Roger Pellett

I just, after 30 years in my present shop, decided to get serious about dust control.  When using a shop vacuum to control large volumes of dust produced by major power tools, the filter quickly gets plugged up.  As a result, you are constantly buying surprisingly expensive filters or your dust collection system shuts down until you get around to buying a new filter.

A simple improvement is the installation of a cyclone upstream of the vacuum source, the same technology as that used in expensive bagless household vacuum cleaners.  The cyclone that I used (I do not represent the company) is an Oneida Dust Deputy.  This sits on top of a can with a hole in the lid.  A five gallon plastic paint bucket will work.  The hose from the vacuum hooks up to the outlet of the cyclone.  Another hose goes from the inlet of the vacuum to the tool creating the dust.  In use, the heavier dust particles, wood chips, etc, drop into the can.  The fine dust carries over into the vacuum filter.  

You can buy the cyclone separately or you can buy a kit.  I found the various sizes of hoses used by the different shop vacuum suppliers to be confusing.  The cyclone itself has 2in actual OD connections.  Oneida recommends using rubber plumbing connectors sold in the plumbing section of hardware stores.  2in actual OD will match the ID of a 1-1/2in nominal pipe size (NPS) rubber plumbing connector.  These rubber connectors also come in reducing sizes such as 1-1/2 x 2in NPS.  You should also be able to find male and female adaptors to connect to your vacuum hoses as needed.

I was concerned about vacuum leaks that would keep things from working but mine worked as planned the first time that I started it up.

Roger

Mike,

I have a simple design for building glass display cases.  The bottom is a made up of four  pieces like a picture frame.  Each end is mitered at a 45 degree angle It’s dimensions are calculated to fit over the base that supports the model.  I have a set of 90 degree angle picture frame clamps that I use when gluing it together.  Before gluing the pieces together I cut a notch in each mitered end.  When glued together these notches form a square hole.  The four uprights fit into these holes.

I use my table saw to groove each of the wooden members.  I have a saw blade that cuts a groove slightly wider than 1/8in wide.  American “ single strength” glass easily fits into these grooves.  I do not need to use glue to secure the glass.

A picture might explain things better.

Roger

Jan, 

In Nineteenth Century American shipyards, they calculated a standoff or offset dimension for each frame that took  into account the slope of the keel on the keel blocks.  A mark was put on the top of the keel at a distance from the heel of each frame equal to the calculated dimension.  When the frame was erected a plumb bob was hung from the cross spall at the top of the frame.  When the plumb bob landed on the mark they knew that the frame was erected correctly.

Roger

The current issue of WoodenBoat Magazine includes an interesting column about this subject.

The column’s author, Tom Jackson notes that 40 of Howard Chapelle’s drawings in his American Small Sailing Craft Book of boats with drag are drawn with the keel level and with body plan sections perpendicular to the keel.  He argues that these drawings would better describe the true shape of the hull if drawn with the waterlines level.

He then includes a number of reasons why Chapelle might have drawn these the way that he did:

For many of the boat’s that he measured (and half models too) the keel was the only fixed reference as there was no waterline visible.

The load waterline would vary depending on ballast, cargo, etc.  

Builders back then were much less concerned with the concept of “load waterline” than they are today

The easiest way to build a boat is with the moulds and frames set square to the keel.

He also has discovered that Nathaniel Herreshoff who did not draw lines drawings but took measurements directly from a half model built boats upside down with frames and moulds set square to a construction reference line that approximated the slant of the sheer.  This allowed the hull to be at the lowest possible working level during construction.  Permanent hull frames would not be perpendicular to either the keel or the waterlines.

Roger

Gary,

You could probably include vehicles of different ages as 1940 was towards the end of the Depression and someone would be trying to keep an old “junker” (Ohio), or “beater” (Minnesota)  running.  You will also need another car “up on blocks” for parts.   And if you include an outside view, don’t forget the Aluminum painted tractor tire used as a flower bed.  

Oh, and the Mail Pouch Chewing Tobacco sign.  Their slogan was “Treat Yourself to the Best.”

All parts of American backwoods culture!  

Roger

Allen,

I have been researching the small Royal Navy ketches that accompanied the great fleets that fought in the sea battles of the 1660’s and ‘70s.

As these were often built in private yards, I tried to look up a builders contract for one on the National Archives website.  I established an account (I’ve already forgot the password) but then ran into a stone wall when I used the search function.  Regardless of what I typed in I got no hits.  

Any suggestions?

Roger

Andrew,

Nothing wrong with your paint job that I c not see.  Painting the inside of the hull with the frames and  all is not easy.

 Lightnings are nice boats,  I had occasion to sail one in my younger days.

Roger

I don’t know about Vasa or her turrets in particular but in the Seventeenth Century, quarter galleries housed officers’ toilets (heads).

