Schooner Altair by KeithAug - Scale 1:32 - 1931 - Finished

[KeithAug]

I seem to be in one of those phases where lots of stuff is getting in the way of ship building. I did however find a bit of time today to  rig the shrouds on the main mast.

The piece of dowel between the masts is spacer holding the masts parallel while I do the rigging.

 

The next job is the running back stays bur for these I need blocks. I previously made the "stock" for the smallest blocks. To proceed furthrer I needed to progress to medium and large blocks. Accurate slitting on the saw took a while.

 

[KeithAug]

Today I started a production run on blocks. Large size doubles and medium size doubles and singles. The method was much the same as explained on page 19 so I won't go through that again. I will however explain a few of my learning points, techniques and tools.

 

I found it important when laminating up the sandwich to apply plenty of PVA glue. It was very easy to get areas which were not bonded and some blocks fell apart when they were cut down to finished size.

 

Having crated the sandwich the "block strips" were sliced off using the table saw and a .031" slitting saw blade 3" diameter 108 teeth.

 

The length of the strips was just long enough to be able to drill along the length (from both ends) using my longest .062" twist drill. The hole was first bored using a .040 micro drill before being extended and opened out with the twist drill. This method helped the hole run true.

All the drilling for each size of pulley was done on one setting (drilling head relative to vice). Rare earth magnets were used to create a positive end stop for locating the block strips. 

Drilling from both ends worked better than I had expected with the alignment being good as witnessed by the rod passed through the hole.

I did however get 2 that drifted unacceptably off from the centre. 2nd and 3rd from the right.

Holes for the block eyes were drilled while the blocks were still in the strip. A .031" micro drill was used. These are great for accuracy and cleanness of cut but very fragile. One was attracted by the rare earth magnet which applied enough force to break it. For double blocks I needed to drill through the web of the block. The occasional mis location here caused the drill to break out from the web and inevitably this caused it to break. 3 broke in total.

 

 

Shaping of the blocks into ovals then followed. I had previously made a concave sanding block which is good for repeatably shaping the blocks. 

I compromised on the sheaves. Making the shaft small and installing sheaves proved very fiddly even on the largest blocks. I decided to make the shaft larger and dispense with the sheaves, when the rope is in you can't see them anyway.

 

The blocks were then parted from the strips using the bench saw and .031" slitting saw blade. Supporting the back of the strip with a sacrificial piece of wood was essential to stop splintering of the blocks.

The sharp edges on the cut blocks were softened by hand sanding with 120 grit paper followed by 400 grit wet and dry. I found that putting the brass shaft through the block eased handling during the sanding operation.

The shaft was glued in with CA and then the shaft was parted off using a piercing saw and cleaned up with the wet and dry.

 

The 3 blocks types are in the following picture. Large double, medium double and single. Large is .280" high and medium is .240" high.

It took 6 hours to make the following:-

 

[Nirvana]

I like the tutorial of your block making.

Might come handy some day.

[Guest Riccardo1966]

Hello Kieth,

It is noticeable in the photos in your workshop of her size and detail, she looks truly amazing. The blocks turned out very well, you seem to have mastered large production runs. I don't think that time and tedium in these things could be reduced much further than you have achieved without cnc or just buying them, but by making them yourself, you can get exactly what you are looking for and further hone your techniques.

Regards. Richard

[jdbondy]

Keith, I am looking for the first part of your block making tutorial, which you describe as on page 19. I am unable to find it. Can you clarify? Thanks.

[jdbondy]

Aha, found it! Page 11, in fact. Is there some reason why the pages might have gotten re-numbered? 

 

[KeithAug]

 

8 hours ago, jdbondy said:

Keith, I am looking for the first part of your block making tutorial, which you describe as on page 19. I am unable to find it. Can you clarify? Thanks.

JD sorry my mistake - reference should have been to Page 21 - 6th August. Page 11 is an earlier version which was a bit over complicated, particularly for the smaller blocks.

 

Richard - thank you - I have thought about an alternative method which I might try at some time.

 

Per - thanks for the feedback

Edited September 22, 2017 by KeithAug

[jdbondy]

Got it, thanks. Sure enough, I knew I had previously looked at this post! Your technique inspires me to give it a try myself. 

[KeithAug]

And so back to rigging.

 

I had to give a bit of thought to the sequence of rigging the stays. I wanted to make sure that I didn't lock in any unwanted distortions due to rigging tension before all stays were in place.

 

I started by rigging the boom stay. This had a few elements to it which gave interest.

Having braced the boom I then used fishing line thread to put temporary stays in place to brace the fore and main masts.

