Anchor Hoy by Maurys - POF Harbor craft c. 1825 -- 1:48 - Finished

[druxey]

Thanks, Maury. That may be worth investigating.

[Maury S]

Small diversion...I need two large blocks for handling the large anchors.  Below is a Google image of what one should look like.

Syren Ship Model Co. offers internally strapped blocks. that are very close to this. 

 

They are harder to assemble than you may think.  Two of the six came apart in the sander.  I also used some stronger straps but they throw off the scale somewhat.  The upper one in the photo will have a thimbles between the straps.

Maury

 

[druxey]

Hand sand the blocks, perhaps?

[Maury S]

Playing around with the blocks and bowsprit metal work.  The lower of the hooked blocks has Chuck's very thin strapping and looks better.  The hook needs some shaping.  All the blocks need a bit more sanding.

 

Maury

[Maury S]

A lot of little things over the weekend.  The Jib stay runs from the mast doubling to a sheave in the bowsprit and has a thimble close for the gun tackle hook.

I can't imagine a work boat not having bollards of some sort to hold anchor cables, mooring lines or other connections.  The original source drawings do not show any deck fittings so my license allows me to add them.

They have a 0.020 pin in the bottom to hold them fast.  I've had trouble using Brass Black to blacken parts so I'm using what little of Blacken-It I have left.  The copper pieces will be blackened with a Liver of Sulfur solution.

The gun tackle for the great cat is fitted.  These are Syren internally strapped double blocks.

The left block in the lower picture re-directs the line from the upper block, aft to the forward capstan.  The double block on the right is temporarily hooked to a ring in the deck.

The main mast back stays are "running stays".  The upper portion (dark brown rope) goes from the mast head about 2/3 of the way to the deck, where the several gun tackle arrangements (not completed yet) secures it.

 

Maury

 

 

 

 

[druxey]

It's interesting how the various lines can suggest where they should belay. Coming along nicely, Maury!

[Maury S]

I am re-doing the metal strapped blocks.  I didn't like the obvious twists on the wire and I couldn't get the hooks darkened.  I found I had some flat copper wire (.019 x .029") ( have no idea where I got it) so the wire lays flat against the grooved side of the block and a little turn flattens out the twisted part.  Also, by bending the hook along the wide side, it has much more strength and looks better.

 

.

I'll go over the hook ends with LOS and they'll look much better.  More to do.

Maury

 

[Maury S]

just to show the difference between the round vs. flat wire...see following

Two blocks on lower left are the round wire.

Maury

[russ]

Maury:

Great looking model. I have been lurking here and there. Love the subject choice. We do not see this every day. Thanks for sharing. 

 

Russ

 

 

 

[Maury S]

The bowsprit is now rigged.  I still need to add the top mast forestay.  The blocks are rigged but not tied off so there is some slack that will disappear when finished.

Maury

[Maury S]

More rigging.  Working on the running (main) backstays. The rigging plan comes from American Ship Models by Grimwood, (1942) [Plate III].   Three blocks are involved.  The upper-most one (1/4")  is seized to a dark brown 0.35 shroud from the main top.  A .018" tan line runs from a chainplate through the 1/4" block and is seized to a 3/16" block.  (The smaller block in the background just below the 1/4" block is part of the topmast backstay and is another subject).  Another .018 tan line runs from another chainplate and seized to another  3/16" block a few feet above the rail.  That becomes part of the gun tackle using .012" tan line that ties off at the pin rail.

 

top

The knots in the lines coming from the chain plates are "Taut line hitches" or "midshipman's hitches" with the tails tied off above.  Very effective in allowing tightening of lines and are difficult to keep neat and effective at this scale.

Maury

 

 

Edited February 19, 2018 by Maurys

[Maury S]

Working on the rigging.  The spenser mast has been put in place (which means the boom and gaff were installed). Blocks have been tied to the gaff and loosely rigged.  Pardon the background "noise".

Maury

[Maury S]

Working on "fiddy" stuff. The three anchors for the boat are tied to cables.  The largest is the "recovered" anchor, the grapling anchor for finding and hooking onto a cable.

Maury

[EdT]

I am really playing catch-up here, Maury.  the model looks great -really shaping up.  I like thehooked iron-strapped blocks and really love the anchors.  I almost thought someone had nicked my serving machine but its till there.  Yours looks great.

 

Ed

[druxey]

Love the grapnel, Maury! Very nice going.

[Maury S]

Thanks for all the comments and "Likes".  Ed, the serving machine was copied after yours and modified last year using Chuck's design for the take-up and the handles.

I've tied cables to the anchors and have mastered the anchor hitch. 

There are lines scattered all over that need to be cleated off and tightened up. 

Maury

 

[Maury S]

FYI, all the rigging rope and the blocks were provided by Syren Shipmodel Co.  https://www.syrenshipmodelcompany.com/  The sizes were taken from the Cheerful plans since she's about the same size and same general time period.  That list (it's on the plans if you bought them) was very helpful. 

Maury

[Maury S]

I spent some hours belaying various lines, cleating lines to pins, etc.  It's tough cleating off a line with a couple of tweezers some times, only to find it wasn't a fair lead and has to be redone.

The starboard pin rail holds the topping lift, the throat halliard and the backstay tackle.

The lines are belayed with no empty pins in the rail as they get in the way of tying off the lines.  After belaying one, the next pin goes in for the next line.   Coils will go on later,

Maury

Edited March 4, 2018 by Maurys

[druxey]

It certainly can be interesting figuring out the lead of lines until nothing fouls anything else. A belaying plan from Grice would have been nice, wouldn't it? I can see you are having fun, Maury!

[Maury S]

After watching Ed Tosti's Young America build, this one seems so bereft of lines.  I think I may add some of the running rigging.  At least I won't have to tie a thousand ratlines.

Maury

[Jim Lad]

Just catching up, Maury - she really looks superb.

 

John

[Maury S]

Cleating off the three jib tacks and halliards.  The boom downhaul is also tied off the the mast rail.

It is a challenge to get in there without knocking something else.  Doing proper cleat hitches is no easy task either.  After a dab of dilute glue (PVA) the tails are cut to about 1 - 2" which is starting to clear up the deck for the rest of the rigging.

Maury

 

[torpedochief]

I have pictures of mine if it helps any

[Maury S]

I'll send you a PM

Maury

[druxey]

Starting to look ship-shape, Maury! She's looking good.

[Maury S]

Thanks.  I made up a few coils using a simple jig with different lengths between pins, dowsing them with Mat Medium and hanging them on the pins on the mast pinrail.

Certainly better than round loops.

Maury

[Maury S]

When I'm not coiling lines, I'm working on the case.

Off to buy the "Museum Glass" now that I've got the final dimensions.

Maury

[druxey]

This means completion in sight! Nice work on the case, Maury. What specie of wood is that?

[Maury S]

Druxey,

The frame is pine.  The base is maple (plywood).  I tipped over the can of ebony stain into the base, so it will have to be very dark / black.  Latest plan is a piece of maple (3'/4" x 5" x 19"). It will support the made pedestals which will raise the boat about 1 1/4" giving room for the large anchor to hang freely.   All will sit within the display case.  The 5 pieces of "Museum Glass" cost about $250 with the various discounts offered by Hobby Lobby. The glass assures no reflective glare and almost total UV protection.  A few more manipulations of the anchor cables and minor dust removal and it's done.

Maury

[druxey]

Yes, Museum quality UV-filtering glass is not cheap stuff. Thanks for the details of your casework. I hope the stain didn't go onto anything else!