Capt.Bob

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

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

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

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

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

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 274 – Fore Upper Topsail Yard Rigging 3
 
The last rigging lines to be installed on the upper topsail yard were the buntlines, the reef tackle and the downhaulers.  The first picture shows the yard with these lines.
 

 
The next picture shows these lines more clearly.
 

 
As with the lower yard, the reef tackle block is tied off to the jackstay where it awaits the bending of the sail.  Its standing end is seized to a single block suspended from the outer boom iron.  The line then passes through the tied-off block, back through the first block, then through one sheave of the double block at the quarters and is belayed on the fife rail below.  The double block is shared by the downhauler used to help lower the yard when gravity alone won't do the job – for example when the ship is heeled.  The standing end of the downhauler may be seen spliced to a shackle on the lower tops'l yard arm band.  Since it is never reefed, the lower topsail yard has no reef tackle.  The buntlines are stopped at blocks lashed to the jackstay as with the other yards.  They then pass through double blocks hooked eyebolts under the crosstrees as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The tied-off topgallant sheet chains shown in this picture is a temporary measure until the topgallant yard is installed.  The next picture shows the rigging on the starboard side.  The large extra blocks dangling from the boom irons on this yard are the halyard blocks for the topmast studding sail yards that will not be installed.
 

 
The next picture shows about one-third of the top's fairlead holes filled at this stage.  All but two will be used.
 

 
In the last picture the halyard gin block may be seen hauled up close to the mast sheave with the yard in its lowered position.  The standing lifts that support the yard when lowered are shackled at their upper ends to the topgallant mast fid and will be added later after that mast is set.
 

 
The work is now shifting to the main mast.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 273 – Fore Upper Topsail Yard Rigging  2
 
With all the bench work finished, the yard could now be hung to complete its rigging with a few exceptions mentioned earlier – mainly braces.  This part deals with the halyard and the lower ends of the topgallant sheets.  These are worked together.  Tension in the halyard pulls the yard up.  Sheets are used to hold the model yard down by linking them within the sheet block as described earlier.  In the first picture the yard is suspended in its lowered position – its final position on the model.
 

 
In this lowered position, the yard would be down on its lifts that will be rigged later.  Unless there was some desire on the part of the captain to show off the masts with yards at the upper sailing heights, this is the most likely position after the sails were taken down.  Note that the yard at this stage droops down a bit due to the clearance between the mast and the parral.  In the next picture the yard has been raised to its upper position.
 

 
The yard would be at this height under full sail.  It would be lowered as reefs were taken in to shorten sail.  The sails above would have been fully taken in before reefing this sail, so the yard could be lowered freely.  I fixed the yard temporarily in this position so the gin block shackle could be fitted to the end of the halyard chain.  The shackled block is shown in the next picture.
 

 
In this picture the yard has been lowered.  The copper shackle will be blackened.  Note the drooping topgallant sheet chains.  These will eventually be shackled to the topgallant clew lines when that yard is installed.  The next picture shows the topgallant sheets at the sheet block.
 

 
The chain sheets are connected to wire falls that run down toward the foot of the mast.  The wire cable was made by twisting up 36 gauge stainless wire and is less than 1" in diameter – hard to see.  I have highlighted the wire in white in the picture.  This runs down to the block of a whip, which has a standing end hooked to a deck eyebolt and the fall belayed on the fore fife rail.  When the sheet is put in tension to hold down the yard in this position, the chain interferes with the cap, as shown, if it is rigged through a fairlead in the top.  This line would normally be slack with the yard in this position.  I could leave it slack and rely on the downhaulers to hold the yard down, but slack model wire is pretty unruly and does not look good.  I have tentatively rigged this line to run vertically down along the mast so that it runs in a straight line to the whip block in the lowered position.  The two whip blocks with the cable connections may be seen near the center of the next picture.
 

 
The wire cable is just visible in the picture after rerunning it as described above, roughly on the centerline of the mast.  The standing end of the halyard is also wire, slightly larger, and may be seen at the lower part of the next picture.
 

 
Without full tension, the wire shape shows the problem described above. Sufficient chain has to be left on this leg to raise the yard.  The lower end of the wire standing leg, after tensioning, is shown seized to a channel eyebolt in the next picture.
 

 
This wire is a bit more visible – still pretty slender.  The running leg of the halyard is shown shackled to the upper block of a triple purchase tackle in the next picture. 
 

 
The lower block is hooked to a channel eyebolt on the port side.  This halyard arrangement was used on large yards to distribute the weight forces to both sides of the hull.  This tackle would consume a lot of rope when the yard was lowered.  The downhaulers used to help lower that yard and the other yard rigging will be described in the next part.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 272 – Fore Upper Topsail Yard Rigging  1
 
The last picture in Part 271 picture showed the yard set up for rigging, but first the topgallant sheet blocks had to be fitted to the yard.  The first picture shows a trial fit with one of these before both were blackened.
 

 
This picture also shows the studding sail boom irons on this end of the yard and the two jewel blocks at the end of the boom.  Studding sail blocks that would likely have been "permanently" rigged will be shown on the model, but other studding sail rigging will not be modeled.
 
