HMS Dragon 1760 by Siggi52 - FINISHED - Scale 1:48 - English 74-Gun ship

[Siggi52]

Hello everyone,

 

after I had so much positiv response about the pictures of my model in the gallery, I decided to start a blog about this ship. 

 

About the Dragon is to say, it was a third rate ship, designed by Thomas Slade and build at Deptford. Launched 4.3.1760 and sold 1784. 

 

It is not the first ship model I have build, but the first 18th century and framed model. A friend told me about the Bellona and I'm interested to learn more about these ships. My first name is Siegfried and that name is program, Siegfried was the most famos dragon fighter here in Germany, or the only? So I would build the Dragon. I ordered the plans from the NMM and a lot of books from everywhere. Then I started learning. Because the whole ship would be too large in 1:48, I decided to build only the stern part, from the 10th frame backwards. After 3 month I started with the model.

 

That was in the winter of 2011/12. In 2012 a friend of mine was in London and I asked him to take pictures from the models at the NMM. That was a great thing and helped me a lot. In 2013 I visited the NMM and the shipyard at Chatham. Here I saw the Superb, the third ship of the Bellona class. That visit changed a lot, you will see it in the pictures. I changed mostly the color of the hull. 

 

I will post the first pictures in a fast pass, to get update with the actual level of work.

 

And please excuse my english.

 

Regards,

 

Siggi

 

 

 

 

[Siggi52]

The next pictures are from the real beginning. I started with a model of the model, to get the feeling. Then I cut the frames in paper and build a shipyard.

 

When the keel was installed, the Captain fired a canon. After all frames ready, he fired three canon and I had a brandy!

[Siggi52]

Next came the outer skin. Don't worry about the color, I changed that.

[Siggi52]

Then came the stern. That was real hard, but I think I got it.

[Siggi52]

But now it comes. The thing I had the most respect for, the carvings. That was after my visit of London. I saw at the British Museum carvings, after that I thought that I could carve 3 time larger figures blind ;-) 

 

Here you can see also that the color of the hull changed. Most of the gold and yellow is gone. 

 

To the stern carvings I have to explain, some know them already from the so called Thunderer. I think that this model is the Dragon. Both ships where build at Deptford and launched 1760. From the stern carvings I would say, that this are Dragons and there is the batch of the Prince of Wales. At those times the later Georg III. Wales has a lot to do with Dragons in there mythology, the red and white one. And the draughts of the Dragon are nearer to the model than the draughts of the Thunderer.

 

 

[Siggi52]

With the outside ready, I started with the hold and orlop deck. 

[Siggi52]

The next thing is the gun deck. That is now real time. The beams of the upper gun deck are only for get them ready when needed. 

 

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

 

Regards,

Siggi

[kees de mol]

Very clean build. Especially I like your woodcarving and turning.

[mtaylor]

Beautiful work, Siggi.  I do like what you've done.

[Redshirt]

Hehe, perfect german engine...erm, modelbuilding

[NMBROOK]

Beautiful work Siggi I am glad you have started a log and look forward to following along.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[WackoWolf]

Excellent work, love the detail and the tree nailing. Keep the updates and pictures and Thank you for sharing.

[mcpwilk]

Staggeringly superb.

 

Mike

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Really wonderful. Can you give some descriptions, how do you paint the frescos?

[robdurant]

Utterly stunning... Those carvings are beautiful. Thank you for sharing them with us.

 

Rob

[Siggi52]

Good morning,

 

first, many thanks for the kind comments about my work. 

 

To answer your question Christian, with a tiny brush and lots of patience. I use Humbrol Enamel brand paint and a 10/0 brush with synthetic hair. It's more rigid then marten hair and you could control the brush better. After I had painted the word Dragon the second time, I got cooler and from that time on it works fine.

 

Regards,

Siggi

[Trussben]

Very Impressive build, I look forward to seeing more.

 

Ben

[SJSoane]

 

Hi Siggi,

 

Great to see you started a build log. You have an exceptionally nice project, well worth sharing. That is beautiful carving and painting, nicely executed! And, I can learn a lot from you since the Dragon is the sister ship to the Bellona.

