rtropp

Thank you John, Ben, David and Greg.
 
All the frames have been assembled, now I can start fitting them to the keel.
 
I started by gluing the three Deadflat frames together, using spacers and Fillers of the appropriate thickness :
 

 

 
Then I set the assembly up on the board, using the acrylic square I built for Vulture's frames. A little bit of finessing on the slots for the keel was needed to get a good tight fit. The board and square, and also the two temporary supports, ensure that each frame goes up correctly :
 

 

 
  Danny

Well, a month has gone by and I have completed the figurehead.  
 

 
It is not as good as I had hoped, but it is better than I expected. The figurehead is not permanently attached yet.
 
Then I moved on to the upper head rails.
 
First I rough cut the shapes, then I temporarily glued the shapes together along with one of the upper head rails from the kit
 

 
Using the kit supplied head rail as a template I sanded them to shape on a Dremel shaper/router.  I started to use the sanding spindle I made for my mill but with the size of the pieces it was better done on the small shaper. Its nice to find a use for the shaper.
 
 

 
I continued to sand until I could see the sanding marks on the template's laser burnt edges
 

 
The channels have not been cut into the head rails yet, they have only been shaped to this point to make sure they fit before going through the effort to finish them.
 
I find the going slow since started fabricating most parts from scratch out of Boxwood. I want to build skills in preparation for a scratch build and I find it rewarding to "do it myself."  
 
Richard
 
 
 

Well, a month has gone by and I have completed the figurehead.  
 

 
It is not as good as I had hoped, but it is better than I expected. The figurehead is not permanently attached yet.
 
Then I moved on to the upper head rails.
 
First I rough cut the shapes, then I temporarily glued the shapes together along with one of the upper head rails from the kit
 

 
Using the kit supplied head rail as a template I sanded them to shape on a Dremel shaper/router.  I started to use the sanding spindle I made for my mill but with the size of the pieces it was better done on the small shaper. Its nice to find a use for the shaper.
 
 

 
I continued to sand until I could see the sanding marks on the template's laser burnt edges
 

 
The channels have not been cut into the head rails yet, they have only been shaped to this point to make sure they fit before going through the effort to finish them.
 
I find the going slow since started fabricating most parts from scratch out of Boxwood. I want to build skills in preparation for a scratch build and I find it rewarding to "do it myself."  
 
Richard
 
 
 

Well, a month has gone by and I have completed the figurehead.  
 

 
It is not as good as I had hoped, but it is better than I expected. The figurehead is not permanently attached yet.
 
Then I moved on to the upper head rails.
 
First I rough cut the shapes, then I temporarily glued the shapes together along with one of the upper head rails from the kit
 

 
Using the kit supplied head rail as a template I sanded them to shape on a Dremel shaper/router.  I started to use the sanding spindle I made for my mill but with the size of the pieces it was better done on the small shaper. Its nice to find a use for the shaper.
 
 

 
I continued to sand until I could see the sanding marks on the template's laser burnt edges
 

 
The channels have not been cut into the head rails yet, they have only been shaped to this point to make sure they fit before going through the effort to finish them.
 
I find the going slow since started fabricating most parts from scratch out of Boxwood. I want to build skills in preparation for a scratch build and I find it rewarding to "do it myself."  
 
Richard
 
 
 

Barry,
 
Here's two links that should help,
 
First Hobbymill's page on the saw (note that this info is good for other saws also): http://www.hobbymillusa.com/byrnes-saw-operation.php
And Thurston's webpage for blades:  http://www.thurstonmfg.com/cut-off-saws.html
 
I don't have the Byrnes but the Thurston's that Jeff (Hobbymill) recommends are excellent and very reasonably priced.

I'm getting there - 10 frames glued together, 7 left to go. To hold each frame in position I use double-sided tape to stick it to the template, and then hair clips to keep the joint tight until it dries. Like I did with the full model, I'm using scarph joints in the port side and chocks in the open starboard side :
 

 

 
  Danny

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 123 – Companions
 
Once the three ladderways into the lower decks were installed, the companion structures over these three hatchways could be constructed.  Before describing construction the completed two aft of the main mast are shown in the first picture.
 

