ancre Le Gros Ventre 1767 by woodrat - Scale 1:48 - POF - French exploration vessel

[woodrat]

I have installed the main deck beams and hanging knees as well as installing the bitts and all mast partners. The plan is to leave the deck largely onplanked so as to be able to see the lower cabins and the false deck.

 

Dick

[woodrat]

This vessel did not have lodging knees but lodging planking, this would save money. Knees are made from grown compass timber ( this grain follows the shape of the knee) and for a humble merchant vessel would be expensive overkill. Hanging knees however were used and presumably grown.

Dick

[woodrat]

I have installed the waterways both sides.

Cheers

Dick

[woodrat]

The thick planking has been applied as far as the midline,

Dick

[Mark Pearse]

Hi Dick,

 

The amount of timber in the ships of this type & era is an extraordinary thing to contemplate. With the deck timbers on this vessel, what actual size were they? (also, were they usually Oak?)

[woodrat]

Thanks, Mark.I believe the planking in a gun deck of a warship would be oak. As this was a merchantman, I would think elm or fir. The thickness of the central plankage was of the order of 90 - 100 mm and the outer planking 70 - 75 mm. Other members may be able to give much more detail on plankage. It is  said that the old forests of europe never recovered from the stripping that occurred to make the war armadas of the 16th to 18th centuries.

Cheers

Dick

[woodrat]

The main deck completed to the midline and the bowsprit step is temporarily installed

Dick

[woodrat]

On the undecked starboard side the carlings are installed

The carlings support the ledges which in turn support the deck planking

This completes main deck framing. Now for deck furniture.

Dick

[woodrat]

I have added hatch covers and deck beams for half deck and forecastle

a start is made on the panelling and cabins of the officers. Port side only.

Dick

[woodrat]

This shows the construction and temporary positioning of the portside accommodation in the great cabin

note the panelling surrounding the sternpost and in due course the rudder head on its way to the poop deck

 

Cheers

 

Dick

[woodrat]

Progress on the transom

[woodrat]

The hull in its present state. Trenailing is the next step which is always daunting till you get started, I suppose.

playing around with lighting to show the red of the jarrah

Dick

[woodrat]

Now for a less savoury part of the ship. "Those vulgar tubes", the seats of ease, at least for the ships officers in the quarter galleries. All the rest of the hoi polloi had to use the heads in the bow. Not much room in the quarter gallery and not much light, either. A bit stygian.

The false windows and gingerbread work goes on top of this. I dont know if there was any flushing arrangement on this smaller ships as there was on larger and later ships. Maybe a servant with a bucket and a brush?🤢

Cheers

Dick

[Mark Pearse]

Golly. Must have been some interesting effects of wind, spray, waves etc.....Would a person have had the option of choosing the heads on the leeward side?

[gjdale]

1 hour ago, Mark Pearse said:

Would a person have had the option of choosing the heads on the leeward side?

 

I think if one were to choose the windward side, that would be known as “getting your own back”! 🤣

[woodrat]

Progess on the decoration of the transom and quarter gallery. I have deviated from the Ancre plans in this instance.

Cheers

Dick

[Louie da fly]

So this is what you've been doing all this time! I can't believe I've missed this build. Soon fixed - I'm following from now on.

 

Beautiful work, Dick.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

This is the starboard quarter gallery and stern lights . I have made the quarter gallery lights detachable to show the seat-of-ease.

I will be very happy to move on to something a lot less fiddly.

Cheers

Dick

[Louie da fly]

Nice work, Dick. Good idea making the seats of ease visible if required.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

Happy New Year All! Further slow progress on the Fat Belly. The hanging knees are installed in quarterdeck and forecastle. Note that some are obliquely placed to avoid gunports and I believe are called dagger knees. All deck beams remain removable so I can complete deck furniture and install the elm-tree pumps etc. The main double capstan has been made.

Cheers

Dick

[Louie da fly]

Beautiful work, Dick. And those dagger knees are an eye-opener.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

Thanks for all the likes. This latest starts the deck furniture, in this case the manger or at least half of it. This occupies the space aft of the hawse holes and forward  of the bowsprit step. The manger consists of a space contained by removable planks which contains and drains any water entering through the hawse holes. It is also a convenient place to house animals, hence the name. It probably won't be seen on completion of the model but what the heck, I know it's there!

 

Cheers

Dick

Edited yesterday at 09:16 AM by woodrat

[Mark Pearse]

Hi Dick

 

Have you been using local hardwoods, & how do you find them to work with? Some of the timber looks to me like Jarrah or Karri, both seriously dense & hard wood.

[Louie da fly]

Nice work, Dick. Up to your usual superb standard.

 

The question of whether to include something that will never be seen is a thorny one. I'm a bit inconsistent about it - sometimes I do, sometimes I take the attitude "If you can't see it, it's not there". But it all comes down to personal choice, and yes, you'll know it's there, and that can be the important thing. Satisfaction and pride in your own work are, I think, what counts most.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

11 hours ago, Mark Pearse said:

Have you been using local hardwoods, & how do you find them to work with? Some of the timber looks to me like Jarrah or Karri, both seriously dense & hard wood.

Yes, Mark. As this vessel is of historical importance to Western Australia, having claimed same for Louis XV in 1772, I thought I should use local timber. I happened to have a sink cut-out made from kiln dried jarrah. As you state, jarrah is extremely hard and durable and cannot be machined without good equipment e.g. table saw, bandsaw, thickness sander etc. I have used jarrah on previous models (venetian round ship, venetian carrack, Yenikapi 12) and found that it machines beautifully. It is the perfect framing wood. When oiled it is initialy quite red but rapidly darkens to the colour  of old oak. But beware, do not work this wood (or any wood for that matter) without good dust extraction and masks. Jarrah dust is very fine and irritative. Also it is best to use kiln dried jarrah as old floorboards and roof timbers are brittle and too splintery to use. Jarrah is getting more and more valued in WA and people are less inclined to burn it in their stoves. I dont know how available it is in UK Europe or North America. As an indication of how hard this wood is, it was used during the nineteenth century in english and australian  cities in the form of blocks as an alternative to cobblestones as it was so durable and deadened the sound of carriage wheels.

 

9 hours ago, Louie da fly said:

Satisfaction and pride in your own work are, I think, what counts most.

Zackly, Steven.

 

Cheers

Dick

Edited 9 hours ago by woodrat