AnobiumPunctatum

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 238 – Head Sails Running Rigging
 
Each of the three stays described in Part 235 carries a triangular headsail.  Each of these sails is rigged with three lines of running rigging – a halyard to raise the head of the sail along the stay, a downhaul to bring the head down, and a double sheet to restrain the clew of the sail on the windward side.  When bent to the stay, the tack at the lower end of the sail is tied off low on the stay.  Then as the luff of the sail along the stay is secured with rope "hanks" the halyard is hauled up to raise the sail along the stay.  Both the halyard and the downhaul are shackled to the sails head cringle.  On the "unsailed" model, the halyard and downhaul eye splices are secured to the shackle, which is "stopped" to the lower end of the stay with a short length of rope as shown in the first picture at the base of the topmast stay.
 

 
In the picture the smaller downhaul is led down and through a single block back to its belaying point on the forecastle.  The next picture shows the lower ends of the inner and outer jib stays rigged in this manner.
 

 
The downhauls and halyards for the topmast staysail and outer jib lead back on the starboard side and those for the inner jib are rigged on the port side.  The next picture shows the three halyards where they pass through blocks hooked under the topmast trestletrees.
 

 
The lines lead down through fairleads in the top to the fife rails below.  The next picture shows the block arrangement at the topmast head, a double block on the starboard side for the staysail and outer jib halyards and a single block on the port side for the inner jib halyard.
 

 
The next picture shows the staysail and outer jib halyards belayed on the fore mast fife rail.
 

 
As will be seen in the next picture, the rope coils on the rails are quite small because the halyards are fully overhauled along the stay when there are no sails.
 

 
The next picture shows the belayed inner jib halyard on the port side.
 

 
Conversely, most of the downhauls must be coiled at the belaying points so sufficient line will be available to run up to the head of the sails when they are hauled up to the tops of the stays, so the three large coils in the next picture contain sufficient line for that.
 

 
Finally, the sheets – a pair for each sail.  These are shackled to eyebolts on either side of the forecastle, run through bullet blocks at the ends of a double pendant shackled to the clue of each sail, and belay on cleats on the forecastle breast beam.  One side or the other is used, with the lee side slack.  On the unsailed model, I have omitted the pendants and intend to coil each sheet adjacent to its eyebolt as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The picture shows the starboard sheet for the topmast staysail secured to its eyebolt.  When passed through the pendant block on this side, this line would be belayed on the innermost cleat on the breast beam. Eyebolts for the other head sails are arranged to the left on the rail, astride the mooring cleat.
 
Ed
 

Just a quick update.   Even though I only have to make 5 more sweeps I can tell you that they take a long time to complete.  I finished the sweeps for one side of the display so now you guys can better see what the finished presentation will look like.  While working on these last few parts I am also finalizing the plans and gearing up to start making kits in just a few weeks.  I am also busy writing the instruction manual.
 
I am looking forward to the Winnie soon after !!!
 

 

 
Chuck

The cat block for the falls has been fabricated and installed.  This is a snatch block, meaning that one end of the slot is left open.  The aft end of the block is mortised around a timberhead.  I have also installed the fish davit cleat with a slot inboard and a straight appearance when viewed from the side.  This is also mortised around timberheads.
 
The boomkin capsquare is located on top of the false rail.  It is secured to the rail with a hinge aft and an eyebolt and key fore.  It looks better in person than the photos suggest!
 

 

 

 
I have now reached a milestone: the woodwork has been completed on the front half of the ship.  For both protection and appearance I applied the initial coat of finish (Watco's Danish Wood Oil).  What a difference the finish makes.  Now one can see all those treenails that were installed a long, long time ago.  Unfortunately, it also shows up the flaws.  the last photo shows the difference the finish gives.  The aft half of the ship does not have finish applied.
 

 

 

In the meantime I have made the plankshear.  This is made of three pieces of plank, scarfed together.  There are mortises for the three gun supports and the edge has a decorative molding on the inside and outside faces.  In order to get the molding to flow across the joints, I make and temporarily installed the planksheer.  Next I popped it off the timbers, leaving the joints intact.  I was now able to cut the molding in one sweep with the scraper.  The photo shows the three pieces glued together and removed from the model.  This actually is a discarded piece as I forgot to extend it to the midline and I did not like the shape of the hance.
 

 
Once this was glued into place, I cut mortises for the timberheads and installed them.  
 

 

 

Spent some time making a base.  Testing how to display the sweeps.   Still only one sweep completed.   Wont get to the others until next week.   Even so,  this project is in the home stretch.  At least the model is.   I still have to carve the decorations for the port side too!!  The sweeps will be displayed 5 per side on laser cut racks.  I just taped them to the base for this test but I like how it will look.  
 
Then I have to finalize the plans,  write the instructions,  think about packaging and start manufacturing.  So still lots to do before these are shelf-ready.  But at least now the long to-do list is shorter and more manageable.
 

 

 

 

 
Chuck

Prototyping the sweeps for the barge.....
 
