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HMCSS Victoria (1855) - Scratch Build POB - 1:72

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Moderators: Winston, aew

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aew

Mon Jun 14 2021, 09:41am

aew

Registered Member #1929

Joined: Wed Nov 30 2011, 03:05pm
Posts: 2966

Dare I ask why the drum is tapered?

jacknastyface2

Mon Jun 14 2021, 02:36pm

Registered Member #5239

Joined: Sat Apr 21 2018, 05:29pm
Posts: 733

aew wrote ...

Dare I ask why the drum is tapered?

It helps to "spool" the cable neatly.

Keith.

mrshanks

Mon Jun 14 2021, 11:17pm

Registered Member #5745

Joined: Sun Aug 16 2020, 02:56pm
Posts: 1694

Pat - you left me speechless this time!!

Baggywrinkle

Tue Jun 15 2021, 11:57pm

Registered Member #5759

Joined: Sat Sep 19 2020, 03:36pm
Posts: 421

Thanks again for the kind comment Mike. I really enjoyed making these.

Arthur, as Keith has explained, it helped with the laying of the wire as it was taken onto the drum by minimising the chances of 'riding turns' (one overlaying the previous) - the seamen attending the winch still had to guide the lead of the wire by hand, but the effort was much reduced.

cheers

Pat

jacknastyface2

Wed Jun 16 2021, 02:59pm

Registered Member #5239

Joined: Sat Apr 21 2018, 05:29pm
Posts: 733

Just for interest: I worked for a few years in Vancouver drafting anchor winches and capstans and spooling the drum has changed drastically. Another shaft ,geared to the winch drum has spiral grooves cut into it in a criss cross fashion. a follower block is mounted on the shaft and has a finger which locates in the groove. The block has a hole for the cable. As the winch is started, the block travels from side to side of the winch laying the cable neatly across the drum. Even this is not always foolproof! Nothing is in this world eh?

Keith.

Baggywrinkle

Thu Jun 17 2021, 12:40am

Registered Member #5759

Joined: Sat Sep 19 2020, 03:36pm
Posts: 421

Thanks for info Keith, I would not have liked to operate these by hand. It would have been hard work as you have identified. As far as I can ascertain, the hand brake was a supplementary securing element; much like the riding slip on a ship's cable.

cheers

Pat

Baggywrinkle

Thu Jun 17 2021, 01:14am

Registered Member #5759

Joined: Sat Sep 19 2020, 03:36pm
Posts: 421

Another series of small items that I have added, and that were visible in the deck photographs earlier posted, were the air 'shoots' (terminology used in the Contract).

These were intended to supply fresh air to the fore and after holds, but no detail other than a comment in the Specification that they were to be 'boxed in' (panelled) below decks was provided.

There will have been wood trunks provided on the Lower and Orlop decks, with trunking split off to service the individual store rooms. In very recent times (at the time of the ship's building) Lang senior had designed (1847) a hand cranked 'Ventilator' that will have forced the air sucked in through the fitting/intake on the upper deck with sufficient pressure to provide additional air when needed. These were supplemented with Lang's scuttles (see earlier posts) and wind sails above the hatches. Note that no open grated hatches are provided to the fore or after parts of the deck (only to the 'Stoke Hole').

The air intake was another issue in that there were several designs in vogue at the time. The two more common ones were a design by a Mr. Kite, and the bent tube intake. I have opted for the latter as they were the more recent design and the ship was fitted with the 'most recent apparatus as could be obtained'. That said, a completely different type may have been used.

The following shows 'Langs Ventilator': from NMM Collections - ZAZ6840

The intake designed by Kite (one of several as he improved the design) follows. Again from the NMM Collections: ZAZ6836

G_Campbell in his China Tea Clippers, plate 29, shows several types of ventilator in use at the time; however, the open mouth cowl type (3 to left following) were introduced a little later.

So I decided to go with the bent tube, although at this time the design did not appear to have mesh over the intake mouth to stop foreign object ingestion. The bend in the tube was intended to stop water ingress (although in ships with a wet deck this may have been problematic - Victoria was a 'dry' decked ship (well documented)). A hinged flap was provided, if things got too wet though)

To make the intake, I used an aftermarket part that was roughly to scale, then adapted it for size and added the base plate or flange where it penetrated the deck. The photos show the parts and process well enough I think. From the first, you can see that i used some brass tube to simulate the thickened riser where it penetrated the deck, and a washer which I reduced to size on my lathe, which I silver soldered into place (the wood plug in the tube was to stop the tube collapsing when griped in the lathe). Once in place I added some simulated small bolt heads to the flange horizontal surface (just visible if you look closely). A 'lick' of paint tided them up. You may just make out a dab of bronze paint on the wing nut securing the flap.

cheers

Pat

Baggywrinkle

Sun Aug 01 2021, 12:47am

Registered Member #5759

Joined: Sat Sep 19 2020, 03:36pm
Posts: 421

Hi again folks. I have continued to make some slow progress, and even a start on some of the spars as shown in the following.

First up was the inclusion of a flag locker. This is not shown on the sheer drawing or in any photo/lithograph but will have been essential. The 'pidgeon holes' / 'letterbox' were made up from interlocking 0.2mm brass PE (obtained from Scale Warships). I then framed it with thin (.8mm ) wood. While the top looks high, please note the bulwarks were only 2' 9" high. I formed the top as a sort of chart table. Not sure about that yet. I also noted (not visible to naked eye but stands out in photo) I need to clean up the bottom edge of the locker. The length of the locker is just 25mm - looks bigger in the photos.

Not sure whether I will add flags yet as I am having some difficulty making anything that looks acceptable.
I am also considering making up a similar locker on the other side to stow the patent log (Massey style towed harpoon log), navigation equipment, signal lamps etc.

I have added the stern davits also. these were made up some time ago. The chain guys attack to iron knees on the corners of the counter/transom. I won't add the boats or falls until close near the end of the build (the boats are made. Here is the dinghy which hangs from these davits.