Project #2 : Round Table Class Minesweeper HMS Sir Lancelot (1/96th scratchbuild)

[Steve D]

17 hours ago, theskits62 said:

i could buy woven metal wire preferably 0.25mm diameter or smaller

Beading multi-strand wire works, I use it, comes in many diameters

[theskits62]

1 hour ago, Steve D said:

Thanks for the vote of confidence Brett, I try to explain everything I do (and also the stuff I get wrong) to encourage others to take a more classical path.  Personally, I can't make plastic sheet do anything I like so watching this thread and other scratchbuilds in plastic leaves me speechless.

 

There are two tools I cannot live without, a mini-drill with sanding disks and my oxy-propane torch with micro jet.  Everything I do in metal involves these key tools.  Master using oxy-propane and hard solder (actually easier than soft solder once you get the hang of it) and you can make anything.  Obviously a lathe helps a lot as well...

 

Lastly, I know my techniques work at 1/48th scale, but have zero experience in smaller scales.  The robustness of the materials work at the scale I use, but would suffer when you go smaller, what people do with PE at tiny scales simply mystifies me...

 

Sir Lancelot is a really impressive build, I bought the book and am tempted once the long list of vessels I have me eye on gets a little shorter

 

If I can help you with the PE artwork or resin items, please drop me a PM, I'm always happy to assist scratch-builders

 

Cheers

 

Steve

 

 

 

Thanks Steve, that's a really generous offer and hopefully one that you won't live to regret.

 

Originally i was planning on a larger scale early RN destroyer as the follow on to my first model (something like Jason, Acorn class, Medea) and after a visit to the archives i was really fired up but a temporary move to Exmoor meant i needed something smaller and Lancelot fitted the bill. Its proving to be a lot more complex than i ever imagined, nothing is straight or level and the level of clutter on the deck means the whole thing is taking an age. Probably won't be in Exmoor much longer (alas) and once i return and this job is finished i intend to go back to the original plan. I doubt I'll ever entirely get away from my plastic habit but i do intend to limit it. Wood is always such a joy to work with hopefully metal will be too (i'm already developing a bit of a youtube habit for lathing and horology videos !)

[Steve D]

From memory, there is a good detail drawing of a rn sweep winch in the anatomy of a ship series flower class, can’t remember the name. If you still need it I’ll look it up next week when I’m home, scan and post it here

 

cheers

 

Steve

[theskits62]

2 hours ago, Steve D said:

From memory, there is a good detail drawing of a rn sweep winch in the anatomy of a ship series flower class, can’t remember the name. If you still need it I’ll look it up next week when I’m home, scan and post it here

 

cheers

 

Steve

 

Thanks for that. If you could scan for me that would be much appreciated. I'll also have a look and see if i can find a copy as it sounds like it could be an interesting book...

[theskits62]

While i'm waiting for my "Anatomy of the Ship - Agassiz" to arrive i thought i'd have a go at the lifeboat. There are oversize plans of this in the appendix of the fantastic "British Naval Trawlers and Drifters" book i mentioned earlier so first step was to try to scale these down to 1/96 scale and make a solid master out of plastic and balsa. I think i included a picture of this before but here it is again...

 

 

I then used the vacforming box to form a hollow cast of this. I actually made several to cater for cock ups and allow me something to practice clinkering on.

 

 

With vacforming you cannot achieve a sharp edge, its as if you are pouring toffee over the mold and all the nice sharp lines come out muted so the first step was then to sand away some of the plastic to accenuate the ,curves of the hull lost in the vacforming process. It was for this reason is used slightly thicker card (0.5mm). Once this was done the hull was cut in half with a razor saw and a new stern plate added and filled to give me the line sharp line at the rear. I then mounted each half on plastic card that will eventually form the keel but in the meantime gives me something to hold on to. I imagine the clinker planks would be no more then 15mm thick and scaled down that comes to 0.1mm ish which conveniently is the thickness of printer paper. I then cut out thin strips of paper and carefully built up the planking. Becasue of the small size straight strips seem to work fine, there is enough stretch bend in the paper to give the sweeping curves.

 

 

Next step is clinker the inside of the hull and add all the ribs and details which i will hopefully do over the weekend.

[robgizlu]

That dinghy looks superb - Kudos!

Rob

[Louis E]

On 04/09/2023 at 16:25, theskits62 said:

I thought it was about time i started some work on the minesweeping winch and windlass since these are 2 of the bigger and more complex deck items remaining. The plans don't include a lot of detail on the winch and i was wondering if anyone has any idea where i can find more information on this ???

 

 

 

 

As you can see the plans don't really give you much more than an outline. I found a coupe of useful images which give more detail but unfortunately both from the same side.

 

 

 

At 1/96th the winch will only be a couple of cms across so i won't be able to do more than create an impression of the main points but I'd like to try to get some more info on the other side where the controls are.

 

My other question is whether it is possible to buy something that will pass as the cable on this. Ropes of scale ( https://ropesofscale.com/) looks like the best bet so far but i was wondering if anyone knows where i could buy woven metal wire preferably 0.25mm diameter or smaller ??

