Capt.Bob

Concerning the application of CA in very small quantities, I use the ink pen from an old drafting set.  For those of you who aren't old enough to remember, imagine making ink drawing by hand.  I have some drawings that my grandfather made in 1898 while in tech school.  The ink pen is infinitely adjustable and allows you to control the gap and provide extremely small applications of either thin or medium CA.  It doesn't work very well for thick CA.
 
Roger, they do make a vapor free CA that eliminates the nose/throat problem.  It acts more slowly and avoids the flash cure and associated vapors.
 
Bob

Concerning the application of CA in very small quantities, I use the ink pen from an old drafting set.  For those of you who aren't old enough to remember, imagine making ink drawing by hand.  I have some drawings that my grandfather made in 1898 while in tech school.  The ink pen is infinitely adjustable and allows you to control the gap and provide extremely small applications of either thin or medium CA.  It doesn't work very well for thick CA.
 
Roger, they do make a vapor free CA that eliminates the nose/throat problem.  It acts more slowly and avoids the flash cure and associated vapors.
 
Bob

Concerning the application of CA in very small quantities, I use the ink pen from an old drafting set.  For those of you who aren't old enough to remember, imagine making ink drawing by hand.  I have some drawings that my grandfather made in 1898 while in tech school.  The ink pen is infinitely adjustable and allows you to control the gap and provide extremely small applications of either thin or medium CA.  It doesn't work very well for thick CA.
 
Roger, they do make a vapor free CA that eliminates the nose/throat problem.  It acts more slowly and avoids the flash cure and associated vapors.
 
Bob

Concerning the application of CA in very small quantities, I use the ink pen from an old drafting set.  For those of you who aren't old enough to remember, imagine making ink drawing by hand.  I have some drawings that my grandfather made in 1898 while in tech school.  The ink pen is infinitely adjustable and allows you to control the gap and provide extremely small applications of either thin or medium CA.  It doesn't work very well for thick CA.
 
Roger, they do make a vapor free CA that eliminates the nose/throat problem.  It acts more slowly and avoids the flash cure and associated vapors.
 
Bob

Concerning the application of CA in very small quantities, I use the ink pen from an old drafting set.  For those of you who aren't old enough to remember, imagine making ink drawing by hand.  I have some drawings that my grandfather made in 1898 while in tech school.  The ink pen is infinitely adjustable and allows you to control the gap and provide extremely small applications of either thin or medium CA.  It doesn't work very well for thick CA.
 
Roger, they do make a vapor free CA that eliminates the nose/throat problem.  It acts more slowly and avoids the flash cure and associated vapors.
 
Bob

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 165 – Forecastle/Poop Pin Rails
 
Another small task was slipped in to break the monotony of deadeye chains and belaying pin turning.  In the first picture the forecastle pin rail has been made and is being used as a template to spot the centers of the posts on the deck.
 

 
The location is over a beam.  The posts will be set into square mortises cut into the deck to provide more strength to this type of rail.  In the next picture one of the mortises is being started with perimeter cuts using a small chisel.
 

 
The turned posts are 5” (.07”) square, turned as was done for the fife rail posts earlier.  In the next picture the two posts have been set and fitted with pins in the top to secure the rail.
 

 
In the next picture the rail has been installed and the six pins added.
 

 
This is a light duty rail, used to belay the four jib and fore staysail downhauls as well as the two foresail bowlines.
 
Providing belaying points for the running rigging of the mizzen mast proved to be a puzzle.  There are some two dozen light lines associated with the mizzen sails that need to be belayed aft of the mast, below the shroud fairleads through which they run, but with the lack of a raised bulwark on the poop there is no clear place for belaying pins.  The poop deck perimeter will be packed with cleats and lead blocks for heavier lines and the spider band around the mast is fully allocated.  The photo of the ship from the starboard quarter is not very helpful. Time for some historical interpretation – not the first or the last.  I believe there are four possibilities.  First, that the poop monkey rail itself was fitted with pins – unlikely given the small section of this brass rail.  Second, using shroud cleats, but these would be visible in the photo.  Third, using deck cleats as with the heavier lines, but the sheer number of these and the resulting mass of line piled on the deck argue against this.  I finally decided on the fourth option, pin rails similar to the forecastle rail along each side of the forward poop rails.  This was a common method.  The next picture shows one of these rails positioned on the deck to spot mortises for the three posts.
 

