Gun Deck Cross Section by mikeaidanh - FINISHED - Panart - 1:23

[mikeaidanh]

I am building this model for a friend who reads O'Brian almost continuously. With the model on his reading desk aiding his imagination i hope he will be transported into the world that he finds so fascinating.

 

 

 

 

 

I will not be strictly following all aspects of the kit instructions but using some licence to delete, modify or add as I see fit. Historical and physical accuracy will suffer for this and I imagine there will be not a few wry smiles at some of my decisions but I crave indulgence as this is not meant to be an exact depiction but more an instrument of imagination.

At some point in the past I came across a build of this model, not in MSW, that contained some interesting additional aspects. I cannot remember where I saw it but I have remembered and incorporated some of the ideas from that build. I doff my cap in acknowledgement to the builder.

 

Here we go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The preceding images show the main framework construction. Keeping this element square was very simple using a build board and the engineering blocks.

The frames have been stained. A decision I later regretted and had to undo.

 

Back soon.

 

Mike. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[amateur]

What was wrong with the staining? In the pics it looks OK...

 

Jan

[mikeaidanh]

Back again.

 

The following photos show the curved rib sections and my spacers used to position them. as the spacers cannot be seen after planking they were glued in place. The ribs were found to be a tad short and have been corrected.

The gunnel cap can also be seen here. 

 

 

 

 

 

Making the Whale. Showing scarffe joint and black card caulking .

 

 

 

Fitting the first plank and adding the whale.

 

 

The whale has been treated with ebonising stain but I find it unconvincing. I will see what it looks like later and think again.

 

A drilling template for the trenails.....

 

 

....makes the job straightforward.....

 

 

....and soon completed.

 

 

 

The whale having another coat of stain but I am still not happy. Maybe polishing will improve it. The large trenails in the whale are a mess and will be replaced.

 

Polish applied to see how it looks. Ok, but the whale is still not right.

 

 

 

Back soon.

 

Mike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mikeaidanh]

Hello Jan, 

 

I had always intended to leave all the wood to speak for itself so the staining was wrong. As you will see later on the side grain of any visible ply will look ok. Any visible laminations will be capped and polished.

 

Mike.

[mikeaidanh]

Back for more. This time it is the gun deck planking.

 

Before the planking can be fitted a hatchway and grating must be made.

 

 

 

The next image shows my jig for laying out the planking, working out the butt shift and trenailing.

 

 

As this deck will eventually be almost completely covered by cannon and various other fixtures and fittings I am not going to caulk and trenail properly but simply fake these features. The caulking will be black pencil edging and the trenails indentations in the planking made with the Patent Trenail Marker as per the other build that I mentioned in the intro to this one. I have, I think, improved on the original concept of the PTM by the addition of my impact centre punch!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now the planking is laid out on the jig, the butt shift joints are all marked up and the trenails have been punched in.

 

 

Laying planking commences....

 

 

....and completes with the fitting of the hatch.

 

 

 

Back later.

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mikeaidanh]

Back again.

 

Internal planking round the gun ports and adding a waterway.

 

I decided to set the cills of the gun ports into the planking as.....

 

 

 

....and make a template for the trenailing. The trenails in these planks are simple plugs with no structural component.

 

 

 

Planking progress....

 

 

 

....and adding a waterway not in the kit plans.

 

 

 

Inside planking completed.

 

 

 

Back shortly,

 

Mike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[shihawk]

Very interesting building at that scale ,would be a great way to learn the actual structure of a ship. 

[mikeaidanh]

Sorry about the break in transmission. Some clot at my front door trying to sell me building enhancements 

despite the notice telling him that I neither buy nor sell from the doorstep. He has gone now and will, no doubt, be digesting the advice that I gave him.

 

Where were we? 

 

The last image in my previous post showed the rear frame uprights removed and the start of stanchion fitting.

The stanchions are pinned top and bottom though the bottom ones are not seen.

 

 

Stanchions completed. Note that I have omitted the centre outboard stanchion in order to make room for some extra internal fittings that I have in mind for later.

 

 

 

Knees. I did not like the kit knees very much so I cut some new ones. As I did not have any suitable dark wood available these have been stained ( despite my earlier reply to Jan! ) I will gloss varnish these later to distinguish them!

 

 

 

Knees fitted. 

