niwotwill

Fantastic shrouds and ratlines. Every time I check in on your work I amazed at such a high level of detail perfection of your work. You work much faster than me and each time it amazes the amount of work that been done. Great job start to now keep it up I can't wait to the see the finished Syren. I have a question about the ratlines, what size is the rope?, Did you wax the rope or some other prep? (they hang perfectly), What glue did you use on the ends? Stay Well and Stay Safe Will

4 MONTHS LATER Major problems have risen their ugly head!! This is the reason for the long delay between posts I have not given up. I got all the lettered frames made using the modified Ed Tosti method and I started putting the stiffening blocks and port sills between the frames to give rigidity to the assembly when the problems were discovered. I'll try to explain the issues hopefully making it clear to all and to most of all to me. First a picture of the Washingtons current state The problems 1: I failed to use the Tosti method exactly as he describes. My thinking was to simplify the process by not assembling the frame on top of the patterns. 2: Thinking that I didn't have to worry about the top of the frames as I could bring them to the correct height after standing. 3: Not being accurate when cutting the gun and sweep port reliefs. 4: Not realizing the the waterline marking must be exact both on the frame and the gantry How to fix: I realized that my woodworking skills were not up to the level to make a scratch model so I found the series of David Antscherl models by Model Shipways and built them to improve my skills. Lowell Grand Banks Dory, Norwegian Sailing Pram, and Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack were built and I must say I learned many valuable skills, tips and hints from them. All three in front of the Washingtons present state. What did I learn from all of this: 1: The old rule of measure twice cut once is now look at the plans twice and assemble once. 2: If not good enough make another 3. Verify the part is like the print by visually aligning them. 4. Stand the frame to meet the marked water lines. 5. Finish each frame before starting another i.e. install blocks and gun and sweep port sills so verification of correctness can be done. 6. Take my time it is not a race. Now I need to take the Washington out to the yard and remove all the frames trying to save the keel assembly and then start over. Stay Well and Stay Safe Will

Maury I'm entering the HAER Lettie G. Howard into my CAD system to develop the patterns to make her parts. Also ordered the ECB and the kit is in the hands of USP somewhere. (should see her next week) Your log will be very useful to me with ECB since I've been collecting books and photos as you. I'd like to pull up a front row chair if there is still room. Waiting is the hardest part Stay Well and Stay Safe Will

She's looking fantastic I'm pulling up a chair to follow along if there is room for one more. Just a tip I learned from master modeler David Antschsrl. Using binder clamps or any clamp on the soft texture of basswood can leave dents in the surface, if you moisten the dent and let it dry it usually swells and fills the dent. Again she's look great I can't wait to start mine is in the clutches of UPS. Should see next week. Stay Well and Stay Safe Will

Back working on the Syren again after a brief interruption. Finished the oars and rudder for the longboat. Made more rope for the carronade rigging. The strands of Aurifil Mako 50wt make a .008 dia rope for rigging so I made 60 feet and hope that will be enough. One carronade rigged only fifteen to go. Yippee. Many thanks to Thomas Gahm for his help will the tooling and his method of coiling. Day off modeling tomorrow looking forward to family day touring Tovar Castle in Phoenix and then out to dinner with our girls. They grow up so fast but they are still our girls even though they are on their own. Stay Well and Stay Safe Will

Many Thanks Thomas one done 15 to go Will Stay Well and Stay Safe Will

Thomas you da man. I'm off to the bench to make up the tool and give it a try. Thanks again Stay Well and Stay Safe Will

Good Afternoon Thomas I've started rigging my carronades and would like to use your method for coiling the lines but I need some information on the tooling you made. Looking at the tool it appears to be sitting on a felt pad, then a wood disc, next I'm unsure of, then a clear plastic disc all held loosely by the pin. My questions are what is on top of the wood disc and how is pressure applied keeping the line between the ? surface and clear plastic? It appears the line is held in the center through a hole, is that correct? By using the plank width i guessed the wood disc is about 1/2" dia and the clear plastic is about 1/16" thick. Based on these assumptions I'm going to make a tool and give it a try. Many thanks for all you help and the beautiful photos of you Syren. Can't say enough of much help it is to follow your build. Stay Well and Stay Safe Will

