xken

Sandor, the key is to first anneal the strip by heating it to just starting to change color and then quenching in water; this will soften the brass. Then with small duckbill pliers straddling a rod slowly form the strip while pushing down and squeezing at the same time.
There is a picture on page 9 of my Constitution build of this.  Hope this helps.

Sandor, the key is to first anneal the strip by heating it to just starting to change color and then quenching in water; this will soften the brass. Then with small duckbill pliers straddling a rod slowly form the strip while pushing down and squeezing at the same time.
There is a picture on page 9 of my Constitution build of this.  Hope this helps.

Rich you can do it, just take your time and think through it and remember that "God is in the details!"
 
After a few days off hosting an out of town guest I am back at the fore mast rigging. I had to resolve conflicts between pictures of the real ship, the plans and AOTS book on various rigging details. I went with my best guess.
 
One thing I learned was to work from the top down adding the yards and pinning them with 1/32" rod which really helped in rigging. The upper yards were easy but the course yard was a real challenge especially rigging the truss once the yard was in place. I also was making the ropes needed and sanding the kit blocks as needed. The other challenge was routing the lines without interfering with others already in place and look real straight. I also used the plan map for the belaying pin locations versus other sources. 
 
Here are some pictures of the fore mast so far, once all masts are rigged to this point then I will add the brace lines.
 

Here is a close up showing the cleaned up kit blocks.

Here is a view of the biggest challenge rigging the truss with the yard in place.

Starting to get a mess of ropes.

Now on to the main mast now that I know what to watch out for. I am also glad that most of the deck furniture is removable which really helped in tying off the belaying pins.

Tom, your build is coming along and looking great! Don’t you just love doing the rigging 
keep the great job you are doing.

Thanks Ken. I actually do enjoy the rigging a lot, but it does get challenging threading new lines through previous ones. I love the way yours came out and I am trying to emulate your precision as best I can. 

Tom, your build is coming along and looking great! Don’t you just love doing the rigging 
keep the great job you are doing.

Between breaks from CAD drawing I finished up all the chocks for the forecastle and stern mooring deck. I also made a display base for her to sit upon. Next I will work on the small boats, their cranes and davits. Still waiting to get images of the container deck structures and catwalks as well as the new propeller.

 

 

 
I have sent laser cut part files off for two projects so I will be waiting for parts to arrive. Now back to work.
 

Taking a break from CAD drawing on two new projects; after awhile the old eyeballs start doing barrel rolls so to break away from the screen I bounce back to working on the ship. Here are a few images of making the bow chocks which have both horizontal and vertical rollers. The challenge was fitting each to there respective hull locations with different angles.
First was starting with square brass tube and inserting it into the opening in the hull and scribed a line on the external side of the hull. Then drilling two holes and inserting rods and cutting and filing smooth. Then two additional holes drilled and then filed to fit.

 

 
This shows the size of these chocks.
 

 
Here they are for final fitting.
 

 
Now back to more CAD drawing.
 
 

A quick update to show the bow mooring deck with the emergency hand operated anchor brake handles in place along with the ladderways on either side. Evan said that the brakes are normally electo-hydraulically operated and that the handles rise up and down with the anchor chain mechanism, hence the U shaped handles.
 
I thought I would share the steps to make these small handles and how they were soldered while indexed into horizontal ring.
 

 

 
Here is a unabashed plug for why I love the precision of my Sherline lathe turning down .020" locating pins on the handle shaft. My cutting tool is a parting tool ground down to a 1/32" cutting edge.
 

 
Here they are in place. Evan said that the ladderways allowed quick access from the deck sides or front if a winch failure happens.
 

 
Now to the rope bollards for both mooring decks. Still waiting to hear back about the LCVP project; may end up another hurry up and wait project. 
 

Cathead, I have to add a few more details there are two ladderways to be added at the end against the bulkhead and two wheels that I think work the anchor brakes while standing on the platform. Standby more to come. 

I have been working back and forth between the bow and stern mooring decks working on the various items. Here is a picture of the stern mooring deck.
 

 
Here is a close up of the ladderway on the starboard side formed from one of Tom's PE sheets. Also note some yellow caution paint on some components which I added per photos.
 

 
One of the more challenging items was a raised platform between the anchor winches that has a meshed floor. My wife had some ribbon that came on a flower bouquet that I liberated from her. I sprayed a section with gray paint let it tack off and then pressed it between two steel blocks to set flat.
 

 
Next I cut a pattern of the platform floor and bent a .020" brass rod around the perimeter of the pattern and soldered the joint.
 

 
I then hammered the formed shape flat and then filed it smooth on both sides.
 

 
Next I bent three U shapes for the legs and hammered the center flat for a mating surface with the frame when soldered together. Once all were soldered in place the legs were all cut to the correct length needed. I then glued a formed ladderway to the edge of the frame and allowed the glue to really set hard.
 

 
I then sprayed the platform frame with gray paint and using a medium thick CA glued the frame to the painted ribbon. Once the glue set I carefully cut it out around the perimeter.
 

 
Next came the rails cut and fitted to the frame and then the painted with the ladderway rails and steps painted yellow.
 

 
Here is the platform in place along with the rest of the fixtures on the bow mooring deck with the various yellow caution highlights.
 
 
 
Now back to adding more details.

Darrel, your build is looking great! I really like how you have integrated natural wood with the paint finishes. Your mention of trips to Keim’s brings back memories of our trips there and wishing we had one out here in California. Keep up the great work!

