The Fully Framed Model The HMN Swan class sloops of 1767-1780 VOLUME ONE, THIRD REVISED EDITION
by David Antscherl
Completed framing for Pegasus, 1777. Model constructed by Greg Herbert, scale 1:48.
The Fully Framed Model The HMN Swan class sloops of 1767-1780 VOLUME ONE, THIRD REVISED EDITION by David Antscherl with photographs by Greg Herbert
A guide for building the hull of a fully framed British naval Swan class ship-rigged sloop of the 1770’s. Suitably adapted, the experienced reader may use this book as a basis for constructing models of most naval vessels of the 1760-1800 period.
“This is a very small book. Read elsewhere and read critically, always” -Karl Kessler, historian, 2001
PUBLISHED BY SEAWATCHBOOKS LLC
© David Antscherl and Greg Herbert 2004, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2022. All rights
reserved. Fourth revised edition, fifth printing
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publishers.
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web: www.seawatchbooks.com
ISBN 979-8-9862370-1-5
Manufactured in The United States of America
CONTENTS
Foreword Acknowledgements, etc. Introduction
7 11 13
CHAPTER ONE Setting up the workshop Suggested hand tools Suggested power tools Supplementary books Wood species recommended Adhesives Marking out techniques Building board Keel Treenails False keel Lower stem Upper stem Lower apron (false stem) Upper apron Fore deadwood Finishing the stem and apron Stern deadwood and knee Stern post Inner post Rising wood Keel rabbet Wing transom Completing building board Fitting the wing transom Filling transoms Keel, metal fittings Finishing the stem head Accurate measuring methods Available NMM plans Glossary for plans Measurement conversions Useful web addresses Cutting scarph joints Sanding techniques Transoms and tenons Milling transom tenons
15 15 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 24 26 30 31 33 35 37 38 38 40 41 42 44 44 46 48 49 50 51 55 56 57 59 60 61 62 63 64 65
CHAPTER TWO Aft fashion piece Fillers below transoms Aftermost cant frame Joint options (framing) Chocked futtock joints Scarphed futtock joints Aftermost cant frame Bollard timber Bowsprit cross chock Foremost fore cant frame The hawse pieces Hawse piece #2 Hawse piece #3 Hawse piece #4 The filler piece Fore cant frames Fore cant heels and steps Special case cant frames Framing the ports Fairing the bow framing Aft cant frames Gun port #9 Side counter timbers Finishing aft side framing Fairing the stern framing Frames on a bearding line Boxing of hawse pieces
75 76 79 80 82 83 89 92 96 103 105 106 107 109 110 110 111 116 117 118 120 124 124 124 128 128 129 130
CHAPTER THREE Sequence of actual building The knee of the head The gripe Lacing, chock and bobstay pieces Cutwater Finishing the knee of the head Standard and extension piece Square body frames, introduction Wood economy Frame pair 14 First exercise in lofting
133 134 136 137 138 139 139 144 145 147 147 151
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THE FULLY FRAMED MODEL, THE HMN SWAN CLASS SLOOPS 1767-1780 VOLUME ONE
4
Fitting 14 aft to the deadwood Frame 14 fore Frame bend 13 Frame bend 12 Frame pair 11 Progressive fairing Fore square frame pair L Frame pair K Frame pair J and sweep ports Frame pair H Frame pair G Fairing the fore frames Remaining square frames Preparing for the pumps Cutting sills into finished frames Gun port and sweep port sills Fillings Concluding the framing Cutting down Fixed blocks in the sides Planksheer (covering board) Covering board (planksheer) Finishing toptimbers: timberheads Kammerlander bending method Intermediate frame heels aft Fractional/decimal equivalents Floor and futtock sidings
152 154 155 156 157 157 160 160 160 160 161 161 161 162 163 164 164 165 165 165 163 165 167 169 169 171 171
CHAPTER FOUR Keelson Stemson Finishing the keelson Ribbands and harpins Ribband nails Floorhead ribband and harpins First futtock ribband and harpins Second futtock ribband and harpins Third futtock ribband and harpins Sheer ribband and harpins Inner limber strake How much detail to include Outer limber strake Fastening the planking Thickstuff over the floorheads Thickstuff at first futtock heads Lower deck clamp
175 177 179 179 180 180 181 183 183 183 184 184 188 188 188 189 191 191
