lagrayjr

Hello friends,
new photos of the construction progress the BHR.
Karl  
 
 
T e i l   51

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 82 – Stern Framing/Alignment
 
At the end of the last part, I promised to complete the description of adjusting the stern into its precise shape.  I have found that regardless of the care taken in aligning frames during erection there is always some degree of error that needs to be corrected at some later point – especially on something that will be as prominent as Young America’s beautifully curved stern. 
 
The heights of the stern timbers and the aft part of the poop deck were carefully set in the last part.  This allowed the poop deck transom to be installed as shown below.
 

 
There is a clamp on each of the glued stern timbers and aft cant frames to secure this piece – except in the case of two of the stern timbers that were about 3” outside the line.  One can be seen in the above picture.
 
After the glue on these had set, each of the glued timbers was through bolted with epoxied copper wire as shown in the next picture.
 

 
As discussed previously, these “functional” bolts are glued at both ends.  The two misaligned stern timbers were then clamped and glued as shown below.
 

 
I wasn’t sure if these could be pulled into place or would have to be removed and reset, but fortunately they could be clamped and glued without distorting the other timbers.  This picture also shows the concurrent installation of the cabin deck clamps, but this will be discussed later.
 
With the circular stern lined up, there was a bit of work to do on the poop deck top timbers.  There was a bulge of about 2” in the starboard side – enough to disrupt the symmetry of the poop deck when viewed from aft.  In the next picture this is being remedied.
 

 
The deck template has been pinned in place at three points.  The slight bulge is being pressed into the template with the rather large Jorgensen clamp.  The errant timbers were then soaked with water inside and out down to the middle deck clamps and left overnight.  I anticipated further wetting and using a hair dryer on this are but that was not necessary.  The timbers remained in their correct alignment when the clamp was removed as shown below.
 
 

 
The alignment is almost perfect but it will be again checked and if necessary corrected when the cabin and poop deck beams are installed.  The last picture shows this area with the template removed.
 

 
With the frames in this area set accurately by their inboard faces, the outboard faces were sanded fair back to the specified 6” siding.
 
The large pine ribbands on the outside of the hull are now redundant in this area at least and will soon be removed.  This picture also shows the cabin deck clamps installed.  I will get back to that later.
 
 Ed

Thank you Remco, John and Allan.
 
OK Remco - you asked for it :
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
There are four supports Allan. They work fine at the moment, but as I get into the smaller sizes I'll remove a couple of them and replace them between a couple of the existing ones. BTW - this jig came with the Masting Package.
 
  Danny

more

So after lots of holes and filling them up again .....
 
The hull ready to be sanded
 

 
Close up of the end result 
 

 
 
Remco

Hi there,

and here the further implementation of the details for the
channel and the chain plates.
The sample section is now complete.
The now proven details I build further on the overall model.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages - - gather around and let me tell you a story - - - - - the Eureka moment has arrived        the torpedo launcher compartment doors have been installed, the launcher has been tested for proper functioning (except the firing tests    )  and the paint touch-up is completed!  Champaign for everyone or a lighter refreshment for those who abstain 
 
Yep, this morning I glued the starboard door in place and while waiting for the glue to cure I started making another torpedo.  After lunch I tried the door and it worked just fine.  then I put the launcher in its place and tested the rotation of it over both doors on both sides.  I lucked out - - - again!  It worked as advertised!  I'm a happy camper!
 
I immediately started masking the port and starboard sides to spray paint the combat areas.  I put four coats of paint over everything to make it blend in with the existing paint.  It's looking pretty good, even close up. 
 
I guess I'll have to make a pair of boat hooks to help in closing the doors - - - i can hardly leave the strings on the doors now, could I ???
 
Okay, what's next on the agenda?  Well, there is the dingy yet to make but I think I'll be making the flags and the ensign first and install the O19 decals and the load marking decals.  Then install the antenna cables and could call the model completed.  
Hmmm, the dingy, well - - it could be on back order - - - but no, I'll make it too but as the final project as a separate model.  Hmmm - - - another build log?????  Perhaps not    There's a lot of thinking involved here, I'm an aircraft fixer / maker - - not a dingy maker    Oh well, we'll see what happens.
 
