michael mott

A thread full of opinions for sure!..... I couldn't resist, its been one of those days.🙂
 
Michael

It was like an early birthday gift! The six drawings arrived today I opted to let them be folded because of the difference in the postage costs, as it was they cost $27 postal fees. Although the drawing state that they cannot be reproduced, I think that the obligatory picture of the plan chest drawer that they are now safely nestled in wont be infringing any rules.
 

 
So with the table of offsets and the drawings as a guide I will be able to prepare a set of model building plans including the sawn oak frames. Still lots of preparatory work yet though.
 
Today I am a happy camper.
 
Michael

The article details some interesting methods for the creation of the model by Christopher Morrison, some of the details at 1/32nd scale of  a 21 foot boat on page 222 there is a footnote that mentions that George Daniels book Watchmaking is one of the three most important modelmaking books he has ever read, I concur with that assessment, I was given a copy of this book for my 50th birthday in 1998

George makes the art of metalwork sound as easy as snapping lego bricks together. The book is a treasure trove of techniques and is full of wonderful drawings illustrating these techniques.
 
One of the interesting things that Christopher Morrison points out in the description of Gill Smiths boats is that he used sawn natural crook frames from Oak. Planking of Cedar, deck planking of Pine ,Cedar , or Cypress.  
 
I have three types of trees in my backyard Crab-apple, Amur Maple, and Bur Oak. I keep all the pruning pieces and save some for modelwork and some for the occasional evening sit by the fire pit in the late summer evenings. 
 
here is a lovely piece of apple that I cut 1/2 inch thick and stickered after a major limb was pruned a few years ago.
first the rough bandsawn side
 

 
Hand planing the surface.

 
and a close up of the smooth surface, so for a naturally curved beam.
 

 
The piece is about 13 inches long.
 
There was a replica of Pauline made called Anitra in 1988, I am hoping that there were photographs taken of the build.
 
Michael
 
Michael
 
 
 

An update, I heard back from the Mystic Seaport museum and they can send me 6 prints of Pauline which include all the ones that Daria Elizabeth Merwin used in her thesis. So I am looking forward to receiving them. It will be fun setting them up to do the lofting for the frames, I will use the old drafting table instead of Cad.
And if anyone is in the area and willing to take any photo graphs that would be Stirling!
 
Michael
 
 

Thanks to Keith Black for directing me to this post which references Gill Smith's work.
 
Michael

This is the new project that has to be fully researched yet. There is some cursory information for this model in the Thesis by Daria Elizabeth Merwin pages 57-65
I will add information as it comes together  before the build starts.
 
 

It was like an early birthday gift! The six drawings arrived today I opted to let them be folded because of the difference in the postage costs, as it was they cost $27 postal fees. Although the drawing state that they cannot be reproduced, I think that the obligatory picture of the plan chest drawer that they are now safely nestled in wont be infringing any rules.
 

 
So with the table of offsets and the drawings as a guide I will be able to prepare a set of model building plans including the sawn oak frames. Still lots of preparatory work yet though.
 
Today I am a happy camper.
 
Michael

Thanks Tom, I will email my contact at the museum for permission to get a copy for my own use to build the model.
 
Michael

It was like an early birthday gift! The six drawings arrived today I opted to let them be folded because of the difference in the postage costs, as it was they cost $27 postal fees. Although the drawing state that they cannot be reproduced, I think that the obligatory picture of the plan chest drawer that they are now safely nestled in wont be infringing any rules.
 

 
So with the table of offsets and the drawings as a guide I will be able to prepare a set of model building plans including the sawn oak frames. Still lots of preparatory work yet though.
 
Today I am a happy camper.
 
Michael

It was like an early birthday gift! The six drawings arrived today I opted to let them be folded because of the difference in the postage costs, as it was they cost $27 postal fees. Although the drawing state that they cannot be reproduced, I think that the obligatory picture of the plan chest drawer that they are now safely nestled in wont be infringing any rules.
 

 
So with the table of offsets and the drawings as a guide I will be able to prepare a set of model building plans including the sawn oak frames. Still lots of preparatory work yet though.
 
Today I am a happy camper.
 
Michael

It was like an early birthday gift! The six drawings arrived today I opted to let them be folded because of the difference in the postage costs, as it was they cost $27 postal fees. Although the drawing state that they cannot be reproduced, I think that the obligatory picture of the plan chest drawer that they are now safely nestled in wont be infringing any rules.
 

 
So with the table of offsets and the drawings as a guide I will be able to prepare a set of model building plans including the sawn oak frames. Still lots of preparatory work yet though.
 
Today I am a happy camper.
 
Michael

It was like an early birthday gift! The six drawings arrived today I opted to let them be folded because of the difference in the postage costs, as it was they cost $27 postal fees. Although the drawing state that they cannot be reproduced, I think that the obligatory picture of the plan chest drawer that they are now safely nestled in wont be infringing any rules.
 

