HMS Beagle 1:60 scale Occre by embojo

[embojo]

I took the plunge and ordered my first ship model. Like many others on this site, I was attracted to this ship by its association with Darwin, and its career as a survey ship. I have been fascinated by the many build logs here and on Model Ship World. I'm attracted by the possibilities of customizing aspects of the kit to improve its accuracy after seeing some great work here, but not sure if that will be beyond my capabilities as a shipyard novice. At least I tell myself that I was involved in delicate fingertip work throughout my career until I partially retired recently. Over the last few years I have read a lot about the Beagle voyage and poured over the Marquardt AOTS book. I hope you will be indulgent when I post probably very basic questions. So here is the shiny newly arrived box. Really exciting...

 

[BMT]

I punched that kit at the beginning of the year. I'm looking forward to starting the build towards the end of the year.

I look forward to following your build with interest.

Sidenote, I like your Persian...

 

[embojo]

I hope I haven't started this thread prematurely! Since the kit arrived (actually a couple of weks ago), I realise my build space isn't ready yet and I need to get a few new tools. To keep myself interested, I decided to look into some crew figures for the future ship, and perhaps assemble the cannon which won't need much space!. There don't seem to be any 1830's Royal Navy figures at least in 1:60 scale. I saw the beautiful Vanguard Napoleonic crew figures which I suppose could be reworked, and the Amati metal Columbus figures. I also saw several members here producing some superb 3D printed figures, but I don't have a printer. The only alternative was to try making some as a test. So, a few Youtube videos later on sculpting Warhammer fantasy figures, and some research on 1830s naval uniforms, I started bending wires to make armatures, for the 25mm figures. I tried several different gauges of wire and a few false starts before I was more confident. Then I posed the armatures and stuck them in a cork and began adding clay. I tried both Milliput, Fimo and Greenstuff from the local hobby shops. I was quite pleased with the first two figures although after seeing the amazing 3D printed work, feel they need some more work on the faces... I'm so looking forward to starting the kit proper, but this will keep me going until I can start in earnest.

 

[BMT]

I thought about adding figures to some of the builds but have not done so.

Nothing is premature. It just keeps the interest high..

 

[embojo]

Captain Fitzroy, second attempt.

 

[Uwek]

Wow Wow Wow
The captain is looking great - now I am looking forward to see the work on your ship model.....

 

[BMT]

echoing Uwek..WOW…

 

[gene438]

Ahhh, the Beagle was also my first ship. I think you will enjoy the build very, very much. Not only is it a nice kit, there are tons of videos and build logs to guide and help you along the way. I think it is a great first ship and I wish you well. The best advice I got here on the forum and it proved to be more true than I originally thought....Be patient, the goal is not to finish but to enjoy the journey. It is not a race. I look forward to following your build.

 

[embojo]

Thanks for the encouragement... still seems a daunting prospect. I will certainly be referring to your build.

 

[embojo]

Meantime... A young Darwin in conversation with Captain Fitzroy. They first met ashore some months before the Beagle sailed. So I wont feel too bad that they don't yet have a ship to stand on!

 

[DennisP]

I took the plunge and ordered my first ship model. Like many others on this site, I was attracted to this ship by its association with Darwin, and its career as a survey ship. I have been fascinated by the many build logs here and on Model Ship World. I'm attracted by the possibilities of customizing aspects of the kit to improve its accuracy after seeing some great work here, but not sure if that will be beyond my capabilities as a shipyard novice. At least I tell myself that I was involved in delicate fingertip work throughout my career until I partially retired recently. Over the last few years I have read a lot about the Beagle voyage and poured over the Marquardt AOTS book. I hope you will be indulgent when I post probably very basic questions. So here is the shiny newly arrived box. Really exciting...

View attachment 465364

Did you ever start the Beagle please ?

 

[embojo]

Hi DennisP, thanks for asking. I was preoccupied over the last 6 months and more setting up my back garden observatory, which is at last up and running (first test image of the Whirlpool Galaxy M51 attached)! My shed/workshop has been pretty chaotic over this time preventing me from starting. Now that the observatory is finally running, my new project is clearing the workshop so that I can finally get to work on the Beagle! I kept my interest afloat with researching mid-nineteenth century naval uniforms, making some more of the crew figures and reading biographies of Darwin and accounts of the voyage, and remain keen to finally get started. I do feel some trepidation about getting into planking etc which have remained theoretical concepts until now, and seem much more difficult than sculpting the crew figures! (The chap on the left is wearing a Nelson era uniform, not 1830's issue. I just wanted to try my hand).