Here are a few pics of today's effort.  The first four pics are to demonstrate that the launcher really rotates freely over the opened doors.
 

This shows the torpedo launcher pinned into place and in the process of rotating inside into its stowed position and also for eventual reloading - port side.  
 

This shows the torpedo launcher in the process of rotating towards the front of the boat - port side. 
 

This shows the torpedo launcher in the process of rotating towards the front of the boat - starboard side. 
 

This shows the torpedo launcher in the process of rotating towards the aft inside into its stowed position and / or for reloading - starboard side. 
 

Here I have masked enough of the boat to touch-up paint the parts that needed paint.  I masked at the hard edges as much as possible to prevent a blending problem.  The few areas I left unmasked blended in okay, perhaps some whet sanding with 800 grit paper or just some "Bonami" or "Comet" scouring powder will do the trick if I see where it would improve the paint job.  
 

Here is the O19 with the masking paper and tape removed after the painting is completed.  I'm pretty happy with the results.  We are getting close now, eh whot?  
 
Cheers,

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 79 –Middle Deck Framing continued
 
The middle deck framing continues.  The first picture shows the opening for the large water tank being framed.
 

 
The header between beams 16 and 20 has been installed and the half beam at 18 fitted temporarily.  The large 6000 gal fresh water tank will fill most of the space in this opening from its base in the hold to just under the main deck beams.
 
 In the next picture the hanging knee and the pillar under the half beam are in place and the half beam is ready to be installed.
 

 
The smaller 2000-gallon water tank will come up to just below this deck .  Its top will fit in the currently unframed opening between beams 16 and fourteen in the upper right of this picture.
 
In the next picture the pillar under the starboard half beam is being fitted for size.
 

 
The next picture shows this area looking down and aft.  The paired pillars on either side of the tank opening can be seen in this picture.
 

 
The next picture shows the extent of framing aft of midship completed to date.  One full beam and two pairs of half beams remain to be fitted – then the lodging knees and ledges.
 

 
Some of the lodging knees have been fitted at the aft end of the deck.  The last picture shows the stern view opening.  As mentioned earlier, this one shows only the space between the middle and lower decks.
 

 
The exposed ends of the frames have been fairly well squared off in this picture, but there is still finish sanding, etc to be done.  The outsides of the frames have been faired, but final sanding and finishing cannot be done until many more simulated bolts are installed.  Those in the picture are bolts for the deck clamps and for the heavy internal bilge ceiling.  Bolts for deck knees have not been installed yet.
 
 
 Ed

Guys,
 
Thank you for all the positive comments of the outside planking. 
 
Jan you are right I should not whine over a 0.5 micron fault. It casts a shadow over what the hobby is really about:
enjoying  building something with your hands, whether from a kit or scratch, of a subject we have interest in, share here on MSW and learn to make the next build better than the one in the shipyard. And of course having fun with this merry band of mad man
 
And let the other four behold my sore thumb
 
And this is what I learned, first draw the run of all the planking on the hull before starting to plank. This would have avoided my 0.5 micron mistake. 
 
And because I don't like to post without a picture, I have a severe outbreak of Anobium punctatum in my shipyard. I try to repair the damage done with size 400 micron treenails
 

 

 
Remco

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 78 –Middle Deck Framing continued
 
It has been almost another two weeks since the last post.  Again, the work is pretty repetitive – a carbon copy of the lower deck – but with fancier pillars.  Work continues, however.  At the bow, as seen in the first picture, the installation of lodging knees has begun.
 

 
This has provided something of a break in the hanging knee/beam work going on aft.  In the next picture lodging knee installation has been followed by the ledges and also the bolts associated with each beam.
 

 
Meanwhile, in the next picture, 240 feet aft, the deck hook at the stern has been fitted, followed by the first few beams.
 

 
The deck hook was made in two pieces to save Swiss pear trees.  That center seam will be covered by central deck planks as was done on the lower deck. 
 
