HMS Medea (28) (1778) 1/48 scratch build

[Masters Mate]

Enough deadeyes for a while.

Next project was the bell and belfry. I drilled out a 15 mm hole with forstner bit in a suitable block of jacaranda wood then cut the piece to size for the belfry roof.



Next I turned the columns on my small lathe.



Dry fitted the parts and checked for size.


So far so good, but........

 

[Masters Mate]

Scale...Scale....Scale

I found this interesting brass fitting some years ago and I have had it in mind for the ship's bell ever since I started the build. So I was confident this was something I could do.


I cut it to size with a jewellers saw, leaving the small ball on the top for holding in the vise until it was drilled out and polished, then cut the ball off too.



Put it on the plans and realised my great mistake. It was way too big by a long way. I had measured it against the plans on my computer screen at the percentage expansion I use for printing. Not the same!!



Then came the hardest part. With little to hold it in the vise I had to cut it again....4 jewellers saw blades later and it was off, and it was time for a whisky.



Dry fitted with the ringer arm attached.



First coat of paint. It still needs a clean with steel wool and a final coat.



The ringer rope still has to be attached ....that will mean my first attempt at serving a rope. If I survive that there will be another update to follow.

 

[Morghy]

fantastico!!!!!!

 

[Uncle Davydd]

Scale...Scale....Scale

I found this interesting brass fitting some years ago and I have had it in mind for the ship's bell ever since I started the build. So I was confident this was something I could do.

View attachment 434592
I cut it to size with a jewellers saw, leaving the small ball on the top for holding in the vise until it was drilled out and polished, then cut the ball off too.

View attachment 434593

Put it on the plans and realised my great mistake. It was way too big by a long way. I had measured it against the plans on my computer screen at the percentage expansion I use for printing. Not the same!!

View attachment 434594

Then came the hardest part. With little to hold it in the vise I had to cut it again....4 jewellers saw blades later and it was off, and it was time for a whisky.

View attachment 434595

Dry fitted with the ringer arm attached.

View attachment 434596

First coat of paint. It still needs a clean with steel wool and a final coat.

View attachment 434601

The ringer rope still has to be attached ....that will mean my first attempt at serving a rope. If I survive that there will be another update to follow.

 

[Uncle Davydd]

Hi Ian. Nice to look through your log and see everything that was involved in getting Medea to where she is now from the start. It gives a real appreciation of the all the time, effort and innovation required in your wonderful scratch build. I feel privileged to have seen her in the flesh. Look forward to future updates. Cheers Davydd

 

[Masters Mate]

Hi Ian. Nice to look through your log and see everything that was involved in getting Medea to where she is now from the start. It gives a real appreciation of the all the time, effort and innovation required in your wonderful scratch build. I feel privileged to have seen her in the flesh. Look forward to future updates. Cheers Davydd

Thanks Davydd,
It was also great to see dozens of likes over the past few days as you worked your way over this log.
I look forward to your build logs and, of course, I'll be over to see the ships in the flesh as well. It's great to have another member of SOS to chat with in person.

 

[Masters Mate]

fantastico!!!!!!

I huge thank you to all who have commented and left Likes over the past few days. It's been a struggle with motivation lately but the fact that so many of you keep following me gives me the incentive to keep plodding forward and learning.

I've recently made a table for the Medea and have an acrylic display case being cut out at the factory. I'm many months (years?) away from finished but I need to keep the model covered most of the time to prevent dust getting into difficult places to clean.

So...onward and upwards. I love this forum

 

[Masters Mate]

As promised, I have started to tangle (no pun intended) with seizing rope for the bell pull.
I made a simple jig with a fly tying vise, a random bracket and mounted on a black background.

The cotton reel jig is held in a 45 degree hole drilled into the base.



The right hand clamp is spring loaded to provide tension.


The result ( about the fourth try) is hanging on the bell handle but the eye is not closed off yet. I can do better with practice. I tried to simulate a square knot on the end but it just looks like another seizing!.


There is plenty of rigging ahead so I will get practice beyond my liking, most probably.

As an aside, I asked my son the other day if he knew what seizing a rope was and he gave me a great smile and said "When I get back to work we'll be seizing a 2" steel rope after cutting off a loop and sending it away for testing".
He is one of the supervisors dropping a 1300 metre shaft down to a copper ore body and the cable is part of their current rig for concreting the sections as they excavate. Maybe he can give me lessons when he gets home again next shift.

 

[Uncle Davydd]

Thanks Davydd,
It was also great to see dozens of likes over the past few days as you worked your way over this log.
I look forward to your build logs and, of course, I'll be over to see the ships in the flesh as well. It's great to have another member of SOS to chat with in person.

