AnobiumPunctatum

Hello everyone,
Here are some new photos of Santisima Trinidad after painting the hull.
Best regards
Daniel

Fantastic work,  Ed. I am speechless

Fantastic work,  Ed. I am speechless

Fantastic work,  Ed. I am speechless

Fantastic work,  Ed. I am speechless

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 146 – Ship’s Boats 2
 
In the last part I had just begun bending frames over the longboat plug for the first of the two longboats, so I will continue from that point, but picking up with longboat 2 from that same point.  Longboat 1 is proceeding merrily along its way and I will catch up with that work later.  In the first picture all the square frames on the port side have been soaked in water, bent over the plug and clamped down with the pin clamps.
 

 
I found that soaking the .03” strips in water overnight was more than sufficient to make them flexible enough for this work.  They were just left soaking until needed.  Although pinned roughly in position these will be more accurately spaced at both the keel and the gunwale in later steps.  This is the same plug used on Longboat 1, as evidenced by the pinholes.
 
In the next picture the inside stem shape is being fitted to the bow of the plug.
 

 
This was a case of matching up and sanding until a good fit was obtained.  You may recall that the plug is shaped to the inside of the frames.  In the next picture the outer curve of the stem has been cut after fitting the inner edge and the stem is being glued to the keel.
 

 
This assembly was then glued to the frames as shown in the next picture.
 

 
As this was clamped down with pins through drilled holes, the frames were spaced at the keel by eye.  The upper ends are still doing their own thing.  In the next picture a deadwood is being glued to the keel under the aft end of the plug.
 

 
The next step was to bring the upper ends of the frames into line.  This was done by nailing a strip over them at the gunwale as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The lower edge of this strip (upper in the photo) corresponds to the top of the side.  This strip put enough pressure on the frames allow them to be aligned and spaced at the top.  Once this was done the uppermost hull plank could be glued to the frames.  This is shown in the last picture.
 

 
I used holly to plank the side.  The planks are about 1” thick and 4 or five inches wide.  The two longboats are carvel planked and will be painted.  Note that none of the starboard frames have been installed at this stage.  These will be slipped between the plug and the keel and glued to their partners along the frame floors.  Thus each frame will extend from the top of the side, over the keel and to the turn of the bilge on the opposite side.  This construction will be clearer in the next part.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 147 – Ship’s Boats 3
 
In the last part the frames were installed on the port side of the plug.  The first picture shows the starboard side framing in progress.
 

 
 
The frame strips were left to soak in water overnight, making them very flexible.  They were then brushed with glue where they would mate with the opposite frame and the keel and then pushed under the keel.  Each frame was then pinned down at both ends and sometimes in other places as shown in the picture.
 
The next picture shows the topside plank on the starboard side being installed against the nailed guide strip.
 

 
I intend to leave this side unplanked to show the framing, so only the wale below the top plank will be installed on this side.  On the other (port) side, the nailed guide strip and this top plank were also installed.  The next picture shows the keel rabbet being pared out on the port side to prepare for the garboard strake.
 

 
The rabbet at the deadwood and on the stem were pared out first with a V-gouge as shown in the picture.  These areas were then cleaned up and the remainder of the keel rabbet formed using the barette file shown in the next picture.
 

 
The garboard strake was then installed as shown below.
 

 
Back on the starboard side the channel wale was installed just below the top plank while glue was drying on the port side planking.
 

 
I mentioned earlier that all the work shown above was done on longboat two, the second to be made.  At the same time, work was proceeding on the first boat.  The next picture shows that boat fully planked below the channel wale on both sides.  The wale has been temporarily inserted so the top plank can be glued on.
 

 
As on the ship’s hull, boats will be painted, and the channel wales shown in a contrasting color, so they will be glued in after painting of both the hull and the wale to ensure a clean line.  In the next part I will pick up on work to finish longboat 1.
 
Ed
 

Continuation.
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
The beginning of the relation is available at this address:
 
 
http://5500.forumact...ndre-1-24#66516
 
 
 
Regards, Paul

Continuation.
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
The beginning of the relation is available at this address:
 
 
http://5500.forumact...ndre-1-24#66516
 
 
 
Regards, Paul

Making ladders now.  They are usually very annoying to make in any scale.  I quickly drafted some laser cut plans.  Makes it much easier.   I laser etched slots to take each step.  Note the angle to the completed ladder.  It follows the sheer of the deck fore and aft and therefore is askew.  Otherwise it would look funny.   These will be painted red.  
 
