shipmodel

Hi again, and thanks for the likes and compliments.  
 
It is going well, I think.  I am trying to create the look of a working ship, rather than one fresh off the building ways.  
 
Now that the foredeck is installed, I turned to the waist.  With the cannon rigged out they can be covered by the gangways.  But first I decided to put in the ropes that go through the hull and belay below the gangways.  It would have been much harder to do them with the gangways in place.  These are the main course tack that goes through the chesstree, and the two sheets that go through the sheaves in the hull.
 
These lines will be some of the larger running rigging ropes and, because of their locations, some of the more visually prominent ones.  They have to be good quality and look like miniature rope.  I could have laid them up on my ropewalk, but I have a few spools of treasured Cuttyhunk Irish linen line (which is no longer available for any price).   The Zane Grey and Natural colors are too white, but a quick run through Minwax wood stain in Ipswitch Pine color makes them look the right shade.
 
1
 
Even examined closely this gives them the look of miniature rope.
 
2
 
I fed the line through the hull openings.  The larger line (C-21) was used for the tacks which belayed to cleats, while the smaller one (C-12) was for the sheets.which belayed to the staghorn kevil.
 
3
 
Although each line is tied off properly, they were all further secured with dilute white glue.  When dry the ends were nipped off and hidden by separate rope coils.  I make these on a simple jig.  A block of soft wood - basswood in this case, but it could be balsa - has several holes drilled in the top face and one or two holes in the front face in the same line.  Removable brass pegs fit into the holes and everything is given several coats of clear finish to keep glue from sticking to it.  Then matching lines are wrapped around the pegs with the ends friction fit into notches in the jig.
 
4
 
As I wrap I randomly make larger and smaller loops and even the occasional figure eight.  When I have the look that I want, the coils are painted with dilute white glue.  Actually, they are first wet down with water, which helps the dilute glue to penetrate the line rather than having it sit on the surface.  When the glue is dry the top peg is removed and the coil peeled up from the jig and trimmed.  Using dilute glue means that the coils are flexible while still holding their shape.
 
5
 
The coils are hung over the belaying points, teased into position where they look like they are hanging with the force of gravity, and secured with white glue.
 
6
 
7
 
In the photos you can see the supporting knees for the gangways.  These were made as before by cutting and shaping a stick and then parting off individual ones.  After locating and installing the forward and aft ones, the gangways were glued in, then the middle two knees for each gangway were installed.  In the photo you can see the ropes that feed through the hull.  I left what I hope is more than enough to reach to the sails, but we will see when the rigging is installed.
 
8
 
The final fittings in the waist were the four ladders from the gun deck up to the gangways.  They were wider at the base than at the top, and were built up as has been detailed before as a stack, then parted off.
 
9
 
After individual ladders were parted off they were cleaned up, stained and installed.
 
10
 
Now that the waist was complete, I turned to the quarterdeck.  The railing that was built up last time was installed, then the whipstaff.  For those not familiar, this is an obsolete steering device that predated the wheel.  It consisted of a rotating fitting called a rowel set into the deck through which a staff passed before it hooked into the end of the tiller arm.  Moving the staff port or starboard turned the rudder.  It was not very efficient, but then most steering was done with the sails during this time.
 
10a
 
A hole was drilled in the deck and a piece of pear cut and sanded to fit.  The fore/aft slot for the rowel was carved into the pear piece, as were indentations for the staff clearance athwartships.  The rowel was turned from maple, and the hole drilled to allow the staff to have a sliding fit.  I set the staff at an offset angle and glued it in place.
 
11
 
You can also see the ladders from the quarterdeck to the poop deck on the roof of the captain's cabin.  These were made up as before, just a little taller than the gangway ladders.  Similarly, the post with sheaves for the lateen halyard was made like the fore and mainyard halyard fittings.  Along the bulwarks are staghorns and pinrails as drawn by Budriot.  I am not completely sold on the pinrails, which do not appear anywhere else on the ship, but they are certainly needed for belaying points.
 
The four 4-pounder cannon were rigged and installed like the 6-pounders on the gun deck.
 
12
 
 Now the deck fittings that were made up almost a year ago could be installed.  These were the companionway house, the officers' bench in front of it, and the two small binnacles.
 
13
 
The ship is now ready for rigging, which will start next month.
 
14
 
Until then, happy Thanksgiving to all and to your families.
 
Dan
 
 
 
 

Hello again and, as always, thanks for the likes and comments.
 
This time I turn to the details of the foredeck.  Although the basic structure and planking has been completed for a while, it was never attached to the hull because various components under the deck had to be completed first.  These included the guns that were done last time, the anchor bitts, and the post with sheaves for the foreyard halyard and tie system.
 
Here is the system on a contemporary model.  This is the one for the main yard, but the pieces are the same: a post attached to the deck with a number of sheaves for the halyard line; an upper ramshead block with matching sheaves and a transverse hole for the tie which comes down from the masthead; and the halyard line running between the two.  As you can see, the line goes through the deck and must pass through a series of holes or a scuttle of some sort.  There are no clear photos of this detail that I could find.
 
1
 
I also had to figure out how to install them fully rigged, since it would be quite difficult to get to the posts once the upper decks were in place.  Even RC Anderson recommends fully rigging them, then tensioning the system with the tie and not the halyard.  Here is what I came up with.
 
I started with the ramshead blocks.  I made these up with false sheaves rather than trying to build them up since they would be rigged and the sheaves hidden under the running line.   A series of five holes was drilled in a sized piece of hardwood in two matching horizontal lines using a Dremel drill press.  Then a thin grinding bitt was laid against the wood to cut a channel from one hole to the other.  You can see where I am starting the process in the right side hole with the others in later stages of carving.
 
2
 
These channels were carefully deepened and straightened, then angled at the ends of the cut until they approximately replicated the curve of the sheave that is not there.  This was done on both sides of the workpiece.  Now the blocks will accept the line which will look as though it is running around a circular sheave. 
 
Once all the slots were cut and cleaned up, the block was parted off to length and taken down to the ramshead shape with a sanding drum.  Here are the two for this model.  I do see that the tops of the blocks need some further shaping to match the one in the earlier photo.
 
3
 
In a similar way the posts that will go under the foredeck and quarterdeck were cut, pierced, and shaped.  The one on the right is an early example, before my technique was perfected, and which would be replaced if it were not going to be hidden under the foredeck.  The cut at its base is so it can fit over the knee of the anchor bitts, which brings it to the starboard side of the centerline.
 
4
 
And here are both sets, which were made up at the same time to maximize consistency.  You can see how the posts will be secured with brass rods into the deck for strength.
 
5
 
Here is the foreyard set fully rigged.  Sharp eyes will notice that there are only 4 loops of the halyard line and not 5.  When I went to install the set initially it really seemed too large for the ship.  I went back to my photos of contemporary models and found that the 5-sheave blocks were used on the largest three-deck warships.  This small frigate would not have needed such lifting power, so I took the finished pieces to the table saw and sliced off one side of all the pieces to eliminate one sheave.  This had the happy result that the scuttles in the decks did not have to be quite as large.  More on this later.
 
6
 
The next detail for the foredeck was the railing to keep sailors from falling into the waist and to house the ship’s bell.  I wanted to build and install it now so I could secure it from beneath the deck with metal pins before the foredeck was put on the model.  Here is a photo of a fairly fancy one from a model of a French ship of a somewhat later period.  Although this one is continuous from port to starboard, Budriot shows two gaps which will be used later to house spare spars and topmasts, so there is a long central section with two short sections flanking it.
 
7
 
I decided that my railing would have balusters set in channels for the body of the railing, with posts that went up through a caprail and ended in shaped timberheads that could be used to secure rigging lines.  The first task was to make a fairly large number of identical balusters without spending days turning them on a miniature lathe, which I don’t have.  I opted for the mill-and-part-off method that has worked for me with support knees, shingles, and other repetitive parts.
 
On the left is the baluster shape that I selected from internet images, then the cross section of the workpiece after milling channels with the Preac table saw and rounding off as needed with a carving bitt.  On the right is the side view of the workpiece with the parallel channels cut by the saw.  Note that the grain runs vertically.
 
8
 
Here the individual balusters are being parted off the workpiece on the Preac.  It is set up with the tall vertical fence and the thinnest, finest blade that I have.  The workpiece is being fed into the blade and is supported by a sacrificial stick held against the miter gauge.  This support stick is taller than the blade height so the end remains attached and I can push the workpiece through repeatedly, taking off identical slices.
 
9
 
Here are four of the balusters set into upper and lower channels ready for the end posts and caprail.
 
10
 
And here are a set of completed railing sections ready for installation.  Note that four of them are angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck.  
 
11
 
However, when I went to install them I realized that I had made a major mistake.  I made the railing about 40 inches tall in scale, enough to keep a man from falling over it into the waist.  This looked terrible against the size of other fittings.  I went and rechecked my dimensions to find that the railing is really only 18-24 inches tall.  Proof, once again, that if it doesn’t look right, it is probably wrong.
 
Instead, a new workpiece was shaped and short balusters were parted off.  Here you can see the relative heights of the old and new railings. 
 
12
 
You can also see that the new workpiece did not cut as cleanly as the old one.  I gave them a few coats of finish and, when dry, took off the wood fuzz with a thin pointed grinding bitt.  Here is the final set of railings, the upper ones for the quarterdeck and the lower ones with the belfry for the foredeck. 
 
13
 
So here is the foredeck ready for installation on the model.  You can see not only the railing and the scuttle for the halyard, but some additional features whose construction is pretty straightforward:  the smokestack for the galley stove, a small grating for the galley, a set of riding bitts with sheaves (also quite low to the deck), the mast coat, eyebolts for hooked rigging blocks, and that curious rigging fitting with ten cleats set onto the deck.
 
14
 
And here it is, installed.  Newly added are the catheads for the anchors, which are secured to the deck with headed bolts and the timberheads around the low bulwarks, secured with metal pins.  You can also see how the ramshead block was led up through the scuttle.  It was a tight squeeze but it made it, and then the scuttle was mostly closed off with wood battens to help keep the lower deck dry.
 
16
 
Next time, the gangways and quarterdeck, including the whipstaff.
 
Be well
 
Dan
 
 

After doing a few experiments with the valve stem springs and keeper, I have increased the diameter of the valve-stem to .060" inches leaving the narrow section for the keeper at .046"
 
This was one of the early tests using the .046 stem the spring is .078 in diameter and the wire is .011. the keeper was a bit fiddly. I can safely increase the stem diameter and still maintain the .078 diameter springs the length of the springs are ..259" presently I am learning how to wind them so that there is a double coil at each end with the wider spaced turns in between. I have found that it is better to make them this way rather than winding a length then stretching it out to form the compression spring.
 

 
The crank case is progressing well at this time also. there is a fair bit of hand filing to finish up the corners because I do not have the requisite end mills to do all this work on the milling machine.
 

 
this next picture shows the flats on the sides of the liners slipped through the top of the upper part of the crankcase.
 

 
that's it for now.
 
Michael

Thank heavens I started over..  this is coming out better than I thought.  I missed so much on the plans and pictures the last time stumbling though... 
 
I'm making templates of the transom timbers from the plans and using the cleaned up photos as a guide.  I think it's coming together much better.  Here's the first two timbers in place.  They're of the proper shape but not faired.  That will come when all of the stern is in place lest I screw it up. 
 

 
The next one, the top transom, is the challenge.  It has two curves (one vertically and one horizontally) to give the stern windows their curve but also the curve from side to side.   Plus... (added bonus for complexity) it has eight slots milled into it for the vertical timbers.  This should be frustrating and fun at the same time.  See the pic for the plan view of this timber.
 

 
Onward and upward....

Hello again and, as always, thanks for the likes and comments.
 
