MORDAUNT 1681 by NMBROOK - Euromodel - 1:60 - Beyond Bashed

[NMBROOK]

Thank you very much Nils There is quite a lot of preliminary 'boring' stuff to do before I get to the exciting bits but it will all make the job easier in the long run

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[Jase]

Just read through this and looks like you have set out to raise the bar as you always do.  i know I will enjoy following your progress

 

Jase

[NMBROOK]

Thank you very much indeed Jase I decided to try an incorparate one or two rare features not very often modeled in an attempt to make the model a little different.The ornamentation is still in abeyance,ideally I would like to make changes to the stern and produce the carvings in boxwood,but this is subject to hopefully getting permission from the NMM to extensively photograph the original builders model.Unfortunately whilst the euromodels plans are exemplary,some simplification of the stern design has been carried out.I cannot find pictures of sufficient quality to replicate the ornaments.I have a number of photographs of this model in my reference material,but none good enough to carve from.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

Edited April 1, 2014 by NMBROOK

[md1400cs]

Thank you Jason all will be revealed in due course

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

I'm certainly thinking of that guy, centuries ago, who turned a block of marble turned into a Pietà. Now we have the artist who will turn blocks of wood into a masterpiece. I will follow with bated breath.

 

Nigel your work and visions are such a pleasure to follow. Hope that this post finds you well,and comfortable (:-)

 

Michael

Edited April 1, 2014 by md1400cs

[NMBROOK]

Thank you so much for your very kind words Michael    I tend to have a vision of how I want a model to look.From this vision I plan my 'schedule of works'.Unfortunately because it is a vision,I can't really share it with everyone until it is built  

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[flying_dutchman2]

Beautiful boat. It is interesting to note that you like the paintings from van de Velde the elder because you have 2 ships based on his drawings/paintings. It also amazes me that you built more than 2 ships at a time. I can't do that. I can built one and do research on the next one, and that is it.

Question; on post #48 you add filler wood between the frames, like making it a solid hull. Do you do this to all the ships you built? Something I need to do because the planking would lay nicely on the hull.


Would have been nice if you lived in van de Velde's era. He would paint and you would built the ships he painted.

Marc

[NMBROOK]

Thank you Marc

Yes I am indeed a massive fan of Van de Velde's work and also the era of ships he portrays.I also have Lennox waiting in the wings for a later 'slot'.This will be scratchbuild using Richard Ensor's Restoration warship 'monograph'.Richard is a very talented artist and the book features many of his fantastic paintings of this era.

Regarding infilling the hull,this is common practice for me.I can build it without,but I feel you end up with a superior model with greater resistance to environmental changes if done correctly.After following the works of the Russian masters and many of them using building techniques that do not rely on just planking for the hull form,I think there is a lot of mileage using this technique.I had one build that endured a six year period of extensive rework on my house.This model was built in a conventional manner and due to the changes of environment it went through,it gave me a lesson in what can happen due to changes in humidity and temperature.As well as some very minor separation of plank joints,'ghosting' was present in places where some of the bulkheads were.This is due to timber movement and produces very small 'facets' infilling the hull prevents this.The infilling also prevents the wood from drying out completely from the inside,which does happen over years and the timber is weakened as a result.

The exception is my Caroline build.Because of the skeleton design,infilling would be very awkward.The hull is instead triple planked.My kit came with a choice of balsa or lime for the first planking.By planking first in balsa and saturating with thinned epoxy resin prior to fitting the second planking,this not only gave me rock solid base,but also a sealed skin to the inside of the planking to prevent drying out of the outer two layers.

I know my explanation was a bit 'long winded' but I think your question warranted a detailed explanation of my reasoning

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[flying_dutchman2]

I know my explanation was a bit 'long winded' but I think your question warranted a detailed explanation of my reasoning  

Kind Regards 

Nigel

I like your "long winded" explanations because you give me the details and the why's (I learn a lot from that). If I do more POB's in the future, I will start using this method, as there is a lot of logic in this. It is an extra step but worth it.

 

Next question and to quote you "greater resistance to environmental changes", you use Limewood, why? I know it is cheap. Is there any other wood you use?