As middle deck beams were installed, the aft view ports could be cut, as shown in the next picture.
 

 
There is only one level in view in these aft openings because the rising line is quite high this far back, so there is nothing much to see below the lower deck.  The last picture shows the current state of the middle deck beam work aft.
 

 
The work goes fast when I stay with it, but this time of the year there is much else to do.
 
 Ed

Фотосессия. С отделкой корпуса при ярком солнечном свете. Снятый на профессиональной камерой. Наконец исполнение соответствуют действительности. И это хорошо.

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 77 –Middle Deck Framing continued
 
It has been almost two weeks since the last post due mainly to the similarity of the lower and middle decks – not a lot of new stuff.  However, the middle deck framing is proceeding quickly – perhaps it’s the learning curve.  The first picture shows beam installation progressing from the bow aft.
 

 
The beams, hanging knees, pillars and carlings are all being installed progressively – leaving the lodging knees and ledges until later.  This has helped with the pace.  The next picture shows a carling being fitted.
 

 
The carling seats were cut out at the bench based on marks made on the model with the beams pinned – so the carling fitting goes very fast.  The next picture is a close up of the carlings for the above beam.
 

 
The wet spots are from washing off excess glue.  The pillars are set at the bottom on a piece of wire fit into a drilled hole – after adjusting the length to fit.  They are then glued top and bottom.  Wire “bolts” into the top will be added later.  The pillars were offset to permit long through bolts that were used to hold the beams tightly when side hull stresses would tend to separate them.  In the next picture wire “bolts” have been epoxied through the beams at the ends and into each pillar.
 

 
The bolts at the very end pin the beams in place.  The bolts just inside of those are inserted at an angle, down into the hanging knees to give their connection additional reinforcement.  
 
The last two pictures show the current status of the work on the middle deck.
 

 

 
The work will now continue from the stern forward.  It is easier to do the small end beams starting from the stern deck hook.
 
 
 Ed

Hello friends,
today I will show you how to attach the upper gunports cover with hook and eyelet.
For this detail I have researched long. I hope this is the correct version.
The difficulty was to bend the small hook with eyelet from 0.3 mm brass wire.
This detail must now be implemented in the model.
Here are the corresponding images:
 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello,
it is always a pleasure to get nice comments
Thanks for that!
 
It goes on with the production of hammock cranes.
The last picture shows a test position of the holders.

 

 

Hello friends,
completed Upper-Deck  equipped, including Longboat half as a cross section model.
Regards Karl      
 
 
 
T e i l  4 9

HMS TERROR’S CUSTOM STERN TANK
 
As I’ve documented in previous posts, HMS Terror’s stern well was to be filled with strengthening chocks when the propeller wasn’t in use. A unique feature of this design was described by Oliver Lang, the shipwright in charge of the 1845 refit, as an “iron tank placed over the chocks in which any small article of stores may be stored” (NMM ZAZ5683 [J1529]). Lang’s 1845 plan, while vague, suggests that the tank was similar to iron storage tanks used in Royal Navy ships of the era, with one major difference: the fore and aft faces of the tank had two grooves running along their length to seat it on the rails in the propeller well (see my previous post).
 

Oliver Lang's 1845 design for the storage tank (right).
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London (ZAZ5683 [J1529]).
 
Iron tanks had been used in the Royal Navy since 1813 and were used to store all manner of dry and wet goods, and were often used as ballast tanks when stores were depleted or offloaded (Pearson 1992). An example of the types of tanks used in the Franklin era can still be found in the excellently preserved Dealy Island Storehouse, constructed by Captain Kellett of HMS Resolute. The storage tanks were iron, ca. 48 inches by 48 inches in size, with lines of rivets along the middle and alternate edges of each face and around their circular openings (Jane 1982: Figure 3, Figure 6).  I copied this rivet pattern in my reconstruction of the Terror’s stern tank.
 
