Download ROYAL W INT 09 SHROUDS & STAYS
Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
TRANSLATION LINKS 1. type into your browser ... english+italian+glossary+nautical terms 2. utilise the translation dictionary ‘Nautical Terms & Expressions’ from Euromodel website An interpretive review of the Royal William 1st. Rate English Vessel Originally launched in 1670 as the 100-gun HMS Prince Re-built and launched in 1692 as the HMS Royal William Finally re-built and ... Launched 1719
Checked the Scale 1:72 Essential Resource
Information File ?
09.WALES, ORNAMENTATION & BOW September 2021
This interpretive build is based on the supplied drawings, the kit material – and an amount of extra material.
This work only illustrates how this ship might be built.The level of
complexity chosen is up to the individual
This resource information was based on the original text supplied by Euromodel and then expanded in detail as the actual ship was constructed by MSW member piratepete007. [Additional & exceptional support was gratefully received from MSW members marktiedens, Ken3335, Denis R, Keith W, Vince P & Pirrozzi. My sincere thanks to them and other MSW members who gave advice and gave permission to use some of their posted photos.
Neither the author or Euromodel have any commercial interest in this information and it is published on the Euromodel web site in good faith for other persons who may wish to build this ship. Euromodel does not accept any responsibility for the contents that follow.
1 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
This is not an instructional manual but is a collaboration amongst a number of MSW members whose interpretations were based on the drawings and the supplied kit.
• Additional material used was dictated by personal choices. • Greater simplification would be achieved by using the material as it is supplied.
Model Ship World Forum I am indebted to those members who were, or are, involved in their own build of the Royal William and have allowed me to add photos from their posts – but not utilising their personal text - in the belief that the images could add both a stimulus and an interest to new builders of this ship. So my grateful thanks go to … Brian C; Denis R; KeithW; marktiedens; Vince P, Ken3335
They have taken the RW build to a much higher level than intended by this kit.
Reference Texts Elements and Practice of Rigging and Seamanship by David Steel (1794) Fighting at Sea in the Eighteenth Century; The Art of Sailing Warfare by Sam Willis (2008) Historic Ship Models by Wolfram zu Mondfeld (1989) Seventeenth Century Rigging by R.C. Anderson (1955) [almost a complete copy of his earlier book The Rigging of Ships in the Days of the Spritsail Topmast, 1600 – 1720 (1927) ] The Construction and Fitting of the English Man of War 1650-1850 by Peter Goodwin (1984) The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625 – 1860 by James Lee (1984).
For the purposes of discussion, this ship is considered as an 18 C build.
2 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
[To navigate through the contents – use ‘control + click’] Contents
Chapter 1: WALES & HULL ORNAMENTATION ...... 6 Wales...... 6 Below the Water Line ...... 10 Fenders ...... 12 Prow Deck Bulkhead ...... 14 Hull Ornamentation ...... 17 Amidship ...... 17 Aft ...... 18 Forward ...... 20 Chapter 2: BOW & HEAD CONSTRUCTION ...... 21 Prow Deck ...... 21 Bow Strengthening Beam ...... 21 Hawse Holes ...... 22 Beakhead Ornamentation ...... 23 Figurehead Detailing ...... 23 Rails & Cheeks ...... 24 Gammoning & Upper Cheek Rail ...... 25 Metal Bending ...... 26 Grate & Upper Head Rail ...... 27 Grate Visibility...... 28 Cathead Knee & Lower Head Rail ...... 29 Focs’le Timberhead & Upper Head Rail ...... 30 Rails and Cheeks – a reality check ...... 31
