coxswain

A test of the deck with a little bit of stain. The grain of the oak over powers the planks.

I also tried cutting apart the given deck and cutting individual planks. The first pass isn’t what I hoped it would be.

Thanks Dirk! 
 
The rest list is one item shorter. Pumps installed on the deck. The pumps in kit are made from some strange wood. I used the scrap wood from the kit and carved the pipes from pear. 

 
 

hi again..
its now time to get some photo out again,
i have get the portholes on ,the first layer of the top coat on the hull is on ,
i also painted the main dekk cabin( yust the first layer) and also the rivitts bands ,
the windowns frames is install .
am working also with upper rear dekk cabin and when this is finish i wil get to work on the front cabin.
 
svein erik

Post 60

Continuing the mast rigging.

 
With the Standing backstay discarded I move onto making the Pendents for the Running Backstays.


4390
Seizing the pendent around the 5mm block, the stropping is also served using 0.1mm ø Morope.

At least this can be done off-model.

 
Around the masthead and for several feet the line is served.


4393
Having to seize the pendent on the model makes getting a matched pair a little more tricky, and the higher up you get the more tired your arms.

 

4396
For the second pendent I levelled the drop before seizing.

 
I can now test out the standing part of the running Backstay.

0169
For this I am using Syren 0.63mm line and a 9/32nd Fiddle block also from Syren.

The standing part will have a thimble and hook attached to the aft iron plate, the line passes thro’ the pendent block and has the Fiddle block seized into its end.

 
The Irving Kingman model of Alert has an additional tackle seized thro’ the strop of the Running backstay pendent.

The Kingman model was featured in an NRG article in Vol 29, 1983 pp173-184.


4399
This extra tackle is also on a pendent with a 5/32nd double block seized into the end. A tackle is then set up with a single 5/32nd block hooked to the middle iron plate.
This arrangement neatly uses the three iron hull plates and I am tempted to follow his example, altho’ he acknowledges that some of the reconstruction of Alert is based on conjecture and therefore possibly not accurate.


0164
So, here’s a reproduction temporarily rigged on the portside of my Alert.

 
The other possible arrangement, and as seen on most cutters is as on the starboard side.


0170
This would follow the arrangement used on the Cole model, the Hawke model, and in the old prints kindly provided by Dirk in the previous post.

 

0172
So, it’s decision time, and I think I’ve done running backstays to death.


0177
I’m opting for the double tackle option, it has more interest, and as Alert was a large cutter a bit of extra tackle is probably in order.


0166

0176
I have at this stage fitted the boom, easier to get to before the shrouds are tied off.

I have also fitted temporary anchor cables; it is useful to find out how the cables lie and whether they foul any of the deck fittings.

 
B.E.

25/01/2020

 
 
 

Thank you! It is a learning curve for me, and I find myself plunged into the deep end of certain aspects of processes I have thus far not had to worry about. I am not really a true 'businessman', but a designer, so am pretty crap with migraine-inducing sales patter. I am just happiest when designing the stuff I like (and hopefully what others would like), and trying to design the parts in a way that people will enjoy putting together. Also learning a lot about box art, manual layouts etc. they will get better..
 
OK, today I have no work (main job..). So I managed to re-design the Alert and Speedy laser engraved decks and also design the PE gratings so they can be offered as laser cut pearwood parts. These came out a lot better than I thought they would and will be laser cutting gratings in all new developments. I did two sets of each, one with just laser cutting and the other set, which I think looks better, both laser cutting and engraving. They haven't been cleaned up in any way, that is how they looked when removed from the laser machine (I ordered a special air nozzle for the laser, which focuses a more direct air flow on the parts the laser cuts, so less burning) Is it worth offering these as an optional extra? I ask because I cannot really included them in future kits until I run out of the original PE parts, then I can remove them and replace with the laser cut pearwood versions.
 
Is the Alert/Rattlesnake deck with laser engraved planking and treenails OK? I will most probably develop Alert's sister at some point (not for a long while though), and will use that deck. The Speedy deck has all hatch bordering removed, which was done quite a while ago, so should be filtering into the latest kits. I was hoping to cut these on my new 150mm limewood sheet, which should have arrived today, but didn't. So these are cut in 1mm ply.
 
Finally, a pic of my very latest, the second of my little 'beginner' kits. These are very first to be cut, to check basic overall fit. I am hoping these two little kits will have optional pre-made sail sets in the exact same quality as the Master-Korabel sail sets.
 
Right, back to checking these little Zulu parts...

4. Wale, beam clamp and floor heads thick stuff
Gluing the wale into place.

When both wales are into place I place the beam clamps. They have to be glued at the same altitude as the wales, therefore I place a lath from wale to wale as a guide to glue the beam clamps.

