Licorne by mtaylor - 3/16" scale - POF - TERMINATED LOG

[mtaylor]

This ship caught my attention the first time I saw the plans because it had a white flag. Laughed a bit until I researched it. But then the lines caught my eye. She's a 32 gun, frigate of the 8 pound gun class.

A bit of history... built 1755 in Brest. Not too much in the way of history available except for some highlights:

1756 - Carried troops to Quebec.

1757 - with Marsaint's divsion on the 21 Oct. A "most bloody conflict" with the British off Santo Domingo. No ships lost on either side, but a high casualty count.

1762 - expeditions against British shipping and the Sale pirates.

1778 - she was part of a small fleet in company with Le Belle Poule, Hirondelle and Le Coureur. They ran into Keppel's squadron. Licorne as surrounded and captured. La Belle Poule had a famous two-hour duel with the British and escaped to a nearby bay.For the next five years it was known as HMS Licorne  in the British Navy.

1783 - Sold out of the service.

From the plans, it appears to be a good beginner scratchbuild. Clean lines, minimal carving. Some things from the Hahn plans needs changing such as the mast caps and the cannon rigging. I'm still researching via Boudriot and Frolich.

I'm planning on completely planking her, but that may change.

Anyway, I ordered a bunch of Hahn's plans a few years ago out of curiousity... guess I was walking down the primrose path to the minefield and here's where I've landed.

Not knowing what to order in the way of wood.. I guessed and ordered the wood for the Confederacy from The Lumberyard since both are 3/16" scale. Blew it a bit.. keel on the Confed is 1/4", on the Licorne... 3/16", same for the frames.. Luckily, I have a thickness sander... unluckily.. that's a rather large pile of wood. But, I'm happy. I'll make the frames a tad thicker and order some 3/16" sheet for the keel, etc. Next time.. I'll study the plans closer.

So... here's where my build begins. Started by scanning and copying all the plans as blueline prints fade with time. Laid out but not cut the building board. I've enclose pic of what I've built to date: Pics of the Famous Ed Measuring Tool and my frame jig. Pic of some of the framing wood with my thickness sander (daunting in person). And lastly.. a work in progress... my shipwright. Currently looks like Krylon the Cylon, but he'll get better. Once he's finished, I'll properly name him and start building frames.
 

Due to the website crash, all the descriptive stuff is gone.  I'll post all the pics to-date and then start text, etc. on my next post.

 

 

[mtaylor]

Here's the pics to date:

 

[mtaylor]

Sorry about the length...    Anyway, at this point, I'm planking the gundeck. 

 

Mark

[42rocker]

That is a nice set of plans that Harold Hahn drew. After having lost a (paint can got knocked over) set of kayak plans I've always made 1 personal back up set of plans so I have a working copy and a back up set. Normally as I'm having the backup plans made I'll have the plans scanned. This way I don't have to unroll a set of plans and fight them to check a little thing. Just a few ket strokes and it's there.

 

What wood are you using for your frames?

 

Good Luck with your build. As they say enjoy the ride.

 

Later 42rocker

[mtaylor]

42rocker,

 

I had two sets (one of the old bluelines and one of the new blacklines) from Hahn... I found they weren't the same... <sigh>  The old set had distorted.  So now it's just the newer set that I also scanned in to reprint as needed.  Saved me a ton of grief when I had to redo frames.

 

Wood... frames, keel, deckbeams are cherry. False keel is some cherry stained with Ebony. Interior planking and gratings are silver maple.  And the furniture, coamings are of pear.  The deck clamps are beech.  I'll also be using plum and swiss pear and for the wales, some walnut probably stained... maybe holly for the figurehead. The jury is out on the staining and the holly.

 

All the wood, except for the holly is part The Lumberyards Confederacy timbering kit without the plans or laser cut pieces.  Didn't want those.

[mtaylor]

Augie:   "Stalwart of professional building"????    Huh... who...?  me...?  

 

Andy:  Just look for Sjors.  He always has the popcorn cart. And usually a front row seat.

 

 

Just to make the point that I'm not a total slacker (Hi Ben, I took your post to heart)..... here's an update.

 

First picture is where I am at present.  The lads in the sawpits have been busy cutting the deck planking.  I've been busy fitting and caulking.      About 6 more strakes and then the sander comes out.

 

 

Special Tools department:  Here's the clamps I made for working with the decking and hull planking.

 

 

 

 

[augie]

Good to see the deck going in, Mark.  The tools make the job

[newbuilder101]

Decking is looking great Mark! What a unique use for clothes pins...great clamps!

