lamarvalley

Wow... those shrouds and deadeyes look great smooth tying...
I started some yesterday and ripped them out... Try #2 coming up... ain't an easy skill to develop

The thing is Robbyn, forget what the terminology is, forget the crap plans, you are making ladders.
One climbs from the deck up the shrouds and onto the tressles or cross trees or if you will, crowsnest.
 
The top mast shrouds, which are the ones above what you are doing now will tie off to dead eyes and via lanyards to dead eyes on the tressle and those dead eyes will have a rope securing them to the shrouds below, these are the uprights of the ladders so you need to be able to climb up the shrouds til you reach the ones that angle out to the tressle, you then climb up them to the outer edge of the tressle so this is where the ratline "ladder" has to go. Make sense?
 
You can climb up the inside and come out onto the tressle through the "lub" hole which is where the shrouds pass through the tressle on their downward journey. If you did this though you would be referred to as a "land lubber"
 
Steve

Two shrouds are completed!!!

 

Hey no one corrected my explanation to Randy about serving and seizing, does that mean I have my terms correct??
If so, then it is a time for a happy dance
I learned something, I learned something!!!

Thanks Robbyn... and yes, it makes perfect sense.... I was making it more complex than it was... not that it's going to be easy but I was looking at one picture and not seeing the 'seize'...
Your pics made ity 'crystal clear'

Every time someone comments I come back here and gaze again at your super work. So very crisp and clean... inspirational!

Ok, the plans don't show any belaying lines from the deadeyes for the upper shrouds, but close examination of the photos in the instruction (I say that with tongue in cheek) manual do show them. Appears they are just tied off to the upper ratline, no staves included in this model.
 
So, I will take my ratlines up to the point that "looks" acceptable.
 
Not age Sjors, years of cross stitch, needlepoint and quilting. I just ran all my line through a decent size needle and those clove hitches fly on the shroud lines. This kind of needlework I can do well!
 
In the future I think I will trade with someone, they can do all the reeving of deadeyes, and install all the shrouds, and I will do all their ratlines for them!

Arrrgh, just wrote a bunch of stuff and lost it with an accidental 'page back' hit ... time to start previewing at the end of each sentence, lol.
 
Ok, let's try this again.  What I have discovered in my limited experience with waxing lines for rigging is as follows;
 
Thicker lines - best if the wax is melted into it as the run through method won't infuse the 'core' of the line with wax, thus the 'stiffening effect' won't be as pronounced.  By melting the wax into the core of the line (and squeeging the excess as much as possible) it becomes 'stiffer' so that you can achieve the 'taut line' effect without having to put a lot of tension on the line.
 
Thin lines - work well with the run through method.  You can also use the melted wax method but here is where getting rid of the excess becomes more important as thin lines show the excess more (flakiness, lumps, etc.).  One technique I borrowed from Batik is to have an iron set to low and a bunch of newsprint sheets.  Run the line between newsprint sheets under the iron, the weight of the iron should be enough to squeeze excess meltwax from the line and it soaks into the newsprint to prevent it from 'reapplying' itself to the line.
 
Synthetic lines - I've used both methods on nylon lines and found that the same principles apply, the thicker the line the better to use the meltwax method.  Another thing I did with the thin lines to 'seal' the wax was run the waxed line through a cloth pad but I applied more force and ran it fast to generate friction heat.
 
The type of wax is important too.  I avoid Parrafin wax (basic candle wax) because it has a low melt point, is very 'grainy' when cooled and is usually mixed in huge industrial vats with all kinds of chemicals added.  Often with cheap Parrafin you're find a high glycerin content or the traces of perfumes from a previous batch.  
 
Beeswax is my preferred fave because of it's 'natural' origins (not Organic, if anyone tries to sell you 'Organic' honey or beeswax at a marked up price laugh at them ... bees don't create 'organic' stuff by definition).  Beeswax also has a higher melting temperature and is finely grained, which makes it more supple when cool.  Plus it smells good (aromatherapy) and it has a nice colour which tints white lines ever so slightly.
 
