6ohiocav

Next step was to finish painting the bulwarks, inside and out, and then line the gunports and sweeps with strip wood. I opted to size each lining seperately, number them to keep them straight, and then prime and paint them with the gun red before installing.  It took a week of tedious work. In the end, i did not like the finish, and to make matters worse, i marred and chipped the painted surface during the installation and clamping..... SO..... I ended up doing what I tried to avoid.  I had to sand the finished and painted bulwarks, inside and out (a daunting task) to make the linings flush with the walls, and repaint the whole thing over again, by hand. In the end, i would have been much better off installing the linings BEFORE I painted.  Lesson learned.

Thanks John and Mark for checking in. Wow, someone is actually looking at all this.
 
John, thanks for the photo link.  I have actually viewed your shots on many occasions, as you have graciously posted them on the other Niagara logs.  I took some photos myself in 2011 but they are not nearly as good as yours.  Your photo collection is a fantastic resource.
 
Mark, I did not take any pictures of the damage caused by the table collapse. I have however posted the last photo that i took of the ship before the accident, and I suspect, this is the position of the ship in the vice when the table gave way.  You will note that it is sitting in a vice with the stern pointing down.  I used a marble tile to suction the bottom of the vice to.  That extra weight at the very end of the table, along with the humidity and heat swings in the shop probably caused the hand crank to loosen just enough for the front of the table to give way.  Three of the stern posts broke completely off together with all of the framing and the back portion of the keel cracked. The only bad thing was that I had a hard time finding all of the pieces among the huge pile of you know what.  Everything that was on that table was in a single pile on the floor.
 
In the end, it could have been a lot worse but at the time however, it was enough to take the wind out of my sails.  I is good to  have it back.
 
Darrell

Time to start planking the bulworks. And this brought me face to face with paint issues. Consistent with my decision to prepaint strakes with different colors that abutted each other before installation, I had to decide what colors to use. In my previous post, you will note that I prepainted the waterway and planksheer with the Model Export Gun Red Paint that I ordered with the kit.  As others have noted, the red paint is nearly orange-too bright for my eye. In order to darken it, I mixed in a few drops of black. That did not work.  Just a few drops of black turned it a muddy gray. scratch 1/3 of my red paint. In the second batch, I only put in 1 drop and got something that I liked. I then repainted the waterway and planksheer.
 
The green provide by Model Expo for the inner bulwarks was fine.  No need to do any mixing.
 
The yellow was a whole different issue. I have pictures of the original ship and the outer bulwarks are a dark yellow.  The paint kit does not provide anything even close. I searched my local hobby shop and purchased at least 6 different yellow paints before deciding on a Model Master acrylic "Yellow Zink Chromate"
 
The other decision I made was to glue all of the strakes onto the bulwarks from port to stern and then go back and cut out the gun ports and sweeps. I used a diamond tipped cutting bit for the dremel for the rough work and a flat file for finishing.  I had a small mini file that fit perfectly inside the small sweeps that helped clean them up.
 
Before I did all of this, I soaked all of the strakes and pinned them to the bulkheads over night to dry to fix the bends. Then I painted the whale strake flat black for the bottom, the first strake above that with the yellow for the outside. Then painted the first strake with green for the inside.
 
Overall, I was very satisfied with the result.

On to the gun ports and sweeps.  I noticed that every gun port and some of the sweeps had at least one side affixed to a bulkhead top. So, I created wooden blocks in the shape of the square gun port, a trapazoid shaped one for the front port, and a small block for the sweep. I laid the block against the designated bulkhead and built the port around it. This method assured that the ports would be square and consistently sized. I did the same with the sweeps block. This tedious job, which as I look back on it took days to complete, was made easier with the block jigs.   

Brian,
 
I have been copying portions of my plans and cutting out templates to use to make parts to replace the kit supplied plywood for my Niagara, and NEVER thought of checking to make sure that the scale was altered. Thanks for the heads up. I have also cut out sections of the actual plans and have found that I have to make sure that the images are in true 1/64 scale, as some are NOT.
 
Superb work on the cockpit deck!

Ken,
 
I came across your log and must say your post regarding the sljo's in your life hit home today. Today is my anniversary, and I am going all in to earn some important build time.
 
Great work on your longboat.  I will be visiting often.

Brian,
 
I have been copying portions of my plans and cutting out templates to use to make parts to replace the kit supplied plywood for my Niagara, and NEVER thought of checking to make sure that the scale was altered. Thanks for the heads up. I have also cut out sections of the actual plans and have found that I have to make sure that the images are in true 1/64 scale, as some are NOT.
 
Superb work on the cockpit deck!

Brian,
 
I have been copying portions of my plans and cutting out templates to use to make parts to replace the kit supplied plywood for my Niagara, and NEVER thought of checking to make sure that the scale was altered. Thanks for the heads up. I have also cut out sections of the actual plans and have found that I have to make sure that the images are in true 1/64 scale, as some are NOT.
 