 

[embojo]

I'm a novice when it comes to ship building. To get some experience before starting on the build in earnest, I decided to order the NRG Half Hull Planking Project kit, which is designed to teach the principles of planking. I really enjoyed it as a small project and it certainly opened my eyes to a lot of planking issues. I would recommend it to any newcomers like me, or to anyone who wants to learn a bit more about spiling and rabets and the like! Here is the finished hull...

 

[DennisP]

I'm a novice when it comes to ship building. To get some experience before starting on the build in earnest, I decided to order the NRG Half Hull Planking Project kit, which is designed to teach the principles of planking. I really enjoyed it as a small project and it certainly opened my eyes to a lot of planking issues. I would recommend it to any newcomers like me, or to anyone who wants to learn a bit more about spiling and rabets and the like! Here is the finished hull...

View attachment 586772

Awesome, excellent job as you are new to it, but seeing the detail on your figures and the attention you put into astronomy its obvious you are going to be good.
Now onto the Beagle
Thanks for posting

 

[embojo]

Awesome, excellent job as you are new to it, but seeing the detail on your figures and the attention you put into astronomy its obvious you are going to be good.
Now onto the Beagle
Thanks for posting

Thanks for the kind words DennisP.

 

[embojo]

Easing in to things, I decided to begin with one of the ships boats over the last week. I started with the 26' yawl, which is stored on the main deck. The kit boat looks quite nice but the wood looks too thick for scale. I decided to try a partial scratch build, using the frames from the kit, then filling in the gaps with balsa. I added a new keel from hardwood. The wood was mainly left over pieces from the half hull kit and then some new pieces I bought.

 

[embojo]

I was interested that Marquardt shows the floor grating at the stern, in the yawl as well as in the gig and jolly boat, oriented diagonally. I havent see this before... was it common? I cut out some narrow strips of basswood. I found that by putting a piece of wide blue masking tape, sticky-side up, I could then easily hold the basswood pieces forming the frame in place then cut the shorter length diagonals to fit, and stick with white glue. The opposite diagonals were then applied on top. They don't really intersect as they should, (although it would have been possible to cut tiny short pieces to fit in) but they are not too visible. Once everything glued I sanded down. I ordered some hardwood strips which arrived just in time so carved out the oars (from walnut) and boat hook (from box wood)... still a bit thick. The boxwood was incredible. I couldn't believe how hard it is.

I realized too late I had made the bosuns compartment at the stern, too big. That pushed the stern sheet benches too far forwards which in turn, meant the thwarts are a little bit crowded! The figures I had previously made weren't intended to sit in the boat, but actually they fit in surprisingly well...

 

[embojo]

Beginning in earnest. I decided to follow advice and get started on the kitchen table (in quiet moments). I've watched a lot of build logs on this and the other site, and plan to follow as many of the kit enhancements as I can, trying to bring it closer to the representation in Marquardt's book. I had previously read widely around the Darwin literature and have now added as much of the Beagle literature as I can find. This has led me into some areas where I'm not sure I agree with Marquardt's reconstruction. I'll get to these in future posts as will value other's opinions there.

 

[embojo]

First thing I want to do is to simulate the deck planking more accurately. I've opted for a 6mm king plank, 5mm binding strakes and 3mm for other planks and pencilled these onto the false deck. I'm planning to cut the planks from a sheet of light coloured walnut I have. (I'm so envious of those who can mill their own timber, and have table saws, lathes, thickness sanders etc. I got a severe dressing down when the admiral caught me looking at mini-lathes online!) I then decided that I want to add some deck camber. That led in turn to wanting to open the hatches in the companionways. I marked out the hatches on the deck plan, then noticed that the fore hatch on the kit is positioned further forwards than Marquardt has it, I adjusted the position accordingly.

 

[embojo]

I then cut out the deck openings. Using some balsa scrapwood I made small sections of simulated deck, and some ladders. There wont be much to see, but I didn't want the ladders hanging in space! I plan to scratch build the deck house/hatches