This time I turn to the details of the foredeck.  Although the basic structure and planking has been completed for a while, it was never attached to the hull because various components under the deck had to be completed first.  These included the guns that were done last time, the anchor bitts, and the post with sheaves for the foreyard halyard and tie system.
 
Here is the system on a contemporary model.  This is the one for the main yard, but the pieces are the same: a post attached to the deck with a number of sheaves for the halyard line; an upper ramshead block with matching sheaves and a transverse hole for the tie which comes down from the masthead; and the halyard line running between the two.  As you can see, the line goes through the deck and must pass through a series of holes or a scuttle of some sort.  There are no clear photos of this detail that I could find.
 
1
 
I also had to figure out how to install them fully rigged, since it would be quite difficult to get to the posts once the upper decks were in place.  Even RC Anderson recommends fully rigging them, then tensioning the system with the tie and not the halyard.  Here is what I came up with.
 
I started with the ramshead blocks.  I made these up with false sheaves rather than trying to build them up since they would be rigged and the sheaves hidden under the running line.   A series of five holes was drilled in a sized piece of hardwood in two matching horizontal lines using a Dremel drill press.  Then a thin grinding bitt was laid against the wood to cut a channel from one hole to the other.  You can see where I am starting the process in the right side hole with the others in later stages of carving.
 
2
 
These channels were carefully deepened and straightened, then angled at the ends of the cut until they approximately replicated the curve of the sheave that is not there.  This was done on both sides of the workpiece.  Now the blocks will accept the line which will look as though it is running around a circular sheave. 
 
Once all the slots were cut and cleaned up, the block was parted off to length and taken down to the ramshead shape with a sanding drum.  Here are the two for this model.  I do see that the tops of the blocks need some further shaping to match the one in the earlier photo.
 
3
 
In a similar way the posts that will go under the foredeck and quarterdeck were cut, pierced, and shaped.  The one on the right is an early example, before my technique was perfected, and which would be replaced if it were not going to be hidden under the foredeck.  The cut at its base is so it can fit over the knee of the anchor bitts, which brings it to the starboard side of the centerline.
 
4
 
And here are both sets, which were made up at the same time to maximize consistency.  You can see how the posts will be secured with brass rods into the deck for strength.
 
5
 
Here is the foreyard set fully rigged.  Sharp eyes will notice that there are only 4 loops of the halyard line and not 5.  When I went to install the set initially it really seemed too large for the ship.  I went back to my photos of contemporary models and found that the 5-sheave blocks were used on the largest three-deck warships.  This small frigate would not have needed such lifting power, so I took the finished pieces to the table saw and sliced off one side of all the pieces to eliminate one sheave.  This had the happy result that the scuttles in the decks did not have to be quite as large.  More on this later.
 
6
 
The next detail for the foredeck was the railing to keep sailors from falling into the waist and to house the ship’s bell.  I wanted to build and install it now so I could secure it from beneath the deck with metal pins before the foredeck was put on the model.  Here is a photo of a fairly fancy one from a model of a French ship of a somewhat later period.  Although this one is continuous from port to starboard, Budriot shows two gaps which will be used later to house spare spars and topmasts, so there is a long central section with two short sections flanking it.
 
7
 
I decided that my railing would have balusters set in channels for the body of the railing, with posts that went up through a caprail and ended in shaped timberheads that could be used to secure rigging lines.  The first task was to make a fairly large number of identical balusters without spending days turning them on a miniature lathe, which I don’t have.  I opted for the mill-and-part-off method that has worked for me with support knees, shingles, and other repetitive parts.
 
On the left is the baluster shape that I selected from internet images, then the cross section of the workpiece after milling channels with the Preac table saw and rounding off as needed with a carving bitt.  On the right is the side view of the workpiece with the parallel channels cut by the saw.  Note that the grain runs vertically.
 
8
 
Here the individual balusters are being parted off the workpiece on the Preac.  It is set up with the tall vertical fence and the thinnest, finest blade that I have.  The workpiece is being fed into the blade and is supported by a sacrificial stick held against the miter gauge.  This support stick is taller than the blade height so the end remains attached and I can push the workpiece through repeatedly, taking off identical slices.
 
9
 
Here are four of the balusters set into upper and lower channels ready for the end posts and caprail.
 
10
 
And here are a set of completed railing sections ready for installation.  Note that four of them are angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck.  
 
11
 
However, when I went to install them I realized that I had made a major mistake.  I made the railing about 40 inches tall in scale, enough to keep a man from falling over it into the waist.  This looked terrible against the size of other fittings.  I went and rechecked my dimensions to find that the railing is really only 18-24 inches tall.  Proof, once again, that if it doesn’t look right, it is probably wrong.
 
Instead, a new workpiece was shaped and short balusters were parted off.  Here you can see the relative heights of the old and new railings. 
 
12
 
You can also see that the new workpiece did not cut as cleanly as the old one.  I gave them a few coats of finish and, when dry, took off the wood fuzz with a thin pointed grinding bitt.  Here is the final set of railings, the upper ones for the quarterdeck and the lower ones with the belfry for the foredeck. 
 
13
 
So here is the foredeck ready for installation on the model.  You can see not only the railing and the scuttle for the halyard, but some additional features whose construction is pretty straightforward:  the smokestack for the galley stove, a small grating for the galley, a set of riding bitts with sheaves (also quite low to the deck), the mast coat, eyebolts for hooked rigging blocks, and that curious rigging fitting with ten cleats set onto the deck.
 
14
 
And here it is, installed.  Newly added are the catheads for the anchors, which are secured to the deck with headed bolts and the timberheads around the low bulwarks, secured with metal pins.  You can also see how the ramshead block was led up through the scuttle.  It was a tight squeeze but it made it, and then the scuttle was mostly closed off with wood battens to help keep the lower deck dry.
 
16
 
Next time, the gangways and quarterdeck, including the whipstaff.
 
Be well
 
Dan
 
 

Hello again and, as always, thanks for the likes and comments.
 
This time I turn to the details of the foredeck.  Although the basic structure and planking has been completed for a while, it was never attached to the hull because various components under the deck had to be completed first.  These included the guns that were done last time, the anchor bitts, and the post with sheaves for the foreyard halyard and tie system.
 
Here is the system on a contemporary model.  This is the one for the main yard, but the pieces are the same: a post attached to the deck with a number of sheaves for the halyard line; an upper ramshead block with matching sheaves and a transverse hole for the tie which comes down from the masthead; and the halyard line running between the two.  As you can see, the line goes through the deck and must pass through a series of holes or a scuttle of some sort.  There are no clear photos of this detail that I could find.
 
1
 
I also had to figure out how to install them fully rigged, since it would be quite difficult to get to the posts once the upper decks were in place.  Even RC Anderson recommends fully rigging them, then tensioning the system with the tie and not the halyard.  Here is what I came up with.
 
I started with the ramshead blocks.  I made these up with false sheaves rather than trying to build them up since they would be rigged and the sheaves hidden under the running line.   A series of five holes was drilled in a sized piece of hardwood in two matching horizontal lines using a Dremel drill press.  Then a thin grinding bitt was laid against the wood to cut a channel from one hole to the other.  You can see where I am starting the process in the right side hole with the others in later stages of carving.
 
2
 
These channels were carefully deepened and straightened, then angled at the ends of the cut until they approximately replicated the curve of the sheave that is not there.  This was done on both sides of the workpiece.  Now the blocks will accept the line which will look as though it is running around a circular sheave. 
 
Once all the slots were cut and cleaned up, the block was parted off to length and taken down to the ramshead shape with a sanding drum.  Here are the two for this model.  I do see that the tops of the blocks need some further shaping to match the one in the earlier photo.
 
3
 
In a similar way the posts that will go under the foredeck and quarterdeck were cut, pierced, and shaped.  The one on the right is an early example, before my technique was perfected, and which would be replaced if it were not going to be hidden under the foredeck.  The cut at its base is so it can fit over the knee of the anchor bitts, which brings it to the starboard side of the centerline.
 
4
 
And here are both sets, which were made up at the same time to maximize consistency.  You can see how the posts will be secured with brass rods into the deck for strength.
 
5
 
Here is the foreyard set fully rigged.  Sharp eyes will notice that there are only 4 loops of the halyard line and not 5.  When I went to install the set initially it really seemed too large for the ship.  I went back to my photos of contemporary models and found that the 5-sheave blocks were used on the largest three-deck warships.  This small frigate would not have needed such lifting power, so I took the finished pieces to the table saw and sliced off one side of all the pieces to eliminate one sheave.  This had the happy result that the scuttles in the decks did not have to be quite as large.  More on this later.
 
6
 
The next detail for the foredeck was the railing to keep sailors from falling into the waist and to house the ship’s bell.  I wanted to build and install it now so I could secure it from beneath the deck with metal pins before the foredeck was put on the model.  Here is a photo of a fairly fancy one from a model of a French ship of a somewhat later period.  Although this one is continuous from port to starboard, Budriot shows two gaps which will be used later to house spare spars and topmasts, so there is a long central section with two short sections flanking it.
 
7
 
I decided that my railing would have balusters set in channels for the body of the railing, with posts that went up through a caprail and ended in shaped timberheads that could be used to secure rigging lines.  The first task was to make a fairly large number of identical balusters without spending days turning them on a miniature lathe, which I don’t have.  I opted for the mill-and-part-off method that has worked for me with support knees, shingles, and other repetitive parts.
 
On the left is the baluster shape that I selected from internet images, then the cross section of the workpiece after milling channels with the Preac table saw and rounding off as needed with a carving bitt.  On the right is the side view of the workpiece with the parallel channels cut by the saw.  Note that the grain runs vertically.
 
8
 
Here the individual balusters are being parted off the workpiece on the Preac.  It is set up with the tall vertical fence and the thinnest, finest blade that I have.  The workpiece is being fed into the blade and is supported by a sacrificial stick held against the miter gauge.  This support stick is taller than the blade height so the end remains attached and I can push the workpiece through repeatedly, taking off identical slices.
 
9
 
Here are four of the balusters set into upper and lower channels ready for the end posts and caprail.
 
10
 
And here are a set of completed railing sections ready for installation.  Note that four of them are angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck.  
 
11
 
However, when I went to install them I realized that I had made a major mistake.  I made the railing about 40 inches tall in scale, enough to keep a man from falling over it into the waist.  This looked terrible against the size of other fittings.  I went and rechecked my dimensions to find that the railing is really only 18-24 inches tall.  Proof, once again, that if it doesn’t look right, it is probably wrong.
 
Instead, a new workpiece was shaped and short balusters were parted off.  Here you can see the relative heights of the old and new railings. 
 
12
 
You can also see that the new workpiece did not cut as cleanly as the old one.  I gave them a few coats of finish and, when dry, took off the wood fuzz with a thin pointed grinding bitt.  Here is the final set of railings, the upper ones for the quarterdeck and the lower ones with the belfry for the foredeck. 
 
13
 
So here is the foredeck ready for installation on the model.  You can see not only the railing and the scuttle for the halyard, but some additional features whose construction is pretty straightforward:  the smokestack for the galley stove, a small grating for the galley, a set of riding bitts with sheaves (also quite low to the deck), the mast coat, eyebolts for hooked rigging blocks, and that curious rigging fitting with ten cleats set onto the deck.
 
14
 
And here it is, installed.  Newly added are the catheads for the anchors, which are secured to the deck with headed bolts and the timberheads around the low bulwarks, secured with metal pins.  You can also see how the ramshead block was led up through the scuttle.  It was a tight squeeze but it made it, and then the scuttle was mostly closed off with wood battens to help keep the lower deck dry.
 
16
 
Next time, the gangways and quarterdeck, including the whipstaff.
 
Be well
 
Dan
 
 

Sorry it’s been so long since my last pictures.  It’s been one of those times when everything that could go wrong did.  Let’s leave it at that.  I have however finished the Lettie to the admiral’s delight.  She is now dressed in all her sails and rigging.  So here she is in all her finery.
 
