yamsterman

hi wackowolf
no soaking or steam req. this is 3.2mm or 1/8" thick ebony you would think that you would need to soak/steam/boil for hours to get it to bend.
 
after seeing chucks video of heat bending on his cutter log i decided to see if it worked on other timbers......it does!
 
the curve of the wale was taken of the draft and an improvised bending jig made.....ebony cut to the right width was clamped at one end and heated with a hot air gun on its lowest setting....about 450 watts.....and the timber was gently persueded up to the stops on the jig and clamped the other end.
 
leave it to cool for 1/2 hr or so and release the clamps........one nicely curved piece of ebony.
 
the same for inducing a twist......clamp one end in the vice........grab the other end with some meaty pliers......heat the timber.......and GENTLY twist in the direction you want......remove heat whilst still holding the plank with the pliers......let cool for a minute or two.....then release the pliers........the twist sould then be set.
 
this can be done with a previously edge set plank and you can then put in a curve to go round the bows for example.
 
three dimensional plank bending in stages with no messy water/ammonia/alcohol.....and once its bent it stays bent.
 
not my idea ......musical intrument makers have been using heat to bend ebony for decades probably even centuries
 
cheers.....mick

HI ALL
WALE STRAKES ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING FITTED.
EASY ONES ARE ON......JUST WORKING ON THE AWKWARD SO AND SO'S.
 
EBONY STRIP BEING EDGE BENT TO MATCH THE SHEER CURVE OF PLAN.FIRST STRAKE IN PLACE.PIECE OF EBONY HEAT BENT 3 MONTHS AGO AS A TESTFINAL STERN PIECE..WITH A TWIST!

HI ALL
TIME FOR ANOTHER PROGRESS REPORT.
 
LOWER DECK HAS BEEN FINISHED AND INSTALLED ALONG WITH TILED HEARTH FOR THE SHIPS STOVE.
TREENAILS HAVE BEEN FITTED.....IVE GONE WITH SOME 0.38MM MONOFILAMENT IN BLACK FOR THIS AS ONCE THE MAIN DECK WITH ALL THE CARLINGS AND LEDGES ETC HAS BEEN FITTED ANY TREENAILING WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO SEE.
IT LOOKS A BIT HARSH AS WE SPEAK .......BUT WE SHALL SEE.
 
PUMP WELL AND SHOT LOCKERS CONSTRUCTED BUT NOT YET FITTED.....IM WAITING TO CONSTRUCT THE HINGES AND STOVE PLUS RUDDER PINTLES AND GUNPORT HINGES ALL AT THE SAME TIME.....A SORT OF MAD BRASS BINGE.
 
UPPER LIMIT OF WALE STRAKE HAS BEEN MARKED AND SOME PIECES OF EBONY EDGE BENT TO THE APPROPRIATE CURVE.
FIRST TWO PIECES ARE WAITING TO HAVE THIER HOOK SCARPHS FORMED PRIOR TO INSTALLATION.
THESE WILL RUN FROM FRAME 2 AFT TO FRAME O FORWARD PORT AND STARBOARD.
 
IVE ALSO HAD A COUPLE OF DAYS BASHING METAL......THE RESULTS ARE ENCLOSED BUT ARE NOT QUITE FINISHED YET....STILL WAITING FOR THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO ARRIVE.
 
CHEERS........MICK

HI ALL
JUST A QUICK PROGRESS REPORT.
 
WHILST IM WAITING FOR SOME EBONY TO BE DELIVERED I DECIDED TO CRACK ON WITH THE LOWER DECK AND START SOME OF THE DETAILS.
 
WELL STARTED AND TRIAL FITTED TO DECK OPENING.....LOTS MORE TO DO ON THAT.
 
TILED AREA FOR STOVE WELL UNDER WAY......I DECIDED TO "PAINT WITH WOOD" AND USED SOME PINK IVORY FOR THE TILES.....THE TILED AREA WILL HAVE A WOODEN SURROUND,NOT SHOWN ON THE PLANS,BUT HAVING LOOKED AT VICTORYS BRODIE STOVE  THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THERE IN ORDER TO KEEP THE TILES IN PLACE.....CEMENT CRACKS...TIMBER MOVES ETC ETC.
 