 
All three structures are similar, with entry doors and a sliding panel to close them off when not in use.  They are fairly intricate structures.  In the one to the left in the picture the doors and sliding cap have been left open.  Unfinished wood on these has been finished with beeswax/turpentine.
 
The first step in making these is shown in the next picture.  The side and forward walls are paneled.  The first step in making the paneling was to trim long pieces with thin horizontal strips. 
 

 
The total thickness of these laminates is about 2 ½” (.035” act.).  These pieces were then cut to fit the coamings and trimmed out as shown below.
 

 
In the next picture one of these is being fitted into the rabbet on one of the head ledges.
 

 
When the three sides were  trimmed to size, they were painted white, fitted with natural wood corner posts and installed on the coamings as shown below.
 

 
Additional internal members and the outer roof planks were then added as shown in the next picture.
 

 
Next, the remaining roof planks, excluding the slide rails, were installed and painted blue.
 

 
The rails, door jambs, door and a closing cross piece were then added as shown below.
 

 
One of the sliding caps that were made to fit over the rails is shown in the picture.
 
The last picture shows the companion over the forward hatch.  The double-door entry to each of these was fitted with very simple brass wire hardware.
 

 
Next will be the two skylights on the poop deck.
 
 
Ed
 

Glued the letters for name on. I think I got them spaced a little too close together but they are on & I'm not going to undo them. 
 
Attached a few eyebolts & rings
 
Painted the figurehead. The instructions left it like unpainted wood. I asked Chuck about it & he said it most likely was painted as other figureheads were so this is what I came up with.
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 122 – Ladderways
 
With the two larger deck cabins constructed, it was time to turn to the several smaller deck structures.  These include three companionways, two skylights, two small lockers at the forecastle break and the paneled housing for the rudder mechanism.  I thought this work would be the next logical step, before moving on to the several fife rails and the machinery – the windlass, bilge pump, capstans and wheel.
 
In preparation for making and placing ladders and stairs – work that must be done before constructing the companion structures – I had to finally decide the time period to base the model on.  Young America had a long life – 30 years.  Changes were made.  I had tentatively decided to aim for the period after installation of the Howes double topsails (1854) and after pole masts were installed above the topmasts (1860’s?).  Apart from my interest in these features, the two existing photographs of the ship were taken after these modifications.  These photos are the best primary data source available and I spend a lot of time going over them with a magnifying glass.  The photos clearly show two features that differ from the basis I initially used for the drawings and model.  First, the entryway is shown well aft, adjacent to the mizzen mast.  Also, there is a large area of each upper bulwark removed astride the main hatch.  This was undoubtedly to facilitate loading and unloading cargo.  The first picture shows the modification of the bulwarks to incorporate this feature.
 

 
This change also required modifications to the pin rails to move belayed rigging clear of this area.  The next picture shows me cutting the new entryway on the starboard side.  The pin rails in this area were also cut out.
 

 
The decision was now irrevocable, so I can stop thinking about it.  The next picture shows the completed entryways.
 

 
 The method I use for stairs and ladders was fully described in Naiad, Vol II and to some extent in earlier posts.  I use a milling machine to precisely set the angle, depth, and spacing of the treads on the stringers.  The first picture shows this in progress.
 

 
Mirror images of the cuts need to be made.  The stringer material is 4” thick and the slots are cut 2” deep and 9” apart.  The blade is about 2 ½” thick.  I used a 4” (actual) diameter blade so the work will clear the underside of the motor.  You can see by the shortness of the last two cuts that I ran into the column on the mill – but there was still enough material to make all of the 25 degree stairs.  The ladders at the entryway were 15 degrees.  This piece was then ripped into stringer pairs.
 
The next picture shows a pair with treads being fitted.
 

 
After installing the first two as shown, I fitted the other stringer and then slid in the remaining treads.  The next picture shows the finished assembly being sanded to even out the treads.
 

 
The next picture shows a stair assembly fitted into the aft main deck hatch.  There are three of these companion hatchways.
 

 
The last picture shows six of the nine ladder assemblies installed. 
 

 
There is also one into the forward hatch and two at the forecastle break.  These last two were made but will not be installed until the windlass is in place.  With this work done, the companionway enclsores can be constructed – next time.
 