 
In the next picture the rail has been set as with the forecastle rail and a drop of CA is being applied to each of the vertical wire bolts.
 

 
The posts of all these rails were glued into the deck with wood glue and the tops with CA.  After applying the drops to the top of the rails it was washed off with acetone.  The bolts were later clipped off and the tops sanded.  The last picture shows the two rails installed with the rail on the near side already being fitted with pins.
 

 
The complement of belaying pins is almost complete – a few dozen to go.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 164 – Anchor Release Gear/Mounting
 
Like many specific details, the gear used to release Young America’s anchors is not known.  However, I wanted to include it in the model since it does seem to be a pretty important part of the gear.  The type used is typical of the period and is shown in the first picture.
 

 
George Campbell’s work, China Tea Clippers, is a great source of deck detail for ships of the period and was the source for the design of anchor release gear used.  The gear consists of a levered arm that has a spoon-like half cylinder at its outboard end.  In the normal position this device supports a pin from which one end of a short chain is suspended.  The other end of this chain is bolted to the opposite side of the cathead.  When the anchor is suspended before release, this chain holds the anchor’s main shackle which at this stage would be secured to the anchor chain cable.  To release the anchor, the lever inside the bulkhead is raised, allowing the pin at the end to fall free, releasing the short chain and the anchor.
 
The next picture shows the lever with the tubular support at the end soldered on.  Another rod for the release pin has been positioned on the end of the lever.  On the model it will be soldered in place, cut off, and a bolt eye soldered to it.  The three eyebolts that hold the lever to the cathead were threaded on to the shaft before any soldering.
 

 
The next picture shows the short length of chain with a shackle about to be soldered to the release pin. 
 

 
Obviously this will not be a working model.  The next picture shows the assembly in position so holes for the eyebolts and the pin bolt can be spotted.  An opening was cut under the topgallant rail to just pass the inboard end of the lever and the inside eyebolt.
 

 
The next picture shows the assembly blackened, installed and temporarily suspending the wooden stock bower anchor. 
 

 
The next picture shows the iron bar stock anchor blackened and placed on its eventual resting place on the other side – again temporarily.
 

 
Three wood chocks were installed to support each anchor in their stored positions.  These can be seen in the last picture.
 

 
 
Eyebolts with restraining lashings will eventually be fitted to each of the chocks, but that will await final installation along with the chain that will be run over the winch and out the hawse hole on the starboard side.  For now the anchors will go into storage.
 
Ed

Thank you all very much for all these comments, questions, and likes.  Let me respond to some:
 
Bob, the wooden stock is made in two pieces.  Richard is correct.  The two sides were usually fitted over a boss on the shaft that kept it is place, even in the occasional presence of a boss below the stock as I have shown.  The two pieces were cut so there would be a gap toward the center, allowing the iron bands that were shrunk on to tighten the grip on the shaft.  There were many styles of stocks used in the "non-standard" early period of American merchant sail.
 
The copper bands were blackened after pressing into place on the stock.  The stock was finish sanded first.  I have found that liver of sulfur solution has no effect on surrounding wood - unless there are metal filings or dust on the wood.  LOS quickly neutralizes to an inert white slurry, so there is no active material left on the wood, as there would be with the blue selenium salt solutions used on brass.   Rinsing the LOS solution as soon as blackening is achieved is a precaution.  This is the reason I use copper for many parts.   LOS does not blacken brass.  All the iron knees on Naiad were blackened after being installed and the wood is still clean.  Rinsing was not very practical for these.  I emphasize that the wood needs to be free of metal dust, one reason to use a sacrificial forming piece for shaping and and polishing of the bands - another is razor blade cuts into the wood.
 
The red hue in the photo appears to be from the effect of the lighting on the photo.  It appears quite black "in person."  
 
Thank you, Frank.  I use the TIVA solution for degreasing after pickling - rather than solvents.  TIVA is a commercial product for cleaning metal before treating.  It is normally used in ultrasonic tanks, but seems to work well as a room temperature dip.  I am increasingly convinced that the most important step in blackening is pickling of soldered parts, followed by polishing the metal surface.    I usually drop the still-hot, soldered pieces into Sparex solution after each joint to knock off most of the oxidation and flux.  Lately, after completion of all soldering, I have been immersing the parts in white vinegar, bringing it to a boil (as in food pickling) then letting it cool for a few hours before final polishing.  This has worked well.
 
