Thanks Davetwin and Paul for you comments . . .

Coming back to Paul's comment " but just seems a shame you're going to copper over such superb woodwork" how can I disagree ?

In fact, not to brag, but the planking result is very nice.

I'm now trying to document myself regarding the matter of copper plating/sheating, both from a theorical point of view than practical (ie: how to achieve the best realistic result to cover the quickwork).
One of the reasons I tryed to do my best with second planking was the possibility to leave me a chance in the case I was not able to be successful with the copper plating.
Remember this is my first experience and i'm not sure of the final result.
When this kind of situation occurs I usually try to have ready a kind of a "B plan", just to let me a second path to follow . .

Again, thanks to all of you, Jack.

This really is a stunning build.The accuracy and neatness are just jaw dropping.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

In these days I finished to install the gunwales and, as a final touch, I also gave a few black coats to them, so that now probably show an almost final appearance, unless new elements will be added in the future.

Now I got to a state where it is no longer possible to stall further the project:
1) proceed with a natural wood finish of the hull and go further with this modelling presentation philosophy, often adopted by several ship modelers, or proceed with the installation of the copper sheating on the underwater surface, opting in this case for a more realistic way of presentation. If I should adopt this second solution I should obviously setup a surface preparation of the hull rather different from the first case. Then we need a strong decision.

Regarding the first solution I had many experience, so it does add virtually nothing to my experiences because this would be a mere repetition of tasks already done.

For the latter, however, it would be the first time that I face such a serious commitment. I did a small experience when I covered the underwater hull of the cross section model of the Santisima Trinidad with copper plates, but it is too simple and small compared to what I'm expecting now. However even this minimal experience with the SST left something to me. More about this later in this message.

In fact it is several days that I'm on this subject by relating with other friends (and other I still have to do) and I also spent hours on the web to see what, how and who has already made similar experiences.

I picked up a good portion of these "discoveries" in a document that describes these methods (a kind of patchwork picked from various sources), but they are still far from my complete satisfaction to have everything right and clear.

Let's start for example from some methods of how to perform copper sheating.

First you need a proper preparation of the ground surface in order to facilitate the application of copper and improve durability.
Then the practice suggests two equally viable paths:
- Use bricks made of copper in proper measure and apply them one by one according to a default scheme or
- prepare copper strips on which are pre-cut more bricks and apply it on the hull in a more efficient way then previously.

The fixing can take place using glue (cyanoacrylate or epoxy) or using copper already equipped with an adhesive film, used in some hobby decorative tasks.

In addition there is the problem of the simulation of the riveting, topic still faced by many modelers with different methods but all quite effective.

The copper support that can be found in commerce is of two types: tape or sheet, both self-adhesive or not. The tape media is very easy to find in its self-adhesive form but is also available in natural form. The real limitation here is that the choice of the height is limited (5,6,7 etc) so if you find the right size to fit is fine, otherwise you have to compromise on the measures.
Even the copper sheet is marketed self-adhesive or not; I think that the sheet allows to make the right measurements of the individual bricks corresponding to the real original size, so I think this solution would be preferable.

Finally, assuming that we have finally achieved to fully cover the hull in one way or the other we are faced now with how to display it. And here it is necessary to make some assumptions.
From my experience with the cross section of the Santísima Trinidad I found that the copper, not treated with paint, left exposed to light and air, with time loses the original reddish brilliant color of the new copper and turns brown, getting darker, up to become almost black. To date, after three / four years, the color of my cross section is yellowish brown.

Treating the copper with a glazing paint fixes permanently the beautiful color of new copper. . but is it realistic?

But how becomes the copper in the absence of air under the water, in particular seawater? To hear somepeople the lack of air should prevent the copper from oxidizing and so the color would not change, others, instead, believe that there is still enough oxygen in the water to produce certain effects, in addition there is also the presence of salt water . . A topic of a forum addresses this topic http://modelshipworld.co...organ-by-modelshipways/ and it seems convincing. .

And here enters the USS Constitution. As you have read in my previous messages, this sailing ship was lastly covered with copper plates in 1995 and until a few days ago has always been in water. So if we take for example the images below showing the copper appearance after twenty years we have an unequivocal and indisputable evidence of what happens to copper when it stays in seawater for a long time.

Conclusion? Well, I leave this task to you, maybe, after having a deep look to the images that I propose here below, you will have the answer to the question with which I finished my prev message about Connie: "I'm sure you're probably wondering: which relationship has this message and related images with the Brick I'm building and that headlines this log ?
At first glance, you'll see nothing but, with a little of patience this news, by the way quite recent and do not know how familiar to many people may it be, has veeeeeery muuuuuuch to do with my model under construction. A few patience for now."