Superb work on the cockpit deck!

Brian,
 
I have been copying portions of my plans and cutting out templates to use to make parts to replace the kit supplied plywood for my Niagara, and NEVER thought of checking to make sure that the scale was altered. Thanks for the heads up. I have also cut out sections of the actual plans and have found that I have to make sure that the images are in true 1/64 scale, as some are NOT.
 
Superb work on the cockpit deck!

Fife and Pin Rails
 
​I worked on the fife rails yesterday.  I made them from my cherry stock. My wood joinery skills were put to a real test in the micro size of these things. I also made the pin rails.  I used bass wood strips and spray painted them with my airbrush.
 
I have also given consideration to the kit supplied belaying pins.  They are made of brass, and of course must be painted or blackened (or browned, but I don't have that product). So last month, while on business in Sandusky, I had the opportunity to stop in the local hobby store, and to my surprise, they actually had a rack of model shipway parts and such. I picked up 4 bags (all they had) of wooden belaying pins. They are already stained dark, but I don't have enough of them.  I suppose I could order some to complete the set, but decided to consider another alternative.  I found some decorative toothpicks, with a head, when cut and shaped, works pretty well as a belaying pin. I have attached pictures of all three. At some point, I will decide which ones to use.  The size is an issue, since the wooden ones, especially the model shipway pins, look a bit out of scale (large).
 
Any suggestions?
 
PS. Please forgive me for my sloppy use of sailing terminology. I am learning.
 

Umm.  Not the "masts" dummy.  These are spars.

And here are some photos of the completed masts.

Jackstays
 
I worked on the masts today, trying to get everything ready to paint. I had an idea to make a jig for drilling all of the holes for the jackstays. Iplaced a round tip bit into the router table and cut a half circle bead on a piece of scrap.  I would use that to seat the masts. I then marked and drilled a series of guide holes a centimeter apart as per the plans.  Once the masts were secured to the jig, I used the guide holes and with my diamond tipped bit on the dremel, plunge drilled the jackstays holes in the masts. It worked on all of the masts.  Once done, I used the small eyebolts from the kit, cut them to size, and glued them in place with medium CA.  The jackstays came out straight and evenly spaced.  I also saved a good amount of time.
 
Here are some shots of the process.
 
 

And here are some photos of the completed masts.

Jackstays
 
I worked on the masts today, trying to get everything ready to paint. I had an idea to make a jig for drilling all of the holes for the jackstays. Iplaced a round tip bit into the router table and cut a half circle bead on a piece of scrap.  I would use that to seat the masts. I then marked and drilled a series of guide holes a centimeter apart as per the plans.  Once the masts were secured to the jig, I used the guide holes and with my diamond tipped bit on the dremel, plunge drilled the jackstays holes in the masts. It worked on all of the masts.  Once done, I used the small eyebolts from the kit, cut them to size, and glued them in place with medium CA.  The jackstays came out straight and evenly spaced.  I also saved a good amount of time.
 
Here are some shots of the process.
 
 

Mike,
 
Good points all.  The plans call for baseboard trim pieces around all of the structures, so I may be able to hide any gaps created by the crown.

Companionway II
 
Well I finally finished the companionway and the captains quarter skylight. I trimmed out the windows in cherry stripwood, I built the hatch rails and hatch frame out of holly. I finished the hatch roof and door out of cherry strips.
 
This was a chore, and for those of you that have the Niagara plans, you will note a big mistake in the structures, Not a real big one, but since I made the same mistake twice, I had to reveal it.  I created the companionway with three windows per side, BUT, the plans only call for two windows per side. The salon skylight callsefor three windows, and I only put in two.
 
If you have followed this log, you will remember that I REBUILT these structures.  The first time, I made the same mistake, and when I decided to rebuild them, I figured I would fix this.  Well........ In my haste to get these things done (like trying to hurry doing a chore that took three days), I made the very same mistake again. Arghhhh. I have to keep reminding myself to look at the plans once and a while.
 
Here are some photos.  I had to see what they looked like on deck, so I simply put them in place.  
 
Up next, pin and fife rails.
 
 

Guys,
 
This discussion begs a question - Are there any period documents, diagrams, plans, wood cuts, paintings etc of either the Niagara or her sister ship the Lawrence?

Companionway
 
Finished the second skylight and began working on the companionway. Even though I have already built one of these, I worked most of the night just to get to this point. I still have to build the slide brackets and top, and then get it all to fit, then the door and the trim.
 
I truly believe I could build a full sized companionway in a shorter time. At least I could see what I am doing. This darn thing is small.
 
Interesting observation on the capstan Joel. You are spot on. With all of these deck structures, and the capstan wedged inbetween the salon skylight and the companionway, you can't. While the capstan bars appear to be mounted above the tops of the two structures, unless the men are prepared to step onto the roofs, it would be impossible. As I look at my build, I am not sure that my companion way will be low enough to clear the bars, making this even more of a problem.
 
