cog

Those railings really look very nice 

Time for a bit of an update.   Been busy with mostly car projects for the past couple of years but now returning to do some much needed updates  on the half hull model of our own Alberg 37 sloop (since sold).    I mentioned at the beginning of this thread that I wasn't happy with  the metal work on this model as it was done back in the days when I was using plain steel rod and ordinary solder.   This has now tarnished and blackened so it's time to replace all that with stainless steel and S/S solder.
 
Have taken the model out to my shed and have it mounted on a work board which itself is screwed to a cabinet near my workbench.  This lets me easily reach the model while reducing its handling.

It was pretty dirty after several years on the wall so after a wash down with Q-tips and soft, wetted rags I gave it a polish with the automotive stuff (Meguires polishing compound) I use on my car models.  Gave it a shine it never had.

I've glued a couple chunks of Renshape together to give me a surface on which to build the new bow and stern pulpits.    Drilled a few holes where needed and start bending stainless rod to the shapes.   This rod is actually sold as stainless steel welding rods and is lovely to work with.   


Solder in the extra rails then remove from the Ren.   File down the excess solder. wet sand it and finally polish with a metal polish.
 
Here's my 2 new rails ...
 

There are tiny tabs that need to be added to the rails where the lifelines will attach.   These I cut from a tin can lid and soldered in place.   I use a large piece for ease of holding then grind it to size with a Dremel grinding disk.   Tabs seen here on the bow pulpit.
 

That's about as far as I've got.   Need to make a few stanchions and the 2 special ones for the "gate".
 
Back later.
 
Frank
 
 
 
 
 

Nice work on the parts, looks good, very clean details. Waiting with anticipation on final installation ...

Good Morning Gentlemen,
 
Thank you very much for the warm welcome back messages and comments on the boat, It seems as though I've never been away, what a forum this is.
 
Going on with the boat, the next step was to rig the gun and tiller bar.
 
I substituted the 5mm kit double blocks for a far superior block which came to me from Australia, so much better, thanks mate. The rope used was from a previous Caldercraft kit.
 

This is such an easy rigging system.

Just a little bit of trimming to do, the Breech rope is meant to be that way round otherwise it fouls the Quoin.

I can only assume that the Cox'n or Bosun were standing most of the time, I've never seen a configuration like this before.

 
It looks as though the tiller is bent, it's purely optical, again a bit of trimming and that bits done.

OK that's me done for now, I invite all comments either good or bad, I only ask that your gentle with me.
 
Be Good my Friends
 
mobbsie
 
 
 

She looks like a boat with teeth! Love the hull planking colours. Well done mate

seeing it again in this post I have got to say I absolutely have to make one of those cam lock table top holder devices 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 226 – Fore Topmast 1
 
The fore topmast is only slightly less complex than the jibboom.  It has two sheaves, one below its cross-trees for the upper topsail halyard tie, and one near the base to aid in erecting the mast.  The base is square, the area below the hounds is octagonal and the minimum diameter of the spar is below the hounds so that the top of the hounds flare out to provide a seat for the cross-trees.
 
As with the jibboom, mortises for both sheaves and one at the base for the mast fid were milled into the still-squared, untapered "first trim."  In the jibboom post (Part 217), I mentioned using an edge-finer to center the mortises on the spar, rather than relying on pencil-marked center lines.  This method eliminates error inherent in visually using a marked line.  The edge finder that I used, set in the 3/8" Sherline mill holder, is shown in the first picture.

The finder is precisely 0.375" inches in diameter.  The lower section of the finder is offset from the center but moves freely in the radial direction.  The pointed section at the bottom is not used in this instance. 
 
The first step was to align the fixed jaw of the milling vise parallel to the mill's X-axis.  This was done using a dial test indicator mounted in the spindle as described in an earlier post.  The edge finder was then installed in the spindle and used to precisely locate the face of the fixed jaw of the vise relative to the spindle centerline.  The next picture shows this being done.

In the picture, the finder has been lowered so the bottom part is able to rub against the vise jaw.  With the mill running, the jaw is brought slowly into contact with the lower section of the finder.  As the vise is moved inward, the lower section of the finder becomes more centered.  When the jaw has reached the precise diameter of the finder shaft, the bottom section "kicks out" to the left as shown above.  The finder is then removed and the vise moved further inward by one-half the finder's diameter, 0.1875".  The spindle is thus centered precisely over the fixed vise-jaw face.
 
In the next picture, a 1/32" bit has been fitted into a chuck on the spindle and the vise advanced by one half of the actual diameter of the spar blank, bringing it precisely over the centerline of the spar.

For this very light work, the bit is held in a drill chuck.  Due to the size of the spar and the short length of the milling bit, the mortises must be cut from both sides, further heightening the need for accurate centering.  The less critical lengths of the mortises are set visually by lines marked on the spar.  I cut all the mortises with the bit shown, then enlarge to the final width later using small files.
 
The next picture shows the spar with two of the mortises cut.

