Thinking things through: Some bits about the bitts

[dafi]

It started as usual quite innocent: I was putting one of my little man beside the jeer and topsail bitts and realised, the lower edge of the cross piece was visibly  underneath the knee. 

 

 

So started making new ones to better dimensions using McKay, also incorporating the right number of sheaves into it, but when ready, they looked a tad too high. So I deliberately took the hazard and started researching deeper.

 

Schrade was one of the only ones giving clear dimensions. From McKay I measured a height of 1,4 meters, whereas Schrade mentioned 1,2 meters.

 

So I looked further and here trouble started. Next was Goodwin Construction and Fitting. His dimensions for the fore bits still were understandable on first sight, but the main Bitts were possibly quite messed up.

 

 

 

 

 

Fore bitts:

 

Squared diameter 1`1,5" = 34 cm

Kopf über Deck (Höhe) 4´6" = 137 cm

Cross piece height 8" = 20 cm depth 9,5" = 24 cm

sore for the cross piece (?) 1 5/8" 0 = 4 cm

 

Even though some dimensions are missing it looked plausible at this point and in the dimensions Schrade and McKay give.

 

 

And now the main bitts:

 

A = diameter1 `2" = 35,5 cm

B = The height that the pin bitt is set above the deck (total height?) 2`9" = 84 cm ?!?!?

C = scoring for the cross piece 1,75" = 4,5 cm

E = Cheeks  (for side blocks?) 4" = 10 cm

F = sheaves 1` = 30 cm

G = breadth of the cross piece 10,5" = 27 cm

 

And now Goodwin apparently messed up, missing the letter "H". 

 

Red is the original assignment as per his book, green is a corrected version, that would make sense.

 

 

J = Depth of cross piece 1`10" = 33 cm

K = Height of cross piece above the floor (lower edge?) 2" = 5 cm

L = scoring for the cross piece  2`2" = 66 cm

 

The corrected version reads like that:

[gruen]J = breadth of the cross piece 7,5" = 19 cm

K = Height of cross piece above the floor (lower edge?) 1`10" = 33 cm

L = sore for the cross piece  2" = 5 cm[/gruen]

 

Looked in steel but could not find the fitting informations to confirm. Does anybody know the location?

 

And know the even bigger question: What do the measures mean? I was told, for these heights ther is not tha upper surface of the deck beam to be considered but the lower one :-0

 

And know that leaves me completely confused ...

 

... help ...

 

... au secour ...

 

...

 

... I only wanna know how heigh the bits are in tota above the deck and at what height is the cross piece ...

 

... Hilfe ...

 

XXXDAn

 

 

XXXDAn

Edited July 31, 2016 by dafi

[jud]

Would appear that these tables prove an unadvertised fact that the Royal Navy segregated it's sailors by height. The extremely tall were sent to the 100 Gun vessels and the midgets  went to the sloops, every seaman between were distributed on a height and guns ratio. Interesting what can be gleaned from and proven from dissociated standardizing tables.

jud

Edited July 31, 2016 by jud

[druxey]

Uh...sure, Jud!

 

Usually the height of the crosspiece above the deck (plank) was in the order of 19" to 20"(mizen) 21" (main) to the underside.

 

The height of the bitt pins above deck: 2' 11" (mizen), 3' 7" (main).

 

Hope this is a helpful guide.

[dafi]

Thank you druxey.

 

This means in metric system:

 

Usually the height of the crosspiece above the deck (plank) was in the order of 19" to 20" = 51 cm (mizen) 21" = 54 cm (main) to the underside.

 

The height of the bitt pins above deck: 2' 11" = 89 cm (mizen), 3' 7" =110 cm (main).

 

Still all the given dimensions vary quite a bit ...

 

XXXDAn

Edited August 6, 2016 by dafi

[dafi]

Plausibility check for the main bitts:

 

if the diameter is about 35 cm, the sheave is about the same height. Adding approx. 10 cm above and below makes 55 cm, fits druxey´s dimensions (or in better english: ... the dimensions given by druxey :-)

 

I found the remark, that the lower edge of the cross bit ia about at the half height, also fits the 110 cm druxey gives.

 

The mizzen differs by the cross piece being above the middle, that can be a side effect of the partners being needed, thus pushing the sheaves upwards. Also makes sense.

 

Coming back to Schrade, he gives a total height of 117 cm for the main and 90 for the mizzen, so near enough for my personal use. 

 

I also appears that the fore bitts are a tiny bit thinner but heigher compared to the main bitts. 

 

 

But still I wonder about the dimensions of Steel given by Goodwin. If ever anybody traces the source and can explain WHAT they exactly mean, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

XXXDAn

Edited August 6, 2016 by dafi

[JerseyCity Frankie]

I find it odd the height of the pins above the deck is so low. Longridge indicates  mostly buntlines bowlines and nave lines and stuff like that will hang on these pins, and these are lighter thinner and shorter lines. But he also has t'gallent halyards on them and these would be very long lines, impossible to coil in such a way that they would hang from pins set so low. That is, if you did not want the coils to touch the deck, which is what I believe is the standard criteria for a hanging coil.  When LeHermione was in town last year I noted that her longer lines were made off on pins on the fife rails, but the coils were then hung adjacent to their pins on the mast itself. In that way the larger coils were off the deck and not hampering access to the fife rail. Still I can't imagine why the builders of the Victory wanted the pins so low. There is  enough room on deck for higher rails. Why so low?

[dafi]

That is surprising for me too :-)

 

And with the measures found above, the Heller bitts are quite in that range - this kit surprises me always as it is much better than its reputation.

 

XXXDAn