SawdustDave

SPAR DECK PROGRESS.... The spar deck is coming along a little quicker than I expected. Adding the stanchions to the cross beams has really worked out nicely in terms of building a level platform to build onto. The natural starting point being the bow area, adding the coaming and grating around the bowsprit, the bitts and fife rails have been installed - then the coamings and gratings and the galley smoke pipe.... The single biggest unresolved question in my mind since deciding to detail the gun deck fixtures, has been how the cut away of the spar deck could be done without completely covering all that effort. I think I have finally answered that question, as seen here.... The six plank width on each side allows just enough space to mount the carronades. Except for the large main hatch amid ship, I think the cutaway down each side might work. The port side cutaway will be one plank wider than the starboard side. Still haven't decided whether or not the center decking will taken past the forward bulkhead panels to the Captains Greater Room. I would prefer to leave that area open, but we'll have to wait to see how it fits the eye..... Opinions? I guess it's time to break out the soldering iron and see if I can come up with some brass canopy frames.

You are a very wise modeler Jon. This is especially true with regards to these fife rail stanchions, having such small footprints. Once I am building this section of decking off ship, I plan to use pins in the center and two end pieces. The two bitts will also be pinned. Thank you so much for your input mate. Dave

Thanks Jesse / Piet... Always good to see you drop in. I just had to do another rip off and re-do, so I turned off the lights a little early this evening. Enjoying a cold night cap before turning in. Dave

Working on the Fore Fife Rail.... These five stanchions supporting the fore fife rail are much too small to turn on my small lathe, so I'm spinning them on a cable drive Dremel. This second photo taken after the stanchions have been trimmed to length and also etched in the false sheaves. Also included the two riding bitts.... note the copper top plates.

Congratulations Chuck, on completion of another outstanding build. Been a while since I've taken time to wonder around and play catch up on some of my favorite projects. Confessing that I tend to get so wrapped up in my own work I don't visit as much as I would like.... my bad. Every visit to your logs is such a great learning experience. I remain among your biggest fans, forever grateful for all you have done for me personally over the years. Thank you. Dave

Mark.... Came to do some catching up on your work and just learned of your health issue.... also happy to learn that you're well along in recovery. Glad to see you back to work old mate. Dave

Took me a while to catch up with your progress Jesse. Outstanding longboat mate! Your Syren is coming along beautifully. You should be very proud of your fine work. Dave

Hi Geoff.... I'm still a long way from the rigging stage, but feel like it's time for me to begin doing some advanced research in the area. So glad I found your log as an amazing resource. After spending the last hour browsing here, I realize it may be time for me to invest in a good rope walk after building a dozen models without the use of one. Never too old to learn, huh? Amazing work mate! Thanks Dave

This posting makes me want to stop what I'm working on and start building launches.... one of my favorite modeling tasks. Very nice Ken. Dave

MORE PROGRESS..... This is a fairly special morning for me in terms of progress posting. I spent the day yesterday working on capping off the rails. We all know the feeling, right? I took a couple of early shots before I set about working on the beginning of developing the spar deck.

Great to see you drop in Piet. Sounds like you had a nice trip to Quebec City. My Connie....I guess she's beginning to shape up a little since I was able to move up from the gun deck. Working on the spar deck finally....I think I can actually smell the fresh sea air.

BEAMS AND STANCHIONS PROGRESS.... Needing to take a few photo's in order to examine more closely the stanchions being installed to support and level the spar decking. For obvious reasons, these stanchions actually serve a vital function, as on the real ship, in that the spar deck must be leveled perfectly from port to starboard and fore to aft. The only reference being the distance from the gun deck planking. This first shot illustrates the method I have used to determine the precise length of each of the many stanchions. This spacer block is one of several used as I worked my way down the length of the gun deck. All have been closely trimmed to the same exact length of 22/16th. Note, all of the cross beams are cut from hard rock maple for strength. Most of the stanchions are painted white with a black foundation block, but several are natural wood with a golden oak stain. The two heavy supports located at the bilge pumps are natural.

BOWSPRIT FINISHED.... I tried to focus on finishing up the bowsprit assembly this morning. As seen here, the assembly has been installed but not glued in place as I will need to stow the jib boom and flying jib boom while continuing to work on the ship. The bowsprit will be fixed in place at the point when I need to add the planking, coaming and grating where it passes through the spar deck. I'm only posting these couple of shots because anyone interested in fine details can simply go to Ken's build where I followed his work very precisely. Thanks again Ken.

Hi again Clare. Been a while since I've seen you around. This looks really interesting.... and challenging, so I'm checking in. Dave

Thanks Ken.... Working on trying to wrap up the jib boom and flying jib right now.... I'm spending a lot of my time studying your build of that section. BTW - Your metal working is blowing my mind because soldering copper pieces is not exactly in my wheelhouse of modeling skills.

