HMS Royal Caroline kit ZHL 1/30

Here you can find the photo of the capstan of the Hermione - the edges are slightly darker, but not full of tar



Due to the fact, that the replica Hermione has NO motor for lifting the anchors, they have to use the capstan like in the old time of sailing ships
 
Hi Uwe,

I think you are right and it makes full sence notvto tar the messenger. So that would mean only the anchor cable was tarred?
I was reading the "words" from Jean Boudriot once more, which I gave some posts ago:

IMG_30541.jpg


The last sentence is the most important one:
White (untarred) ropes last a quarter longer than tarred ropes, but the alternate exposure to wetting and drying out means that they are very little used

Sum: Both were possible, but usually the anchor cable was tarred
 
I was reading the "words" from Jean Boudriot once more, which I gave some posts ago:

View attachment 108393


The last sentence is the most important one:
White (untarred) ropes last a quarter longer than tarred ropes, but the alternate exposure to wetting and drying out means that they are very little used

Sum: Both were possible, but usually the anchor cable was tarred
The tarring it will be, I already made a sample of anchor cable in brown but I will also make one in hemp and tar it.
20190803_172014.jpg
 
Looking good
Just remembered the log of Peter alias @Olympic1911 with his experience of tarring the shrouds on his Hohenzollern model

 
Here you can find the photo of the capstan of the Hermione - the edges are slightly darker, but not full of tar



Due to the fact, that the replica Hermione has NO motor for lifting the anchors, they have to use the capstan like in the old time of sailing ships

G'day Uwe, I looked at your pics of the Hermione and the capstan you mention I think is just for helping to lift the yards and other heavy rigging work, also I noticed that she has chains instead of cables for the anchors, and there is what appears to be a motorised capstan for raising the anchors, all the British ships I have seen have untared cables, just look at the HMS Victory, and when I did the tour of the Victory it was pointed out that they were most careful when taking the cable below to the locker to lay it out properly over the battens and also there were vents all around the locker to enable air flow so it would dry out
corectly,

best regards John,
 
Looking good
Just remembered the log of Peter alias @Olympic1911 with his experience of tarring the shrouds on his Hohenzollern model

I had done a test with tar already. The trick was to add a very very very small amount of siccative a drying agent for oil paints. This helps drying the tar turpentine mixture in just a view hours.
See the sample below.
20190405_102428.jpg
 
Finally back in the workshop after a holiday trip through China followed with some busy weeks in the office to catch up on the holiday backlogs.

The new project is the anchors. The kit anchors are made of pear wood and build up from 6 individual parts.
20190928_152015.jpg

I first had the idea to replace it with metal anchors made from steel plate material but based on the post of Ramon Olivenza with his wooden canon barrels I decided to try this technique on my anchors with Iron.
First I hollowed the anchor to add some weight with lead to make the wood feel more realistic.
20190928_153153.jpg
Then glueing the two halves together with PVA enclosing the lead core. Followed by sanding it down to more realistic size as it was over dimensioned in thickness.
20191001_201625.jpg
After sanding and finishing this is the result.
20191001_203642.jpg
Now it is time to start the magic. I bought very fine Iron powder and mixed it with shellac to create a thin mixture to bind it to a the wood.
20191001_204146.jpg
After two layers with sanding with steelwool in between and finally smoothen with burnishing fluid this is the result. It looks and feel like iron.
20191002_102842.jpg
Time to do the other anchors also, the kit anchors are all 4 the same size so I have to resize to get a proper array of anchors for this ship.
 
It is quite productive idea, the anchor looks good. I am sure if you put next to it the same made out of brass or steel, there will be no change to figured out. However, being that you said you will need 4 of them (same size) why not to try make a mold and using liquid metal cast them? Have you consider this approach? BTW, I have never try casting... so it is easy to suggest. LOL
 
It is quite productive idea, the anchor looks good. I am sure if you put next to it the same made out of brass or steel, there will be no change to figured out. However, being that you said you will need 4 of them (same size) why not to try make a mold and using liquid metal cast them? Have you consider this approach? BTW, I have never try casting... so it is easy to suggest. LOL
Hi Jim, the kit anchors are all the same size. In real life the ship has 4 different size anchors so I have to resize the other three.
 
