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grsjax

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Everything posted by grsjax

  1. grsjax
    All books are in very good or better condition with dust jackets. Tight bindings and clean pages. Shipping is $4 ea. within the US. International shipment will require figuring shipping for destination. The 20-Gun Ship Blandford by Peter Goodwin $25 The 100-Gun Ship Victory by John McKay (some very minor marks on the dust cover) $25 The 24-Gun Frigate Pandora by John McKay and Ron Coleman $40 All 3 books for $80 shipping included in the US.
  2. grsjax
    Very good condition copy. Hardback with dust cover. Dust cover has a clear plastic covering. Tight binding with clean pages. ISBN: 0890092710 1979 Published by Chartwell Books, Inc. 192 pages, lots of illustrations. SOLD
  3. grsjax
    That looks like twisted wire rope to me.
  4. grsjax
    Could you post a closeup picture of the wire? I would like to see what kind of wire you are using. Thanks
  5. grsjax
    When I attempted it to do it that way the twist was either to loose, or the twisted wire would kink. Never could get wire rope that actually looked like the real thing. BTW wire rope is usually made with more than 3 wires. Common classifications are 7x7, 7x19, 6x26, 6x36 and 19x7 strands. There are other configurations but these are most common.
  6. grsjax
    You might be right. Just going with what I have observed. When I heat a piece of steel and let it cool it bends easier. Of course that might be highly dependent on type of steel and how hot I got it. Didn't do any scientific experiments, just what I observed in practice.
  7. grsjax
    Making twisted wire rope isn't easy, even at small scales. Takes a lot of tension to keep the twist tight. A regular rope walk probably wouldn't be enough.
  8. grsjax
    Depending on what type of steel is used it may be possible to anneal the ends to make them less springy. Use a propane torch and hold the wire with a set of pliers. The pliers should be metal and fairly large to act as a heat sink to keep the annealing confined to the part you want to bend. If you can't get the wire into a condition you want you might want to check out jewelry suppliers for braided wire that is less springy. It comes in a large range of sizes in a couple of different braids (5 strand, 7 strand, 9 strand, etc).
  9. grsjax
    Some what true recently but there are a lot of articles about the history of specific ships and ship building in back issues of the NRJ.
  10. grsjax
    Is "To Build a Whaleboat: Historical Notes and a Modelmaker's Guide" by Erik Ronnberg the book you are going to get at Mystic Seaport? If not you should take a look at Mr. Ronnberg's book. It is the best I have found on building a whaleboat model.
  11. grsjax
    DesignCad 3D is a good program and doesn't cost a lot. I picked up one that was an earlier version for less than $20 on eBay. I don't know if it will work with a Mac but you can get a Windows emulator for the Mac that can run this software.
  12. grsjax
    I find a slide on top of the saw table works well for strips. Clamp the wood to be cut to the slide and you can cut thin strips without a fence and without endangering your fingers. Added a picture of a nicely made table saw slide.
  13. grsjax
    The Pride of Baltimore or the Latham would be pick. As Ron says the Santa Maria might be difficult. I wouldn't start with the whale boat. Although the whaleboat shape is generally considered easy to plank this kit is very detailed and takes some time to do right.
  14. grsjax
    The acid etching results in a surface with a greater area than un-etched surface. The same is true for cleaning with pumice or other abrasives. This is a factor in the blacking process because it gives the blacking solution more area to interact with. I get much the same results using a similar process to that described by Landlocked123 but I use white vinegar instead of sparex. The white vinegar is acidic enough to etch brass and white metal, it is cheap and doesn't require any mixing. An important factor is cleaning the metal very well and rinsing all residue from the cleaning solution from the metal. BTW if you want to make your own blacking solution you can use a super-saturated solution of copper carbonate (CuCO3Cu(OH)2) and regular, over-the-counter ammonia.
  15. grsjax
    On small craft it was not unusual to have only one or even no shrouds on a mast. The mast was a single timber and usually very heavy. As for getting to the top sails sailors would use the mast hoops as a ladder and climb to the top that way.
  16. grsjax
    Mix the paint really well and use a good filler on the wood.
  17. grsjax
    Wonderful ship. Lines, construction and rigging plans are available from the Smithsonian Institute and also from ModelShipBuilder. When I was a kid back in the dark ages of the last century there was a pinky yacht named Styx in the Ali Wai yacht harbor in Honolulu. Lovely, long black schooner. Your post set me to wondering if it was a copy of the original Dove.
  18. grsjax
    Midwest models are no longer being manufactured but are still plentiful on eBay. Any of the level 1 kits are a good place to start. The skiff and dingy are both excellent introductions to working with wood and are not to difficult.
  19. grsjax
    Another excellent book is "Junks and Sampans of the Yangzte" by G.R.G. Worcester. Based on decades of experience it is the best book I have seen on the subject. There is also the "Junk Blue Book 1962" put out by the US Government during the Vietnam war that has a lot of info about water craft of the region. Downloadable version is available here http://indigenousboats.blogspot.com/p/junk-blue-book.html
  20. grsjax
    Dumas makes one but it is very simple. Both the Amati and AL kits are pretty good. There are some Chinese made kits but I think they are from makers that are on the banned list. Can't think of any others.
  21. grsjax
    Ran across this on eBay. It is from Russia. Don't believe I have seen this seller/manufacture before.
  22. grsjax
    As said by others eBay is the way to go to get a good pair without breaking the bank. I bought an excellent set for less than $40 including shipping. Well worth the cost. However be wary of the ones being sold from India. They are very cheap copies.
  23. grsjax
    Not sure if this has already been brought up but I believe the most common mixture was red ochre mixed with turpentine and linseed oil. This would have been the most commonly available material in a dockyard. The actual color would have varied a great deal depending on ingredients, how fine the pigment was ground and how good a job of mixing was done. A recipe I found is 1 part linseed oil, 3 parts turpentine, Drying agent, Pigment. Not sure what was used as a drying agent or if a drying agent was even used.
  24. grsjax
    David MacGregor wrote a book "Merchant Sailing Ships, 1775 to 1815". Excellent book. Not sure if it will have the info you are looking for but a great reference on the subject.
  25. grsjax
    Depends on what you define as a trawler. Billings Boats makes a couple of nice kits and Laughing Whale (now owned by Bluejacket) used to make a couple but not sure if they still do. Soclaine makes some sailing trawler kits. Not sure about other makers.

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