 Because the lower sheave is set 45 degrees from the fore and aft slots and is located on the full-diameter, untampered lower end, this milling was later done by the same method after the octagonal shape was formed on the spar.  The next picture shows the rough tapering of the square blank using a cabinet scraper.

The area below the hounds is being tapered from both directions to the minimum mast diameter as shown below using a flat file.

In the next picture the mast has been fully shaped. 

The bottom is left square with chamfered corners, the hounds are left octagonal and the masthead is left square.  The final diameter of the lower section was refined to its final size using the mast cap as a gauge.  The last picture shows the topmast temporarily mounted on the lower mast.

As with the bowsprit cap, the mast cap shown here was easy to make because the lower masthead tenon and the diameter of the lower end of the topmast are 18", converting to a convenient ¼" drill size at 1:72.  Precision in mast cap dimensions is important so that the masts will be properly aligned.  For all the remaining caps, where the hole sizes are less convenient, a different process will be described later. 
 
Ed

Thanks for all the likes and the comments.
 
Bearegalleon said
 
Nope, not on this one, though one of the guys I've carved to be part of the crew is a Varangian Guardsman (He's the tall one). I've been in Hagia Sophia and taken photos of the famous runic graffiti - it says something like "Halfdan was here". But there's graffiti everywhere in Hagia Sophia! Including some ship names and dates from the 18th century on one of the marble columns on the southern gallery, plus another of a ship I think is 15th century scratched on another column (I have photos!)
 
Steven

Indeed so, which is the clever part of parrels. The wooden bearings ride over the ropes like an all-terrain vehicle. 
Thanks for all the likes.
Carl you wont have to wait long.
Dick

Dick, every time I think it can't get any better you come up with something new and amazing!
 
Really looking forward to seeing her spread her wings.
 
Steven
 
PS: Thanks for the comment on the dromon

She looks like a boat with teeth! Love the hull planking colours. Well done mate

Carl, Nope she is still here on my bench, unfortunately nothing has really changed since the last pictures though.
 
Right now I am installing the Sheer Poles and Futtock Staves. I should have done the Sheer poles before I did the Ratlines, my spacing is off a bit. I am only getting a few minutes build time each night, I am finding I only have a knot or two in me before I need to go sit and vegetate in front of the TV or read for a bit, then its off to bed. But progress is progress I'll take what I can get.
 
Progress pictures when there is something to show.
Sam

Nice work on the parts, looks good, very clean details. Waiting with anticipation on final installation ...

Now excitement levels are mounting, so is my expectation!

Now excitement levels are mounting, so is my expectation!

One of the more fiddly and interesting aspects of the rigging of this beast has been to work out how the parrels were applied to the mast. The excavated parrels from the Mary Rose were a great help in this regard. But I still had to work out a way of applying the parrels which I could understand and was consistent with the iconography. Firstly, in a large vessel such as this, three, four ar even more rows of parrels were needed. Secondly, any method of attaching them had to allow loosening and tightening of the parrels so that the position of the yard on the mast could be changed. In this regard, I recognise the wonderful work of Franco Gay ( The Ships of Christopher Columbus (Nuova Raccolta Colombiana, Vol. 7) by Franco Gay ) for his contributions . Thirdly, the parrel tightening needs to be done from deck level.
 
The concept is my own modification of Franco Gay's method and seems to work. Grommet is seized to the yard. Its purpose is to transmit the parrel ropes to the deck.
 

 
There are two ropes: one controls parrel rows 1 and 4 and the other  rows 2 and 3
Please note that the slots end up AGAINST the mast

The yard is now ready to be attached to the mast.
 

 
The starboard ropes are now passed around the yard. Note the parrels are loose.

 
All ropes are passed through the grommet

 
The parrels are tightened.
 
 
The time has come to hoist the mainsail.
Dick
 

She looks like a boat with teeth! Love the hull planking colours. Well done mate

Arriving late I see, but, at least I'll see the finish.  Lovely boat Mobbsie and great artistic choice for the woods and colours.  Looks huge!

It's great to see you back, Mobbsie.   Been wondering where you've been off to.  Beautiful work on the boat.

She looks like a boat with teeth! Love the hull planking colours. Well done mate

probably a file or a sharpening stone. Sanding sticks tend to run smooth rather quickly ... unless you like to polish

Thanks for the heads-up Mr Bunny. I'll stick to the 350 scale. Need to have some space left for another model or two.

Nah, I'm thinking about a sub (pink?) Working on repairs on some parts of the superstructure like the range finder, and other parts. Doing to much different things at my workbench/desk. Still waiting on some stuff I need so I can continue. Holiday time is a major pain. With phisical shops you'd now if you could get it or not. Nowadays you just have to wait! Parts from downunder take rather long, because of customs here.
 
Your build, however, is going rather smooth. I like the colour the grating. Great contrast. Livens it up considarably. Your seven storied pagoda looks smashing, even with the few parts missing you mentioned

Hmmm, thought about the spaceship version, but I wanted pink wings, which didn't come in the pre coloured kit