One down and nine more to go.   Each sweep is made from four pieces.  Each piece is shaped accordingly.  It is either turned and rounded off or tapered and steamed bent.   I will of course elaborate more in the instructions.  But they seem to go together well enough and are pretty straight forward.
 

I am glad you found them....
 
The flags and ensigns are now complete.   The dowels were tapered and painted red.   Then I added the trucks.   The flags are made just like on Cheerful.  They are printed on tissue paper and shaped on the staff.  The ensigns are the English flag from 1710 and Queen Anne's royal standard from the same time period. Next up will be the oars.
 

 

 
Chuck

Fantastic. I am looking forward to the kit.

Fantastic. I am looking forward to the kit.

Fantastic. I am looking forward to the kit.

Fantastic. I am looking forward to the kit.

Fantastic. I am looking forward to the kit.

Fantastic. I am looking forward to the kit.

The rudder ...the tiller and the thole pins are now complted.
 
The thole pins are made in two pieces as shown below.
 

This looks simple but these pieces are very small.  They were painted red after being glued into position.
 
The rudder is not a working rudder.  I mean its not done with working gudgeons/pintels etc.   I always find it works its way loose that way and I often pull it off and the parts are damaged.   So for simplicity the kit is designed with a non-working hinge that is simulated and the rudder doesnt work.  It is glued and fixed in position but you would never know.  Before starting on the pintles and gudgeons I cleaned up the rudder and tapered it towards the bottom of the rudder blade.  You can see the profile on the bottom of step 1.
 
This was possible because the rudder and stern post was designed with small tabs initially.  The simulated laserboard straps are simply glued onto the rudder and each side of the stern post.  Then the rudder is glued into position...
 
This drawing may help explain...

 
The tiller was turned from a 1/16" x 1/16" strip in my dremel rotary tool.

And finally the images of the model once the work was complete.  I am quite happy with how well the set up simulates pintels and gudgeons.  It made the process of installing the rudder easier since the flying transom makes it tough to work in such a confined location.  
 




 

I have finally had some time to devote to the workshop.  Last weekend was spent chasing the eclipse in Kentucky and testing (tasting) the Bourbon Trail.  Time very well spent.  After all...it was educational!
 
Next up were the head timbers.  Atalanta had three; some of the Swan class ships had four.  These were a royal pain-in-the-you-know-where to fabricate.  They have to fit the stem assembly as well as meet the main rail.  They also have the same camber as the grating.  The notches at the base of the timbers are because the various components of the stem assembly did not mate perfectly way back when.  I decided I would to more damage than it was worth to make it better and so modified the head timbers to fit instead.  In the second picture, one can see how the third head timber (the largest) fits under the head beam.  Each beam is a different thickness, with the fore beam being the thinnest.  This is most readily seen in the third picture.  These photos are all taken while the timbers were being shaped and so do not fit correctly at this stage.
 

 

 

 
 
The next step is to cut an opening in the head timbers to accommodate the middle rail.  This was simply a matter of trial and error, many hours and even many more expletive deleted's.  As I mentioned in a previous post, in the first timber the slot for the middle rail needed to be cut from the bottom rather than from the outer edge.  The next  item was the head saddle which extends from the fore ends of the main rail to the tip of the stem.  I started with an oversize piece of wood and carved the underside to fit first.  Then I cut the upper face and finally finished it on the model.  Now everything is ready for assembly.
 

 

 

 

 
 
The covering boards are 1" thick and cover the outer edge of the head timbers.  They have two panels carved into them.  Looking at the next photo I now see that the third timber needs to be unglued and re-positioned to make it perpendicular to the water line.  Hopefully I can accomplish that without damaging anything else.  The holes from the brass pins also need filling.
 

 

Progressing with carved details....
 

 

 

 

Slowly moving aft and getting more carvings completed.   Actually I am concentrating on the sculpted parts now and I will finish the carvings once they are all completed.  Rather than use my master boxwood carvings for the model, I am using resin castings instead.  So all of the carving details you see below are resin. I will keep the original carvings as masters for when the molds wear out.
Chuck

 

 

 

Hello Mike,
 
this looks like a really interesting building log and I will follow with great interest. You wrote in the first article, that the model based on a drawing of David Antscherl. I couldn't find a new book at Seawatch neither at the homepage. Where can I find more information?

Hello Mike,
 
this looks like a really interesting building log and I will follow with great interest. You wrote in the first article, that the model based on a drawing of David Antscherl. I couldn't find a new book at Seawatch neither at the homepage. Where can I find more information?

Thank you very much guys...
Moving right along I added the syren figures at the stern.   You can see how I dont have the acanthus leaves carved for the port side yet.   Not enough time in teh day !!!  I am gonna try and get the bust of queen Anne done next which goes on the outside of the tombstone transom.  These two Syren figures were the smallest I have made to date.  I could only merely suggest the details and hopefully your imagination will fill in the blanks.  At least that is what I hear is supposed to happen.  
 
Almost forgot...these are once again resin castings.  I will keep my sculpted originals as masters.
 
Chuck