I am sold. CASE CLOSED. The skylights and companionway are clearly a modern anomoly. Great point Joel.

Companionway
 
Finished the second skylight and began working on the companionway. Even though I have already built one of these, I worked most of the night just to get to this point. I still have to build the slide brackets and top, and then get it all to fit, then the door and the trim.
 
I truly believe I could build a full sized companionway in a shorter time. At least I could see what I am doing. This darn thing is small.
 
Interesting observation on the capstan Joel. You are spot on. With all of these deck structures, and the capstan wedged inbetween the salon skylight and the companionway, you can't. While the capstan bars appear to be mounted above the tops of the two structures, unless the men are prepared to step onto the roofs, it would be impossible. As I look at my build, I am not sure that my companion way will be low enough to clear the bars, making this even more of a problem.
 
I am sold. CASE CLOSED. The skylights and companionway are clearly a modern anomoly. Great point Joel.

Brian and Mike,
 
Thanks for stopping in. While it might be obvious, I failed to mention that I remove the block after the walls are constructed.  The block not only keeps the structure square, it also allows you to keep the vertical walls plumb. I glue the butt joints and the horizontal surfaces which allows you to build these things without a frame.
 
Laying the structures along the cherry deck looks pretty good.
 
I have to work on the companionway tonight.  That is a much more complicated structure with the sliding roof and door way.

Companionway
 
Finished the second skylight and began working on the companionway. Even though I have already built one of these, I worked most of the night just to get to this point. I still have to build the slide brackets and top, and then get it all to fit, then the door and the trim.
 
I truly believe I could build a full sized companionway in a shorter time. At least I could see what I am doing. This darn thing is small.
 
Interesting observation on the capstan Joel. You are spot on. With all of these deck structures, and the capstan wedged inbetween the salon skylight and the companionway, you can't. While the capstan bars appear to be mounted above the tops of the two structures, unless the men are prepared to step onto the roofs, it would be impossible. As I look at my build, I am not sure that my companion way will be low enough to clear the bars, making this even more of a problem.
 
I am sold. CASE CLOSED. The skylights and companionway are clearly a modern anomoly. Great point Joel.

Companionway
 
Finished the second skylight and began working on the companionway. Even though I have already built one of these, I worked most of the night just to get to this point. I still have to build the slide brackets and top, and then get it all to fit, then the door and the trim.
 
I truly believe I could build a full sized companionway in a shorter time. At least I could see what I am doing. This darn thing is small.
 
Interesting observation on the capstan Joel. You are spot on. With all of these deck structures, and the capstan wedged inbetween the salon skylight and the companionway, you can't. While the capstan bars appear to be mounted above the tops of the two structures, unless the men are prepared to step onto the roofs, it would be impossible. As I look at my build, I am not sure that my companion way will be low enough to clear the bars, making this even more of a problem.
 
I am sold. CASE CLOSED. The skylights and companionway are clearly a modern anomoly. Great point Joel.

Brian and Mike,
 
Thanks for stopping in. While it might be obvious, I failed to mention that I remove the block after the walls are constructed.  The block not only keeps the structure square, it also allows you to keep the vertical walls plumb. I glue the butt joints and the horizontal surfaces which allows you to build these things without a frame.
 
Laying the structures along the cherry deck looks pretty good.
 
I have to work on the companionway tonight.  That is a much more complicated structure with the sliding roof and door way.

​Skylights
 
​​Still working on deck structures.  Months ago, I built the three skylights.  I built them out of bass wood strips per the plans. This was a tedious project that took me days to accomplish. The plans call for the structures to be painted, and all one color, walls, frames and roof.  To be fair, the current ship's skylights are indeed painted a light brown - and all one color.
 
I have viewed posts on this site, and agree with the commenters that these skylights are probably a modern addition, and would not have been present on the 1813 version, at least in this form.  I would imagine however that there would have been some form of structure that would allow light in the hold and protection from rain.
 
Deciding to go with the structures as planned, I decide to forego the all one color.  I elected to line the roofs with cherry strip wood, that I would not paint. I masked off the roofs and sanded and primed the walls, and they sat in my make-shift paint booth waiting for me to find an acceptable beige paint. 
 
I looked at those skylights for weeks, and every time I did, I just did not think I could paint them to look good enough. So, I decided to scrap the existing structures and start over. I have learned that anytime I can avoid painting something, that is a preferable way to go. This time, I would build the walls out of of holly, and would mill some small cherry strip wood for the roofs, window sills and window covers.
 
As I learned the first time around, I cut out balsa blocks to the size of the skylights and used that as a support to build around.  It assured that the structures were square, and made the work with the small strips easier.  I cut 45 degree but joints on my mini miter box.  Getting the right size is a challenge, but once achieved, a block clamped to the fence allowed me to cut multiple even sized strips.
 
I have provided pictures of the process.  The built skylight at the top was the first version out of bass wood with a coat of white primer. The end product of the new design out of holly and cherry was much more acceptable.