HMS Bellerophon 1786 by AON – scale 1:64 – 74-gun 3rd Rate Man of War - Arrogant-Class

[mtdoramike]

Mike,

Short answer... nope!

(I have done a scratch build boat)

I fear I may not live long enough to complete the only ship I want to do, so, I dive into the deep end and if I should go "to the place of truth" before it is done I will have at least been working on it.

I could not have summed it up better, nicely put and I agree. Some scratchers I have known spent decades on a model before finishing it and some never finished. But the ones that did finish had what I would say justifies as a TRUE museum quality ship model worthy of being in any museum.

 

mike

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Alan,

 

it's holiday time and I used it to reread your log. Your journey for reengineering the 74 gun ship is excellent. I like especially your 3D skills,which I don't have in the moment. It makes it much easier to check your reconstruction and avoid mistakes.

 

I hope that you can make sawdust in the near future.

[AON]

What a wonderful weekend I have had.

 

I am a firm believer in paying it forward and always try to do the right thing but due to my human failures I sometimes do not succeed.

The big guy upstairs knows I try and as I understand it Saint Nick is keeping a score card.

 

Possibly it was karma but someone did a wonderfully unselfish thing for me yesterday which due to their nature I have taken a vow of secrecy but it has restored my belief in the possible goodness of mankind.... and in return I vow to "pay it forward".

 

Thank you.

 

Now, back to my build, or lack thereof.  I have completed my templates... twice now.  I blame my CDO (or OCD for those that do not suffer from it) but every time I take another good look at it there is something I should tweak or believe could be done better.

 

I swear I am very near a point where even I have to say enough is enough.  I imagine it will be in the next few weeks.  I have 11 drawings in all and my cost to have reproduced 2 copies of each has been quoted at approx. $80 Cdn  (that's about 1 quadrillion US with the way the Canadian dollar is performing)

 

I have removed my earlier PDF's of templates and will be reposting the full set. 

 

Then I once again restart cutting wood.

Edited January 31, 2016 by AON

[mtaylor]

That's excellent to Alan.  Karma can be a real mean bitch or a great friend.   I'm looking forward to sawdust.    

 

I sometimes think we a bit of CDO to build these things.         

[AON]

14 February 2016 is a date worth marking on my calender.

 

The templates are done, checked, rechecked and checked again.

(I am sure errors will poke their ugly heads up at some unforgiving time)

They will be printed this week and the build begins (again).

 

There are 11 sheets (PDFs to be converted to smaller files and uploaded shortly).

 

The first thing to be made (next weekend) are two wooden combination 1:64 measuring scales or rulers if you prefer (see sheet 6 of 11 bottom left corner).

One is 64 feet (12 inches real life) and the other 32 feet (6 inches real life).

One side will be a standard scale layout where as the other side will be a centre measuring scale.

 

While measuring off the NMM drawings at 1/4 scale my old drafting scales were invaluable so these should become very helpful in the build.

 

So what have I learnt starting from a blank sheet, working though computer crashes and file losses, corrupted files and basically things that would make a real sailor swear up a storm?

I've learnt to realize what 1:64 scale means as opposed to drawing in CAD at full scale (1:1); I've learnt to relax measurements and thoughts; I've learnt patience (a most unnatural state for me); and I've reinforced my "never quit" attitude (Irish stubbornness?).

 

Of course I've also learnt there were many different ways to approach making the templates... but in the end "I did it my way".

 

I've also learnt that all the free eastern hemlock (fir) strapping I've collected from my son's home renovation to use in my build may not be the very best choice of wood for many parts of my build.  It is quite grainy and can be an concern.  This will be dealt with at a cost I hoped to avoid.  A good friend (I hope to have earned the privilege to refer to them as such) has given me a tremendous helping hand to start dealing with this concern.

 

... and so we begin.

Edited February 14, 2016 by AON

[mtaylor]

Congratulations, Alan.  This is a milestone indeed.  

[druxey]

Well done on arriving at the first port of call, Alan. We await with anticipation....

[AON]

PDF Templates

Print to size indicated in title and on image

 

The first file as a 36" x 60" PDF sheet is a 4.5Mb file

I tried compressing it but cannot get it below 3.5Mb which is still tool large for uploading

So I've uploaded a JPG file.

