TRANSLATION LINKS 1. type into your browser... english+italian+glossary+nautical terms 2. utilise the translation dictionary Nautical Terms & Expressions from Euromodel website An interpretive build of the Falmouth 18 th. Century English Mercantile Vessel Launched 1752 Checked the Resource File? Scale 1:75 SHIP S BOAT.05.v.03 This interpretive build is based on the supplied drawings, the kit material and an amount of extra material. This work only illustrates how this ship might be built.the level of complexity chosen is up to the individual This resource information was based on the original text supplied by Euromodel and then expanded in detail as the actual ship was constructed by the author, Peter Coward. Neither the author or Euromodel have any commercial interest in this information and it is published on the Euromodel web site in good faith for other persons who may wish to build this ship. Euromodel does not accept any responsibility for the contents that follow. 1
Falmouth 18 th. Century English Mercantile Vessel Launched 1752 Scale 1:75 2
This is NOT an instructional manual It shows how the build was interpreted utilizing the provided kit and supplementing with additional material which was dictated by my own personal choices. Many steps could have been simplified by only using the material as it was supplied. This invariably is indicated by the heading Alternative 1. However, where there was a need to be challenged with a higher degree of accuracy, this will be denoted by Alternative 2. Reference Texts The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625 1860 by James Lee (1984). Another indispensable book! Without this, the masting and especially the rigging would have been difficult. The Construction and Fitting of the English Man of War 1650-1850 by Peter Goodwin (1984) Historic Ship Models by Wolfram zu Mondfeld (1989). Growing Specific Shapes 3
[To navigate through the contents use control + click ] Contents Chapter 1: SHIP S BOAT... 6 Working with Plastic Resin... 6 Supporting Structures... 6 Extra Yards and Spars... 6 Construction Choices... 7 Hull Modifications a personal choice... 8 Longitudinal Profile... 8 Interior Profile... 8 Interior Fittings:... 10 Risings... 11 4
Illustrations [The figures below are not hyperlinked] Figure 1: Cutting & Sanding Tools... 6 Figure 2: Ship's Boats Positioning... 6 Figure 3: Non-modification of Supplied Boat... 7 Figure 4: Ship's Boat Longitudinal Shaping... 8 Figure 5: Concave Inner Surface... 8 Figure 6: Paint Selection for Dry Brushing... 9 Figure 7: Boat Components... 10 Figure 8: Immersion in Ammonia Soln.... 10 Figure 9: Rib Shaping... 10 Figure 10: Bottom Boards... 11 Figure 11: Tapered Stem Post... 11 Figure 12: Extending the Stem Post... 11 Figure 13: Keel, Risers & Bottom Boards... 12 Figure 14: Thwarts; Head and Stern Sheets... 12 Figure 15: Tiller Arm & Rudder... 12 5
Chapter 1: SHIP S BOAT Euromodel in previous times supplied a timber-carved boat and that is evident in the following photos. However, modern technology has enabled them to produce a more useful, basic hull created from a plastic resin. Working with Plastic Resin The plastic resin proved incredibly easy to work with and equipped with a Dremel and a number of differently-shaped cutting and sanding tools, the standard shape was readily altered to conform quite closely to the drawings supplied. Figure 1: Cutting & Sanding Tools Supporting Structures The positioning and support of the ship s boat is only really evident in Plan Sheet 1. In the photogallery for the Falmouth, the ship s boat has been included by one builder but not by others. Figure 2: Ship's Boats Positioning Extra Yards and Spars A ship setting out from port would be well prepared with lines of various sizes, tar, oakum, planks, sailcloth, paint, tools, and the list goes on. Sails could be patched or replaced, lines spliced or replaced, planks replaced and resealed. Spares of yards and spars were carried but that depended on economic factors as well as the type of voyage being undertaken. Replacing the lowest mast was extremely difficult, but not impossible to do outside of a port. Some suggest that both finished and unfinished yards and spars were carried. The unfinished ones could be used in a number of different positions. 6
Construction Choices Alternative 1: Most models are built with part of the gun barrels projecting out past the hull profile suggesting a state of readiness for battle. If this is the case, then to clear the Main Deck for battle, the ship s boats were removed and towed behind the ship. The boats then are not built, being an ideal solution for those with limited skills and/or limited equipment. Alternative 2: If the boat supplied in the kit is to be included, then it can be suitably painted as it is and eventually installed with perhaps only the thwarts installed. Euromodel supplies simple plastic resin hulls which will save much time and far less patience! Alternative 3a: Install interior fittings in supplied boat. Fig. 3 is not the Falmouth, but shows the construction style. Alternative 3b: Modify the longitudinal profile (and perhaps interior profile as well) and install all interior fittings. Figure 3: Non-modification of Supplied Boat Alternative 4: The supplied boats are discarded and new ones built from scratch. This is only for the ardent builder! After some deliberation, Alternative 3b option was adopted which included re-shaping the interior. 7
