Rod Davies

Many thanks Chuck and Jeff. Clinched. Regards, Rod

Late to the party but I hope the information is useful; from "Practical Construction of Warships" by RN Newton, first published in 1939 updated to 1949. A lot of the information in the book was good for the 50's to 70's period. The book illustrates the "standard" watertight door (two hinges, ten clips) and defines the measurement of the frame as welded into the screen or bulkhead as 5 feet 6 inches. Width proportioned from the diagram comes out at 2 feet 6 inches. Some ships had wider doors of the same height in different locations eg Leander Class frigates in the waists.

Many thanks Jeff. Clearly we have both been frustrated in the search. I think I have exhausted all the usual options unless there is another contributor who knows. Usually I would accept past crew members' information as gospel even conscious I of my own failing memory of ships I served in. I already have a jig made up for five bladed props for Type12 and Leanders so I am now tempted to just go with that.

Greetings Arnold, I am currently scratch building Devonshire as-built from own plans at 1:150. She reflects the differences between the first two ships of the class and the later ships but I have not been able to ascertain the number of propellor blades. There is one plan supplier showing 4 blades and you have built to 5. Do you have a definitive source for reference please? Thanks, Rod.

Hi Bertie, I agree with all that you say and understand the spiralling issue around the fitting of sails. "Crinkles" was my typo. My eyes and hands don't deliver at 71 as well as they did 60 years ago but experience and research makes up the difference. I use the terminology out of habit. There are a couple of good pictures of Beagle in Australia in Marsden Hordern's book "Mariners are Warned" on which I modelled a rough kit set conversion.

Hi Bertie, I am amazed that a kit of such obvious quality in other respects should provide sails sewn with an overlocker. They won't do your model any favours. When you get to working that stage may I suggest that you make replacements by hand using a more suitable material and stitching? I usually make mine from drawing linen with hand stitched hems and sewn bolt ropes and crinkles made from white string dyed in tea or coffee. Draughting linen was used for mapping, architectural drawings and other high quality drawing. It was made from heavily starched fine linen and when the starch is washed out produces a fine white cloth. Probably not available from stationers anymore but perhaps an ancient architect. Rod

Hi again Steve, I hope the following is not too long: Nepean-Longridge states that the foresheets are 7-in cabled rope, standing part seized to a thimble in an eyebolt in the ship's side just above and to the fore side of the ninth middle deck port. It then reeves through the 24in block at the clew of the sail comes back and reeves through the lower of two sheaves let into the ship's side on the upper deck on the after side of the seventh upper deck port. The sheet is then carried forward and belays on the large staghorn below the gangway between the sixth and seventh upper deck guns." Then Main Sheet: " The standing part is made fast to an eyebolt in the side below the spider for the sheet block. It reeves through the 24in single block at the clew of the sail, then through the sheet block in the spider on the side, through the lead-lined hole in the quarterdeck bulwark and belays to the staghorn inside the bulwarks". I haven't figured out how to attach a photo here yet. I hope this is more help, Best of luck, Rod

Gidday Steve, If my comparison with Nepean-Longridge's "Anatomy of Nelson's Ships" is correct, the lines represent the fore and main course sheets, although, for the life of me, I cannot figure why they have been illustrated without the braces also being drawn in. Rod

Hi all, A great build. I might be able to shed some light on the mysterious boxes near the torpedo tubes. One reference I used a long time ago said that there were paraffin tanks on the upper deck for replenishing the torpedo engine heating paraffin. Looking at those boxes, I suggest they may be the storage tanks with an additional screening cover to reflect heat from the sun as used to be fitted on the top of pyrotechnic tanks too. Rod.

Hi Gamevender, You have made two beautiful models which demonstrate skill and patience I no longer have. My last 1:600 warships were HMS's Nelson and Hood over 50 years ago. I particularly like the sea effect on your Daring and the wake is "magic". Michal (socjo1) raised an observation which hopefully will not be too hard to fix. His pictures highlight a discovery I picked up while drawing some plans for Battle Class destroyers: the Squid mortars are "handed" in that there are starboard side and port side versions so that the pattern of the charges exploding in the water is not all in the same line and thus "rack" the submarine. As far as I can determine, the central bomb barrel in each version is pointed a little inboard relative to the other two. I'll get around to completing the Drawings one day. Best wishes for the Festive Season, Rod

Greetings Alun, Have only just found your site but am very grateful for the content and quality. I served in Waikato briefly in 1970 and CY in 1972-3 but memory is not a reliable source anymore. You have filled in some source gaps for me while I build from scratch, a 1:96 model of Waikato for the early to mid 80's. This has meant some changes to my drawings and some almost completed work. It has also highlighted some points I would like to assist you with as I would be sorry to see such excellent effort spent on your fine model spoilt by one or two mistakes. I mean no offence with the following observation. If I read your photos correctly, the model bridge front screen is vertical, and there are awkward twists in the forward face of the wings. In fact the screen is sloped aft about three degrees and the top third is imperceptably faceted to meet with the three centreline window angles. I have had a devil of a job getting mine right so apologise for raising this. Best wishes, Rod