I definitely like your work! I'm following your updates!
The gun deck beams were straight forward as were the carlings. Beams from 1650 to 1725 were made of single pieces of timber as the shortage of mature timber had not taken hold in England. Scores in the deck clamps were sometimes used and, according to Peter Goodwin, would have been 1 inch (less than half a mm at 1:64) But, in this case, the contract states that the beams were "tayled" rather than the clamps scored. I have not found any dates for when beam arms came into common use. There is a model of a 60 gun ship made in 1705 and a model from 1650 of a 56 gun ship at Preble Hall that do not have beam arms so I went with that and did not include them. If I got it wrong at least I know the masters made the same mistake. 
The scantlings of the beams were taken from the contract.
NB: As can be seen in the photo, the tops of the top timbers appear to be quite thin, but they are right at scale. There are a lot of models in which the top timbers being far too thick resulting in having cap rails that are absurdly broad. From the contract: Top Timbers to be Three Inches in and out aloft.
The scantlings of the beams were taken from the contract. NB: As can be seen in the photo, the tops of the top timbers appear to be quite thin, but they are right at scale. There are a lot of models in which the top timbers being far too thick resulting in having cap rails that are absurdly broad. From the contract: Top Timbers to be Three Inches in and out aloft.
I just went and measured the width of my top timbers. I always felt like I had over-faired the frames. Corrected for scale = about 3 inches! The KF is a smaller ship, but I still feel comforted.
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Hi AllanKP69 , Kudos for the documentation work and with a very nice set up of the details, I wonder: the bilge snakes are not there ( hull seepage water collection) ? Are the dimensions of the parts extracted from some table ? Thanks for Your feedback.Frank
Hi Frank,
Sorry but I am not sure to what you are referring as bilge snakes is a new term for me. There is a shallow notch in the frames on which the pump suction end sits as seen in the photos in post #15 above. Could you please post a drawing that shows the bilge snakes as I am really curious about this. Sometime in the past I recall seeing modern drawings showing a notch in the frames but I have never found a contemporary drawing or text describing this on English ships. The first sketch below is mine and what I am imaging might be bilge snakes (the notches next to the keel) and the second is a contemporary frame drawing at RMG that does not show these notches.
Thanks
Allan
The contract for the Nautilus (16) 1784 shows the moulded dimension as 3 inches at the head of the top timber so if you are about 3 inches for KF, that should be spot on.
Allan
Perhaps, and I'm guessing here, Frank (@Frank48) has limber channels in mind?
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Hi AllanKP69 , forgive me that with translators you don't always have a right question, I attach a few pictures that are worth more than a hundred words.Frank
Bitts and cross pieces as well as the foremast partners can be seen below. Nothing special, just went with the original drawings and scantlings.
Bitt Pins Knees and Crosspeices To place Two Pair of Substantiall Bitt Pinns The Aftermost Pair To be Sixteen Inches and the Foremost pair to be Fifteen Inches Square in ye Head with Cross Pieces to Each pair of the Same Dimentions. To Step them in Hold and to place them abaft the Beame. To be Stopped with a score of an Inch Deep into the same and Bolted with Two Bolts in Each of an Inch Auger. To score ye Crosspeices into ye Bitts about Two Inches and to brace them together with Four pair of substantiall Iron Hookes and Eyes. To fix Two Pairs of good Standarts Upon Four Substantiall Carlings Placed between Beame and Beame in the Wake of them. The Fore and Aft Arme to be as long as the Bill Pinns are in Distance and Bolt them with Five Bolts in Each Standart by an Inch and Eighth Auger.
Bitt Pins Knees and Crosspeices To place Two Pair of Substantiall Bitt Pinns The Aftermost Pair To be Sixteen Inches and the Foremost pair to be Fifteen Inches Square in ye Head with Cross Pieces to Each pair of the Same Dimentions. To Step them in Hold and to place them abaft the Beame. To be Stopped with a score of an Inch Deep into the same and Bolted with Two Bolts in Each of an Inch Auger. To score ye Crosspeices into ye Bitts about Two Inches and to brace them together with Four pair of substantiall Iron Hookes and Eyes. To fix Two Pairs of good Standarts Upon Four Substantiall Carlings Placed between Beame and Beame in the Wake of them. The Fore and Aft Arme to be as long as the Bill Pinns are in Distance and Bolt them with Five Bolts in Each Standart by an Inch and Eighth Auger.
The furniture such as capstans, stoves, and pumps are fun projects in themselves and I find they are great to take a break away from the main hull.
The capstans for this era are slightly different than the 18th century but there are a lot of drawings available in books by Lavery et al. The first pics are how I go about making a capstan. These were for another ship, but the last photo is the finished capstan for Litchfield.
Parts
Assembly of rough parts for upper capstan
Nearly Finished lower capstan
Finished Litchfield capstan. There is a third capstan aft as well.
The capstans for this era are slightly different than the 18th century but there are a lot of drawings available in books by Lavery et al. The first pics are how I go about making a capstan. These were for another ship, but the last photo is the finished capstan for Litchfield.
Parts
Assembly of rough parts for upper capstan
Nearly Finished lower capstan
Finished Litchfield capstan. There is a third capstan aft as well.
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I like this approach. Overbuild the chocks and sand back...
I tried to be too clever and spent in inordinate amount of time trying to handle tiny bits with an average result. I also like how you veneered the cheap-wood spindle. Clever.
One of the good things about making cannon is that it can be done at any time. I took care to try to use the right barrel pattern and carriage pattern for English ships in 1695. The carriages were bracket and bed type until the introduction of the Borgard pattern gun carriages about 1716. The following carriage drawing is based on a carriage from the HMS London wreck which in turn was the basis of the drawings by Richard Endsor in The Master Shipwright's Secrets.
The barrels were Commonwealth pattern guns and I could not find any after market source so had to make my own or have them made. It was less expensive (US$0.80 each including freight) to have them made for me and they were much better quality, even as small as 1:64. Note the truncated cone shape of the trunnions. I sent the 3D drawings to the printer and had them in less than two weeks.
I used to make the carriages by cutting strips the same thickness as the dimension of the bore diameter, but luckily invested in a mill a couple years ago and made them with the mill and my old mini table saw. I printed the outline of the brackets on label paper and attached to a block of wood. I then milled the steps and once done, cut strips with the table saw. The trucks and brackets are the same thickness as the bore diameter. I have also used my mini drill press as a mill in years past but the bearings are not meant for lateral cutting and now show signs of wear.
The trucks will be a matter of turning to the right diameter, drilling the right size hole for the axles and then slicing off individual units.
Allan
The barrels were Commonwealth pattern guns and I could not find any after market source so had to make my own or have them made. It was less expensive (US$0.80 each including freight) to have them made for me and they were much better quality, even as small as 1:64. Note the truncated cone shape of the trunnions. I sent the 3D drawings to the printer and had them in less than two weeks.
I used to make the carriages by cutting strips the same thickness as the dimension of the bore diameter, but luckily invested in a mill a couple years ago and made them with the mill and my old mini table saw. I printed the outline of the brackets on label paper and attached to a block of wood. I then milled the steps and once done, cut strips with the table saw. The trucks and brackets are the same thickness as the bore diameter. I have also used my mini drill press as a mill in years past but the bearings are not meant for lateral cutting and now show signs of wear.
The trucks will be a matter of turning to the right diameter, drilling the right size hole for the axles and then slicing off individual units.
Allan
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Good morning Allan. Beautiful work on your HMS Litchfield. I learn so much from your posts and build log- thanks for sharing. Cheers Grant