gjdale

Well done on getting the log back up B.E. Perhaps she should be re-named HMS Phoenix! 

Simply stunning Nils!

Simply stunning Nils!

Simply stunning Nils!

Update
Build log part 54
 
railing has been added to the mid ship platform, and funnel 3 + 4 understructures have the lights fitted. Also all vents and gratings fitted.
The upper platform is supported from the lower deck at both outer sides. These supports fit between two davits in order to enable their swing function...
 
Nils
 

foreground (bottom, left) are the boats winches
 

The command bridge area now requires some attention
 

I`m pleased with the progress, its not so very far more to go...
 

the model is comprising 86 vents in different sizes
 

must be thousands of "rivets" holding the plates together...
 

one of the deck-crew taking a rest on the aft anchorchain gear
 

deck curvature can be noticed here...
 

the SPLINTERS..........
 
 
Yet another small update. Planking on the starboard side is almost finished, no more walnut for a while. Just a few remaining strakes on the upper works, but I will leave that for now,I don't want the unguarded tops of the planks to get mashed when I'm working on the port side.
 
I've only given this side of the hull a rudimentary sanding as yet. Still a lot of cleaning up to do, as well as evening up the ends of the planks.
 
Anyway, I'm still happy with the way things worked out, not entirely happy with the kit, but that's another matter.
 
Hmm.... port side looks rather naked...
 
Andy

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 201 – Lower Mast Coats
 
When I decided to wedge the masts with pieced wedges, it was clear that some sort of mast coats would be required to cover the openings between wedges – not to keep out water as in real life practice, but to simulate the real coats and to improve the appearance at the bases of the masts.
 
Apart from terse descriptions, there was not a lot to go on in making these.  My usual search through photos gave some ideas, but ultimately the solution came from the question, "What would I do to make a watertight canvas 'flashing' over the mast wedges?"  I am comforted by the thought that many ships' carpenters asked similar questions – and came up with a variety of solutions - as the few pictures I have seen illustrate.
 
The canvas for the model coats is tissue and in the first picture a strip of this is being wound around the glue-coated main mast and its wedging.
 

 
Several strips were used with plenty of glue and not too much effort to smooth out the result.  Canvas would most definitely have wrinkles when forced into the required shape.  The next picture shows rope being tied around the top to clinch it tightly around the mast.
 

 
In practice the coat would have been caulked and tacked around the mast and deck, but rope cinches would keep it from tearing out from the nails and risking damage to the high-value cargo these ships often carried.
 
At the bottom, a flange was simulated using card and fitted around the mast at the base as shown in the next picture.
 

 
When this was glued in place and allowed to dry, a second rope cinch was added at the base.  The next picture shows the coat being "tarred" with fairly thick, dark grey, artists' acrylic paint,
 

 
After drying the coat was brushed with black, thinned, acrylic wash to highlight the wrinkles in the canvas and the ropes as shown below.
 

 
Those that have been following the project will note that the glistening brass pump wheels, by now well tarnished and lacking their original appeal, have been painted.  Next job for the painters, the equally tarnished poop monkey rail.
 
Other true followers may also notice in the picture that I have finally gotten around to adding the central posts to the fore and aft fife rails that were previously omitted.
 
 
Ed
 
 


 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hello,

Here we continue with the construction of the masts.
The following picture shows the foremast in progress.

The other picture shows the parts for the lower mast
Crosstrees and the frontfish for the main mast.

Congratulations of a fine build Per. 

Yes Jay, went the extra mile and bought the PM-V11 set.  And yes, hand cutting dovetails is on the agenda.....

Great work Jay. Those new tools look gorgeous - I'm drooling over my keyboard reading your posts! I've just received a set of Veritas chisels (for larger scale woodwork). They look and feel wonderful - cant wait to start using them.

Build day: 9
4 hours today, 23 hours in total.
 
Today I continued planking the front and rear decks plus front deck wall.
Strips used:
Main planking : 1x5mm,
Middle of the lids: 1x4mm
Frames of the lids 2x2mm (inner part), 1x3mm (outer part), the outer part strip is glued on its 1mm edge, hence it is higher than the lid's middle area.
 
With the one in my previous post, they are altogether 4 pieces.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Thanks for watching.

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 200 – Lower Masts Continued
 
It is hard to believe we are at the 200th post on Young America – almost 3 ½ years into the project.  Still as exciting as ever – for me at least.
 
Since beginning work on the lower masts, most of the reporting has been on the fore mast – the guinea pig for construction, finishing and rigging – and only one version in the scrap box.  However, though mostly unseen, work has been proceeding on the other two, so here are a few pics.  The first is the most recent, taken yesterday and showing the main mast ready for fitting the deadeyes and rigging the futtock shrouds. 
 

 
The mizzen mast to the left is almost to the same state, but needs its masthead detailing.  The next picture shows the main top before fitting the deadeyes.
 

 
At 18' 6" in breadth, this is somewhat larger than the 17' fore top.  The "pre-rigging on this top includes a pair of brace blocks for the mizzen lower yard, the crojack.  These may be seen dangling from shackles below the aft crosstree.  Because of the soldered shackles, any shackled connections, including eyebolts, need to be either fitted with their blocks or left off until later.
 
