HMS GREYHOUND Rescue - Corel 1/100

[peter6172]

Well I already have BOUNTY and NORFOLK on the go when up comes a pair of GREYHOUNDs offered up to the CMSS for completion. I had a look at both; one planked and filled, the other with planking started. I fear the later was done first with planking ........... Thankfully the original owner used balsa glue so the planks were relatively easy to peel off. The former however clearly demonstrated the issue that Corel has with the bulkheads and the bull has some interesting lines around bulkheads 9, 10 and 11; almost looks like the hull is in the early stages of pregnancy. There's little resurrection possible with this model as the original builder decided to do some of his own scratch building with a gunport in a range of sizes and shapes.

I was not going to give up though. I decided to put a side the planks model and started pulling apart the structure of the second model. If I could resurrect enough to build a decent model then I would have something to offer back to the original l owner or his wife as a memory or to donate to the CMSS as a raffle prize.


WHERE TO START:

The fore, main and quarter decks were removed and put in the bin. They too came off fairly easily due to the use of balsa cement but they had received some damage during their assembly/installation. The original owner had decided to cut the main deck in half lengthwise to install it. This the provided an uneven surface to plank on and it showed. Further the lower deck was drilled with large holes for screws to hold holding block. They each had their issues but it was easier to start from scratch.

Using the kits 1:1 scale templates I cut new sub decks from 2mm ply stock, cleaned up the bulkheads slots and test fitted to make sure all was well. I then planked the main in my usual manner. I chose not to install Margi boards as this is a 1:100 scale model and the FX and QX decks cover the main deck where a marking boards installation would be best noticed. I then made up the coamings, shelves and frames for the long hatches and cut and installed the grates.

All seemed well until I trial fitted the main deck. Then I noticed that a number of Bulkheads were not installed squarely and Bulkheads 1 and 13 were not installed squarely on the longitudinal vertical. There was little to do with the squareness as I would sort this out when installing the main deck but I had to remove Bulkhead's 1 and 13 and reinstall them as they would affect the shape of the hull. I also noticed that the false Kel hd a twist in it so I have had to make a building frame to ensure everything is true as I commence planking the hull.

IMAGES:
Image 1 is the planked hull (Hull 1) against the progress on the second hull. I considered cutting everything off at main deck level of Hull 1 and rebuild but then realised that the hull had too many there issues to deal with.

Image 2 is the progress on Hull 2 to date.

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Do you have any photos of these salvage operations?

 

[peter6172]

Do you have any photos of these salvage operations?

I'm going to build this model "Out o the Box" excepting where I may have to make a replacement for a missing or broken item. The pair of hulls came in 1 1/2 GREYHOUND boxes and appears to have had a batch of NWSL mixed Basswood packet added. I am not familiar with Corel kits but it appears that ply parts may have to be cut from a printed sheet rather than laser cut. This would explain many of the problems with the ply parts in the hull.

I have no idea whyCorelwould still produce a kit which has so obvious Bulkhead shape issues. Bulkheads 9, 10 and 11 clearly have the wrong dimensions from the keel up. I have followed the advice of a 2013 build log to laminate the lower sections of bulkheads 9 and 10, and to shave off the lower 3mm of Frame 11. Fairing will even thing out once the Fore, Main and Quarter decks are glued in place. I also note that the quality of the ply used is quite poor. The previous owner has pinned planks during glueing but these pin holes have significantly weakened the stanchions and the material delaminates with ease. The replacement 2 and 4mm ply I have been using is aero grade ply.

 

[peter6172]

Have found there are not too many missing parts for a build out of the box but I am surprised that with two kits there should be 40 guns; I only have 6. Mind you the 25mm supplied cannons are some 7mm overscale for 1/100 6pdr. The one key missing/brocken piece is the one piece transom decoration. The one I have is in two pieces obviously because the previous owner tried to bend the flat casting around the curve of the transom. I have enquired of Corel if they can replace the missing parts (at my cost of course). Mind you I am tempted to just buy Mantua 20mm cannon/carriage kits as they are close to scale.

