Young America by EdT - FINISHED - extreme clipper 1853

[Tigersteve]

Echo the above comments. Insanely complex!

Steve

[BETAQDAVE]

    Man alive Ed, you sure are doing an enormous amount of ironwork on this ship.  Do you blacken the ironwork in place or before it's installed?   If this is done in place, how do you prevent the woodwork from being stained?  I have a hard time making the some of the complex ironwork fit in place only to have to remove it to blacken it and then reapply it. Your ironwork looks to be done quite neatly!  The overall workmanship on this model is something way beyond what I can ever expect to achieve!  (Maybe you should write a book about it someday.)

[BANYAN]

 Very nice work indeed Ed; I am looking forward to your next volume.  

cheers

 

Pat

[dvm27]

Just curious, Ed. Did clipper ships ever have stanchions or railings on the tops like navy vessels? Looks like one could easily fall off the aft top, especially when wet or dark!

[CGN39BCO]

Ed -

 

I've been following along in silent admiration for quite a while.  In reference to your post on Saturday, March 10, Builders In Scale (www.builders-in-scale.com) offers blackened chain in 40 links per inch, which I suspect is as close as you'll get commercially.  The 5% difference in size from 42 links per inch would be hard to perceive at 1:72.

 

Bill

[Wintergreen]

12 hours ago, BETAQDAVE said:

    (Maybe you should write a book about it someday.)

Dave, that is exactly what he does. Go to seawatchbooks.com and you will find three volumes from EdT. (maybe you knew this already, and then, maybe you didn't.)

Excellent books by the way. I have one of them on my shelf (Naiad vol I).

[EdT]

Thank you all for the questions and comments – and for the likes, of course.  My comments on the comments:

 

Druxey, thanks.  Yes, the amount of work to include all the rigging on one of these is a bit daunting, exceeded only, I have to say,  by the effort to correctly document all of it – becoming a full time job – even for someone who thrives on complexity.

 

BetaQDave, thank you.  The short answer to your question is yes.  I suggest paging back to Parts 269-271 to get some insight into the blackening used.  Briefly, most is blackened after installation with Liver of Sulfur solution. This is one reason I used copper, although I believe this can be done with brass, but not with selenious salt solutions.  Sliding blackened bands over the spars and handling after blackening leaves them more smudged.  The method has also been discussed in a lot of earlier posts and, of course, in depth in the books.

 

Greg, I do not know if railings on the tops were ever used on this class of ships, but there is no sign of them on the two Young America photos.  This settled the issue for me.  Also, I spend a lot of time paging through photos in books when questions like this arise and as yet have not seen these on other ships either.  I guess a few topmen with one hand for themselves would be less at risk than a dozen or so marines loading and firing – don't know.

 

CGN, thanks for the tip on chain.  I have sources for 40 and 42 link chain plus a lot of larger sizes.  I am generally using model chain somewhat larger than the actual sizes, which go down to 92 links/fathom (92/inch at 1:72).  Anything under about 54 links will be modeled differently.  I expect to use real chain from the topsails down – sheets and halyards.

 

Hakan, thanks for the plug on the books.

 

Ed

Edited March 15, 2018 by EdT

[rwiederrich]

On ‎3‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 5:19 AM, EdT said:

Thank you all for the comments and questions as well as the likes.

 

Frank, I am glad that the rigging explanations are helpful.  I am no expert, so I hope they are reasonably accurate. 

 

Pat/Sailor, there have been a number of comments in the past about scale.  I do not think too much about it and do not try to do things at 1:72 that can be done at 1:48 for example.  I tend to look at the model as a whole and say, what is right for this overall model? - rather than thinking of a certain standard for every part.  The same question at a larger scale would yield different answers.

 

stm, I would not anticipate any electrolytic action between copper or brass and stainless steel.  These materials are close enough on the electrochemical scale to resist galvanic corrosion in even the harshest conditions.  Here is a link that has a table and an explanation.  I have never experienced this problem personally, but have never used stainless before.  I plan to use some nickel-chromium and do not anticipate a problem with that either.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion

 

No, John, Ed does not make chain.  If you know someone who makes 42 links/inch chain, let me know.

 

Cheers, everyone.

 

Ed

Ed...try Cast Your Anchor.com...they sell 42 lpi and many other sizes.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

You know...with all that black iron used for banding and bracing..there must have been some painting of it as well..because there would have been an excessive amount of rusty metal on these ships if not.  I'd imagine these bands would have been bright orange by the end of a salty voyage...not to mention all of the other metal work aboard on other structures.

 

Any clue on its preservation Ed?

 

Rob

[EdT]

Thank you, Rob.  I have purchased chain from Cast Your Anchor as well as several others like Hobbyline, Model Expo, Cornwall Model Boats (Corel).  I have seen nothing documented on iron protection.  If I had to guess, I would say most probably grease, perhaps some tar or oil based concoction - I don't know.   Our blackened, buffed metal is a modeling thing - like our finely honed joinery and polished woodwork.

