HMY Fubbs, 1724

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Group,

Back in 2008 I had developed and was producing a CNC milled plank on frame kit of the Royal Yacht, HMY Fubbs. The kit was designed to be built as a Navy Board model. It was inspired by a scratchbuilt model I built years earlier of the ship using the plans drawn by Portia Takakjian.

The kit was developed using AutoCAD. It was done mostly in costello boxwood. The kit featured special paintings along the sides (a painted frieze) of the ship and on various bulkheads on the deck that I drew using Adobe Photoshop and printed on a glossy peel and stick sticker paper. I knew that given the level of detail and complexity of these drawings, most modelers would not be able to duplicate them. Since they were a major aspect of the beauty of the ship, I felt it was important to include them in the kit.

The model and kit also featured a very special parquet floor in the great cabin. This floor used a number of species of wood including boxwood, holly, and swiss pear.

This build log will show how the model was assembled/constructed from the kit parts. No modifications were made to the kit. What you see here is what you got in the kit.

I no longer produce this kit or any other kit for that matter. The cost and availability of costello boxwood in the required thicknesses is prohibitive for such a kit and the demand dropped off completely by 2009 and the housing market crash.

I hope you enjoy this build log. The Fubbs is one of 5 plank on frame kits that I used to produce.

Bob
 
These first photos show the construction of the frames and the framing of the hull. Single futtock style framing for a Navy Board model does not require any kind of building jig.

There are certain steps that the builder must take to ensure that the frames are plumb to the work surface. This plumbness is achieved using a carpenter's square and special drawings with alignment marks that I provided in the kit.

The frames consisted of several CNC milled parts. There was a frame drawing of each frame which showed the layout of the frame parts. The frames were assembled as a continuing stack thus forming the hull in sections as you joined one frame to the next and then the sections were joined to each other.

After all of the frames were joined together, the keel, stem, stern deadwood and sternpost were added.

This first photo shows frame 1A laid out on its associated frame drawing using double sided tape.


Next, frame 1, which was actually in front of frame 1A was attached to the surface of frame 1a. Please note that the bevel lines for each frame were shown in the drawings for both the inside and outside edge bevels. The frame parts were beveled first before being added to the growing stack of frames.


A carpenter's square was used to check alignment along the centerline. Cross pieces were added to the whole frames to align the top along the centerline.'


The assembled frame parts were then added to the next set of frame pairs, 2 and 2A and so forth making the hull grow from bow to stern.


Sections were built up in 6" lengths and then set aside to be later joined to each other thus forming the entire hull.


As the hull grew in length, the stem was added.


The mid section was built.


The stern section was built and joined to the other frame sections. The stern section frames were designed such that once they were assembled, they formed the stern deadwood. Most construction I've seen of Navy Board models used a separate stern deadwood piece that had to be fitted between each frame. That requires precision cutting and fitting. My method produced the same visual results but was much easier because the deadwood was actually part of each frame part.'


And finally, remaining keep arts and sternpost were added, wing transoms and other transoms were added and a final upper side piece was added to form the entire framed model.


Each day I'll try to post more photos of the build of this kit prototype so stay tuned. I hope you might learn something about Navy Board model construction and enjoy seeing what a beautiful model this kit provided that wasn't really that difficult to assemble.

If anyone is interested in scratchbuilding this model, please let me know. I'm considering offering the plans, complete set of frame drawings, complete set of photos of the construction and the construction practicum for the model for sale on my website. A complete list of required lumber needed with dimensions will also be included which you can easily obtain from whatever sources such as The Lumberyard. I can no longer offer the kit as I don't have the equipment to produce it.

Take care,

BobDSC00116s.jpgDSC00117s.jpgDSC00126s.jpgDSC00135s.jpgDSC00140s.jpgDSC00163s.jpgDSC00190s.jpgDSC00201s.jpgDSC00234s.jpg
 
Also, you'll notice some pencil lines in the next to the last photo across the hull. These were used to trim the frames in the open areas so that a smooth line of transition was formed from one frame to the next across the entire hull. This is a signature trait of the Navy Board model style.

Bob
 
Thanks Mike and Zoltan. I'll post more photos tomorrow but it make take a while to document the entire build :)

Bob
 
The next photo shows the framing of the stern transom.


Once the transom was finished the upper hull was planked leaving the open framework of the lower hull visible in the Navy Board style.


The great cabin in this kit had the parquet floor shown on Portia's plans. This was duplicated in the kit using some laser cut parts in boxwood and various pieces of stripwood in walnut, holly and cherry. The floor was constructed on a piece of cardstock that had the pattern laid out on it and was included in the kit. The next two photos show the construction of the floor.




Next, the main deck was framed using CNC milled deck beams and lodging knees combined with various pieces of stripwood. The deck beams were built up in 3 layers. The two outer layers had notches milled into them for the carlings.


The quarterdeck was framed in the same manner and the glass windowed bulkhead on the forward side of the great cabin was constructed and installed. The great cabin has a sunken floor meaning that its deck level is below the deck level of the quarterdeck.




