The Ship Model Forum

I don't know the answer to your questions, but I know this ship is pretty awesome! You're doing a great job! Can't imagine the work that gets into all that rigging. The subject as well is a very handsome ship.

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ThreeBs:

Carr is correct, the fish davit is a device rigged expressly for anchor duty and stowed otherwise. It can be used either stbd or port - I would guess, but can't say for sure, that perhaps PENNSYLVANIA carried a couple of them as part of her anchor detail. Possibly, the 1826 U.S.N. Table of Allowances will give that info. I don't have my copies with me, or I'd look it up. That was printed in NRG Journal in years past over several issues.

Your model is exceptional - keep up the good work.

Thanks you guys for the help. I am posting a few photos of how the anchor area looks now. Have to do the other side and the sheet anchors. I also decided not to use the solid hull form for my boats. Making "ribs" is much easier and more accurate. Here are a couple photos on how the form looks. I have since anchored the bow keel area to the base so it will not move. If the form looks a little tall, do not worry, I am only planking about 2/3rds of it. If you look REAL close you can see red sharpie marks to show where the planking will stop.

I screwed up my first planking attempt on the launch. Forgot to put "ribs" over the frames! got about half way on both sides when it occurred to me,
"Wait a minute! How do I get this thing off the frames when it is done?!!" Looked at the builds I had been viewing to get some pointers on how to proceed and noticed the "shims" bent over the frames and held down with rubber bands. Photos of the frames of the cutter I am starting show what I mean as opposed to the previously posted photos of the launch frames WITHOUT the ribs. I go into brain freeze sometimes and simply space out on some things I know I haven't painted the whole boat, but, I bought enamel paints at the hobby store the other day not realizing thry were not the acrylic version of the same color (see previous sentence!), and wanted to see what it looked like. It will be fine. Took me almost an hour to file the knees for the seat braces. Let me know what you think. It looked bad right off the frames, and, I was a little disappointed I had not done a better job. However, I persevered and it doesn't look half bad at all. Once ALL the ribs were in place and the floor in it really looked much better and I was much happier.

great looking knees !!!!

Looking good!

Jim Baumann

Are the oars and other boats paraphernalia stored in them or below decks until needed. The cutter I show photos of is not going to work. The ribs are ALL WRONG! The book I got it from just said it was a typical draft of a ship's boat for the 1840's to 1880's. The side elevation does not line up with the end elevations at all. It looks like I will just start over with Chappelles drawings of a 44 gun frigates boats of 1820. The cutter dimensions are consistent with the figures listed for a 74's second cutter. The gig and barge are close enough too. The boats are taking longer than I had thought they would. Planking things this small is a whole 'nother story from the ships hull. In the mean time the weather is finally cooling down enough for me to work on planking the Columbus for a couple hours in the morning. I will post to that build when I get a side done in a few weeks.

Here are a few photos of the two boats I have done, and two forms for a second cutter and a second launch. I am going to make a small gig/life boat and a barge yet. That should be enough. I may build a case for it, will see. Only have some misc. repairs to chains, copper plates, and make safety railing/netting on the mast platforms. Then it will be done!!

Oh, I decided to make a few oars for the boats.

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Oops, you are right about the smaller boat's gudgeons and pintles. Should not be hard to fix. Acetone to dissolve the super glue and the straps are paper so easy to cut new ones and redo it all.

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I did know about the shell guns, I did not know how they were deployed about the ship, and since most of my models gun ports were in the closed position, I did not think it mattered. Thanks for the post though, you never know when you might find something others missed.