First futtock upper strake Upper deck clamp Air space String in the waist Forecastle deck clamp Quarter deck clamp Footwaling Finding plank taper Plank sny and spiling off Footwaling (continued) Main mast step Foremast step Mizen mast step Limber boards Crutch aft of the mizen mast Breast hooks Sleepers Wing transom knees Chemical coloring of metal Wire equivalents Planing planks on edge Measuring off heights CHAPTER FIVE Ballast Barrels and casks Platforms: an introduction Aft platform beams Fish room/spirit room bulkhead Aft platform lodging knees Aft platform carlings Aft platform ledges Pillars under the lower deck beams Lower deck beams Pillars in the hold Aft platform planking Fastenings for deck planks Well and shot locker Preparing for the pumps Continuing construction of the well Metal fittings and silver soldering Shot locker hinges Fore platforms Magazine, passageway and light room Magazine bulkhead and doors Palleting beams and carlings
192 193 193 194 195 195 196 196 197 199 199 200 201 202 203 203 204 204 206 206 207 207 209 211 211 213 213 216 217 218 218 219 220 223 224 225 225 227 228 229 231 232 233 235 236
CONTENTS
Palleting flat Light room Passageway to the magazine Bread room Steward’s room Slop room Captain’s store room Fishroom hatch Magazine and filling room fittings Stores for magazine and filling room Fore platform bulkheads Block room Riding bitt uprights Pitch and tar room Coal hole Boatswain’s storeroom Gunner’s storeroom Color in the hold Isometric drawings Beam round-up, hyperbolic curve Beam round-up, arciform curve Window frames (lights)
237 238 239 239 240 241 241 241 241 243 244 245 246 246 246 246 247 247 248 249 250 252
CHAPTER SIX Lower deck hook and eking Lower deck beams, continued Hanging knees, lower deck Lower deck lodging knees Lower deck carlings Lower deck ledges Fore mast partners Mast wedges Rake, mast Stepping Sheer hulk Opposed lodging knees Varieties of lodging knees Variations of deck beams Beam arms Main mast partners Iron lodging knees & packing pieces Mizen mast partners Aft companion or ladderway Lower deck planking Inner planking, lower deck Lower deck planking
255 256 256 257 258 259 259 259 260 260 260 260 261 262 262 263 264 264 265 265 265 266 267
Lower deck waterway Lower deck planking, continued Centerline plank Shutting in Flat of the deck Scuttle covers (lower deck) Hatch coamings (lower deck) Hatchway gratings Grating production Riding bitts Upper deck beams Riding bitts, continued Main topsail sheet bitt pins Main jeer bitts Chain pumps Chain pump tubes Pump intake chambers Brake pumps Upper well Ladder to aft platform Pillars under upper deck beams Lower deck cabin bulkheads Making ringbolts Index
267 267 270 270 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 277 279 279 280 283 284 286 287 288 289 295 296
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THE FULLY FRAMED MODEL, THE HMN SWAN CLASS SLOOPS 1767-1780 VOLUME ONE
Building a Swan Class model Foreword
Y
ou would not be reading this today were not for the help and encouragement of many dedicated people over the past 60 years. In acknowledging their assistance with
gratitude, their names appear on page 11. This adventure started when I asked myself: “How did the eighteenth century ship modeler make his beautiful, fully framed models?”1 (I am not referring to the conventionally framed or Admiralty style model.) I was certain that the methods used by Harold Hahn, John Franklin, and R.A. (Bob) Lightley were unknown back then. After reading over these three modelers’ methods carefully, I started to think about the problem in more subversive ways. I wanted to build a fully framed model according to dockyard practice, at the classic scale of 1:48. I did not want to compromise on accuracy where finished appearance was concerned. Neither did I want to waste more wood than needed in the process. Nor did I want to do any more work than was absolutely necessary. (Being of a lazy disposition, I always seek the most efficient solution!) And I wanted to construct my model “right way up,” without any elaborate jigs. After much consideration I realized that the only reasonable way was to emulate the old-time shipwrights in miniature: build my model upright piece by piece, lofting (drafting) each component of the ship’s structure. Those skills must have been well known to the builders of the magnificently detailed models that I had seen displayed in the Science and National Maritime Museums. A study model of bow framing2 (still held by the latter institution) was built by the apprentice naval architect Robert Seppings in the 1780’s. It seems that he had to design, loft, and then make all the component timbers of this model himself as part of his apprenticeship.
