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

[KeithAug]

Michael, John, Richard,

 

Thank you for the comments - much appreciated. Also thank you to all those who have visited my build. I hope you have all found a little to interest you.

 

Bedford,

 

I do love old ships and boat. The heritage fleet looks wonderful.

 

Update:-

 

I have made a start on the cleats 18 in all. I am fabricating them from a kit of parts - each cleat will be made of 9 components - so 18 x 9 = 162 bits in total.

 

The basic design is shown in the sketch.It is important to get all the parts as similar as possible - I find discrepancies show up particularly if you know about them!

 

The foot was made first. I decided the best way to achieve consistency was to shape a brass bar to the plan view of the foot and then to drill the 3 holes. The bar was cut to size and finally shaped with a hand file. The individual feet were then parted off from this with the slitting saw mounted in the mill.

 

The edges of the feet (photo above) still have to have burs removed before polishing. I miscounted and made 38 rather than the 36 required.

 

The top boss is made from .125" OD tube. The tube was accurately drilled with a series of holes along its length. These holes will take the assembly pins. I needed to accurately part off the boss's from the tube. I was concerned that the tube would not stand up to the parting off operation without support. I improvised a steady by supporting the tube from the bore using the back end of a drill held in the tailstock chuck.The bonus advantage of the steady was that the very small boss's were retained on the drill shank.

 

I am using cocktail sticks to make sure the boss's don't go walkabout.

 

[Bedford]

I have a question about the brass work, what is your polishing process, what do you use?

[KeithAug]

Bedford - re polishing

 

If the part has machining marks I polish them out with progressively finer grades of wet and dry paper (used dry). I tend to start with 400 grit before moving to 600 grit and then 1200 grit.

 

Where I can I tend to polish using a bench polisher. I have polishing compounds for hard and soft metals. The compound comes in coarse and fine grades. However I find that I don't get much use out of the hard metal compounds and to be frank as often as not I go straight to the "blue" fine grade compound for soft metals.  

 

That said I find I often want to do a small amount of polishing on an awkward component and here the convenience and simplicity of the following method tends to win out.

In the words of a very old song:-

 

Shine your buttons with Brasso
It's only three ha'pence a tin,
You can buy it or nick it from Woolworths. 
But I don't think they've got any in.

 

The rest of the song isn't really printable on this forum but can be viewed on you tube.

 

[Bedford]

Thanks so much for that, another post of yours saved for the future!

[KeithAug]

I have now made all the bits for the cleats. The last bits to be made were the wooden cross members.

 

The cross members were made out of barbecue skewers (bamboo). I didn't have any the right size (0.1" diameter) and anyway the cross section was all sorts of shape. A job for a draw plate but as I don't have one I had to make my own. The holes were drilled using a centre drill. The first hole in the plate was drilled through until the conical section just penetrated the underside of a plate. Subsequent holes were then formed with each hole penetrating .005" deeper than the previous one. The cone of the drill thus generated increasing sizes if hole. I drilled one hole wrong - spot the deliberate mistake.

 

The holes had very sharp edges and worked very well. All the skewers finished up round and between .098" and .10" diameter.

 

The cross members needed .04" holes drilled through them .250" apart. I made a simple jig to accurately hold the skewers during drilling.

I have a load of rare earth magnets which I use to hold drills, milling cutters, etc while I am using using them for a specific task. I find it stops me losing them - particularly if they are small. The magnet here is holding the centre drill as i repetitively change between it and the twist drill.

I needed 18 cross members so I made 20. Somehow I immediately lost 2 so made another 2. I then coloured them with wood dye. Colron spirit based wood dye. I am down to the last dregs of the tin and Colron have discontinued this dye because of VOC's. The pity is that the water based replacement product is useless and does not work. Hopefully someone will know of a decent product????

 

I have started assembly.

 

[Guest Riccardo1966]

Hello Keith, I share your frustration with subjects like wood dye and most things that now have to conform to various laws and regulations, especially Evostick(you could thin it with Acetone) and Nitromoors(useless, you used to be able to strip paint with it.)

Great job and I hope you find a suitable replacement for the dye, I don't know of one myself.

Cheers Richard

[KeithAug]

Richard

 

Totally agree with Nitromoors. It used to be brilliant 40 years ago. It would eat through centuries of accumulated paint in minutes - it even went through my kitchen floor. I'm sure its what the "Aliens" used for blood. The modern stuff seems to be a substitute for baby lotion.

 

 

[michael mott]

Keith I must say that I enjoy seeing how you solve the manufacturing processes for the parts. The jigs that you devise are very interesting. 

 

Michael

[KeithAug]

Thank you Michael and welcome to all other visitors.

 

After a bit of time away I got back to finishing the cleats - now all done. In the end I decided to simplify the construction by eliminating the stem tube spacer - see earlier post.