 

 

 

Gunport lids. These were cut to shape on the Byrnes saw using the tilting table. Oh, how easy!

 

 

 

The lids will be fitted later.

 

At this point I decided to stray from the plans again and add a ladder between the decks as this seemed to link the two levels of the model in a natural way.

 

 

 

The ladder fitted with its hatch combing. Later on I will decide how to finish this off .....grating in situ, set aside or none at all. 

 

 

Next the top deck planking. This caulked with black card and properly trenailed.

 

 

The completed top decking with a "finishing strip" added.

 

 

This image shows the butt shift and caulking before trenailing and sanding.....

 

 

....and this is a general top view after trenailing.

 

 

 

And finally the "finishing strip" at the rear of the deck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mikeaidanh]

Back again for the final post of this part of the build.

 

These are the parts for my upper deck bitts. They will be assembled and fitted later.

 

 

The gunport lids have been fitted with their hinges and fixed to the ships side and have had the tackles for opening and closing added....

 

 

....and the tackles have been rigged.

 

 

Prompted by the other build that I mentioned in my intro I have added a boarding ladder and manrope.

A piece of timber was shaped, cut to length and shaped some more then fixed to the ships side.

 

 

 

Next the hammock netting frame and netting are attached...

 

 

 

 

...the hammocks will be made and added later.

 

Finally with the bitts in place and populated with some simulated rope and lines the main structure is complete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This build neatly divides into three areas. The first, just completed, is the main structure. The second is the the modification and construction of the two great guns and making and fitting their tackles. The third is the making of all the below decks paraphernalia and the final fitting out. This last area is full of scope for imaginative thinking but it is also likely to be the most fiddly and time consuming.

 

There will now be a short intermission.....or it could be a long one for I am off the to the Ordnance yard.

 

Mike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mikeaidanh]

Thanks for the interest Shihawk and Bart.

 

Bart, the kit is usually available in the UK and is currently on Cornwall Model Boats books for £130.00

 

I also put a quick search in and found at least one USA outlet offering it for $ 190.

 

Hope this might help.

 

Mike.

 

Ps. In the USA it is called Panart Battle Station.

Edited October 3, 2014 by mikeaidanh

[AntonyUK]

Hi Mike.

Yea door sales people .. I will not answer the door to them.

This is a very nice build. How long has it taken you up to this stage ?

 

Regards Antony.

[mikeaidanh]

Hi Antony,

 

Not exactly sure how long. I started about three months back but I have only worked on it for maybe four or five weeks.

I have to admit that I get so involved that time becomes irrelevant but my Admiral just doesn't get it. Yet another reason to buy her a really good Christmas present!

 

I am very interested in your cutter and particularly as you are clinker building her. I shall watch your progress very closely.

 

Best wishes,

 

Mike.

[GuntherMT]

Hi Mike,

 

This section looks really great.  I've never had much interest in the section models, but after seeing this, and a couple other really spectacular builds on here, I've changed my mind and think one of these would be a great project, and they look really good when well done like yours is.

Thanks for sharing, I'll be following along as you finish the rest for sure.

[mobbsie]

Hi Mike,

 

Just dropped in for a peek and I am completely smitten, what a great looking kit. I like the sentiment of why your building it and what a superb job your doing.

 

Your friend is one lucky guy.

 

As you say it lends itself to the imagination wonderfully and I will give this some serious thought for my next build.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[mikeaidanh]

Thanks Mobbsie,

 

I have been away for a few days but will shortly get back to stage two, the great guns.

 

More anon,

 

Mike.

[mikeaidanh]

Back again.

 

The next task is to build the two great guns. Some of the kit parts are  of plywood and whilst the grain on the faces is ok, being quite fine,

the laminate edges look all wrong. At first I was going to cut new parts but then I realised that may not be a one off situation so i decided to experiment with facing the edges with thin slips. The images below show the outcome and although not perfect they will suffice. I think with more care I could have produced a better outcome and I believe this technique has some merit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The gun barrels need to be black and I tried both Humbrol Steel  and Gunmetal Metalcoat and settled for the latter. On top of this I rubbed on grate blacking before polishing to a dull sheen. The barrels are not yet finished as I intend replacing them when the build is complete.

 

 

The next image shows all the parts for one cannon.