Fantastic progress 🙌 Really enjoyed the pictures. Now that I'm back I'll go back through the log and take a closer look. Loved the hammocks. Stay well and stay safe Will

2 Months later: Many thanks Patrick, Robin, Steven and all the others with likes and kind comments. I've been busy working on small projects taking a break from Syren. I found the three step kits from Model Expo designed by David Antscherl to be very helpful and a great learning experience. Now back to Syren Since my last post I painted the carronade sleds made the rings for rigging painted the guns assembled all 16. The hardest part was adjusting the leveling screw to get the barrels equally leveled and symmetrical in the gun ports. I had to label each gun to each port but even the best laid plans can go awry. I put a piece of blue masking tape under each sled and after a couple of days most of them pealed the bottom and i had to start over. This time I used a magic marker to number them. you can see the second gun is lever but not centered in the port so this is why it took so long to get a symmetrical appearance. After too much fiddling I got them to be somewhat satisfactory. I cleaned the deck and started rigging port one (starboard and port) breech lines. Having a look at how crowded the deck will be with the guns mounted I decided to rig each as I place them. With lines rigged to blocks having an eye and hook I decided to rig the 4 lines and mount them to the eye bolts with the hooks. I'm going to make a fixture to hold the blocks while I string the rigging lines. TBD Until then I need to make 128 eye hooks. (going to have some fun now_ First I took the kit blocks and put them in the block tumbler to smooth off the corners and make a more round shape. Next I broached the holes with a drill to ensure the rigging line will pass through them without problems. To stain the blocks I dipped them in pre-stain and then in light oak stain. Not happy with the results some blocks are almost black others are a white oak color. What gives? I'll live with it as I don't want to spend anymore money on this kit. To make the eye hooks that would be correct to scale (imo) I made a simple fixture consisting of a piece of wood with two holes for pins. I used #9 silk pins of .028 diameter. Using 26AWG bare copper wire for the hook and eye. I wrapped the wire around the pin and the resulting i.d. was .03 (2" diameter ring) Silver soldered the ring to give it the strength to retain shape during rigging Cut off one leg and placed the ring on the pin wrapping the lasting leg around the second pin The resulting ring/hook

Ron thanks for taking the time too present your methods it gives me another alternative to get large files scanned. As a follow on to Marks post I have found that at a local engineering copy center they can scan drawings up 34" by 44" (E size) and adjust scale to meet your needs. The output can be most formats including tiff. Thanks for sharing your method Stay well and stay safe Will

If you were playing poker you'd have a full house A's high. My what a beautiful deck you've made again I say I can't wait to see you next feats. Happy New Year Stay well and stay safe Will

Patrick I'm wondering how hard Sculpey gets when baked. Does it carve well or should you carve prior to baking? Thinking of using it to carve the stern ornamental carving but would Sculpey be too fragile. Thoughts? Wife said I could use oven but don't make it a mess. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Stay well and stay safe Will

Hey Robin I just read Patricks log about using Sculpy to make carronade wheels and thought I'd try to make stern carvings with Sculpy. Wife said I could use oven. Don't make a mess. Lets give it a go and see how we do, Hey! She's coming along wonderfully Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Stay well and stay safe Will

Love the look of the longboat on the gallows bits and as Gahm said it really make the scene. Wonderful work. Can't wait to follow along to see what other amazing feats you have to show. Happy Holidays Stay well and stay safe Will

Patrick Simply amazing the ingenuity of your solution. Truly a moment of glory they look wonderful. I now need to start learning how to use sculpy. A friend suggested I try it but I've never had the nerve to use the wires oven. Again WELL DONE 👏 Stay well and stay safe Will