 

If anyone prefers the PDF please PM me with your personal e-mail address and I'll send it to you.

 

You still need to purchase the original HMS Elephant documents from NMM

image J2930 (lines), J2934 (framing) , J2938 (decks) and the Bellerophon build contract ADT009 for details.

 

EDITED: note the correction to be made to the station labels near the deadflat in this image below (Alan 16 AUG 2021)

 

 

(2) 36x48 STEM_STERN POST + KEEL.pdf

(3) 36x60 Stn H-AFT to Stemhead sh 1 of 2.pdf

(4) 36x60 Stn H-AFT to Stemhead sh 2 of 2.pdf

(5) 36x60 Stn 2-AFT to G-FWD sh 1 of 2.pdf

(6) 36x48 Stn 2-AFT to G-FWD sh 2 of 2.pdf

(7) 36x60 Stn 3 to 17 sh 1 of 2.pdf

(8) 36x60 Stn 3 to 17 sh 2 of 2.pdf

(9) 36x60 Stn 18 to STERN sh 1 of 3.pdf

(10) 36x60 Stn 18 to STERN sh 2 of 3.pdf

(11) 24X36 Stn 18 to Stern sh 3 of 3.pdf

Edited August 16, 2021 by AON
added correction to station labels near deadflat

[Mike Y]

That is a very proffessional set of plans! Waiting to see the first build photos. You should feel like a real shipwright!

[albert]

Very wonderful set of  plans, thank you Alan.

[ggrieco]

Wow!  I could explore these drawings for hours.  They are incredible!  Thanks.

 

Glenn

[mtaylor]

A wonderful looking set of plans Alan.  Impressive doesn't begin to describe them.

[AON]

Thank you for the kind words.

 

Just paying it forwards.... hoping someone besides me can make use of them.

[AON]

OMG

 

Plans printed and seeing them for the first time at the build scale... they look great

 

They all are consistently 1/64" short per foot  (0.4mm per 0.3 metres)

 

I think I'll learn to live with it.

Edited February 17, 2016 by AON

[AON]

To mark this special occasion I've updated my profile photo with a younger me.

 

Today I took a trip to Exotic Wood in Burlington (1 hour drive north) and purchased three pieces of Castello Boxwood 2-1/2" x 5-1/2 to 6" x 51" at $11.50 bd foot.  They have two pieces 2-1/2" x 8" x 51" left.  When these are sold the price increases 30% higher.  Luckily I can cut this down, plane and sand it to my required thickness.

 

I also made my scales (rulers).....  used my Eastern Hemlock fir strapping for this.

I can measure to 1" at 1:64 accurately

 

I glued the paper scales to the wood with Rubber Cement and then sealed the whole piece with spray sealer.

 

Funny story... since my first use in grade school I have always used the Rubber Cement incorrectly.  I always bushed it to both pieces and placed them together immediately then waited (im)patiently for it to dry.  I was recently shown it is to be applied to both pieces, let them dry and then place the one piece over the other and press.

 

I think I'll use the Hemlock for the False Keel among other choice locations for colour variation.

 

So the build begins!

Edited February 21, 2016 by AON

[mtaylor]

And you're off and making sawdust..  Happy dance for that.   

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Your model is half the scale than my sloop, but I think it will be nearly the same size. I wish you a good start in your shipyard.

[gjdale]

And so it begins. Looking forward to following this one Alan.

[Don9of11]

These are awesome drawings Alan, very impressive.

[AON]

And we start (again)

 

 

Saturday 27 Feb 2016
Ripped a couple pieces of castello boxwood to about 20" (1:64) on the table saw then milled down to 18"
Sliced of strips from it to about 20" and then milled them to 18" square.

 

This is the stock material for the 4 keel pieces

The foremost section of the keel with the boxing scarph joint for the lower stem post needed to have the strip cut made wider, about 40", as it stands taller forward than aft.