Anchor chain "thingies" installed.... Decided to put this topic of chain stoppers/compressors in the rear view mirror early this morning before the bowsprit is installed, thus blocking the open view of the inboard hawse pipes. Note the transition from chain to steel cable has been properly served and then both rope and cable taken to the aft chain bitts. Stanchions have been added on each side of the stove along with a few small details added to the chain bitts. Also note the progress on installing the spar deck cross beams from port to starboard. I will continue adding these beams back to the captains great room and then begin the additional spar deck planking except for the cutaway areas that will be left for viewing the gun deck details.

Bowsprit Progress..... OK, here's my story.... Posted early this morning my plan to have a bowsprit before lights out this evening - right? And you folks thought I meant a FINISHED bowsprit - right? Actually, I must confess, that was the plan (sort of). So we're on a roll, moving right along, and the phone rings just before noon.... The Admiral - "Don't you think you should come on in and start getting ready?" I go "Ready for what dear?" She goes - "Don't you remember, today is Jewel's birthday party." (her sister turned 80 today). So there goes at least five hours shop time.... splash - right over the side. Not a total loss, however. Turning out the lights at this point feeling good about being able to make a full day of it tomorrow. I would have had the martingale attached but ran into a problem just before shaping was done.... SNAP! So I'm re doing it with maple. Dave

Pat.... "vice" / "stopper" / "lockers" / "compressor".... Just poured my first cup of coffee (or shall I say "java").... Are we having fun yet? This topic has turned into a real hoot, huh? All I know, with certainty, as I begin this morning in the ship yard.... there WILL be a bowsprit before I turn off the lights tonight! Thanks, as always, Pat, Daniel, Bill, Henry, Mark, Jon, Greg.... Dave

Reading further into the Introduction script Henry.... "The bulk of the plans are taken from the monumental 1927-31 restoration and were drawn by the naval architects of the Charlstown Navy Yard under the supervision of Lt. John A. Lord, Superintendant of Restoration." From this, my personal guess would be that the anchor chain was certainly used at the time of the 1927 restoration.... and at some point after that, the heavy chain was replaced with steel cable, beginning at the chain stopper. Cheers

PROGRESS UPDATE.... Laughing at myself as I stopped to think about this past week in the shop. For those senior citizens among us, you will identify with this.... Kinda' like getting up to go to the kitchen for a drink of water, and on the way to the frig you decide you need to pee before drinking water, and half way to the bath room you remember leaving a magazine article you were reading last night in your bed room, then in the bed room you realize you left your glasses beside your recliner in the den.... so you go back to the den for your glasses and can't find them beside your recliner....getting down on your knees to search the floor, you realize your glasses are on top of your head where they usually are when not reading. So you sit back down in your recliner and begin watching a re-run of Gunsmoke.... falling asleep during first commercial break.... no water, no pee break, and no magazine article. The point being, I finished the ships stove a week ago and set out to build a bowsprit. Since that time I have been flying around from one thing to another like a lost old man going for a drink of water.... still haven't completed that bowsprit! So I took a few shots just to prove I didn't take the week off for playing golf.... Began trimming out around the bow and realized I had not drilled the holes for the hawse pipes, which required carving the little block seen here to blend into the beak carvings on each side. In the process, I discovered that I had omitted that first gun port on the gun deck (unknown reason except for the fact that it has no cannon, and I may have simply left it out for that reason). So I had to cut out the missing gun ports on each side. Also noting that I really need to take a sanding block to those planks above the gun deck.... some time tomorrow for sure. Then I decided to add three planks to each side of the spar deck in order to add the bulwarks which have been laying around for weeks since I finished them. But then realized I would have to remove a few planks from above the captains quarters in order to get the staggered pattern for the new planks. Then I was able to finally fit the bulwarks to both sides of the spar deck.... Then, of course, I ran into the little "chain stopper" project.... And now I'm getting ready to install a dozen cross beams and add stanchions to the gun deck.... Also pondering the cap rails and gangway board carvings.... And, oh yes.... Still need to finish the bowsprit! YAHAHAHA....

Not sure if this helps or adds confusion to this discussion Henry.... I took photos of the plan sheet I am working from.... Provided by U.S. Navy. Also took a shot of the introduction paragraph, which addresses the subject (somewhat).... At this point, I do not plan to do the chain as indicated above, but am leaning more toward attaching the cable to the chain after passing through the chain stoppers and then belaying them to the first chain bitts as seen in the Google Virtule tour. What think?

Tried and tried Bill.... still can't make "sawdust" out of brass. I do, howsomever recommend using something really dense for the tall piece with the hole through it. I used hard rock maple.

The plan sheets I acquired from the museum show chains Mark.

NOW WE KNOW! "Chain Stoppers" .... such an incredibly functional nomenclature. Thank you Henry.

Makes sense to me Jon. I saw the wood yoke, but made no attempt to model that extreme detail. Thanks again mate. Dave