 

Ed

[rwiederrich]

Personally I think your metal work is superb and quite phenomenal.  With that said, my practice is to paint all my iron work...knowing some form of preservative was actually used on iron ships, and or on their iron accessories..(.ie Cutty Sark)...So I Paint...in much the same manner as was typical.  With this being said..it allows me to use what ever medium I choose to replicate the iron work...without the tedium of actually creating real miniature (Copper, brass) iron work.

 

Paint covers a multitude of sins.

 

Rob(love your work and enjoy every minute)

[Capt.Bob]

While battened down on a rainy/snowy afternoon, found 49 minutes of great clippers on YouTube.

Enjoy -

 

[SJSoane]

Ed,

 

I forgot to ask about a previous post. You are using wipe on poly for the spars and masts, not your usual turps and wax as on the hull. Is there a construction reason for this?

 

Mark

[Sailor1234567890]

Greg, I think the answer to your question lies in where Ed went with his reply. The tops in these ships wasn't used like it was in warships. As Ed mentioned, they sent marines up to fire down on the enemy. This isn't a working platform in a Clipper ship. There wasn't a whole lot of work to do up there. It was just climbed up to get to the next level. Most of the work was done on the yards themselves so not much need to spend much time in the tops so... no railing. That's how I see it anyway. 

[EdT]

Bob, thank you for posting that great documentary, kept me out of the shop for an hour this am.  Fantastic footage.  Also, it was great to see Moshulu under sail.  She is now tied up as a restaurant in Philadelphia.

 

Mark, I finally settled on satin wipe-on poly for the spars after trying a number of other finishes starting with the wax that I use on the hull framing.  I have not finished the decks yet because there are still things to be glued to it - mainly rope coils.  The issue with the spars is keeping them clean with all the blackened metalwork and the handling that these require.  I first ried shellac that also helped anchor the bands, then tried Tung oil then poly spar varnish, then the wipe-on polyurethane.  I have used wipe-on poly a lot on furniture finishing.  The first coat of poly on the spars is wiped very dry then polished with Scotchbrite.  It seals the wood pores and can be cleaned better than the softer finishes before and/or after blackening if necessary using isopropanol.  But with some care and clean hands that cleaning is unnecessary.  Slow-drying oil and wax seem to attract dirt smudges and dust.  I have also found that the best way to secure the copper bands is to stretch undersized bands into place, drilling and nailing those that support items like trusses or boom irons.  I got to these methods by the time I reached to fore upper topsail yard and am now using it on the lower main yard that will be shown in the next post.  I still favor the wax on the hull work for reasons explained in early posts and in the books.

 

Ed

[SJSoane]

Thanks, Ed, I knew there would have been some extensive testing involved in this decision. This makes perfect sense.

[EdT]

Mark, I would call it more like fumbling around rather than extensive testing.

[Sailor1234567890]

Some would call playing with wires and stuff fumbling around but somehow a telephone was invented from that fumbling around. Call it what you like, we're calling it testing.

[EdT]

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 275 – Main Yard

 

The main yard was shaped as a two-piece "made spar" by the method used for the fore yard that was described in Parts 247 -248.  After working through the first four foremast yards, the process used here for detailing is now the settled practice I expect to use on the remaining yards. 

 

After shaping and sanding, the yard was pre-finished with a coat of wipe-on polyurethane that was thoroughly wiped off.  Then after complete drying it was buffed with a Scotchbrite^® pad.  This helps keep the yard clean by sealing the pores in the wood. 

 

The first picture shows the center sling band and the two truss bands installed.

 

 

All the bands were made from copper strips, about 1/32" smaller than the circumference of the yard. The ends were then butted and silver soldered.  These three and the boom iron bands shown below are .015" thick.  The undersize bands were initially stretched on a tapered mandrel, then pressed to stretch into final position on the yard.  This results in a tight fit that keeps the bands in place.  The bands in the picture were also nailed on the underside with copper wire bolts for additional support, since they have a structural role.  The two truss bands are fitted with brackets for the truss yoke.  The next picture shows the yard with the central array of bands fitted.

 

 

A few of these will be fitted with eyebolts, but most represent heat-shrunk hoops that hold the two spar sections together.  The tapered maple mandrel mentioned above may be seen at the top of this picture.  This is used to shape, file, polish and partially expand the bands after soldering.  This avoids marring and smudging the yard.  In the next picture an outermost reinforcing hoop is shown just inboard of the scarph joint end.

 

 

All of these numerous reinforcing bands and eyebolt bands are .010" thick.  They are positioned to avoid the equally spaced jackstay stanchion holes seen in the picture.  The next picture shows one of the partially fabricated boom irons positioned on the yard.

