Roger Pellett

Hi all,
 
This entry is from July, 2023 and looks at making a chain binder w/ slip handle, and how to do splices using a homemade fid:
 
 
LEVER CHAIN BINDER WITH SLIP HANDLE
 
This device answers two questions on the fore deck of the St Louis. Number one, what was the purpose of the large ring bolt in one of the salvage pictures? Number two how did they control the anchor chain when deploying, it snubbing it, and weighing the anchor? This type of lever chain binder may have been used in this period of time.
 

 

 
 

 

 

 
MAKING SPLICES IN ROPES, with illustrations of their uses on Bill’s C. L. Hunley and HMS Bounty  (Pictures and captions by Bill Kammermeyer). While not technically 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 
OK, folks, we're caught up! The project is almost finished, with most of the effort going to making figurines 1/24 scale. Previous entries have looked at making armatures, heads and some clothing, which will be supplemented by adding specific figures in various poses around the gunboat. 
 
Tim
314-761-5435
 
 
 
 

Hatch Covers II
 
Each hatch was covered by 12 wooden covers.  The covers, each weighing about 150# were handled by the deckhands; two men per hatch.  This was a backbreaking job that had to be performed four times for each usually short round trip voyage.
 
The covers were each 9ft long x 30in wide and were made from 2in x 6in white pine lumber (I assumed that these are actual dimensions and not nominal as is the case today).  I had originally intended to make the 12 covers per hatch as one piece using 1/32in thick craft plywood, but recently decided to model each cover separately with individual planks.  After considering several options I arrived at the following system:
 
Using some nice 1” nominal clear pine from the offcut bin at the local Menards store, I ripped a number of 1/16in pieces (6in to scale) These had to be accurate within a few .001” as 60 1/16” wide planks make the covers to close each hatch.  If each plank were to be .010” too wide, the cumulative error would be 0.60”. I, therefore, glued the saw cut planks to a flat board and used my jointer to remove the few thousands necessary.
 
I then glued the .060” thick strips into stacks, each stack 5 strips high.  For glue, I used ordinary PVA glue colored with burnt umber acrylic artist color.  I used several large C clamps to get the clamping pressure necessary to get  tight glue lines between layers in the stack.
 
Each stack was then tried up to ensure straight parallel edges.  Each stack was then cut into 1-1/4” blocks; the width of the hatch coamings.  Surfaces that would represent edges of the finished covers were then painted.
 
The Byrnes Saw was then set up with the NRG thin rip guide and the and .030” thick hatch covers were sliced off each block. Yes, the hatch covers are .01” thicker than scale but is is not apparent.
 
Photo:
 

 
 
 
 

Like many on the forum, I have been attempting to build ship models since I was a small child.  Way longer than I care to admit to!  The first model that was nice enough to deserve a case was a “Yellow Box” Model Shipways Harriet Lane received as a gift in the mid-1960’s.  The case was a sad affair made from plexi-glass glued to a Walnut base that eventually warped.
 
I eventually developed a system for making wood framed glass cases.  These are neat, and rugged but not artistic works of cabinetry like some posted on the forum.  Some are old enough (35-40 years) that I was unaware of problems from off-gassing and didn’t consciously worry about ventilation.  Some of the older cases feature veneered baseboards glued to a plywood substrate with rubber based contact cement.  Somehow all of this has survived the test of time!  While I am pleased with my models and cases I’m not to worried about longevity once I’m gone.  My daughter has limited space in a New York Apartment and my daughter-in-law is fussy about her decor. 
 
The patined copper was inspired be a similar product sold by a commercial veneer distributor.  I had a sheet of .005in copper surplus from a project, and the chemicals are not exotic.  The effect was far better than I could have simulated with paint.  
 
I bought a plastic tub with a lid.  The towel soaked with Ammonia and vinegar was spread out in the bottom of the tub.  The copper was tacked to a homemade wood frame and suspended over but not in contact with the towel.  Salt was sprinkled into the copper.  The tub was covered with a snap on lid and allowed to sit for 3-4 days.  After it comes out of the tub the copper needs to be throughly rinsed. The copper should be cleaned to remove grease, oil, corrosion before being exposed to the chemicals.  
 