 
So with the table of offsets and the drawings as a guide I will be able to prepare a set of model building plans including the sawn oak frames. Still lots of preparatory work yet though.
 
Today I am a happy camper.
 
Michael

It was like an early birthday gift! The six drawings arrived today I opted to let them be folded because of the difference in the postage costs, as it was they cost $27 postal fees. Although the drawing state that they cannot be reproduced, I think that the obligatory picture of the plan chest drawer that they are now safely nestled in wont be infringing any rules.
 

 
So with the table of offsets and the drawings as a guide I will be able to prepare a set of model building plans including the sawn oak frames. Still lots of preparatory work yet though.
 
Today I am a happy camper.
 
Michael

The plans from Mystic Seaport Museum are on their way, This is exciting.
 
Michael

A thread full of opinions for sure!..... I couldn't resist, its been one of those days.🙂
 
Michael

I have two models built by my father that might make it to 100 years.
 
The First is a 1:96 model of a steam fishing trawler.  It was built before I was born and I would estimate it to be 80 years old.  After my father died it sat in my daughter’s apartment for a while and the rigging was damaged.  I repaired the rigging and it now sits in my bookcase.  Considering it’s age it is in beautiful condition.  I hope to get it in it’s own glass case.
 
The second is an unrigged 1:96 model of Flying Cloud.  It is 75 years old.  When we disposed of my mother’s things, the movers damaged it.  I repaired it cleaned it, repainted the hull, and touched up paintwork on the deck structures.  I also built a glass case to protect it.
 
Both of these models were built from A.J. Fisher kits.  A.J. Fisher’s fittings were made from brass and real boxwood.  Although both of these models needed cleaning and repair the Materials that A.J. Fisher put into the kits and the materials that my father used to build them have withstood the test of time.  I hope that each of my two children will eventually take and care for a model.

A thread full of opinions for sure!..... I couldn't resist, its been one of those days.🙂
 
Michael

Looking very nice indeed!
 
Michael

I just deleted the reference to the ship model, after I called the contact at the Edmonton public library. They were told that the model is only worth $800.
 
I think it is worth more this one is the same as the one I restored.
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19192/lot/2101/
 
Michael
 
 
 

Hi Dan, I just came across this log, Hats off to you sir! what a super job you are doing with a very challenging restoration. Given my very limited experience working with bone, I would not be able to take on such a project, As Druxey mentioned the smell is apparent, and for me the game changer.
 
Very interesting work on the "cooked " rigging lines.
 
Michael

The plans from Mystic Seaport Museum are on their way, This is exciting.
 
Michael

Hi Dan, I just came across this log, Hats off to you sir! what a super job you are doing with a very challenging restoration. Given my very limited experience working with bone, I would not be able to take on such a project, As Druxey mentioned the smell is apparent, and for me the game changer.
 
Very interesting work on the "cooked " rigging lines.
 
Michael

Hi Dan, I just came across this log, Hats off to you sir! what a super job you are doing with a very challenging restoration. Given my very limited experience working with bone, I would not be able to take on such a project, As Druxey mentioned the smell is apparent, and for me the game changer.
 
Very interesting work on the "cooked " rigging lines.
 
Michael

It is always nice to use wood that you have prepared for yourself, and by air drying it it retains a particular character that kiln dried wood does not. Good luck with the stickering. I have used paraffin wax on the ends, the same stuff used for canning, just heat it up in a saucepan and paint it on with a pastry brush. If you cut it into thinner slabs than 1 inch it is good to put some weight on top or straps around the bundle to help with the drying flat.
 
Michael

Hi to all –
 
Bob – I’ve passed a lot of water under the bridge since that picture was taken.  I really should update it, if I can find a photo that will not scare the kids.
 
Just had time for a quick repair today.
 
The first piece of rigging to repair on the main mast was the mainstay collar.  As received the mainstay is one of the better preserved elements of the original rigging.  The stay and preventer are both secured to the masthead with eye and mouse fittings.  The crowsfoot is properly rigged through a small ivory euphroe.  The stay and preventer are appropriately sized as is the snaking line between them. 
 

 
The preventer is properly rigged with a pair of hearts, but it is clear that its collar is a replacement.  It is the wrong color and it runs badly.  Its seizing around the bowsprit is particularly sloppy.  On the mainstay the two hearts are still attached to each other by the lashing, but the rest of the collar that should run from the lower heart to the bowsprit is gone.
 

 
I carefully cut through the lashing between the hearts and cleaned up the upper heart.  In this photo you can see how kinked the preventer collar had to be to run under the pinrail.  I’m not sure why any restorer would do this.
 

 
I seized the heart into a line that matched the diameter of the other collar, but was the proper color.  I passed the running end around the bowsprit and seized it so it could extend up toward the matching heart with a reasonable gap between.  I thought about doing the collar in a more accurate manner, but decided to match the style of the earlier repair.  I lashed the two hearts together and this little repair was done.
 

 
More soon.
 
Dan