BANYAN

Great to see you back Patrick; and even better to hear you sounding 'chipper' about things. cheers Pat

They're the ones SRC - nice looking set those ones. cheers Pat

Hi Gregory, those 'trick stoppers' as they are known; this one being a 'Spencer' design, were a 19th century release mechanism. Other similar designs used a pressure plate instead of a swiveling lever, and others used different types of 'tumbler' mechanisms amongst other options to release the anchor. This is the mechanism I went with for my build of HMCSS Victoria (1855) I have included better pictures of the Spencer Trick Stopper, so you can see how it worked. Sorry to hijack the thread Vossie - but I thought this may useful to others at some time? cheers Ppat

Hi Sam, to answer your earlier question - depends - sorry. If it is one of those products with the protective/finish coat on them I still use the fibre-glass scratch pen; but, the ultrasonic cleaner has certainly reduced the number of times I have to use the pen. cheers Pat

Very (VERY) nice model Rob; even incomplete. cheers Pat

Now you have done it Keith; I can see all my bald spots in that finish cheers Pat

Nice job on the fairing john, all looks nice and symmetrical. You may need that 'cone of silence' on Monday cheers Pat

Stunning model Ed; the rigging brings her to life. In 'Victoria' some lines/tackles were also led to eyes (Lang's eyeplates) in the channels - still trying to sort through that one though cheers Pat

Hi Gregory, Vossie is working with a windlass close to the bows and riding bitts (see earlier picture). Capstan bars cheers Pat

I have tried several processes successfully but I have now settled on a more efficient way having purchased a small ultrasonic cleaner. I use Birchwood Casey (diluted) as the blackening agent. Always rinse and buff with a soft cloth or towel paper on completion and redip in blackener if required. As Mark points out rubber gloves when handling , then cotton gloves after blackening (until buffed and you are happy with the finish, as handling is usually not a problem for me after the item has been blackened and buffed. I use cotton once blackened until buffed as i found the rubber tends to grip the item too much making it harder to manipulate. Method 1: wash and rinse, soak in vinegar and rinse, soak in a weak acid solution and rinse then blacken and rinse again. I use a tea strainer (dipping type that closes which allows me to swish all the items around in the solutions. The acid can be diluted nitric, or muriatic (brickies acid) or even acetone. I only soak in each solution for about 15 mins and vigorously agitate quite often; but a longer soak if you have the time can create a better finish first up.. Method 2: (a little more time intensive) first I use a fibre bristle-pen to 'scratch' clean the entire surface of each item. I find this necessary on some after-market parts (especially K&S brass shapes) as they seem to be treated with some sort of finish - then as for method 1. This takes more time but usually yields an acceptable finish on the first attempt. be careful with the fibres from the pen (fibreglass) as the very small 'dust/pieces' are a real pain to get out of your fingers if they stick in Method 3: (if you have an ultrasonic cleaner - small ones are pretty cheap these days). Almost the same as for method 1 or 2 (depending on the type of brass i am blackening) but instead of a prewash in warm water and detergent I use the ultrasonic cleaner - a lot faster and better clean. With some trials I was able to blacken with very acceptable finishes without the vinegar and/or acid soak afterwards. I have settled on using the fibre-pen and ultrasonic wash before blackening on all my pieces now unless it is a very (very) small part made from soft brass - the extra time in using the fibre-pen results in a lot less rework. I hope this provides some help in choosing a method suited to your needs; cheers Pat

I believe Keith may be on the right track. Even if two anchors are used it is possible the anchors would have been secured by the windlass alone. One likely scenario MAY have been that the first anchor is dropped, set then the cable secured to a riding bitt (having been stoppered, with the tail remaining wrapped around the windlass drum and back into the cable locker tiers. The second anchor could be dropped by a boat, set then secured the same way having the tails veer around the drum when that cable is not being worked, or 'leant back on' to allow the selected cable to be worked (after removing the turns from the riding bitts. I have heard of the windlass acting as the riding bitts also, in that case I would suggest the same procedure except there would be no turns transferred to separate riding bitts? Pure conjecture on my part - over to other for comment. cheers Pat

Beautifully crafted Keith; if I didn't know better I would have thought it the real thing. cheers Pat

Nice work Pat

Welcome back and glad to hear all had a good time on your trip. The pendants look good Dave; who's to say which is correct? I used the Sidney Parkinson drawings (port quarter aspect drawing) as my main reference for this. cheers Pat

It is a pleasure to see your work Chuck; the clean lines and crisp joints are always inspirational! cheers Pat