 

 

And the next image shows the two cannon fully assembled and with their shot garlands.

 

 

Here I am determine the correct distance from the gun port before fitting the cannon with screws through from below into each of the wheels.

 

 

The next image shows one cannon and its tackles in its final position. The second cannon will need to wait until all the other fitting out is completed as access below deck is tight.

 

 

More later.

 

 

 

[shihawk]

Now thats what i call cannons , At that scale there is no limit to the detail you can add. Am really looking forward to seeing how you complete it .Are all parts provided or are you scratching much of it .??? 

 

Boyd

[mikeaidanh]

Thank you Boyd.

 

All the parts you need to follow the kit instructions are included. You may find, however, that it is pleasing to add or modify as you go. The cannon barrels for instance did not have eyes for the breaching ropes. These were fashioned from brass wire and glued into holes drilled to take them.The boarding ladder is not part of the kit but I think it adds interesting detail to the model. Similarly the ladder to the upper deck and its hatchway are not part of the kit.

 

I think the builder can pretty much do as they please around the basic structure.Once I get to grips with the below decks details the fun will really start!

 

I suppose, in summary, that these cross section kits are open to more interpretation than those for specific vessels.

 

Mike. 

[mikeaidanh]

Back again for the final part of this build log.

 

There were an assortment of parts to be made to complete the below deck display and, in no particular order, here they are:

 

Storage racks,

 

 

Tiiddly table hangers,

 

 

Table,

 

 

Water breaker,

 

 

Plates, knives, cheese, tankard and "square meal"

 

 

 

 

 

Fire buckets,

 

 

Hammock,

 

 

The "tidy" gun showing training levers, fire bucket, cartridge and tackles,

 

 

 

Serving tools,

 

 

 

Bench with squeeze box,

 

 

 

Grease bucket and brush,

 

 

Tompions, flexible rammers and spongers and a deck broom,

 

 

The Legend.

 

HMS. Innominate Is carrying out some self maintenance. One of the great guns has been serviced and tidied away with all the serving tools neatly stowed. The gun crew are about to enjoy a meal and, maybe, some music.

 

 

Meanwhile the second gun is still being worked on. One trunnion strap is open and grease is being applied. There seems to be a problem under the barrel as well as it has been hoisted up to the deckhead and secured whilst work goes on.

 

 

The training and hauling tackles have been used to position the gun. The training levers are seen acting as wheel chocks; I have no proof that this was done but logically it might have been.

 

Where are the crew? They are in my minds eye. They fade in and out of this representation of a moment in time and, if you concentrate, you will see and hear them as I do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have greatly enjoyed this model and by using the plans as a guide I think I have achieved an interesting object that, hopefully, my great friend and O'Brian aficionado  will enjoy whilst he reads of Jack and his adventures.

 

Mikeaidanh 19/02/15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mirabell61]

beautiful build Mike,

 

love to Details and superb work like

 

Nils

[mobbsie]

Well done Mike, that is one beautiful build and definitely on my shopping list.

 

The level of detail you've put in is outstanding and your friend really is a very lucky guy, does he know it's coming or is it a surprise, either way he will be smitten. :im Not Worthy:  :im Not Worthy:

 

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[shihawk]

A really inspiring build and log . Thanks Mike ,what,s next????

[jud]

Impressive. Don't worry about the missing crew, they are aboard. When the report of a Mermaid siteing was passed,. they all went forward for a look..

jud

[gjdale]

Great job Mike - bravo!

[DocBlake]

Great job on the gun deck section.

[mikeaidanh]

Many thanks to all who commented. That is one of the nicest things about this forum.....and long may it continue.

 

I shall now go away and think about my next, and first scratch, build which should be a Sloup Coquillier a Brittany fishing vessel.

 

Back soon,

 

Mike.

[flying_dutchman2]

Beautiful, Everything that is on the table makes it look so real. I thoroughly enjoyed this log. Thanks.

Marc

[Vett]

Thanks Mike for the great build, I just won the kit on ebay at a real good price I just hope mine comes out half as good as yours

[CF-FZG]

Hi Mike,

 

I'm reading through any build threads I can find on 'section' models and found yours.

 

A really nice looking build here, just one question though - shouldn't the Bitts go through the deck and down to the gun deck?

 

 

Mark.