Microcrystalline wax (a.k.a. Jeweller's wax) is also a preferred one for me.  It comes in white or dark blue - Don't use the dark blue stuff as it is formulated for sculpting jewellery 'castings'.  Microcrystalline wax has a high melting point, is (as the name implies) very fine grained and it's supple when cool, like beeswax.  This kind of wax is often used in very fine Batik work.
 
So to summarize, I used both methods and found them to be good - once I figured out the specifics.
 
Hope this is of some help.

Hello all. I will start posting photos of my Vasa build again. Please be patient. I have about 600 photos of my build already and I will select the most significant ones.
General impression of the kit

 

*
This error had to be corrected. Slot too small for main mast. 
 

 

 

 

 

 
I used two glues here. Regular wood glue in the inner joints and then I ran a string of hot glue over the outside joints. Seems to have worked pretty well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Rig this piece BEFORE attaching the deck
 

 

 

 

 
Building wooden doors: Spread glue on a business card or similar cardboard
 

 

 
Cover it with round toothpicks, put some weight over them and wait to dry
 

 
When dry, paint with black paint or ink, taking care to let paint go thoroughly between the toothpicks
 

 
When the paint is dry, sand flat the toothpicks, which will leave a dark line between them
 

 

INTRODUCTION
 
 
This is the build log for Hr. Ms. O 19, one of only two submarines in her class of the Koninklijke Marine (Royal Navy).  Please forgive me for making this introduction very personal because she was part of my life and therefore holds a very special interest for me.  My father, Opperschipper (Adjudant) Petrus W. van Warmerdam, was with her from about one year before her launch September 22, 1938 till his promotion to Opperschipper in January 1941.   
At the time he was placed on the build he had the rank of Schipper, with the added function of Quality Control and Assurance Inspector and liaison between the Navy and the ship builder Wilton-Fijenoord in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. 
 
His second tour of tropical duty started right after his marriage to my mother in October 7, 1931, and they started a family while in Surabaya, the former Dutch East Indies.  My sister and I were born there, November 14, 1932 and April 15, 1934.  When his second six-year tour of tropical duty ended in the end of 1937 he had to return to the Netherlands.  Of course his family, my mother, sister and I, followed shortly after on the passenger liner M. S. Christiaan Huygens of the Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland, Amsterdam. 
 
When we arrived in the Netherlands we first stayed in Den Helder, the Royal Navy Base, but after hearing about the new class of submarines being build he immediately requested to be placed on them.  Because of his expert technical knowledge of submarines the Royal Navy agreed and he and his family moved to Vlaardingen Ambacht, Narcisplein 3 to be exact, a small town near Schiedam, in March of 1938.  Sjors and Anja know this area quite well.
 
The shipyard was located in Schiedam, the Netherlands and the boat he was assigned to happened to be the furthest along of the two in that class, mine laying submarines. 
 
The original design concept for a mine lying submarine was completed in December, 1934 and assigned numbers O 17 and O 18. (Reference pictures can be found in the DRAWINGS section)   However, the design was altered to a more squarish form amidships for better loading and discharging of the mines by engineer G. de Rooy.  (Reference pictures can be found in the DRAWINGS section)  Rumors have it that it is based on the design of the Polish submarine Orzel but cannot be confirmed.  The Orzel was also a mine-laying sub but I believe that the mine tubes were carried inside the main hull and not on the side as the O 19 class subs.  
 
The O 19 and O 20 were also the first subs equipped with “getrimd diesel system ,” where the boat could run on diesel power while submerged to charge the batteries and for ventilation.   This is commonly known as “Snorts,” or “Snorkels.”    Navigation was done via the navigation periscope.
 