Thanks, Druxey.  If I can add a good idea to your repertoire, I am indeed flattered.  The .005" copper cut easily with a razor blade or a surgical scalpel. I am anxious to try it on the thicker material that will be used on the many yard and mast bands that await.  I may use a turned, slightly tapered, metal mandrel for those.  We'll see.
 
Ed

Ed,
A couple of questions: The wooden stock appears to be laminated. Presumably this was done for strength and to simplify the mortise fabrication?  Also, you imply that the wood stock bands were blackened after installation.  How did you keep the wood stock from discoloration?  In the photo the blackened brass appears to be more bronze colored than black.  Is that an artifact of the photography or the accurate color?
 
Bob

Ed,
A couple of questions: The wooden stock appears to be laminated. Presumably this was done for strength and to simplify the mortise fabrication?  Also, you imply that the wood stock bands were blackened after installation.  How did you keep the wood stock from discoloration?  In the photo the blackened brass appears to be more bronze colored than black.  Is that an artifact of the photography or the accurate color?
 
Bob

Ed,
A couple of questions: The wooden stock appears to be laminated. Presumably this was done for strength and to simplify the mortise fabrication?  Also, you imply that the wood stock bands were blackened after installation.  How did you keep the wood stock from discoloration?  In the photo the blackened brass appears to be more bronze colored than black.  Is that an artifact of the photography or the accurate color?
 
Bob

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 163 – Bower Anchors 3
 
In the last part the fabrication of what will be the port bower anchor was completed.  That anchor has still to be blackened and mounted.  Work on the starboard anchor went on concurrently and is described in this part.  In the first picture the shaft and arms of that second anchor have been soldered and it has been set up to solder some short lengths of telescoping square tube that will be used to shape the boss for the wood stock.
 

 
The configuration is different from the first iron bar stock anchor.  In the next picture shaping of the fully soldered anchor has just begun.
 

 
On the first anchor the shackle bolt was soldered in place on the finished anchor.  On this anchor the wooden stock must be installed before the shackle so the shackle bolt was threaded into the shackle to avoid soldering with the wood stock in place.  The threaded rod and shackle are shown below.
 

 
The still unshaped anchor is also shown in this picture.  The shackle threads were made with a jeweler’s tap and die. 
 
The next step was to make the wooden stock.  In the next picture one of the two halves is being mortised to fit over the square anchor shaft.
 

 
Before final shaping of the wooden stock, the iron bands were made.  This may appear backward in sequence but I think it is easier to do the final fitting of the bands by light sanding/filing of the wood stock, rather than to precisely size the bands. 
 
To accurately shape the bands a wood form was made to match the anchor stock shape.  This was marked for band location and copper strips were bent around the form at each location.  In the next picture a razor blade is being tapped with a hammer at an angle to cut the overlapped band to precisely size it and form the joint for soldering.
 

 
The next picture shows the band joint (and the cut damage to the wood form).  It was then removed from the wood, soldered, replaced on the wood form and cleaned up with files and abrasive sticks.
 

 
Using the wood form for fitting, clean-up and polishing avoids damage to the actual stock and also keeps it clean of metal dust.  In the next picture the six bands have been fitted.
 

 
Fitting of the bands required light filing sanding of the wooden stock to the point where each band would fit tightly at its final location.  In the above picture the polished bands have been pressed into place, and are ready for blackening.  In the last picture all of the iron parts have been blackened and the anchor is ready for assembly.
 

 
All of the metal parts were pickled in heated white vinegar, polished, soaked in TIVA cleaning solution, and rinsed before treatment.  The copper bands on the stock were brushed liberally with liver of sulfur solution.  When black, the assembly was rinsed in clean water.  The brass anchor and shackle parts were dipped in diluted Birch-Casey brass black, brushed until black, rinsed, buffed with Q-tips, and allowed to dry.
 
The tight fit of the bands on the stock and the stock on the shaft may be sufficient without glue.  I may use a tiny drop of CA on the underside of each band and on the anchor shaft just to be safe.  The anchor shackle will be attached to a soldered chain shackle so will be installed later when those parts are made.
 