 

Using a longer piece than necessary, using a sharp soft (HB) pencil lead, I marked of the length, depth and angle of the scarph on the top side of the stern most keel section.  The depth of the scarph joint was carefully cut on the scroll saw and using a freshly sharpened chisel I attempted to cut it out in very small slices.  I seem to have a huge problem keeping my chisel perpendicular to the stock to get a clean square cut.

 

To remedy this... until I master my chiselling skills... I cut off the bad scarph joint (scrap) and remarked the stock.  I clamped it on the line on my flat faced woodworking vise.  Using a fine toothed saw I cut the depth perpendicular to the stock.  Using the same saw I cut the length somewhat parallel to the surface of the vise.  Using my chisel I cleaned it up and then sanded.  I repeated this on the mating piece and this resulted in a good joint.  I did not invent this method... I saw it somewhere in a build log on the forum. Thank you!
 

 

Sunday 28 Feb 2016
I used this same method to cut down the 40" height of the foremost keel section aft of the boxing scarph joint to 18".  The scarph joint shape was transfer to the stock using carbon paper.  The carbon paper was place on top of transparent (see through) graph paper.  The carbon side faced up to the graph paper.  My template was placed over top of the graph paper.  I traced the outlined of the scarph joint shape with my pencil which transferred it to the underside of the graph paper.   The transparent paper was placed on the stock and the carbon line (on the underside against the stock) was traced once again with my pencil resulting in the line being transferred to the stock.  This is much more work than cutting and gluing but I am trying to preserve my templates (and eliminate any need to spend more money on another copy)

 

This shape was roughly cut out on the scroll saw and then cleaned up with a drum sander attached to the drill press.  The boxing scarph joint has yet to be cut.

 

 

 

The stern post mortise hole was drilled out and cleaned up as best as I can manage for now.

 

 

Black crepe paper (representing the waterproofing tar soaked felt) was cut oversize and glued to one outer set of joints (toe/heel).  When this dried the two pieces were glued and clamped.  This paper has yet to be trimmed back to the keel surface.

 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2016 by AON

[albert]

Great start.

[mtaylor]

Off and running (or maybe making sawdust) and looking grand, Alan.   I imagine you're pretty chuffed right now to be underway.

[druxey]

Well, the fun really begins.... Good stuff, Alan; you are getting your feet wet. Keep those chisels sharp!

[dvm27]

Great start Alan. Druxey has a great technique for keeping the chisel perpendicular using the reflection in the mirror finish of the chisel. Perhaps he can elaborate.

[druxey]

Yes: the back of the chisel should be honed to a polished finish. The reflection of the wood gives you a guide as to when your chisel is vertical. Don't try to chop off thick slices this way: if you do, the edge will tend to move as you cut through the wood leaving an angled cut. Thin slices, please!

[AON]

For years I laboriously sharpened my chisels by eye.  Then I saw someone use this neat contraption so I acquired it.  Now I find my chisels have a wonderful round to them. I spent another long time removing this round with the new contraption. Now I have to polish the back side to a mirror finish?

 

Yes, I'm shaking my head.... but...If it is going to help me do it right consider it done.

 

It has also been suggested I practice with a square block backing to get a better feel for the perpendicular angle.

I am game to try this also.

 

Thank you.

 

Alan

[allanyed]

Alan,

 

I like how you clamped the keel to a steel rule to make sure the entire length winds up dead straight from the start.  I will remember this technique in the future.

 

Allan

[AON]

Good morning Allan

 

Thank you.

I thought it was the bestest (is that a word) idea ever!

I cleaned it up and the paper looks fantastic... but ...

I should have trimmed the crepe paper back first as the assembly of the two pieces has a small rise to it.

The crepe paper folded over (?) against the ruler when it was clamped

I am presently soaking the joint in rubbing alcohol to take it apart and do it over as this tiny little lift will nag at me forever.

Edited March 1, 2016 by AON

[AON]

I was just forwarded this link to help me with the mirror finish

 

http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Trade_Secrets/Sharpen_your_chisels_so_they_cut_like_razors.html

 

I have a helovalot of sharpening/polishing to do!  

[druxey]

Both back as well as bevel should be mirror-like. Check out the sharpening system ('Stone pond') and jig that Lee Valley has. This makes sharpening much easier than you might think.