British cutter Diligence

[Littlebob]

HI guys been a long time since I was on the forum time to change that. Below are a couple of pictures of my scratch built cutter Diligence, both the ship and base are scratch builds, the ships card is a modified version from the Thorne. The second picture I added the Frigate HMS Unite for scale. All comments welcome

[Nightmoss]

Now that is some impressive scratch building, even the base!? Would be nice to see some battles involving smaller ships? (hint, hint)

[Littlebob]

Thanks For the comment Jim, I built her for the reason you said, to have battles with smaller ships.

[Bligh]

What a lovely job you have made of her Robert.
Both the Cutter and the base will fit in very well with the rest of the Sails models.
Now we are all going to want our own cutter!
Rob.

[Hjl]

Do you have any wip pictures so I can see if I'm capable of making one?

[Littlebob]

Thanks Rob for your comment, it was a fun build. Sorry Hugh I don't have any in progress pics. I can give you a basic idea how I did it.

1. I used sheet styrene with the basic shape stacked and glued together.
2. The last sheet I used to make the bulwarks was lightly glue on the edges so I could cut the center out for the main deck and remove it. If you are careful you now have both your bulwarks and main deck.
3.You can finish the shaping of the hull with small files and sand paper.

I hope this helps you.
I am in the process of scratch building the USS Vermont 74 gun for the US, I will post pics soon so you can maybe see it better.

[Capn Duff]

Excellent scratch build, something I need to get to grips with one I finish rigging my fleets

[Hjl]

Thanks Rob for your comment, it was a fun build. Sorry Hugh I don't have any in progress pics. I can give you a basic idea how I did it.

1. I used sheet styrene with the basic shape stacked and glued together.
2. The last sheet I used to make the bulwarks was lightly glue on the edges so I could cut the center out for the main deck and remove it. If you are careful you now have both your bulwarks and main deck.
3.You can finish the shaping of the hull with small files and sand paper.

I hope this helps you.
I am in the process of scratch building the USS Vermont 74 gun for the US, I will post pics soon so you can maybe see it better.

Sheet styrene is also know as plasticard right?

[Littlebob]

Thanks Chris, yeh I have a feeling if I want more American ships I will have to do a lot more scratch building. Yes Hugh same stuff, both Plastruct and Evergreen make it.

[csadn]

I'm surprised no one ever thought to split the fore-and-aft sail behind the mast into two; that one big sheet looks like a PITA to handle....

[Bligh]

Sheet styrene is also know as plasticard right?

That's what I use Hugh.

[Naharaht]

That is a great piece of modelling, Robert.

[Nightmoss]

Thanks Rob for your comment, it was a fun build. Sorry Hugh I don't have any in progress pics. I can give you a basic idea how I did it.

1. I used sheet styrene with the basic shape stacked and glued together.
2. The last sheet I used to make the bulwarks was lightly glue on the edges so I could cut the center out for the main deck and remove it. If you are careful you now have both your bulwarks and main deck.
3.You can finish the shaping of the hull with small files and sand paper.

I hope this helps you.
I am in the process of scratch building the USS Vermont 74 gun for the US, I will post pics soon so you can maybe see it better.

Very anxious to see your USS Vermont scratch build. Having done the USS Independence as a kit bash it will be fun to compare our two US ships.

Just found this photo of the model of the Vermont at the US Navy Museum. Looks like a few more than 74 guns to me?

[Littlebob]

Thanks David for your comment.

[Littlebob]

I hope to post soon on the Vermont. I have seen this picture before, it's a great pic, but some thing is not rite that ship appears to have a 100 guns.

[Nightmoss]

I hope to post soon on the Vermont. I have seen this picture before, it's a great pic, but some thing is not rite that ship appears to have a 100 guns.

Well, here she is in 1898 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard when used as a receiving ship. Looks like almost 100 gun ports to me? And if you check out 3 Decks she's listed as a '74', but with 84 guns in 1848?

http://threedecks.org/index.php?disp...w_ship&id=2385

[Hjl]

I count over 100

[Nightmoss]

From some speculation we've engaged in on the USS Independence the very bottom row of ports could very well have been space they made in the cargo or ballast level of the ship? Cutting holes in the hull was done to add light and air to that level? In normal service I don't think she would have sat so high in the water? The upper row of windows was perhaps another deck they slapped on above the main deck?

[Bligh]

Again you are not wrong Jim.
If you remove the top and bottom set of windows it leaves about 68 ports in the two rows.
That still does not account for those main deck ports. for a true 74 only three a side would be utilized.
However if an eighty, six a side still leaves spare ports.
Still a conundrum, what!
Rob.

[Volunteer]

Great looking cutter Robert! I am very interested in what you used for guns. Can you describe your process and material please. Thanks.
Vol

[Bligh]

I get my guns from Langton Miniatures if that helps Vol.

Ref: ACWM2 - Pk of guns (8 in pack) - suitable for fort.

£1.50

Rob

[Littlebob]

Vol if you are talking to me I just cut a small square of very thin sheet plastic for the base, for the gun I use round rod and sand one side flat cut it into small pieces and glue it to the flat squares, not much more I can do that that at this small scale.