The next picture shows the forward chafing batten being glued to the mizzen mast.
 

 
The batten is concave on the mast face and was rounded on the forward face after gluing.  The top, with the 9" diameter spanker mast inserted, is to the lower left.  The below-deck rings have been blackened and the ring of wedges is in place.  After this step the above deck ironwork was buffed with a clean wheel and blackened as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The sanding stick in the picture was used to clean the glue off the batten's nail heads (not shown).  The next picture shows the mizzen at this stage.
 

 
The top and the spanker mast are permanently attached in this picture.  The picture also shows small brail blocks hanging from the mast.  These will be discussed later.
 
By this time, the foremast was complete and could, if desired, be permanently installed.  The last picture its base with a mast coat fitted over the wedges.
 

 
The mast coat simulates a tarred canvas cover with surrounding rope to pull it tight at the mast and at the base.  It would also have been nailed before tarring.   I could find no standard method for these – only brief and varied descriptions.
 
Ed

Ok this is what I have now. It looks correct to me and I think it pretty closely compares with Chuck's Cheerful. The planks on the top of this break would need to drop to close to half their width and that suggests one drop plank, and that is what he has on Cheerful.
 

 
''
 

 

 
Cheerful, best side view I can find.
 

 

Have fun Rick! Don't worry, I'll just keep count of what's your fault for not being here
 

I forgot the other part of the spookiness, it's noticeably easier to sharpen than A2, at least as easy as O1. So pay attention with the first sharpening to get a feel for the rate of metal removal.
 
Tony thanks. Although it's Jay/Vossie, Grant is just commenting here. I answer fine to Vossie, have had some version of this name for like 26 years now. Ex-wife #2 who I'm still close to calls me that frequently, usually when she thinks I'm misbehaving.
 
I read your discussion and some of the others on the topmast position to know that you could make an argument for either position but that forward seemed to be more common, so that's what I'm going to do.
 
I wish I had known there was something of a consistent problem with gunports. In my case the issue is the kit designers have gunports following gunwale top line sheer not the deck sheer, and that results in guns at either end that can't shoot low and ones in the middle that can't shoot high. Well that's an exaggeration but they do have differing fields of fire.
 
I think the problem is simply that on the real ships the deck sheer followed the top line sheer. This is 1817, but still quite close to the LN generation, similar top lines and gunports, but you can see the deck indicated just above the wales following that same sheer. Or at least I think that's the deck. If you're wondering I fiddled with this quickly to make it a bit clearer.
 

 
 
But a couple more questions while I'm at it -
 
1. Why is LN carvel built, I thought clinker was still standard early 1800?
2. What in the world is the purpose of the upper mini-wale on LN that crosses the gunports? It's broken in 6 places, its contribution to bulwark strength is going to be pretty close to zero.

For those trying to find their NRG member number, and who like me had thrown out the packaging and secretary's letter already, I was able to go into the NRG Store and find it (I think). I selected the option to renew membership and (can't quite remember the exact sequence) it took me to a place where I could see when I last updated my membership (June last year). Their was a four digit reference number on this, so I'm assuming that is my membership number (at Ieast, I'm hoping it is!).
 
Just thought this might help some others (if I'm correct in my assumption about the four digit number).

Yes Jay, went the extra mile and bought the PM-V11 set.  And yes, hand cutting dovetails is on the agenda.....

Photos of the staircases in place with the newly constructed quarterdeck breast rail.
 
Next up is finishing up on all of the remaining deck fixtures, boat supports, and remaining forecastle guns.
 
Vince P. 

Congratulations of a fine build Per. 

Yes Jay, went the extra mile and bought the PM-V11 set.  And yes, hand cutting dovetails is on the agenda.....

Congratulations of a fine build Per. 

Yes Jay, went the extra mile and bought the PM-V11 set.  And yes, hand cutting dovetails is on the agenda.....

I am done!
The special feature I have included is a signal cannon.
I did som research and found that some longboats carried a signal cannon.
So I added it to the port side at the stem.
 
This longboat has been a great build, even though it took its time to get there.
Moving and other things came in-between.
And I have a lot of extra material saved from the kit and the boxwood upgrade.
 
I like to thank you all that followed me through this build, with likes and comments.
Special  to Chuck for support!
 

I've now done the mizzen topsail and topgallant yards and their rigging. The yards were made as the previous yards. The topsail yard has an eight sided center section and the topgallant is round throughout.The blocks for the lifts, sheets clews and braces well as lines for the ties and trusses were added before mounting on the mast.
 
After mounting, rigging was completed for all of the lines to these yards, including the braces, which run through lead blocks previously attached to the mizzen gaff.
 
All that remains of the rigging now is the remainder of the braces and the main lower clews, tacks and sheets. Since I have continually (and stupidly) underestimated the amount of rigging line that was needed, I'm currently awaiting another delivery of line to allow me to finish that work.
 
Bob