wyz

My wood order arrived and I was able to complete the bulwark planking. As Chuck has done, I did the spirketting in two layers. A nice easy method. After finishing the planking, I painted it, using my last bottle of Polly Scale ATSF red. Still a little left in the bottle.
 
I also did the skylight. I chose not to use Chuck's mini-kit for the skylight, but to build it from scratch, from the plans. This produced a slightly different skylight from the kit and Chuck's prototype. It was made from boxwood strip with clear plastic "glass". As previously indicated, I am leaving it unpainted.
 
Next, I will be moving back to the outer hull to do some of the detailing work there.
 
Bob
 
 

Another way to make small slots using a milling machine is to mount a small jewelers bit in a collet or chuck.  I recently received a variety of very small bits from a friend who was retiring from the jewelry business.  They all have 3/32 shanks and are a wide variety of sizes and shapes.  Specific bits can be ordered from any number of jeweler supply houses.  My favorites are Gesswein, Shor International, and Contenti.
 

Thanks for likes and comments, they help to move forward!
First made a bow sander and started to smoothen the lines of the transom wings:

 
Looks much better now. But the final shaping would be done later anyway, when I will fair the hull:

 
Now to the gunports.
I seriously underestimated efforts required. It took around 4-5 hours to make the first pair 
 
Square block of wood was used as a guide to ensure squareness and parallelism of the port sills. 
It also helped to file the edges of the ports on a proper angle. I struggled to find a proper working position - too low if you sit, too high if you stand. Ended up with this setup:

 
Careful sanding / filing took an enormous time, no way to use chisel for it (too tight, cross grain, might split).
Also, on exposed side sills were done in a semi-correct way - with angled joints, correct thickness of the lower sill, but the upper sill had the same thickness as the lower one (comparing to a fully correct way, when the upper sill is thicker). Making that angled joints was fun!

 
End result. Too early to say, the joint accuracy would be visible only after the fairing, which I can't do now - will sand away a lot of pencil marks on the nearby frames

 
Sorry for the mess, I hate to show all that glue stains, poly stains, rough edges - but too early to fair. It would be nicer, I promise!
 
Overall build status:

 
Hope that next gunports will be quicker - will measure better to reduce the sanding/filing time.
Would appreciate any hints or tricks. But I doubt there is any silver bullet - I was just totally wrong in a time estimate. With a speed of one gunport per week, I might not finish it before Christmas..

Jan, I will describe the method of simulating fastenings in the deck planking of this model in a later post.  The decks on these ships were not treenailed, but iron spiked and capped over with wood plugs.  Rather than describe the method here, I will cover in one of the next posts with pictures.
 
Ed

Young America 1853 – POB 1:96
Part 31 – Decking
 
Readers may note that I am going into some detail on methods in this log.  As I mentioned earlier, I wanted these posts to be a supplement to the POB model work described in Volume I of the book.  Once the POB model is framed, common methods are used on both versions, but space did not permit pictorial presentation of both versions.  So this should be helpful for POB modelers who are using the book.  There are also a few twists on this version that may be useful.
 
With all the hatchway and cabin coamings installed, the planking of the weather decks began - working from the central plank outwards with the strakes parallel to the centerline.  Inside the waterways that abut the frames at the side, there are three strakes that follow the curve of the side on the main deck – two thicker structural “binding strakes” and one wide ”margin plank”.  The margin plank is similar to that shown below on the poop deck where there are no binding strakes or waterways.
 

 
In the picture the starboard margin plank is being glued to the tops of the frames and to the top outboard plank.  These margin strakes were made wide enough to “cut in” the ends of the straight planks to avoid feathered-edge tapers that could not be caulked. 
 
The picture also shows the pin clamps that I used to hold all of the deck planking in place on this model.  On the larger, framed version, planks were held down with pins pushed through tight holes drilled in each plank – into the members below.  I did not wish to drill holes in this version, so used “pin clamps” that could be hammered into the plywood bulkheads at the edge of the plank being glued.  I made about a dozen of these by drilling holes through small segments of dowel that would allow a tight sliding fit for ½” long lil pins, allowing the pin point to project from the end by about 1/8”.  The pins were then glued into the dowels using medium viscosity CA.  Pins can thus be driven by tapping the head of the pin with a hammer, and removed by pulling on the dowel with pliers.  There is little stress on the CA joint in either case.  These were very useful to say the least.  The next picture shows the completed poop deck.
 