Specialty  gunsmith supply houses; Brownells, Herters, Cavella, etc. can be good sources for case finishing materials.
 
Some of the woods sold as Mahogany are pretty poor stuff and that’s probably what you got.  As mahogany like teak, is associated with classic yachts and fine furniture I suspect that most ship modelers have been faced with trying to finish this faux Mahogany.  You should be able to find Wood Filler at local paint stores. This is NOT the stuff kit builders use to try to fill in planking mistakes.  It comes in quart cans and is something called Fullers Earth mixed with linseed oil.  It can be mixed with your choice of oil based wood stains or you can mix it with oil based artist colors (the kind that come in tubes) to create your own.  Paint it on, let it soak in, and wipe it off.
 
Roger
 

The case is native American Black Walnut.  Where you live it should be easy to find.  The stain is a “French Red” gunstock stain.
 
If you decide on the patina’ed copper, I saturated a towel with the chemicals and suspended the copper sheet near but not touching the towel; all in a covered plastic tub.
 
Roger

Here’s an idea that I thought worked out well.  It is intended to give a  impression of the blue green of water.  It is a sheet of copper that I treated with vinegar, ammonia, and salt, then sealed by spraying it with Matt varnish.  Same effect as Jaager’s sea green/ blue marble base.  I treated the turned brass supports this same way.  The stripe next to the hull is a light reflection.
 
Roger
 

This photo shows the bulwark and shot storage holes for the Brig Eagle built in 1814 to defend Lake Champlain from British Invasion. The drawing was made from the wreck evaluated by archeologists.   Eagle was a late addition to the American Fleet and built in a matter of weeks not months or years so there were many shortcuts taken in her construction.  This is, therefore, not suggested to be a typical arrangement
 
Roger

Like many on the forum, I have been attempting to build ship models since I was a small child.  Way longer than I care to admit to!  The first model that was nice enough to deserve a case was a “Yellow Box” Model Shipways Harriet Lane received as a gift in the mid-1960’s.  The case was a sad affair made from plexi-glass glued to a Walnut base that eventually warped.
 
I eventually developed a system for making wood framed glass cases.  These are neat, and rugged but not artistic works of cabinetry like some posted on the forum.  Some are old enough (35-40 years) that I was unaware of problems from off-gassing and didn’t consciously worry about ventilation.  Some of the older cases feature veneered baseboards glued to a plywood substrate with rubber based contact cement.  Somehow all of this has survived the test of time!  While I am pleased with my models and cases I’m not to worried about longevity once I’m gone.  My daughter has limited space in a New York Apartment and my daughter-in-law is fussy about her decor. 
 
The patined copper was inspired be a similar product sold by a commercial veneer distributor.  I had a sheet of .005in copper surplus from a project, and the chemicals are not exotic.  The effect was far better than I could have simulated with paint.  
 
I bought a plastic tub with a lid.  The towel soaked with Ammonia and vinegar was spread out in the bottom of the tub.  The copper was tacked to a homemade wood frame and suspended over but not in contact with the towel.  Salt was sprinkled into the copper.  The tub was covered with a snap on lid and allowed to sit for 3-4 days.  After it comes out of the tub the copper needs to be throughly rinsed. The copper should be cleaned to remove grease, oil, corrosion before being exposed to the chemicals.  
 
Specialty  gunsmith supply houses; Brownells, Herters, Cavella, etc. can be good sources for case finishing materials.
 
Some of the woods sold as Mahogany are pretty poor stuff and that’s probably what you got.  As mahogany like teak, is associated with classic yachts and fine furniture I suspect that most ship modelers have been faced with trying to finish this faux Mahogany.  You should be able to find Wood Filler at local paint stores. This is NOT the stuff kit builders use to try to fill in planking mistakes.  It comes in quart cans and is something called Fullers Earth mixed with linseed oil.  It can be mixed with your choice of oil based wood stains or you can mix it with oil based artist colors (the kind that come in tubes) to create your own.  Paint it on, let it soak in, and wipe it off.
 
Roger
 

As usual, your encouraging comments are much appreciated !
 