In the next picture the yard has been returned to the fixture and rigging of the footropes has begun.
 

 
The stirrup eyes and the ends of the footropes are secured with lashings – to jackstay stanchions in the case of stirrups and the inner ends of the footropes, and to the outer boom irons in the case of the footrope outer ends.  The next picture shows a lashing being tied.
 

 
Guterman® quilting cotton is being used for all small lashings – black for permanent connections and ecru for temporary – like reef tackle blocks and inner boom lashings.  To make this type of lashing, I have been double looping the line through the eye and around the boom iron (or stanchion, etc.) A clove hitch is then made around the turns as shown.  Before this is tightened the other end is pulled to shorten the lashing to its final length.  The hitch is then tightened and the lashing touch with diluted glue.
 
There are several blocks lashed to the yard for buntlines, reef tackle, downhauls, etc.  On this yard most are 9" (1/8") single blocks, strapped with a single thimble.  For these small blocks I usually form an eye around a pin, tie it with a double hitch to simulate the seizings, then tie an overhand knot under the block to simulate the strap splice.  Some of these may be seen lying about in the second picture.  For blocks with thimbles at each end, this method is not practical. So something more like the actual strapping is made.  A strap loop is first made as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The rope is wrapped around two pins set at a distance that will allow the two eyes to be seized.  The strap splice is made by passing the rope through itself then gluing.  When the glue dries the block is inserted as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The excess strap rope is cut off and a seizing tied to form the eye at each end of the block.  This method was used for the reef tackle blocks lashed to the outer boom irons.
 
The next picture shows the method used to simulate a shackle between the halyard tie and the iron gin block with the finished shackle shown in the inset.
 

 
The picture shows a test of the method.  The actual connection will need to be made on the model after the tye chain is attached to the yard band and threaded through the mast sheave.  To make this shackle, wire is passed through the chain link then through the eye on the block from both directions with an overhand knot set within the block eye.  The ends are then pulled tight and clipped off as shown in the inset.  The final configuration of the halyard will be shown in the next part.
 
The next picture shows the bench work finished and the yard ready to be hung.
 

 
The topgallant sheet chains may be seen hanging from the center sheet block and from the cheek blocks at the ends.  Securing the two chains inside so the yard may be pulled down by the sheet tackles was discussed in an earlier post.  The picture also shows the chain halyard tye suspended from the sling band.  All the chain ends are threaded with wire to assist in getting then through the various sheaves.  Pushing on a rope has its difficulties but pushing on chain is impossible.
 
In the last picture the yard has been hung and is ready for the next steps – securing the sheets and halyard.
 
 

 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 271 – Fore Upper Topsail Yard Ironwork 2
 
The first picture shows all the ironwork fitted to the yard except for the pieces containing brass that were blackened before assembly.
 

 
All band eyebolt holes have also been drilled. At this stage the yard and its metalwork were cleaned using isopropanol and cotton swabs.  The next picture shows a closer view.
 

 
The 28 gauge jackstay eyebolts are pushed into their holes, which seems to be sufficient to keep the jackstays in place.  The next picture shows the yard with its copper ironwork blackened.
 

 
To blacken the copper parts, the entire assembly was brushed with liver of sulfur solution starting at one end.  As the copper turned black, the yard was held under running water to wash off excess blackening solution.  The yard was then left to dry overnight.  The next picture shows the yard temporarily fitted to the mast.
 

 
After drying, the yard was finished with satin wipe-on polyurethane using foam swabs to apply and wipe the finish.  After trying other finishes I am starting to settle in on this method.  The foam swabs are free of lint.  The jackstays are brass and were blackened with full strength Brass Black® before sliding them through the eyebolts.  Except for the wooden parral, no glue has been used on this yard.  The center of the yard is shown in the next picture.
 

 
The parral band pins are only temporarily inserted. Note that there is a slight gap between the parral lining and the mast, allowing the yard to slide up and down easily.  In the last picture the yard has been removed and set up for rigging work.
 

 
The long, slender topmast studding sail booms have been fitted and tied off at their inner ends.  The yard is ready to be mounted for rigging.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 270 – Fore Upper Topsail Yard Ironwork 1
 
To avoid excessive repetition and to avoid tedium in these posts, I will not be describing all 18 of Young America's square yards at this same level of detail, so do not despair.  However, the first three are each different in the way they are supported and rigged.   Some of the fittings are therefore unique and it has been interesting to design and make them.  Even so, some of the work shown in this post has been described before.  The first picture shows the fore upper topsail yard with its parral and all of the bands fitted except for those that support the boom irons.
 

 
All but the yardarm bands at the ends were made by cutting and silver-soldering .010" thick copper strips that were slightly undersized so they would be stretched to a tight fit when positioned on the yard.  After soldering, the bands were shaped, filed, and polished on a separate tapered mandrel to avoid damaging or smudging the yard.  I believe all this was described in earlier posts.  The bands at the yardarms were made thicker using copper tube.  These stronger bands will be drilled for multiple eyebolts – at least three each.  Slices of tube were expanded to fit the yardarm as shown in the next picture.
 