 

The Jacht Mary is a tiny bit warped. You see that when you look from the bow to stern at eye level. My Bounty did that as well.

The Utrecht is a POF. In theory this boat should not warp.

 

In Ships in Scale (March/Apr. 2014 & several issues before that), Shipwright Apprentice, Robert E. Hunt has been showing and describing detailed steps of "ship model planking". I have practically memorized these articles.

 

Marc

[NMBROOK]

Hi Marc

I use lime because not only is it easy to cut and shape,it has a fairly low density,so not making the model ridiculously heavy.You can use pine etc,but be wary of any excess moisture content before use.I would allow this timber to acclimatize to your workshop otherwise you will find it shrinks like mad.I never use balsa because it provides no structural strength.It helps with planking runs yes,but doesn't increase the hulls resistance to impact.I know this really is a belt and braces approach,but a hull will become badly damaged if dropped with balsa infills,whereas lime infills would result in superficial surface damage.Also the planking still has a little give when sanding with balsa whereas lime provides a solid base and therefore the planking is easier to sand.One last point,it is nearly impossible to sand balsa infills to shape as it is so much softer than the bulkheads,with lime the sanding rate is the same.Fairing balsa infills and covering with filler before planking defeats the object in my opinion.You cannot get a good bond to filler and the filler will always remain a weak point in the construction.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[NMBROOK]

Ok something in a way of an update.The infill has been faired although the final touches will be applied after fitting the false deck and bow/stern blocks.The deck stringers have been fitted.The two scrap pieces screwed down provide temporary clamping due to the sheer on these stringers.Next job is finishing the deck edge supports from amidships to bow and the bow/stern filler pieces.Not much more to add that the pics don't explain.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[Sjors]

Hi Nigel,

 

I hink that it looks great     

Al litlle filler block here and there and it will be all right.....

When I take a look at the last 3 pictures it looks like a model on scale from 1:1 .....

 

Edited April 6, 2014 by Sjors

[NMBROOK]

Thank you Sjors

 

Looking forward to the end of the 'donkey' work and being able to do some 'proper 'building    

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[NAZGÛL]

Great work mate, the shape looks really nice!

 

 

/Matti

[NMBROOK]

Thanks mate   Yes she possesses a rather streamline profile,unusual for the seventeenth century

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[gjdale]

Looks great Nigel, and I'm enjoying reading your explanations of your methods and rationale for using them.

[NMBROOK]

Thank you very much Grant

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[egkb]

Have to agree with Grant above Nigel, always love reading your explanations.

 

Keep them coming Bud..

 

All The Very Best

 

Eamonn

[NMBROOK]

Thanks mate I did actually feel like I was rambling a bit  

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[egkb]

Never Rambling Mate, !

 

E

[mtaylor]

NIgel,

I quite agree with Eamonn.  Your never rambling...

[mij]

Hi Nigel

 

This should be an interesting build.

Looking forward for the rest of your build.

 

 mij

[NMBROOK]

NIgel,

I quite agree with Eamonn.  Your never rambling...

Thank you Mark for the extra reassurance It must just be my wife that regards it as rambling      

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[NMBROOK]

Hi Nigel

 

This should be an interesting build.

Looking forward for the rest of your build.

 

 mij

Thanks mij,I am looking forward to getting stuck in on all cylinders,but she is just providing a short intermission from small fiddly bits on Caroline at the moment.

 

Kind Regards 

 

Nigel

[NMBROOK]

I have to salute you Nigel for having the energy to run several build logs at the same time. 

Thanks mate,I do find it beneficial in that it keeps the energy going.Like I have said I needed a short break from Caroline,not just from the fiddly bits but to give myself a little thinking time.Still haven't decided exactly how I am going to do the gun carriages and a couple of other areas,so this pause gives me the opportunity.