PHOTOS ENCLOSED AS PER USUAL
 
IVE ALSO REORGANISED THE WORK SPACE AND AQUIRED SOME MORE TIMBER.......HERR KOENIG AT ARKOWOOD EVEN THICKNESSED IT EXACTLY TO 4.76MM   OR  3/16".....WUNDERBAR!!!!
 
CHEERS FOR NOW....MICK

HI ALL
A VERY QUICK UPDATE.
THE WALES ARE NOW ON!!!!!!!!
HOLE FOR THE RUDDER ALSO CUT IN THE COUNTER.
 
LOTS OF CLEANING UP ON THE WALES AND FRAMES TO DO.......WORKING WITH EBONY IS A MESSY BUSINESS.
 
CLAMPS HAVE FINALLY BEEN FINISHED...WILL USE THESE WHEN PLANKING ABOVE THE WALES...NEXT JOB.
 
CHEERS FOR NOW.........MICK

hi mark
worth the effort,hot fingers,sweat,profanity.......etc
tough old stuff to work with......but should look nice when finished.
 
cheers....mick

hi carl
thanks shipmate
dirty old job though.....sanding dust gets eveywhere...even with constant hoovering.
its been a hard job relatively speaking....quite afew rejected pieces.....but hopefully worth the sweat and foul language.
good job i gave up smoking in feb.......i think a few ounces of backy would have been consumed during this process!!!
 
cheers....mick

hi carl
thanks shipmate
dirty old job though.....sanding dust gets eveywhere...even with constant hoovering.
its been a hard job relatively speaking....quite afew rejected pieces.....but hopefully worth the sweat and foul language.
good job i gave up smoking in feb.......i think a few ounces of backy would have been consumed during this process!!!
 
cheers....mick

hi mark
worth the effort,hot fingers,sweat,profanity.......etc
tough old stuff to work with......but should look nice when finished.
 
cheers....mick

HI ALL
A VERY QUICK UPDATE.
THE WALES ARE NOW ON!!!!!!!!
HOLE FOR THE RUDDER ALSO CUT IN THE COUNTER.
 
LOTS OF CLEANING UP ON THE WALES AND FRAMES TO DO.......WORKING WITH EBONY IS A MESSY BUSINESS.
 
CLAMPS HAVE FINALLY BEEN FINISHED...WILL USE THESE WHEN PLANKING ABOVE THE WALES...NEXT JOB.
 
CHEERS FOR NOW.........MICK

HI ALL
A VERY QUICK UPDATE.
THE WALES ARE NOW ON!!!!!!!!
HOLE FOR THE RUDDER ALSO CUT IN THE COUNTER.
 
LOTS OF CLEANING UP ON THE WALES AND FRAMES TO DO.......WORKING WITH EBONY IS A MESSY BUSINESS.
 
CLAMPS HAVE FINALLY BEEN FINISHED...WILL USE THESE WHEN PLANKING ABOVE THE WALES...NEXT JOB.
 
CHEERS FOR NOW.........MICK

HI ALL
A VERY QUICK UPDATE.
THE WALES ARE NOW ON!!!!!!!!
HOLE FOR THE RUDDER ALSO CUT IN THE COUNTER.
 
LOTS OF CLEANING UP ON THE WALES AND FRAMES TO DO.......WORKING WITH EBONY IS A MESSY BUSINESS.
 
CLAMPS HAVE FINALLY BEEN FINISHED...WILL USE THESE WHEN PLANKING ABOVE THE WALES...NEXT JOB.
 
CHEERS FOR NOW.........MICK

HI ALL
WALE STRAKES ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING FITTED.
EASY ONES ARE ON......JUST WORKING ON THE AWKWARD SO AND SO'S.
 