 
A hardened scribe is being used to expand the band by tapping with a hammer with the band resting on the edges of the vise jaws.  The band was then pressed into position on to the yardarm as shown below.
 

 
This band will be drilled for three eyebolts – one for the standing lift, one for the brace, and one for the downhauler used on these doubled yards.  Most bands have at least one eyebolt fitted.   These were all drilled later.
 
Supports for the studding sail booms are the most complex pieces to make.  These include a boom iron on the yard and another at the end of the yard.  This latter support requires ironwork to reinforce the yardarm for this loading.  The next picture shows one of the boom irons set up for soldering.
 

 
The band for the boom was made from tube as described above.  The square arm was made from brass for stiffness.  The copper strip under the arm was used to center the arm on the band.   The next picture shows the next assembly step.
 

 
The length of the square section needs to be cut fairly accurately.  One soldered assembly is being checked in the picture.  The yard bands were made from somewhat thicker strips (.015") for strength. The next picture shows one of these assemblies fitted and the pair of fabricated outer irons for this yard.
 

 
The outer irons are supported by a strap bored at the end for the outer iron.  This strap is secured to the yardarm by two tightly fitted bands.  These were of the soldered type.  In the next picture, one of these is being polished on the tapered scriber.
 

 
The vise was again used to force the bands over the longitudinal strap as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The support straps were predrilled to fit the boom irons, but to avoid possible damage, the yardarms were hand drilled with a much smaller drill, then bored out to full depth by hand after the ironwork was fitted.  This is being done with a pin vise in the next picture
 

 
This complex metalwork at the arms was given some additional shaping and smoothing.  It was then very lightly polished using a new, clean buffing wheel.
 
To be continued.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 269 – Fore Upper Topsail Yard Parral 2: Ironwork
 
In the first picture the wood yoke has been glued to the octagonal flat on the aft side of the yard.  One of the bands that reinforce the connection of the yoke to the yard has been fitted and the other is shaped but awaiting attachment.
 

 
All "iron" fittings on the yard are copper, to facilitate later blackening with liver of sulfur solution.  The uninstalled band shown in the picture was shaped around the yard and yoke.  It includes a short overlapping tab that will be used to through-bolt the band using a copper wire bolt.  In the next picture one of these bolts is being inserted through a drilled hole at the base of the yoke.
 

 
The short tab is located on the underside of the yard – out of sight.  The copper wire shown was next clipped just above the surface on both sides of the yoke and peened to form a tight connection.  The next picture shows the upper side of the banded parral.
 

 
The next picture shows the underside of the yard/parral and parts of the hinge/clasp that will hold the yard to the mast.
 

 
To simulate the hinge/clasp fitting, short lengths of wire were drilled to accept copper wire pins that will slip into holes in the parral.  The wire pins were soldered into the holes.  The piece on the left has been filed to shape.  These assemblies were then silver soldered to the half-circle band as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The picture shows dividers that were set to the spacing between the pins and used to mark the bands on either side of the circular yoke opening.  The above two pictures also show simulated leather lining in the opening.  This was made from dyed heavy paper glued to the wood.  In the next picture the spaced holes are being manually drilled to receive the long copper pins.
 

 
I drilled these manually to avoid disturbing the boring setup on the milling machine described in the last part.  There are never enough tools.  The last picture shows the completed parral except for blackening and fitting of the lining on the hinge/clasp.
 

 
Copper wire bolts have been driven through the arms of the yoke into the yard to simulate those used originally and to provide additional strength.  Next, the rest of the ironwork on the yard will be added.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 268 – Fore Upper Topsail Yard Parral 1: Wooden Yoke
 
All square yards above the lower topsails will be secured to their masts with parrals.  These each consist of a wooden yoke bolted and strapped against the aft flat of the octagon at the center of each yard.  The yoke is clamped to the yard by means of a hinged strap.  The first picture shows the finished, but as yet unblackened, parral assembly fitted to the fore upper topsail yard.
  

 
The picture also shows the center sling band, the bands for quarter blocks and the holes drilled for the jackstay eyebolts.  This part describes only the modeling of the wooden parral yoke.  You will note in the picture that the inside of the mast opening is lined on the wood face.  The lining of the hinged clasp will be done later.  The next picture shows the wooden yoke before assembly.
 

 
The yoke has been notched for the sling band, but not yet for the two quarter bands.
 
The wooden yokes could be shaped manually, but more precision in the circular opening may be obtained by boring the opening using the milling machine fitted with a rotary table.  Starting with an oversized wood blank, the circular opening of the yoke was bored first, followed by rip sawing to yield a half circle, then sawing the base, and finally shaping the curved sides.  The circular opening was bored using the setup shown in the next picture.
 

 
The four jaw chuck conveniently centers and holds the piece.  For modeling, the diameter of the opening will be 2" larger than the topmast diameter at the lower cap.  This allows 1" for lining and 1" clearance.  In practice, these allowances were more like a total of 1½" – ¾" for leather lining and a ¾" gap.  The bore was made by centering a milling bit on the rotating table, offsetting the bit to cut the correct ID (= hole radius – bit radius), lowering the running bit through the piece and rotating the table a full 360 degrees.   The resulting bore was very precise.
 