********

In the meantime, I had to make myself a list of all those tiny details that still need to be fabricated and installed. It is easy to forget them, when you are getting closer to the end …
 
Crane above the projectile hatch
 
Projectiles and powder bags were stored in different compartments for safety reasons below the barbette and in consequence, each had its own hatch. That for the powder bags was round, while the one for the projectiles was rectangular in order for them to lifted out on a trolley.
As discussed in a much earlier post, the lithographies from the early 1880s do not show any mechanical device to help the 330 kg heavy projectiles from their storage space to the floor of the barbette. Man-handling clearly is out of question. However, drawings related to a later re-fit show inside the deckhouse a winch marked as ‘winch for the hoisting of projectiles’ and a simple derrick-like wall-crane bolted to the rear wall of the barbette. In these drawings it is not shown how the runner rope would have been led from the crane to the winch, there most have been some sort of opening in the rear of the barbette. Also, not clear is, how the in the gun-crew in the barbette and the men in the projectile storage room would have communicated with the winch-men inside the deckhouse.
Interestingly, in the same drawing a simple wall-mounted crane for the powder-bags seems to be indicated, but no winch belonging to it. Perhaps the 45 kg bags were hoisted up with the help of a tackle.
 
The assembled and painted parts at their place, port view
 
The small detail (about 3 mm by 3 mm) of the projectile crane caused me a lot of aggravation and took a long time to fabricate. I drew it in several versions to be cut from Canson-paper on the laser-cutter until I arrived at a solution that worked. Assembly was also rather difficult and several parts jumped into the invisible black hole on the workbench, so that they had to be replaced. The pulley was turned from 1 mm steel rod.
 
The hook was fashioned from tinned copper-wire and the shape built up from Vallejo acrylic paint ‘oily steel’. A short piece of rope was spliced into the ring and the spherical weight built up from acrylic paint. 
 
Likewise, the powder-crane was cut from two layers of Canson-paper, soaked in varnish and painted. There is no information on what it may have looked like. I did not model the tackle, assuming that during the gun-drill in which the model will be presented, no charges were used and therefore, the tackle was not rigged. Only a shackle was fashioned from tinned copper wire.
 
Lamp-boards
Another small item on my to-do-list were the lamp-boards. According to the very first photograph of SMS WESPE these were placed at the front end of the deckhouse surrounding the barbette. In the lithograph and in later photographs they are shown on short poles towards the rear end of the deckhouse and raised above the rails.
 
These lamp-boards were laser-cut in three parts from Canson-paper and painted appropriately after assembly. The petroleum-lamps are not shown, as during day-time they would have been cleaned and then stored in deckhouse(?).
 
The assembled and painted parts at their place, starbord view
 
Not much to show actually for the amount time and effort spent on the parts …
 
 To be continued ....
 

This photo shows the bulwark and shot storage holes for the Brig Eagle built in 1814 to defend Lake Champlain from British Invasion. The drawing was made from the wreck evaluated by archeologists.   Eagle was a late addition to the American Fleet and built in a matter of weeks not months or years so there were many shortcuts taken in her construction.  This is, therefore, not suggested to be a typical arrangement
 
Roger

This photo shows the bulwark and shot storage holes for the Brig Eagle built in 1814 to defend Lake Champlain from British Invasion. The drawing was made from the wreck evaluated by archeologists.   Eagle was a late addition to the American Fleet and built in a matter of weeks not months or years so there were many shortcuts taken in her construction.  This is, therefore, not suggested to be a typical arrangement
 
Roger

Like many on the forum, I have been attempting to build ship models since I was a small child.  Way longer than I care to admit to!  The first model that was nice enough to deserve a case was a “Yellow Box” Model Shipways Harriet Lane received as a gift in the mid-1960’s.  The case was a sad affair made from plexi-glass glued to a Walnut base that eventually warped.
 
I eventually developed a system for making wood framed glass cases.  These are neat, and rugged but not artistic works of cabinetry like some posted on the forum.  Some are old enough (35-40 years) that I was unaware of problems from off-gassing and didn’t consciously worry about ventilation.  Some of the older cases feature veneered baseboards glued to a plywood substrate with rubber based contact cement.  Somehow all of this has survived the test of time!  While I am pleased with my models and cases I’m not to worried about longevity once I’m gone.  My daughter has limited space in a New York Apartment and my daughter-in-law is fussy about her decor. 
 