Finished the belaying pins 125 total more than enough but I'm sure some will break during rigging. Started making the roller slides for beneath the carronade slides. I used a brass square tube cut to length then drilled holes for roller axels. Cut slices of brass tube at correct width for the rollers and after cutting off one side of the square tube leaving a channel. Used brass rod for the axels and pushed it all together. A small drop of silver solder on the ends of the axels keeps it all together. Just need to blacken and they'll be ready to use. I've been working on the longboat and am now touching up the paint after the cap rail, rubbing strip, stem, keel and stern post I'll post results when the project is finished. Okay I'm putting off the carronades since I don't like the look of the breech ring and the mounting pieces so I'd better get back to it. The mounting pieces I'd made were to unfinished looking so I took a couple and filed the sides and the overall shape. I like them better now with a smoother look. So I did 2 and now only 30 to go. hahaha I'm going to change the breech rings to look more as they were part of the casting rather than added on. I saw one post where the rings were made from wire/rod and inserted into holes drilled in the carronade body. When soldered the fillet should give the appearance of being one piece. Well that it for now I'll let you know how it all turns out Stay well and Stay safe Will

Just stumbled onto your log and thought I'd follow along. Many great ideas and techniques that i'll put to good use. Many thanks. Your Syren is looking very nice can't wait to see more. Will

Patrick she's looking very good I like you margin planks and the scarf looks nice equal on both sides Port & Starboard. I notice you went with a darker red paint I like the darkness not a over bearing red color that's why I went with vermillion red with a little brown. Now the belaying pins per Thomas he dropped me the not and the photo is in his log posting #600. It really helped to have a sketch with dimensions in front of you so you could eyeball the distances. Hope this helps Stay well and stay safe Wii

Thomas Just a note of thanks. Today I finished making 125 belaying pins per your method and I'm quite proud of how they turned out. Again many thanks and I keep looking for longboat progress. Stay well and stay safe Will

You are very correct on bending the ribs but the finished job looks great. Very nice spacings and the floorboards look extremely nice. Great job. Just a note I started to work on the longboat as a break and hadn't dry fit the furnished stem, keel and sternpost only to discover that i'd not shaped the bow in the radius of the furnished stem. So to fix the problem I used Sculpey to copy the bottom and used it as a pattern to make my own stem, keel and sternpost. I'll post the results when finished. Beautiful job. Stay well and stay safe Will

Progress is slowly being made on the carronades. I worked on centering the barrels in the gun port openings and decided to not use the ring on the bottom of the barrel but instead use a rod. The rod will act as an axel for the mounts. A slot was cut across the barrel and then a 1/32" rod was soldered into the slot. Instead of the wooden mounts I made mine from copper and soldered the pieces together. Using an idea I found in another post I took a 1/32" by 3/32" brass strip and cut a groove the length an then laid a brass tube in the groove. Tacked them together with silver solder and soft soldered the entire length creating fillets. Sliced of the 1/16" mounts like a loaf of bread. When the mounts are glued to the sled the axle will be held fast. Cutting the groove for the tube Completed mounts and carronade Well now its on to the sleds Stay well and stay safe Will

Thanks for the kind words PaavoOso, grab a seat and lets go for a build. I've been working on another model and have just finished the after frame patterns (#1 through #17). Frame 1 & 2 are built and ready to be set. I try to get a group of frames built so that I won't waste a batch of 'liver of sulfur' when I blacken the copper nails. Again thanks for following along Stay well and stay safe Will

Nice job of the deck to smooth the surface for planking. Its coming along fantastic I love to see you ideas of how to overcome obstacles. Great Job Pat Stay well and stay safe Will

Looking great does not convey the level of admiration your deck furnishing bring when I study the photos. The fife rails as something to behold the level of detail down to the radius edges. Amazing work. Longboat looks very nice I like the even thickness of the sides. Can't wait to see how it progresses. Great Work Will