Centering the table on the mill spindle using the normal dial indicator method can be a tedious task – a lot of work for this single bore.  The setup shown in the next picture simplifies and speeds up this task and yields sufficient accuracy for these borings.
 

 
The method uses two short lengths of close fitting telescoping tubing.  The larger size is clamped in the four jaw chuck mounted on the rotary table.  The smaller tube is chucked in the spindle.  The X and Y tables are then adjusted until the tubes fit together smoothly as shown – centering the table.  This is most easily done using the sensitive drilling attachment, which is then replaced by the milling chuck. 
 
In the next picture, the yoke has been sawed to yield a half circle for the opening.
 

 
To accurately make this cut, the depth of wood below the bore was measured.  To this was added one-half the bore diameter.  Digital calipers were then set to this dimension and used to set the rip fence on the saw.  After cutting the half circle, the rip fence was reset to the full depth of the yoke and the base excess sawed off.  The curved faces of the yoke were then cut out on the scroll saw and finished with files/sanding.  The notches for the bands were then filed out and the yoke glued to the yard as shown in the next picture.
 

 
You will note that the banding shown on the drawings in some of the photos was later corrected.  Fitting this banding and making the hinge/clasp will be described in the next part.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 267 – Halyard Gin blocks
 
In preparation for work on the upper topsail yard, I decided to make the iron gin blocks for the halyards for all three of these yards.  These are suspended aft of each topmast from a chain tye shackled to the central band on the yard.  The tye passes through the sheave just below the topmast hounds.  There is one of these iron tye blocks for each of the three upper topsail yards.  They allowed the load of these relatively heavy yards to be distributed to both sides of the ship by means of tackles that will be described later.  The heavy stationary yards below are supported by iron trusses as previously described, while those above have simpler, lighter halyard rigging.  The first picture shows the three finished gin blocks.
 

 
The blocks have inverted T frames that house iron sheaves and an eye at the top to attach the chain tye.  Two have 12" diameter sheaves, one 10".  The frames could be made from formed metal strips, but I chose to use flattened brass tube for these.  The tube was flattened in a vise as shown in the next picture.
 

 
Pieces were then sawed off and given some shaping to form parts for the basic two-piece assembly shown in the picture.  It was then a simple matter to silver-solder these using the setup shown below.
 

 
One side at a time was soldered. The frames were then further refined in size and shape as shown in the next two pictures.
 
 
 

 
The brass strip holding the frame in the above picture served as an anvil to impart some squareness to the frames and to straighten the sides.  The strip also allowed the frames to be center-punched for drilling without deforming the shape.  In the next picture the eyebolt has been soldered into a small hole in the top of the frame and the sheave pin holes are about to be marked for drilling.
 

 
A wooden spacer was inserted into each frame to avoid bending during rilling of the axle holes.  The last picture shows the completed blocks before blackeneing.
 

 
The sheaves were turned and drilled in the lathe from brass rod, then secured with peened copper pins.  The assemblies were then polished, cleaned, and blackened using Brass Black®.  Meanwhile, work progressed on the upper yard itself – next post.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 266 – Fore Lower Topsail Yard Continued
 
Apart from the braces that will be installed later, the last items of rigging on the lower topsail yards were the buntlines.  There are two on each side.  In the absence of sails these are stopped at the buntline blocks on top of the yard as shown in the first picture.
 

 
Buntlines are normally passed through blocks on the underside of the tops or crosstrees at the head of their associated mast, but with the addition of the second topsail yard, the lower topsail buntlines are rigged through double blocks seized to the forward topsail shrouds as shown.  The starboard side is shown in the next picture.
 

 
From these double blocks the lines run down through fairlead holes in the top, inside the shrouds, through the fairleads on the #2 shrouds, and are belayed on the main pin rail on each side.  These lines may be seen passing vertically down from the shroud blocks through the top in the next picture.
 

 
The lower ends of these lines may be seen belayed at the side in the next picture.
 

 
You may note that in these pictures the shroud lanyards have been re-wrapped above the deadeyes.  These were unwound earlier to re-tension the shrouds and backstays as mentioned in an earlier post.  The running rigging of the two lower yards has also been tensioned, secured at the pins with some dilute glue and the excess line clipped off.  The clutter of these unsecured lines on the deck and above was becoming an unsightly nuisance, so it was time to get everything neatly secured.  The next picture shows the forward deck cleared of excess rope.
 

 
One of the next steps will be to make and add rope coils at the belaying points.  The lower yard tacks and lazy tacks are still only temporarily belayed until the sheets are rigged later.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 265 – Fore Lower Topsail Yard Continued
 
In the last part the upper topsail sheet chains were threaded through the blocks under the center of the lower yard and the outer blocks.  The yard was then hung by the crane on the lower mast cap as shown in the first picture.
 