EBONY STRIP BEING EDGE BENT TO MATCH THE SHEER CURVE OF PLAN.FIRST STRAKE IN PLACE.PIECE OF EBONY HEAT BENT 3 MONTHS AGO AS A TESTFINAL STERN PIECE..WITH A TWIST!

hi kurt
wow!!!.....feeling somewhat humble!!
glad the guys at the meeting liked my humble efforts.........hopefully too many warts didnt pop out with the photos being blown up so large!
 
stiles and bates is a good source of pink ivory here in the uk.
 
generally available as pen blanks approx 3/4"  x  3/4"  x  6"  
 
or as spindle blanks  1" x 1" x 12"
 
the last piece i brought was a couple of months ago, along with a few other bits and pieces , and cost £4.80 for a spindle blank.
 
not sure if they would ship to the us and how much it would cost.......there are i believe certain restrictions on some species of exotic timber being imported into the us.
 
cracking on with the wale strakes as we speak
 
cheers....mick

hi patrick
big sister?......another of your miniature marvels! you will have finished three or four by the time im putting washington galley to bed!
will be watching avidly as usual.....trouble is ive run out of superlatives!!!
cheers....mick

hi mike
great start.....now the fun begins!!
cheers.....mick

Hi Mike
The bendings not messy but the sanding and scraping sure is!!!
Cheers....mick

HI ALL
TIME FOR ANOTHER PROGRESS REPORT.
 
LOWER DECK HAS BEEN FINISHED AND INSTALLED ALONG WITH TILED HEARTH FOR THE SHIPS STOVE.
TREENAILS HAVE BEEN FITTED.....IVE GONE WITH SOME 0.38MM MONOFILAMENT IN BLACK FOR THIS AS ONCE THE MAIN DECK WITH ALL THE CARLINGS AND LEDGES ETC HAS BEEN FITTED ANY TREENAILING WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO SEE.
IT LOOKS A BIT HARSH AS WE SPEAK .......BUT WE SHALL SEE.
 
PUMP WELL AND SHOT LOCKERS CONSTRUCTED BUT NOT YET FITTED.....IM WAITING TO CONSTRUCT THE HINGES AND STOVE PLUS RUDDER PINTLES AND GUNPORT HINGES ALL AT THE SAME TIME.....A SORT OF MAD BRASS BINGE.
 
UPPER LIMIT OF WALE STRAKE HAS BEEN MARKED AND SOME PIECES OF EBONY EDGE BENT TO THE APPROPRIATE CURVE.
FIRST TWO PIECES ARE WAITING TO HAVE THIER HOOK SCARPHS FORMED PRIOR TO INSTALLATION.
THESE WILL RUN FROM FRAME 2 AFT TO FRAME O FORWARD PORT AND STARBOARD.
 
IVE ALSO HAD A COUPLE OF DAYS BASHING METAL......THE RESULTS ARE ENCLOSED BUT ARE NOT QUITE FINISHED YET....STILL WAITING FOR THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO ARRIVE.
 
CHEERS........MICK

HI ALL
JUST A QUICK PROGRESS REPORT.
 
WHILST IM WAITING FOR SOME EBONY TO BE DELIVERED I DECIDED TO CRACK ON WITH THE LOWER DECK AND START SOME OF THE DETAILS.
 
WELL STARTED AND TRIAL FITTED TO DECK OPENING.....LOTS MORE TO DO ON THAT.
 
TILED AREA FOR STOVE WELL UNDER WAY......I DECIDED TO "PAINT WITH WOOD" AND USED SOME PINK IVORY FOR THE TILES.....THE TILED AREA WILL HAVE A WOODEN SURROUND,NOT SHOWN ON THE PLANS,BUT HAVING LOOKED AT VICTORYS BRODIE STOVE  THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THERE IN ORDER TO KEEP THE TILES IN PLACE.....CEMENT CRACKS...TIMBER MOVES ETC ETC.
 
PHOTOS ENCLOSED AS PER USUAL
 
IVE ALSO REORGANISED THE WORK SPACE AND AQUIRED SOME MORE TIMBER.......HERR KOENIG AT ARKOWOOD EVEN THICKNESSED IT EXACTLY TO 4.76MM   OR  3/16".....WUNDERBAR!!!!
 