 

 

 

 
 
Don't know what is next.  The admiral likes to see sails but I'm leaning towards a launch.  We'll see.
 
Bob

Hello again and, as always, thanks for the likes and comments.
 
This time I turn to the details of the foredeck.  Although the basic structure and planking has been completed for a while, it was never attached to the hull because various components under the deck had to be completed first.  These included the guns that were done last time, the anchor bitts, and the post with sheaves for the foreyard halyard and tie system.
 
Here is the system on a contemporary model.  This is the one for the main yard, but the pieces are the same: a post attached to the deck with a number of sheaves for the halyard line; an upper ramshead block with matching sheaves and a transverse hole for the tie which comes down from the masthead; and the halyard line running between the two.  As you can see, the line goes through the deck and must pass through a series of holes or a scuttle of some sort.  There are no clear photos of this detail that I could find.
 
1
 
I also had to figure out how to install them fully rigged, since it would be quite difficult to get to the posts once the upper decks were in place.  Even RC Anderson recommends fully rigging them, then tensioning the system with the tie and not the halyard.  Here is what I came up with.
 
I started with the ramshead blocks.  I made these up with false sheaves rather than trying to build them up since they would be rigged and the sheaves hidden under the running line.   A series of five holes was drilled in a sized piece of hardwood in two matching horizontal lines using a Dremel drill press.  Then a thin grinding bitt was laid against the wood to cut a channel from one hole to the other.  You can see where I am starting the process in the right side hole with the others in later stages of carving.
 
2
 
These channels were carefully deepened and straightened, then angled at the ends of the cut until they approximately replicated the curve of the sheave that is not there.  This was done on both sides of the workpiece.  Now the blocks will accept the line which will look as though it is running around a circular sheave. 
 
Once all the slots were cut and cleaned up, the block was parted off to length and taken down to the ramshead shape with a sanding drum.  Here are the two for this model.  I do see that the tops of the blocks need some further shaping to match the one in the earlier photo.
 
3
 
In a similar way the posts that will go under the foredeck and quarterdeck were cut, pierced, and shaped.  The one on the right is an early example, before my technique was perfected, and which would be replaced if it were not going to be hidden under the foredeck.  The cut at its base is so it can fit over the knee of the anchor bitts, which brings it to the starboard side of the centerline.
 
4
 
And here are both sets, which were made up at the same time to maximize consistency.  You can see how the posts will be secured with brass rods into the deck for strength.
 
5
 
Here is the foreyard set fully rigged.  Sharp eyes will notice that there are only 4 loops of the halyard line and not 5.  When I went to install the set initially it really seemed too large for the ship.  I went back to my photos of contemporary models and found that the 5-sheave blocks were used on the largest three-deck warships.  This small frigate would not have needed such lifting power, so I took the finished pieces to the table saw and sliced off one side of all the pieces to eliminate one sheave.  This had the happy result that the scuttles in the decks did not have to be quite as large.  More on this later.
 
6
 
The next detail for the foredeck was the railing to keep sailors from falling into the waist and to house the ship’s bell.  I wanted to build and install it now so I could secure it from beneath the deck with metal pins before the foredeck was put on the model.  Here is a photo of a fairly fancy one from a model of a French ship of a somewhat later period.  Although this one is continuous from port to starboard, Budriot shows two gaps which will be used later to house spare spars and topmasts, so there is a long central section with two short sections flanking it.
 
7
 
I decided that my railing would have balusters set in channels for the body of the railing, with posts that went up through a caprail and ended in shaped timberheads that could be used to secure rigging lines.  The first task was to make a fairly large number of identical balusters without spending days turning them on a miniature lathe, which I don’t have.  I opted for the mill-and-part-off method that has worked for me with support knees, shingles, and other repetitive parts.
 
On the left is the baluster shape that I selected from internet images, then the cross section of the workpiece after milling channels with the Preac table saw and rounding off as needed with a carving bitt.  On the right is the side view of the workpiece with the parallel channels cut by the saw.  Note that the grain runs vertically.
 
8
 
Here the individual balusters are being parted off the workpiece on the Preac.  It is set up with the tall vertical fence and the thinnest, finest blade that I have.  The workpiece is being fed into the blade and is supported by a sacrificial stick held against the miter gauge.  This support stick is taller than the blade height so the end remains attached and I can push the workpiece through repeatedly, taking off identical slices.
 
9
 
Here are four of the balusters set into upper and lower channels ready for the end posts and caprail.
 
10
 
And here are a set of completed railing sections ready for installation.  Note that four of them are angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck.  
 
11
 
However, when I went to install them I realized that I had made a major mistake.  I made the railing about 40 inches tall in scale, enough to keep a man from falling over it into the waist.  This looked terrible against the size of other fittings.  I went and rechecked my dimensions to find that the railing is really only 18-24 inches tall.  Proof, once again, that if it doesn’t look right, it is probably wrong.
 
Instead, a new workpiece was shaped and short balusters were parted off.  Here you can see the relative heights of the old and new railings. 
 
12
 
You can also see that the new workpiece did not cut as cleanly as the old one.  I gave them a few coats of finish and, when dry, took off the wood fuzz with a thin pointed grinding bitt.  Here is the final set of railings, the upper ones for the quarterdeck and the lower ones with the belfry for the foredeck. 
 
13
 
So here is the foredeck ready for installation on the model.  You can see not only the railing and the scuttle for the halyard, but some additional features whose construction is pretty straightforward:  the smokestack for the galley stove, a small grating for the galley, a set of riding bitts with sheaves (also quite low to the deck), the mast coat, eyebolts for hooked rigging blocks, and that curious rigging fitting with ten cleats set onto the deck.
 
14
 
And here it is, installed.  Newly added are the catheads for the anchors, which are secured to the deck with headed bolts and the timberheads around the low bulwarks, secured with metal pins.  You can also see how the ramshead block was led up through the scuttle.  It was a tight squeeze but it made it, and then the scuttle was mostly closed off with wood battens to help keep the lower deck dry.
 
16
 
Next time, the gangways and quarterdeck, including the whipstaff.
 
Be well
 
Dan
 
 

Hello again and, as always, thanks for the likes and comments.
 
This time I turn to the details of the foredeck.  Although the basic structure and planking has been completed for a while, it was never attached to the hull because various components under the deck had to be completed first.  These included the guns that were done last time, the anchor bitts, and the post with sheaves for the foreyard halyard and tie system.
 
Here is the system on a contemporary model.  This is the one for the main yard, but the pieces are the same: a post attached to the deck with a number of sheaves for the halyard line; an upper ramshead block with matching sheaves and a transverse hole for the tie which comes down from the masthead; and the halyard line running between the two.  As you can see, the line goes through the deck and must pass through a series of holes or a scuttle of some sort.  There are no clear photos of this detail that I could find.
 
1
 
I also had to figure out how to install them fully rigged, since it would be quite difficult to get to the posts once the upper decks were in place.  Even RC Anderson recommends fully rigging them, then tensioning the system with the tie and not the halyard.  Here is what I came up with.
 
I started with the ramshead blocks.  I made these up with false sheaves rather than trying to build them up since they would be rigged and the sheaves hidden under the running line.   A series of five holes was drilled in a sized piece of hardwood in two matching horizontal lines using a Dremel drill press.  Then a thin grinding bitt was laid against the wood to cut a channel from one hole to the other.  You can see where I am starting the process in the right side hole with the others in later stages of carving.
 
2
 
These channels were carefully deepened and straightened, then angled at the ends of the cut until they approximately replicated the curve of the sheave that is not there.  This was done on both sides of the workpiece.  Now the blocks will accept the line which will look as though it is running around a circular sheave. 
 
Once all the slots were cut and cleaned up, the block was parted off to length and taken down to the ramshead shape with a sanding drum.  Here are the two for this model.  I do see that the tops of the blocks need some further shaping to match the one in the earlier photo.
 
3
 
In a similar way the posts that will go under the foredeck and quarterdeck were cut, pierced, and shaped.  The one on the right is an early example, before my technique was perfected, and which would be replaced if it were not going to be hidden under the foredeck.  The cut at its base is so it can fit over the knee of the anchor bitts, which brings it to the starboard side of the centerline.
 
4
 
And here are both sets, which were made up at the same time to maximize consistency.  You can see how the posts will be secured with brass rods into the deck for strength.
 
5
 
Here is the foreyard set fully rigged.  Sharp eyes will notice that there are only 4 loops of the halyard line and not 5.  When I went to install the set initially it really seemed too large for the ship.  I went back to my photos of contemporary models and found that the 5-sheave blocks were used on the largest three-deck warships.  This small frigate would not have needed such lifting power, so I took the finished pieces to the table saw and sliced off one side of all the pieces to eliminate one sheave.  This had the happy result that the scuttles in the decks did not have to be quite as large.  More on this later.
 
6
 
The next detail for the foredeck was the railing to keep sailors from falling into the waist and to house the ship’s bell.  I wanted to build and install it now so I could secure it from beneath the deck with metal pins before the foredeck was put on the model.  Here is a photo of a fairly fancy one from a model of a French ship of a somewhat later period.  Although this one is continuous from port to starboard, Budriot shows two gaps which will be used later to house spare spars and topmasts, so there is a long central section with two short sections flanking it.
 
7
 
I decided that my railing would have balusters set in channels for the body of the railing, with posts that went up through a caprail and ended in shaped timberheads that could be used to secure rigging lines.  The first task was to make a fairly large number of identical balusters without spending days turning them on a miniature lathe, which I don’t have.  I opted for the mill-and-part-off method that has worked for me with support knees, shingles, and other repetitive parts.
 
On the left is the baluster shape that I selected from internet images, then the cross section of the workpiece after milling channels with the Preac table saw and rounding off as needed with a carving bitt.  On the right is the side view of the workpiece with the parallel channels cut by the saw.  Note that the grain runs vertically.
 
8
 
Here the individual balusters are being parted off the workpiece on the Preac.  It is set up with the tall vertical fence and the thinnest, finest blade that I have.  The workpiece is being fed into the blade and is supported by a sacrificial stick held against the miter gauge.  This support stick is taller than the blade height so the end remains attached and I can push the workpiece through repeatedly, taking off identical slices.
 
9
 
Here are four of the balusters set into upper and lower channels ready for the end posts and caprail.
 
10
 
And here are a set of completed railing sections ready for installation.  Note that four of them are angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck.  
 
11
 
However, when I went to install them I realized that I had made a major mistake.  I made the railing about 40 inches tall in scale, enough to keep a man from falling over it into the waist.  This looked terrible against the size of other fittings.  I went and rechecked my dimensions to find that the railing is really only 18-24 inches tall.  Proof, once again, that if it doesn’t look right, it is probably wrong.
 
Instead, a new workpiece was shaped and short balusters were parted off.  Here you can see the relative heights of the old and new railings. 
 
12
 
You can also see that the new workpiece did not cut as cleanly as the old one.  I gave them a few coats of finish and, when dry, took off the wood fuzz with a thin pointed grinding bitt.  Here is the final set of railings, the upper ones for the quarterdeck and the lower ones with the belfry for the foredeck. 
 
13
 
So here is the foredeck ready for installation on the model.  You can see not only the railing and the scuttle for the halyard, but some additional features whose construction is pretty straightforward:  the smokestack for the galley stove, a small grating for the galley, a set of riding bitts with sheaves (also quite low to the deck), the mast coat, eyebolts for hooked rigging blocks, and that curious rigging fitting with ten cleats set onto the deck.
 
14
 
And here it is, installed.  Newly added are the catheads for the anchors, which are secured to the deck with headed bolts and the timberheads around the low bulwarks, secured with metal pins.  You can also see how the ramshead block was led up through the scuttle.  It was a tight squeeze but it made it, and then the scuttle was mostly closed off with wood battens to help keep the lower deck dry.
 