 

I used a simple jig to make sure that the pins went in at right angles to the top. The pins were glued in place using CA.

 

The feet were attached to the deck first. The hold down bolts are from a spectacle repair kit - hundreds of very small size screws for a few pounds - ebay. I drilled a thin sheet of steel to create a template for drilling the deck.

The central holes in the foot were drilled through to the deck to take the tops.

 

A few more shots of the deck:-

 

Having completed the cleats I made the 4 secondary winches. As I think I said previously these are omitted in error from the plans but are very clear on web based photographs / videos. The winches are .325 max diameter x .300 high.

 

[Jim Lad]

Well, I suppose it all looks fairly reasonable!   Thanks for your continuing detailed information on your methods, Keith.

 

John

 

PS  By the look of your tin of Brasso, there've been a few price hikes since the song was written.

[KeithAug]

John,

 

Thank you. Once again damned by faint praise. Have you been taking lessons from my wife?

 

The song was an old one when I used to sing it walking home from school and that was 50 years ago. So I guess inflation has taken its toll.

 

 

[Guest Riccardo1966]

Hello Keith, she is looking fantastic, the deck is looking detailed and is beautiful. I really like the lathe work that you have done and must get my inherited unimat up and running.

Regards Richard.

 

[michael mott]

3 hours ago, Riccardo1966 said:

must get my inherited unimat up and running.

Riccardo yes you must.

 

Keith It is hard to keep coming up with something original and constructive to say. So if I am understanding the sequence correctly the little metal keeper plates were primarily for drilling the holes for the brass rods that protruded through the brass crosspieces.

You really are doing an outstanding job on this model.

 

Michael

[Bedford]

 This is one of the most beautiful pics I've seen! 

 

       

[Mirabell61]

Keith,

excellent work, your fittings, that schooner deck has a real classic appeal, well done ....

 

Nils

[John Allen]

Kieth, 

I am absolutely awe struck, your approach and methodology to your metal work is pure perfection.  

 

You may want to insure your beauty. This Buds for you. 

[rwiederrich]

Beautiful work........just beautiful.

 

Rob

[John Allen]

One more and I'll hush my mouth as they say in L.A. If ever I am shipwrecked, I hope its with you, I believe you could make a Riva Launch out of coconut trees and seashells as tools. am gone

just cannot stop looking at it

[Nirvana]

Keith, very nice winches.

How do make several of them looking the same?

Are you using a transferring jig?

[KeithAug]

Richard, Michael, Bedford, Nils, John, Rob, Per.

 

Thank you all for your very nice comments. Like most of us I build models for my own entertainment and pleasure, it is however very much appreciated when fellow shipwrights offer support and encouragement. Thanks to all of you all for taking the time and effort to comment.

 

Now to deal with the questions:-

 

Michael

 

A picture may help (sorry I mixed 1st and 3rd angle projection).

 

The top of the page (numbered 1,2 and 3) is what I set out to make. I did think about making a jig and then soldering the 3 parts together but I wasn't convinced it would be neat enough with the solder. Given the size and number of the parts I didn't fancy the clean up task.

 

I realised that I could make it look right while achieving a robust construction by adopting the approach depicted in sketch 4.

 

The sequence was as follows:-

 

1 Form the wooden cleat cross member (sketch 4z) and drill 2 cross holes in it .250" apart - these holes to take the pins (sketch 4x). I drilled the holes accurately on the mill using the DRO.

2 Make the collars (sketch 4y). These collars each have 1 cross hole pre drilled.

3 Slip two collars over each cross members and align the collar holes with the cross holes in the cleat.

4 Insert 2 pins (sketch 4y) into the holes in the cleat cross member and glue with CA. The contact area for the glue is large as the bond is between the pin and the wooden cross member. 

5 Mount the feet (sketch 4w) on the deck and secure with 'spectacle screws" and CA glue. (I used a jig to accurately drill the 4 holes per cleat).

6 Drill through the deck at the location of the middle hole in each foot.

7 Apply glue to the pins of the cleat sub-assembly (step 4 above)

8 Insert the sub assembly into the holes in the feet / deck. The contact area for the glue is large as the bond is between the pin and the wooden deck. I used a spacer to make sure the distance from deck to cross member was consistent.

 

It worked but was a bit complex. I'm sure others would find a simpler method.

 

Per.

 

I make them look the same by repeating the sequence and settings on the late for each item. For example the sequence went something like this.

 

Set .375" bar in lathe.

Face end.

Centre drill.

Drill .080" hole in end .100 deep (one turn of tailstock handle)

Replace drill with .040" drill and push until it bottoms in hole. Drill .100 deep.

Push tailstock away.

Bring lathe tool into contact with the outside of the bar and set the cross slide dial to zero.

Move lathe saddle away from work.

Wind dial on the .025". (to reduce the diameter from .375 to .325)

Move lathe tool until it touches the face of the bar and set saddle dial to zero.

