HMS-Bella 1/60 scale Wood ship.

[foxy]

Hi well with Victory near complete and the need to start another build.

Its to a second hand buy of a mostly wood ship I have my grey cells fixed on.

Along side Victory this will be another kit built, but with lots of wood work.

The box art but renamed the Frigate.



Started with the hull frames.

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff152/fox-3/HMS-President/DSCF5418_zpst95qgpgc.jpg


Some of the components.




One extra so far is some balsa wood to go in between frames.


All now waiting on the glue to dry.

That's it for now.

foxy

[Dads203]

Wow Frank , another one fella, you really are in the the grove buddy

Dan

[Spud]

Looking forward to following this, Mr. Foxy!

Liking your progress so far and looking forwards to getting several hints from your build. Who is the manufacturer?

[longshanks]

Here we go again on another epic voyage......................

Kev

[foxy]

Cheers guy's.

Spud its a Sergal kit 1/60 scale.

Well I know I should be continuing with Victory, but the change is giving me more mojo at the moment.

So its the balsa next.
This is not to hard to cut but the frame of this kit makes it difficult.
So as not to waste any balsa I am doing in blocks.


Once glue is dry I shape with saw and files/sanding to shape.





This takes time to let set and then move on to more block/sanding.



Added stern transom wood piece at this time.
The stern windows will be scratch built and a metal side window frame.



So near completed the filling in of the frames.

More pictures soon.

foxy

[Dads203]

Not hanging about Frank, nice work buddy

[foxy]

Cheers Dan.

Will be using three colours of wood for this, Maple 1/3mm for the basic frame planking and two other colours 05/3 for the outer skin planking.

The carronade's that come with the kit will be replaced by 6 pounder metal guns and scratch built trucks.

Also the transom will be scratch built and metal side window frames.

So will not look the same as the box art come finish.

foxy

[longshanks]

Wot no internals !! Only joking matey

Not surprised your mojo is a little pale on the Victory, Bella will perk you up

Kev

[foxy]

He he nice one Kev. No not on this ship shipmate

Continuing along side Victory with all the major balsa now done.

Next its some fittings for the deck hatch's and maybe plank the deck before doing the side planking.

Will use two different woods for this to give some colour variation.

More soon.

foxy

[Spud]

Looking good sir!

Interested to find out more regarding the balsa in-fill? I've not tried that before...

Cheers,

Spud

[foxy]

Hi spud.

The reason for the infill is to keep planking in the right form.

Also to strengthen the hull before planking.

It makes for a stronger hull.

One more picture of the progress.



These come in prefab form and have to be made to size required.

The kit however doe's not have enuff material for the three needed, so ordered some more.
The 3 Pdr cannon are not going to work on this build(should be 12 Pdr) but recoil on this type of frigate would not be possible, so have to revert to carronades,

So going back to carronade's, which means new bases.

These are on order and should fit the bill.

foxy

[foxy]

Well some more done to the ship.


Added lower side mahogany and partitions between decks.



Loose fitted hatch's.

foxy

[foxy]

Well after eight hours today I manged to do near one side and add some more to the Height of the sides'.

Time consuming this is but I am smitten with wood ships.

'But only with this one', as its me first.

So nearly run out of pins and had to order some more.

Its thanks to Cornish model boats for the quick response to my emergency.(not really, but there not bad for timing on delivery's).

foxy

[foxy]

Been another day on this ship.

Its changing all the time.
Now its a Sloop with 10 guns and 4 pop guns mounted on the poop.

My Carranade base's came today.


With the kit carranede's this will look fine .

Test fit and all seems ok.


They swivel too.

Then it was a test for hight and that to was ok.



Having run out of pins to secure first side planks I started the deck planking.



Now I have to work out the correct masts/yards for a sloop?.

Pins and other items ordered from Cornish model boats.

foxy

[Gremlin56]

Looking ace Frank, hull planking is coming on nicely. Varnish and a sanding then new varnish for the outer hull? Only plank on frames thing I ever built was the Billing Boats Smit London tug and I built it about 30 years ago when I first went ashore. After assembling the hull I covered it with spray putty and sanded it down till it was smoother than a baby's stern. Of course you can only do that with a steel ship.