16
 
Next time, the gangways and quarterdeck, including the whipstaff.
 
Be well
 
Dan
 
 

Hello again and, as always, thanks for the likes and comments.
 
This time I turn to the details of the foredeck.  Although the basic structure and planking has been completed for a while, it was never attached to the hull because various components under the deck had to be completed first.  These included the guns that were done last time, the anchor bitts, and the post with sheaves for the foreyard halyard and tie system.
 
Here is the system on a contemporary model.  This is the one for the main yard, but the pieces are the same: a post attached to the deck with a number of sheaves for the halyard line; an upper ramshead block with matching sheaves and a transverse hole for the tie which comes down from the masthead; and the halyard line running between the two.  As you can see, the line goes through the deck and must pass through a series of holes or a scuttle of some sort.  There are no clear photos of this detail that I could find.
 
1
 
I also had to figure out how to install them fully rigged, since it would be quite difficult to get to the posts once the upper decks were in place.  Even RC Anderson recommends fully rigging them, then tensioning the system with the tie and not the halyard.  Here is what I came up with.
 
I started with the ramshead blocks.  I made these up with false sheaves rather than trying to build them up since they would be rigged and the sheaves hidden under the running line.   A series of five holes was drilled in a sized piece of hardwood in two matching horizontal lines using a Dremel drill press.  Then a thin grinding bitt was laid against the wood to cut a channel from one hole to the other.  You can see where I am starting the process in the right side hole with the others in later stages of carving.
 
2
 
These channels were carefully deepened and straightened, then angled at the ends of the cut until they approximately replicated the curve of the sheave that is not there.  This was done on both sides of the workpiece.  Now the blocks will accept the line which will look as though it is running around a circular sheave. 
 
Once all the slots were cut and cleaned up, the block was parted off to length and taken down to the ramshead shape with a sanding drum.  Here are the two for this model.  I do see that the tops of the blocks need some further shaping to match the one in the earlier photo.
 
3
 
In a similar way the posts that will go under the foredeck and quarterdeck were cut, pierced, and shaped.  The one on the right is an early example, before my technique was perfected, and which would be replaced if it were not going to be hidden under the foredeck.  The cut at its base is so it can fit over the knee of the anchor bitts, which brings it to the starboard side of the centerline.
 
4
 
And here are both sets, which were made up at the same time to maximize consistency.  You can see how the posts will be secured with brass rods into the deck for strength.
 
5
 
Here is the foreyard set fully rigged.  Sharp eyes will notice that there are only 4 loops of the halyard line and not 5.  When I went to install the set initially it really seemed too large for the ship.  I went back to my photos of contemporary models and found that the 5-sheave blocks were used on the largest three-deck warships.  This small frigate would not have needed such lifting power, so I took the finished pieces to the table saw and sliced off one side of all the pieces to eliminate one sheave.  This had the happy result that the scuttles in the decks did not have to be quite as large.  More on this later.
 
6
 
The next detail for the foredeck was the railing to keep sailors from falling into the waist and to house the ship’s bell.  I wanted to build and install it now so I could secure it from beneath the deck with metal pins before the foredeck was put on the model.  Here is a photo of a fairly fancy one from a model of a French ship of a somewhat later period.  Although this one is continuous from port to starboard, Budriot shows two gaps which will be used later to house spare spars and topmasts, so there is a long central section with two short sections flanking it.
 
7
 
I decided that my railing would have balusters set in channels for the body of the railing, with posts that went up through a caprail and ended in shaped timberheads that could be used to secure rigging lines.  The first task was to make a fairly large number of identical balusters without spending days turning them on a miniature lathe, which I don’t have.  I opted for the mill-and-part-off method that has worked for me with support knees, shingles, and other repetitive parts.
 
On the left is the baluster shape that I selected from internet images, then the cross section of the workpiece after milling channels with the Preac table saw and rounding off as needed with a carving bitt.  On the right is the side view of the workpiece with the parallel channels cut by the saw.  Note that the grain runs vertically.
 
8
 
Here the individual balusters are being parted off the workpiece on the Preac.  It is set up with the tall vertical fence and the thinnest, finest blade that I have.  The workpiece is being fed into the blade and is supported by a sacrificial stick held against the miter gauge.  This support stick is taller than the blade height so the end remains attached and I can push the workpiece through repeatedly, taking off identical slices.
 
9
 
Here are four of the balusters set into upper and lower channels ready for the end posts and caprail.
 
10
 
And here are a set of completed railing sections ready for installation.  Note that four of them are angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck.  
 
11
 
However, when I went to install them I realized that I had made a major mistake.  I made the railing about 40 inches tall in scale, enough to keep a man from falling over it into the waist.  This looked terrible against the size of other fittings.  I went and rechecked my dimensions to find that the railing is really only 18-24 inches tall.  Proof, once again, that if it doesn’t look right, it is probably wrong.
 
Instead, a new workpiece was shaped and short balusters were parted off.  Here you can see the relative heights of the old and new railings. 
 
12
 
You can also see that the new workpiece did not cut as cleanly as the old one.  I gave them a few coats of finish and, when dry, took off the wood fuzz with a thin pointed grinding bitt.  Here is the final set of railings, the upper ones for the quarterdeck and the lower ones with the belfry for the foredeck. 
 
13
 
So here is the foredeck ready for installation on the model.  You can see not only the railing and the scuttle for the halyard, but some additional features whose construction is pretty straightforward:  the smokestack for the galley stove, a small grating for the galley, a set of riding bitts with sheaves (also quite low to the deck), the mast coat, eyebolts for hooked rigging blocks, and that curious rigging fitting with ten cleats set onto the deck.
 
14
 
And here it is, installed.  Newly added are the catheads for the anchors, which are secured to the deck with headed bolts and the timberheads around the low bulwarks, secured with metal pins.  You can also see how the ramshead block was led up through the scuttle.  It was a tight squeeze but it made it, and then the scuttle was mostly closed off with wood battens to help keep the lower deck dry.
 
16
 
Next time, the gangways and quarterdeck, including the whipstaff.
 
Be well
 
Dan
 
 

Hello again and, as always, thanks for the likes and comments.
 
This time I turn to the details of the foredeck.  Although the basic structure and planking has been completed for a while, it was never attached to the hull because various components under the deck had to be completed first.  These included the guns that were done last time, the anchor bitts, and the post with sheaves for the foreyard halyard and tie system.
 
Here is the system on a contemporary model.  This is the one for the main yard, but the pieces are the same: a post attached to the deck with a number of sheaves for the halyard line; an upper ramshead block with matching sheaves and a transverse hole for the tie which comes down from the masthead; and the halyard line running between the two.  As you can see, the line goes through the deck and must pass through a series of holes or a scuttle of some sort.  There are no clear photos of this detail that I could find.
 
1
 
I also had to figure out how to install them fully rigged, since it would be quite difficult to get to the posts once the upper decks were in place.  Even RC Anderson recommends fully rigging them, then tensioning the system with the tie and not the halyard.  Here is what I came up with.
 
I started with the ramshead blocks.  I made these up with false sheaves rather than trying to build them up since they would be rigged and the sheaves hidden under the running line.   A series of five holes was drilled in a sized piece of hardwood in two matching horizontal lines using a Dremel drill press.  Then a thin grinding bitt was laid against the wood to cut a channel from one hole to the other.  You can see where I am starting the process in the right side hole with the others in later stages of carving.
 
2
 
These channels were carefully deepened and straightened, then angled at the ends of the cut until they approximately replicated the curve of the sheave that is not there.  This was done on both sides of the workpiece.  Now the blocks will accept the line which will look as though it is running around a circular sheave. 
 
Once all the slots were cut and cleaned up, the block was parted off to length and taken down to the ramshead shape with a sanding drum.  Here are the two for this model.  I do see that the tops of the blocks need some further shaping to match the one in the earlier photo.
 
3
 
In a similar way the posts that will go under the foredeck and quarterdeck were cut, pierced, and shaped.  The one on the right is an early example, before my technique was perfected, and which would be replaced if it were not going to be hidden under the foredeck.  The cut at its base is so it can fit over the knee of the anchor bitts, which brings it to the starboard side of the centerline.
 
4
 
And here are both sets, which were made up at the same time to maximize consistency.  You can see how the posts will be secured with brass rods into the deck for strength.
 
5
 
Here is the foreyard set fully rigged.  Sharp eyes will notice that there are only 4 loops of the halyard line and not 5.  When I went to install the set initially it really seemed too large for the ship.  I went back to my photos of contemporary models and found that the 5-sheave blocks were used on the largest three-deck warships.  This small frigate would not have needed such lifting power, so I took the finished pieces to the table saw and sliced off one side of all the pieces to eliminate one sheave.  This had the happy result that the scuttles in the decks did not have to be quite as large.  More on this later.
 
6
 
The next detail for the foredeck was the railing to keep sailors from falling into the waist and to house the ship’s bell.  I wanted to build and install it now so I could secure it from beneath the deck with metal pins before the foredeck was put on the model.  Here is a photo of a fairly fancy one from a model of a French ship of a somewhat later period.  Although this one is continuous from port to starboard, Budriot shows two gaps which will be used later to house spare spars and topmasts, so there is a long central section with two short sections flanking it.
 
7
 
I decided that my railing would have balusters set in channels for the body of the railing, with posts that went up through a caprail and ended in shaped timberheads that could be used to secure rigging lines.  The first task was to make a fairly large number of identical balusters without spending days turning them on a miniature lathe, which I don’t have.  I opted for the mill-and-part-off method that has worked for me with support knees, shingles, and other repetitive parts.
 
On the left is the baluster shape that I selected from internet images, then the cross section of the workpiece after milling channels with the Preac table saw and rounding off as needed with a carving bitt.  On the right is the side view of the workpiece with the parallel channels cut by the saw.  Note that the grain runs vertically.
 
8
 
Here the individual balusters are being parted off the workpiece on the Preac.  It is set up with the tall vertical fence and the thinnest, finest blade that I have.  The workpiece is being fed into the blade and is supported by a sacrificial stick held against the miter gauge.  This support stick is taller than the blade height so the end remains attached and I can push the workpiece through repeatedly, taking off identical slices.
 
9
 
Here are four of the balusters set into upper and lower channels ready for the end posts and caprail.
 
10
 
And here are a set of completed railing sections ready for installation.  Note that four of them are angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck.  
 
11
 
However, when I went to install them I realized that I had made a major mistake.  I made the railing about 40 inches tall in scale, enough to keep a man from falling over it into the waist.  This looked terrible against the size of other fittings.  I went and rechecked my dimensions to find that the railing is really only 18-24 inches tall.  Proof, once again, that if it doesn’t look right, it is probably wrong.
 
Instead, a new workpiece was shaped and short balusters were parted off.  Here you can see the relative heights of the old and new railings. 
 
12
 
You can also see that the new workpiece did not cut as cleanly as the old one.  I gave them a few coats of finish and, when dry, took off the wood fuzz with a thin pointed grinding bitt.  Here is the final set of railings, the upper ones for the quarterdeck and the lower ones with the belfry for the foredeck. 
 
13
 
So here is the foredeck ready for installation on the model.  You can see not only the railing and the scuttle for the halyard, but some additional features whose construction is pretty straightforward:  the smokestack for the galley stove, a small grating for the galley, a set of riding bitts with sheaves (also quite low to the deck), the mast coat, eyebolts for hooked rigging blocks, and that curious rigging fitting with ten cleats set onto the deck.
 
14
 
And here it is, installed.  Newly added are the catheads for the anchors, which are secured to the deck with headed bolts and the timberheads around the low bulwarks, secured with metal pins.  You can also see how the ramshead block was led up through the scuttle.  It was a tight squeeze but it made it, and then the scuttle was mostly closed off with wood battens to help keep the lower deck dry.
 