The patined copper was inspired be a similar product sold by a commercial veneer distributor.  I had a sheet of .005in copper surplus from a project, and the chemicals are not exotic.  The effect was far better than I could have simulated with paint.  
 
I bought a plastic tub with a lid.  The towel soaked with Ammonia and vinegar was spread out in the bottom of the tub.  The copper was tacked to a homemade wood frame and suspended over but not in contact with the towel.  Salt was sprinkled into the copper.  The tub was covered with a snap on lid and allowed to sit for 3-4 days.  After it comes out of the tub the copper needs to be throughly rinsed. The copper should be cleaned to remove grease, oil, corrosion before being exposed to the chemicals.  
 
Specialty  gunsmith supply houses; Brownells, Herters, Cavella, etc. can be good sources for case finishing materials.
 
Some of the woods sold as Mahogany are pretty poor stuff and that’s probably what you got.  As mahogany like teak, is associated with classic yachts and fine furniture I suspect that most ship modelers have been faced with trying to finish this faux Mahogany.  You should be able to find Wood Filler at local paint stores. This is NOT the stuff kit builders use to try to fill in planking mistakes.  It comes in quart cans and is something called Fullers Earth mixed with linseed oil.  It can be mixed with your choice of oil based wood stains or you can mix it with oil based artist colors (the kind that come in tubes) to create your own.  Paint it on, let it soak in, and wipe it off.
 
Roger
 

Wrecks of vessels that fought on the American Lakes during the War of 1812 had shot stored in the scooped out holes that you have in mind.  Sometimes scooped into the waterways.
 
Roger

The case is native American Black Walnut.  Where you live it should be easy to find.  The stain is a “French Red” gunstock stain.
 
If you decide on the patina’ed copper, I saturated a towel with the chemicals and suspended the copper sheet near but not touching the towel; all in a covered plastic tub.
 
Roger

Here’s an idea that I thought worked out well.  It is intended to give a  impression of the blue green of water.  It is a sheet of copper that I treated with vinegar, ammonia, and salt, then sealed by spraying it with Matt varnish.  Same effect as Jaager’s sea green/ blue marble base.  I treated the turned brass supports this same way.  The stripe next to the hull is a light reflection.
 
Roger
 

Here’s an idea that I thought worked out well.  It is intended to give a  impression of the blue green of water.  It is a sheet of copper that I treated with vinegar, ammonia, and salt, then sealed by spraying it with Matt varnish.  Same effect as Jaager’s sea green/ blue marble base.  I treated the turned brass supports this same way.  The stripe next to the hull is a light reflection.
 
Roger
 

Here’s an idea that I thought worked out well.  It is intended to give a  impression of the blue green of water.  It is a sheet of copper that I treated with vinegar, ammonia, and salt, then sealed by spraying it with Matt varnish.  Same effect as Jaager’s sea green/ blue marble base.  I treated the turned brass supports this same way.  The stripe next to the hull is a light reflection.
 
Roger
 

The case is native American Black Walnut.  Where you live it should be easy to find.  The stain is a “French Red” gunstock stain.
 
If you decide on the patina’ed copper, I saturated a towel with the chemicals and suspended the copper sheet near but not touching the towel; all in a covered plastic tub.
 
Roger

Here’s an idea that I thought worked out well.  It is intended to give a  impression of the blue green of water.  It is a sheet of copper that I treated with vinegar, ammonia, and salt, then sealed by spraying it with Matt varnish.  Same effect as Jaager’s sea green/ blue marble base.  I treated the turned brass supports this same way.  The stripe next to the hull is a light reflection.
 
Roger
 

NEI
Allan

Wrecks of vessels that fought on the American Lakes during the War of 1812 had shot stored in the scooped out holes that you have in mind.  Sometimes scooped into the waterways.
 
Roger

Wrecks of vessels that fought on the American Lakes during the War of 1812 had shot stored in the scooped out holes that you have in mind.  Sometimes scooped into the waterways.
 
Roger

Tools:  It is possible to cut the keel and bulkheads with an inexpensive coping saw.  If you plan to go this route, buy the saw, a selection  of blades and practice.  A powered scroll saw certainly makes things easier.
 