The KM (short for Royal Navy in Dutch) used to classify submarines for domestic waters with O and those for the colonies with K (K stands for “Koloniën ” which means colonies).  They were originally assigned the numbers K XIX and K XX, which was changed to O 19 and O 20 sometime during their fabrication.  All subsequence submarines received the O designation till the end of WW II.  After the war all subs received names instead of numbers.
 
The O 19 was launched September 22, 1938 with my father onboard of course   and officially commissioned on July 3, 1939, my mother, sister and I were present for that event.  I was standing on extreme left of the photo, hidden behind the bow flag, next to my mother.  The ensuing trial runs were successfully conducted near de Scandinavian coast and the fiords where proof diving could be done more successfully.  Although the boat was designed for a maximum depth of 100 meters these proof dives were limited to 60 meters.
 
Special tests were to be conducted on the voyage to the Netherland’s East Indies to measure geological differences in the Earth’s crust when sailing over the continuation of a mountain range underwater as well as wave action while submerged.  She and her crew arrived safely and without any technical difficulties at the Navy Base in Soerabaja (old Dutch spelling) in September 1939.
 
My mother, sister and I followed in December of 1939 on the passenger liner M. S. “Johan van Oldenbarnevelt,” of the Stoomvaart Maatschappy Nederland.   Both the Christiaan Huygens and JVO served as troop transports during WW II.
 
On January 1, 1941, my father was promoted to Opperschipper (Adjudant) and had to be transferred to a surface ship of the KM, which was the light cruiser Hr. Ms. Java.   The reason for the transfer was dat that rank was not maintained on submarines.  That was the second time in my short life that I saw my father shed a tear.  He loved the submarine service that particular boat and the crew.   As all submariners know these small crews on the subs become like a family.  He hated the Java, that “old rust bucket,” as he called it and he was subsequently killed in action on that ship during the “Battle of the Java Sea,” 5 minutes before midnight on February 27, 1942.  A long-range Japanese torpedo hit the Java in the rear port side just where his battle station is.  Fortunately he never knew what hit him when the powder room exploded and 20 meters of that part of the ship just evaporated.
I have photographs of the wrecked stern section that lies 70 meters down on the sea floor and now have closure and sort of a “grave marker.”
 
Our lives changed dramatically shortly afterward when the Japanese successfully invaded the Dutch controlled Indonesian islands and made us “guests of the Emperor” of Japan, i.e. prisoners of war, and placed us into concentration camps for the duration of the war.  Yes, even women, and children, all non military people were classified as combatants and came under military rule and in charge of the Kempeitai.
 
Fellow ship model builders, something you may not know but the Japanese High Command gave orders in the beginning of 1945 to exterminate all POWs in September of 1945.  As terrible as the two atom bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki are, it saved millions of lives and is the reason I am alive today with two beautiful daughters and a grandson.  My wife too was a “guest of the Emperor” in a concentration camp in Semarang, Java.  It is also giving me the great pleasure counting all of you as my friends.
 
The O 19 served with distinction during the entire war and I am sure that my father would be proud of her and the crew.
 
Well then, this model is in memory of my father and I dedicate it to him and the crew he loved.  The boat is still with us today, albeit as a wreck on Ladd Reef in the South China Sea (19.93 Lat, 174.57 Long).  Due to a navigational error she ran right smack in the middle of that reef at low tide.  And yes, the crew survived and was rescued by the USS sub “ Cod,” which is moored permanently in Cleveland, Ohio, as a museum.   There are some interesting films on “YouTube” of the rescue 
 
My model will be at a scale of 1:50 which translates to 1.6 meter and only shows the exterior of the boat, except for the side-launch torpedo tube assembly.  This unit is mounted outside the main pressure hull, between the hull and the deck structure forward of the deck gun location. 
It will be plank on bulkhead, using poplar wood for the majority of the build.  For the deck structure I may use 1/32 inch plywood over a frame of poplar, covered with epoxy resin.  The simulated hull plating will be 150 lb hot pressed watercolor paper over 1.5 mm poplar planking and epoxy resin.   Other materials will be brass rod, brass and copper wire, plastics, cardboard material and whatever comes to mind to achieve the desired effect.
I’ll be using red Titebond glue, Elmer’s Carpenter’s WoodGlue Max, which is an interior/exterior glue and waterproof.  Of course CA will also be used when appropriate.
 