16
 
Next time, the gangways and quarterdeck, including the whipstaff.
 
Be well
 
Dan
 
 

Hello again and, as always, thanks for the likes and comments.
 
This time I turn to the details of the foredeck.  Although the basic structure and planking has been completed for a while, it was never attached to the hull because various components under the deck had to be completed first.  These included the guns that were done last time, the anchor bitts, and the post with sheaves for the foreyard halyard and tie system.
 
Here is the system on a contemporary model.  This is the one for the main yard, but the pieces are the same: a post attached to the deck with a number of sheaves for the halyard line; an upper ramshead block with matching sheaves and a transverse hole for the tie which comes down from the masthead; and the halyard line running between the two.  As you can see, the line goes through the deck and must pass through a series of holes or a scuttle of some sort.  There are no clear photos of this detail that I could find.
 
1
 
I also had to figure out how to install them fully rigged, since it would be quite difficult to get to the posts once the upper decks were in place.  Even RC Anderson recommends fully rigging them, then tensioning the system with the tie and not the halyard.  Here is what I came up with.
 
I started with the ramshead blocks.  I made these up with false sheaves rather than trying to build them up since they would be rigged and the sheaves hidden under the running line.   A series of five holes was drilled in a sized piece of hardwood in two matching horizontal lines using a Dremel drill press.  Then a thin grinding bitt was laid against the wood to cut a channel from one hole to the other.  You can see where I am starting the process in the right side hole with the others in later stages of carving.
 
2
 
These channels were carefully deepened and straightened, then angled at the ends of the cut until they approximately replicated the curve of the sheave that is not there.  This was done on both sides of the workpiece.  Now the blocks will accept the line which will look as though it is running around a circular sheave. 
 
Once all the slots were cut and cleaned up, the block was parted off to length and taken down to the ramshead shape with a sanding drum.  Here are the two for this model.  I do see that the tops of the blocks need some further shaping to match the one in the earlier photo.
 
3
 
In a similar way the posts that will go under the foredeck and quarterdeck were cut, pierced, and shaped.  The one on the right is an early example, before my technique was perfected, and which would be replaced if it were not going to be hidden under the foredeck.  The cut at its base is so it can fit over the knee of the anchor bitts, which brings it to the starboard side of the centerline.
 
4
 
And here are both sets, which were made up at the same time to maximize consistency.  You can see how the posts will be secured with brass rods into the deck for strength.
 
5
 
Here is the foreyard set fully rigged.  Sharp eyes will notice that there are only 4 loops of the halyard line and not 5.  When I went to install the set initially it really seemed too large for the ship.  I went back to my photos of contemporary models and found that the 5-sheave blocks were used on the largest three-deck warships.  This small frigate would not have needed such lifting power, so I took the finished pieces to the table saw and sliced off one side of all the pieces to eliminate one sheave.  This had the happy result that the scuttles in the decks did not have to be quite as large.  More on this later.
 
6
 
The next detail for the foredeck was the railing to keep sailors from falling into the waist and to house the ship’s bell.  I wanted to build and install it now so I could secure it from beneath the deck with metal pins before the foredeck was put on the model.  Here is a photo of a fairly fancy one from a model of a French ship of a somewhat later period.  Although this one is continuous from port to starboard, Budriot shows two gaps which will be used later to house spare spars and topmasts, so there is a long central section with two short sections flanking it.
 
7
 
I decided that my railing would have balusters set in channels for the body of the railing, with posts that went up through a caprail and ended in shaped timberheads that could be used to secure rigging lines.  The first task was to make a fairly large number of identical balusters without spending days turning them on a miniature lathe, which I don’t have.  I opted for the mill-and-part-off method that has worked for me with support knees, shingles, and other repetitive parts.
 
On the left is the baluster shape that I selected from internet images, then the cross section of the workpiece after milling channels with the Preac table saw and rounding off as needed with a carving bitt.  On the right is the side view of the workpiece with the parallel channels cut by the saw.  Note that the grain runs vertically.
 
8
 
Here the individual balusters are being parted off the workpiece on the Preac.  It is set up with the tall vertical fence and the thinnest, finest blade that I have.  The workpiece is being fed into the blade and is supported by a sacrificial stick held against the miter gauge.  This support stick is taller than the blade height so the end remains attached and I can push the workpiece through repeatedly, taking off identical slices.
 
9
 
Here are four of the balusters set into upper and lower channels ready for the end posts and caprail.
 
10
 
And here are a set of completed railing sections ready for installation.  Note that four of them are angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck.  
 
11
 
However, when I went to install them I realized that I had made a major mistake.  I made the railing about 40 inches tall in scale, enough to keep a man from falling over it into the waist.  This looked terrible against the size of other fittings.  I went and rechecked my dimensions to find that the railing is really only 18-24 inches tall.  Proof, once again, that if it doesn’t look right, it is probably wrong.
 
Instead, a new workpiece was shaped and short balusters were parted off.  Here you can see the relative heights of the old and new railings. 
 
12
 
You can also see that the new workpiece did not cut as cleanly as the old one.  I gave them a few coats of finish and, when dry, took off the wood fuzz with a thin pointed grinding bitt.  Here is the final set of railings, the upper ones for the quarterdeck and the lower ones with the belfry for the foredeck. 
 
13
 
So here is the foredeck ready for installation on the model.  You can see not only the railing and the scuttle for the halyard, but some additional features whose construction is pretty straightforward:  the smokestack for the galley stove, a small grating for the galley, a set of riding bitts with sheaves (also quite low to the deck), the mast coat, eyebolts for hooked rigging blocks, and that curious rigging fitting with ten cleats set onto the deck.
 
14
 
And here it is, installed.  Newly added are the catheads for the anchors, which are secured to the deck with headed bolts and the timberheads around the low bulwarks, secured with metal pins.  You can also see how the ramshead block was led up through the scuttle.  It was a tight squeeze but it made it, and then the scuttle was mostly closed off with wood battens to help keep the lower deck dry.
 
16
 
Next time, the gangways and quarterdeck, including the whipstaff.
 
Be well
 
Dan
 
 

Hello again and, as always, thanks for the likes and comments.
 
This time I turn to the details of the foredeck.  Although the basic structure and planking has been completed for a while, it was never attached to the hull because various components under the deck had to be completed first.  These included the guns that were done last time, the anchor bitts, and the post with sheaves for the foreyard halyard and tie system.
 
Here is the system on a contemporary model.  This is the one for the main yard, but the pieces are the same: a post attached to the deck with a number of sheaves for the halyard line; an upper ramshead block with matching sheaves and a transverse hole for the tie which comes down from the masthead; and the halyard line running between the two.  As you can see, the line goes through the deck and must pass through a series of holes or a scuttle of some sort.  There are no clear photos of this detail that I could find.
 
1
 
I also had to figure out how to install them fully rigged, since it would be quite difficult to get to the posts once the upper decks were in place.  Even RC Anderson recommends fully rigging them, then tensioning the system with the tie and not the halyard.  Here is what I came up with.
 
I started with the ramshead blocks.  I made these up with false sheaves rather than trying to build them up since they would be rigged and the sheaves hidden under the running line.   A series of five holes was drilled in a sized piece of hardwood in two matching horizontal lines using a Dremel drill press.  Then a thin grinding bitt was laid against the wood to cut a channel from one hole to the other.  You can see where I am starting the process in the right side hole with the others in later stages of carving.
 
2
 
These channels were carefully deepened and straightened, then angled at the ends of the cut until they approximately replicated the curve of the sheave that is not there.  This was done on both sides of the workpiece.  Now the blocks will accept the line which will look as though it is running around a circular sheave. 
 
Once all the slots were cut and cleaned up, the block was parted off to length and taken down to the ramshead shape with a sanding drum.  Here are the two for this model.  I do see that the tops of the blocks need some further shaping to match the one in the earlier photo.
 
3
 
In a similar way the posts that will go under the foredeck and quarterdeck were cut, pierced, and shaped.  The one on the right is an early example, before my technique was perfected, and which would be replaced if it were not going to be hidden under the foredeck.  The cut at its base is so it can fit over the knee of the anchor bitts, which brings it to the starboard side of the centerline.
 
4
 
And here are both sets, which were made up at the same time to maximize consistency.  You can see how the posts will be secured with brass rods into the deck for strength.
 
5
 
Here is the foreyard set fully rigged.  Sharp eyes will notice that there are only 4 loops of the halyard line and not 5.  When I went to install the set initially it really seemed too large for the ship.  I went back to my photos of contemporary models and found that the 5-sheave blocks were used on the largest three-deck warships.  This small frigate would not have needed such lifting power, so I took the finished pieces to the table saw and sliced off one side of all the pieces to eliminate one sheave.  This had the happy result that the scuttles in the decks did not have to be quite as large.  More on this later.
 
6
 
The next detail for the foredeck was the railing to keep sailors from falling into the waist and to house the ship’s bell.  I wanted to build and install it now so I could secure it from beneath the deck with metal pins before the foredeck was put on the model.  Here is a photo of a fairly fancy one from a model of a French ship of a somewhat later period.  Although this one is continuous from port to starboard, Budriot shows two gaps which will be used later to house spare spars and topmasts, so there is a long central section with two short sections flanking it.
 
7
 
I decided that my railing would have balusters set in channels for the body of the railing, with posts that went up through a caprail and ended in shaped timberheads that could be used to secure rigging lines.  The first task was to make a fairly large number of identical balusters without spending days turning them on a miniature lathe, which I don’t have.  I opted for the mill-and-part-off method that has worked for me with support knees, shingles, and other repetitive parts.
 
On the left is the baluster shape that I selected from internet images, then the cross section of the workpiece after milling channels with the Preac table saw and rounding off as needed with a carving bitt.  On the right is the side view of the workpiece with the parallel channels cut by the saw.  Note that the grain runs vertically.
 
8
 
Here the individual balusters are being parted off the workpiece on the Preac.  It is set up with the tall vertical fence and the thinnest, finest blade that I have.  The workpiece is being fed into the blade and is supported by a sacrificial stick held against the miter gauge.  This support stick is taller than the blade height so the end remains attached and I can push the workpiece through repeatedly, taking off identical slices.
 
9
 
Here are four of the balusters set into upper and lower channels ready for the end posts and caprail.
 
10
 
And here are a set of completed railing sections ready for installation.  Note that four of them are angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck.  
 
11
 
However, when I went to install them I realized that I had made a major mistake.  I made the railing about 40 inches tall in scale, enough to keep a man from falling over it into the waist.  This looked terrible against the size of other fittings.  I went and rechecked my dimensions to find that the railing is really only 18-24 inches tall.  Proof, once again, that if it doesn’t look right, it is probably wrong.
 
Instead, a new workpiece was shaped and short balusters were parted off.  Here you can see the relative heights of the old and new railings. 
 
12
 
You can also see that the new workpiece did not cut as cleanly as the old one.  I gave them a few coats of finish and, when dry, took off the wood fuzz with a thin pointed grinding bitt.  Here is the final set of railings, the upper ones for the quarterdeck and the lower ones with the belfry for the foredeck. 
 
13
 
So here is the foredeck ready for installation on the model.  You can see not only the railing and the scuttle for the halyard, but some additional features whose construction is pretty straightforward:  the smokestack for the galley stove, a small grating for the galley, a set of riding bitts with sheaves (also quite low to the deck), the mast coat, eyebolts for hooked rigging blocks, and that curious rigging fitting with ten cleats set onto the deck.
 
14
 
And here it is, installed.  Newly added are the catheads for the anchors, which are secured to the deck with headed bolts and the timberheads around the low bulwarks, secured with metal pins.  You can also see how the ramshead block was led up through the scuttle.  It was a tight squeeze but it made it, and then the scuttle was mostly closed off with wood battens to help keep the lower deck dry.
 
16
 
Next time, the gangways and quarterdeck, including the whipstaff.
 