 
As areas of planking were installed, the tops were leveled out using curved flat rifflers followed by sandpaper.  The planks were initially cut about 1” thicker to allow for this.  As described in Volume I of the book and in earlier posts, the planking material was painted on one side with dark brown acrylic paint before ripping the planks – to simulate caulked joints.  Cutting planks into the margin plank is also described there and in other posts.
 
The next picture shows the first central plank on the main deck being installed between hatchway head ledges.
 

 
Accurate centering of these first planks is important.  Although the hatchways were carefully centered on the bulkhead pattern centerlines, I marked a center on each head ledge by measuring in from the outsides of the hatchway with dividers.  This helped ensure that the planking will be symmetric on each side of the hatch framing.  If hatches are found to be slightly out of line as the planking progresses forward using this method, they may have to be moved slightly.
 
In the next picture a plank is being marked for notching to fit around one of the mizzen bitts.
 

 
Planks will most likely need to be notched to fit around the sides of hatchways.  Where very thin widths would result, wider sections in planks along the side of the hatch were used, cut back to normal width to fit against angled cuts in planks at the ends.  (I will look for a picture and post later.) Dark glue was used for all this planking.   In the next picture a screw clamp is being used to close a joint at the corner of a hatch.
 

 
The next picture shows the main deck planking progressing forward.
 

 
To ensure adequate and symmetrical spacing between plank butts, I used a standard plank length that would span eight bulkheads, 7 spaces.  Planks were thus about 35-40 feet long.  This resulted in uniform and adequate spacing of butts both across and along the strakes.  Planks on these ships were narrow – about 6”.  On this model I used a standard width of 7” including the caulk paint.
 
You will notice that the outer members – waterways, binding strakes and margin plank are not yet installed in the last picture.  This work will be described in the next part.
 
Ed
 
Later:  Here is a picture illustrating the planking configuration described above.
 

 

Young America 1853 – POB 1:96
Part 30 – Coamings
 
I think I have mentioned before that the term “coamings” describes not only the entire hatch framing but also the fore and aft members. This can be confusing when writing – or reading - descriptions.  The cross deck members are called head ledges.  Coamings for hatchways and deck cabins needed to be installed on the model before decking could begin.  On the full framed version, with its complete underdeck framing, the hatchways were built up on the actual opening.  Since the POB model has only bulkheads at the stations, a template made from the deck plan drawings was used to assemble the hatchways.  This is shown below. (Sorry, the main cabin template is mis-labelled "main hatch" on this early version of the template.)
 

 
The hatchways for the POB model were made in exactly the same way as those on the larger framed model.  I described this process in the build log for the other model and more thoroughly in the book.  In the next picture a dovetailed lap joint at the corner of the main deck cabin coaming is being fitted.
 

 
These corner joints are a bit complex, but as I said, they are well described elsewhere.  In all cases the cross-deck head ledges fit over the ends of the coamings, thus clamping them down.  Head ledges were bolted through the beams, while coamings were fitted over carlings that were normally only wedged between beams – thus having little resistance to upward forces.  The excess stock at the corners was removed after assembly when the corners were squared off and the above deck parts rounded - by sanding/filing.
 
The next picture shows the poop deck portion of the coach coaming being constructed.
 

 
A reinforcing strut was glued into this assembly to maintain the correct width.  The next picture shows a finished hatchway installed on a bulkhead and on to one of the supplementary pine members described in an earlier post.
 

 
To support the ends of the planks forward of this framing, another supplementary member was need and later installed.  In the next picture the coamings on the poop deck have been installed and planking has begun starting with the central plank.
 

 
Note that the cap on the  breast beam was cut out to fit the aft section of the coach framing.  The lower part of this coaming is shown installed on the main deck.  These two assemblies had to be carefully aligned so the side walls of the coach would fit neatly – and vertically.  Another view of this is shown in the next picture.
 

 
This picture shows the first version of the pin clamps I used to hold down the glued planks on this model.  I will discuss the improved final version of these in the next part.
 