 
Ed
 
 
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 121 – Coach
 
The coach was really just a vestibule at the break of the poop to provide access from the main deck to the entrance of the “mezzanine” level cabin deck below.  It is an interesting and intricate structure.  Its forward end is just large enough to fit an entrance door on each side and that part is supported on a coaming on the main deck.  The aft part merely provides headroom above the main deck level over the head of the staircase that leads down to the cabins.  At the break of the poop is a double-door entrance to the head of the cabin deck staircase.  As mentioned before, the design of all this interior work is speculative.
 
The first step was to make and fit the starboard side panel on the coamings on both decks and to the bulkhead at the break of the poop.  In the first picture that wall has been built up of planks in the usual way and then cut to fit.  In the picture the forward corner post is being glued on.
 

 
In the next picture the studs on the inside of the wall have been installed and the door opening cut out flush with those members using the circular saw for most of the cut length.
 

 
A panel for the entrance door was then cut and fitted to reinforce this very fragile structure and provide a base for the door paneling.  In the next picture the panel is being glued in.
 

 
The outer door jambs and header are being added in the next picture.
 

 
In the next picture the door has been paneled inside and out and the wall installed on the coamings.
 

 
I made the doorway into the cabin itself a bit more ornate, using the same wood and trim style used in the cabins as shown in the next picture.
 

 
In this picture the double doors have been fitted with simple brass hardware.  As with the cabin woodwork, I used black walnut for the doorway.  In the next picture the finished forward bulkhead is in place and aft bulkhead is being glued in.
 

 
The wall on the port side consists only of the stud framing – to provide some visibility to the interior.  In the next picture that framing has been installed and other work is in progress.
 

 
In the picture the overhead rafters have been installed as well as the structure and panels on either side of the doorway.  The exterior end trim pieces are being glued on in the picture.  The last picture shows the freshly painted roof on the finished coach.
 

 
This picture also shows a new entryway on the port bulwark and some modifications that I will explain in the next part.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 120 – Main Deck Cabin 2
 
Work on the deck cabin continued.  In the first picture the starboard side has been installed and the forward bulkhead is in the process.
 

 
All the bulkheads were made to fit into the rabbet on the coaming.  In the next picture, both end bulkheads are in place and the framing for the port side is being installed.
 

 
Pine strips with wedges were used along the floor to hold the studs against the coaming at the bottom.  The reinforcing pine batten is still pasted in place.  This side of the structure will be left open for visibility into the framing below.
 
In the next picture the pine batten has been removed and masking tape has been placed on the deck framing to prevent small pieces from dropping through.  These can now be very difficult to extract.  The first of the rounded up roof rafters are being fitted.
 

 
In the next picture these have been installed.  A number of them have been fitted with hanging knees to provide some wind bracing.  This structure had to be quite strong.
 

 
In the next picture the masking tape has been removed and the tops of the end bulkheads trimmed out in readiness for the roof planking.
 

 
The next picture shows the initial strake of 3” x 7” roof planking being aligned against a straightedge and pinned in place.
 

 
There is a strake with a water stop to be fitted outside of this one, but I wanted to paint that first and use the next inner strakes for alignment.  The next picture shows that outer strake being fitted against the two initially installed planks.
 

 
In the next picture the planking has progressed almost to the centerline.
 

 
The last picture shows the finished roof.
 

 
The ends of the planks have been sanded square and notches cut through the water stop for the two transverse skid beams that will cross the roof.  The roof has been coated with acrylic sanding sealer, sanded smooth and painted with the same color blue as the waterways.  The paint is acrylic.
 
The next task is to construct the coach – the entrance to the cabin deck.
 
Ed

Hi friends.
 
Plan amendment.
I now build the model of the midship to Stern.
 
Regards Karl   
 
 
T e i l  5

Hello friends.
The residual frames built in, aligned and sanded
into the required shape of the hull.
 
Karl
 
 
Teil 4
 
 
 

Hello friends.
 
The all remaining frames mounted, aligned and bonded.
Now handwork is called for sanding.
Help in this case, belt-sander, long-neck angle grinder
and various sanding blocks.
 