01 USS.Constitution.in.Dry.Dock 12.jpg


02 USS.Constitution.in.Dry.Dock 20.jpg


03 USS.Constitution.in.Dry.Dock 13.jpg


04 USS.Constitution.in.Dry.Dock 21.jpg


05 USS.Constitution.in.Dry.Dock 22.jpg


06 USS.Constitution.in.Dry.Dock 6.jpg


07 USS.Constitution.in.Dry.Dock 10.jpg


08 USS.Constitution.in.Dry.Dock 7.jpg


09 USS.Constitution.in.Dry.Dock 11.jpg


10 USS.Constitution.in.Dry.Dock 19.jpg


Comments? Other points of view or ideas ? Every comment is more than welcome. Regards, Jack.

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Honestly I expected some reactions/comments to the subject I introduced in the previous messages regarding the appearance of copper plating. . . but probably I was wrong.

Patience.

Meanwhile I finished the activities that were ongoing, including the installation of the gunwales. Now I think I must invent alternative tasks to perform while I'm preparing for the application of the copper. YES, because I decided to proceed in this direction. It's challenging !! I still have to procure the needed materials: I haven't a clear solution so I decided to buy tapes and sheets, self-adhesive and raw, of various thicknesses to do some comparative tests, then I will choose the solution that will give me the better satisfaction.

While waiting I could start something that will be useful for the future, such as ship boats or some superstructures, I need to think about it. Besides, I should definitely level with sandpaper and finish the hull, also preparing the surface of the quickwork that will receive the copper.

01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100282_zpsqkbwiaiy.jpg


02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100280_zpspvzt80my.jpg


03 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100279_zps5zl9uvgm.jpg


04 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100277_zpsdftzvkhe.jpg


05 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100274_zpsotprofr3.jpg


Further images from different viewpoints will follow . . cheers, Jack.

Monday, June 1, 2015

A cordial greeting to everybody.

I thank all the forum users for their comments and advices to my messages concerning the upcoming activities.

Unfortunately, in the absence of further developments "on the field", I come to propose further model images that date back a few days ago.

The fact that I haven't done anything "practical" in the last days does not mean that I have been totally idle, I simply continued my search for an optimal solution of how best simulate the hull plating with copper.

At the end (really ?), after many considerations, surfing the internet here and there and activating some other sources, I come to identify a solution that, if should prove to be viable, would become in my opinion the most valid. Now I am engaged to carry out the necessary checks this idea can be really pursued.

In the next post I'll try to explain better the idea and, in the meantime, I hope to confirm its validity, especially the feasibility. For now, enjoy the pictures. Regards, Jack.

01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100276_zpsg9mlx6or.jpg


02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100284_zpsog3lwhn6.jpg


03 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100281_zpsdfjdcwge.jpg


04 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100270_zpsyq8orfvd.jpg


05 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100271_zpsgjz85psd.jpg

Friday, June 19, 2015

It's +/- fifteen days that I do not provide any news about this project.

Unfortunately I had other commitments and could not find the time to continue with my idea on the copper plating.
Commitments about matters concerning the condominium where I live, so I was heavily involved and I am just now released.

I also had to undertake the repair of my computer because the two internal harddisks showed signs of being to pass away and I had to recover the situation. As result I spent almost three full days to restore all the data on the new harddisks. Thanks to the fact that I have always had in place an automatic and regular data backup process I did lose practically nothing. But I had to reinstall many software, from Windows 7 Operating System to the application programs I usually use.
It had also a chance to do some housekeeping of all the "garbage" installed in the last five years. Now, thanks to the smart hardware changes, the PC runs like a beauty.

And so, rather than carrying on the copper plates matter, since I was on the computer many hours, I started thinking to get ready to build, at the right time, the brick longboat, the first of the three boats on this ship.

And here I followed the same path that led me to design the hull of the ship some months ago:
1) trace the longboat ANCRE plan with AUTOCAD,
2) correct some more evident errors in the drawing, which, as far as great, was convenient to adjust.
The result can be seen in the first image here below, containing all the hull design elements.

01 Brick%20de%2024%20Plans/v1.0.0.ScialuppaGrandeDisegno1_zpsgtelmm2d.jpg


From the first drawing I then extrapolated some details, as the following views . .

02 Brick%20de%2024%20Plans/v1.1.0.ScialuppaGrandeDisegnoLato_zpsthsqaani.jpg


Then I cleaned up a few lines that were no longer needed . .