Be well
 
Dan
 
 

Hello again and, as always, thanks for the likes and comments.
 
This time I turn to the details of the foredeck.  Although the basic structure and planking has been completed for a while, it was never attached to the hull because various components under the deck had to be completed first.  These included the guns that were done last time, the anchor bitts, and the post with sheaves for the foreyard halyard and tie system.
 
Here is the system on a contemporary model.  This is the one for the main yard, but the pieces are the same: a post attached to the deck with a number of sheaves for the halyard line; an upper ramshead block with matching sheaves and a transverse hole for the tie which comes down from the masthead; and the halyard line running between the two.  As you can see, the line goes through the deck and must pass through a series of holes or a scuttle of some sort.  There are no clear photos of this detail that I could find.
 
1
 
I also had to figure out how to install them fully rigged, since it would be quite difficult to get to the posts once the upper decks were in place.  Even RC Anderson recommends fully rigging them, then tensioning the system with the tie and not the halyard.  Here is what I came up with.
 
I started with the ramshead blocks.  I made these up with false sheaves rather than trying to build them up since they would be rigged and the sheaves hidden under the running line.   A series of five holes was drilled in a sized piece of hardwood in two matching horizontal lines using a Dremel drill press.  Then a thin grinding bitt was laid against the wood to cut a channel from one hole to the other.  You can see where I am starting the process in the right side hole with the others in later stages of carving.
 
2
 
These channels were carefully deepened and straightened, then angled at the ends of the cut until they approximately replicated the curve of the sheave that is not there.  This was done on both sides of the workpiece.  Now the blocks will accept the line which will look as though it is running around a circular sheave. 
 
Once all the slots were cut and cleaned up, the block was parted off to length and taken down to the ramshead shape with a sanding drum.  Here are the two for this model.  I do see that the tops of the blocks need some further shaping to match the one in the earlier photo.
 
3
 
In a similar way the posts that will go under the foredeck and quarterdeck were cut, pierced, and shaped.  The one on the right is an early example, before my technique was perfected, and which would be replaced if it were not going to be hidden under the foredeck.  The cut at its base is so it can fit over the knee of the anchor bitts, which brings it to the starboard side of the centerline.
 
4
 
And here are both sets, which were made up at the same time to maximize consistency.  You can see how the posts will be secured with brass rods into the deck for strength.
 
5
 
Here is the foreyard set fully rigged.  Sharp eyes will notice that there are only 4 loops of the halyard line and not 5.  When I went to install the set initially it really seemed too large for the ship.  I went back to my photos of contemporary models and found that the 5-sheave blocks were used on the largest three-deck warships.  This small frigate would not have needed such lifting power, so I took the finished pieces to the table saw and sliced off one side of all the pieces to eliminate one sheave.  This had the happy result that the scuttles in the decks did not have to be quite as large.  More on this later.
 
6
 
The next detail for the foredeck was the railing to keep sailors from falling into the waist and to house the ship’s bell.  I wanted to build and install it now so I could secure it from beneath the deck with metal pins before the foredeck was put on the model.  Here is a photo of a fairly fancy one from a model of a French ship of a somewhat later period.  Although this one is continuous from port to starboard, Budriot shows two gaps which will be used later to house spare spars and topmasts, so there is a long central section with two short sections flanking it.
 
7
 
I decided that my railing would have balusters set in channels for the body of the railing, with posts that went up through a caprail and ended in shaped timberheads that could be used to secure rigging lines.  The first task was to make a fairly large number of identical balusters without spending days turning them on a miniature lathe, which I don’t have.  I opted for the mill-and-part-off method that has worked for me with support knees, shingles, and other repetitive parts.
 
On the left is the baluster shape that I selected from internet images, then the cross section of the workpiece after milling channels with the Preac table saw and rounding off as needed with a carving bitt.  On the right is the side view of the workpiece with the parallel channels cut by the saw.  Note that the grain runs vertically.
 
8
 
Here the individual balusters are being parted off the workpiece on the Preac.  It is set up with the tall vertical fence and the thinnest, finest blade that I have.  The workpiece is being fed into the blade and is supported by a sacrificial stick held against the miter gauge.  This support stick is taller than the blade height so the end remains attached and I can push the workpiece through repeatedly, taking off identical slices.
 
9
 
Here are four of the balusters set into upper and lower channels ready for the end posts and caprail.
 
10
 
And here are a set of completed railing sections ready for installation.  Note that four of them are angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck.  
 
11
 
However, when I went to install them I realized that I had made a major mistake.  I made the railing about 40 inches tall in scale, enough to keep a man from falling over it into the waist.  This looked terrible against the size of other fittings.  I went and rechecked my dimensions to find that the railing is really only 18-24 inches tall.  Proof, once again, that if it doesn’t look right, it is probably wrong.
 
Instead, a new workpiece was shaped and short balusters were parted off.  Here you can see the relative heights of the old and new railings. 
 
12
 
You can also see that the new workpiece did not cut as cleanly as the old one.  I gave them a few coats of finish and, when dry, took off the wood fuzz with a thin pointed grinding bitt.  Here is the final set of railings, the upper ones for the quarterdeck and the lower ones with the belfry for the foredeck. 
 
13
 
So here is the foredeck ready for installation on the model.  You can see not only the railing and the scuttle for the halyard, but some additional features whose construction is pretty straightforward:  the smokestack for the galley stove, a small grating for the galley, a set of riding bitts with sheaves (also quite low to the deck), the mast coat, eyebolts for hooked rigging blocks, and that curious rigging fitting with ten cleats set onto the deck.
 
14
 
And here it is, installed.  Newly added are the catheads for the anchors, which are secured to the deck with headed bolts and the timberheads around the low bulwarks, secured with metal pins.  You can also see how the ramshead block was led up through the scuttle.  It was a tight squeeze but it made it, and then the scuttle was mostly closed off with wood battens to help keep the lower deck dry.
 
16
 
Next time, the gangways and quarterdeck, including the whipstaff.
 
Be well
 
Dan
 
 

Si, thanks for the kind words, Denis I like your new avatar, The song "Imagine" is my favourite song of the last century.
 
I started working on the crankcase it is cut from a block of brass that a friend gave me, it was given to him by somebody who melted down a bunch of odd bits of brass. it is hard and fine grained. The block was about 5 inches long and 3 wide and about 1 3/8 thick looked like it was cast in a mini bread pan. The brass cut nicely in the cut off saw.
 

 
This is the progress on the flats that will slot unto the crankcase hole. this will ensure that the sleeves remain seated, this is because I am not familiar with the differential expansion of the brass and stainless when the engine warms up. I doubt that there will be any problems so this is just to keep my mind at ease.
 

 
Michael

Thanks everyone for stopping by and for all the likes, it is very motivating.
 
I have been out of the shop since Thursday evening I went to Calgary to visit my grandsons and play "electric trains"
 
Today I did a little more work on the water jacket, I finished shaping the insert for the bottom of the jacket sweated it in place and bored the holes for the sleeves.
 
Also did some shaping of the top part of the cylinders. after making a second milling cutter for the curves on the top.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
The stainless sleeves are reamed and fitted, they are a press fit.
 

 
Michael

Thanks for all the likes, and to Row ,Mark, Druxey, and Andy thank you for your kind remarks they are very encouraging.
 
Began working on the new head part today but first I needed to make a couple of tools to help with some of the tasks.
 
first one was an end mill that was .155 in diameter and with a .015 radius at the cutting edge this was to ensure that the combustion cavity had a bit of a cove rather than a sharp corner.
 

 
a test cut
 

 
 
The second one was to make a collar for the 6 x .05mm tap so that I could tap in line accurately without taking the drill chuck out. It is just a disk of 1/2 inch aluminum with a couple of grub screws at right angles I ground a couple of 1/16th flats at the threaded end of the tap then I could use the drill chuck as the guide by releasing the tap from finger tight this way the drilled hole and the tapping are able to be accomplished without moving the work.
 

 
Then a lot of fiddly settings to shape the cavities.
 

 

 

 

 

 
next comes a lot of filing to finalize the shape.
 
Michael

HI all - 
 
After finishing up some other projects and some chores on the "honey-do" list, I am back building the QAR.   Here is my progress.
 
I realized that I had not planned or installed any scuppers from the gun deck to the outside of the hull.  Using a set of outside calipers I located and drilled five on each side of the hull.  I lined them with lead from a wine bottle wrapped around a toothpick, glued, and slid into place.  Once the glue was dry the excess was trimmed with a sharp blade.  They fit well when they were located under the gunports, though this meant that the upper ends in the waterways at the edges of the deck were all hidden by the guns.  Here are two on the port side of the hull.
 
1
 
Next I turned to the guns.  First were the stowed guns on the starboard side.  I played around with the test gun station that I made up a while ago to see how it might have been done.  I figured that the crew would have used the breaching rope and the train tackles which were already available.  I found that the breaching rope could be tightened up through the rings in the bulwark, which would have secured the gun pretty well.  Then the train tackles could run from the eyebolts on the carriage to the hooks in the bulwark.  Once they were tightened the remaining length of running line could be frapped (overwrapped) between the blocks.  I found that two layers perfectly used up the free line.  This seems a workable solution, but there certainly can be others.
 
Note that I have installed a lead vent cover secured with light line, which would have been used to keep water from entering and rusting the vent hole.  
 
2
 
Here is the line of four stowed guns in the waist. The guns are secured with a metal pin through the rear axle and into the deck, which is hidden between the truck and the carriage. There are two others, one forward under the foredeck and one aft under the quarterdeck, which can only be seen at a low angle.  Those that cannot be seen were not installed.  
 
3
 
On the port side the guns are run out, so all of them can be seen to some extent.  The three aftmost and the one in the bow were simplified.  The trucks were replaced with cleats for added glue surface and security, while the capsquares and rigging were not installed.  These were pinned in place as well.
 
4
 
The visible guns were glued to the deck and a metal pin was drilled at an angle through the rear axle and into the deck.  The breaching rope was rigged through the rings in the bulwark and secured to itself with two round seizings.  The rope was softened with water and shaped to 'droop' onto the deck.  Once it was approximately positioned it was painted with dilute pH neutral white glue and teased into final position as the glue dried.  This also secured it to the deck.  The train tackle was rigged from the carriage eyebolts to the bulwark hooks with the running line coiled on deck.  I did not flemish the coil since I do not think that a pirate ship would be that 'shipshape' or fastidious.
 
5
 
As long as I was rigging the guns, I experimented with loading procedures.  I was surprised to see that when the gun was fully run in for loading the back of the carriage covered up the deck ring behind it.  I double checked the length of French six-pounder cannon and the breadth of the deck and they were correct, so it is likely that this was what happened.  The only way I could make the system work was to hook the run-in tackle to the ring on the opposite side of the deck.   
 
6
 
With the copper clips standing in for the gun crew this seems to be a workable solution.  But again, this is speculation and may not be correct.
 
7
 
The rest of the port broadside was installed and rigged.
 
8
 
There are no pumps in Budriot's plans, but they do appear in a photograph of Berti's model of Le Mercure.  His are round, which I did not like, so I made mine hexagonal.  This was done in a straightforward way.  A length of half inch maple dowel was cut and the end marked with a six pointed star.  The lines were extended down the dowel then the wood was carved away between the lines.  The pump bodies were cut to length and the sides adjusted by hand sanding.
 
9
 
The well at the top was drilled, milled and darkened.  Blackened brass reinforcing rings were installed, as was a blackened brass outlet near the base of the pump.  The yoke for the handle was fashioned, installed and secured with three metal pins.  The handle was shaped and given a pivoting lifting bar at the business end that dropped into the well.  The handle was mounted on a metal axle pin through the yoke and the finished pump was given a coat of clear finish.
 