3 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Illustrations Figure 1: Matching Transom with Lower Wale ...... 6 Figure 2: Wale Cross-Section ...... 6 Figure 3: Wale Strips ...... 7 Figure 4: Separation Measurements at the Bow ...... 7 Figure 5: Soaking in Ammonia ...... 8 Figure 6: Producing the First Curvature Along the Wale Length ...... 8 Figure 7: Forming Wale Curvature Around the Bow ...... 8 Figure 8: Soaking in Ammonia Soln. for Bow Curvature ...... 8 Figure 9: Lower Wale ...... 9 Figure 10: Forward View of Lowest Wale ...... 9 Figure 11: Water Line ...... 10 Figure 12: Marking the Water Line ...... 10 Figure 13: Base Coat Priming ...... 11 Figure 14: Fenders ...... 12 Figure 15: Fender Thickness Greatest over Middle Wale ...... 12 Figure 16: Contour Guage ...... 13 Figure 17: Bending the Fenders ...... 13 Figure 18: Half-Joints Cut Into the Wales ...... 13 Figure 19: Bulkhead View, Plan Sheet 2 ...... 14 Figure 20: Metal Piece 11164 ...... 14 Figure 21: Metal Pieces 11166 & 11167 ...... 14 Figure 22: 11164 Custom Built & Stanchions Added ...... 14 Figure 23: Port Roundhouse ...... 15 Figure 24: Using 11164 ...... 16 Figure 25: Adjusting Metal Lengths ...... 17 Figure 26: Two Useful Tools ...... 17 Figure 27: Aft Ornamentations ...... 18 Figure 28: Adjusting Positions for Pieces 11187 & 11184...... 18 Figure 29: Portside Pieces 11181 & 11182...... 18 Figure 30: Aft Ornamentations ...... 19 Figure 31: Forward Ornamentations ...... 20 Figure 32: Cap Rails Added ...... 20 Figure 33: Bow Outer Strengthening Beam – Scratch Build ...... 21 Figure 34: Diagram of Bow Outer Beam & 'Seats of Ease' ...... 21 Figure 35: Lining Timbers ...... 22 Figure 36: Ruining the Image ...... 22 Figure 37: Earlier Metal Casting Showing Greater Dimensional Detail ...... 23 Figure 38: Slightly Later Casting ...... 23 Figure 39: Current Casting With a More Simple Approach to Painting ...... 23 Figure 40: Current Casting with a Simple Black Wash ...... 23 Figure 41: Head Metal Identification ...... 24 Figure 42: Upper Cheek Rail Positioning ...... 25 Figure 43: Upper Cheek Rail in one Particular Build ...... 25 Figure 44: Heat Gun...... 26 Figure 45: Incorrect Gammoning Position ...... 27 Figure 46: Plan View of ...... 27 Figure 47: Beakhead Grate Fabrication ...... 27 4 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Figure 48: Beakhead Grate; Side View ...... 28 Figure 49: Cathead Knee ...... 29 Figure 50: Cross-Lap Joints ...... 29 Figure 51: Cutting Joints into the Wales...... 29 Figure 52: Timberhead ...... 30 Figure 53: Cutting into the Bulwark for the Upper Head Rail ...... 30 Figure 54: Belaying the Anchor Cable ...... 30 Figure 55: Upper Head Rail ...... 30 Figure 56: Rails ...... 31 Figure 57: Head Rails & Upper Cheek Rail ...... 31 Figure 58: Head Timbers ...... 31
5 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Chapter 1: WALES & HULL ORNAMENTATION
Wales
Positioning As with all wales, the exact position was determined by reference to a number of plan sheets – 2, 8 and especially 17 …
1. stern location of the wale timbers … transom support
The matching of the relative positions of the lower transom support and the wale timbers (Fig. 1) depends very much on how successful the inclinination is of the ornamentation on the transom following the slope of the planking timbers.
Figure 1: Matching Transom with Lower Wale
2. gun port positioning on the main deck along the entire length of the hull were utilized for the location of the upper edge of the wale timbers.
Plan Sheet 2 shows the wale separations as being constant along the hull. At this point, care must be taken as vertical dimensions downwards over the curved surface are distorted in such a drawing.
Fixing • wales were historically fixed with a large number of bolt or metal spikes with their heads visible on the wale outer surface. Not shown in the drawings but could be simulated by using non-included brass nails (Fig. 2). The nails are useful in controlling the final wale curvature as well as fixing in place. Figure 2: Wale Cross-Section
• top and bottom outer edges of the wales were rounded.
6 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Strip Combinations
UPPER WALES 2 x 3 x 840 mm.
