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

[AON]

Our next meeting is presently scheduled to be on Feb 10th.  I will miss this meeting due to a scheduled injection in my eye.  The meeting falls in my recovery time.  They are discussing rescheduling this meeting (no, not for me) and if so I can ask then, but I feel they (David and Greg?) simply haven't decided as yet. 

 

I am sure I will have an opportunity to ask David, but I imagine it takes a bit of effort before they can make a commitment.

 

[dvm27]

We (Admiralty Models) will conduct a workshop on carving sometime this year (mid-year we think). We are open to conducting it on either side of the border but past logistics seem to indicate that the easiest venue is in Baltimore. Our expenses are the least there, hence we can keep the workshop fee at a reasonable level. Further details will be posted on MSW and our website www.admiraltymodels.com, soon.

[AON]

and there you are!

Thank you Greg.

[druxey]

There will be a carving weekend, time and place to be determined! As soon as definite information is available, it will be posted.

[AON]

At 6:10 AM today I reached a milestone.

 

I spot glued my last aft cant frame.

 

Her sister (the mirror image frame on the starboard side) gave me all kinds of trouble because of the steep radius on the outside of the lower futtock that mates to the aft deadwood.  I had been clamping the frames to the deadwood with a spring clamp (similar to a clothes pin) at this point, but the slope of this one caused the force of the clamp to push the futtock upwards, climbing out of position.  I tried a bulldog clip above to stop the migration but it just climbed over that.  I then tried other clamps but nothing worked.  Finally I used the nose of a mini clamp to simply push the frame against the one behind and this worked.

 

There will be two more frames ahead.  They are made up and need some sanding, drilling and installation of the faux bolts through the chocks first.

 

The second last frame is another half frame whereas the last frame to install will be the first full square frame, first to wrap over the keel and not be setting onto the stepping line.  It's lower futtock joint was a real treat as a new challenge... I had to do the one half twice to get it correct.

 

Once I have this in place I will install temporary spacer blocks near the top of the frames to stiffen it up for sanding.

Edited February 2, 2019 by AON

[SJSoane]

Well done, looking good!

 

Mark

[AON]

Just removed the support.  Glue held!  One other view.

 

[druxey]

Looking very nice, Alan. Perhaps pin/treenail the feet of the cant frames to the deadwood for extra security?

[AON]

Fantastic idea.

 

I have been worried about them popping off prematurely while fairing.

 

I know exactly who to talk to about this.

[albert]

Hi Alan your work is very very nice.

[AON]

First full square frame installed.  #22Fwd.

First time I used the square frame support.  Clamped the frame to it with an elastic band.

 

Now I start installing the spacer blocks near the top side to lock them all together.

Edited February 4, 2019 by AON

[druxey]

You might also want to add a cross-spall on the square frame so that the top doesn't widen. Also (it might be the angle of the photo) is the square frame seated deeply enough? It looks a bit high relative to the cant aft of it.

[AON]

I have gone down to the dungeon half a dozen times today trying to figure out why the width aligns perfectly with the plan below but the contour of the aft frames don't "flow" naturally into this square frame.

 

Now that you've asked the question the answer to my concern is obvious!

 

I need to check if it should have been tapered.

 

Also, I was reading in TFFM yesterday about the addition of a cross support and was once agained amazed at the authors foresight... or possibly it was a lesson he learned the hard way.

 

I will be removing the frame in a couple minutes.

 

Thank you.

[druxey]

He, and many others, have learned the hard way. Those old-time shipwrights knew a thing or two!

[Don9of11]

Amazing work Alan! Nice job.

[paulsutcliffe]

On 2/2/2019 at 4:41 PM, AON said:

Just removed the support.  Glue held!  One other view.

 

Hi Alan

You might want to want to check between frame 7 and 8 as well where it shows a gap in this picture, I had the same problem in that area and when fairing the frames became to thin and I had to replace them, hope this helps going forward

Regards

Paul 

[AON]

Thank you Paul.

 

I had seen that in the photo before posting it and went to have a look.  It seems more likely a high angle thing... but having said that I hope I don't find you were correct after all.

 

 I guess I'll know for sure soon enough.

 

[AON]

Done recovering from yet another eye injection, so having rested I've taken another critical look at the frames.

 

Adjusted (lowered) the set mentioned by Paul and it made a big difference.  I realized I had been focusing on the breadth placement as the top of the frames were cut a little bit longer than necessary.  After measuring from the keel up to the chock split line (top of the lower futtock) it proved the frame should be dropped!

 

So I learnt something else!

 

Then I took this new knowledge and decided to lower two other frames a wee bit.... popped off more frames than I intended!

Hope to have this back together properly with spacers by Friday for our next local club meeting.

 

 

[druxey]

Judging by the photos, this looks better already!

[SJSoane]

Looking great!

Mark

[paulsutcliffe]

Nicely done Alan, looks much better

Regards

Paul 

[mtaylor]

Excellent recovery, Alan.

[AON]

Picked up a (ever so slightly) used draw plate from a wonderful member of our local club this morning. 

I am surprised by the heftiness/weight of this tiny plate and now appreciate the cost of a new plate!

 

Just glued the last adjusted frame onto the starboard side and will start the port side later tonight.

[BANYAN]

Nice 'get' - that looks like a Jim Byrnes draw plate (Model Machines)?

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited February 13, 2019 by BANYAN

[AON]

YES

Aren't I the lucky one!  

 

Just took four frames off the port side and One is back on.  Should have the others all back on tomorrow ... just in time for our meeting on Friday afternoon.

[dvm27]

The draw plate is a must have Alan. By the way, you can sharpen these using wet stones.

 

 

[mtaylor]

Greg, 

Thanks for the tip.  I didn't know a draw plate could be sharpened.  How does one do that?  I would think that wet stoning the back would open the holes.

[AON]

Interesting.

Like anything else I imagine there'd be a point it would need to be replaced.

 

Hope my wife doesn't read this! 

[AON]

Found an excellent article on the internet describing how to use the draw plate to make treenails.

As it is published on the WWW readily for anyone to find via Google I hope I am not breaking any rules by posting the link.

 

https://issuu.com/msbjournal/docs/msbjournal-july-2010

 

 

Edited February 15, 2019 by AON

[AON]

First I need to thank all the people that suggested my frame(s) might need adjustment.  It made me take a more critical look over the last little while and I found quite a few needed to go up or down a smidgen.  Took quite a number of walk-aways before I committed to each one.

 

So now it is done and the filler chocks are being made and installed near the timber heads.

I needed a height gauge and stole the idea of Frankensteining one from someone else's build log (see photo below) and it works wonderfully on the outside.  I find I am going to need to make something for the inside of the frames one day (soon I hope) and have been looking at the one in TFFM Volume one, and at my wood pile.

 

I have also cut my forward cant frames # W2 and the Hawsepieces and Bollard Timbers that butt to it.  They all need a little work before they get fitted.

So while glued chocks are drying in place back aft I should be busy up forward.