Le Renard 1812 by iMustBeCrazy - Artesania Latina - 1:50 - early kit version 20305

[iMustBeCrazy]

Well, I probably shouldn't have but....

 

As I said in the title, this is an earlier version not the current laser cut one. It looks to be a fairly easy build but one perhaps difficult to build well. We'll see how I go.

 

First off I checked the moulds/bulkheads, production errors do happen and it's best to know if there's a problem. I would normally check them against the drawing but there aren't any so I placed each one on a piece of paper, traced around them then flipped them over and checked. Two were a tiny it out but fine to use so long as I knew about it. Fairing will fix them.

 

I fitted the moulds to the false keel making sure they were square to the keel and that the tops were square to each other (there's a bit of slop in the slots).

When I got to the mould on the stern I found the false keel wasn't cut square and of course there wasn't room for my squaring blocks, so I decided to stop before I made a mistake.

I did however dry fit the false deck (and found out I can glue the mould on the stern to it, yay win) and wrap it in many rubber bands so it will take the deck curvature overnight.

 

Oh, that small cast metal boat in pic 2 feels like it weighs more than my 16' Cutter (see sig.).

 

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

Brilliant! It's fascinating to see this earlier version of what I'd come to think of as 'my boat'. I'll follow with great interest.

 

I think I remember having to fit home made struts between that aftermost sloping bulkhead and the one forward of it, so the second edition didn't completely fix that little problem. 

[iMustBeCrazy]

Ok, 'that little problem' has been fixed.

 

As I said, I had the false deck fitted with 'many rubber bands'.

The top of the aft mould (the problem one) needs to be bevelled for the false deck (one of the many things not mentioned in the 'instructions'). Since I drew and made a number of angle 'gauges' for setting my bench sander I used them for checking the angle needed.

 

Not quite 124°, probably 122° but I don't have one of those so it's either make another or fudge it.

 

So I fudged it and tested it on a piece of scrap.

It worked fine.

Problem fixed.

 

Next problem, this kit comes with a bow filler block made of some composite material (something like dough with a lot of sawdust the consistency of a rubber eraser).

 

Again no instructions, and no build logs that I can find that show this step.

Apparently the first layer of planking finishes at this filler block then the joint is filled and sanded into submission. I'm not crazy about that idea so I'll have to think about it.

 

Meanwhile I think I'm stuck with a side project, making a teeny tiny boat to replace the metal one.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

She appears to have a sonar dome on the bow. What an unusual ‘feature’. 
 

Does your deck have camber? Mine has sheer but is dead flat athwartships. 

[iMustBeCrazy]

42 minutes ago, Jack-in-the-Blue said:

Does your deck have camber?

Yes, she does.

 

Hopefully this is the start of a 1:48 9 foot cutter. (or 8'8" in 1:50)

 

So far everything is in 1mm plywood. I'll probably fill it with balsa, fair it, cut grooves for 3 'frames', then plank it.

 

Edited September 14, 2023 by iMustBeCrazy

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

A scratch built dingy! 👏👏👏
 

I was going to offer to send you the one from my Renard which I just can’t be bothered with but clearly you don’t need it. You are welcome if your version doesn’t float. 

Edited September 14, 2023 by Jack-in-the-Blue

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

5 hours ago, iMustBeCrazy said:

 

That’s a good idea, thanks. 👍

[iMustBeCrazy]

32 minutes ago, Jack-in-the-Blue said:

A scratch built dingy!

If it works.

It's certainly not a first for this forum. For example allanyed built a 1:64 Bounty launch. Mine can carry my Renard and this cutter would make it look like an aircraft carrier.

Edited September 14, 2023 by iMustBeCrazy

[iMustBeCrazy]

4 minutes ago, Jack-in-the-Blue said:

That’s a good idea, thanks.

If you download my cutter plans (see the build log) they're on page 1.

[iMustBeCrazy]

On 9/14/2023 at 3:19 PM, Jack-in-the-Blue said:

She appears to have a sonar dome on the bow.

The 'sonar dome' is going away!

 

There is a drawing that shows it in profile. I took a tracing, did some measurements, drew it in CAD, cut it out from an off cut of the original ply and glued it on. Looks almost original. I still need to add balsa fillers but I'm on the way.

 

Deck planking is a little over half done.

 

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

I like the dark wood down the deck centreline. Very artistic. 👍

 

I’m not going to bother with the dingy on mine, or its davits. I’m keen to move along to the rigging. 

[iMustBeCrazy]

2 hours ago, Jack-in-the-Blue said:

I like the dark wood down the deck centreline. Very artistic.

You get to claim credit for some of the inspiration.

 

2 hours ago, Jack-in-the-Blue said:

I’m keen to move along to the rigging.

I'm not.

[clearway]

coming along nicely craig- you could add a couple of forward facing bulkheads and just plank to the bows like on my Terror- i have to agree on the instructions with these early kits , i bought Panart's Lynx in the 90s and they had modified and laser cut the parts but had included the earlier instructions!

 

Keith

[iMustBeCrazy]

17 minutes ago, clearway said:

you could add a couple of forward facing bulkheads and just plank to the bows like on my Terror

Thanks Keith. I have balsa blocks in now, roughly shaped but I need to think in 'double planked' which is new to me. The general idea with it seems to be 'make it boat shaped' instead of the shape of a specific 'boat' (understandable as a model of a replica of a generic French cutter I suppose).