Ed

Not a lot of visible progress this week.  I spent most of my time finishing the hull planking on the second model.  I was able to start milling the sixteen bearings that will be needed for the flywheel and paddlewheel shafts.
 
Roughing cuts on the main flywheel bearing

 
Last few passes of the finishing cuts.  Used a 10% stepover, probably should have used 5%

 
Bearings and buttress plates before drilling the bolt holes.

 
Bearings before being notched into cylinder timbers.  The buttress plates were mounted forward and aft of both the main flywheel bearing and the engine sole plate.  The sole plate, bearings and buttresses were all notched into and bolted directly to the cylinder timber and wedges were driven into the notches in the buttresses.  An interesting feature of this wreck was that the buttresses were only fitted on the bearing and sole plate on the starboard side of the vessel.  Kevin an I were curious to know if this was typical for steam engines.  If anyone has an idea about this arrangement, we would love to hear it.

Hi, yesterday I visited my friend Aldo, you showed the photos of the model that has just finished
 

 

 

 

 

I started the beams of the castle. Before fixing I have to prepare  the tree of the bowsprit to fit in its sill, and the foremast.  I made the bowsprit into four parts; it is a small corvette and I decided to do the same thing for the foremast and mainmast:

 

 
 
 
The cleat of tree parakeet has to be redone: I realized I had made a big mistake by joining the cross on the wrong side!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, my beloved Royals have won the baseball World Series, and I'm back to work on the Bertrand. 
 

 
The main deck structures are complete, and I've mostly finished framing up the boiler deck. This was surprisingly difficult, as there's no flat frame of reference (the main deck curves in every direction). Getting the support posts vertical in both directions was quite interesting. I've been very bad about taking "process" photos during this stage, so you'll just have to imagine things. The only consistently flat frame of reference is, oddly enough, the bottom of the hull. So I made a complicated jig of solid wood strips clamped to the hull, from which I could extend vertical squares, onto which I clamped cross-ways strips, to which I could clamp the vertical posts. Fiddly, but effective. I also made strong use of the eyeball; I'd rather a line of posts LOOK straight relative to each other, even if they're slightly out of line relative to true vertical.
 
Once the posts were in place, I began adding cross-pieces. Technically the boiler deck should have a slight bit of camber to it, but I decided that would be too difficult and would be barely visible at this scale, as most of the deck will be covered by the cabins. The more significant camber of the main deck shows up nicely, and is sufficient for my taste. Thus the deck is flat athwartships, but curves gently fore and aft to follow the rise of the main deck in both directions. 
 

 
I finished planking the main deck as far I as intend to; this extent will allow the model to look complete from a port 45-degree angle fore or aft, but still leaves plenty of internal view from the starboard side. It's a little rough in places, but will have to do. I'll put a crate or something over a few plank ends that stick up more than I'd like.
 

 
View from the open starboard side. I've also finished installing the hog chain braces; these angled posts support metal rods running fore-and-aft, with turnbuckles on them, which keep the long, narrow hull from sagging/hogging. I won't install the actual rods until near the end of the project, as they'll be in the way, but needed to do the braces now as they extend through multiple decks. They're intentionally a bit longer than necessary, so I can cut them off just as I like them once I finish the superstructure. 
 
Currently I'm building the boiler assembly, which sits just forward of the cargo shed on the main deck. I intentionally haven't installed the vertical support posts at the front of the boiler deck, to allow me to slide the boiler in there. Once it's in place, I'll finish that area and install the staircases (already built) just in front of the boilers.
 
I think things will go rapidly for a little while, now. Install the boilers, connect them to the engines with steam lines, plank in the entire boiler deck, and then move on to building the cabin area. I still have to decide whether to order a bunch of styrene windows and doors, or try to make my own out of strip wood. The former would be far faster and more consistently detailed, but more expensive and hard to make look just like the surrounding wood. The latter would take a long time, but be a lot cheaper and fit in better if I can make them realistically enough. I'll decide once the next deck is done.
 
I'm holding out hope of reaching my goal to complete this model by the end of the year. Luckily the approach of winter means nice long evenings for quiet model work. She's certainly starting to look something like a steamboat. In the meantime, here's a fine Ozark fiddler playing "Jefferson City", one of Bertrand's ports of call on her way upriver.
 