 

 

Now I glue the  floor head thick stuff.

The hull is now stiff enough to be taken out the building board ...

 

... and to be sanded at the outside.

 

 

I tree nail the beam clamps and the floor head thick stuff at the inside of the hull before placing the deck beams. The wales at the outside can still wait some time.

I saw the frames equal to the topside of the wales with a metal saw blade.

 

 

 
Thank you to follow
Thank you for the likes
Thank you for your constructive comments
 
Till next week!

For the dried shavings, they are flatter:

I’ve also tried to produce shavings similar to a technique used by Phillip Reed for his small scale models. He backs the shavings with paper and then glues the paper-side down to the ship for planking and for decking.  
 
He doesn’t go into detail so I’m merely experimenting based on his idea. Using a wood plane, I made shavings of white pine, popular and maple. I then used hot water to help flatten them.
 
I’ll report back when they have dried.

I’ve sanded the hull and  added the keel as per the exceptional sparse instructions. And started looking at the decking.

Having survived my first wooden ship model build, I’m going to push my luck again! I bought this model in NYC in the mid-90s and never built it. (My sole purchase of wooden ship models in the twentieth century!) It survived fire and flood. I cut one piece and chickened out. Apparently, I was waiting for the Internet and this community to be created so I could soldier on. 
 
The ship in question seems to match a ship mentioned by Chapelle as a 1806 design by Samuel Humphreys called “Yacht for Canton.” (Thanks to trippwj and Roger Pellett for finding that!). The drawing in ‘The Search For Speed Under Sail.‘ is spot on. It’s not clear that this ship was ever built and I’m not aware of any other info regarding this ship.

Cheers guys
 
I am currently working on 2 beginner kits in concert, am hoping these won't take that long.
 
I have also designed a laser engraved deck for Alert/Rattlesnake, which I plan to cut a sample of later.

I've now completed the following: the drop planks and the first two strakes below the wales;  the second layer of wale planking and painting the wales black; and the black strake above the wales.
 
I began the drop plank installation by following Chuck's two plank tool suggestion to line off the two strakes below the wales.Although the laser cut drop plank was a big help, I still found the fitting process a bit tricky.
 
The second layer of wale planking was straight forward and simply followed the first layer. The forward portion of each strake was sanded down to appear to fit into the rabbet. I painted the upper edge of the top strake and the bottom edge of the bottom strake before gluing them in place, ensuring a clean edge. The wale was painted with multiple coats of  Modelmaster engine black acrylic.
 
The black strake was made using 1/64" planking strips and was left unpainted.
 
There are a few miscellaneous tasks left before beginning the lower hull planking.
 
Bob

Post 59
I wrote this mainly to help clear my own mind on the way to proceed on Alert, I have struggled to accept the validity of the standing backstay as depicted in the Alert Book.
 
The tricky business of  Cutter Backstays
 
 
A word about the Alert Book.
 
Those using the Peter Goodwin Alert book as the basis of the model, as reflected in this kit, will find there is some very confusing narrative once you proceed beyond the channel shroud rigging.
 
In the narrative it is stated that:
Contemporary evidence suggests that the Alert and Rattlesnake were modified to include a fifth pair of deadeyes either side for the standing backstay.
 
In order to facilitate this modification the third gunport had to be moved a short distance and the channels extended.
 
Running backstays were fitted to iron plates bolted to the ships side.
 
 
In drawing H4/1 this fifth set of deadeyes is described as relating to the Main Lower standing backstay
So far so good, but then………
 
In drawing H1 a further standing backstay is shown atop the other rigging running to the first iron plate and fitted with deadeyes.
Above this a running backstay pendent is shown with tackles fixed to the two aft iron plates.
 
When we come to the detail shot of the mast head in drawing H22/1 things change.
Here ratlines run across all five lines fixed to the channel described as shrouds.
Above this is a standing backstay, something not listed in Steel’s tables.
And atop this a running backstay.
 
Note: the only reference to backstays in Steel’s tables are to standing backstays to the topgallant mast which Goodwin notes in the Alert book as a Topgallant breast backstay (not necessarily standard at this time.)
 
It has been written about cutters of this period that there were many variations in the rigging set up, so there is probably not a clear answer.
 
When looking at the Alert there are several versions, and I have looked at them all. The versions of Alert depicted by Irving H Kingman, N. Roger Cole, Peter Goodwin, all differ in rigging arrangements but none of the cutter models ancient and modern that I have looked at, have this ‘standing backstay / deadeye’ arrangement attached to the foremost iron plate.
 