I am still doing research on the original paint scheme at the time of the commissioning but that point is still in the future.
 
The drawing section is to follow.
 
Cheers, 

Ah... not metal securing the lower deadeyes?  Using line?  If so, try 'painting' the line with PVA, or matte lacquer.  What's happening is the tension causes the line to twist or unravel.  It also works for the top deadeyes, thus, the recommendation for 'pre-tensioning' them to get rid of the twist before reeving the lanyard.

I'm dead eye destined in the next week or so... and so it'll be interesting to hear from the more experienced riggers about why the twist.
Probably something like a left hand twist simultaneously occurred when an alignment not found in nature of the first meta-carpal came into direct opposition to the bulwark while brushing against the posterior position of the shroud. That probably produces the typical one-eye elevation...
Sages... what say you???

Nicely done Ferit! The before and after pictures more than tell the tale Looks properly fitted now.

Once upon a time I made furniture and cabinetry. 75 to 80 hours a week... for years.... and I had just about every piece of equipment available. Most went with the sale of the company and i was so tired of woodworking I was happy to see it go... until now... and my recent fascination with little boats -
 
What tools would I want back to do this work??
 
My list.... although it could be lots smaller than the stuff we used then...
 
-a small table saw would be nice
-a band saw or scroll saw would be helpful
-have a router and a bunch of bits
-a thickness sander was essential then... would be nice now but a bench belt and disc sander would do...
-drill press is always useful and that is the one thing I do still have...
-a lathe.. had a 600 pound beast... bit too big for now... one a lot smaller would be handy but not essential,
-planer and jointers... only if I'm milling my own wood (maybe someday )...
-got a drill, a dremel, chisels and clamps... and finally
-a tiny electric chop saw... then I could retire the aluminum mitre box
I think that would do...
 
BUT... Really...who do I think I'm kidding... I collected tools like it was my purpose back then and I'd do it again... nothing is better than having just what you need at the ready.... thing is, until you know what you need you gotta know what you need to do and how to do it before the investment...
With sandpaper, a razor knife, a few drill bits, a few clamps and a hand saw almost any kit can be built... the rest just makes it easier

Once upon a time I made furniture and cabinetry. 75 to 80 hours a week... for years.... and I had just about every piece of equipment available. Most went with the sale of the company and i was so tired of woodworking I was happy to see it go... until now... and my recent fascination with little boats -
 
What tools would I want back to do this work??
 
My list.... although it could be lots smaller than the stuff we used then...
 
-a small table saw would be nice
-a band saw or scroll saw would be helpful
-have a router and a bunch of bits
-a thickness sander was essential then... would be nice now but a bench belt and disc sander would do...
-drill press is always useful and that is the one thing I do still have...
-a lathe.. had a 600 pound beast... bit too big for now... one a lot smaller would be handy but not essential,
-planer and jointers... only if I'm milling my own wood (maybe someday )...
-got a drill, a dremel, chisels and clamps... and finally
-a tiny electric chop saw... then I could retire the aluminum mitre box
I think that would do...
 
BUT... Really...who do I think I'm kidding... I collected tools like it was my purpose back then and I'd do it again... nothing is better than having just what you need at the ready.... thing is, until you know what you need you gotta know what you need to do and how to do it before the investment...
With sandpaper, a razor knife, a few drill bits, a few clamps and a hand saw almost any kit can be built... the rest just makes it easier

I was at Michael's and found these rings and pins in the jewelry making section. They have a durable black finish and are made from some type of steel.
 
