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

[SJSoane]

 

Siggi,

 

 

The color scheme is coming along nicely, as you add more detail. Very nice!

 

Mark

[Siggi52]

Hello,

 

the pantry is so far ready. Tomorrow I will see what I could do with the windows and make some small repairs and corrections.  

 

 

 

If you are wondering why the stanchions have so white feet, I made a whole new set of deck beams with 1,5 mm more bent. I made the template for them, when I made the beams for the orlop, but why they are wrong, I don't know.   The underside of the template was ok! 

 

Regards,

Siggi

[Siggi52]

Hello,

 

it is done, the pantry is ready. 

 

 

 

The louvered windows where a fine puzzle with 1000 parts   , but at least I got it. 

 

 

This morning I build the bulwark and tomorrow the doors will  follow. 

 

At last two pictures with a cannon. One the normal way to store the cannon and one with the cannon alongside the wall. The question is not answered how the did it. At least there is no other way possible then to store the cannons here along the wall.

But then is there the second question, is there anywhere a description how they did it, ore could I act there as I think it would work.

 

I remember that I somewhere read, but I did't know where and could't find it again, that they store the cannons from the captains rooms somewhere outside his cabins. I do not think that they bring them into the hold as Hutchinson wrote. That I think, would be a greater action and in the case of making ready for a fight, was not acceptable. 

 

 

 

 

May be they brought all the cannons out of the ward room. I found a plan at the side of the NMM of a ward room where they had 4 ore 5 cabins behind the bulwark and that was't possible with the cannons still there. But I could't find that plan again. But I found this plan of the Ajax. Here the partitions of the cabins are left and right of the ports. But with cannons it would't work. If I place a cannon right behind the bulwark, then her muzzle (ore back) will go behind the port into the next cabin. Here no cannon could stay. And the first lieutenant would have problems in his cabin to reach the outside gallery. 

 

 

But it's some time left till I have to make a decision, may be some one knows more about this.

 

Regards,

Siggi

 

 

 

 

 

[druxey]

Perhaps those cabins were a peace-time arrangement, with some of the armament removed.

[SJSoane]

 

Hi Siggi,

 

I am following your studies of the cabins with great interest. I wish I had more information that could help. Is it possible that the cabins were simply canvas that could be rolled up out of the way, rather than solid frames?

 

Mark

[Siggi52]

Hello,

 

Mark, yes that where canvas screens. After the establishment of cabins from 1757, printed in Laverys book Ship of the line II at page 177:

 

...the wardroom is parted off by a bulkhead across the ship,...and from hence to the stern a space enclosed on each side (for three of (or?) four berths) by canvas hanging loosely before it like a curtain, or laced above and below with a parting in the middle of each berth to go in and out, and to roll up in the daytime when not wanted. ...

 

Here you must know that canvas in those times was linen and not cotton, but for us it would't be important. At an other place in the book ( page 140) he quotes:

 

... Within the walls, wich are of painted canvas, are the cabins of six officers; the center of the room is occupied by the mess table; ... he did't say from wich period this text is. Painted canvas? The next question

 

But also in these berth you have to store a cannon, or not.

 

Druxey, I did't understand that joke. A warship with a peace time arrangement just before the Napoleonic Wars! „Join the navy and cruise the Mediterranean Sea? If you see a french ship, you could shoot at them, have fun.“ Attached is a picture from the prospect.

 

You are here the expert, as I learned. But then you should't use the words perhaps, may be, could be, vielleicht, could work, eventuell &c. not so often. Only to the paneling of the captains cabin you have a iron fast viewpoint and I'm not sure if you are right with that.

 

Regards,

Siggi

[druxey]

Sorry Siggi, that wasn't intended as a joke. It was a serious suggestion. There are other examples of different arrangements during time of war, such as snaking between the stays and preventer stays, which was not the case in times of peace. However, I agree what I wrote was a 'vielleicht' rather than 'sicher'! I always hope that someone else can give a definite example to either confirm or deny a theory.

 

Even historic information can be misleading. The example of the cabin you posted probably looked more like my modified version!

Edited March 5, 2015 by druxey

[Siggi52]

Druxey, that picture should be a joke. It shows a cabin out of scale. That is the information from the NMM, not my interpretation.

[druxey]

I know that the original image is an NMM historic watercolour. My point is that even 'historic' evidence needs to be questioned.

[Siggi52]

Hello,

 

today my ship has it's 3. anniversary. Three years ago we laid down the keel. 

 

 

That was a time I would't forget, sometimes it was stress, but mostly enjoyable. I learned a lot about these ships and still learning. 