[gjdale]

Nice to see the deck planking going in Mark. I can't remember, how do you plan to display her - partially "exposed" or fully planked?

Edited March 10, 2013 by gjdale

[mtaylor]

Thanks Augie and Sherry.  I"m cheap.. er.. frugal.  Yeah.. frugal.        Anyway, they work better than any that I've seen for sale.

 

Grant, she gets full planking.  Admiralty directive.

[gjdale]

Ah, one can't argue with Admiralty directives now can one!

[dafi]

Nice to see things moving here :-)

 

All the best, Daniel

[popeye the sailor]

glad to see your planking the deck.........looks so much better!   I too love the clamps.......they seem to work well.  superb decking!

[mtaylor]

Thanks Popeye and Daniel.

Things will pick a bit for this week... go dead for a week and then should really pick up the following week... I want to get planking done and build some more deck furniture.  Have the capstan, pumps, and a bunch of cannon to do. 

[Wintergreen]

hm...perceived size vs real size...it is not until you toss in a cloth peg (or two) that the viewer realizes how small this build is. Its like John's Stag, no objects of reference any where near until sudden ....great work Mark!

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Nice clamps , Mark. I will add these to my tools list

[BANYAN]

Coming along very nicely Mark. 

 

Do you have any issues with glue seeping from the deck to beam joint and 'wooden' clamps?  Hate to see'em stuck there for good mate

 

cheers

 

Pat

[popeye the sailor]

that's the bonus with getting the deck planked........so much more to play with!   I thought too with what Pat mentioned,  but I suppose with control on the glue amount,  that little problem can pretty much be avoided.   it does look great there,  mark......I have to go look at it again! 

[Sjors]

Nice job with the deck Mark.

And also very handy clamps!

How do you come at that idea…..

 

Sjors

[mtaylor]

Thanks for looking in and nice comments guys. 

 

I only glue the plank to the beam.  I don't edge glue and I use very small drops.  Helps to keep things from bleeding.  I did have one stick.. but the alky took care of that problem.

 

Sjors,

I don't remember where I got that idea.  I've done the "flip the spring in the clothes pin/peg" ever since I did Wasa when I needed to clamp something and I had no clamps.  I think the cutting to hold the planks just came as another solution to a problem.

 

Håkan,

I guess I forget how small of this stuff really is, also.  1:64 isn't that small when I look at the plans.  It's only when I get my fat fingers in there I wish I had went with a bigger scale.

[Jim Lad]

How did I miss your update with your decking, Mark?  That's looking really good.  Do you wax the ends of your clamps to stop them sticking, or rely on Lady Luck?

 

John

[mtaylor]

Thanks John.  Lady luck exclusively.  I tried wax but the clamps got slippery. 

[augie]

Try a monomolecular layer (that's very little) of petroleum jelly (aka Vaseline).

[mtaylor]

Try a monomolecular layer (that's very little) of petroleum jelly (aka Vaseline).

For....?????   Not sure what the answer is.. but I'll hold my breath anyway.    If it's for the clamps, won't that impregnate the wood?

[augie]

Not if you use very little.  Besides, you said you did not edge glue the planks

 

After a while it will impregnate the wood.....on the clamps!

[mtaylor]

I'll try that.  I've also rubber cemented a bit of sandpaper to the jaws of two of my clamps where I need the clamp not to slip.   

[popeye the sailor]

in case the slippage problem occurs......you could always add your sandpaper idea into the mix......you'd have a clamp that won't stick .....and won't budge either 

[mtaylor]

in case the slippage problem occurs......you could always add your sandpaper idea into the mix......you'd have a clamp that won't stick .....and won't budge either 

 

Not a bad idea.  Now if I can just modify the plans to reflect the stuck clamp and pass it off as a piece of 18th Century deck furniture.  Or at the appropriate moment it will fly free and become... wait.. Schrödinger's cat comes to mind.. this is quantum physic's solution you're handing me.   

[JPett]

Ahoy Mark 

 

I paint my custom wooden shipyard tools with thin CA. Adds some strength and most importantly the PVA glues do not stick to them. For your little "clippies" I would sprinkle some salt on the paws after applying the CA. Once the CA dries, wash away the salt and they will have some teeth.

[russ]

Mark:

The deck planking is looking good so far. I also have a nice supply of clothes pins, many of them modified to suit any number of purposes. They are invaluable in the shop.

 

Russ