Ken

When I attached my channels I drilled a few tiny holes in the back (the side that gets glued to the hull) and inserted tiny nails without their heads. When i placed them where they should go the nails left an impression where I needed to drill. This and the glue gives stability for the tension that the dead eye shrouds will exert and its hidden

The beauty of oil is that it is not so much a surface coat as it soaks into the wood fibers. Having said that tho it still hurts adhesion. Never heard of the talcum powder/corn starch trick--- I like it and it makes sense... another trick in my bag o' tricks ... but whatever you do you need to create an area of as close to raw uncoated wood as you can. Clamping helps too but on a hull I had difficulty in getting any real clamping power so if you do your test tomorrow keep that in mind...

The beauty of oil is that it is not so much a surface coat as it soaks into the wood fibers. Having said that tho it still hurts adhesion. Never heard of the talcum powder/corn starch trick--- I like it and it makes sense... another trick in my bag o' tricks ... but whatever you do you need to create an area of as close to raw uncoated wood as you can. Clamping helps too but on a hull I had difficulty in getting any real clamping power so if you do your test tomorrow keep that in mind...

Hey Philo, I'm a newbie too but what the heck, I'll add my 2 cents worth too...
 
-Get a boat that excites you every time you look at it... can't wait to have her kind of thing...
 
and two... get one that seems a touch beyond what you think your ability level is... it's been my experience that I grow the most and rise to the occasion when challenged... IMO of course

Here is the method I used to get what I feel to be a consistent top camber on the gratings, despite extensive searching I just couldn't find anything on this site to help. In the end, I took the following approach:
 
1) Built a small frame and place a thin sheet of bass wood into the frame at what I thought would be an appropriate curvature, I simply glued a thin line along the center to secure it (I know this is really forms a parabola, but it is certainly close enough to circular in the center to pass muster)
 
2) After putting a fine grain sandpaper on the curve, I then used a couple of spare strips of lime wood to act as 'guides'. Its then just a simple matter of moving the grating back and forth carefully until the curve has taken. The guides ensure that the camber remains centered for consistent result.

It would be hard pressed for anyone, near or at your caliber, to offer any words of  constructive wisdom to your skills. Your work is just outstanding. Thanks for your build logs Danny.
frank

AL directions leave a lot to be desired... many a time I'd do something and find out later that it is out of step or changed or just plain wrong...
It looks different than the pic but does it look wrong? To you? You don't have to please them you know... maybe the new arrangement is an improvement eh?

Hi Robbyn,
 
Well done! Your deadeyes are all in a nice even line and look great. EdT's jig really does work well doesnt it? Keith beat me to it with the one deadeye on the right being upside down though. I would encourage you not to rush this part of the build, no matter how strong the call of the Syren! The rigging is what grabs people's attention on these models, so it is worth taking your time and doing the best job you possibly can. The Syren will still be there when you finish.

Good to see you back on deck.
 
You know it isn't hard to make dead eyes and blocks, I have had to do a few. Use a stanley knife.
Use a piece of mast dowel and form the dead eye by drilling the three holes into the end of the dowel and sand the end to the convex shape then trim excess diameter off the dowel with a knife ( careful now ) I lay the dowel on the table and press the knife into the dowel parallel to the end and as far in as it needs to be to give the thickness you need. Roll the dowel so the knife cuts a slit around the dowel.
 
Now when you cut into the dowel from the end to reduce the diameter, you just take a little at a time, the blade will stop at the cut if you don't push too hard. When you have the diameter right sand it a bit if needed and then start filing the groove for the shroud or you can also do this by rolling the dowel under a knife although not as easily, rolling the dowel under the knife again, you will find that the knife will work it's way most of the way through the dowel to cut the block from the dowel, you will need to lightly sand the centre of the block but the knife will leave a very smooth finish on the whole.
 
You can make blocks similarly but in that case you drill the holes across the axis of the dowel and form all but one end of the block before cutting it from the dowel with a modelling saw.
 
I realise this is a bit late as you have already ordered replacements but worth keeping in mind for the next time.
 
Steve