Roger

There is little question that the best combination for producing ship model timbers and planking would be a high quality 14in or larger bandsaw outfitted with the necessary fence and rip blade, a Byrnes thickness sander, and a Byrnes table saw.  Jim Byrnes describes the process for using these in his post above.

Not everyone is able to afford these high quality tools, or wants to buy them.  In my case I don’t think that Galloping Gertie, my 1975 14in Sprunger Bros bandsaw can be tuned up to produce the necessary accuracy, and at this stage in my life don’t want to invest in a new one.

So, the question being considered is whether quality ship models can be built using ordinary shop power tools.  The answer is that exceptional models have been built in the past using these tools and still can be.

I would not try to rip a 2in thick billet of pear wood using a hollow ground veneer blade.  Fortunately, some things change for the better. For example, Woodcraft has just announced a new line of 10in saw blades in their proprietary Wood River brand.  The description of one would indicate that it might meet our needs.  I intend to order one and to give it a try.

Roger

My 10in Delta Contractors Saw is my go to tool for all ripping.   I have a lifetime supply ship model quality hardwood in my stash (If I run out, I'll consider my self fortunate!) so I'm not concerned with saw kerf.  Relative to other woodworking activities that I've engaged in during my lifetime, dust is not excessive, although I just modified the saw to collect it.

The Sears Kromedge Thin Rip Veneer blade described by Snug Harbor Johnny above was the blade used by modelers like Harold Hahn before availability of the Preac and Byrnes minirature saws.  I still have a couple and they can be found on EBay.   There are also many quality new blades on the market that you might consider. I also have and use a Rockler Thin Rip guide that mounts in the mitre groove and eliminates the need to have the thin strips between the fence and the saw blade.  IMHO the Rockler guide also makes this potentially dangerous tool easier to use.

I have a Byrnes saw too.  For a new prjoject that I am considering I will use the 10in saw to cut leaves from hardwood billets and the Byrnes saw to cut the planks from the leaves, but there is no reason why with the proper setup, zero clearance inserts, and saw blades your 10in saw cannot produce quality ship model planking.

Roger

Al,

What is the scale of this model?

I think that a contributing factor is a decline of interest interest in home workshop craftsmanship.

The big box stores that we love to hate are Home Improvement Stores, not woodworking stores.  The tools that they sell are adjunct to the kitchen cabinets, paint, floor coverings, etc. that I believe is their real product line.  Homeowners may buy the tools that they need to complete their current DIY project and seldom use them thereafter.

I believe that fewer people today, actually maintain an organized workshop.  Lack of uncommitted time, availability of other forms of entertainment, smaller living space all contribute.

There are specialized companies that cater to craftsmen.  Rockler, Woodcraft, and Lee Valley all come to mind.  The prices of their offerings understandably exceed those of the Home Improvement Stores.

Roger

A couple of thoughts.

Moulds, Ribbands, Steam Bent Frames, you built her just like they would have built the real thing.

Models of small craft are not easy to build because of the small scantlings that support the planking.  You did a great job.

Roger

A beautiful restoration job, Dan.  Well done!

Roger

Ships and boats are built with Sheer and Camber.  

Sheer is curvature in the fore and aft (longitudinal) direction.  The result of sheer is to cause the bow of the boat to be higher above the water (the term is Freeboard) to keep waves from breaking over the bow and flooding the deck.

Camber is curvature across the deck (from side to side called Athwartships). Its purpose is to help water that does come aboard to drain over the side.

Since river boats operated in protected waters big waves were not a problem, but sheer provided another attractive feature, it improved the boat’s appearance.  In a competitive market, appearance counted.

From the pictures that you have posted it appears that the kit designer intended the hull to have sheer.

Roger

My answer to your question, scratch building.  With a kit, you’re locked into the manufacturer’s building method, materials, etc.  When you build from scratch, you can use methods that you find to be easier.  You can also make use of higher quality materials.

Roger

I would assume that this issue would have been addressed on the recently restored Great Britain.  While this might not conclusively answer your problem, it would at least give you an idea of what was done on another large Brunel designed and built ship.

Tarpaulins covering the hatch board were considered to be a pain in the *** by ships’ crews.  Here on the Great Lakes there are several documented cases of vessels being lost with heavy loss of life when their masters were surprised by heavy weather after leaving port without the hatches tarped.  

The whaleback steamship James Colegate (see build log by Dan Pariser on this forum) sank in a storm on Lake Erie when her hatches leaked despite being tarped.  Her captain was the only survivor.

With her (for her time) enormous freeboard, I wonder if canvas hatch covers atop the usual hatch boards were not routinely used.