Ed

Hi Ed,
 
While you're out doing spring cleanup, I thought I'd pass along my appreciation of your pin alignment system. I'm just finishing up the forward half & cant frames.  After hand finishing them individually, I decided to double check each as a matched pair. I've gotten much better at sanding to the profile lines, but didn't want to risk a mismatch between port & strb.  The pin holes are 0.024" and I used 0,026" pins for a nice tight fit.  I am very pleased with the results.  Each frame pair fits perfectly without further finishing.  I am really impressed with the capability of your alignment system.  It even makes old guys like me look good.  Setup and installation is going to be my next hurdle.
 
Always look forward to your next post.  Now I have to get after my spring yard work.
 
Bob

Hi Ed,
 
While you're out doing spring cleanup, I thought I'd pass along my appreciation of your pin alignment system. I'm just finishing up the forward half & cant frames.  After hand finishing them individually, I decided to double check each as a matched pair. I've gotten much better at sanding to the profile lines, but didn't want to risk a mismatch between port & strb.  The pin holes are 0.024" and I used 0,026" pins for a nice tight fit.  I am very pleased with the results.  Each frame pair fits perfectly without further finishing.  I am really impressed with the capability of your alignment system.  It even makes old guys like me look good.  Setup and installation is going to be my next hurdle.
 
Always look forward to your next post.  Now I have to get after my spring yard work.
 
Bob

Hi Ed,
 
While you're out doing spring cleanup, I thought I'd pass along my appreciation of your pin alignment system. I'm just finishing up the forward half & cant frames.  After hand finishing them individually, I decided to double check each as a matched pair. I've gotten much better at sanding to the profile lines, but didn't want to risk a mismatch between port & strb.  The pin holes are 0.024" and I used 0,026" pins for a nice tight fit.  I am very pleased with the results.  Each frame pair fits perfectly without further finishing.  I am really impressed with the capability of your alignment system.  It even makes old guys like me look good.  Setup and installation is going to be my next hurdle.
 
Always look forward to your next post.  Now I have to get after my spring yard work.
 
Bob

Hi Ed,
 
While you're out doing spring cleanup, I thought I'd pass along my appreciation of your pin alignment system. I'm just finishing up the forward half & cant frames.  After hand finishing them individually, I decided to double check each as a matched pair. I've gotten much better at sanding to the profile lines, but didn't want to risk a mismatch between port & strb.  The pin holes are 0.024" and I used 0,026" pins for a nice tight fit.  I am very pleased with the results.  Each frame pair fits perfectly without further finishing.  I am really impressed with the capability of your alignment system.  It even makes old guys like me look good.  Setup and installation is going to be my next hurdle.
 
Always look forward to your next post.  Now I have to get after my spring yard work.
 
Bob

Hi Ed,
 
While you're out doing spring cleanup, I thought I'd pass along my appreciation of your pin alignment system. I'm just finishing up the forward half & cant frames.  After hand finishing them individually, I decided to double check each as a matched pair. I've gotten much better at sanding to the profile lines, but didn't want to risk a mismatch between port & strb.  The pin holes are 0.024" and I used 0,026" pins for a nice tight fit.  I am very pleased with the results.  Each frame pair fits perfectly without further finishing.  I am really impressed with the capability of your alignment system.  It even makes old guys like me look good.  Setup and installation is going to be my next hurdle.
 
Always look forward to your next post.  Now I have to get after my spring yard work.
 
Bob

Hi Ed,
 
While you're out doing spring cleanup, I thought I'd pass along my appreciation of your pin alignment system. I'm just finishing up the forward half & cant frames.  After hand finishing them individually, I decided to double check each as a matched pair. I've gotten much better at sanding to the profile lines, but didn't want to risk a mismatch between port & strb.  The pin holes are 0.024" and I used 0,026" pins for a nice tight fit.  I am very pleased with the results.  Each frame pair fits perfectly without further finishing.  I am really impressed with the capability of your alignment system.  It even makes old guys like me look good.  Setup and installation is going to be my next hurdle.
 
Always look forward to your next post.  Now I have to get after my spring yard work.
 
Bob

Hi Ed,
 
While you're out doing spring cleanup, I thought I'd pass along my appreciation of your pin alignment system. I'm just finishing up the forward half & cant frames.  After hand finishing them individually, I decided to double check each as a matched pair. I've gotten much better at sanding to the profile lines, but didn't want to risk a mismatch between port & strb.  The pin holes are 0.024" and I used 0,026" pins for a nice tight fit.  I am very pleased with the results.  Each frame pair fits perfectly without further finishing.  I am really impressed with the capability of your alignment system.  It even makes old guys like me look good.  Setup and installation is going to be my next hurdle.
 