Chuck
 

Thank You....
 
Its just a matter of slowing down and taking your time.   Not rushing is a huge part of it.  I think everyone can do the same but I see so many folks running through their projects like they are in a race.  Should parts not fit correctly...throw them away and do it again.   It took me about 2 hours to paint the stern after making the seats and adding the cleats.  It took me about 1 hour to just paint one ladder after making it.  Many thin coats being careful not to get any dust on it.  Sanding carefully when imperfections and brush strokes take place.  The key in my mind is to just slow down....my best advice for any model builder.
 
Chuck
 

Sorry, for the late reply, Jack.
 
I add a picture from a reconstruction drawing of Werner Dammann. It shows a possible viking style figure head for the Gokstad ship.
 

 
If you have a look at the original in the Oslo museum, you see that stem is also a little smaller than in your model.
Werner Damman shows in his wonderful book about the ship also another solution that as far as I know is the most common interpretation
 

 

Just a small update.  I worked on the inboard stern details.  The seats are completed.  Card templates were made first using the plans as a guide.  Then they were tweaked to get a nice tight fit with the parts.
 

 
Cleats were added...these are all laser cut Syren cleats (5, 7, and 9mm).  All that was needed to do was sand them a bit to shape and then add a piece of wire as a pin.  Then they were glued into place.  I decided to paint these bulwark red also to match the many contemporary models I have seen.
 

 
Finally....the horse was added for the boom sheet.  This was just a small piece of wire bent to shape.  Two small washers laser cut from paper were added to finish it off nicely on each end.   They were painted to look like metal.  I should have dusted the model better before taking the pics....next time 
 
I will now continue my way forward along the bulwarks adding eyebolts, cleats, ladders and pin rails.
 
Chuck

Your model is half the scale than my sloop, but I think it will be nearly the same size. I wish you a good start in your shipyard.

Your model is half the scale than my sloop, but I think it will be nearly the same size. I wish you a good start in your shipyard.

OMG
 
Plans printed and seeing them for the first time at the build scale... they look great
 
They all are consistently 1/64" short per foot  (0.4mm per 0.3 metres)
 
I think I'll learn to live with it.

And you're off and making sawdust..  Happy dance for that.   

To mark this special occasion I've updated my profile photo with a younger me.
 
Today I took a trip to Exotic Wood in Burlington (1 hour drive north) and purchased three pieces of Castello Boxwood 2-1/2" x 5-1/2 to 6" x 51" at $11.50 bd foot.  They have two pieces 2-1/2" x 8" x 51" left.  When these are sold the price increases 30% higher.  Luckily I can cut this down, plane and sand it to my required thickness.

 
I also made my scales (rulers).....  used my Eastern Hemlock fir strapping for this.
I can measure to 1" at 1:64 accurately



 
I glued the paper scales to the wood with Rubber Cement and then sealed the whole piece with spray sealer.
 
Funny story... since my first use in grade school I have always used the Rubber Cement incorrectly.  I always bushed it to both pieces and placed them together immediately then waited (im)patiently for it to dry.  I was recently shown it is to be applied to both pieces, let them dry and then place the one piece over the other and press.
 
I think I'll use the Hemlock for the False Keel among other choice locations for colour variation.
 
So the build begins!

This will be the last update for a few days: the frames have now all been bent in. I'll be back in a week or so. Thank you all for following and liking this log.

Sorry, for the late reply, Jack.
 
I add a picture from a reconstruction drawing of Werner Dammann. It shows a possible viking style figure head for the Gokstad ship.
 

 
If you have a look at the original in the Oslo museum, you see that stem is also a little smaller than in your model.
Werner Damman shows in his wonderful book about the ship also another solution that as far as I know is the most common interpretation
 

 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 144 – Monkey Rail 2
 
Happy Valentines Day, everyone.
 
After making and polishing the rail stanchions holes were measured out and drilled in the center of the main rail and in most cases down into the toptimbers below.  The stanchions were then inserted into the holes for a depth check.  A single rail section for each side was then curved to match the poop profile.  The stanchions were then removed from their holes and threaded on to the rail in order.  The next picture shows the next step – epoxy gluing the stanchions into their holes.
 