The poop deck over the great cabin only had deck beams - no carlings or ledges. It was framed and partially planked so that you could see the deck framing and the parquet floor n the great cabin.


I'll continue the build log in my next posting.

BobDSC00238s.jpgDSC00282s.jpgDSC00295s.jpgDSC00298s.jpgDSC00323s.jpgDSC00355s.jpgDSC00378s.jpgDSC00396s.jpg
 
G'day Bob, now thats ship modelling, that is just beautiful, I will follow this with interest,

best regards John.
 
Amazing work Bob, I have only seen finished Admiralty ship models at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich in London, it's good to see one actually being built,

Cheers Andy
 
Thanks Andy and John. Keep in mind, back in 2008 I produced this kit. There may still be some out there that haven't been built that you might see on eBay. The kit sold for $600.00 so if you find one some time, I'd be interested in how much they were asking for it.

Take care,

Bob
 
After planking the poop deck, the quarterdeck was planked.


At the fore end, the forecastle deck is created with grating parts.


Now you can see the framed main deck and forecastle deck with the hatch combings and gratings.




This photo shows some of the decks from a perspective view.


Railings were added at the fore end of the quarterdeck. The paintings were supplied in the kit as printed sticker paper that were simply peeled off a paper backing and stuck onto the railing.



At the fore end of the main deck, a windlass was added.


Going back to the quarterdeck rail, additional details were added which included a handrail and the stairs had sticker paper paintings added to them.


Some work on the stern transom and side galleries. It should be noted that Portia's plans show cherubs over the top and bottom of the side gallery. My skills were not good enough to carve those complex figures so the kit included an alternative, simpler side gallery.



At the forecastle, a railing was added on the aft side. Sticker paintings were added on the forward bulkhead, catheads were added, and the head rails were added.


I'll add more construction photos tomorrow.

Take care,

BobDSC00421s.jpgDSC00449s.jpgDSC00451s.jpgDSC00478s.jpgDSC00479s.jpgDSC00482s.jpgDSC00483s.jpgDSC00511s.jpgDSC00523s.jpgDSC00592s.jpgDSC00593s.jpgDSC00597s.jpg
 
Well if you find one for Dave, you better find one for me as well!! :text-thankyouyellow:
 
I can't help you with a kit but I might be able to help you with the complete set of plans, which includes all of the frame drawings, all of the parts drawings, the deck drawings, the practicum on how to build it, the photo Cd with all of the photos I took of the prototype when I built it, a complete wood list which includes the dimensions of all the billets and stripwood, a complete parts list, the image files for the painted frieze and other painted bulkheads, and even the CAD parts files so Mike could laser cut the parts for you both. Interested? If so, email me and we'll work it out.

Take care,

Bob
 
She is a great looking ship Bob and would be a compliment to anyone's collection. I have never had the chance or fortune to use boxwood yet but it is a fine looking wood. Watching this makes me want to open the Patrick Henry box!!! I'll be around to watch for more.
 
DonRobinson post_id=22467 time=1505264422 user_id=4811 said:
She is a great looking ship Bob and would be a compliment to anyone's collection. I have never had the chance or fortune to use boxwood yet but it is a fine looking wood. Watching this makes me want to open the Patrick Henry box!!! I'll be around to watch for more.

Hi Don,

I'm sorry to say that I don't produce the Patrick Henry any more. I sold my laser cutter months ago and do not plan to ever develop or produce kits again. Sorry.

Take care,

Bob
 
Bob, I bought a kit off of you already but haven't built it yet but watching this build log makes me want to get it down from the shelf and start it. Just this morning Mike sent me all the pictures he had of his build so now I am really getting inspired.
 
DonRobinson post_id=22488 time=1505313526 user_id=4811 said:
Bob, I bought a kit off of you already but haven't built it yet but watching this build log makes me want to get it down from the shelf and start it. Just this morning Mike sent me all the pictures he had of his build so now I am really getting inspired.

I've got plenty more pictures of my former kits Don and will be posting them over time. I'm always inspired by seeing other people's work, just wish I had their skills :D

Bob
 
We're in the final stretch now.

The kit came with several resin castings for the figurehead (a left side and a right side), the cherub surrounds around each gunport, and the stern transom carvings to name a few.


The painted frieze was printed on sticker paper so that it could be peeled off and stuck to the side of the ship.



The stern carvings were painted and attached to the stern transom.



The figurehead was painted and added to the stem.


And last but not least, the model was mounted on it's kit base using resin cast crowns that were included in the kit. The crowns had jewels glued on them first which were also included in the kit. Since it was meant to be built in the Admiralty style, only stub masts were installed.DSC00618s.jpgDSC00679s.jpgDSC00681s.jpgDSC00688s.jpgDSC00705s.jpgDSC00722s.jpgDSC00725s.jpgDSC00732s.jpg
 
Bob

I am really enjoying seeing your works. Excellent builds, eye for detail.

Cheers
Geoff
 
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