MIDDLE WALE 2 x 7 x 700 mm. (2)
LOWER WALE 2 x 7 x 700 mm. (3)
initial strip of timber to be fixed in position
Figure 3: Wale Strips
Wale Position Measurements were taken from the base of each gunport and from the forward edge of the prow deck. This process is painstaking and takes a considerable amount of time.
Note: • if measuring straight off the drawing, there will always be an error due to the tumblehome effect of the hull. This narrowing of the hull distorts the 3D measurement into a 2D measurement of the drawing. This is not a major aspect but it can still alter the building outcome. In brief, if the measured dimensions taken off the drawing are multiplied by approx. 1.075, then the 3D surface dimension is more closely determined. This process does not apply to the bow where the hull surface is approx. vertical or those frames near the aft end where the tumblehome is very slight.
• the top edge of the lower strip of the upper wales conformed to the surface of the Prow Deck.
• a considerable amount of cross-checking between all wales B was required – in Fig. 4, all the three ‘A’ measurements ideally would be the same (i.e. 57.2 mm.) A A A • extra care was needed when determining wales positions on the bow area of the hull. C
• when all measurements were confirmed, a continuous line for each of the wale upper edges was then drawn onto the hull. Figure 4: Separation Measurements at the Bow
7 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Wale Soaking All ten wale strips were soaked in dilute ammonia solution (‘household ammonia’ or ‘cloudy ammonia’) for at least 5 days and by this time the timber was very pliable. Fig. 5 shows a 900 mm. section of PVC pipe sealed at the bottom end. The timber strips were inserted into the ammonia solution-filled tube and the open end closed over with a tight-fitting plastic drink bottle – could have used another plastic cap as for the bottom.
Wale Bending After soaking the strips, five of them were forced into a specially designed press (Fig. 6 below) which allowed the timbers to dry out producing the required curve. This was repeated for the other five.
A ‘rule of thumb’ applied here was the designed curvature should be slightly greater than what is shown in the drawings – the dried timber is then more likely to have the curve required. Figure 5: Soaking in Ammonia
Figure 6: Producing the First Curvature Along the Wale Length
A separate curve was created in the wales for fitting around the bow before fitting. Soaking in dilute ammonia solution (Fig. 8 below), fitting into a press (Fig. 7) and allowing to dry produced this second curvature close to the desired result.
Figure 7: Forming Wale Curvature Around the Bow
Figure 8: Soaking in Ammonia Soln. for Bow Curvature
8 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Very few builders comment on the fact that the wales were, of course, made up of a large number of shorter lengths jointed together. Even where great efforts have been made in building the ship, most builders (including myself) continue to choose a complete strip to simulate the wale. This then causes the wale bending to be very difficult – but perhaps not as difficult as creating a number of shorter pieces all neatly jointed together ?
Lower Wale Placement
Figure 9: Lower Wale
The curvature around the bow is exceedingly difficult to get perfectly correct and this is where all that soaking in ammonia comes into play.
The lower wale should be: • parallel to the forward edge of the Prow Deck, • a ‘continuous’ band as it passes around the bow from one side to the other, and • 57.2 mm. (according to my measurements) from its upper edge to the edge of the Prow Deck.
Even if these criteria cannot be fully met, much of it will be hidden by the beakhead and its ornamentation. Fig. 10 illustrates the lower wale in another build that came close to meeting the above criteria.
Figure 10: Forward View of Lowest Wale
9 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Below the Water Line
A decision was made to paint the hull below the water line. Historically, this was necessary in order to preserve the ship, especially against attack from the Teredo ‘worm’ – actually a soft bodied clam with a long, thin body that would bore into the timber. The rationale here was that the timber surface below water level was covered by tar, waxes, tallow, various pigments, etc.and the resultant surface would have been any colour from a cream through various shades of brown to black depending on the treatment used. A white paint with a little brown mixed in was selected and to all intents it looks simply ‘off-white’.
The upper edge of the painted surface on the lower hull follows the water line (and not the bottom edge of the lower wale). This is obvious in Fig. 11 below where the red broken line represents the water line. The general approach seems to be to completely paint the lower wale in black but the reality is that a small portion of that wale is below the water line … a decision needs to be made here.