 
The openings of these tanks were sealed with a recessed cast iron lid between 12 and 24 inches in diameter with a wire rod handle and a cork or wooden bung inserted into a circular opening in their centre (Pearson 1992:24). Maudslay,  Sons, and Field, who were contracted to supply the engines installed in HMS Erebus and Terror (Battersby and Carney 2011:201), owned the patent to produce ship's tanks (Pearson 1992:25), and it is reasonable to assume that they built the custom stern tanks for the Franklin Expedition.  If so, the "Maudslay,  Sons, and Field" name should be stamped on the cast iron lids for the tanks, if they are ever found (e.g.  Pearson 1992:26).  
 
As can be seen above, the profile dimensions of the Terror’s stern tank are shown on Lang’s plan, as well as a general indication of the size and position of the lid and two iron rings used to raise and lower the tank into position. The plans indicate the tank had the following profile dimensions:
 
Height = 40 inches
Length (moulded) = 25 and ½ inches
 
I have estimated, based on the distance between the stern frames, that the propeller well and the tank were sided approximately 34 inches.
 
 
References:
 
Pearson, Michael
1992       From Ship to the Bush: Ship Tanks in Australia. Australasian Historical Archaeology 10: 24-29.
 
Janes, Robert R.
1982       The Preservation and Ethnohistory of a Frozen Historic Site in the Canadian Arctic. Arctic 35(3):358-385.
 
Battersby, William, and Carney, Peter
2011    Equipping HM Ships Erebus and Terror, 1845. International Journal for the History of Engineering  and Technology 81(2):192-211.
 
 
 

Sheet brass scored prior to cutting.
 

A pounce wheel was used to mark the location of the rivets. 
 

The rivets were simulated by punching the brass from the reverse side with the sharp end of a file. 
 

The central opening and wire handle of the lid were made from brass tube and wire. 
 

The outer rim of the lid was soldered into place. The central opening (right) was trimmed and soldered to a plate to form the bottom of the lid (wire still needs to be trimmed to length).
 

The completed lid soldered in place and cleaned up
(sanding is still required and the central hole needs to be drilled to remove the wire rod). 
 

Rings for raising and lowering the tank soldered in place. 
 

The tank parts after chemical blackening. The grooves were made from existing brass stock.
 

Soldering the entire tank was impossible, so a balsa form was created to glue the plates in place. 
 

Starboard side glued in place.
 

The finished tank. The seams were glued, sanded and then painted to match the metal surface. The piece was then lightly coated in dewatering oil to simulate the laquer often used on the real tanks (and to prevent future corrosion). 
 

 

Detail of the top of the tank. The bung in the lid was made with wood-filler.
 

The approximate position where the tank will sit in the well. I'm waiting for the oil to fully penetrate before I dry-fit the piece to the wood. 
 

The  tank seated on the propeller rails. When the rails are glued in place on the stern the tank can be placed in the well or on deck depending on how the model will be displayed (e.g. with propeller in place or not). 
 

A crude model of Captain Crozier provides a sense of scale.

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 71 – Lower Deck Standing/Ceiling Strakes
 
Work continued on the remaining lower deck waterways and standing strakes.  Filling planking was also begun at the bow.  The first picture shows planking being glued on both sides – with the aid of clamps and wedges.
 

 
The second picture shows the horizontal bolts – two per frame – through the standing strake and the frames.  The standing strake is the thick member atop the waterway.
 

 
These are monofilament.  Through holes were drilled from the inside with a right angle drill.  Those through the waterway below are functional copper wire bolts with epoxy as discussed earlier.  They have not yeyt been blackened. 
 
The next picture shows further progress with the forward planking.
 
 

 
All the filling planks on this deck are  6” thick. The picture also shows planking on the port side in progress.  The glued plank is held by wedges in this case.  The next picture taken at the same time shows the space left open for the view port.
 

 
The X-marked frames will be cut out later.  Small pieces of waterway have been installed on the frames that will be left.  these will be planked up so that hanging knees can be installed on the beams at these locations,   All the small pieces will be trimmed back to the frame faces as shown at the forward end of the opening.
 
The next picture shows all the planks installed on the forward port side.
 

 
Fastenings need to be installed on all this planking – bolts for the heavy structural members and treenails for the ordinary ceiling planks. 
 
