in Legos!

 

Is that too cool or what?......

 

Great job Wesvdal!

 

Sam

[rafine]

Keep the faith, Sam. That's what I'm doing -- just fighting my way through.

 

I returned to the bow to make and add the bow filler blocks. While doing them, I redid the fairing and refined the shaping. I think it looks better and works better. I also made a decision with regard to the bow arrangement. I didn't feel comfortable with the kit set up of the knight heads and the bow planking. The kit shows the knight heads as stand alone items, spread wide apart and without any covering hull planking. Since they are extensions of the bollard timbers, it would seem that they would be close to the stem and the planking would cover them up through the forecastle. I decided to to follow the Takakjian drawings in AOTS which show them this way. I cut down the keel former and the bow framing parts and made the knight heads from boxwood, filed out the opening for the bowsprit and attached them to the former. I also added strips to them to aid in attaching the inner planking.

 

Now, it's time to do some planking. I just haven't decided yet which planking to start with.

 

Bob

[Sjors]

Just going on….

That's the spirit Bob !!!!!!!

 

[Gahm]

Impressive progress . . . in spite of the problems!

 

Thomas

[augie]

I've never seen that arrangement before on the knightheads.  Looks sensible.

 

Glad to see you grabbing the bull by the horns.

[samueljr]

Bob,

 

Different approach should deliver the same results. A couple of things, obviously you'll have to cut back the false deck - no problem it's only 1/32".

 

The Knight Heads were clear of the deck beams on the proto-type so that shouldn't be an issue. I used a ledger strip to pick up the plank ends of the Fore Deck.

 

One thing I would take a look for is the final elevation as it relates to the rough tree rail and the splash boards as they tie into the KH's.

 

if it looks tight I'd just swap out the pieces you have now with unfinished ones and let them run "wild" a bit in height and then shape them down once you can pull a more accurate elevation.

 

I started the proto-type's planking at the gun deck level and went up first.

 

Sam

[patrickmil]

Bob, your progress with this difficult build is nothing short of inspiring and your work is just as clean as always.

[BareHook]

I wonder if it would be possible to run the frame pieces for the window frames through a thickness planer? Not sure how plywood will react to that process though.

[Blue Ensign]

Nice approach to the knightheads Bob, I think you will master this kit despite the initial problems, and she will turn out to be a beauty.

 

B.E.

[rafine]

Thanks all for the continuing interest and encouragement. I'm really hoping that with the completion of the framing the major issues will be behind me and more enjoyable times are ahead.

 

Sam, the knight heads should be at the correct height. I've pretty much concluded to begin the planking as you did, working up from the gun deck.

 

Barehook, the window pieces are so fine that there really is almost nothing to plane or sand.

 

Bob

[hamilton]

Hi Bob

 

Just read through your log - I have to say you've done amazing work despite the challenges you've faced with the kit. She looks like she's starting to shape up.

 

My current build (the Corel Greyhound kit) suffered some similar issues - two of the bulkheads were completely out of whack and I had to build them up with 1mm x 4mm strips. The rest of the bulkheads were also mis-dimensioned, though not as severely. In the end, constructing the skeleton was complete guesswork on my part, though I had the best of intentions. I tried scaling up the lines contained in Goodwin' AOTS Blandford, which clearly served as one of the design templates for the Corel kit, but this proved only to confuse matters. The lack of reliability in the parts and the plans (which were so woefully inadequate that I completely stopped using them almost as soon as I began) meant that I had essentially to plot things out to achieve something that would work rather than something that was really accurate to the ship's lines.....

 

Anyway, I really admire your perseverance and have great sympathy too for Sam, who I imagine has been driven to some distraction by these issues. I'll follow along here with interest

hamilton

[rafine]

Thanks very much, Hamilton. Interestingly, many years ago I used a Corel Unicorn kit as the basis for a Blandford, also using the AOTS book. I've just looked at your log and yours is much better than what I came up with. I'll definitely follow from here on.

 

Bob