Figure 11: Water Line
Painted Edge For a good finish, a continuously sharp line is required for the painted edge along the water line. A narrow (approx. 10mm) strip of adhesive masking tape obtained from an auto parts supplier is ideal (the tape used by spray painters to separate colours on automobile panels during a re-spray). As long as care is taken in pressing this tape on to every part of the surface being masked, it works beautifully. It is plastic and easily forms to any curve.
Removing the tape very soon after the painting is finished is essential.
PlanSheet 17 gives a clear indication of the water line in relation to the bottom edge of the false keel.
automotive masking tape block has already been used to mark the water line prior to painting
Figure 12: Marking the Water Line
10 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Figure 13: Base Coat Priming
11 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Fenders
These vertical timber pieces were present on the hull sides to prevent stores from fouling on the raised wale edges. Bolted to the sides, they evolved from vertical stiffners used in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Figure 14: Fenders Historical Dimensions: • depth 14 – 16 inches (4.94 – 5.64 mm. at 1:72). • width one-third of the depth, 4.7 – 5.3 inches (1.65 – 1.88 mm. at 1:72)
The fenders are shown both in the drawings and the Component List as ‘3 x 5 mm.’ but from above, it would seem that ‘2 x 5 mm.’ would be more appropriate. Again, some decision needed to be made here as to the dimension of timber used. Choices include …
a. adding two 2 x 2 mm. one on top of the other (correct width but not deep enough - i.e. a 2 x 4 mm. fender) b. using the supplied 3 x 5 mm. fender (correct depth but too wide) c. using the supplied fender but reducing its width to a 2 x 5 mm. fender (correct depth and width)
I believe Euromodel supplied the 3 x 5 mm. material since it would be easier to bend than the thinner 2 x 5 mm. Figure 15: Fender Thickness Greatest over Middle Wale The fenders were fitted over the wales using half joints. (Fig. 18 shows the wales partly cut into.)
Over-length was used and then trimmed back correctly when the bulwark rails were added.
12 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Shaping • Fender strips soaked in dilute ammonia for five days, • Wire contour guage used to determine shape, • Cardboard copy of shape produced, • Shape marked onto a length of timber, • Timber cut through along the marked length, • Two complementary halves produced,
Figure 16: Contour Guage
The complementary halves were SLOWLY tightened together over a period of time (couple of minutes).
Figure 17: Bending the Fenders
Figure 18: Half-Joints Cut Into the Wales
13 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Prow Deck Bulkhead
11166 & 11167
11164 ... stanchions labelled as ‘11165’ are not included but the builder might choose to add them as well.
Figure 19: Bulkhead View, Plan Sheet 2
Figure 20: Metal Piece 11164
Figure 21: Metal Pieces 11166 & 11167
The kit supplies the metal pieces as shown in Figs. 20 & 21 but the remaining ornamentation must be created from scrap material. • Fig. 22 illustrates a more basic approach where 11164 is not utilized at all. • Fig. 24 does use 11164
Whether or not 11164 is used, a thin plywood backing piece is generally the starting point onto which various pieces of ornamentation are added (inc. doors which may be left closed or open). The two roundhouses (refer to the next page) would be created from timber rod.
Figure 22: 11164 Custom Built & Stanchions Added
14 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Bulkhead Roundhouses
This is only background information but nevertheless, quite interesting – and is often overlooked in model building.
For much of the eighteenth century, roundhouses were a feature of naval vessels. The function of these semi-circular structures fitted to the fore side of the Prow Deck bulkhead was to provide heads for the midshipmen. They gave more privacy and also protection from exposure to the weather.
The base and top were made from 4 x 4 inch (100 x 100 mm.) timbers shaped to the roundhouse curve. The curved exterior walls were made from vertical planks, 3 – 4 inches (75 – 100 mm.) wide and 1.5 (approx. 40 mm.) inches thick, the edges being beveled to produce the required curve surface. They were generally sited between the last two stanchions giving the base a slight overhang of the ship’s side. The ‘seat of ease’ was secured on the interior outboard side which allowed waste to pass staright Figure 23: Port Roundhouse out from the ship.