Karl
 
 
 
T e i l  3
 
 

Hello friends,
new pictures of the construction 74 gun-ship.
A provisional aligment of the frames.
Every double frame consisting of 22 - 26 fragments.
Karl
 
T e i l  2

Hello friends.
 
Assembly of the deck transom and filling transoms on the fashion  piece.
 
 
Karl  
 
 
 
T e i l   1

Hello friends.
Against my original plan,  I'm building the model in scale 1:36 instead of 
building it in scale 1:48.
This means change of plans.
Regards Karl 

Hi Jessie,
Before I bought my torch I used Solder-it, a low temperature soldering paste.  It is available from Amazon, among other places.
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058ED0GO?keywords=solder%20it&qid=1446389742&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
Ideal for speeding up soldering tasks Works with the heat of a match or lighter Will join 22 different combinations of metals Easy-to-use, no mess, no-waste syringe 7.1 grams .  
No, its not as good as silver soldering, but that requires a pretty good investment and can be difficult to master. It seems to hold up well, especially in areas that do not experience much pressure or pull.  Mine, so far, have held up just fine.  
 
Richard
 
You might want to try it.

Hi Ed,
I have been watching your build and enjoying the heck out of it.
I have a question that might have already been answered.  For the full framed version, have you decided if it will be fully rigged?
 
Thanks,
Richard

Hi Ed,
I have been watching your build and enjoying the heck out of it.
I have a question that might have already been answered.  For the full framed version, have you decided if it will be fully rigged?
 
Thanks,
Richard

Hi Ed,
I have been watching your build and enjoying the heck out of it.
I have a question that might have already been answered.  For the full framed version, have you decided if it will be fully rigged?
 
Thanks,
Richard

Hi Jessie,
Before I bought my torch I used Solder-it, a low temperature soldering paste.  It is available from Amazon, among other places.
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058ED0GO?keywords=solder%20it&qid=1446389742&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
Ideal for speeding up soldering tasks Works with the heat of a match or lighter Will join 22 different combinations of metals Easy-to-use, no mess, no-waste syringe 7.1 grams .  
No, its not as good as silver soldering, but that requires a pretty good investment and can be difficult to master. It seems to hold up well, especially in areas that do not experience much pressure or pull.  Mine, so far, have held up just fine.  
 
Richard
 
You might want to try it.

Hi Jessie,
Before I bought my torch I used Solder-it, a low temperature soldering paste.  It is available from Amazon, among other places.
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058ED0GO?keywords=solder%20it&qid=1446389742&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
Ideal for speeding up soldering tasks Works with the heat of a match or lighter Will join 22 different combinations of metals Easy-to-use, no mess, no-waste syringe 7.1 grams .  
No, its not as good as silver soldering, but that requires a pretty good investment and can be difficult to master. It seems to hold up well, especially in areas that do not experience much pressure or pull.  Mine, so far, have held up just fine.  
 
Richard
 
You might want to try it.

Hi Jessie,
Before I bought my torch I used Solder-it, a low temperature soldering paste.  It is available from Amazon, among other places.
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058ED0GO?keywords=solder%20it&qid=1446389742&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
Ideal for speeding up soldering tasks Works with the heat of a match or lighter Will join 22 different combinations of metals Easy-to-use, no mess, no-waste syringe 7.1 grams .  
No, its not as good as silver soldering, but that requires a pretty good investment and can be difficult to master. It seems to hold up well, especially in areas that do not experience much pressure or pull.  Mine, so far, have held up just fine.  
 
Richard
 
You might want to try it.

Hi Jessie,
Before I bought my torch I used Solder-it, a low temperature soldering paste.  It is available from Amazon, among other places.
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058ED0GO?keywords=solder%20it&qid=1446389742&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
Ideal for speeding up soldering tasks Works with the heat of a match or lighter Will join 22 different combinations of metals Easy-to-use, no mess, no-waste syringe 7.1 grams .  
No, its not as good as silver soldering, but that requires a pretty good investment and can be difficult to master. It seems to hold up well, especially in areas that do not experience much pressure or pull.  Mine, so far, have held up just fine.  
 
Richard
 
You might want to try it.