The Roger Cole model shows a familiar style of running backstay but has small stools to take the tackle set up rather than iron plates.
 
The Kingman model shows a double tackle arrangement to the backstay, which is similar to a model circa 1790.
 

 
In this case the aftermost iron plate is unused, but the Kingman model uses it for the standing part of the tackle.
This is also the rigging plan used by Lennarth Petersson in his book on rigging fore and aft craft.
 
There are other contemporary models to look at such as the well-known model of Hawke 1777.
 

3303
This is very much of the era of Alert and has simply the familiar style of running backstay atop the shrouds.
 
Given the conflicting information in the Alert book, and the absence of any other examples, on balance I think I will dispense with the standing backstay and its deadeye set up and rig a running backstay only.
 
 
B.E.
23/01/2020
 

Post 58
Fitting the shrouds
 
The biggest serving job relates to the fore shroud where the line is served overall.
I used Syren 0.88mm line served with the kit provided 0.1mm line.
Once served the line was re- dipped in the dye to darken it.
 
An afternoons’ work to prepare and serve the forward pair of shrouds Port and Starboard.
With the pendents and first two pairs of shrouds fitted I am in a better position to check the room necessary for the rest of the standing rigging.
 
I had made an estimation in the position of the rigging stop to allow for increased size of rigging due to extra lines and serving but this has proved insufficient to fit it all in.
The prospect of moving the stop down the mast was a little nerve jangling but with water and gentle tapping with a hammer this was achieved without drama.
 

4389
The top of the stop now sits 14mm below the cheeks as compared with 4mm on the kit plan.
Something to bear in mind if you intend to go off piste with the rigging, as Dirk found out and noted in a previous post.
 

0150
It proved less irksome than I had imagined seizing the shrouds atop the stop, but I’m thankful it is only a cutter I’m rigging.
 

0152
There is now sufficient space to accommodate the remaining  lines.

0148(2)
The last line in the set along the channel is the *lower mast standing backstay, effectively an additional shroud except the ratlines don’t cross it.
* Or is it – see subsequent post.

0155

0153

0156(2)
After this point the rigging gets confusing which will be the subject of my next post.
 
 
B.E.
22/01/20
 
 

Thanks Frankie,  great painting of a cutter.
I can see the mainsail pressing against the Starboard running backstay, but that is a long way aft of the aftermost shroud which Steel noted as being served.
Interesting thought baggywrinkles at 1:64 scale, but I think as my Alert will be bare stick, I can dispense with the torment of reproducing those.😉
 
Cheers,
 
B.E.

Next video of the build
 
 
 
 
and some pictures a bit further ahead
 
 

Upper side beam in ply was to stiff to bend. some hot water and soldering iron to make a curved beam work well.  
Video: how to bend wood and plywood. You can practice on som leftover from earlyer builds. 
Glue: Stabilit Exspress (PS hull to wood) 



IMG_9244.mov

Well it looks like at last like first blood has been drawn. I took all of the GMK pieces that will comprise the cockpit interior if I use those parts and cleaned the considerable amount of flash and casting excess from the edges and filed them down.
 
After they were cleaned up they looked considerably better than they had right out of the box. I took all of the parts provided with the kit and did pretty much the same thing even though this only took a few minutes. I then compared the two sets to try and determine what I would be used in building the model.
To be honest there are aspects of each set that I have issues with. First I will show you the parts and then try to explain the + and – of each and what I feel could be wrong.
 
The cabin floor on the CMK has panel lines and tie downs that look right to me, but somehow I cannot get it out of my mind that it should have a textured surface like the kit floor.  The panels on the kit floor do not look right at all. The CMK cockpit is divided into two floors, one for the pilot section and another for the rear cargo section. The kit floor is one piece. The kit floor has tracks for the side doors and the CMK version does not.
 

The center console between the kit and the CMK version is a no contest event. The kit console looks like total junk and fiction!

In the case of the engine bulkhead and covers it is again a no contest in favor of the CMK set. The padding on the CMK rendition looks like padding! If the diamonds were smaller on the kit bulkheads it would look like diamond plating and should be on the floor! The detail on the CMK version while not necessarily absolutely correct is much better than the kit supplied plain padded bulkhead. I do not know if there are additional parts in the kit that are meant to be attached to the kit bulkhead, but something should be done to it if it was used.



 
The overhead is another clear CMK preference. Again the padding actually looks like padding and there are actual details incorporated, that again while not necessarily exactly accurate, are appealing. Again, the overhead panel is a VAST improvement over the kit panel. Both panels have interpreted the million reset buttons as grooved lines but hopefully I can work on that when I build it. Strangely The CMK panel includes one of the hand aimed spot lights but not the other on the other side of the panel. I thought that kind of odd.