CHEERS FOR NOW....MICK

HI ALL
 
PROGRESS CONTINUES TO BE MADE....SLOWLY.
INTERNAL TIMBERWORK FINISHED OFF WITH ADDITION OF CRUTCH AND BREASTHOOK.
 
A TENTATIVE COAT OF DANISH OIL HAS BEEN APPLIED.......MAKES THOSE TREENAILS STAND OUT.
 
ALL BOLT HEADS HAVE BEEN BLACKENED WITH LIVER OF SULPHUR.
 
LOWER COUNTER PLANKED AND TREENAILED PRIOR TO FITTING THE WALES.
 
LOWER DECK HAS BEEN STARTED BOXWOOD FRAMES AND HOLLY PLANKING.......DECIDED TO EAT INTO MY PRECIOUS SUPPLY OF ENGLISH HOLLY FOR THIS MODEL.
 
ONCE THE LOWER DECK IS FINISHED AND TRIAL FITTED IT WILL GO ON ONE SIDE UNTIL THE WALES AND SOME OF THE EXTERNAL PLANKING IS DONE.
 
THATS ALL FOR NOW FOLKS
 
CHEERS......MICK

HI ALL
 
FILLING TRANSOMS FITTED AND PARTIALLY FAIRED.
 
STERN TAFFRAIL FITTED....JUST SOME FILLING TIMBERS TO GO IN.
 
IT LOOKS LIKE I WAS A FRACTION SHORT WITH THE STARBOARD STERN FASHION PIECE.....SHOULDNT BE A PROBLEM AS THE PLANKING WILL EVENTUALLY COVER THIS INDISCRETION.
 
BASICS OF THE HULL ARE THEREFORE NEARLY DONE.
 
I WILL CUT THE MAIN SHEERLINE TO FINAL SIZE ONCE THE WALE STRAKES ARE ON.
 
CHEERS FOR NOW........MICK

HI ALL
 
FAIRING OFF THE HULL IS NOW PRETTY MUCH COMPLETE.
 
LAST OF THE THICK STUFF IS BEING FITTED AND TREENAILED .
 
MAST STEPS AND LIMBER BOARDS HAVE ALSO BEEN PERMANENTLY FITTED.
 
JUST A QUICK OBSERVATION WITH REGARDS TO FAIRING.
 
ON THE FORWARD AND AFTERMOST FRAME DRAWINGS THERE ARE NO BOLT POSITIONS INDICATED.
BEING PERHAPS OVER KEEN I DECIDED TO FIT BOLTS TO THESE FRAMES.
DURING THE FAIRING PROCESS, EVEN THOUGH THE FRAMES HAD THERE BEVELS CUT PRIOR TO BEING INSTALLED, SOME OF THE BOLTS ON A COUPLE OF FORWARD AND AFT FRAMES ARE PERILOUSLY CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THE FRAME.
 
FOR ANYBODY ELSE CONTEMPLATING BUILDING THIS MODEL I WOULD SUGGEST LEAVING THESE BOLTS OFF.
 
FORTUNATELY I THINK THE WALE STRAKE AND LOWER STRAKE OF PLANKING WILL COVER THESE UP.
BECAUSE OF THE PRECUTTING OF THE FRAME BEVELS FAIRING TURNED OUT TO BE REASONABLY STRESS FREE.
 
I DID HOWEVER MANAGE TO LOOSEN ONE GUNPORT SILL AND BREAK OF A PART OF THE UPPER STERN FRAMING......NICE CLEAN BREAK SO EASY AND CLEAN TO FIX.
 
FAIRING WAS ACHIEVED WITH SOME 80 GRIT PERMAGRIT GLUED TO A ONE INCH QUADRANT MOULDING FOR THE INITIAL ROUGH WORK AND THEN WITH PROGRESSIVLY FINER GRADES DOWN TO 240 GRIT.
 
ONCE THE FINAL PIECES OF THICKSTUFF HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AND TREENAILED I AM GOING TO MOVE TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE HULL AND FIT THE WALES AND UPPER PLANKING BEFORE CARRYING ON WITH ANY MORE INTERNAL WORK.
 