 
The yard was braced temporarily back to the main top to keep it square.  In the picture the twin triple-purchase sheet tackles have been rigged and secured at the forward rim of the top.  The upper topsail sheet chains are hanging from the ends of the yard.  The next picture shows the two tackles from the port side.
 

 
As mentioned in the last post, the upper topsail was not clewed up for furling, so there are no upper topsail clew-lines.  The sheet chains and the tackles are short – used only to fine tune the sheets under sail.  These are short enough so that the upper topsail may be sheeted to the yardarm without fouling the tackles.  The next picture is another view of these tackles.
 

 
The falls are short on these overhauled tackles and simply hitched around each.  The next picture from aft shows the yard with the two temporary braces back to the main cap. 
 

 
The next step was to rig the lower topsail clew-lines.  These are shackled to the ends of the lower topsail sheet chains.  Without sails the clew-lines are pulled up, overhauling the sheet tackles, positioning the lines for shackling to the sail when it is raised.  The length of these sheet chains is limited by the height of the triple tackles below the main yard so the sail is able to be sheeted to the yardarm without the tackle becoming "block-on-block" or "chock-a-block."  For this reason I raised the height of those tackles from their initial position.  The difference in height is shown in the next picture.
 

 
In the picture, the starboard block has been raised from its original height at the position of the port block in the photo.  Both were then set at this upper height.  This adjustment turned into a major, multi-day task, eventually requiring removal of the sheet block and the yard.  I will not elaborate, except to say that getting things right the first time is preferred.
 
The next three pictures show the clew-line/sheet chain rigging.
 

 
The problem of shackling the clew-line/sheet to the sail is interesting.  With the limitations described, it could certainly not be done from the lower topsail yard and the gear was probably not reachable by men on the top where other lines would be bent as the rolled sail was raised.  Most likely this was done from the lower yard during raising.  Whatever the method, it would have been easier than with a single topsail, where the lowest position of the yard would be even higher – above the cap.
 
The next two pictures show the lead block arrangement for the clew-lines.
 
 
 
 
The standing end of each line is seized to a thimble on a block hooked to an eyebolt under the yard.  It then reeves through the block at the clew end, back through the block at the yard then through a single block at the quarters.  From there it passes through a fairlead hole in the top down inside the #2 shroud and through its fairlead, to belay on the main rail. The next picture shows a view of this from aft.
 

 
This picture also shows the stopping of the upper topsail sheet chain to the jackstay.  Again, the length of the chain is limited by the length of the tackle.
 
There are still a lot of loose lines cluttering these photos at the top and especially at the deck.  I have delayed permanently securing these at the pins (fortunately) but it will soon be time to do this.
 
Next, the four buntlines will complete the current work on this yard.  All the braces will be left until much later for access reasons.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 264 – Fore Lower Topsail Yard Detailing
 
I finally got the fore topmast ratlines installed, something I wanted done before mounting the lower topsail yard.    
 

 
The spreaders at the top of the yard continue to take a beating.  Some protection is probably in order.  At the top of the shrouds the ratline extend across the backstays.  The next picture is a closer view.
 

 
The next picture shows the fore topsail yard with footropes, quarter blocks and buntline blocks installed.
 

 
In the next two pictures the yard has been temporarily mounted using the permanent pin in the crane.
 

 
In the next picture the yard has been returned to the holding fixture for further work.
 

 
In this picture the footrope stirrups have been pulled straight for stiffening and the chain upper topsail sheets have been threaded through the cheek blocks, under-yard fairleads and the central sheet block.  Below is a closer view of the sheet block.
 

 
The fabrication of this block was described earlier, as was the linking of the two chains inside the block so the sheet tackles could be used to keep the yard down.  In the next picture these tackles have been rigged and shackled to the chains.
 

 
The upper topsail sheet chains are short and those shown will be cut back later. The upper sail was taken in by lowering the yard and not using clue lines as was typical for the other yards, so there was no need for the sheets to be hauled up when furling.  The tackles were thus used to take up slack in small adjustments.  The short tackles shown will belay in the foretop – in the next post.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 263 – Fore Lower Topsail Yard Ironwork
 
In the first picture some of the bands fitted to the yard. 
 
 
These were made from .010" copper strips cut to size for the yard diameter at each point, and then silver-soldered.  The small diameter bands at the yardarms (not shown) were cut from copper tube.  The tapered maple mandrel shown was used to stretch the band and test the joint, to recover the round shape that is lost in setting up for soldering, and to hold the band for buffing and polishing.  The bands are then pushed over the yard into to position with a tight fit.  All the bands on this yard will be fitted with eyebolts or fairlead rings, so all were center punched and drilled for this.   The next picture shows the yard fitted with bands and jackstay stanchions
 
 
 
 
There is no finish on the yard at this stage and with some care it has been kept clean.  In the next picture the ironwork has been blackened using liver of sulfur solution.
 

 
This was all done in one step to avoid any black smudging on the yard beforehand.  The LOS solution was brushed over the yard.  As the copper work on each section blackened, within a few seconds, the yard was rinsed under running water.  It was then patted with paper towel and allowed to thoroughly dry. In the next picture the yard and ironwork have been finished with diluted Tung oil and allowed to dry overnight.
 

