Lou van Wijhe

After looking at the model for all this time I found that the wooden stock anchors noted on my plan set looked out of place on such a progressive vessel. The big splash of brown drew the eye too much up on the this area. I made an artist's call and put more modern looking anchors in place. I find it much more pleasing to the eye.  My research showed the type as correct for this period also. I feel that as long as this was historically feasible it would be OK.
 
All for now. I'll be back soon.
 
Bruce

And the ones that do not want to step back (like me) never advance...
 
Lou

ROFL !
 
Lou

I'm 75 now and I decided to only move finally when I'm in a wooden box. And I just realised I must update my avatar; up to now I accumulated a lot of years and a lot of weight.
 
Lou

I'm 75 now and I decided to only move finally when I'm in a wooden box. And I just realised I must update my avatar; up to now I accumulated a lot of years and a lot of weight.
 
Lou

Nenad,
 
It is the light, indeed. The panel is definitely black.
 
Lou

Hello Ed,
 
George F. Campbell in China Tea Clippers (ISBN 0-679-20207-2) wrote on page 96:
 
 
This might be the reference you were looking for.
 
Lou

Hello Ed,
 
George F. Campbell in China Tea Clippers (ISBN 0-679-20207-2) wrote on page 96:
 
 
This might be the reference you were looking for.
 
Lou

Hello Ed,
 
George F. Campbell in China Tea Clippers (ISBN 0-679-20207-2) wrote on page 96:
 
 
This might be the reference you were looking for.
 
Lou

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 108 – Sheathing plates/Deck members
 
Well, those brass plates I showed in the last post certainly sparked a lot of interest – and helpful comments.  Even as I posted those photos I was thinking about improvements.  The comments convinced me and provided some good ideas.   One of the final plates is shown in the first picture – an ultra- closeup. 
 

 
This has a very close duplicate of the original nailing pattern.  The sheets would have been pre-punched – perhaps like this one – then simply placed in position and nailed over a tarred felt covering.  In the lower row, the indentations are about 3” apart, so you can see that the dimples themselves are less than an inch I diameter – just about right.  This plate is 48” x 14” (about 0.67” x 0.195”).  The model plates are .002” thick brass.
 
The next picture shows the stamping fixture – sitting on the block of hardwood used to stamp the brass.
 

 
The top piece is drilled to accept .018” straight pins – a sliding fit.  A fence is added to align the plates.  The top row of holes is extended so the “dress course” (top row) can be stamped a second time so those plates will have nail rows top and bottom.  A brass plate is sandwiched beneath the top piece and a lower piece as a hard support at the bottom of the pins.
 
After drilling the nailing pattern the two blocks and the brass plate were bolted together.  Pins were inserted and clipped off.  These were then machine ground down to a few thousandths above the wood surface to make them a uniform length – as shown below.
 
 

 
With the pins still in the holes, the parts were disassembled and reassembled with the plate under the ground off ends of the pins.  After testing on some plates, the pins were wetted with thin CA to keep them from falling out.  The fence was then added.  The lower block is held in a vise for stamping.  Small dimples are best achieved with a hardwood block tapped lightly over the plate.  I expect to describe this process step by step in the book.
 
All of this was a bit of a side show because I am not yet ready to sheath the hull.  The main event this week has been the installation of the waterways and binding strakes on the main deck.  The first picture shows the starboard waterway being glued against the frames in between the beams and the planksheer rail.
 

 
After forming these pieces and fitting the scarph joints, they were painted light blue before being installed to avoid have to “cut in” the painted line by hand – too shaky for that. 
 
The next picture shows the two 10” wide binding strakes and the “nib strake” being installed on the starboard side.
 

 
The top of the outer binding strake is about 6” above the beams, the inner binding strake is tapered so the inside edge is the height of the common planking – 3 ½”.  The nib strake is that thickness and 8” wide.  The planking at the side will be limited to these three strakes.  There will be central planking between the hatchways.  The next picture shows the starboard side complete and work in progress on the port side.
 

 
Some of the starboard scuppers can just be seen in the above picture.  The next picture shows these being fitted through the outer planking. 
 

 
These will be filed off flush and blackened before final installation.  The remaining hull planking can then be painted and the sheathing installed on the starboard side.  The pencil  lines in the picture define the height of the dress course.
 