Take cut, moving the saddle until the cut diameter is .500" long.

Etc, etc.

 

The trick is to record the sequence and the dial settings for each step, much the same as you would do if you were programming a CNC lathe. It would be much easier if I had a CNC lathe but I am a miser.

 

Richard.

 

I agree with Michael. An unused lathe is like an unloved wife. They cease up and become useless.

 

 

[dvm27]

Beautiful work, Keith. It seems like backlash is a problem for me when I try to do repeated sequences such as you have done above. I found an article by Sherline on how to adjust for it and I shall have to read it.

[michael mott]

45 minutes ago, dvm27 said:

It seems like backlash is a problem for me when I try to do repeated sequences such as you have done above.

Greg I had the same problem with the backlash on the big mill drill, it is why i fitted the dial verniers backlash is no longer an issue because the dial does not move until the carriage moves so the information about the position of the table/vise is always the same when you follow the dials.

 

Michael

[robnbill]

Wow, I am just catching up on your build log. I have a question on your feet you made in post 391. When you were using the slitting blade in the mill how did you manage to keep those small pieces from flying across your shop once they were cut off? I just am learning how to use my mill. Your work is amazing.

 

[KeithAug]

Greg,

 

My lathe also has backlash - I have never worked on one that doesn't. All I do is make sure that the settings are always made when winding the dials in one direction - clockwise is normal. If I need to move the slide or saddle in the opposite direction I just wind the dial further than I need to go and then wind it back to the setting in the clockwise direction. This was the way I was taught to do it when I was an apprentice 50 years ago and it works well. The fitting of digital scales eliminates the problem and can be done quite cheaply these days.

 

Bill,

 

The best way to avoid the problem of cut off pieces flying across the workshop is as follows.

 

1. Advance the slitting saw into the component to make the cut.

2. As you come to the end of the cut slow down the rate of feed of the saw into the workpiece (best done using manual feed).

3. Just before the part comes away from the parent metal it will begin to rise away. This is because the web retaining it has insufficient strength to resist the pushing force of the saw.

4. At this point stop the saw, and use your fingers to pull the part free. If you are making lots of parts remember always to stop the saw - you would be surprised how tempting it can be to chance it.

 

The sketch may help:-

 

 

 

 

 

[dvm27]

Been very close to step 4, Keith! Definitely optional.

[KeithAug]

Arrrrrrrgh!

 

Today was one of those "Damn and Blast" days.

 

I was investigating the web to make sure that I got the positioning of the 4 secondary winches (omitted from the plans) in the correct position. One side effect of the investigation is that I found 4 cleats (2 deck mounted and 2 bulwark mounted) that were also omitted from the plans. I didn't have enough spare components so it was back to a production run. Also I had been mithering about the bulwark cleats being a tad too large and I hadn't really done a detailed job on the mounting plate. The need to set up the production line once more prompted me to rip off the existing bulwark cleats and replace them. 

 

The bulwark cleats have a single central mounting point with the foot being attached to the bulwark frames. The feet are quite small.

 

The results of a full days production - the .750" pin is included for scale:-

I glued the feet to the frames before passing the cleat mounting pin through the hole.

 

I think I now have the right number cleats and winches on the rear deck - only time will tell!!

 

 

 

[Jim Lad]

She's really coming together with that beautiful detail, Keith.

 

John

[rwiederrich]

Fantastic metal working Keith....I really appreciate that kind of attention to detail...and you do it so effortlessly.

 

Rob

[KeithAug]

Thank you John.

 

I had been looking forward to a change from doing cleats so I had a go at a bit of detail that I had been looking forward to.

 

The main sheet has 3 attachments to the deck, a single pulley port and starboard and a central double pulley attached to the deck via quite an elaborate shock absorber. Its this latter feature that I decided to attempt next. The sketch shows the detail.

 

The shock absorber has 2 compression springs which close when load is transmitted from the central main sheet block via the floating collars. I thought it would be kind of nice to make a working version. The whole thing is a little over and inch wide and .250 high.

 

The 2 deck fixings were turned from bar and drilled on the mill. I ground a couple of profile lathe tools to assist the task.

 

The floating collars were also turned on the lathe and drilled on the mill. I used the same profile tool that I had used for the balls on the deck fixings. The shaft is .060 wire.

 

The spring was the most difficult bit. I spent ages ferreting through my rainy day boxes until I found something that I could butcher.

 

The floating collars are attached to the block shackle by 2 large U shaped connecting brackets. The brackets pivot on pins protruding from either side of each collar.

 

Nuts on each end of the shaft complete the assembly.

 

Once again the plans are not great and show the shock absorber mounted in the wrong position. The internet saved the day.

 

 

[rwiederrich]

Superb work and at that scale....magnificent!

 

I appreciate fellow metal workers.

 

Rob