THATS ABOUT ALL FOR NOW.
 
PHOTOS ATTACHED...WARTS AN ALL....FOR YOUR DELICTATION.
 
CHEERS....MICK
 
P.S. THE LAST PHOTO IS OF THE HULL SITTING ON ITS KEEL.......ITS STABLE AND DOSNT FALL ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.........SYMETRY ACHIEVED?????????.......ISH???????

HI ALL
 
WORK CONTINUES ON THE THICK STUFF AND INTERMIDIATE PLANKING......NEARLY FINISHED JUST THE UPPER STRAKE OF THICK STUFF TO GO ON.
 
ONCE THIS IS DONE ITS TIME TO FINALLY FAIR THE OUTSIDE.
 
JUST A QUICK UPDATE FOR NOW.
 
CHEERS....MICK

HI ALL
 
FRAMES ARE NOW RAISED!!!!
 
WITH ONE SMALL BOO BOO!!!!
 
PORT SIDE , FIRST HALF FRAME, LETTER "R" ON THE PLANS WAS,WELL, ALL OVER THE PLACE.
 
MUST HAVE BEEN A LACK OF CONCENTRATION WHEN FIXING THIS ONE.
 
SHIP BUILDERS BAND AID TO THE RESCUE......LIBERAL SOAK WITH ISO AND THE OFFENDING ITEM HAS BEEN REMOVED.
 
FORTUNATELY IT SEEMS I SANDED THE ANGLE AT THE FOOT INCORRECTLY.....VERY CAREFUL USE OF THE PROXXON SANDER AND THE CORRECT ANGLE HAS NOW BEEN ESTABLISHED WITH MINIMAL LOSS OF MATERIAL.
 
I WILL SEE HOW IT LOOKS WHEN IT GETS TRIAL FITTED TOMMORROW........IF ITS NO GOOD A NEW PART WILL HAVE TO BE MADE......BUT SO FAR IT LOOKS OK.
 
NEW PHOTOS ENCLOSED.
 
NEXT UP WILL BE GUNPORT SILLS AND LINTELS.
 
CHEERS FOR NOW .....MICK

EXPERIMENT WITH LIVER OF SULPHUR.
 
THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO CHUCK SEILERS QUESTION AND ALSO TO SATISFY MY OWN CURIOSITY.
 
FIRSTLY I PURCHASED A 1 OUNCE JAR OF LIVER OF SULPHUR GEL (SEE PHOTO)
 
APPARENTLY IT LASTS FOR QUITE A LONG TIME WITH NO DEGRADE
 
BASED ON HOW MUCH YOU ACTUALY NEED THIS SHOULD LAST SEVERAL LIFETIMES!!!!
 
FIRST PHOTO IS OF THE PRODUCT ITSELF
 
THE NEXT SHOWS SOME 1MM COPPER IN A SCRAP OF BOXWOOD. I USED THE GEL NEAT FOR EXPERIMENTS SAKE ,LET IT DRY FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN WIPED IT OFF WITH A CLEAN TISSUE. COPPER WAS NICELY BLACKENED AND THE BOXWOOD WAS STAINED A GREENISH BROWN......NOT GOOD.
 
SECOND LOT OF PHOTOS SHOW SOME 0,6MM COPPER INSERTED INTO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BOXWOOD BLOCK. THIS TIME I USED A SMALL DROP ABOUT THE SIZE OF A MATCH HEAD AND DISSOLVED IT IN AN OLD MUG OF WARM WATER. THE RESULT WAS A PALE YELLOW LIQUID.A SMALL MICRO BRUSH     (SAME THING WOMEN USE TO PUT THEIR MASCARER ON WITH) WAS DIPPED IN AND WIPED OVER THE COPPER .
NICELY BLACKENED COPPER AND NO GREEN STAINS!!!!
 
LESS IS  MORE WITH THIS STUFF.......IT ALSO STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN....SULPHUR YOU KNOW!!!
 
CHEERS....MICK