The top had a series of mouldings corresponding to those of the adjacent bulkhead, maintaining continuity of the bulkhead façade. The curved surface area between the top and bottom were divided into richly decorated panels, often with ornate pillars. In the latter part of the eighteenth century, this stylish approach diminished and became quite plain.
15 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Figure 24: Using 11164
The decorative strip (11164) running across the bulkhead top of the ship contrasts the obvious difference in approach between kit and scratch building where the latter format utilizes a large number of stanchions. In the kit approach, the intention is that the stanchions would be omitted.
16 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Hull Ornamentation
Now that the four vertical fenders were in place, it was time to turn to the fixing of the large number of metal decorations along the hull surface.
There are a number of steps to follow before fixing any piece … • cleaning of all edges, external and internal • cleaning of ends • cleaning out of the many, many openings amongst the casting patterns • cutting out sections where they cover, or partly cover, a gun port opening • possibly reducing their length and any other necessary adjustments where they adjoin each other • finally, checking the top & bottom edges of each piece for being even & straight – an important step as the above steps require much handling and probable distortion.
Amidship This group contained THREE pieces as shown by the following diagram (top number = port; bottom number = starboard). These will be fixed in position (with some shortening of length in most cases) and then the rest of the ornamentations will follow both towards the stern and the bow.
As can be seen from the diagram opposite, all metal pieces will need to have some 11181 metal cut out to allow 11180 for the gun port openings. Many other pieces will need to be similarly adjusted – all before being fixed to the hull.
Figure 25: Adjusting Metal Lengths
Two useful tools – plank bender (left) to help curve the fenders and metal cutter (right) to remove small sections from the metal ornamentation.
Figure 26: Two Useful Tools
Also, before fixing the pieces, they were painted – even though the joints formed by adjoining pieces would need to be filled with a fine wood filler and then re-painted. There was som concern that the width of these pieces was greater than that shown on the plan sheet but it all worked out well.
17 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Aft
A dry fitting of all the aft pieces was absolutely necessary
This total section contains pieces as shown by the following two diagrams (top number = port; bottom number = starboard). There appears to be an irregularity in the way the pieces are numbered but just follow the numbers as shown! They are correct.
The pieces were fixed in position following the fixing of the pieces amidship. Figure 27: Aft Ornamentations Portside pieces 11188 – 11192 This represented the ‘upper layer’ of metal ornamentations and their placement was absolutely critical. To a lesser extent – but still important – were pieces 11187 & 11184. As seen in the photograph, it was essential to get the slanting linear alignment just right.
The red straight line is 7 mm. above the Upper Quarter Deck adjacent to the Poop Deck bulkhead and is level with the leading front edge of the Upper Quarter Deck as indicated by the yellow arrow. Also make sure that pieces 11187 & 11184 slant downwards. In both cases, a metal ruler was used as a guide for the ‘straightness’. Figure 28: Adjusting Positions for Pieces 11187 & 11184 Criticism … the ‘bottom layer’ should have been raised a little in the centre to bring them closer to the pieces above them. Great to be wise after the event!
Portside pieces 11181 + 11182 Towards the stern just past the double vertical fenders, setting in place pieces 11181 & 11182 was an important step. In order to fit them together, 11181 required some cutting to fit into the curved end of 11182.
Figure 29: Portside Pieces 11181 & 11182
18 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
However, before these were glued on, all the pieces right down to the transom galleries were checked for a good fit.
Identification of all areas for cutting out was necessary where the pieces overlap gun ports. This must be done before the pieces are glued on.
Figure 30: Aft Ornamentations
19 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Forward
Viewing Plan Sheet 8, it would appear that the metal ornamentations slant upwards above the Forecastle Deck in much the same manner as they did above the Upper Quarter Deck. However, in this build (& Keith Julier’s), the upper edge of the metal pieces followed the line of the deck.
Pieces 11168/11169 were omitted until after the placement of the railings, cathead and bulkhead.
Figure 31: Forward Ornamentations
Figure 32: Cap Rails Added
20 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Chapter 2: BOW & HEAD CONSTRUCTION
Prow Deck
Bow Strengthening Beam What is not totally clear from the drawing in Fig. 34 is the existence of a large outer beam that wraps around the prow directly underneath the top upper wale timber.