 

The last weeks I read much in these old book from the 18th or 19th century. One book I will everyone advise, who want to know where they stow this or that. Only my question is't answered. „Observations and Instructions for the use of the Commissioned, the Junior, and other Officers of the Royal Navy“ Google books http://books.google.de/books/about/Observations_and_Instructions_for_the_Us.html?id=5WlGAAAAYAAJ&redir_esc=y

 

There is the question answered where the capstan bars where stored: between the beams! But really new to me was, that in 1804 there was no rule from the admiralty for all ships. So every captain made his own rules how this or that was build, handled or done. If the ship has 2 or 3 watches and so on! 

 

 

Between reading I build the pillars for the guardrail of the stairways. A very frustrating job. It took me two days to build this pile of junk 

 

 

But at least I got enough pillars ready

 

 

Regards,

Siggi

 

 

 

 

 

[druxey]

Congratulations on your third anniversary!

[cog]

Many happy returns!!!

 

I wish my piles of junk looked like yours ... Could probably make a fortune out of it!

[SJSoane]

 

Siggi,

 

A fast build, just three years! And looking very good. It is good to know that the capstan bars are stored between the beams. I like your rack for storing them.

 

Mark

[Siggi52]

Hello,

 

thank you for your kind words. I think that 3 years of building and I'm not ready now, is a long time. I'm glad that I have not to build the whole ship, that means it would take 10 years to finish! May be I would't believe the ready ship 

 

Here is now spring and I'm not so often in the cellar building. After that long and rainy winter (we had here 3-4 days with snow) it's a fun to go outside in the sun. Even when that means working in the garden. 

 

Regards,

Siggi

[Siggi52]

Hello,

 

I installed the cannons. I don't know if this is the right way to do it, but I think it would work. Did anyone know if the cannons, there where are no port lid, where in or out?

The muzzle of the right cannon I would later lash to the deck clamp and/or deck beam. 

 

Regards,

Siggi

 

 

[SJSoane]

 

Siggi,

 

I can't help with the cannon location, but I can say that those cannon look great! I now have great respect for the amount of work that goes into an accurately detailed cannon and carriage. They look great against the light deck and the red bulwarks.

 

Mark

[Siggi52]

Mark,

 

I would't change with you. I'm glad to have only five cannons here. I found that the tackles are the most painful work and these polyester ropes not really cooperative. With the location I have no problems. According to this anonymous captain we have great freedom how to do this or that and the captain of this ship decided to do it this way. Did you read that book? It's really interesting. 

 

How fare are you with your cannons? I think you got the pewter too hot. Somewhere I read, that the surface of the pewter shod look light yellow before casting. Then you would't have this burned surface at your melting pot and don't forget the talcum. 

 

Regards,

Siggi

Edited March 29, 2015 by Siggi52

[cog]

Siggi,

 

Maybe, just maybe I've found something for the gun placement. Have a look here at Sam's log: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/113-enterprise-by-src-constructo-151-or-lessons-in-adapt-improvise-and-overcome/page-29#entry263519

[Siggi52]

Carl,

 

thank you for that link. 

 

Regards,

Siggi

[cog]

With a little help from your friends ... Beatles if I recall well

[Siggi52]

Hello,

 

just for trying the other method of lashing the cannon alongside, I went for an hour to the shipyard. The plan was to use this version:

 

 

That looked in reality so:

 

 

I could't get the cannon nearer to the wall, because the bolts are too close together. So I made some improvements, a mix of my first version and the new. I think that could work.

 

 

Regards,

Siggi

 

[cog]

looking good Siggi

[src]

Great looking build Siggi!! I too wish I had a "Pile of Junk" to show. If thats junk, keep on Junking!!

Sam 

[Siggi52]

Thank you for the compliments. Sam, I do my very best

 

I read about the trouble with your side galleries, I did mine three times!

 

Regards,

Siggi

[Siggi52]

Hello,

 

I was't very busy the last time, but finished the interior of the ward room. So the next thing to do is to install the deck beams. 

 

 

 

Today I turned some wine glasses from plexiglas and a decanter for the officers.

 

 

 

 

In front of the ward room the match tubes for this side of the deck are waiting to be stored. This is the driest part, outside the ward room, of this deck, so that is the reason why they where stored here. 

 

 

Regards,

Siggi

[cog]

Nice touch those wine glases and decanter. Truely amazing

[src]

Those little details make all the difference. What did you use for the wine glasses? They look like maybe turned Polycarbonate or acrylic??

Sam 

[Siggi52]

Sam, it's acrylic / plexiglas. They are 4 mm high and have a diameter of 2 mm.

 

Siggi

 

Plexiglas |ˈpleksiˌglas| (also plexiglas or plexiglass) 

noun trademark, chiefly N. Amer. 

a solid transparent plastic made of polymethyl methacrylate (the same material as perspex or Lucite).

 

[mtaylor]

Incredible work, Siggi.  The details are astounding.

[SJSoane]

 

Beautiful work, Siggi. Those wine glasses are amazing. How did you turn them?

 

Mark