Finally back in the workshop after a holiday trip through China followed with some busy weeks in the office to catch up on the holiday backlogs.

The new project is the anchors. The kit anchors are made of pear wood and build up from 6 individual parts.
View attachment 114433

I first had the idea to replace it with metal anchors made from steel plate material but based on the post of Ramon Olivenza with his wooden canon barrels I decided to try this technique on my anchors with Iron.
First I hollowed the anchor to add some weight with lead to make the wood feel more realistic.
View attachment 114434
Then glueing the two halves together with PVA enclosing the lead core. Followed by sanding it down to more realistic size as it was over dimensioned in thickness.
View attachment 114435
After sanding and finishing this is the result.
View attachment 114436
Now it is time to start the magic. I bought very fine Iron powder and mixed it with shellac to create a thin mixture to bind it to a the wood.
View attachment 114437
After two layers with sanding with steelwool in between and finally smoothen with burnishing fluid this is the result. It looks and feel like iron.
View attachment 114438
Time to do the other anchors also, the kit anchors are all 4 the same size so I have to resize to get a proper array of anchors for this ship.
Hallo Maarten,
the final result is looking very good in my opinion, especially I like very much the surface structure which is very close or identical to cast iron.
The problem often with steel or brass made anchors, that the surface is too even and smooth
Here are some examples of old anchors (off course also with corrosion over the time) and will understand what I mean:
aa.jpg bb.jpg cc.jpg

I think this result is purely produced by the "magic" iron powder, so I can imagine, that this appearance can be also produced on top of other materials. What do you think?
 
Hallo Maarten,
the final result is looking very good in my opinion, especially I like very much the surface structure which is very close or identical to cast iron.
The problem often with steel or brass made anchors, that the surface is too even and smooth
Here are some examples of old anchors (off course also with corrosion over the time) and will understand what I mean:
View attachment 114547 View attachment 114548 View attachment 114549

I think this result is purely produced by the "magic" iron powder, so I can imagine, that this appearance can be also produced on top of other materials. What do you think?
Hi Uwe,

This is certainly due to the Iron powder, the wooden anchor was sanded real smooth with steel wool before applying the iron powder shellac mixture.
I am even considering to make new gun barrels as the kit supplied are more 17th century bronze instead of 18th century iron pieces and create these also of wood with the iron surface coat.
 
I actually do have a 17th or 18th century anchor in my front garden which is approximately the same size as Royal Caroline s which I use as an example.
20191003_170424.jpg
This one was fished from the bottom of the the North Sea some 20 years ago by a Dutch fishing trawler which was one of my customers at that en time.
 
I have to agree here completely with Maarten. it has a surface like cast iron - do you use the color "schwarzbraun" (translated "black-brown") which is in the red box on your screenshot?
 
Just a brief update on fitting the knees and carvings for the cutwater.
Both sides are now in place, next are the upper parts of the cutwater which will be quite a puzzld to get them right.

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I am also still experimenting with my brass gun barrels. I first burnish them to black / greyfollowed by a chemical treatment creating a verdegri patina. I think this will be the finall result.

20191010_212518.jpg
 

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Very nice progress Maarten. I really like the way she is looking now, The figurehead stands proud, you did a very nice carving job on her. I guess you have used the same technic varnishing the figurehead as for the rest of the carvings?
 
Hi Jim, yes she is beewaxed and polished.
At the moment I am working on the two statues adjoining her and holding the crown.
These I make from scratch as the kit supplied is 2,5 D only.
First I cut a block of boxwood in the outer diameter size of the statue. Then draw the contours of the statue on all 4 sides and top.
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The next step is roughly cutting the shape with the scroll saw.
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Next step is creating the shape of the figurine with a rotary cutting bit.
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To be continued.
 

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