I then checked the that the masts were parallel using the previously made gauge stick. I taped this in place while I rigged the triatic and spring stay.

The triatic fixing to the fore mast is to my mind a bit odd as it passes through a block before attaching a few inches lower. I don't really see what this achieves other than to obstruct the lower attachment points. I suspect someone will know why its designed like this????

The bracing shroud in front of the main mast was installed next. This passes through the front of the "A" frame which supports the radar and terminates at a turnbuckle at the base of the mast.

Finally a close of the strops for the lower main mast back stays. About 1.250 inches long. The shackles are about 1/8" high

Despite my block production of the previous day I hadn't made up the smallest blocks, and of course today this was the only size I needed - for the triatic block.

Edited September 23, 2017 by KeithAug

[KeithAug]

Sometimes progress feels like running up a sand dune.

 

A couple of days ago I found a small note on the plans which required holes to be drilled horizontally through the tops of the upper masts to take the halliards for the top sails. On the face of it not a problem, that is if you ignore the fact that the holes should be slots and within the slots should be sheaves. So I spent a few days ignoring the problem of forming neat slots at the flexible and fragile ends off the masts. In the end I drilled a row of .030" holes and removed the webs with a x-acto knife. The inside of the slot was then cleaned up with a sacrificial needle file - ground thinner and narrower to get it started in the slot. I kept expecting the mast to fall apart under the cyclic load but my luck held and the job was done. The sheaves are .175" diameter by .050" wide.

 

I rigged the lower main mast backstays - twice!! The pulleys worked - but a little too well. With a mechanical advantage of 8 (less friction) the small upper pulley was put under a load it wasn't designed for and parted with an annoying ping. I repeated the error once more before deciding the rigging didn't really need to be a taught as a guitar string.

 

 

I decided I couldn't do much more rigging without mounting some of the sails so I started the process of sail making. I had a good look round at fabric options but in the end I decided to stick with the devil I know - Amati modern yacht sail cloth. I use the diluted PVA glue stiffening method and stretch the cloth on a frame to apply the liquid. I hold the tension with rubber bands. The cloth expands when wet and contracts as it dries. I find the rubber band tensioning produces a reasonably flat result. I will probably find tomorrow that this time it didn't work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KeithAug]

So today I made the first sail. I didn't follow convention so an apology to all you purists and perfectionists, you might want to skip this section.

 

I wanted to make the sails in a way that would allow me to create some shape in the finished form. Flat / floppy sails in my view can spoil an otherwise excellent models. I decided I would try incorporating steel wire into the edges of the sails as a way of creating something which could be shaped. The following sketch illustrates what I decided to do.

I had previously prepared the sail cloth - now with 2 coats of 50% PVA and water. It took about 24 hours to dry.

I started by cutting templates for the sails. Cut from .040" plastic sheet.

On to this I marked out the position of all the seams.

The templates were attached to the back of the sail cloth with masking tape.

The seam lines were then transferred to the cloth using pencil. No stitching for me - the scale stitch size would be much too small and my needlework skills just aren't up to it. 

 

The cloth was then cut by following the edge of the template. Additional making tape was applied to keep the cloth on the template. The template was then used to make the sail profile on a piece of MDF. Nails were place at the corners.

.020" annealed stainless steel wire was then wound tightly run the nails. It was tight - pinged like a guitar string.

The wire was doubled on one of the sides of the triangle. Both wires were parted by a single cut and the butt ends were joined by inserting them in a small bore tube and soldering.

 

Half inch wide edging tape strips were cut from rip stop tape (self adhesive, very thin and very strong). These were placed 1/4 inch over the sail edge and the overhang was protected temporarily by reapplying the backing strip.

 

The sail reinforcing detail was then added, again using the rip stop tape.

At this stage the sail was offered up to the wire and the overhanging tape edges were folded over.

 

I then tried a bit of experimental shaping.

I think I might be able to simplify and possibly improve the wire insertion. I will have a go and report the results next time.

[KeithAug]

A small update.

 

I decided to try insetting separate wires into each edge of the sail rather than making a triangular hoop as previously described. This worked better as I could get the wires more taught and hence straighter. The penalty was lack of edge reinforcement at the corners. A small penalty which I don't think will matter.

 

I decided to complete the staysail to test how it would look. Rings were inserted (tack head and clew). They were made from eyelet washers but rather than splay the end I put a machined brass ring on the shank as per sketch and glued it with CA.

 

I spent a few hours last night sat in my chair making hanks out of .015" brass wire. These were inserted through the sail (behind the edge wire) and crimped in place.

 

I then started sewing the sliders along the foot of the sail. When I went to school boys did woodwork and metalwork and girls did needlework and cooking. I fear I may have missed an important part of my education.