In the next picture the middle deck clamps near the stem have been dubbed off and are being checked with the ruler.
 

 
This will allow the middle deck hook to be fitted.  The will also be a breast hook between the two decks.
 
 
 Ed

The going is slow making the propeller blades.  I can't use a grinder because it clogs up and they get hot is a second holding with my fingers.  No, can't use clamps either, can't see the scribe marks and loose sight of the shape.  They are egg shaped and equal on each side of the centerline, the slightest deviation shows up like a sore thumb.  But that's okay, I have the time.  Nobody is standing behind me with a whip and I get paid by the hour 
 
Okay, I re-routed the dingy boom cables first thing this morning.  Thanks again Amateur Jan, good catch!! 
 
I managed 2 more blades for one of the propellers but they need more work.  I purposely made them larger then called for.  I'd rather file away metal then having to start over when they turn out too small.  You can take away but can't add on metal 
I also added ⅛ of an inch of wood to the hub to bring the blade field a little more aft.  That way I can have slightly longer blades and they won't interfere with the hull and outer dive plane supports.  Even so I had to grind away some material on the latter ones.
 
Hopefully I'll have one prop finished by the end of tomorrow.
 
Well, here are a few pics for yuns to view and don't be shy with your constructive criticism 
 

This is for Amateur Jan.  It shows the corrected rigging of the dingy boom.  Now, the load cable is still not running the same as on the drawing because I did not put a pulley below deck in the dingy compartment as it's supposed to be.  I had to run it through a hole in the deck on the starboard side of the aft con.  I could have put a 3 mm pulley down below but then I would have a problem demonstrating the works because the string would pull with a too large an angle.  Remember that this was also an afterthought.  If I had planned this from the get go I would have certainly done so.
 

This shows the four semi finished propeller blades loosely stuck in the hub. 
 

Here is another shot taken from the front and slightly above.  Here we can see just a hint of the profile.  The metal was not thick enough to machine the profile in the blades.  That would have been a devil of a task to do by hand.  For this model's purpose I think this should suffice.  
 

Here is another view but more from straight above.
 
Cheers,

Hello,
 
I treat today making the shot garlands.
A total of 140 cannonballs were stowed on the La Creole.
Of these, 122 for the carronades and 18 for the cannon.
As cannonballs I use balls of ball bearings
These balls were burnished.

 

 

 

Since that last view was popular, I will have to take some more. Without the use of mirrors or other micro devices this has to be done while the camera will still fit down in he hull. The picture was taken with a 2 1/2" x 4" Canon Powershot set down onthe keelson. The photo was then cropped. The Powershot is not the smallest of cameras, but it is a lot smaller than the slr I use for most of the pictures. The light from above plays tricks with the colors. I could have done a better job with the post-processing. The picture is a bit light. Here is a better version.
 

 
Ed

Hello again,
 
I played around a bit with one of the prototype mines to see how the hardware would look.  In doing so I saw several problems with making them all in one piece.  Soooooh, I decided to make them in three sections, the loading lid, the mine body and the sinker.  As explained to Popeye I'll have better control over making the body shape.  It won't add that much time to them but they'll look much better. 
 
As the pictures show I was not particularly careful in cementing some of the hardware to it, it's "just" a prototype to play with.  Now that I figured on a better approach I'll be much more attentive to detail.
 

This shows some of the hardware that'll be cemented to the mine.  There are still a few pieces missing but I figure I'll make them for the real McCoy.  No sense in wasting more time on the prototype.
 

This is a close-up shot so you can see my impatience 
 

Okay, I moved - - - here is the prototype next to the drawing so yuns can see that the hardware matches the drawing.
 

A top view next to the corresponding drawing.  I may make the loading cap bolts from small brass nails and file the round heads into hexagonal shape to mimic real bolt heads, hmmm - - perhaps not   Here I used sewing pins and the heads are still too large.
 
Cheers, 

Now the ship is on its "legs"

hull nearly finished

Hello,

after a short break with the Model Making I make the gunports lid on the port side.
Here is a photo. I hope you like ist.

Hello, I'm polishing the inside of the hull.