The last picture shows a pin rail drilled and shaped but not yet installed.
 

 
These rails will fit right under the main rail.  Paint has been filed off of the top timbers under the rail so the pin rail can be glued.
  
Ed

Hi Mark, here is another one.
 
 

Bob, what's a ship without sails? a raft? you have to have sails....so says my admiral , if I want it displayed in the living room 
 
So I'm working on the ship's wheel. Trying to see if I can do better than what was supplied.
 
Here's the high tech micro lathe that I'm using on this project
 

 
... yes it's a rotary tool drill press laying on its side
 
Here are the spokes. I turned them free hand.  They are laying with the handles to the right. Next it to finish off the handles and cut off the bottoms.
 
 then figure out how to do the rim and drum.
 

Just finishing work on the catheads, also paint and placement of the capstan.


 
for the deadeyes i foresaw a bit of a problem with fitment.
if i fitted them now the rigging will become quite a pain in the...
So for now im just drilling the holes to suit and waiting until i start the rigging.

 
next of the list are the 'wardrooms', the pre lasered parts that came with the kit wernt really up to scratch, the walnut arches crumbled at the slightest touch of the exact-o blade.
also the variety of timbers they have asked to use are pretty clashing to me, so i have stained the lasered ply a redish jarrah color and will cover the darker timbers in a thinned stain/varnish.
All i could really do was re enforce the rear side with watered down pva and hope it held together



 

for something a little diffrent i thought id tackle one of the catheads and FINALY figured out hot to get better shots of my work with an iluminated magnifying glass! as shown in the later pictures
 
starting with walnut 4x4 blanks i cut and shaped one to size

 
then for the pulley holes the instructions stated 2 lots were drilled where my other more reputable book said 3, so i went with 3.
i then added a brass band at the end with ca glue, then sanded it back, and also a couple brass eyelets for the release rod



 
 
a hole was now cut into the railing to accommodate this

 
 
dry fitting, painting and fitting then took place



 
for the cathead figure i use some bakable modeling clay and cut a rough cats head

 
and here it is with all parts assembled

Happy New Year!  
 
Progress here since my last posting....cutting all the aft hatch apertures was definitely a trial of patience and sanity.
 
And now I've taken the photos I see a bit more straightening of the rear deck rails is needed ! 

Happy New Year, Friends!!
 
I wish all of you the best for you and your families in 2015.
 
I stumbled upon a you tube video on embossing metal cans...
 

 
Not sure if the link can work..  But it might seem to solve my problem with the scrollwork...
 
I took the time to test the metal embossing techniques used by this person, and were very satisfied with the results, of about 10 minutes of testing...
 
These are only tests, and were made with a ballpoint pen and aluminum from a beer can....

Luca,
 
On the fore side of the after mooring port is indeed one stanchion, port and starboard, that is bent backwards and has no horizontal spur:

 
These bent stanchions are formed this way to give a clear run for the mooring cable to the bollards:

 
However, I cannot remember having seen a similar arrangement on the after side of the fore mooring ports and in fact there isn't such a setup at this moment:

 
As Nenad said, there may have been changes over time. When Longridge inspected the ship in the nineteen thirties, the palms of the deadeye shanks were f.i. riveted to the bulwark plating. This must have been a repair job because normally they should have been riveted to the sheer strake, which is a safer fixture but the sheer strake may not have been accessible because it was covered in cement at that time.
 
Lou

Nenad,
 
As to your brush problems-
The acrylic additive helps.  But I've found Kolinsky Sable to be the best answer.  I use these in my part-time profession, when I'm painting commissioned oil portraits.  I use these brushes to paint the eyes, nose and mouth.  Although I use these brushes for oil painting, they work fine with acrylics. Just make sure that you don't paint for more than a few minutes with the acrylics before rinsing the brush.  Also never dip more than the tip into the paint (very important). The fibers are from the tip of the weasel's tail and naturally all curve towards each other forming a sharp tip.  The finest brushes come from Russia.  They are very expensive in the US, but worth the price if you really need a brush that stays sharp and doesn't have brush lines.
 
