HMS Terror by jbcallender - OcCre - 1:75

[jbcallender]

I started HMS Terror from the OcCre kit after reading the excellent build logs by Clearway, DanielD and KeithS.  I have learned much from them, i am trying to put their great lessons into practice.  after laying the keelson and bulkheads, had a serious warp and a bit of torque which had to be dealt with.  I added blocking and some counter torque while the glue dried on the blocking and I'm pretty satisfied with the result.  I planked the deck, cutting and laying each board and blacking the edges.  I made one mistake.  IF you've built Terror you'll see it.  The diagonal deck planks should be running to the fore, not aft as I did.  Lesson learned - check the plans twice, well only you all will know.  I weathered the deck with a light wash of powdered charcoal, water and just a few drops of wood glue, then a coat of matte polyurethane.  I then marked and drilled the holes for the light lenses and various deck fittings.  I think I am going to drill deck holes and grommets for the davits as some others have done.

[Gus M]

On board, , I want to learn, I will take the trip with you ... thanks for sharing

[clearway]

Welcome to the Terror club JB - i have noticed a few builds where people have made the same faux pas regards diagonal planks - could be removed and redone but depends how well you glued them planks down! I do like the weathering.

 

Keith

[Ghost029]

Pulling up a chair and getting some lessions in.

[jbcallender]

2 hours ago, Ghost029 said:

Pulling up a chair and getting some lessions in.

For Ghost and Gus - we will be learning together.  Clearway (Keith), above, is well worth a close review of his logs and I fully intend to utilize some of his ideas and techniques! 

[jbcallender]

I have now secured the deck to the skeleton.  I darkened the brass grommets with Birchwood Brass Black solution which worked quite well.  I filed one by accident and will touch that one up. I put a shot of hot glue into the grommets to simulate the lens.  I put tape on the deck side of the grommets and shot the hot glue in from the bottom.  I need some input, though.  I am considering doing the first layer of planking before putting the bulwarks and counter on.  I am afraid I will damage the bulwarks in the planking process - I have already managed to snap one in half!  I've marked the bulkheads for the bottom of the bulwarks so I know where to start the first plank.  Contouring the bulkheads for planking is next.

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by jbcallender

[allanyed]

The openings in the upper deck are intriguing.  It looks a lot like the Erebus but maybe the kit plans combined the two ships into one as they were both bomb vessels converted to Arctic service.   Regardless, your planking looks very well done.  Thanks for sharing your build.

Allan

Erebus signed by Francis J. Laire, Master Shipwright, Chatham Dockyard.    

Drawing of Terror signed by shipwright William Stone in Chatham in 1837

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by allanyed

[jbcallender]

3 hours ago, allanyed said:

The openings in the upper deck are intriguing.  It looks a lot like the Erebus but maybe the kit plans combined the two ships into one as they were both bomb vessels converted to Arctic service.   Regardless, your planking looks very well done.  Thanks for sharing your build.

Allan

Erebus signed by Francis J. Laire, Master Shipwright, Chatham Dockyard.    

Drawing of Terror signed by shipwright William Stone in Chatham in 1837

 

 

Thank you.  As I noted, I inadvertantly pointed the diagonal planks aft rather than forward. Here is the deck plan from Matthew Betts' book on Terror, which is very close to your Erebus plan.  I believe there were additional features added for the 1845 expedition.  OcCre took some liberties in numerous areas which are noted in the various build logs.

Edited March 20, 2023 by jbcallender

[clearway]

the two holes midships behind the foremast are actually pumps (occre messed up) and the two nearer the mainmast will be for the anchor chains which will go either side of the main hatch. Note the lower drawing does not cover our period though is interesting as it shows the earlier shroud protectors and the hatch off to starboard before it was moved midships like on upper plan for Erebus.

 

Keith

[allanyed]

3 hours ago, jbcallender said:

Here is the deck plan from Matthew Betts' book on Terror, which is very close to your Erebus plan.