 
The ¾" diameter iron jackstays were made from straight brass wire.  This was treated beforehand with undiluted Brass Black®, then dried and buffed to remove residue.  In the next picture the jackstay has been threaded through the stanchions and cut to size.
 

 
The picture shows the assembled Howe truss temporarily pinned in place.  I may do some further filing of the end of the shaft.  The yard is retained with a tight fitting slit collar at the end of the shaft.  The next picture gives a better view of the jackstays and the truss.
 

 
The last picture shows the full yard on the mast.
 
 

 
There are no studding sail booms on this yard, since the topmast studding sails are hung from the upper topsail yard and the booms for the topgallant studding sails are supported from that yard.  The yard will now be removed to fit out its rigging connections and footropes.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 262 – Fore Lower Topsail Yard Truss
 
When a double topsail (or double topgallant sail) arrangement was adopted, the lower yard position on the mast was fixed, and therefore this sail was not reefed.  Any reduction in overall topsail area was done by taking in the upper topsail.  Under the Howe patent, the arrangement most likely followed when Young America adopted double topsails in 1854, the lower yard was supported from the forward end of the lower mast cap by means of an iron truss that allowed the yard to rotate in two planes like the lower fore yard below.
 
The first picture shows the installed sling band with a double bracket that will fit over a shaft on the truss itself.
 

 
The band is pinned through the yard and the underside drilled for the sheet block eyebolt.  The band is octagonal, made from .010" (about ¾" at 1:72) copper sheet.  The band was soldered first.  A U-shaped bracket was then formed from .015" copper, and drilled to accept the truss shaft.  Both parts are shown in the next picture.
 
 
The u-shape was used to assure that the bracket holes would line up after assembly.  The joining top piece will be removed later.  The next picture shows the two pieces being set up for soldering.
 

 
After soldering, the assembly was set up in the vise as shown below to file off the end of the U and shape the brackets as shown in the last photo below.
 

 
The U was formed over a wood block that was kept in place when the bracket holes were drilled.  In the above picture a small piece of this block is inserted to allow the bracket to be clamped for filling.
 
The truss itself is shown in the next few pictures.  To start, two pieces of telescoping tube were soldered together then soldered to the top of a copper block that will be shaped to the truss configuration.  Using tube avoids drilling aligned holes and assured a match with the hole in the mast cap boss.  This initial assembly is being marked in the first picture.
 
 
The truss was then cut and filed to its overall shape shown in the next picture where it has been temporarily mounted to check fit.
 

 
In the next picture the truss shaft is being filed round..
 
 
In the picture the 5" shaft is being rounded from a sized square, to an octagon to a round – as was done in making the spars.  In the last picture, the full truss assembly is temporarily mounted with the yard.
 

 
The forward end of the truss shaft will be fitted with a retaining cap and cut off.  This will be done later after the other yard ironwork is fitted.  All will then be blackened and the yard given some finish as was done before.
 
You may note in this picture that the ratline work on the topmast is still in progress.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 261 – Fore Topsail Yards
 
I have finally been able to break out of the ratline work to start on the next set of yards – specifically the fore lower and upper topsail yards.  These will likely be the next two to go up, but the main yard is also an option.  I want to get all the ratline work done on the lower and upper masts before staring on the yards.  I got ahead of myself with the fore yard and that made finishing the ratlines a tougher job.
 
I described the methods I am using to make spars in Parts 217-218 and Parts 247-248, so I will not go through it all again.  I will mostly stick to some things that may not have been covered earlier.
 
I generally like to drill all the holes in a spar at the first trim.  At this stage it is sized but still square and not tapered, so it is easier to hold and center the piece.  I forgot to do this on the lower topsail yard so it had to be done later as shown in the first picture.
 

 
In the picture the holes for the jackstay stanchions are being drilled.  The yard is clamped to the tooling plate at the octagonal center area and at the yardarm square section – not optimum but not too difficult.
 
In the next picture the upper topsail yard is set up for drilling while still at the first trim.
 

 
In the earlier description of this drilling I used the mill vise, but since I had the tooling plate set up I decided to use it instead.  To make the yard parallel with the plate, I used the small depth gauge described back during the deck framing.  The next picture shows the jackstay stanchion holes drilled into this yard.
 

 
The stanchion holes are the most important to do at this stage because they need to be centered on top of the yard and equally spaced.  Other holes will be drilled later.  In the picture the quarters are marked out.  In the next picture dividers are being used to mark the diameters on two opposite sides at each quarter.
 

 
These are taken directly from the drawing and serve as guides for the first roughing out only.  The final dimensions at each quarter will be measured and adjusted more accurately as shown below.  In the next picture the two marked faces are being tapered using a plane with the yard clamped in a vise.
 

 
The vise works well before the spar is tapered.  The fixture described earlier and shown below could also be used.  The taper is planed, scraped, rasped and sanded down to the divider marks.  In the next picture calipers are being used to check and refine the sizing to the dimensions specified on the drawing.
 