Also Never, Never, cut natural brush hairs.  Each hair comes to a microscopic point which allows them to form a point in unison. If you trim the brush they will never come to that point again.  If you have issues, clean the brush thoroughly with soapy water, by placing the soap in the palm of your hand with water flowing over the soap and move the brush over the soap like if it were paint and you were trying to load your brush.  Then remove the soap and move the brush over the palm of your hand as if you were trying to paint it.  Do this many times.  Whatever you do, don't hold the brush upside down and squirt water into it - this drives wet paint up into the barrel of the brush and ruins it as well as weakens the glue and swells the wood handle.  After the brush is clean you can put baby oil in the palm of your hand and allow the brush to soak it up.  This will help if your brush needs natural oils back into the   bristles (you can also use hair conditioner).  This method will also work with dried paint on the brush.  I've recovered paint brushes with both dried oil and acrylic paints.
 
Marc

Nenad,
 
Part of your brush problem may be caused by the fast drying time of acrylic paints. You might try using an acrylic drying retarder, ask your art-shop (or mix it yourself...).
 
I admire your work!
 
Happy New Year,
Lou

Nenad,
 
Part of your brush problem may be caused by the fast drying time of acrylic paints. You might try using an acrylic drying retarder, ask your art-shop (or mix it yourself...).
 
I admire your work!
 
Happy New Year,
Lou

Nenad,
 
Part of your brush problem may be caused by the fast drying time of acrylic paints. You might try using an acrylic drying retarder, ask your art-shop (or mix it yourself...).
 
I admire your work!
 
Happy New Year,
Lou

Nenad,
 
Part of your brush problem may be caused by the fast drying time of acrylic paints. You might try using an acrylic drying retarder, ask your art-shop (or mix it yourself...).
 
I admire your work!
 
Happy New Year,
Lou

With "Aida" next 20 cm of make up in long two hours. Makeup goes well, white rail is straight, also line where white and black color meet. Two rounded "brown" rails will get their final look when I finish inside bulwarks with deadeye and nailholders and main rail, and ... because all has Teak "natural" color



Beast is still in same position listening Verdi





And Admiral catched me to repaint Hotheads room

Hi Nenad,
 
I think I can satisfy your curiosity with the following quote:
 
Another stern decoration that Linton designed, which has been preserved on Cutty Sark today, included the dreadful pun, "Where there's a Willis a Way". Below it, although not part of Linton's scheme, was the emblem of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India. This was probably copied, or perhaps even taken,  from Willis' favourite ship, The Tweed when she had been the Indian Marine's Punjaub.
The order has no known connection with Willis - it was established in 1861 by Queen Victoria to reward conspicuous merit and loyalty and was mainly awarded to maharajas and senior military officers working in India - but the Order's motto, which forms part of the decoration, could not be more fitting for any ship navigating by the sun and the stars: "Heaven's light our guide".
(from "Cutty Sark, the last of the tea clippers" by Eric Kentley)
 
Around the time of the ship's restoration in the nineteen fifties, the original Star of India emblem appeared to be hanging over the staircase in the house of Mrs. Kirkaldy-Willis, a relative of John Willis. The emblem was presented to the ship, so this part of the decoration (or a facsimile thereof) is original.
 
Lou

Whole ornament is finished.
 
OK, little color correction here and there ... and maybe adding little drop of yellow to gold color before that ... something to thing about
 
Considering there is a lot "bash" jobs/techniques applied, tomorrow I'll write little tutorial/explanation. I was a bit inpatience to try and to move forward and forget to explain main steps of this creative journey full of improvisations
 
Here are pictures
 
CS ornament - targeted look. Little more yellow tone ? I think it have to be, but maybe later, because front and rear decorations have to be in same color
 

 
Left side
 

 
Right side
 

 
Look from floor
 

 
It looks like, or I have to visit doctor for my eyes
 
And again "problem" with close-ups ... magnify every little mistake. And when you try to fix it, you realise that you have to move center or end of rope which is 7 mm long and less than 1 mm thin, up or down for about 1/4-1/2mm ... and when you do this, another part moves out of position ... after a while, you look at, and it seems OK, and you make close-up, and see new mistake you made. Another endless circle
 
I must confess, I have not enough patience to do this more than once, twice
 
Time to think what is next move