Srodbro
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Suggest White-Jacket: Life on a Man-of-war, by Hernam Melville for 19th Century American Navy life on a frigate. Also, there is an unforgettable chapter in Victor Hugo's novel Ninety-Three, about the battle with the canon (from whence "loose canon" derives) Amazon has a $2 kindle edition version, with period illustrations. For us oldsters, suggest Joseph Conrad's Youth. A good short read on a winter eve with a glass of port.
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Would the sealer affect or be affected by CA or other adhesives?
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I have the plans for the six-masted schooner Wyoming, and would like to build a half-hull model of her at 1/8"=1' scale. This will be quite large (about 43" long x 3" thick x 3 3/4" tall). I've made several solid hull kits, most of basswood, one of some sort of pine, which have turned out well, but the largest hull was only about 18" long. I have read the Half Model tutorial, and several of the forums, and am seeking advice on the proper wood (poplar seems popular) to use. I plan to paint the hull, so staining is not a consideration. Any suggestions? Any concerns about warping or twisting of such a long, narrow piece? Thanks.
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Thanks for the comments. I recognize the pic that Mr. Zardoz included as a model at the Erie Maritime Museum. Clearly this differs from another model at the same museum, and of the full size vessel. Looking at other pics online, I see at least two other variations in paint scheme (one with a narrow red stripe above the predominant yellow). Aside from paint schemes, I am not finding any information that clearly identifies differences. That being the case, I presume that nobody could have serious heartache if I called my in-progress build of a Niagara kit the Lawrence, in honor of the fallen commander of the Chesapeake?
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I recently read Walter Rybka's Lake Erie Campaign of 1813. The two brigs, Niagara and Lawrence, were built at the same time and fought in the same battle. Perry initially commanded the Lawrence which took the biggest battering by the British, then he transferred to Niagara. I wondered if there were any notable differences between the two craft.
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Working with braided steel lines
Srodbro replied to skipper1947's topic in Masting, rigging and sails
Skipper1947 ... hope this reply isn't too much off topic, if so I apologize. Can anyone address how how to straighten braided or twisted steel wire? Grsjax mentions the possibility of annealing the steel wire. I thought you could only anneal steel by very slowly cooling it after eating to bright red (not quenching, and not air cooling). To bend it I thought requires forming while red hot. ( at least, that is what I've experienced with "piano" wire) Not sure how to do that with braided steel. Thanks. -
Perfect ... thank you. There should be loose ends, and they are not tied to the tiller.
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Here is a pic of the tiller rigging I was referring to. It doesn't seem to do anything.
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I am working on a Baltimore Clipper model and have a tiller, but know helm. I've seen pics that show some lines attached to the tiller that don't seem to attach to anything else .... I can't figure their purpose or advantage. There is a pair of blocks attached to the man-end of the tiller, which have lines rove thru them to a pair of blocks at the deck, and a line running across the deck. If there was a helm to which they attached, I'd get it. But, steering is only with a tiller. Can anyone enlighten me?
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Biddlecombe's "Art of Rigging" shows (Plate VI, Fig. 10) an anchor on the bottom with the cable run thru the anchor ring, but extending further down to and around the flukes, secured with a clove hitch, but also continuing back to the surface and attached to a buoy. Not clear if an anchor bend occurs at the ring; I would assume it does otherwise it's just a clove hitch holding things together. Question is: When would this arrangement be used? When bottom is known to be snaggy? When the need to possibly slip the cable due to anticipated storm? Having the cable terminate at a buoy would allow a boat to retrieve the end, and then weigh the anchor from the fluke end if snagged. Obviously, the decision to use this arrangement would have to be made before the anchor is dropped.
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Just displaying my ignorance: What are "baggy wrinkles " ? Anything like cross catharpins?
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There are many methods to bend planks for models (see the many tutorials on the Framing-Planking forum). We know shipyards had steaming houses and chambers for bending planks. My question is: Your frigate having just done battle with the enemy somewhere in the Indian Ocean, how does YOUR ships carpenter bend planks to repair YOUR ship?
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Do you think pre-painting elements will affect the ability to cement them together?
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Ok ... Call me Steve. Here is a pic of what I was trying to describe for "Ghost sails". Just the sail outline in white thread. I built a quick mock-up today to test the idea. I think with a bit more refinement, I may have an acceptable alternative to the outline method. In my original post I was wondering if anyone else had tried this approach, and problems and solutions. Comments welcome.
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I am a fan of modeling with "ghost sails", the practice of rigging a contrasting color "sail" that is just an outline of the sail, with connections to halyards, tacks and sheets. I guess it is for those of us that can't decide if we want to model sails or not. Clearly, it isn't "realistic", but for me that's OK. I've been satisfied with this technique on models with fore-and-aft sails. But, I am currently doing a Baltimore Clipper at 5/32" equal one foot, and want to do the square sails on yards in a raised position. I have not been satisfied with ghost sails I've rigged as square sails. I've been considering adding a little more substance to the sails on this model by making the sails of "cheesecloth" or gauze, to maintain some of the transparency of a ghost sail, while still giving a good impression of the sail area on this type vessel. Has anyone tried this?
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Not oak. Tried it and it looked good until it was glued down. Then, the scale of the grain was too pronounced. Color was nice, though.
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I obtained on eBay a kit advertised as "vintage", seller stating that kit had been stored in a closet for years, and had some work done on it; that it was actually a combination of two kits; appears complete, instructions but no plans. I am building this kit, and am remarkably satisfied with it. Whomever started it shaped the solid hull beautifully (there are still a couple of his pencil marks on it). The hull appears to be pine, really seasoned well and a joy to work with. Same for most wood strips. I obtained from MS a set of plans, and found updated instructions on their website for a kit that appears to be currently out of production. The plans are copyrighted 1954. One set of instructions (2 sets came in the box) is dated 1969 and has "Model Shipways, Bogota, NJ" noted on it; the other instructions (much more condensed) are undated, but is notated "Model Shipways, Fort Lee, NJ". So here are my questions.... When did kits transition from pine to basswood? Why? At least when well seasoned it (pine) seems a great material. When did MS move from Fort Lee to Bogota (and then to Florida)?
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