A 12 year old would just slap it together and be happy, maybe I'm just too pedantic.

Anyway, I think I'm going to have to fit a strake then fair for the next one, then rinse and repeat until the shape finds itself. I may have to fit the keel and step about 5 steps early. We'll see.

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

13 minutes ago, iMustBeCrazy said:

a model of a replica of a generic French cutter ... maybe I'm just too pedantic.

 

I understand! I am trying to strip out the 20th century safety features such as those engine room ventilators and the life-jacket lockers. My version of the model also has the channels fitted in a very strange position at the top of the bulwarks just below the rail. It makes no structural sense and is completely ahistorical as far as I can tell. I believe the explanation is that the replica is meant for motoring, not sailing in any kind of wind. The mast is short by about 30% and if the channels were fitted at deck level as usual, the shrouds would foul the capping rails. Since AL have given me what I am assuming is the correct, tall mast, I'll fit my channels where they should be. In fact that is the next job on my list.

 

I had similar problems with OcCre's Beagle which is based on a non-functional so-called replica of the Beagle built as a tourist attraction. I thought it was about as close to the real thing as a carousel horse is to a thoroughbred. Meh! 

 

[iMustBeCrazy]

1 hour ago, Jack-in-the-Blue said:

My version of the model also has the channels fitted in a very strange position at the top of the bulwarks just below the rail.

So does this one, well that's going to change.

[iMustBeCrazy]

Ok, deck planked. That took longer than I expected. It showed up some asymmetry forward:

And some shots of the new bow fillers:

 

 

 

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

5 hours ago, iMustBeCrazy said:

So does this one, well that's going to change.

WARNING: I may have been mistaken 😳
 

I have found some evidence of high mounted channels in a book called The Built Up Ship Model by Charles G Davis. 
 

 

This book deals with his building of a scratched USS Lexington. I think David might be American, I only received the book today so I haven’t read much yet. Now the high mounted channels might be American and French practice, resulting in my not finding examples in British based references, or this might be a peculiar exception. I don’t know. 
 

So I must leave you to decide whether or not to follow the kit instructions. As always, it’s more complicated than it first appeared. 
 

I will still lower my channel but I no longer do so because they are definitely historically ‘wrong’ but because I think they will look better on my wales. 

[iMustBeCrazy]

More worms.

 

These are two captured French cutters (late 1700s)

Two other drawings I have show just above and just below the deck.

 

So far only American drawings show near the top of the bulwarks. But..........

 

 

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

But a painting of USS, Lexington shows the channels in the usual place level with the deck. Everything is more complicated than we think.!

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by Jack-in-the-Blue

[iMustBeCrazy]

3 hours ago, iMustBeCrazy said:

Two other drawings I have show just above and just below the deck.

Looking it seems 'just below the gun ports' might be the standard.

 

2 hours ago, Jack-in-the-Blue said:

But a painting of USS, Lexington shows the channels in the usual place level with the deck. Everything is more complicated than we think.!

Ultimately a painting is just a data point, now if you could come up with a photograph... 😁

[iMustBeCrazy]

Ok, I made a boo-boo.

 

When making my balsa bow filler I assumed that the planking finished inside the stem (which it does) but I forgot, didn't understand that the stem is intended to be fitted after the planking is finished. As a result I made the filler to accommodate the planking allowing it to fit inside where I thought the stem should be but the stem is actually going to be about 2.5 mm further forward. (don't worry, the picture will help).

This is with the stem in the position I thought it should be:

What I now have to do is fill this gap, later the stem will be fitted the same distance further forwards.

 

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

Can you use that gap as a rabbet to tuck the ends of your planks into? It looks perfect for the job just like the Vanguard Models Alert pictured above. 

Edited September 17, 2023 by Jack-in-the-Blue

[iMustBeCrazy]

13 minutes ago, Jack-in-the-Blue said:

Can you use that gap as a rabbet to tuck the ends of your planks into? It looks perfect for the job just like the most modern kits. (I’ll add a photo when I get out of bed)

That was and still is the plan, the stem will just be further forward than I had pictured in my mind but where it is supposed to go.

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

Ah, YOU cut the slot in the stem! I’m still not getting it but don’t worry, I’ll understand it when I see it done. 🤔

[iMustBeCrazy]

The reasons are complicated but it boils down to 'I have to move the stem forward by this much':

For those complicated reasons mentioned above, I thought (incorrectly) that it should touch the deck as in the pic in post #22.

(Note: balsa has already been added to fill out to the end of the deck compared to the pic in post #22.)

 

[iMustBeCrazy]

A little progress, seven strakes of the first planking. I added temporary spacers for setting the gap between the deck and the sheer using rubber cement, this sets the position of the bulwarks.

Holding the bulwarks in position proved difficult and there was nowhere to clamp them so I added tabs inside the sheer strakes.

That worked well but means I will be fitting the bulwarks before I finish the first layer of planking.

 

I also looked at doing a 'proper' carriage for the guns. It's still a little too tall.

 

 

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

Your deck in close up looks brilliant. 

[iMustBeCrazy]

14 minutes ago, Jack-in-the-Blue said:

Your deck in close up looks brilliant. 

Thanks. Lets call it about 18 hours work. But to be fair half of that was letting glue dry.

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

49 minutes ago, iMustBeCrazy said:

about 18 hours work

One build, I’ll log the building time - start to finish. It’s the one thing that every viewer of a model asks.