 
The end of the rail was first inserted into the inverted U bracket at the stern.  All of the stanchions were then inserted into their holes, then lifted for gluing starting at the stern.  The clamps in the above picture are lightly pressing the stanchions down where needed until the epoxy sets.  The next picture shows the last stanchion on the starboard side being glued. 
 

 
The rail was crimped in the aft stanchion then touched with a drop of CA glue.  The others are free to move along the rail at this stage.  The forward end of the rail was bent to the athwartship direction at the foremost stanchion as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The stanchions along the breast beam were then glued into place with the rails inserted.  In the picture above, the glue has dried and a section of stair rail is being fitted into the lower ball on one of the stanchions at the top of the stair.  The next picture shows the stanchions loosely in place on the port side.
 

 
In this picture the port rail has been curved to shape and is ready for installation.  The last two pictures show the completed monkey rail.
 

 

 
This last picture was taken before final straightening of the stanchions on the near side.  Once everything was adjusted the top balls were crimped with pliers to hold them in place.  The rail is, of course, quite exposed and susceptible to damage by careless leaning or bumping.  I am trying to sensitize myself to this new problem.  The days of turning the model over and shaking it to remove debris are over.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 143 – Monkey Rail 1
 
The two surviving pictures of Young America again provided the basis for the brass rail design used on the model.  The rail is just discernable in the picture taken from the starboard quarter.  From this it is clear that it was not of heavy or ornamental wood construction and equally clear – at least to me and I am happy to say, Bill Crothers – that it was a single, slim rail.  By the way, it is also very clear from this picture that the poop deck is at the height of the main rail and not a few feet below as shown on some models – including the builder’s half model in the Smithsonian.  Either that, or the people standing on the deck were on well-hidden stilts.  I suspect that the need to have good height in the aft cabin area led to this feature being incorporated before actual construction, perhaps by the owners.  Anyway, based on the picture and Bill Crothers’ interpretation, I elected to incorporate a single brass rail about 3 feet above the deck supported by cylindrical brass stanchions.  These have a ball-shaped top to pass the rail, and flanges at the base that rest on the main rail.
 
The first picture shows the method used to cut both the top fittings and the lower flanges.
 

 
The cutting guide used on the skid beam stanchion flanges was used for this.  The picture actually shows one of the 2” thick flanges being cut off.  The tops were cut in 3” sections using the hole covered by the saw.  The next picture shows top pieces and stanchions almost ready to be soldered together.
 

 
The next picture shows the first step of the assembly with the tops silver soldered to the posts.
 

 
The soldering unfortunately softens the wire somewhat so straightening is required – initially and whenever I lean on the finished rail – a habit I am diligently trying to correct. The tops were then rounded off and polished in the lathe with files as shown below.
 

 
The next picture shows the addition of the lower flanges.
 

 
The wood guide was used to ensure uniform height to the posts – and of course the rail.  After setting the flanges at the correct height, these were soldered on.  The next picture shows the final finishing and polishing of one of the stanchions.
 

 
Chucking the complete stanchion assembly in this step was the reason for the excess length in the initial pieces.  After filing a fillet on the top of the flange and removing all traces of solder and scale, fine abrasive polishing sticks were used to bring up the luster of the brass.
 
Some special stanchion pieces were required and two types are shown in the next picture.
 

 
The stanchion at the top has two top fittings set at right angles.  These will be set at the head of the steps to the main deck to support both the athwartship rail sections on the breast beam and also the stair rails.  The lower piece was shown earlier in position at the stern.  I do not know the purpose of this higher section, but it serves as a convenient start point for installing the rails, as will be seen in the next post.
 
Ed

The anchor of the Royal Caroline



Agent "P" has discovered a large blacksmith on one of its many rides and accurate documented as there made the anchors.
 
 
 
First Step: The material
 

 
 
 
But here we go, this time without much bla bla ..... let the pictures speaks
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 

 
 
I hope you have enjoyed the photos, the next round deals with the large Mars.
 
Have fun

Started bending in the frames today. They are spaced at 18" intervals and, as previously mentioned, are ¾" square. In the real boat, there were floors and futtocks united by a side overlap. However, as this will be completely invisible in the finished boat, I will omit this detail.
 
As I have other work on hand, the next update will be a few days away.

Thanks Hakan. After the build of the half model I planned the next steps.
 
 
... but I made a careless mistake during shapeing the stem. In the moment I fix it and than I hope to continue the log