Hms Investigator, 1800, 1/48 scale built by neptune from plans by Robert Sexton.

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This is a compacted build log of HMS INVESTIGATOR, 1800, 1/48 scale from plans by Robert Sexton.
This is the Investigator that Mathew Flinders used during his charting of the Australian coast in 1802.

I built this model for a gentleman who does talks on Mathew Flinders and his charting of the Australian coastline.

001.jpg
shows the bulkheads being erected

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the rest of the bulkheads cut out

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the side elevation


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stern view all the bulkheads in place

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bow view


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head on view


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stern framing, the plywood piece will be cut away along with the tops of the frames later in the build.


008.jpg
shows how I did the rabbett, I cut a strip not as wide as the keel and glued it in place

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then the keel went on top


010.jpg
shows how the first plank will sit in the rabbett

011.jpg
this is the strip in place and also note how I thinned the deadwood area so the planking will run flush into the stern post.


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012.jpg
Bow timbers being cut and checked over plan

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the rudder

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the rudder and stern post

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stern post and keel fitted


016.jpg
fitting the stem note the wood dowells through the keel and also the stem.


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fitting the scarph piece


018.jpg

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fitted and sanded
 
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019.jpg
my fancy plank bender, an old coffee pot with everything removed except the element.


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Frames marked for the wales position

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end of wale nibbed to fit in stem rebate


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first wale in place


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another view


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the second wale plank being fitted

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another view
 
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026.jpg
Fitting the wales continued fixing with PVA glue and dowells


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how I used the clamps as I worked back along the hull

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another view, after glue and dowelling to six framesI then started on the port side wales.


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Both sides glued and dowelled to front six frames


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Starboard side view, note the timber clamped to the front of the wale for extra support while the glue drys

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I'm afraid I dont have any pics of the planking of the hull, just the completed planking, I lost the log when MSW crashed and these are all I managed to salvage, if you have any questions just ask

033.jpg
the plan held against the hull

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The gentleman I built her for wanted some of the framing exposed, so this is what I did

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035.jpg
view along the deck getting ready for the cabins, take note that after I had planked the hull I cut away the timber tops along the main deck level and also the quarter deck and added another layer of planks make sure when you do this that the second layer over lap the frst layers joints


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shows the cabins part framed


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These next set of pics show how I made the capstan, its made out of a piece of Australian Pear, the pics are pretty self explanetary,

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It seems like a bit of an overkill, but at the time I had just bought the lathe and I wanted to see what it could do

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Turning down to size


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Lots of chippings


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To get the openings for the capstan bars I ran the end of the dowell across the saw table after working out where to put the cuts, any questions just ask


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turning the lower barrel the top barrel was turned the same.


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Top cap turned to size

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turning the bottom cap and drilling the hole for the top barrel to fit into.


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checking against the plan

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the top and bottom parts

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Milling the whelps


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The double capstan temporarily assembled.

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At the time this is how I made the gratings,

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I had a small saw table that I had made to fit on my lathe, the thinnest blade I had was 1.5mm, I clamped a piece of plywood over the saw table cutting a slot in it at the same time, then I I cut a strip of hard wood 1.5mm X 1.5mm and glued this 1.5mm from the saw blade, I then took some wood that was thicker and put the edge of it up against the 1.5mm strip and ran it over the saw creating a 1.5mm slot, then this slot I placed over the 1.5mm strip and ran it over the saw again, I kept doing this till the piece of wood was slotted

052.jpg
shows all the slots


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then I clamped a steel ruler onto the top of my bandsaw, again1.5mm away from the blade and
sliced of several battens that were1.5mm thick,


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slicing off the battens


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Shows the battens glued into the slotted strips



056.jpg
the gratings cleaned up and finshed with a surround, and a 1/48 scale figure on top.


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two views of the grating in place


058.jpg


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Cutting the gun ports and the galleries.


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port view


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port view close up


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I drilled four holes and the cut them out with a sharp scalpel


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I cut both the gallery bases from one piece of wood so they would be both the same shape then
cut them in two and shaped them


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after shaping


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I did the same for the upper gallery and the back part of the gallery.


065.jpg
port side view before clean up.


066.jpg
Shows the transom area, I used ply for the foundation and also ply for the shaped cut out over lay, the lower area I planked
 
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You do nice work. I really like your assortment of power tools. i.e. Lathe, milling machine. Do you also have a drill press?
Does ir take long to learn how to use them? :banana-dance: :banana-rock:
:music-rockout: :handgestures-salute:
 
GaryM said:
Nice work. Your pictures make it easy to understand how you did it. thanks for sharing.


Thank you Gary, I remember when I first started building models and sometimes it was'nt easy to grasp what was meant, so I try to show it clearly, and also thats why I sometimes state, ask any questions,



best regards John.
 
Sgtmik said:
You do nice work. I really like your assortment of power tools. i.e. Lathe, milling machine. Do you also have a drill press?
Does ir take long to learn how to use them?



Thank you Mike,when I first started out all I had was a craft knife, hand held fret saw some files and sand paper plus some normal size woodworking tools, and as I gradually progressed I added to my tools at Christmas time and Birthdays etc, I used to buy strip wood already sized for the planking because I did'nt have a saw, now I cut my own planks if it is a scratch build and make my own ropes on a rope walk I built, I'm no where near perfect but learn by perseverance , trial and tribulation, also the guys in our club are marvelous and we all share infomation and help each out for free,

best regards John.
 
067.jpg
Two pics of the fore or riding bitts

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I made them from Huon Pine which is a close grained wood, I also inserted two dowells for securing to the deck

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069.jpg
This is how I made the midship beam supports,


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in place between the ports, on reflection maybe I should have made them a bit smaller



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view from the bow, you can see the quarter deck sub deck waiting to be planked


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the beams cut to size


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I have installed the beams, the gangways, the fore deck and have planked them all,
I used black acrylic paint as the caulking, I clamp approx eight planks together on there
side and then paint them, it looks a bit messy when you lay the deck but cleans up OK.


074.jpg
View of the decks, nearly finished the clean up


075.jpg
after cleaning up.
 
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