Captain Poison

Hi ☺️
 
 

The masts have all been shaped, and fid holes and sheave holes cut into them in various places also.  I blackened using my usual method (shown a few times earlier in this log), and here they are--

 
They are not completely finished.  Tung oil finish is only partly applied, as part of the procedure to minimize bleed of the staining.  I need to attach some eyebolts to the caps; and the shroud deadeyes and some blocks to the tops, but they can finally be temporarily assembled to see how they look--

 
And on the ship--


 
Next will be finishing those parts I mentioned earlier, and checking the deck to see if there's anything else that should be done before starting the standing rigging.   Also making the rest of the bowsprit, and the trymast that attaches to the aft side of the mainmast.  And I'm sure I'll discover additional things that should be done before the stays and shrouds go on!
 
All for now,
Ron
   

Allan, for scantlings I found that the deck plans were a great source. The resolution of the scans really allowed me to zoom in quite far in CAD and produce accurate copies. They also worked well in correlation with the inboard profile of Portland. I kept the dimensions of the Timbers very close to the original drawings (keeping modeling and wood production in mind), I ended up with a good representation of what the drawings show.

While I await a new control board for my laser I thought I’d make some progress on my Winnie, I started chapter 12 and the headrails, spent a decent amount of time working on the stbd side fit, I may have removed a little too much so thank god for the bolster to cover up all my potential sins. The headrails are quite complex but yield great results if done properly. I’ll be fitting the port one tomorrow and then checking for symmetry. I’ve officially hit multiple builds in progress status.
 

Chapter 11 completed. This will be my last update for a few weeks as I’m packing up shop, crating the model and Winnie and I will be sailing back to Florida then we will be taking a road trip across country where I will finally complete chapter 12… and the remaining guns.
 
Chapter 11 went pretty well, the channels and associated parts went together quite well and much easier than I expected. I messed up on the color configuration on the channels but I can live with it. The chainplates and deadeyes also went pretty smooth, I think I spent more time tumbling and finishing the deadeyes than I did installing them. 
 
Thanks for stopping by.

Just curious as to why?

The two fore riding bits are so much larger and more ‘beefy’ than the main mast bits  on Winchelsea. 

Were they used differently or have a different purpose?  Just curious. 

The first illustration shows the cannon in battery or battle, second in peacetime or travel and the third trips in severe storms.
If you decide on the second option, you should keep in mind that you will lose space on the deck, making it more difficult to work with details.

Thanks chaps for the replies and likes. Here is an update on my Winchelsea build.
 
I started planking the hull. I left off the capping rail at the quaterdeck figuring I could file the sheer to fit the planking rather than the other way around. I also didn't like having to look for so long at the plywood bulkhead ends in the waist so I filed that down by a couple of mill. and capped it. The first pictures show the planking coming up to the waist and the waist filed down ready to cap and recieve the next plank. I have not worried about where the butt ends fall. This is only the first layer of wales of course. 


Here is the stem. I cut it using my Proxxon MS70 mill - absolutely invaluable -  and a very cheap oscillating sander: noisy as hell but does a job. I bought (and will continue to buy) the Syren parts and found it a great help to have the Syren part in my hand as I made the equivalent in boxwood. Much easier the pasting paper.
 



I found I would have a small but noticeable gap around where the stem meets the bollard timbers so I put a little filler piece in as shown below.
 

Here are some test bollard timbers made on the mill and waiting for the addition of a small piece to make wider the timbers below the bowsprit hole.
 

And here they are fitted and the bowsprot hole filed out. I bevelled them as much as I dared/could but even so I have a small ledge at the foot. I can live with it.


The planking up to the sheer mid ships and the Syren hance pieces fitted. The plan is to make as many parts as I possibly can and use the Syren parts only where painted or covered over - as with the hance pieces.


The gunport cut outs on my earlier attempt at Winnie were not great for two resons. First I struggled to maintain a consistent 1/32 spacing around the inner stops (I'm not sure what they are properly called). Secondly, in my efforts to ensure the planking was properly stuck down, I squidged glue out marring the crispness of the finish. Here I have cut the gunports to the outside dimension and will add crimson painted liners later.
 

Here I'm placing a batton two planks below the lowest wale. I have a fear of not getting a smooth run from the drop plank to its immediate neighbour going aft and this batton, I hope, will give me the best chance of a good result. 

This picture rather distorts the run of the plankin at the foc'sle. It looks much better in the flesh.
 





I offered up the Syren drop plank. Its not a great fit. I think that's because I cut my own bulkheads and then obscured the Syren planking marks  with bevelling the bulkheads and putting in all that balsa wood. I did my best with careful tick strips to re-instate them but some discrepancy was bound to creep in.
 

So I cut a card template.
 

And this is where I am now.



All the best everyone
Fred
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Chapter 8 Complete
 
It took me a lot less time to complete chapter 8 than it did chapter 7. It would have been done sooner except for two things: I split my available time between Winchelsea and creating a book from our Kenyan adventure, it’s now done and being printed. The second, for some now inexplicable reason we got a puppy - what were we thinking. It’s a nice Beagle but it takes a ton of time…anyway.


Picking up where I left off with the forecastle I created a few jigs to square up and assemble the two sets of bitts, the table with movable clamps comes in handy. The spacers were helpful in establishing proper distances as well as aligning both. I pinned as well as glued them to the deck after scratching through the coats of WOP on the deck beneath the runners.