I agree with you it looks like Betts mistakenly used the plans for Erebus rather than Terror in his book.  Note that not only are the round openings like those on the contemporary drawing of Erebus, the hatches match those of Erebus rather than the Terror.  Certainly not the end of the world, but interesting none-the-less.

Allan  

 

 

[jbcallender]

Starting the first layer of planking.  I decided not to install the bulwarks or counter yet, but I've measured and marked carefully.  It was  easier that I thought, but then these are the easiest of them.  I'm letting the ends run wild for now and will trim to fit a bit later.  Sorry the pictures are a little wonky.

[jbcallender]

OK, I chickened out and installed the bulwarks and counter.  After planking four strakes, the stern and transom was getting a little boxed in.  I figured I better install them and see where it all was going before I painted myself in to a corner.  Here are sme pics as she sits in traction, so to speak.  The bulwarks are a little tricky to bend without them snapping in the weaker areas.   

[jbcallender]

Have continued on with the first splanking, about 3/4  of the way through, then filling and sanding.  I will be pulling all of the pins prior to that.  The good news is that no one will ever see the less than spectacular job on the first planking and I hope I can cover up a multitude of sins with the second planking.  I have the installation of the keel, sternpost and bow assemblies in the back of my mind and am wondering how all that comes together with the planking.  My stealer planks may need to be more like grand theft.

Edited April 2, 2023 by jbcallender

[jbcallender]

I have finished the planking and the sanding. I'm about to start some filling  before final sanding.  I am going to install  the ice  channels  directly  on the first  layer as was  suggested.  I butchered the turn  of  the  bowstem and  wil need to work on that a little when I do the second layer.  I am pleased with the way the bow blocks turned out.  This is tedious as when you get one area nice and faired, another area might have gotten out of sync so its a bit of chasing one's tail until the joints are flush and the curves are symetrical and flowing right.       

[clearway]

Coming along nicely- i wouldn't bother filling any gaps in the first layer though as when adding the 2nd layer the glue will help fill/ seal them.

 

Keith

[jbcallender]

The first planking is completed, sanded and filled.  The ice channels are installed , sanding, filling and contouring is next on the list.  Then on to the second planking.  As an aside, at some point during the first planking, I dropped a paper clip or something in the hull.  Now I have a rattle when I move the ship around.  Harmless, but quite irritating!  

[jbcallender]

I have sanded, filled and faired the ice channels.  I filled and fine-sanded the hull for a final time - 800 grit..  It's just my OCD wanting nothing to telegraph through to the second planking.  In Bett's book, the ice channels are shaped wood blocks covered  with planking, not built up as the kit is.  The top edges are sharp, not beveled or rounded, so I  have left them that way and planed and sanded the top surface.  Next is to form the space in the channels for the bowstem and install the stem and keel.  I have ordered some thin brass and will attempt to cut and fashion appropriate  chainplates and strops for the shrouds.  I am unsure how exactly these pass over the ice channels or if there are slight indentions for each strop in the channels.  I've got plenty of time to think that through yet.  

Edited April 17, 2023 by jbcallender

[clearway]

Brings back memories of a sawdusty kind!- the "bumper does narrow slightly where  it rounds towards the bows - coming along and looking more Terror like.

 

Keith

[jbcallender]

20 hours ago, clearway said:

Brings back memories of a sawdusty kind!- the "bumper does narrow slightly where  it rounds towards the bows - coming along and looking more Terror like.

 

Keith

After your comment and looking at some others, I'm sanding the channels a bit more at the bow, leading to a little "stubbier" look.   I'm looking ahead - regarding the metal plating, some have plated over the secong planking layer, while others have plated directly on the first layer and run the second layer just up to metal plates and faired them into each other.  I can't tell from Betts if the plating would have been rabbetted into the hull planking at the join.  Am I overthinking this? 

[clearway]

The plating would have been fastened over the top of the planking as opposed to rebated.

 

Keith

[jbcallender]

I have a bunch of left over deck planking, so I think I am going to plank the inner bulwarks with that rather than the sapelli strips.  Then I will try to make a thinned out wash of the Admiralty yellow paint for it.