Always look forward to your next post.  Now I have to get after my spring yard work.
 
Bob

Hi Ed,
 
While you're out doing spring cleanup, I thought I'd pass along my appreciation of your pin alignment system. I'm just finishing up the forward half & cant frames.  After hand finishing them individually, I decided to double check each as a matched pair. I've gotten much better at sanding to the profile lines, but didn't want to risk a mismatch between port & strb.  The pin holes are 0.024" and I used 0,026" pins for a nice tight fit.  I am very pleased with the results.  Each frame pair fits perfectly without further finishing.  I am really impressed with the capability of your alignment system.  It even makes old guys like me look good.  Setup and installation is going to be my next hurdle.
 
Always look forward to your next post.  Now I have to get after my spring yard work.
 
Bob

Hi Ed,
 
While you're out doing spring cleanup, I thought I'd pass along my appreciation of your pin alignment system. I'm just finishing up the forward half & cant frames.  After hand finishing them individually, I decided to double check each as a matched pair. I've gotten much better at sanding to the profile lines, but didn't want to risk a mismatch between port & strb.  The pin holes are 0.024" and I used 0,026" pins for a nice tight fit.  I am very pleased with the results.  Each frame pair fits perfectly without further finishing.  I am really impressed with the capability of your alignment system.  It even makes old guys like me look good.  Setup and installation is going to be my next hurdle.
 
Always look forward to your next post.  Now I have to get after my spring yard work.
 
Bob

Hi Ed,
 
While you're out doing spring cleanup, I thought I'd pass along my appreciation of your pin alignment system. I'm just finishing up the forward half & cant frames.  After hand finishing them individually, I decided to double check each as a matched pair. I've gotten much better at sanding to the profile lines, but didn't want to risk a mismatch between port & strb.  The pin holes are 0.024" and I used 0,026" pins for a nice tight fit.  I am very pleased with the results.  Each frame pair fits perfectly without further finishing.  I am really impressed with the capability of your alignment system.  It even makes old guys like me look good.  Setup and installation is going to be my next hurdle.
 
Always look forward to your next post.  Now I have to get after my spring yard work.
 
Bob

Hi Ed,
 
While you're out doing spring cleanup, I thought I'd pass along my appreciation of your pin alignment system. I'm just finishing up the forward half & cant frames.  After hand finishing them individually, I decided to double check each as a matched pair. I've gotten much better at sanding to the profile lines, but didn't want to risk a mismatch between port & strb.  The pin holes are 0.024" and I used 0,026" pins for a nice tight fit.  I am very pleased with the results.  Each frame pair fits perfectly without further finishing.  I am really impressed with the capability of your alignment system.  It even makes old guys like me look good.  Setup and installation is going to be my next hurdle.
 
Always look forward to your next post.  Now I have to get after my spring yard work.
 
Bob

Hi Ed,
 
While you're out doing spring cleanup, I thought I'd pass along my appreciation of your pin alignment system. I'm just finishing up the forward half & cant frames.  After hand finishing them individually, I decided to double check each as a matched pair. I've gotten much better at sanding to the profile lines, but didn't want to risk a mismatch between port & strb.  The pin holes are 0.024" and I used 0,026" pins for a nice tight fit.  I am very pleased with the results.  Each frame pair fits perfectly without further finishing.  I am really impressed with the capability of your alignment system.  It even makes old guys like me look good.  Setup and installation is going to be my next hurdle.
 
Always look forward to your next post.  Now I have to get after my spring yard work.
 
Bob

Hi Ed,
 
While you're out doing spring cleanup, I thought I'd pass along my appreciation of your pin alignment system. I'm just finishing up the forward half & cant frames.  After hand finishing them individually, I decided to double check each as a matched pair. I've gotten much better at sanding to the profile lines, but didn't want to risk a mismatch between port & strb.  The pin holes are 0.024" and I used 0,026" pins for a nice tight fit.  I am very pleased with the results.  Each frame pair fits perfectly without further finishing.  I am really impressed with the capability of your alignment system.  It even makes old guys like me look good.  Setup and installation is going to be my next hurdle.
 
Always look forward to your next post.  Now I have to get after my spring yard work.
 
Bob