HMS Diana 1794 by Ray - FINISHED - Caldercraft - A 38 gun Heavy Frigate

[realworkingsailor]

David, you can hem and haw about what you could build, and settle for something close that may please you, but more likely to lose your interest, or you could just say screw it (that would be "screw" spelled with a capital "F") and build what you really want to build, and deal with whatever space issues you may have later on.

 

Ray, nice job on your Diana. I've been quietly following along and enjoying all your nice photos. Keep up the good work.

 

Andy

[Ray]

David, Juergen, Andy, Mark

Thanks for the comments guys David she is quite large but I agree with Andy you have to build the one that floats your boat.

 

Mark….. The gore line I could not find any information that lays down rules for where it should be, and I am not a fan off the method where two or three rows of plates that go in a band around the water line, so I set the gore line so it looks right to me, I did the same on Pegasus and I looked at her, and used her as a guide as the hull shapes are not dissimilar, hope this is of help.

[mtaylor]

Thanks for explanation, Ray.  It is pleasing the way you did it.

[mobbsie]

That's some fantastic plating Ray, I totally agree with you regards the gore line, in my case it was just luck it worked out ok.

 

Thanks for posting the details.

 

mobbsie

[rdsaplala]

Hi Ray,

 

Just catching up, wow! she's really coming along Sir, beautiful work on the hull planking and the coppering work is really top-notch!

[Ray]

The Stern& Quarter Galleries being built at same time as coppering hull.

 

                     This proved to be quite tricky to build and even more so as I am going with the low quarterdeck sides. I lined up the transom so that the rail across the top of the stern gallery will line up and be the same height as the quarter deck sides, when they have the rail caps on them, this has meant the side windows are a bit to high by about 5mm and its to late to change the height, so I will have to live with it, I added a extra 3mm piece under the windows which brings the whole gallery down so it finishes in about the right place. Could I have tried to removed it all and lowered it, it is so well glued up it would have been a nightmare to do and could have ruined the whole stern, the good thing is the top stern gallery rail and the quarterdeck rail will line up and look right. Once the quarter galleries were made up the stern gallery was done and the rail across the top added a length of 1x4mm walnut was well soaked and then bent into shape and fixed whilst very damp with cyno. Back to a bit more coppering as I mentioned before I have been building this up whilst coppering.

 

Starting the stern gallery

 

Galleries building

 

 

Top rail added

 

ready to paint

 

curtains

painting

 

Edited June 8, 2014 by Ray

[jaerschen]

^{Nice work at this tricky part Ray. It's looking really good.}

[Beef Wellington]

I've read others have had challenges with the alignment of the stern and quarter galleries but you seemed to have nailed it Ray.  Coppering looks great as well.

[tarbrush]

Hi Ray,

I just found your log today,  you are doing a magnificent job!  I really admire the top and butt planking you did on the gundeck.  I think I may have gone a little crazy doing it.  Was it as difficult as it looks?

 

Your coppering came out great!  Is the black line at the top of the coppering, tape or a batten?  I have wanted to do coppering like that before but was afraid I would make a botch of cutting the angles on the plates and wind up with a serrated looking line.  Yours came out so good I want to give it try next time I have to copper.

 

I haven't built a model with quarter galleries yet.  Yours are perfection.  ok you are 3 for 3 in things I have thought too difficult, I will pay the extra for a front row seat on this one.   good job Ray!

[rdsaplala]

Beautiful work on the galleries, Ray, they look great.

[Ray]

John

 

 The black line is a batten 1mm x 1mm in plastic painted black. The top and butt deck planking was a challenge but came out well and worth the extra effort, one thing I would recommend is to use maple if you try this you cannot use the timber supplied as you need several different widths.

 

Copper plating

                         I have now completed the plating on one side about 950 of them and I am pleased with the result, and how they went on, fitting the batten first made cutting in the plates at the water line much easier than on Pegasus when I added the batten after plating. My educated guess at where to put the gore line worked out ok, next a bit more work on the galleries and then another 950 ish plates.

 

One side plated

 

triming a plate

 

Plates cut into the batten

 

Side one finished

 

 

 

 

 

[tarbrush]

Hi Ray,

thanks for the info on the black line and tip on wood to use. 

