USS Syren 1803 by Dubz

[Dubz]

I did a bit more details, I could made the axletree stay too Nobody will ever see that ... hmpf





Axletree stays done. Gun tackle loop done. One mor detail added, the rope for the stool bed. Capsquare and wheels ar next.



Not sure if I can made the bolts thro the trucks and pins thro' the axletrees. It's getting very small there ...

Capsquare done



It's tempting for myself too ... but it is not doable, it's just to damn small to drill ... and every attempt would ruin it imo.

Anyway finished the wheels tonight. Used cardboard for the black ring It's the best I can make in 1:64.

Some impressions







I did the pins ... doesn't looked complete without ....



More inboard Stuff: Preparing for the carronades



cheers,

Dirk

[Dubz]

It's a while since the last build update. The carronades are quite challenging and take their time. Anyway some pictures 'bout the actual state.

My finger hurts from pressing a needle in the brass to simulate the bolts ... the pivot bolt head is again from the Verlinden etch set.



Still the breeching ring missing. The joint chock is kinda compromise but still thinking to make a brass one ... haha



Finished all the slides



31 of theses breeching ring ****** to do ... hmpf ... should to a photo etch set for all these parts.




Preparing, cleaning, drilling and removing the base of the metal cleats took a while. After that I pinned the individual positions with a needle, then the cleats became a pin of brass wire (I like to have stuff pinned and not only glued, especially when the rigging come to game).





The cleats were then prepainted and after drying glued to the inner bulwarks. Then all needed holes were drilled before I painted the final coat (nope the holes were still there They just need a bit drilling again -> What sux if the drill decided to break and the freshly painted bulwark has to be part of a massacre to get the damn drill out .... hmpfffffff .........)

Anyway, last step was to glue eyebolts (the ones with NO ring) into position.

And now some impressions











cheers,

Dirk

[tkay11]

Very nice to see you on your way to completing the Syren. Beautiful work as usual.

Have you seen the work of Olha Batchvarov at shipphotographer.com? She has an approach very similar to yours and lots of nice methods. One is a neat way of making treenails and pushing them in with a home made inserter. She has many YouTube videos in English as well.

I was puzzled by your mention of having planks that are inconsistent in width. Don't you have a bench saw, or a plane? Maybe I misunderstood.

Finally, a question I've been meaning to ask for ages. Is it car body filler you use, the one you make from two parts and which sets very fast (obviously not the wax one you use for planking nails)?

Tony

[Dubz]

Hej Tony,

great to read you!

Thanks for the reminder about Olha Batchvarov. Yes she is doing some great stuff.

I was puzzled by your mention of having planks that are inconsistent in width. Don't you have a bench saw, or a plane? Maybe I misunderstood.

No it's just that these posts are alomost seven years old. I am trying to post the whole Syren buildlog here what takes some time though :-)

Is it car body filler you use, the one you make from two parts and which sets very fast?

It's just woodfiller nothing special. But sets up fast too :-)

cheers

Dirk

[Dubz]

As I needed a little change I started the most feared headrail chapter .. haha ...

Removing the laser marks is a pain in the *** ... I then checked out how to make the carving. For that I made a very simple tool, it's a pointed wire, not more. I just follow the outline of the cheeks, with very soft pressure:



To get the carvings deeper and wider I use this tool:



The worm is freehand It's much easier then expected, only thing is to get a feeling for the fiber direction and how much force is needed. Just start very softly and the go deeper and deeper.


Macro is still brutal ... hmpf Ahh yes, I started on the gun port lids too.



More on the cheeks





And now it's time again for ranting .... even carefully removing the stupid lasermarks results in a major loss of material. Atm I'm really ****** again about the overall kit impression. The wood feels like balsa, is coarse fibrous (pretty sure that's the reason why the marks go this deep) ... and ... hmpf ...arghhh .... grrrrr .... blaaaaa ....





Back to building, she starts looking like a ship now I'm not sure if I'm satisfied but it's the best I could do with the wood ... maybe I'll check on pear, don't know, right now it's good for gettin' practice withe this rail stuff, never did that before ...





Building the hawse holes:







Originally the hawse pipes are lined with lead. Something I wanted to display too. Drilling the holes was a challenge btw

Anyway I used roll lead, prepared it using a drill to roll it on. Then I induct the drill/lead combination into the pipe. Then I used a (replace with correct word here) a mandrel to widen the openings of the lined pipe.







It seems to work. So 3 more to go

cheers,

Dirk

[Dubz]

Finished the hawse pipes lined with lead.







And now a little vote -> Starboard or Port side Version?



Started to fill another black hole The pintles and gudgeons for the rudder.














Finishing the rudder





cheers,

Dirk

[Dubz]

Today I did some testing with the carronades, still some problems to solve and stuff to build. I also did the gallow bitts (made with pear). Wanted to start the riding bitts too, but there is a small problem with the dimensions.

In one of the printed plans I have 3.24mm, in Chucks PDF plans deckview I have 5.0mm, in another pdf sideview I have 4.12mm .... arghhhh .... Chuck!!
The only thing I'm pretty sure is, that the printed plans size is undersized ....

Anyway, some pictures









Wohhooo ... I'm quite happy atm as I could solve a problem today that bugged me all the time. The joint chocks of the carronades. The way I did them were historical absolut wrong, I knew this all the time, but had no idea to make it better. The solution is kinda easy Soldering the way I did with the rudder stuff.











This is just the prototype for the final chocks I will flatten the tube before soldering to minimize the overall height.

Deconstruction



While browsing my books I found a neat little detail in Lavery's Arming and Fitting:



I like that, and so ....





cheers,

Dirk

[Dubz]

The riding bitts.

I had to position the posts wider then the plans suggested because of the planking scheme so the beam looks a bit short ... need to think about that. I even made the riding bitt more massiv then the plans suggested, especially the knees.

According to the instructions 5 holes should be drill for the belaying pins in the beam. I like to discuss this as I'm not sure that this would be right and the only source I found was a non detail picture in the "The brig Irene", I don't trust really. The beam is a very heavy piece of wood and must resist the pull of the anchor, drilling holes in this piece would imo be a kinda possible breaking point. What do you guys think about?







Massproduction of the joint chocks ... puhhhh

Soldering some brass.



Filing



Cutting the pieces with my table saw.



After more filing. Nope it's not for sale



The result



Much better then before imo Now there is only one last thing to do, the attachment for the breeching ring ... hmpf ...

I finished the chocks today and I can't see carronades anymore ... haha ... guess I need a break.

Here is shot of the details.



And here are some more impression - I thought it would be time to have both babies on the pictures again















cheers,

Dirk

[Dubz]

The carronades are quite perfect in size compared to the kit metal scrap so no fear of deconstruction neccessary

BTW, I found a historical picture of the Syren, it looks exactly how I did it, so everything is fine and I have evidence



Gunshotracks are build.





Ship's wheel is on build atm. I don't use the kits one for known reasons





I will replace the bullets with bigger ones and maybe redo the shotracks so that the bullets closer together.



Ship's wheel and tiller finished. The wheel will be painted so it looks like wood.



Did also the rings on the deck.



Right now I'm building the pumps.











cheers,

Dirk

[Dubz]

The tool holder are just a case and something I bought years ago, but can't remember exactly.

Finished the pumps today First try went to trash but second come out nice.












One mor picture of the pump



Some small update, have a lot to do and less time for building atm.

The main fife rail and the pin rails are done.







Right now I'm working at the channels.



cheers,

Dirk