Wood:  with scratch building it’s a good idea to develop a building plan before you start.  If I were building this I would build it upside down with the tops of the bulkheads attached to the building board.  I would extend the bulkheads to be cut off after the hull is planked.  
 
Plywood construction requires “developable shapes” as the plywood does not like to bend in more than one dimension. So to accurately reproduce the shape you might have to plank the hull.  There is, of course, a “chine log” that defines the chine and provides the landing along the chine for both the bottom and side planking.  Diagonal planking would be an easy way to plank the bottom and would probably replicate actual practice.
 
I would not use either plywood or MDF for the bulkheads.  I would buy ordinary 1in pine at your local lumberyard/ home improvement store; not spruce or fir.  I would Saw it into 1/16” thick strips and use it to build two layered pentagonal shapes for each bulkhead. Stagger the joints.  Then use your poster board bulkheads to draw the finished shape on to each and cut it out. The center (keel) piece can be made from thin plywood. See if you can find 1/8” Baltic Birch.  The Bottom can be diagonally planked with two layers of craft plywood cut into narrow strips. For the side planking I would cut more of your pine into thin planking strips.
 
Roger

Setting up work on the flight deck.  I stained the wood-colored deck that came with the Mk 1 detail set with "Navy Blue" Minwax semi-transparent stain.  Oil based, so no warping of the wood.  Primed the SS PE deck detail sheets with Tamiya light gray primer and then air brushed with Mission Model "US Navy Flight Deck Blue" using the Micro-Mark battery-powered air brush.  The air brush worked out OK.  I'm sure it's not as good as a real air brush, but it's ideal for my situation in a Retirement Home condo.  Especially as I can use paint colors that are not available in spray cans.
 
I'm going to start on the decking at the center island where I'm sure of the location and can use it as the register for the subsequent pieces being added.  The picture shows it dry-fitted. Lots and lots of PE pieces interior to the wood deck and it's going to be a learning process as I go forward.  air brush sitting below the flight deck.

Roger is right about trying to nail or screw into the edge of plywood. I think it is OK for bulkheads IF you are just going to use glue to fasten the planking. But if you will be using fasteners or treenails solid wood bulkheads will be better.
 
I got my model aircraft plywood at the local hobby shop that had a lot of R.C modeling supplies. Unfortunately, the Internet and big box stores have starved it to death, as they have also done to our local camera shops.

The title says it all. For the first time someone has asked me to make a model ship and is willing to pay cash money. Only a pittance, pin money, really - $200. But no worries, I'm not doing it for the money but for the experience and challenge. Second "modern" ship - the first was HMVS Cerberus - see build log 
 
This time it's the Titanic This is also a Men's Shed project, but this time I'll be paying only a percentage of the price to them (for use of facilities and materials), the rest for pin money, as I was directly commissioned to build it. A young guy I met has a girlfriend who's a total Titanic freak and he had the idea that a model of the ship would be a nice Chrissy present for her. And I'm happy to oblige. However, it has meant the Couta boat has had to go on the back burner for a while. It's nearly finished - the sails are cut out, but I have to sew (or get someone far more experienced to sew) them, add them to the gaff and boom and add the rigging. I'll get around to it whenever.
 
There are plans and photos on the Net of the original ship - not terribly good, but adequate for a $200 model, which will be 380mm (1'3") long.
 
The first thing I hadn't realised until I downloaded these was how long and narrow the ship was! Took me totally by surprise. Here are the plans I'm working from.



 
So, off I went cutting out wood and layering the decks - only to find that in my main source of info - the two sets of deck plans - two of the deck layouts showed not only the deck itself, but the superstructure between it and the deck above. So I'd missed out two entire decks - the superstructure was two decks too low.
 


 
   


 
Annoying, as I'd put a lot of work getting that beautiful stern right. But as I'd glued it all together very securely before I realised my mistake, there was no way of pulling it apart and adding the extra structures. So I had to start all over again, but at least this meant I could correct a couple of other errors I'd become aware of caused by the inaccuracy and imprecision of the plans. 
 
So here we go again, this time with the extra outlines.
 

Watch this space.
 
Steven
 
PS: If anybody can let me know the maximum and minimum diameters of the (oval section) funnels, I'd be very grateful.