Figure 33 shows this timber very well (blue arrow) whilst the plan view in Fig. 31 infers this extra second piece but does not really show it in any detail. The drawing on the upper wale port (left) side is correct but the starboard appears to have an error by showing two different timbers (apart from the wale) forming the beam. Timber used was 5 x 5 mm. in cross-section. beam
Figure 33: Bow Outer Strengthening Beam – Scratch Build
outer beam
upper wale level with deck
‘seats of ease’
Figure 34: Diagram of Bow Outer Beam & 'Seats of Ease'
21 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Hawse Holes
Since the placement of the rails is dependent on the individual builder’s skills, the hawse holes may not go through the lower head rail as shown in Fig. 35. Frequently on actual ships the holes did not go through the rail at all ! A basic discussion on anchor cables is to be found in Royal William.02.
Longitudinal timber segments of oak lined the hawser hole interior surface but in most models, this would not be re-produced.
The hawser lining is added between the lower head rail and the upper cheek in the Royal William drawing but in many ships it is to be found between the two cheeks. In the real ship, the position is very much related to the main capstan and the placement of the orlop deck. lining timbers
Figure 35: Lining Timbers
The drawing in Fig. 35 indicates the presence of two lining timbers, each of which could be made from the second planking material. Immediately below the hawse holes is vaguely seen the bolster (shaded in pale green) – a carved block with a rounded edge to reduce excessive wear on the hemp anchor cable. That bolster, usually made from elm, would either run straight across under both holes or be carved to fit around the bottom half of both holes.
In the majority of models seen, it is obvious that builders omit this important piece of construction.
Fig. 36 shows a common practice – hawse holes simply drilled through and left unfinished with rough edges. The image shows only one hawse plate and no bolster.
Figure 36: Ruining the Image It was usual to line the hawser hole with either lead or copper and some builders include a brass port hole-type ring giving an impression of something that did not exist. The holes (in fact the bolsters) were radiused on both the inner and outer surfaces with a larger curve on the bottom half. This had the net result of reducing chafing of the ropes… something else to consider.
22 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Beakhead Ornamentation
Figurehead Detailing
The figureheads have altered slightly over time – e.g. harness over the horse’s head not apparent in newer castings (refer to Figs. 39 & 40).
Figure 37: Earlier Metal Casting Showing Greater Dimensional Detail
Figure 38: Slightly Later Casting
Figure 39: Current Casting With a More Simple Approach to Painting
Figure 40: Current Casting with a Simple Black Wash 23 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Rails & Cheeks
11155 (hidden from view) – a small piece that forms the end junction of the two upper head upper rails; depending on the build, it head rail 11156 may need to be greatly thinned or omitted.
11297
middle head rails 11159 head timbers 11160
lower 11161 + head rail 11159 upper cheek 11158
lower 11157 cheek
Figure 41: Head Metal Identification
24 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Gammoning & Upper upper edge of lower section of Cheek Rail beakhead The positioning of the upper cheek rail (coloured yellow in Figs. 41 & 42) is important in allowing the forward gammoning to pass out from behind the lower head rail, wrap over the upper cheek rail aft gammoning (wrapping from behind and forward gammoning over is shaded grey in Fig. 42) and through the hole in the beakhead. The timber beakhead itself is shaded a dark brown.
Figure 42: Upper Cheek Rail Positioning
The positioning of the metal head and cheek rails is never going to be straightforward but in the end, the only person who will notice any discrepancies is the builder of that ship. In Fig. 43, there is obviously a difference between the upper cheek rail as shown and of that in Fig. 42. This is not meant to be a criticism but purely an illustration of how things can finally turn out.
Figure 43: Upper Cheek Rail in one Particular Build
25 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Metal Bending
A number of kits are supplied with metal decorations such as stern window sections and beakhead rails. Whilst they are usually formed somewhat to the required shape, further bending is required to fit the model being built. The following procedure, outlined by marktiedens [MSW], is a straightforward one that avoids the metal becoming brittle and breaking ...