 
 

some carving work

a few shots of the interior work, showing marquetry flooring in great cabin

I then paused to take on my biggest challenge, which was to carve the figurehead.  I estimate that it took me a total of about 70 hours to complete the four major pieces of the group.

Nils,
     I really love how your model is coming along.  This is a fun build log to follow.  You're doing a super job on it and I look forward to more posts from you.
Tom

As Bob points out, the purchaser of the book has the right to make copies for personal use. I perhaps should have added that the author accepts no responsibility for reproduction errors by third parties - or by the purchaser for that matter.  We included these as pdfs with illustrated printing instructions in response to comments by readers of earlier books that the single print soon gets soiled and needs to be replaced or for those who want to retain a "good copy."  We aim to please.   As to the the ease of attaching and aligning the drawing on the shipway, I have found attaching and replacing small sheets quite easy and in fact continue to use the method even though I have the ability to print these on one sheet, so I will continue to advocate that simple approach.  However, you have the choice.
 
Since this topic is related to the book and therefore both versions of the model, I'd like to suggest that further comments and other book issues be placed in the book topic in the book reviews section.  
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 119 – Main Deck Cabin 1
 
It has been quite a while since my last posting to this log in April.  Work on the book, drafting for the next phases, and taking the 1:96 POB version to a more complete state has filled the intervening time.  I had decided to leave both models at the level of completion covered in Volume I of the book for display at the NRG conference.  Work on the 1:72 framed model has now resumed – I hope in earnest.
 
I started fabrication work on the main deck cabin in August and some of that work is shown below. This large cabin housed the crew, the galley, and perhaps other things.  Boats were stored on skid beams on the roof.  I will be the first to admit that this finicky, small-piece, detail work is not my forte.  I am much more at home with beams, clamps and futtocks, but I will describe the method.  The first picture shows wall panels for the ends of the cabin.
 

 
These were made by edge gluing planks that had the outer edges beveled – to simulate lapped planking.  The pieces were glued up on waxed paper, with the first plank curved against pins to match the round-up of the deck. The panels were run through the thickness sander to remove excess glue on the inside.  They have a first coat of white paint on the outside.  These two have been drilled at the widow openings.  In the next picture these openings are been cut square.
 

 
After marking out, this work was started with a chisel and finished off with a flat file.  The next picture shows the two panels painted and with the window framing and inside structural members installed.
 

 
Lacking specific original detail, I framed the cabin much like a house, but with heavier members – 4x4 studs capped by a long 4x4 plate to support the 4x10 beams with knees that will be added later.  I found examples of this type of construction in later wooden vessels.
 
I had to decide whether to enclose the cabin completely or leave some of it open to reveal the deck framing below.  I decided on the latter course, leaving out internal detail that would further hide the structure below.  The next picture shows work on the long, starboard side wall.
 

 
On all of these wall panels, the siding was painted before installing the trim.  In the picture, door openings were cut out and filled with panels that would eventually be trimmed out with small pieces to simulate doors.  The next picture shows inside framing on this panel.
 

 
The 4x4 studs are left long at the bottom to “bolt” into the base coaming.  The next picture shows the finished wall panel.
 

 
The panel for this wall was made to match the curve of the deck sheer by curving the planks as they were edge glued.  Door jambs, paneling and simple hardware were added to the base panel shown above. All of the windows and doors are fitted with sliding storm panels that could be closed for protection in heavy weather.  Paint was scraped from under these details to ensure good glue joints. 
 
 In the next picture the side wall is clamped in position and the forward end panel is being fitted for size.
 

 
The next picture shows the side wall being glued in place to the coaming.
 

 
The wall is being held in position using pine wedges to force wood strips against the feet of the studs.  The last picture shows the port side wall framing being assembled - studs and plate only at this stage.
 

 
This structure will be left open on the port side.  It will be very fragile until all of the framing is added.  The heavy timber across the bottom is temporary and has been added to support the structure until installed.  It is held to the studs using the paste stick-glue that I use on patterns.
 
To be continued….
 
Ed

Hello, Richard.
 