03 Brick%20de%2024%20Plans/v1.1.1.ScialuppaGrandeDisegnoLato_zpsefmj0pri.jpg


Until I got the draw of the keel . .

04 Brick%20de%2024%20Plans/v1.1.2.ScialuppaGrandeDisegnoLato_zpsxwvbohjf.jpg


And the bulkheads from midships aft . .

05 Brick%20de%2024%20Plans/v1.1.2.ScialuppaGrandeDisegnoPoppa_zpsewgrx39p.jpg


The process continues . .
Cheers, Jack.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Still a long period of inactivity regarding my shipmodeling activities. Too many bad things happened in this month and so I could not continue working on my model.

Only sometimes I could dedicate to it and this exclusively via AutoCAD in designing two of the three ship boats. I have already shown the greatest, the longboat, which should allow me to cut out the pieces to setup the hull and now I could begin its construction. . but i'm not sure this will happen shortly.

Then, I continued with the smaller lifeboat: the same type of work and now I have ready the preliminary project to build it. The thrid boat, the last, is still missing.

Finally, I continued to work on my idea of a "different" solution to the copper plating of the hull.

I reached the conclusion, may be right or wrong but for me should be the one with a better aesthetic result and process, that the best copper plates to be applied to the hull had to be obtained through a process of photoetching combined with a laser cutting.
In Italy there are several companies that provide this service. I found some time ago one conmpany on the internet that seemed to have the right requisites and I proceeded to contact it. Unfortunately they said that, although it is possible for them, they do not make business with privates and the business aborted.

So now I have to re-initiate a search until I found someone who is willing to do this work.

Meanwhile, given that the whole process of photoetching generally starts from a vector file (can be done, for example, with AutoCAD), I proceeded to draw a copper plate of the correct size with all the nails planned in the original plate, shown here below in a visible size.

01 Brick%20de%2024%20Plans/V1.2.0.PiastraRame_zps6spskkxo.jpg


I then proceeded to prepare the vector file in A4 format including the maximum containable number of plates, both for the right side of the hull than for the left side. Here you can see the result.

Everything should be photoetched and laser cut from a sheet of copper or brass (after year 1800 was no longer being used only pure copper but copper alloys with other less expensive metals) of the proper thickness, to be better defined with the photoetcher, but which should probably between 0.1 and 0.2 millimeters.

02 Brick%20de%2024%20Plans/V1.2.2.PiastraRameA4Lato1_zpstty7dvyx.jpg


03 Brick%20de%2024%20Plans/V1.2.2.PiastraRameA4Lato2_zpsxqelro85.jpg


The story is still far from its end anyway, because if I do not find the photoetcher I'm lost.

Does anyone know one in Italy or in Europe ?

Cheers, Jack.Aubrey.

Wow I don't know how you do it but it looks bril

Rgd Martyn

Friday, July 10th, 2015

After a long break due to family problems and, last but not least, thanks the hot weather of these last days where I live, finally yesterday and today I was able to resume activities on the model.

Being for now suspended any task on the brick hull, waiting for news regarding the copper plates, I started the construction of one of the three lifeboats carried by this ship.

In recent days I spent enough time designing plans with AutoCAD and now in theory the three boats are ready to be built. The design method is the same for all, then, to avoid that an error is reflected on all the three projects, I decided to start to build only one for now. Later, if the method will work, I will start the other two, otherwise I will have to correct something before proceeding further.
The choice is obviously fallen on the largest boat: being larger it should be easier to work with. .

The first image shows all the pieces cut and finished, after I glued the AutoCAD printouts on a birch plywood, 5 layers, 2mm. thickness. The metric scale in the background should give a idea of the size of this boat: about 16-17cm.

Shown below is the mounting basement, consisting of a plywood tablet on which has been glued a boat plant. On the centerline is a strip of 5x5mm. intended to keep the bulkheads capsized but aligned.

01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/20150709_185229_zpsgbqkmzvn.jpg


After removing the paper from all the cutout pieces, I started the actual installation just glueing all the bulkheads. The alignment is obtained with the 5x5 strip on the base. So far everything seems to work well. With a special tool of adequate size, I made me sure to glue the frames perfectly vertical with respect to the base. So far, so good.

The next two images show the work at this point of the installation.

02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/20150710_105949_zpsgmkqv3ay.jpg


03 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/20150710_105940_zpsa0kprqd1.jpg


The work is still in progress, see you soon, Jack.Aubrey.

Lovely work as always Jack