 

Also, the plans seem to indicate that you should cut the top 1.5mm off the rudder post.  Is that correct?  I'm also thinking the top of the rudder post would likely be rounded and not squared off as it is.  Any thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[clearway]

the 1.5 mm refers to drilling a hole for the tiller not trimming the end- The rudderpost would indeed have been square at this period. I also drilled more holes in the rudder pintles and gudgeons to add more fasteners using Peco brand blackened model railway track pins which have a smaller head than the occre pins.

 

Keith

[jbcallender]

1 hour ago, clearway said:

the 1.5 mm refers to drilling a hole for the tiller not trimming the end- The rudderpost would indeed have been square at this period. I also drilled more holes in the rudder pintles and gudgeons to add more fasteners using Peco brand blackened model railway track pins which have a smaller head than the occre pins.

 

Keith

Thanks, Keith!  I am very glad I asked before cutting.  I am going  to look for the pins.  The brass fittings that are in the stamped brass plate do not blacken with the brass black that I have, brand name Birchwood.  I'm going to have to paint those, I'm afraid.  And the pins don't blacken that well, either.

[clearway]

A few people have been caught out with that dotted line across the rudder head! I use the birchwood brass blackener as well (did a mean job on the brass anchor chain).

 

Keith

[jbcallender]

Progress has been slow for the last two weeks or so.  I have installed the keel, bowstem and sternpost and planked the sternpost.  I installed planking on the inner bulwarks and cut the scuppers.  I have added weathering and age to the inner bulwarks.  I want to create a very thin admiralty yellow wash and go over the inner bulwarks.  I am now ready to start the second planking, make the holes for the davits and other deck fittings.  Then start fitting the rudder and install gudgeons.  I am also going to build the aft deckhouses and the cover for the tiller and rudder.  Now that I am more familiar with the Terror and it's design features, I find Betts' book much more useful.

[Geowolf]

nice hull planking without gaps, and i like a lot the finish of the deck planks, very nice! your model has a great evolution, well done! 😄👍

Really, we must to make an universal meeting of Terror modellers hehehe! sure we're here almost ten of it, already made or in process...

 

regards,

[jbcallender]

9 hours ago, Geowolf said:

nice hull planking without gaps, and i like a lot the finish of the deck planks, very nice! your model has a great evolution, well done! 😄👍

Really, we must to make an universal meeting of Terror modellers hehehe! sure we're here almost ten of it, already made or in process...

 

regards,

Thanks, Geowulf!  A lot of filler and sanding.  I said before, some of my stealer planks are more like grand theft.  I am findng you have to plan four or five steps ahead and really think things out before taking a defintive step!  I'm kind of putting off finalizing rudder installation due to that.  I  need to just take the plunge.

[Geowolf]

8 hours ago, jbcallender said:

Thanks, Geowulf!  A lot of filler and sanding.  I said before, some of my stealer planks are more like grand theft.  I am findng you have to plan four or five steps ahead and really think things out before taking a defintive step!  I'm kind of putting off finalizing rudder installation due to that.  I  need to just take the plunge.

for sure, it's critical to think about next steps in each moment! otherwise you can find in the future parts not aligned, or holes easy to made in first stages and more difficult later whithout room for the drill,... it's one of my nemesis hahaha, but no worries we're doing our best 🤩.

 

regards,

 

[jbcallender]

OK, a questioon for everyone.  What glue did you use for the second planking?  I saw the post about not liking the contaft cement, so I pu one plank on the bulwarks with CA glue.  I am grossly unsatisfied with the result and basically created a days worth of work removing the plank.  I used a medium CA, but there is so much bleed through and soak, it's not acceptable.  So is it titebond or contact cement?

 

White glue will really add time to the planking, but increases adjustment time.  I am afraid with contact cement, I am going to get it on everything.

Edited May 14, 2023 by jbcallender

[clearway]

i use Evo-stick fast grab wood glue - takes longer but if the 2nd planking is of decent wood with a bit of pre bending and some dressmakers pins a few planks at a time can be used.

 

Keith