So that was as far as I took it today. At first I thought that there was very little improvement over the kit parts to warrant the cost of the CMK parts but I think I have changed my mind. Assuming the CMK parts are a good fit into the body shell, there is no possibility that I would consider the kit parts as better. If the for some reason there is an extremely poor fit I will still be taking what I can from the CMK parts and installing them.
 
I still have a lot of PE additions that will also be added to the interior so if all goes right it should be a very interesting focal point of the model, as it should be. It is kind of strange as my memories of Hueys are primarily from looking out from the inside. Other people are probably more familiar with the view of looking in from the outside, or just seeing the outside.   

Lou, Ken,
I feel the same way about things.  I'm hoping the ugly stays buried.  I was told early on before I went in... "you don't have friends in the military, you have acquaintances".    The last time I saw anyone I knew was my armorer buddy in 'Nam who stopped by on his way home.  Didn't see him or hear from him again.  Life got in the way.   The other thing I found true..." You can never go home again.  It's not the same like it's never was there.".    Somethings changes.   Mostly good if you let it be. 
 
Exactly, Lou.  We're none of those "labels" some tried to brand us with.  The closest I've come to having a "Nam" buddy is my shrink of all people.  He served in "Nam" and we can be talking and suddenly is that like reading minds.

I suppose that is my most open wound as well Ken even though I don't think I even desired thanks so much as to not be branded as a war monger or baby killer, or broken person just because I went where my Government sent me and tried to do a credible job. I think much of the time I just wanted to come back home in as few pieces as possible. Preferably one! I don't think of myself as overly patriotic, or brave or anything else. I just tried to do what was expected and was too stupid to say no.
 
I wish one of by buddies from fifty years ago lived across town right now. I can't help but think we could sit across from one another over a drink and not say a word and understand everything. No explanations are needed for a shared life. (Or at least for a short period of shared life). In fact we would probably spend more time catching up than reminiscing.

Well   I Thank You ken, Lou, Mark  and every  other brave person who gave thier best.💜
 
OC.

I understand Lou  gong from many convo's I used to have with my farther about his service life   - one thing I remember him telling me - he and a canadian guy  who was stationed together  was walking along a country road going into town to the bars, when a US truck went past and stopped  my dad and the canadian guy  (who was apparently  6ft5)  jumped in the back with about 10  american GI's  before long a fight broke out  the canadian guy jumped out the back  and my dad was left to fend for himself - cut along story  and all that  he acounted for himself  and ended up earning thier respect  and went drinking with them.
When he got back to the field the next day  and saw the canadian guy  my dad knocked him to the ground.
 
OC.

Lou, my brother, I agree with you. The good (relative) stuff is easy to remember; the bad we buried, deep. Hence, we don't like to dredge it up. You're right about long term relations from a 1 year tour, not many remain. However, being a career officer, I did forge some long lasting relationships. Have a buddy from Germany (73-76) living across town right now.
 
We who went were altered by the experiences for good or bad. I feel we mostly grew up. My gripe was, after being sent off to save the world from whatever, nobody ever said thanks for stressing us out in doing the work. Ever since LBJ and his successors.

Glad you were able to get a few minutes to climb up for air John. Hope things are at least maintaining, or better yet getting a little better.
 
Years ago I discovered that I was able to remember the mostly good times, odd times, crazy times, and just plain unexplainable times of my service years better than dwelling on the bad memory parts. I enjoyed what I was doing for the most part, I had a number of people whom I respected and liked and will always have a link with even though the military is not a place where life long relationships are formed. Bonds yes, relationships not so much. The closest person I knew overseas lived almost a thousand miles away from where I lived in the world. Almost all of the others were even further, not once did I meet someone from my home town  or even county. Activated Reserve units may have been different I don't know. We did not loose all that many people in my unit and not all of those were people I personally hung out with and knew well so I was spared most of that emotional turmoil.
 
Yes there were and I suppose are some bad memories as well, but I have never felt I was John Rambo walking around like a ticking time bomb. I may be strange, or unique to me, I don't know, but I have always tried to think of my experience in it's completeness and that I was OK with living with both the good and the bad and was not damaged goods like everyone else was saying just because I had spent a relatively short time in a rough place. There may be a few scars here and there and I would be the last to say that I was the same person when I came back that I was when I left, but I still say that is not necessarily a bad thing. My ex-wife may have a different opinion, my marriage did not survive all that many years after my return.
 
Sorry this is a bit of a hodge podge of words, but to be honest it is hard to explain to others. I suppose everyone has their own road to the present and we are all a little different inside.