10
 
The completed pumps were installed adjacent to the main mast location.  Their bases had to be angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck, then secured with metal pins into the deck.  The handles are angled outward where they can be accessed easily by the crew without getting in the way of the rigging to come (at least I hope that there will be no problems).  
 
11
 
Using Pirate Pete for comparison, I am happy with the size, scale and look of the pumps.
 
12
 
More soon.  Be well.
 
Dan
 
 
 
 

Battle of the Stern - Opening Salvos
 
Reread the plans at least 10 times and compared them to the salvaged stern section from V 1.0...  realized I can do a lot better and also figured out where the errors crept in.  Then reviewed Hahn's article from the NRJ on her.  The pictures were unclear and perhaps I missed something first time through.  So... scanned the article and adjusted the pics... yep.  whiffed it.  Scan of a a scan of a printed magazine with retouched photos...  <hangs head since he knows better>
 
So, I started with some deconstruction by removing the stern post.  That done, took some basswood and worked on the filler piece.  The pics seem to show one curve (which I used for V 1.0) and plans show a different curve.  Originally, I figured Hahn found something and did the filler differently then the drawing and I followed that.  Wrong!!!!  It was the pic. I followed the drawing this time.  Much happier.
 
Also, worked on the first transom frame.  A lot happier even though it took the second try to get it right.  
 
These are "rough faired" for now.  I'll go back and finish shaping when the second transom is installed.
 

HI all - 
 
After finishing up some other projects and some chores on the "honey-do" list, I am back building the QAR.   Here is my progress.
 
I realized that I had not planned or installed any scuppers from the gun deck to the outside of the hull.  Using a set of outside calipers I located and drilled five on each side of the hull.  I lined them with lead from a wine bottle wrapped around a toothpick, glued, and slid into place.  Once the glue was dry the excess was trimmed with a sharp blade.  They fit well when they were located under the gunports, though this meant that the upper ends in the waterways at the edges of the deck were all hidden by the guns.  Here are two on the port side of the hull.
 
1
 
Next I turned to the guns.  First were the stowed guns on the starboard side.  I played around with the test gun station that I made up a while ago to see how it might have been done.  I figured that the crew would have used the breaching rope and the train tackles which were already available.  I found that the breaching rope could be tightened up through the rings in the bulwark, which would have secured the gun pretty well.  Then the train tackles could run from the eyebolts on the carriage to the hooks in the bulwark.  Once they were tightened the remaining length of running line could be frapped (overwrapped) between the blocks.  I found that two layers perfectly used up the free line.  This seems a workable solution, but there certainly can be others.
 
Note that I have installed a lead vent cover secured with light line, which would have been used to keep water from entering and rusting the vent hole.  
 
2
 
Here is the line of four stowed guns in the waist. The guns are secured with a metal pin through the rear axle and into the deck, which is hidden between the truck and the carriage. There are two others, one forward under the foredeck and one aft under the quarterdeck, which can only be seen at a low angle.  Those that cannot be seen were not installed.  
 
3
 
On the port side the guns are run out, so all of them can be seen to some extent.  The three aftmost and the one in the bow were simplified.  The trucks were replaced with cleats for added glue surface and security, while the capsquares and rigging were not installed.  These were pinned in place as well.
 
4
 
The visible guns were glued to the deck and a metal pin was drilled at an angle through the rear axle and into the deck.  The breaching rope was rigged through the rings in the bulwark and secured to itself with two round seizings.  The rope was softened with water and shaped to 'droop' onto the deck.  Once it was approximately positioned it was painted with dilute pH neutral white glue and teased into final position as the glue dried.  This also secured it to the deck.  The train tackle was rigged from the carriage eyebolts to the bulwark hooks with the running line coiled on deck.  I did not flemish the coil since I do not think that a pirate ship would be that 'shipshape' or fastidious.
 
5
 
As long as I was rigging the guns, I experimented with loading procedures.  I was surprised to see that when the gun was fully run in for loading the back of the carriage covered up the deck ring behind it.  I double checked the length of French six-pounder cannon and the breadth of the deck and they were correct, so it is likely that this was what happened.  The only way I could make the system work was to hook the run-in tackle to the ring on the opposite side of the deck.   
 
6
 
With the copper clips standing in for the gun crew this seems to be a workable solution.  But again, this is speculation and may not be correct.
 
7
 
The rest of the port broadside was installed and rigged.
 
8
 
There are no pumps in Budriot's plans, but they do appear in a photograph of Berti's model of Le Mercure.  His are round, which I did not like, so I made mine hexagonal.  This was done in a straightforward way.  A length of half inch maple dowel was cut and the end marked with a six pointed star.  The lines were extended down the dowel then the wood was carved away between the lines.  The pump bodies were cut to length and the sides adjusted by hand sanding.
 
9
 
The well at the top was drilled, milled and darkened.  Blackened brass reinforcing rings were installed, as was a blackened brass outlet near the base of the pump.  The yoke for the handle was fashioned, installed and secured with three metal pins.  The handle was shaped and given a pivoting lifting bar at the business end that dropped into the well.  The handle was mounted on a metal axle pin through the yoke and the finished pump was given a coat of clear finish.
 
10
 
The completed pumps were installed adjacent to the main mast location.  Their bases had to be angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck, then secured with metal pins into the deck.  The handles are angled outward where they can be accessed easily by the crew without getting in the way of the rigging to come (at least I hope that there will be no problems).  
 
11
 
Using Pirate Pete for comparison, I am happy with the size, scale and look of the pumps.
 
12
 
More soon.  Be well.
 
Dan
 
 
 
 

Hi - 
 
Thanks for the likes and comments.
 
Mark - you are probably right about the intermittent use of the inhaul tackles.  I imagine that during an engagement they would be available but unhooked from the carriage.  If the recoil was not enough to bring the gun back far enough to be loaded they would be quickly hooked on, hauled in, then unhooked when the gun was run out.  I don't think that you would want them hooked when the gun was fired, as they would get in the way of the recoil.
 
Matt - the pump handles are out of the way to the stern of the gun.  Look at the location of the inhaul ring on the deck near the pump.  Guns in the midship battery would rarely be slewed very far forward.  It was easier to turn the entire ship than to muscle the gun carriages around with handspikes.  That said, there are some really tight quarters for the pump bodies, the main mast, and the inhaul tackle, if I am correct that it would be hooked to the opposite ring.  
 
Dan

HI all - 
 
After finishing up some other projects and some chores on the "honey-do" list, I am back building the QAR.   Here is my progress.
 
I realized that I had not planned or installed any scuppers from the gun deck to the outside of the hull.  Using a set of outside calipers I located and drilled five on each side of the hull.  I lined them with lead from a wine bottle wrapped around a toothpick, glued, and slid into place.  Once the glue was dry the excess was trimmed with a sharp blade.  They fit well when they were located under the gunports, though this meant that the upper ends in the waterways at the edges of the deck were all hidden by the guns.  Here are two on the port side of the hull.
 
1
 
Next I turned to the guns.  First were the stowed guns on the starboard side.  I played around with the test gun station that I made up a while ago to see how it might have been done.  I figured that the crew would have used the breaching rope and the train tackles which were already available.  I found that the breaching rope could be tightened up through the rings in the bulwark, which would have secured the gun pretty well.  Then the train tackles could run from the eyebolts on the carriage to the hooks in the bulwark.  Once they were tightened the remaining length of running line could be frapped (overwrapped) between the blocks.  I found that two layers perfectly used up the free line.  This seems a workable solution, but there certainly can be others.
 
Note that I have installed a lead vent cover secured with light line, which would have been used to keep water from entering and rusting the vent hole.  
 
2
 
Here is the line of four stowed guns in the waist. The guns are secured with a metal pin through the rear axle and into the deck, which is hidden between the truck and the carriage. There are two others, one forward under the foredeck and one aft under the quarterdeck, which can only be seen at a low angle.  Those that cannot be seen were not installed.  
 
3
 
On the port side the guns are run out, so all of them can be seen to some extent.  The three aftmost and the one in the bow were simplified.  The trucks were replaced with cleats for added glue surface and security, while the capsquares and rigging were not installed.  These were pinned in place as well.
 
4
 
The visible guns were glued to the deck and a metal pin was drilled at an angle through the rear axle and into the deck.  The breaching rope was rigged through the rings in the bulwark and secured to itself with two round seizings.  The rope was softened with water and shaped to 'droop' onto the deck.  Once it was approximately positioned it was painted with dilute pH neutral white glue and teased into final position as the glue dried.  This also secured it to the deck.  The train tackle was rigged from the carriage eyebolts to the bulwark hooks with the running line coiled on deck.  I did not flemish the coil since I do not think that a pirate ship would be that 'shipshape' or fastidious.
 
5
 
As long as I was rigging the guns, I experimented with loading procedures.  I was surprised to see that when the gun was fully run in for loading the back of the carriage covered up the deck ring behind it.  I double checked the length of French six-pounder cannon and the breadth of the deck and they were correct, so it is likely that this was what happened.  The only way I could make the system work was to hook the run-in tackle to the ring on the opposite side of the deck.   
 
6
 
With the copper clips standing in for the gun crew this seems to be a workable solution.  But again, this is speculation and may not be correct.
 
7
 
The rest of the port broadside was installed and rigged.
 
8
 
There are no pumps in Budriot's plans, but they do appear in a photograph of Berti's model of Le Mercure.  His are round, which I did not like, so I made mine hexagonal.  This was done in a straightforward way.  A length of half inch maple dowel was cut and the end marked with a six pointed star.  The lines were extended down the dowel then the wood was carved away between the lines.  The pump bodies were cut to length and the sides adjusted by hand sanding.
 
9
 
The well at the top was drilled, milled and darkened.  Blackened brass reinforcing rings were installed, as was a blackened brass outlet near the base of the pump.  The yoke for the handle was fashioned, installed and secured with three metal pins.  The handle was shaped and given a pivoting lifting bar at the business end that dropped into the well.  The handle was mounted on a metal axle pin through the yoke and the finished pump was given a coat of clear finish.
 
10
 
The completed pumps were installed adjacent to the main mast location.  Their bases had to be angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck, then secured with metal pins into the deck.  The handles are angled outward where they can be accessed easily by the crew without getting in the way of the rigging to come (at least I hope that there will be no problems).  
 
11
 
Using Pirate Pete for comparison, I am happy with the size, scale and look of the pumps.
 
12
 
More soon.  Be well.
 
Dan
 
 
 
 

Hi all –
 
Thanks for your comments and suggestions.  I plan to incorporate them into the second iteration of the boat which will be built when the hardwood strips arrive from the supplier.
 
When we left the shipyard the hull of the boat had been fully planked with the shutter planks fitted on both sides.  The hull had been marked out in pencil for the rib locations in preparation for the nails which would have fastened the planks to the ribs.  Here you can see the lines for all of the ribs that sit square to the keel as well as for the two cant ribs, drawn on the port side of the hull.
 

 
For the fasteners I had to find a way to make them look right without devoting an excessive amount of time to the task.  Since there are 11 planks on each side, 25 rib or transom/stem lines that the planks cross, and two fasteners per crossing, the math says that there have to be 1100 fasteners for the exterior of each boat.  Add in some more for the interior work and you can see the magnitude of the problem. 
 
The original boat probably had the planks nailed to the ribs, with the ends peened over to clinch them.  I experimented with a plank/rib mockup and could never get the holes in the planks to come through the ribs in the proper places.  Instead, I decided to drill the holes through only the planks and worry about indicating the nails on the inside of the ribs later.
 
I first drilled all the holes.  Here you can see how there are two in each plank in an offset pattern.  I used a 0.012” drill, which scales up to 1/2”, which would be about right.
 

 
At first I tried inserting pieces of annealed iron wire into the holes, clipping them short, painting them with glue, then filing the tops flush with the face of the planks.  This was incredibly time consuming and fiddly.  I then decided to try the technique of leaving the holes empty, sanding the planks to fill the holes with sawdust, then painting on a finish to hold in the sawdust.  This looked good and I don’t believe that anyone can tell the difference with this short cut.
 