 
The drawings specify the diameter at each quarter in full size decimal inches, which are then divided by 72 to get the measurements to the three significant digits used in the final sizing as shown above.  The sandpaper board is used for the final sizing. 
 
With the spar tapered on two sides, the planning fixture shown below was then used to taper the remaining two faces.
 

 
For these smaller spars the top section of the stop was removed to clear the plane.  In the next picture one of the remaining two sides are being tapered.
 

 
The yard was then converted to an octagonal shape, except at the yard arms, as described in the earlier posts.  The center area on these "single-tree" spars were left octagonal, so the final rounding begins at the end of the octagonal section as shown below.
 

 
After filing off the corners of the octagon, the rounding was completed down to the square yardarm section using the sanding stick shown.
 

 
This has 220-grit paper on one side and 320-grit on the other.  The last picture shows the two topsail yards ready for their ironwork.
 
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 260 – Clew Garnets, Tacks, Lazy Tacks
 
Clew garnets were used to pull the lower corners of the sail up to the bunt when furling.  Blocks for these lines were shackled together with the sheet blocks, tacks and lazy sheet/tacks.  These shackles were attached to iron clue rings or cringles on the sail.  For these lower sails, this was done on deck before the sail package was hauled aloft.  On the no-sails model the sheets, tacks and lazy tacks are suspended from the clew garnets.  The sheets will be added later.
 
Sheets were used to restrain the clews of the sail, the tacks to haul it forward when braced, and the lazy tacks to help control the sail when shifting from sheets to tacks.  On the model these lines are tensioned in a way that will position the shackled blocks and eventually allow the sheets to drape gracefully.  The first picture shows these lines rigged.
 

 
The clew garnets are shackled to an eye under the yard.  The line then passes through block on the shackle, back through the forward sheave of the double quarter block hooked under the yard, then down to the fife rail.  The lines that go directly down from the shackle to the pin rail are the 4" lazy tacks.  These would be belayed at any convenient location.  The line slanting forward to its cleat on the cathead is the 5" tack.  Both these lines had their eyes at the shackle formed in place.  The tail of one has not yet been clipped off in this picture.  The next picture shows a close-up of the shackle on the starboard side.
 

 
The larger, empty sheet block is to the left of the shackle. The next picture shows the fife rail with the clew garnet belayed on the first pin.
 

 
I finally decided to re-order the pins, moving the topping lift falls back to the third pin and the reef tackle fall to the second.  This avoids crossing lines.  The topsail sheet falls have also now been run through the outer sheaves on the sheet bitts and are temporarily belayed.  I may move these to the inner sheave.  The next picture shows the run of the tacks to the cathead cleats.
 

 
And finally, the belaying of the lazy tack on the first pin of the main pin rail.
 

 
The lines on pin 3, 4, and 5 are the two buntlines and the leechline.  
 
Ed      

...and a Happy New Year!
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 259 – Lower Course Buntlines and Leech Lines
 
Buntlines and leech lines were used to bring in the lower and outer edges of square sails when furling.  In the case of the lower sails, the courses, they were also used to make up and raise the sail package to the yard for bending.  Buntlines were toggled or knotted to cringles on the lower edge of the sail, leech lines to cringles on the sides.  On lower sails these lines then passed through lead blocks on the yard, single blocks hooked under the rim of the top, and down through shroud fairleads to belay on the main pin rails port and starboard.  The first picture shows these lines on the fore yard.
 
 
 
The four inner lines are the buntlines and outside are the single and smaller leech lines.  The lines pass through lead blocks lashed to the jackstays.  On the "no sails" model, the lines are stopped at the block with toggles that would be used to fasten to the sail cringles.  These toggles may be seen in the next two pictures.
 
 
 
The toggles, were made from small lengths of wire, passed through the line and glued to simulate an eye.
 

 
The next picture shows the blocks at the top.
 

 
The blocks on the 3" buntlines are 9", on the 2½" leechlines 8". 
 
And finally, the lines passing through the shroud fairleads to the pin rail.
 

 
As with all the running rigging for this first yard, final belaying and tensioning will not be done until all lines for the yard are rigged.  This will facilitate getting the right level of tension and avoid rework.  For this reason lines may not appear properly tensioned and a mass of excess lines clutter the deck at this stage.
 
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 258 – Fore Lower Topsail Sheets 1
 
Sheets restrain the clues (lower corners) of sails.  They are attached to common shackles with the topsail clue lines.  These shackles are hauled down to the cheek blocks in the lower yard by triple tackles at the deck.  When sails are furled or unbent, the clues and the attached sheets are hauled up to the bunt, the center part of the topsail yard.  Chain was used on sheets (and halyards) for durability in resisting constant working through the sheaves due to wind fluctuations on the sails (and yards). 
 
It may seem like an odd time to be installing these, but I intend to use the sheet chains to haul all the yards down to put tension on their sling chains or, in the case of upper yards, their halyards and standing lifts.  The model yards are too light to fall of their own weight.  To do this, the sheet chains will be stopped together inside the sheet blocks so that putting tension on the sheet tackles will hold the yard down and also allow the chains under the yard to sag realistically.  The method uses a wire connection between the two sheets as illustrated below.
 