 

Mark

[Siggi52]

Hello,

 

thank you all for the kind comments. At the moment I'm working at the gun deck. The beams for the upper gun deck are ready, the lodging knees installed and all is painted. The hanging knees following step by step when I install the beam permanently.

 

 

 

But before I come to that, I have a question about how where the port lids secured? I couldn't find any hint about that. Did they have an own loop bolt (1) or where they just fastened to the ring bolt for the breeching, (2) what I would prefer? 

 

 

Kind regards,

Siggi

 

 

[SJSoane]

 

Hi Siggi,

 

I am not sure of how the port lids were secured; I expect some of our experts will answer this soon. But in the meantime, could you post a picture of the framing of the upper deck at the stern, where the rudder head comes through? I am fascinated to see how this worked out.

 

Best wishes,

 

Mark

[Siggi52]

Hello Mark,

 

I made a picture for you and extra large. I hope it is what you liked to see. At the moment I'm waiting that the varnish of the deck will dry, before I start with the Bolts for the canons. 

 

 

Best wishes,

Siggi

 

 

[mtaylor]

I'll have to do a detailed search... check Dafi's Victory in Kit Logs (it's a very very heavy bash) as I think he covers it.   The lid ropes when through the hull above the port and then were secured to overhead beams.  I'm recalling (I hope I'm right), that they ropes on some ships were joined into one sometimes before entering the ship and on other afterwards.  There was one set of tackle for each port lid.

[Siggi52]

Hello Mark,

 

thank you for your efforts, the ropes to open the lids are not the problem. They are overhead with a tackle. I mean the ropes to hold the lid shut. Version 1 or 2?

 

Regards,

Siggi

[Jason]

^{Really Fantastic build Siggi!  I am looking forward to see this one grow.} 

Edited October 31, 2014 by Jason

[qwerty2008]

A few days ago there was a discussion on Chuck's cheerful build about bucklers being fitted over the gunports on cutters, during the discussion Chuck said that they were secured to the ring bolts for the cannon breaching (2) I am not sure if the same would apply to actual gunport lids but I have never seen ring bolts under the gunports (1) on real ships or models. I am sure that someone who knows more will be along shortly to give a more definitive answer but at least its a start.

 

 

 

Lextin.

[Beef Wellington]

Siggi, your model is stunning, look forward to seeing you continue. The colours you have chosen look perfect - may I ask which colours you used?  I see you carved some of the moldings, how did you do some of the finer ones? (e.g. the decoration on the red above the balcony)  Your carving also has just the right proportions to my eye, wonderfully done sir.

Edited October 31, 2014 by Beef Wellington

[mtaylor]

Hello Mark,

 

thank you for your efforts, the ropes to open the lids are not the problem. They are overhead with a tackle. I mean the ropes to hold the lid shut. Version 1 or 2?

 

Regards,

Siggi

 

Ah....    You might still check Dafi's Victory.  The man has done an incredible amount of research on such items. 

[druxey]

I don't have a definitive answer, but your sketch 2 seems more likely. 

[Siggi52]

Hello all together,

 

thank you for your responses. I think I fasten the lids like version 2. 

 

To your question, Jason. I made all the carvings with a knife, scalpel and small chisels for carving. No dental machines! The colures are mostly from Humbrol Enamel. But all are self mixed. The red is No 153 with a lot of brown 100, the blue is No 96 with something I do not remember. May be white?

 

And Robin, I think I will make a small paneling between the spirketting and the deck clamp. Yesterday when I was looking through my pictures, I found some of the Egmond, build by John Franklin where you could see that he build also a paneling. 

 

 

It's hard to see, but it is there. I tried several pictures, but they are all darker here then on my computer. Ok, it's not a contemporary build, but also the old masters did't build every time things you wouldn't see. And artist wouldn't paint things who are not there. I think they know these ships and know what they do. 

 

Regards,

Siggi

[garyshipwright]

Hi Siggi

 

Thank for posting your build and your building of your stern is a help to building Alfred's. Didn't expect to see John Franklin Egmont here but was wondering do you have any more photo's of the port side stern and quarter galleries, I have allways had a big interest in how her stern and port looked on this side but have never seen any photo's of her,  and once again thank you.

 

Gary