  *   *   *
Aarrrgh, scalawag that ye are!  Ye’ll not be taking any modern short cuts with me boats.  I be Dread Pirate Peter, and I’ll have yer guts fer garters if ye dinna do a manly and proper piece of work. 
 

 
No, no, it will be OK.  Really it will.  Here, this is what the nail holes look like after filling and staining.  I have had several critical people, including my wife, compare them to the ones with the iron nails in them and no one could tell the difference.  In fact, the slightly spread discoloration of the wood grain closely mimics the way old wood stains when a nail rusts into it.
 

 
*   *   *
Tis all very well and comely, but rest ye not on yer laurels, lest ye rest on yer ****.  I be watching ye. . .
 
*   *   *
Soooo, with that out of the way, I turned to fitting out the interior.  First the missing ribs were bent and fitted into the interior.  These were the two cant ribs at the bow and the aftmost rib at Station 21 that had been left off to make planking easier. 
 
The first interior piece to be installed was the tapered central plank of the flooring.  It strengthens the keel and is the location for the lifting rings and mast step.
 

 
To each side the rest of the floor planks were installed.  They are not tapered but fit against the tapered center plank due to the curvature of the hull.  They are held in place while the glue dries by inexpensive hair clips from the cosmetics section of the drug store.  They initially look like the one at the lower left, but are easily bent by hand to the shape in the lower right.  This now allows them to reach around the hull to apply pressure at the tips.
 

 
Next to be installed are the sheets, the planked platforms at the bow and stern.  They will appear in later photos, but I did not take pictures as they were being built.  Construction is straightforward.  Planks were glued to a pair of battens underneath to make a flat sheet larger than needed.  A paper pattern is cut to fit the space and the wood sheet is cut to that shape.  The edges are bevelled to match the curve of the hull and it is glued in place to the ribs.
 
Now the thwart stringers are installed.  I first bent one piece of  stripwood to shape and glued it in on the starboard side at the height indicated on the plans.  The matching strip was bent and trimmed for the port side and held in place temporarily while I balanced pieces of stripwood across from side to side and set perpendicular to the keel.  These are known in woodworking as ‘winding sticks’ although I don’t know why.  Looking across their tops you can easily see any variation from side to side and any tipping compared to the centerline and the edge of the sheets.  Once I was satisfied with the levels, the port stringer was glued in place. 
 

 
The plans show square section wood pieces running side to side just under the thwart stringers near the bow and stern.  They have a short section in the center that has a round cross section.  I do not know what they were for, but perhaps the rounded section would have a halyard led around it when the sail was raised, sort of a non-turning sheave.  Whatever they are they were shaped, fitted and glued in.
 
The lifting rings and mast step were located and attached to the central floor plank.  I also drilled the nail holes for the floors and sheets as I did for the hull planks.  My one regret is that I did not do this for the ribs at this point when they were exposed.  It turned out to be too crowded later – a detail that will be corrected on the next boats.
 
The thwarts were cut from 1mm thick stock, with the middle one being wider in the center and having added knees.  It holds and supports the metalwork that acts as the mast partner.  This fitting is made from brass strip which is chemically blackened, then glued and pinned with wire nails to the edge of the thwart.  A decorative beading was scribed into the edges of the thwarts, then they were installed on top of the stringers with spacers between them.
 

 
Unfortunately, once the thwarts were installed it was clear that they were sitting too high in the boat.  No rowers could have sat on them and had their feet reach the floor for leverage.  Here the flexibility of the Lineco glue came to my rescue.  With the tip of a #10 blade I was able to pry up the thwarts from the stringers and then remove the stringers without any damage to the hull or ribs.
 

 
The stringers were lowered 6 scale inches and reinstalled, followed by the thwarts, which looked much better after the adjustment.  I went back to the plans and determined that the problem was there and not in my measuring or building.  Just one of those problems that had to be built to be discovered.
 

 
Fitting out the rest of the interior is self-explanatory.  Working up from the thwarts the stern seats were planked up over battens.  They sit on top of the thwart stringers and the aftmost thwart.  The foremost thwart has a pair of knees set on top.
 
Square section stringers were fitted and glued to the inner sides of the sheer strake so their tops matched, and were strengthened at the bow by a breasthook and at the stern by two transom knees.  Thole blocks were set on top of the sheer strakes and stringers and will be drilled for the thole pins to be added later.  The locations of several of these had to be adjusted from the plans, which did not have them at a consistent distance from the associated thwart.
 

 
The only difficult woodworking came at the bow where the curved and carved fairleads on either side of the stem were joined with a double-dovetailed cross-support.
 


 
With the boat all but complete the rudder was fashioned to match the plans.  Two planks were fitted and tapered, then cut to the proper profile.  The pintle straps were made from brass strip, pinned through with iron wire and chemically blackened.  The tiller is brass bar that was tapered and blackened, with an epoxy bulb at its tip.
 

 
Top and bottom gudgeons were fashioned from blackened brass strip.  The upper one simply slipped into a hole drilled into the aft face of the sternpost, while the lower one had to be bent in several directions before being pinned against the sides of the sternpost.  It only remained for the thole pins to be installed and the boat was complete.
 

 
*    *    *
So ye think ye be quite clever, do ye? Quite the boat builder?  I be the judge of that.  I also bring me great-great-great grandson Peter who says he has worked with ye before.  He be a great galoot of a puppy, but he be useful to judge yer work.  He set up this temporary mast and I grant ye that said boat be mightily even side to side.
 

 
He sits well in the stern and nothing pulls my eye to say that he could not reach and steer the tiller, should he take it into his head to do some work, the lazy lout that he be.
 

 
It shivers me innards to grudge ye my approval, but i’ faith I canna find much to dislike.  But be warned that I will no be put off with such minor success.  Ye must do as well or better, or feel me wrath fall upon ye like to the Trump of Doom.
 


 
Well, there you have it.  The second boat will be made from hardwoods now that most of the construction problems have been identified, although I am sure that new ones will appear and demand solutions.  Those may be harder to find while looking over my shoulder all the time; Dread Pirate Peter seems to have very high standards, and a very short temper.
 
Till then, be well.
 
Dan

HI all - 
 
After finishing up some other projects and some chores on the "honey-do" list, I am back building the QAR.   Here is my progress.
 
I realized that I had not planned or installed any scuppers from the gun deck to the outside of the hull.  Using a set of outside calipers I located and drilled five on each side of the hull.  I lined them with lead from a wine bottle wrapped around a toothpick, glued, and slid into place.  Once the glue was dry the excess was trimmed with a sharp blade.  They fit well when they were located under the gunports, though this meant that the upper ends in the waterways at the edges of the deck were all hidden by the guns.  Here are two on the port side of the hull.
 
1
 
Next I turned to the guns.  First were the stowed guns on the starboard side.  I played around with the test gun station that I made up a while ago to see how it might have been done.  I figured that the crew would have used the breaching rope and the train tackles which were already available.  I found that the breaching rope could be tightened up through the rings in the bulwark, which would have secured the gun pretty well.  Then the train tackles could run from the eyebolts on the carriage to the hooks in the bulwark.  Once they were tightened the remaining length of running line could be frapped (overwrapped) between the blocks.  I found that two layers perfectly used up the free line.  This seems a workable solution, but there certainly can be others.
 
Note that I have installed a lead vent cover secured with light line, which would have been used to keep water from entering and rusting the vent hole.  
 
2
 
Here is the line of four stowed guns in the waist. The guns are secured with a metal pin through the rear axle and into the deck, which is hidden between the truck and the carriage. There are two others, one forward under the foredeck and one aft under the quarterdeck, which can only be seen at a low angle.  Those that cannot be seen were not installed.  
 
3
 
On the port side the guns are run out, so all of them can be seen to some extent.  The three aftmost and the one in the bow were simplified.  The trucks were replaced with cleats for added glue surface and security, while the capsquares and rigging were not installed.  These were pinned in place as well.
 
4
 
The visible guns were glued to the deck and a metal pin was drilled at an angle through the rear axle and into the deck.  The breaching rope was rigged through the rings in the bulwark and secured to itself with two round seizings.  The rope was softened with water and shaped to 'droop' onto the deck.  Once it was approximately positioned it was painted with dilute pH neutral white glue and teased into final position as the glue dried.  This also secured it to the deck.  The train tackle was rigged from the carriage eyebolts to the bulwark hooks with the running line coiled on deck.  I did not flemish the coil since I do not think that a pirate ship would be that 'shipshape' or fastidious.
 
5
 
As long as I was rigging the guns, I experimented with loading procedures.  I was surprised to see that when the gun was fully run in for loading the back of the carriage covered up the deck ring behind it.  I double checked the length of French six-pounder cannon and the breadth of the deck and they were correct, so it is likely that this was what happened.  The only way I could make the system work was to hook the run-in tackle to the ring on the opposite side of the deck.   
 
6
 
With the copper clips standing in for the gun crew this seems to be a workable solution.  But again, this is speculation and may not be correct.
 
7
 
The rest of the port broadside was installed and rigged.
 
8
 
There are no pumps in Budriot's plans, but they do appear in a photograph of Berti's model of Le Mercure.  His are round, which I did not like, so I made mine hexagonal.  This was done in a straightforward way.  A length of half inch maple dowel was cut and the end marked with a six pointed star.  The lines were extended down the dowel then the wood was carved away between the lines.  The pump bodies were cut to length and the sides adjusted by hand sanding.
 
9
 
The well at the top was drilled, milled and darkened.  Blackened brass reinforcing rings were installed, as was a blackened brass outlet near the base of the pump.  The yoke for the handle was fashioned, installed and secured with three metal pins.  The handle was shaped and given a pivoting lifting bar at the business end that dropped into the well.  The handle was mounted on a metal axle pin through the yoke and the finished pump was given a coat of clear finish.
 
10
 
The completed pumps were installed adjacent to the main mast location.  Their bases had to be angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck, then secured with metal pins into the deck.  The handles are angled outward where they can be accessed easily by the crew without getting in the way of the rigging to come (at least I hope that there will be no problems).  
 
11
 
Using Pirate Pete for comparison, I am happy with the size, scale and look of the pumps.
 
12
 
More soon.  Be well.
 
Dan
 
 
 
 

Denis ,Row, Dan, Carl, thanks for looking in and for the kind words. 
 
I am beginning to wonder about this engine business.
 
The three cylinder blocks so far!
 

 
The one in the middle was the first one I was getting more dissatisfied by the hour, because the little break through into the water jacket area was nagging at me all the time. It was actually the second of the things that was bugging me and the top part had its own error I realized the oval water area was too long. also I decided that the bottom mounting lugs needed to be an integral part instead of part of a plate that was going to be fitted to the bottom somehow?
 
So I started over and was merrily milling down into the water jacket area when saw the cutter making it way down the outside of the jacket....... yup I set the cuts on the mill from the wrong side of the block after working the outside dimensions.
 
you can see the clean little slot on the one in the back, right down the middle.
 
The one in the front is version number three, according to folk lore it should be lucky.
 

 
The most tricky part was drilling the inlet and exhaust holes (still a bit gun-shy after the first mistake) I had to set the block up with a compound angle, for each hole the inlet ones on the outside and the exhaust ones in the middle. Now the hand work filing the surface shapes is under way. I also increased the size of the valve heads to .125 from .093 inches. The bore of the cylinders is reduced to 5/16 from 3/8ths in order to get more space for water circulation.
 

 
Carl in answer to your question why brass instead of iron, it is because brass is easier to work and I have the material. I have noticed that some of the engines on the engine website are brass and they seem to run fine as long as there is a steel or iron liner and an aluminum piston. this is the route that I am following.
 
Michael