MDF left over from prior models repeatedly comes in handy for creating jigs. In this case I milled a carefully measured grove on the bottom of three pieces to square up the stove I’d made so very long ago. It has a small not visible rectangle of wood on the bottom planed the height of the stove legs so I didn’t have to depend on the thin legs. More importantly these spacers set the proper location of the chimney per the templates so it sits the proper distance from beams fore and aft of it. This is a bit tricking to establish so I spent a good amount of time dry-fitting and measuring, then first gluing in the drip tray followed by the stove.

With that done I could then measure, place, pin, and glue the aft set of bitts. Again a MDF spacer between it and the cargo hatch was important. I had to interpret the plans a bit and judge the distance of the bitts from the aft most beam to properly place it. The MDF risers for the weight don’t sit on the cargo hatch, but instead a more narrow ones below it. The weights were needed as well as using a #11 blade to again scratch up the deck and its 3 coats of WOP below the runners.

I mentioned this last time, it was very important to work slowly from bow to aft, it would have been near impossible to place the stove and the bits had I been premature in gluing beams, not to mention how the covered cannon would have been placed. Also had I mounted the cannon too early it would have complicated fitting and attaching the knees. Speaking of which, I’ve spent a long time on scraping, painting, and fitting all these knees. I will have to keep these photos for my memories as they’ll soon all be completely covered by decking. I’m sill considering alternative decking to keep some of them exposed. Anyway…
 
You’ll notice blue tape running down the sides of the hull. I call those my canaries(as in the coal mine). I hit the tape (I hope) before I hit a cannon barrel or port lid in my clumsy fashion of moving too fast from tool tray to deck. It’s dumb, but so far it seems to work. I could just slow down and not hit them...


With that the final two beams are glued in and the carlings added. The carlings too are a bit tricky. They will be covered by decking but are needed to support coaming. They have to fit snugly, neither too small or too tight and have the pairs be identical for that to happen. Measuring carefully of course is important, however my Byrnes disc sander makes fine tuning these possible. Thank you Jim Byrnes.

I also added carlings to the quarterdeck per the templates. I used a laser gauge to re-establish the center line then transferred measurements from the templates to the beams.



And with that Chapter 8 is complete (the waist cannons and elm tree pumps are just placed for the photos). Please excuse the low quality photos and pitiful backdrop. I need to create a separate photo studio someplace someday.
 
Thank you as always for stopping by, your likes and comments are appreciated. Now the puppy needs attention.
 

@Luis Felipe if knowing that you have accurate sources for a large American clipper is one of your goals, you probably can't do better than our recent Donald McKay medium clipper Glory of the Seas reconstruction. First, you'll have the benefit of actually seeing literally dozens of ultra rare images of the actual vessel herself, courtesy of author Michael Mjelde who has spent a lifetime researching her and has published three in-depth books on her long successful career. You'll also have the benefit of reading build logs of @rwiederrichwho's spent the last 14 years exhaustively researching and building her in 1:96th scale so accurately that Mr. Mjelde has pronounced she's the most accurate model ever constructed of her. Besides Rob there's also @Vladimir_Wairoa who's currently nearing completion of his monster 1:72nd scale build of her as originally launched. In addition, the Winter Nautical Research Journal has the 1st of two articles on this remarkable effort (I'm writing the 2nd article right now). Finally Vladimir has created both scale bulkheads to make it easier to begin the initial build. It would be fascinating to see a big California clipper in comparison to the Scottish composite tea clipper.

Excellent work Amalio! the perfection makes the master...

Amalio, is your plan to finish the ship with a complete rigging ? (arboladura)
I hope if you do, since it would be very helpful in terms of learning in addition to being a work of art due to the precision in the detail.

Respecting the MSW decision, I think it's a good idea. In which the author who does not dominate the English language can explain the methods shown.. I'm sure more than one has questions about details of this magnificent work..

Excellent work montañez! I like the precision in the details, an exquisite work.

The Admiral is recovering from Covid, so I had lots of time to work on chapter 8 this weekend while she was isolating from everyone.  She had a mild case and is well on the mend.  Here are some pictures of my progress.  I’m going to need to order chapter nine soon.
 






 
 

Thank you Mike, Chuck, Glenn and Grant for the kind words.
 
Mike your definition of fun just might differ a bit from mine. 
 
Grant I'm way more human than you think. In one form or another this is a daily occurrence!  
 
I've finished the gangways. Like Chuck I glued the long gangboards flush to the caprail prior to adding the knees.
I figured that was the only way I could ensure them being flush with the caprail.
 

 
Then I took the laser cut newel post, cleaned it up and added the fancy rails.
 

 
I just have to fix the broken deadeyes and add the eye bolts and chapter 11 should be complete.
 
 
 

I finished up the second main rail today. More black touch up needed and then onto the head timber cover boards.
Mike

Hi all,
 
Well the trip was wonderful, it's over and back to work. Progress has continued on chapter 10 with the quarter deck
hatches placed and the deck planked. Pretty much a repeat of the fcastle. A lot of dust to clean up and paint 
to touch up though.
 

Thanks Vlad!
 
This will be the last post for about two weeks. We leave tomorrow for a vacation in the San Diego area. 
 
I've added the eye bolts, spanshackles and chimney cover boards.
 

With chapter 9 completed now I've started chapter 10. As I'm leaving very soon I figured I do the hatches instead of starting on the planking. 
 

I'll see you all in a couple of weeks. Behave while I'm away! 😂

Welcome to MSW!
 

Had the guys over to the shop.  Tale of two Winnies.  One is mine and the other is Mikes (stuntflyer).