 
The wire strap between the two separate sheet chains will loop over the central pin in the block.  The short legs will drop inside their respective sheaves.  The stopper link will be invisible as seen in the next picture.
 

 
The drooping horizontal chains in the picture are reeved through the fairleads under the yard, through the cheek blocks then temporarily suspended above until their yard is rigged later.  These upper legs are unaffected by tension on the lower ends.  The lower ends of the chains are secured to triple-purchase tackles that hook into eyebolts in the deck.  These were strung up as shown below before installing.
 

 
In the next picture the port tackle has been rigged.
 

 
The upper block is "shackled" to the chain – in this case fastened by a shackle-like, knotted loop of wire.  The opposite chain is tied off temporarily with wire awaiting its tackle.  The next picture shows both tackles secured to their chains.
 

 
The lengths of chain on each sheet is long enough to haul the lower topsail clues down to the lower yardarms from their initial position when the topsail is bent to the yard, so these triple purchases use up a lot of rope – most of which ends up coiled when the sail is rigged. 
 
The next picture shows the lower ends of the tackles hooked to the eyebolts and belayed on the long pins through the sheet bitts. 
 

 
These connections will probably be re-configured later, but for now the tackles have pulled the yard down and tightened the sling chain as may be seen in the last picture.
 

 
 
Ed           

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 257 – Fore Yard Bowlines
 
Bowlines were used to keep the weather leech on large sails taut when close hauled – to prevent the sail from folding back on itself.  On double topsail rigs they seem to have been used only on lower sails.  The lines were toggled or tied to cringles about halfway down the leeches on each side of the sail using "bridles" that were brought together to a "lizard" that in turn was connected to the bowline itself.  This consisted of a sort of whip tackle.  Bowline bridles were toggled or tied to the sail after it was bent to the yard before it was loosed, so on the unsailed model the bridles are stopped to the jackstays with temporary knots.  The first picture shows the installed bowlines.
 

 
The bridles are passed through bullseyes on the lizards and tied off to jackstay stanchions.  The standing ends of the tackles are shackled to eyes in the bowsprit, passed through the forward lizard bullseyes, passed through blocks lashed to the bowsprit cap, and belated on the forecastle fife rail.  The next picture shows the two blocks being lashed to the cap eyebolts.
 

 
The next picture shows the method I use to form most eye splices to shackles.
 

 
The needle is passed into the rope, then the short end is threaded through the eyebolt shackle and needle, then pulled through and glued.  The next picture shows the shackled eyebolt installed in the side of the bowsprit just aft of the bands.
 

 
The picture also shows the bowlines rigged through the blocks.  The next picture shows lizard bullseyes and the bridles.
 

 
The bridle eyes are tied off to jackstay stanchions using small hemp knots.
 

 
Then, a close-up of one of the bullseyes.
 

 
The splice around the bullseyes were made as described above.  As with other running rigging on the fore yard, the falls were belayed without glue to allow for later adjustment of tension or sag.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 256 – Fore Yard Reef Tackle
 
The effective area of most sails could be reduced by "reefing," that is, taking in sail to diminish its size while set.  Larger square sails, except for lower topsails, were equipped for this purpose with horizontal canvas reinforcing bands across the sail.  These "reef bands" were fitted with "reef points", short lengths of rope to tie up the reefed part of the sail.  To assist in bringing the reef band up to the yard, reef tackle was attached to the yard arm and to "cringles" on the leech of the sail just below the reef bands.  This was normally a simple "gun tackle" (two single blocks) with a runner through a sheave on the double quarter block running down to a pin on the fore mast fife rail.  When sails were removed (unbent), the cringle block would be tied off (stopped) to the jackstay.  When the sail was again bent to the yard, this tackle would be attached to its "ear-ring" and used to stretch it out to the ends.  It would then be re-connected to the reef cringle.  The first picture shows the reef tackle fall running below the yard and through the quarter block.
 

 
The next picture shows the yard arm tackle block shackled to the lower eyebolt on the band.
 

 
In this picture the seizing to the block has not yet been tied, nor has the fall been taken inboard to the quarter block.  The cringle block is just visible below the boom.  The next picture shows both tackles rigged.
 

 
In the next picture the port fall is being belayed to the third pin on the fife rail.  As with other lines at this stage, no glue is used (yet), allowing further adjustment once the yard is secured at final height (next part).
 

 
The next picture shows the completed tackle under the port yard arm.
 

 
The last picture shows the cringle block stopped to a jackstay stanchion.
 

 
I plan to replace the permanent-style black lashing shown here with a more temporary hemp stopper knot.  This picture also shows the type of lashing used on the foot rope stirrups, the shackled attachment of the lift pendant, and some other blocks.  The block at the lower left is the halyard block for the lower studding sail yard and will not be rigged.  This block is strapped around the yard arm, simulating a lashed eye attachment.  The eye on the aft side of the band will connect the brace pendant, and the iron cheek block will pass the soon-to-be-installed lower topsail sheet chain.
 
 
Ed