I did a test after attaching 4 to make sure they would slide on.

 

Once attached the sliders were eased on to the staysail boom. All went well.

 

A close up to show the sliders / attachment stitching.

 

 

Edited October 2, 2017 by KeithAug

[kees de mol]

So very impressive, update after update, pic after pic. WOW

[Mirabell61]

Wow, fine sail making Keith,

 

Nils

[KeithAug]

Thank you Kees and Nils.

 

I spent a bit of time hoisting the staysail. I think I may have to invest in some rigging tools. Suggestions would be most welcome.

 

I want to set the sails close hauled on a port tack. The natural action of the sheets and blocks is to hold the booms aligned fore and aft on the centre line. To hold the booms to starboard I need to rig preventers which is a bit unusual for this point of sail. I will console myself by assuming the helmsman has has too much grog and the crew as a result are nervous about the possibility of an unintended pirouette. This is not as far fetched as it sounds, a very long night in the Wide Mouthed Frog and a next day hangover while plugging the tide through the Sound of Luing produced just such an event.

 

Setting the sail was a slow process, primarily because I had to make a few more blocks as well as finishing off some of the foredeck detail. Here are a few photos:-

 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2017 by KeithAug

[herask]

amazing!!  

 

[Mirabell61]

    

Wow !

 

Nils

[tadheus]

Keith,

 

 

 

Pawel

[Roger Pellett]

Beautiful work Keith!  Sorry for a quibble but your staysail appears to be set on the port tack, not the starboard.

 

Roger

 

[KeithAug]

Roger. Sometimes my brain gets disconnected from my fingers.

[Guest Riccardo1966]

Beautiful work again, the sliders set on the sails look highly authentic.

[michael mott]

Looking very nice indeed.

 

Michael

[wyz]

Keith

     This is one fantastic looking model.  I love the metalwork.

Tom

[noel_colledge]

Not being a person of the sea, I have favoured modeling ships of history over more modern vessels such as you have produced here.

 

I had never before looked at a modern Yacht as a thing of beauty.

 

Having read through your log over the last three days, I can see that my perceptions are not only wrong but way out the ball park.

 

I guess having the experience and ability of sailing your own, you have more of an insight into the components and mechanical workings of the modern day yacht  than myself living in the middle of old Blighty. This shows in your understanding and explanations of how things should work when working out sketchy or obscure drawings and pictures

 

 

I now go away thinking of different methods to produce items, and not just the obvious way. Trying to hold several components MM2 vertical while also  trying to keep the glue off my tools and fingers. Seems so obvious now.

 

Your craftmanship shines through Keith, thank you for sharing.

[KeithAug]

As another week away with family comes to a close I feel humbled to reply to all of you  who have visited and left such kind comments.

 

Denis, Nils and Pawel, nice of you all to take the time to visit and leave comments.

 

Richard, thank you once again for visiting and leaving your message of encouragement.

 

Michael, thank you for leaving your house move for long enough to catch up.

 

Tom, Thank you for looking in.

 

Noel, Thank you for taking the time to read through my log and for your conversion to the beauty of modern yachts. It is true that, relative to many vessels featured in this forum, Altair is a relative newcomer at a little under 90 years old. She is however based on designs current in the first decade of the 20th century and was somewhat dated compared with her contemporaries built in the 1930's. 

 

To all of you who have visited and hit the like button many thanks.

 

I hope to get back on the build over the coming weekend. I find enforced separations from the workshop leave me anxious to get home.

 

 

 

Edited October 11, 2017 by KeithAug

[KeithAug]

Finally I got back to the workshop and hoisted the jib.

 

I have invested in a set of sewing needles to make into rigging tools. Unfortunately they are in the post. I am hoping they will improve my productivity.

 

I have started to make the foresail. The pattern is complete and I'm hoping the size will be right. It is difficult to measure the exact size as allowance has to be made for mast hoops, sliders etc. I half expect that I will be making this sail twice in order to get it right.

 

Edited October 15, 2017 by KeithAug

[Bedford]

Pick your superlative, I've run out !!!

[John Allen]

Keith,

 

Just caught up on the log, you actually have built a masterpiece. Your work is absolutely superlative, The precision and time you spent machining all the brass hardware, construction of the hull and masts is awe inspiring. The perfection of your sewn sails sets it all off (all this in a little over a year jeez give me a break). Hope I live long enough to attain a 25% of your mastery. Man just fantastic.

[mtaylor]

Keith,

 

What John said...  I can't seem to find any words to add.   Jaw is dropped....

[mcpwilk]

A stunningly superb piece of maritime art.

 

Mike