 

[peter6172]

Three of the four between deck ladders have been made and installed as have the transom posts.

Hull now faired, I have installed the two walnut strakes on the port side which support the metal gunport surrounds

 

[Uwek]

Looks like your bulkheads are well prepared and faired to start your planking.
Is the hull double planked? I guess yes, because otherwise it would be not easy to cover these metal gunport frames

 

[peter6172]

Looks like your bulkheads are well prepared and faired to start your planking.
Is the hull double planked? I guess yes, because otherwise it would be not easy to cover these metal gunport frames

Yep definitely double planked. The design of the kit and the castings depends on it else I have to use rather robust initial planking. Inside of Bulwalks are made up of several layers too before trimming the frames for deckside planking.

 

[Bryian]

My goodness, the previous model builder made a mess of that.

 

[peter6172]

My goodness, the previous model builder made a mess of that.

Yes. One is well beyond rescue, the second is proving a challenge but I think I can manage to rescue it. The first two planks on each side have been installed after trimming the upper parts of the bulkheads to get the plank above the gunport to sit fairly. Only bulkheads 1 and 13 are straight and square (the ones I could remove). none of the others are which hadsmade fairing a challenge. Aside from the known design issues with Bulkhead's 9, 10 and 11, I have had to make adjustments to other bulkheads as well to account for the un-squareness.

 

[peter6172]

I am reasonably pleased with the rescue progress.
First planking is in on the bulwarks both sides and the vertical gunport support planks are in. Almost time to trim down the bulkhead bulwark extensions and then plank the inside of the bulwarks.
Although initially responding positively to a parts enquiry, Corel has gone quiet so in the absence of a spare to fix the transom, I will have to do some scratch work. I have the support made and now sanding down the broken casting to get the main features ready to glue to the ply base. Not the easiest thing to do as this casting is terribly brittle.

 

[peter6172]

Have made some headway with GREYHOUND. The first plank for the bulwarks are in and sanded. I have laid in the internal bulwark planks on the Port side (starboard in progress) and cleared the gunport. Port side is almost ready for 2nd planking of bulwarks: still have to trim down the bulwark leading to the quarterdeck.
I am still waiting for planking material for the hull as it appears t have been all used up/lost on the other model. Absence of a suitable local supplier means I have to wait for imports.

 

[peter6172]

Well while I am waiting for planking stock to arrive in the mail from the UK, I have started going through all the myriad of pewter and white metal castings. Some will need painting in a timber finish while others will need to be blackened. I am using the typical finish for the timber colour pats starting with leather then dry brushing detail. I only have a single coat of leather at present. The black components will be chemically blackened.
Now I have not had much success with chemical blackening of lead based metals but I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised using Max Pewter Black. I spent about an hour cleaning up all the castings with diamond files then put them all in an isopropyl alcohol solution over night. I was a little surprised how poor the castings were. Having come from Model railway where much of the metal castings are done by backyard cottage industry, these ones needed a lot of work. Several castings were incomplete/flawed badly (i.e. twisted/bent including the main transom casting which is probably why the previous owe=ner only had one left and it was broken). I would have thought Corel would have been more careful in the selection and then distribution f the castings). Missing/damaged parts will need tube replaced by scratch building.

I pull out the castings the following morning and then air dried them before dipping in the Jax solution. Things went fizz, fizz and the parts went black almost instantly so it was to the sink to wash to the solution under running water.

I also had concerns how to make the cap rail for the bow. It's 1 1x4 cap raill but the turn is too tight for any of the material in the kit so I am attempting a lamination of steamed 1 x 1mm material. Now dry, I am gluing the laminations with Super'Phatic glue clamped with pegs.

 

[peter6172]

Due to an overload of models at present, GREYHOUND's rescue has been passed on to another member of the Canberra Model Shipwrights Society where second planking is underway.