[foxy]

Thanks Julian matey.
I am new at this lark to, and its been pointed out that you only use the pins/nails to hold planking in till dry and then pull them out.
But no worries, just a bit more weight that's all , but will do the pin outs when doing the outer planking.

Have filed down the heads of the pins and added mahogany sheet to the top half.








The bottom half will be planking.
With strips of wood along sides this should look ok, 'He say's'.

Next I took a look at the anchors, wood for the top half and metal for the anchor its self.
Shaped the wood.


Filed out a square hole and fixed metal to it.


'Wola'.

Next put together the steps down to next deck and smaller one's for the poop and for,d deck.



So been a successful morning's work.

Thanks for watching.

foxy

[Gremlin56]

Tempting me to buy a wooden "ship of the line' Frank, your build is looking great. I took a surreptitious look at a model of the HMS Surprise. Price was rather sobering

[GrantGoodale]

Neat idea with the hair clips - thanks for sharing

[foxy]

Cheers Julian mate.

As if I would tempt you lol, I Was a bit worried that a wood ship here might not go down to well.

But as Grant.(Hi Grant and thanks) points out there are still somethings that are Interesting in the tools and way this is being done.

You can thank Kev for he was the one that gave me the tip on the clips in the first place.

Being my first wood ship in mostly wood its been an education.

Still have Connie in the wings , so hope for some plastic again later.

Thanks all for the Interest.

foxy

[Killingholme]

Hi Foxy,

missed this one. As a first wood kit, I think you've done rather well. Just consider the number of abandoned kits like this you see on ebay with just the bulkheads assembled.... It's like battersea dogs home for wooden ship kits...

That said, I wouldn't worry too much about this kit- it's a complete nonsense- no such vessel (as you've already established) and what is there doesn't much like ANYTHING from the 18th century really!

As you go on, here is a brilliant guide to planking ships. I reckon you could easily encompass much of this on your second planking. I think a really important step would be to create a clear bearding line- and spend a lot of time getting the garboard plank right- everything else working up depends on it!

http://modelshipworldforum.com/resources/Framing_and_Planking/plankingprojectbeginners.pdf

By the way- I'm speaking as a bit of an armchair commentator- I've only done three wooden kits, and I made a total mess of the first!

Oh, and just so you know- if you want a super-accurate scale kit of an 18th century frigate without bursting the bank (about £40)- look up 'shipyard' card models. They are superb, and the most modern releases are pretty much fully laser cut. They even make dockyard buildings.

Will

[rollsroyce]

Hi Foxy

Looks like another great build on the way. I'm going to join the followers if I may..

How are you bending the planks without snapping them?

Cheers

Guy

[foxy]

Hi Guy.

First I soak about 6 inchs under the tap or you could use a bottle with water in it.
Then use a bender.



Making sure the wood in this case maple has the smooth side outer, it works with the inner side sometimes, so best to check each time.
Then glue the surface and fix with pins, they tell me that you should not hammer the pin home.

But after having a go I find that if you use very thin pins then its better to push all the way.
I find this is easier and less time waiting for the glue to dry and hold to shape.

I am doing this on the first plank sides, will how ever do the other method(leave pins part way out and remove once dry.

I have seen both ways in my studies of this method, 'so hobson choice.'

A couple more pictures of the progress.

The tops are plain so adding some detail to the top by ribbing, same method for shaping curves with bender, but thinned the wood for filing down later.



Over all test fit of carranade trucks, will paint these red.



Thanks for your Interest.

foxy

[foxy]

Couple more pictures.

First time using my milling machine, lined up the holes perfectly.



Was a two hour thing as I had worked out how many racks I needed.
Used resin cannon balls.



Thanks for looking.

foxy.

[Dads203]

Blimey Frank you are moving on this build fella, nice work buddy.

Dan

[rollsroyce]

HI Foxy

Thanks for the explanation. Looks like patience and persistence in equal quantities. Looking like another great one to follow.

Cheers

Guy