Hi Ian. My pleasure. Your build is inspirational and an unbelievable challenge. Hats off. I am off for three weeks after this week so no doubt there will be time for you to come over for a squiz and a chat and coffee. And yes, it is really good to have a fellow shipbuilder so close. There aren't that many of us around. Cheers Davydd

 

[Masters Mate]

Yesterday I received a great surprise. I had ordered a copy of the book Mr Hillhouse of Bristol: Shipbuilder for the Navy 1749-1822 by Andrew Whitefield, knowing that he was the builder of the Medea frigate.

Not only was there a whole chapter about Hillhouse's first navy build - Medea - but photos of his own model of the ship built in c. 1778, now preserved in the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. The images in the book are copyright but I can show the cover for reference.



I bought my copy from Amazon. Copies on Advanced Book Exchange as well.

So...as far as I know, I am only the second builder of Medea from scratch since 1778.

 

[Masters Mate]

The stern of the Hillhouse model gives me so much information I didn't have before.



Compared to what I have already built.


I can now start adding genuine Medea style decoration instead of generic Enterprise adornments.

I'm now going to approach the Bristol's Museums, Galleries & Archives for better quality images and copyright clearance to use them on my model and this forum.

 

[Masters Mate]

Finally some acceptable success with my entry level CNC machine. I still haven't got the software communicating with the machine but am happy to continue using the remote control for straight cuts at the moment.

These are 1mm slices done with a 2 flute straight bit.





More 2 pulley cuts to do on the 4 foremast bitts then I should be able to complete the foredeck planking.

Baby steps in this area of new (to me) technology.

 

[Masters Mate]

Continuing with my little CNC machine. I am gradually developing better ways of clamping my work to speed the process. After this session I decided I will also add a 90 degree board to align the work piece.



The foremast bitts.

Brass tube was cut off in .7mm slices.

To provide a centre for the pulley axles I filled the pieces with Plastimake (an Australian made thermoplastic) .


After cleaning up the borders the brass "pulley wheels" were inserted in the slots and a .7mm nail driven through to provide the axle.

There is enough clearance to take the appropriate sail sheets when the rigging is applied.


Although this took several days of part time work to achieve I'm happy with the result and encouraged to keep experimenting with CNC.

 

[Alexander74]

Continuing with my little CNC machine. I am gradually developing better ways of clamping my work to speed the process. After this session I decided I will also add a 90 degree board to align the work piece.

View attachment 441947

The foremast bitts.
View attachment 441948
Brass tube was cut off in .7mm slices.
View attachment 441949
To provide a centre for the pulley axles I filled the pieces with Plastimake (an Australian made thermoplastic) .
View attachment 441950
View attachment 441951
After cleaning up the borders the brass "pulley wheels" were inserted in the slots and a .7mm nail driven through to provide the fulcrum.
View attachment 441952
There is enough clearance to take the appropriate sail sheets when the rigging is applied.
View attachment 441955

Although this took several days of part time work to achieve I'm happy with the result and encouraged to keep experimenting with CNC.

Ian, good job.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to paint the inside where the pulleys are red, too. Otherwise the white one catches your eye

 

[Masters Mate]

Ian, good job.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to paint the inside where the pulleys are red, too. Otherwise the white one catches your eye

I agree and I will touch it up. I should have done the painting before putting the pulleys in but now it still needs doing, just harder....

 

[Steef66]

There is a special clamp available for this kind of job.

https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005006246863904.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.17.22ffQbEjQbEjtO&algo_pvid=c8bab137-294f-4c5f-a079-5320c4bd0340&algo_exp_id=c8bab137-294f-4c5f-a079-5320c4bd0340-8&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%2153.40%2135.97%21%21%2153.40%2135.97%21%402103890917132677259917228e1003%2112000036454874560%21sea%21NL%210%21AB&curPageLogUid=WstpGVZToFy9&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A

 

[Steef66]

Plastimake. Never seen that, but looks very usable.

 

[Masters Mate]

Plastimake. Never seen that, but looks very usable.

You will also find similar under thermoplastic. There are many brand names.

 

[Masters Mate]

There is a special clamp available for this kind of job.

https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005006246863904.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.17.22ffQbEjQbEjtO&algo_pvid=c8bab137-294f-4c5f-a079-5320c4bd0340&algo_exp_id=c8bab137-294f-4c5f-a079-5320c4bd0340-8&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%2153.40%2135.97%21%21%2153.40%2135.97%21%402103890917132677259917228e1003%2112000036454874560%21sea%21NL%210%21AB&curPageLogUid=WstpGVZToFy9&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A

Looks great but a bit pricey. I intend to make something similar. Will show how it works when I get around to making it.

 

[Steef66]

Looks great but a bit pricey. I intend to make something similar. Will show how it works when I get around to making it.

That's exactly how I would do it.