 

Kind Regards 

 

Nigel

[NMBROOK]

Thank you Brian

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[NMBROOK]

Ok update time After sorting the remaining deck supports I preceeded to mark the subdeck out on a piece of 1/16th ply.After cutting out,I began to establish the deck beam positions in order to mark where plank butts treenails etc would be.Refering to 'Restoration Warship',Richard Ensor states that common practice was to have one deck beam central to each gunport and one inbetween.I drew out the gunport positions of the gundeck and marked the beams then marked the other beams halfway inbetween.This design is completely different to that portrayed on the plans,sorry Euromodels but the internal structure just doesn't ring true.Yes I am still working to the plans for the internal layout,just not the beam placement.Another issue came to light in the fact that the long grating and main mast resulted in 5 consecutive beams being split.There is no way this would happen,so I have shortened the gratings to allow two beams to run right through,hence the deck infill at each end.After one or two trial runs and a little trimming,making sure nothing was tight on the pear frames,the deck was glued in place.I did remove the temporary ties across the frame tops to allow this and the deck had to be bent ALOT to get it to 'spring' in.There is still lots of shaping to do to the lower hull especially the stern which is simply a block at the moment.Thorough checks on symmetry will be carried out as the work progresses. 

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[egkb]

That's positively beautiful Bud, so solid looking, I like your reasoning on the 5 beams too, reminds me of  Ship Construction lectures.. way back when..!

 

Cheers, and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

 

Eamonn

 

btw that Tamiya Tape is the absolute business!

[NMBROOK]

Thank you very much indeed buddy Yes she is quite substantial now   ,so much so,i was able to use a normal joiners hammer to pin the deck in place!!!!The five cut beams was a definite no no,I could have followed the drawings but then the beams would not be under the cannons   .Not only that,but further down the line,adding hanging knees would cause fouling issues with gun tackle.Have now developed another 'cunning plan'   to ensure consistent transition of hull wall thickness(the frames are overwide to compensate for fairing both sides)All will be revealed in due course Glad you like the tape,it really is the biz.There is another make I use,but can't remember the manufacturer   .I use this for really awkward masking as they make it down to 1/16th inch wide.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[NMBROOK]

Things are getting interesting now    I have tack glued some temporary stringers to keep all the frames plumb and true and placed a couple of key braces to keep things following the centreline.I had come up with a fancy jig design but sacked that as to be honest it was unnecessary and would only restrict access.The hull was then infilled from the gun deck upwards partway using Obechi simply because it is easy to sand and shape and the local modelshop happened to have some 1/4 inch sheets..These followed the shear,but the tops were then trimmed down so that they a parallel to the waterline below the top of the first upperwale.I won't call this a chainwale as the channels sit above this according to photos of the builders model.Some extensive draughting was required to sort theTransom side timbers as there is no frame here in Euromodels design,simply fresh air.The transom is still a flat block as this permits easy measuring and marking out.There is a 10mm arc in the transom face which will be added later,but is why there doesn't appear to any overhang of the stern counter at the moment.I want to fill the gaps between the frames to coincide with the top edge of the upper wale.The futtocks would have in reality finished lower down,but I am doing this for asthetics and then there won't be unsightly holes.The visible section of the upperframes and gunport linings will be in Pear to provide an interesting contrast to the boxwood.The 'combs' that provide an anchor for the upperframe sections and fill the gaps I chose to make from European boxwood to further highlight this detail.Rectangles that are horizontal and follow the centreline were cut form box making sure there was enough material to allow contouring to the hull lines later.These were then milled on the MF70 with 5mm wide slots to accomodate the upper frames.The slots are deep enough to ensure the base of the frames lie below the top of the wale and the top of the blocks are high enough to go above it.The idea being that once they are all in place,temporary wales will be attached and the shear marked and trimmed on the top of the combs.The rectangular blocks had the bulk stock removed after milling prior to gluing in place.Final shaping will be done when they are all inplace.I am concentrating on the aft section of one side as there is a temporary upright holding things true at the stern.When this section is complete,I can fit another upright the otherside of the centreline then remove the existing one.This will give me the access to work on the inside of the hull at the inside.I am trying to avoid fitting the transom framing until later as it will make sanding the inside much more awkward.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[egkb]

That shape is really visible now Bud.. she looks almost as though you are building a wall, with the various blocks on top of one and other

 

Have a great Week End ok

 

Eamonn