Mark, your build is looking fantastic and I love your attention to detail. Keep up the great job you are doing! Ken

Mark, your build is looking fantastic and I love your attention to detail. Keep up the great job you are doing! Ken

Mark, your build is looking fantastic and I love your attention to detail. Keep up the great job you are doing! Ken

Dave, the build is coming along great! Love all the details, they are always fun to add. I had my granddaughters help as well during mine and the younger 4 year old loved making rope on the rope walk.
keep up the great job!

Mark, your build is looking fantastic and I love your attention to detail. Keep up the great job you are doing! Ken

Mark, your build is looking fantastic and I love your attention to detail. Keep up the great job you are doing! Ken

Mark, your build is looking fantastic and I love your attention to detail. Keep up the great job you are doing! Ken

The final chapter for the Dirty Dozen at home in the Morro Bay Maritime Museum display. Tonight will be the Patrons Preview of the museum. but still a work "in Progress" until the official opening in October during the Morro Bay Harbor Festival. They are now talking of reviving the Landing Craft and now a Clipper ship the "South American" built in Boston and launched by Smith and Townsend in 1876. "In her early life was considered the finest wooden sailing ship afloat" a quote from "American Merchant Ships" page 316. "The figurehead was a finely carved Amazon." She was 245 feet long, beam of 41.6 feet with a depth of hold 25 feet and registered at 1,694 tons. If anyone has more information or pictures I would greatly appreciate any help. The museum was donated a painting, artifacts and letters from one of her Captain's passed down through the family.
 
If ever in Morro Bay make a point of visiting our small but ever growing museum.
 

 

 

 
What will be neat, is to see again the original builder again tonight. At one time Morro Bay was the world capital of abalone fishing.

Mark, your build is looking fantastic and I love your attention to detail. Keep up the great job you are doing! Ken

The final chapter for the Dirty Dozen at home in the Morro Bay Maritime Museum display. Tonight will be the Patrons Preview of the museum. but still a work "in Progress" until the official opening in October during the Morro Bay Harbor Festival. They are now talking of reviving the Landing Craft and now a Clipper ship the "South American" built in Boston and launched by Smith and Townsend in 1876. "In her early life was considered the finest wooden sailing ship afloat" a quote from "American Merchant Ships" page 316. "The figurehead was a finely carved Amazon." She was 245 feet long, beam of 41.6 feet with a depth of hold 25 feet and registered at 1,694 tons. If anyone has more information or pictures I would greatly appreciate any help. The museum was donated a painting, artifacts and letters from one of her Captain's passed down through the family.
 
If ever in Morro Bay make a point of visiting our small but ever growing museum.
 

 

 

 
What will be neat, is to see again the original builder again tonight. At one time Morro Bay was the world capital of abalone fishing.

The final chapter for the Dirty Dozen at home in the Morro Bay Maritime Museum display. Tonight will be the Patrons Preview of the museum. but still a work "in Progress" until the official opening in October during the Morro Bay Harbor Festival. They are now talking of reviving the Landing Craft and now a Clipper ship the "South American" built in Boston and launched by Smith and Townsend in 1876. "In her early life was considered the finest wooden sailing ship afloat" a quote from "American Merchant Ships" page 316. "The figurehead was a finely carved Amazon." She was 245 feet long, beam of 41.6 feet with a depth of hold 25 feet and registered at 1,694 tons. If anyone has more information or pictures I would greatly appreciate any help. The museum was donated a painting, artifacts and letters from one of her Captain's passed down through the family.
 
If ever in Morro Bay make a point of visiting our small but ever growing museum.
 

 

 

 
What will be neat, is to see again the original builder again tonight. At one time Morro Bay was the world capital of abalone fishing.

The final chapter for the Dirty Dozen at home in the Morro Bay Maritime Museum display. Tonight will be the Patrons Preview of the museum. but still a work "in Progress" until the official opening in October during the Morro Bay Harbor Festival. They are now talking of reviving the Landing Craft and now a Clipper ship the "South American" built in Boston and launched by Smith and Townsend in 1876. "In her early life was considered the finest wooden sailing ship afloat" a quote from "American Merchant Ships" page 316. "The figurehead was a finely carved Amazon." She was 245 feet long, beam of 41.6 feet with a depth of hold 25 feet and registered at 1,694 tons. If anyone has more information or pictures I would greatly appreciate any help. The museum was donated a painting, artifacts and letters from one of her Captain's passed down through the family.
 
If ever in Morro Bay make a point of visiting our small but ever growing museum.
 

 

 

 
What will be neat, is to see again the original builder again tonight. At one time Morro Bay was the world capital of abalone fishing.

The final chapter for the Dirty Dozen at home in the Morro Bay Maritime Museum display. Tonight will be the Patrons Preview of the museum. but still a work "in Progress" until the official opening in October during the Morro Bay Harbor Festival. They are now talking of reviving the Landing Craft and now a Clipper ship the "South American" built in Boston and launched by Smith and Townsend in 1876. "In her early life was considered the finest wooden sailing ship afloat" a quote from "American Merchant Ships" page 316. "The figurehead was a finely carved Amazon." She was 245 feet long, beam of 41.6 feet with a depth of hold 25 feet and registered at 1,694 tons. If anyone has more information or pictures I would greatly appreciate any help. The museum was donated a painting, artifacts and letters from one of her Captain's passed down through the family.
 
If ever in Morro Bay make a point of visiting our small but ever growing museum.
 

 

 

 
What will be neat, is to see again the original builder again tonight. At one time Morro Bay was the world capital of abalone fishing.