Hull Modifications a personal choice This is a detailed look at the cutter and contains comments that many, in order to keep things simple, will choose to ignore. Longitudinal Profile The drawings show the gunwale (top edge) as having a curved longitudinal profile (Fig. 4). Note that the stern is lower than the stem (broken blue line below). Figure 4: Ship's Boat Longitudinal Shaping Interior Profile The inside of the stern was made more square but quarter knees supporting each of the two aft corners were added later. The flat inside bottom was changed into a concave surface matching the outside. A Dremel cutting bit with a rounded shape made this task simple and approx. 5 mm. was cut out from the bottom. The guide to cutting down to a suitable depth involved holding the boat up to a strong light and observing a uniform translucent colour (to begin with, thick bottom was totally opaque to light). Figure 5: Concave Inner Surface 8
Weathering The approach was to use a series of different paint mixtures resulting in a weathered appearance. The first step was to add a base wet brush layer of a dark brown paint called Dryad Bark (refer below). Dryad Bark ( base ) The second step was to apply paints with a dry-brush technique. [The paints used were a brand called Citadel from Games Workshop that seem to have outlets in many countries. Model Ship World Forum contains a number of very excellent & specific references.] Skrag Brown ( layer ) Dawnstone ( layer ) Layer Sequence: 1. 75% Dryad Bark & 25% Skrag Brown 2. 50% Dryad Bark & 50% Skrag Brown 3. Dawnstone Figure 6: Paint Selection for Dry Brushing Dry brushing involves a specific brush being lightly filled with the paint applied and then stroking that brush over paper until all the paint appears to be used. The brush is then lightly applied to the base coat until an amount of colouration can just be perceived. That is the point when the brushing on of that new layer is stopped. If multiple brush coat layers are used, then it becomes a mixture of colours rather than just a multi-layered application of paint. 9
Fitting Out ribs thwart s head sheets stern sheets quarter knees Figure 7: Boat Components bottom boards fixed onto the rib structure Other basic features such as the oar crutches and stern post were added. Ribs Nine ribs were added with a spacing of 10 mm. some liberty was taken with what was indicated in the drawings. i.e. 9 x 0.75 x 1.8 x 65 mm. (i.e. excess length to allow ease of handling). With more time and patience, the width should have been slightly less than this. To fit ribs against the curved boat interior without breaking, the strips were soaked in dilute ammonia solution available from supermarkets as a cleaning agent called cloudy ammonia. Figure 8: Immersion in Ammonia Soln. The timber strips were removed after 6-8 hours of soaking, wiped with a dry cloth and then held in position in a block grouping (Fig. 9) allowing at least 12 hours to dry. Even though the athwartships width varies across the boat along the length, the dry ribs were easily fitted into position. Interior Fittings: A keel (2 x 2 mm.) was added over the ribs, as well as at each end to simulate part of the stem and stern posts. The stem post section particularly had to be thinned down greatly at the top (refer to a following commentary on extending the stem post). Figure 9: Rib Shaping 10
Bottom Boards From scrap timber timber used was 0.9 x 3 mm. Euromodel Falmouth Part 5 SHIP S BOAT - v.03 Figure 10: Bottom Boards Stem Post Modifications A short section of 2 x 2 mm. timber was added to form an inner section of the stem post. This was greatly tapered at the top so that the post addition on top would then be continuous with it. Figure 11: Tapered Stem Post stem post addition wedge filler On the supplied boat, the stem post was virtually nonexistent above the level of the gunwale. So the small stem post protuberance was levelled down to the level of the gunwale. To exacerbate problems, the stem post on the supplied boat was tapered off below this. HOWEVER, timber adheres extremely well to the plastic surface so a small wedge was built onto the side of the post and then a small section of extra post added on top. Figure 12: Extending the Stem Post Risings Thwarts (seats) were supported by the risings a narrow strip of timber underneath running the length of the boat. In this build the thwarts were fixed but they were often removable allowing for better storage of masts, oars, sails, water barrels and so on. From scrap material, the risings measured 0.9 x 1.5 mm. 11
The measurements shown are a reflection of what scrap material was available and should only be taken as a guide. riser : 0.9 x 1.5 mm keel 2 x 2 mm. Figure 13: Keel, Risers & Bottom Boards bottom boards: 0.9 x 3 mm. mm. head sheets thwarts stern sheets Figure 14: Thwarts; Head and Stern Sheets External Fittings: Added features included : upward extension of stem post stern post tiller arm and rudder Figure 15: Tiller Arm & Rudder 12