 

she looks beautiful!

[Ray]

A bit more work done on the galleries firstly they were painted royal blue, several coats applied to get the required finish, also the rail was painted black and the rest of the black paintwork touched up. Next the windows were fitted I added curtains by painting them on the clear glazing material supplied, and the first length of decoration trim was fixed and painted gold I will paint all the gallery decoration gold as it looks great with the royal blue.

 

Galleries being painted

 

Windows having curtians added

 

Windows in

 

 

 

 

[Timothy Wood]

Outstanding!

 

 

[st george]

Ray,

 

Nice work on the coppering mate.

[Ray]

The galleries have now been completed there is one more bit to add on the top but that will be done when the quarterdeck rails have been added, no real problems adding the trim and decoration and the photos show the stages, now back to the plating only a few more rows on the second side to go.

 

Decoration going on one side

 

That side done

 

Decoration going on the stern

 

Galleries finished

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 8, 2014 by Ray

[Ray]

Coppering tile plate applying guide

 

Copper plating seems to scare some builders so here is the way I actually fix the plates/tiles to the hull THICK cyno is always used and I very rarely find the need to remove any excess, and if I do I use a wet/baby wipe. Cutting is done with a heavy duty Stanley type knife on a self-healing cutting mat, and any extra dressing to fit carried out with a sanding disc or needle file.

 

1st thick cyno going onto tiles max I do at one time is three

 

spreading glue on plates

 

Triming at plate

 

Fixing tiles/plates standerd fix and a cut in fix

 

Fixed ordinary and cut in tiles plates

 

 

 

 

 

 

[WackoWolf]

I think your doing an excellent job. Keep the pictures coming.

[lamarvalley]

I have never done coppering so this tutorial was great... thanks Ray. Good info all around.

[ZyXuz]

wow, the galleries is so well done 

she is growing up to be a beauty!

 

and thx for sharing the coppering technique!

[jaerschen]

Hi Ray,

 

Congrats, the gallerie is looking really good and the coppering also

Edited July 2, 2013 by jaerschen

[realworkingsailor]

Very nice tiling job. Are you going to keep it clean or let it age?

 

The stern decorations look great too!

 

Andy

[hollowneck]

Ray,

 

You're doing an excellent job. I have peeked-in to your build log from time-to-time. I completed my Diana last year and it was a superb kit - very challenging, but also very rewarding. You may have seen my completed Diana in the gallery. If not, just search on Diana in the site's engine and you will see 10 photos I posted.

 

Although one can follow the masting/rigging plans from Caldercraft, I'd recommend studying Vol 4 of The David Antscherl book from Seawatch Books (Swan class build). This helped me immensely to create more accurate masts, spars and - of course, extensive rigging as well as belaying plans. You may want to look into this BEFORE you complete the weather deck furniture and rail details.

 

A fully-rigged Diana is a most impressive model. Steady-on, keep it shipshape and in Bristol fashion! She'll reward you.

 

Ron

[Ray]

Thanks for the comments guys.

 

Andy

 I will just leave it and let time do the rest.

 

Ron

Thanks for the info I do have a copy of Anatomy of the ship Diana which gives extra detail on the masts and spars, and has all the belaying points as well, I also have rigging Period Ship Models by Lennarth Petersson which I used rigging Pegasus so hopefully when the time comes I can pool the info from them and finshed super models like yours.

[mobbsie]

She's SWEEEEEEEEEET

 

mobbsie

[Ray]

Copper plating complete the second side has now been finished, only the rudder to do, to complete all the plating to sum up the plates went on very well were easy to cut dress to fit, there was loads left over, glad its completed and it was a good move to break it up by building the galleries at the same time.

I have also remove the protective tape of the gun deck.

 

2nd side well under way

 

Both sides completed

 

Protective tape removed from gun deck

 

Edited July 4, 2013 by Ray

[lamarvalley]

Beautiful job Ray. Very crisp and clean

[trippwj]

Beautiful work on this - look forward to the next stage!

[mtaylor]

Ray,

I think the "copper envy" standard just went up....

[Blue Ensign]

Very nice work Ray, she is looking splendid, I'm impressed by your T&B deck planking, well done.

 

B.E.