1 2
A good example is Intrepid in frame, 1770, at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. This model is illustrated in Ship Models, their Development and Purpose from 1650 to the Present by Brian Lavery and Simon Stephens, page 232. (NMM ref. SLR 2179)
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THE FULLY FRAMED MODEL, THE HMN SWAN CLASS SLOOPS 1767-1780 VOLUME ONE
To see if it was possible to miniaturize traditional full-size techniques, I embarked upon a model of Comet of 1783. I carefully lofted all her frames before beginning construction. Part of the result can be seen in this book. I discovered that not only was it possible to build in much the same way as the real ship had been constructed, but aligning the framing was much easier than I had anticipated. Of course I ran into other problems that had to be solved, and I hope that others can take advantage of my learning experience in the construction of their own models. (There is more to the story, of course, than this. The curious reader is referred to Greg Herbert’s foreword beginning on the next page.) I did not want to see several dozen identical models of exactly the same subject result from my writings (a shortcoming in other books on the market, in my opinion), and also wished model makers to discover the treasure trove of ships’ plans available for which no models yet exist. Hence the descriptions in this book can be applied to any one of the very pretty Swan class ships of the 1770’s, or to any other ship of this period if the builder learns to loft his or her own frames. It is my sincere hope that by taking this journey, your knowledge of 18th century shipbuilding will increase, the considerable time and effort that it takes to construct a model will result in greater accuracy, and — perhaps most importantly — you will acquire your own taste for enquiry and further research. Wishing you a successful voyage of discovery,
David Antscherl
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43° 46' 02"N 80° 52' 16"W Summer Solstice, 2004
THE FULLY FRAMED MODEL, THE HMN SWAN CLASS SLOOPS 1767-1780 VOLUME ONE
Foreword by Greg Herbert
H
ow this volume came into being might be of interest to its readers. I met David for the first time at the Mariners’ Museum 2000 Competition in Newport News, Virginia. While carrying my model of Druid to my hotel room, I happened to share an elevator with David. He displayed an interest in the model, so I invited him to take a closer look. While he was examining Druid, I became aware that he was the builder of Polyphemus, one of the most beautiful models I had ever seen. Knowing that he was a master builder, I asked for his advice in building the ship’s wheel. I still have his beautifully drawn illustration and was impressed by the simple manner in which he suggested a solution.
I began e-mailing David with questions about various details on Druid and always received concise and historically accurate responses, often with professionally drawn illustrations. He soon became my mentor and friend, and I made two pilgrimages to his workshop where he and his wife Carol graciously put up with me for several days. I spent hours studying David’s models of Polyphemus and Comet, in addition to his meticulously drawn plans. My goal was to learn drafting, but it soon became apparent that I lacked the skills required for the task. Nevertheless each trip was a resounding success. I learned techniques such as silver soldering, basic carving, chisel use and sharpening , plus a variety of other skills that I now use daily. While putting the finishing touches on Druid I began discussing my next project with David. I was looking to build a sixth-rate or sloop of war and had decided on Kingfisher. David suggested I consider building a ship that had never been modeled before. He told me of the various other plans available for the Swan class of ships, to which Kingfisher belonged. The idea intrigued me and I commissioned David to draft a set of plans for the Swan class. I figured I would use Hahn’s building jig with David’s plans and build it upside down, as I had done with my previous two models. The arrival of the newly drafted plans was quite a shock to me! Close inspection revealed that these were not Hahn-style plans with his various conventions for simplicity. David had lofted every single full and cant frame and his beautifully drawn plans were perfect replications of the Admiralty draughts except in one important detail; they were now accurate. The originals had become distorted over time.
9