 

Thanks

Brett

 

This picture comes very close to what is drawn in the trawler plans you use. As far as I know the winch was a Robertsons trawling winch. The winch in the Agassiz AOTS is of a completely different layout. Apart from this it will probably not fit, considering the extremely cluttered deckspace of the trawler. If you like, I can PM what I made of it during my build (the fast and easy way) or I can try posting it her from Pinterest (the hard, time consuming and slippery way).

Regards, Louis

[theskits62]

56 minutes ago, Louis E said:

This picture comes very close to what is drawn in the trawler plans you use. As far as I know the winch was a Robertsons trawling winch. The winch in the Agassiz AOTS is of a completely different layout. Apart from this it will probably not fit, considering the extremely cluttered deckspace of the trawler. If you like, I can PM what I made of it during my build (the fast and easy way) or I can try posting it her from Pinterest (the hard, time consuming and slippery way).

Regards, Louis

Hi Louis - I agree, i was looking at the Agassiz pictures today and it does appear to be a completely different design. It looks like it is rigged to handle the sweeps and the kites rather than just the sweeps. Your input would be really appreciated. I'd love to see how you tackled the job particularly the side you cannot see in the picture. Thankyou

[heloman1]

Excellent work going on here. I'm no boat builder but built balsa models in my teens. I'm into helicopters but the title of your build grabbed my attention and I've just trawled through all four pages.

If I may and maybe assist to you and others who vacform needed parts.

On the tray/plattern of the vac-former, mask off the excess holes, ie, those not immediately around the wanted part (master). This allows the plastic to closer form/pull around the master avoiding rounding at the bottom edges. Also if you have a void under the plattern, fill this about 80% with Oasis or similar hard foam, this reduces the amount of air the vacuum has to pull.

 

Colin

[Bandsaw Steve]

That clinker construction looks brilliant! Thanks for explaining how you did that. What glue did you use to secure the paper to the plastic? 
 

[Louis E]

Let's see if this works.....

[Louis E]

If you can see it, it does....

Here is another one:

[Louis E]

I will PM you what I made of this; I don't want to hijack your thread...

[theskits62]

On 9/23/2023 at 10:42 AM, heloman1 said:

Excellent work going on here. I'm no boat builder but built balsa models in my teens. I'm into helicopters but the title of your build grabbed my attention and I've just trawled through all four pages.

If I may and maybe assist to you and others who vacform needed parts.

On the tray/plattern of the vac-former, mask off the excess holes, ie, those not immediately around the wanted part (master). This allows the plastic to closer form/pull around the master avoiding rounding at the bottom edges. Also if you have a void under the plattern, fill this about 80% with Oasis or similar hard foam, this reduces the amount of air the vacuum has to pull.

 

Colin

 

Thanks for the feedback and also the useful vacforming tips. I do tend to block off surplus holes but never thought about the void in the box !! 

[theskits62]

21 hours ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

That clinker construction looks brilliant! Thanks for explaining how you did that. What glue did you use to secure the paper to the plastic? 
 

Thanks, i used loctite 60 second for the paper strips i find it really useful for anything thats not plastic on plastic. 

[theskits62]

1 hour ago, Louis E said:

I will PM you what I made of this; I don't want to hijack your thread...

Thanks Louis, that would be a great help. 

[theskits62]

The lifeboat is done apart from some brackets and rivets on the stern/rudder but i'm going cross eyed now so breaking off for the day....

 

 

You can probably just about make out the clinkering on the inside of the boat here, for some reason its a lot harder on a concave surface and starting from the top is also a bit confusing.

 

 

Still have to make the tressel and some oars but that will have to wait for another day.

 

[Bandsaw Steve]

Exquisite!

 

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Gidday @theskits62, that's superb detail on that little boat. It's a model in it's own right. Regards, Jeff.

[theskits62]

33 minutes ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

Gidday @theskits62, that's superb detail on that little boat. It's a model in it's own right. Regards, Jeff.

Thanks Jeff, yes it certainly felt like it. Thankfully there is only 1 of them to worry about, the thought of doing that again would be too much ! Cheers Brett

Edited September 25, 2023 by theskits62

[heloman1]

The lifeboat, is a little work of art all on it's own. I'm sure you were cross eyed...

Good luck with you next vac-forming adventure.

 

Colin

[robgizlu]

All of the above - that is just Marvellous 

Rob

[JohnWS]

The lifeboat looks awesome.  Great detailing.

 

 

John

[Dancona]

Simply superb, lovely project this one, and that boat is (if I can just copy Steve, Rob and John, they are good with words) exquisite, marvellous and awesome, not everyone quite understands how much work goes into scratching something like that, well done !

 

Cheers

 

David

 

[theskits62]

On 9/25/2023 at 6:25 PM, Dancona said:

Simply superb, lovely project this one, and that boat is (if I can just copy Steve, Rob and John, they are good with words) exquisite, marvellous and awesome, not everyone quite understands how much work goes into scratching something like that, well done !

 

Cheers

 

David

 

Thanks David, i am pleased with the way it turned out and tbh i needed the mojo boost, there are times when i think i've bitten off way more than i can chew with this one and many days where at the end of a good 7 hour stint i feel like i've actually gone backwards. Anyway i'm trying to focus on some smaller jobs now before i take the plunge and attempt the main winch and windlass.