 I do plan to rig the full framed, 1:72 version of the model.  We expect this to be the subject of Volume II.  However, the second volume is planned to equally apply to either version of the model and sufficient information will be included to support rigging either one. 
 
Ed

I was able to finish the Skylight today. I applied some semi-gloss varnish to the windows which helped them look a bit more authentic and shows up nicely fairly close up.

Before final sanding the hull, I decided that it would be a good time to paint the counter. My experience with brush painting the color "red" has not been great. I decided to try my Paasche air brush. The paint used is W&N Crimson with some Burnt Umber mixed in. I have read somewhere here on MSW that acrylic paints can clog an airbrush. With that in mind, I thinned the paint to a slow drip and gave it a try. As a result, the airbrush never clogged and the paint flowed very smoothly. Since the fashion pieces are going to be black it wasn't necessary to tape off that area exactly. I'm thinking that it would be a good idea to wait until the cap rail and other pieces are in place around the fashion pieces before I paint with black.
 
While the paint was left to dry thoroughly, I started work on the stern post. It turned out that the area that the stern post is glued to was slightly off 90°, maybe by a 1/2°. This made getting a close fit on both sides a little tricky and I had to work for a few hours before I was satisfied with the fit. Once glued, I finished sanding the hull planking. The only other thing I wanted to do was to paint the red on the stern post. That was sprayed as well.
 

 

Nils,
     I really love how your model is coming along.  This is a fun build log to follow.  You're doing a super job on it and I look forward to more posts from you.
Tom

Sorry for the long wait, 'life' got in the way....
 
Dave, the wood will darken over time, I like the color of free boxwood too.
Greg, the thought crossed my mind :-)
 
The new pumpwell is installed and the next set of beams too. A bit tricky as they are curved in two ways. 
 

 

 

 
Remco

Young America 1853 – POB 1:96
Part 29 – Poop Margin Plank 2
 
After installing the stern section of the margin plank, the next sections forward were made and installed as described below.  In the first picture a sheet of 3 ½” holly has been cut and notched to fit against the two mooring bitts and the outside curve of the piece is being traced as was done at the stern.
 

 
If I have not mentioned this yet, I did use some holly I had to do the deck planking.  The white holly gives a good simulation of the salt-bleached decks of the white pine that was originally used.  I used Castello on the larger model.
 
In the next picture, the outside line has been cut and the piece is being fit inside the topmost outboard plank.
 

 
The breadth of the margin plank was then marked out using the compass as shown below.  This is a fairly wide plank – wide enough to butt and joggle deck planks into it inside the cap rail that will be installed later.
 

 
Again, to avoid breakage at the curved end of this piece when sawing, it and the piece for the opposite side have been pasted to plywood.  The curve of the starboard piece is being cut in the next picture.
 

 
In the next picture, both pieces have been installed.
 

 
The fit against the outside planking does not have to be perfect, since it will be covered by the capping fancy rail.  This picture also shows hatch coamings and decking that I worked on concurrently.  This will be covered later.
 
To finish off the margin planks at the forward end of the poop deck, the breast beam needed to be in place.  This is shown installed in the next picture.
 

 
This beam is at station 36, forward of the first poop bulkhead at station 38 to allow some overhang of the forward end of the poop.  It was rounded up by a process similar to that used for beams on the larger framed model – but with some differences that I will describe later when the forecastle framing is covered.  Rather than cut the rabbet on the top of this beam, a 3 ½” strip was glued across the top. It overhangs the forward face of the beam by about three inches.
 
In the next picture the hook scarf at the end of the relatively straight forward section on the port side has been cut and the length to the rabbet on the breast beam is being marked.
 

 
In the last picture the plank is being glued down with the aid of some homemade pin clamps.  I will describe these later.
 

 
In the picture most of the poop decking has been installed.  I worked on a number of things concurrently.  This other work will be described later.
 
 
Ed

Nils,
     I really love how your model is coming along.  This is a fun build log to follow.  You're doing a super job on it and I look forward to more posts from you.
Tom

Nils,
     I really love how your model is coming along.  This is a fun build log to follow.  You're doing a super job on it and I look forward to more posts from you.
Tom

Greg, Nigel, Janos and Albert, thank you very much for your kind words. I´m very happy that you like my work .
I finished the gallery windows.