“Using thick leather gloves to keep from burning my fingers, I found that holding the metal … in the heated air from the heat gun, I could bend the metal pieces quite easily. During the bending I did not let the metal cool too much. When I felt I could start the bending I just backed away from the heat gun - the metal would stay hot, but not too hot. I didn`t want it to cool too fast in the middle of trying to make a curve. I did the heating several times because I had to hold it up to the ship to check the curve and it would cool down. Re-heating several times did not seem to Figure 44: Heat Gun affect the workability of the metal. It was a trial & error kind of thing, but it seemed to work out ok. I probably spent 30 minutes bending each piece.
Even after all the filing I had to do to make them conform to the curves of the hull, I had to tweak the bends I made earlier. Just had to be careful not to get the metal too hot - just enough so it can be bent. The temperature at the nozzle of the heat gun is about 500 degrees (F), so it wouldn`t take long to overheat the metal & destroy it. I held the pieces close to the gun only about 7 or 8 seconds then backed away. When I could feel the metal not wanting to bend anymore I moved a little closer to the gun to warm it more. Kind of hard to explain - I just did it by "feel".
After a bit of filing to fit the curves of the hull, they were painted gold & glued in place. The low setting on the heat gun is all that is necessary to heat the metal to be bent.”
26 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Bowsprit Gammoning Cleat Many builders omit the aft gammoning – perhaps due to a failure to include the cleat on the aft upper edge of the beakhead ? In Fig. 45, gammoning is shown in a position mid-way between where the forward and aft gammoning should have been.
Figure 45: Incorrect Gammoning Position
Grate & Upper Head Rail One essential part of bending the rails to the correct curvatures is to take Fig. 46 into account. Failure to do this will make the placement and rigging of the bowsprit gammoning difficult or almost impossible. 79.0 mm. 51.6 mm. 17.5 mm.
Figure 46: Plan View of Upper Head Rail Curvature
Figure 47: Beakhead Grate Fabrication
27 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Grate Visibility How the upperhead rail is bent will directly influence the positiong of the grate. The original drawings of the beakhead and the top rail show no evidence of the grate and yet by the very nature of the rail curvature, it seems that some of the grate will be visible in the side view – as illustrated below. On the other hand, if the curvature created is less than that shown in the drawings, the grate could be hidden from view. This was not seen as an issue and the rail was curved in such a way that some of the grate was visible.
+/- 50 mm.
Figure 48: Beakhead Grate; Side View
28 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Cathead Knee & Lower Head Rail
This metal piece serves two functions … • supporting knee for the cathead • ornamentation as the lower head rail
Figure 49: Cathead Knee In shaping this piece, the following aspects need to be taken into consideration … • conforms to the angle of the cathead placement (shaded pale yellow, Fig. 49) • lies flat against the hull immediately below (shaded a darker yellow, Fig. 49) • overlaps the upper wales almost vertically (shaded red) and the lower wale at a slight angle (shaded blue) in Fig. 50 and therefore requires some cross-lap joints to be formed (perhaps by removing material from the metal rather than the timber).
Figure 50: Cross-Lap Joints
Figure 51: Cutting Joints into the Wales
29 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Focs’le Timberhead & Upper Head Rail
This metal piece serves two functions … • belaying the bower anchor cable • ornamentation as the upper head rail
Figure 52: Timberhead
In Fig. 52, the broken red lines portray another judgement/ interpretation to be made. It appears that the timberhead is partially embedded into the bulwark/ hull and from a strength view point, this is logical. However, from the majority of builds observed, the timberhead is placed over the hull surface. Figure 53: Cutting into the Bulwark for the Upper Head Rail
Whilst Fig. 54 portrays the belaying function of the timberhead, it is ? worth pointing out the difficulty in getting its physical orientation correct with respect to the bulwark edges.
Figure 54: Belaying the Anchor Cable
Figure 55: Upper Head Rail
30 Euromodel Royal William.09. wales, ornamentation & bow.September 2021
Rails and Cheeks – a reality check
The bringing together of … • three head rails, • two cheek rails, • two hawse holes, • figure head
… into the indicated plan sheet positions is one that requires great care and planning (Fig. 56).
The above comments are well illustrated in the two following images… Figure 56: Rails
Figure 57: Head Rails & Upper Cheek Rail
head timbers
Figure 58: Head Timbers 31