Roger

Yes, the loftsmen would need to know the frame disposition for a number of reasons, and of course the orientation of the frame in relation to the keel affects frame shape.

During the years when large wooden ships were routinely built there was great variety in building techniques, depending on tradition, environment, availability of materials, etc.

While there is a rich treasure of detailed construction information for British, some European and some American ships built in organized shipyards, much less is known about the construction techniques employed by artisans in the small yards.

Vaddoc,

Keep in mind that wooden ships were not actually built from plans.  A draught showing hull lines was drawn or a half model was carved.  A table of offsets, a digital table of xyz coordinates was then prepared fromthe drawing or model.  This table was then sent to the mould loft.  The loftsmen were experts at turning the offsets into a full sized “drawing” on the floor of the loft.  The actual full sized patterns of the frames were taken from the floor of the mould loft, not the drawings.

Roger

Chapman’s drawings were intended as a survey of hull forms; both to illustrate generic vessel types and more unusual foreign types.  Except where he actually shows structural details his projections would be intended to best show hull form, not actual framing.

The waterline is important to Naval Architects as other waterlines drawn parallel, stations drawn perpendicular to it, and especially buttocks based on these projections help them to visualize flow around the hull.  On the other hand there is no structural or construction reason why frames needed to be perpendicular to the  design waterline.  

There is also no important structural or construction reason why frames needed to be square with the keel.

My conclusion:  Frames in wooden ships were erected square with the keel except when they weren’t. 

The results of my attempting to answer this question are inconclusive.

Here’s what I think that I know.

Wooden ships were built on keel blocks set up on a slight slope.  Maritime history researcher Eric Ronnberg says that this slope was typically 3 degrees.

William Carothers reinforces this conclusion in his book on American Packet Ships.  He explains a procedure where a setoff dimension was calculated for each frame.  With the plumb bob landing on this calculated distance from the frame heel the shipwrights would know that the frame was vertically square with the keel.

He then goes on to say that ships were not always built with the frames arranged vertically square to the keel.

I also have a book published in the early 1900’s where a marine surveyor named Carr discusses construction methods used in Great Lakes shipyards where vessels are side launched.  He points out that a great advantage of side launching is that it allows construction on a level area, unlike ships built elsewhere.

While I am confident that ships in American coastal yards were built on a declivity and not jacked up before launching, the question of disposition of frames relative to the keel is not clear.  (The jacking that did take place immediately prior to launch was only to transfer the weight of the vessel to the launch cradles.)

In his book, The Practical Shipbuilder, Author  Launchlan McKay, includes a drawing of a New York pilot boat, c1820.  These boats were built with considerable drag.  The stations on the lines drawing are not drawn square to the keel.  

McKay’s book also includes a procedure for making a lines drawing for a vessel with drag.  Without actually going through the process with pencil and paper I have been unable to follow it.  It’s on my to do list.

I’ll leave examination of British Admiralty draughts to others.  As far as American Practice goes, many of the lines drawings by Howard Chapelle were either developed from half models or by the British measuring captured American ships.  Many half models do not show station lines, and British techniques for taking off lines in a dry dock would not necessarily capture actual disposition of frames.  Chapelle, therefore, drew his lines to illustrate the development of American hull forms, not necessarily to illustrate exact construction techniques.

This is an important topic as more and more ship modelers want to build models that display actual construction.  Hopefully this thread will inspire more discussion.

Roger

Dave,

CA Glue was sufficient.  If my memory is correct, I glued them to the jaws, clamped the jaws together, then drilled the hole.

Reynard,

perhaps you might send send us a picture of the condition that you are describing.  As the saying goes, “One picture is worth a thousand words.”  One we better understand your problem I’m sure that you will get a response.  You can add a picture by clicking the Add Files below.  Once you have uploaded the picture, click the + sign on the box with the picture to add it to your post.

Roger

Dave,

After soldering them with Allen’s higher strength solder, you might want to make yourself one of my special deadeye crimping tools. Just a pair of parallel jaw pliers with wooden jaws glued in place.

For me, a timely thread.  I have a pantograph that was bought at a flea market many years ago.  I tried to use it to copy a plan and the results were, to say the least poor.  I consigned it to my scrap box.

I recently decided that I would like to have a beam compass for a project that I have been considering.  After being outbid for one on Ebay, I decided to make one.  While rummaging in my scrap box I found the pantograph.  I cannibalized it to build my beam compass.

I agree with Druxey, the pantograph would seem to be outdated technology.  Most modelers can change the scale of drawings digitally, and old fossils like me can redraft.  Since your drawings are twice your intended scale, an architectural copying service can make accurate prints.  For my last model, I drew the plans at twice scale.  I then had the drawings copied at half size, the idea being that any drafting inaccuracies would be halved.  I was happy with the results. 

Roger