 

 

This will be removed for further fabrication work.  The next picture shows all the bands out to the boom irons fitted.

 

 

 

 

The picture shows roughed out truss yokes cut out from 1/8" copper plate.  All three lower yard trusses are a standard size.  Making this truss will be covered in the next part.

 

Ed

[Sailor1234567890]

I love the realism of your results Ed. Your work is awesome. 

[EdT]

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 276 – Main Yard Truss

 

The main yard truss described here, and the mizzen version, are identical to the fore yard truss.  The basic shapes shown in the first picture were cut out using a band saw with a 1/8" metal-cutting blade with a pasted-on pattern scrap as a guide. 

 

 

I cut both main and mizzen at this stage to avoid another band saw blade change later.  I used the band saw to save time vs. the jewelers saw.  The basic profile of the truss was then filed out as shown below in the next two pictures.

 

 

The eyes at the ends were marked with dividers set from the band brackets on the yard, then drilled to accept 20 gauge copper wire.  The unfinished yoke is shown in a test fit in the next picture.

 

 

In the next picture the yoke has been rounded, polished, and again fitted to the yard band brackets.

 

 

The center hole for the truss arm bolt is shown in this picture with a straight length of 20 gauge wire inserted.  The next picture shows the fabricated truss arm.

 

 

The arm was made using sections of telescoping tube.  The eye that will fit into the mast band bracket was fitted into a slot at one end and silver-soldered.  A short length of 20 gauge wire was soldered into the other end.  In the next picture a flange has been soldered to the wire to hold the arm on the yoke, but allowing it to rotate.

 

 

The assembly is set up, upside down, for bolting to the yard band brackets.  Heads were first formed on one end of the copper bolts.  They were then inserted from the top side o be clipped off just above the bracket surface and peened like the right-hand bolt in the picture.  A square ended punch was tapped with a hammer in the position shown to enlarge the bolt head like a rivet.  The left hand bolt is not yet clipped.  The last picture shows the truss installed on the yard.

 

 

This picture shows the top of the yard.  All soldered band joints, though not very visible, were positioned out-of-sight under the yard.

 

 

Ed

[druxey]

No so much a band or two, as a collection of whole orchestras! I had no idea that there was so much hardware attached to a wooden main yard during that era. Beautiful work as ever, Ed.

[wefalck]

Ed, you should actually put a scale figurine next to all the iron work in the photographs - it strikes me how massive these forged parts must have been on the original. I gather the yoke would have been something like 2 m (7') across ...

[EdT]

Love the comments.  

 

First the number of hoops:  At lengths of 82' and 86' respectively, I decided to make the fore and main yards as two-tree made spars.  The main yard has a 30 ft scarph joinng the two trees, each about 60 ' long.  These were bolted and banded, with heat-shrunk bands about 30" apart over the scarph length.  Then there are bands for the sling, the truss, the inner boom irons and a number of eyebolt/fairlead bands.  Youre right, Druxey - a lot of iron.

 

Massive is right, Wefalck.  The yokes are about 6 feet across and the distance between mast and yard centerlines is about 6 feet as well.  These were both dimensions I estimated from typical data.  With a center diameter of 23" and a length of 86', I estimate this yellow pine main yard to have weighed in at about 3 1/2 tons for just the wooden spar - no ironwork, stun'sl booms, sails or rigging  Of course the weight of all this was mainly taken on the chain sling at the center - with some help from the topping lifts.

 

Still smaller than a main yard on a first rate like Victory: 102' x 24" diam.

 

Ed

[BANYAN]

That looks incredible Ed, the level of detail you achieve at this scale is inspiring.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[allanyed]

Ed,

 

I ran out of words to describe the beautiful work you have been doing a long time ago so will use a different language for a change.  Esecuzione assolutamente bellissima!!!

Allan

[EdT]

Grazie, Allan.

 

Ed

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Really wonderful work, Ed. I had a lot to read this week and was really surprised about the many details you show in your model.

I don't think that is possible (for me) to build all this details. Is there a simplified version for the 1/96 model planned? Than a not so talented modeller could use this version.

[EdT]

Hello, Christian.  Probably the easiest way to simplify the model is to eliminate some of the rigging that is often left off models - items like reef tackle. bowlines, and others.  I will think about how to suggest fewer lines.  Other simpler methods may be used - for example, banding may be made with paper instead of the soldered copper.  Shackles may be eliminated.  Other simplifications may suggest themselves.  I will give this issue some though to follow through on the simpler model idea that led to the 1:96 POB version being included.  I will say that most of the rigging work is manually done - a lot of knotting and seizing.  Once learned these tasks become more repetitive than difficult.  Hope this helps.

 

Ed

[Tigersteve]

I’m sure there are many solutions to completing these tasks. Your metal work is mind-blowing though. An art in itself. 

Steve