dvm27

The belaying pins are now installed in their shroud deflectors. That's a term I had never read before but that's what they're called according to Markquardt. Perhaps they're called pin rails only when affixed to the inner bulwarks. The deflectors have grooves filed on the outboard edge for the shrouds and lashings inboard and are surprisingly strong once attached.  At any rate, I was able to hone my lathe technique to turn out consistent pins. Next it's on to ratlines. Perhaps Archjofo would fly in from Germany to show me how he successfully duplicated actual practice when securing them to the outer shrouds. Personally. I believe he used Photoshop as this is not humanly possible to do.
 

Mabuhay Kale! Spent four memorable years in Quezon City decades ago. The Model Shipwright series is a great way to learn the hobby of ship model making. After that perhaps try your hand at a Banca.

Sounds interesting. Just be sure not to over-illuminate and keep the light color on the yellowish side to mimic lantern light. 

Dear all
 
It's been almost two month since my last post. I have been working on the boat when life permitted - which was not too often.
But even so, there has been progress.
To start with, all the screws have been replaced with tree nails. Unscrew the screw, re-drill the hole by hand, dip the tree nail in glue and insert in the whole, wipe the excess glue and trim the nail - then repeat many hundreds of times. 
 
Then, I started filling the large gaps between the planks with filler, both from the outside and the inside. It is a shame really, these gaps are due to the shrinkage of the wood. When I cut the planks they were tight against each other. However, beech really has a tremendous movement in service and huge changes in dimension with changes in moisture. I will not be using beech again!
 
So here is how the hull looked like after the filler liberally applied. Not an elegant sight!




Then I started sanding inside. The little Proxon pen sander was very helpful.

Then I started sanding the outer hull. This is how one side looks, this is with 80 grit. Beech is very hard wood. There is a dimple in one of the planks at the bow. I think I ll paint this hull so it will be filled.


Now, just to show how much the beech moves, this is the hull of the Launch. There are cracks everywhere! I think I will not repair it, I ll just leave it as is.



Till next time
 
Vaddoc
 

Sounds interesting. Just be sure not to over-illuminate and keep the light color on the yellowish side to mimic lantern light. 

I was messing around lamenting that I couldn't see much of the main cabin interior though the door, so I pushed my very old and poor quality phone camera up against the door and took a photo.

The low quality of the image seems to me to have helped the "atmospheric nature" of the image. i really liked the computer screens, keyboards and instrument panels. I also liked the roof beams with the lights peeking out, but most of all I liked the reflection in the porthole window. Sometimes it is good to take a backwards look.

This little gem was recently sold by Sotheby's. Unfortunately, my bid came in at just slightly under the auction realization of 5,500,000 pounds. But, there is an amazing book on the Van de Veldes for the rest of us losers.

For rigging you can't beat surgical scissors like iris or Castroviejo scissors. The smaller 3 1/2" scissors are item #045067 and the larger 4 1/2" is item #056005. They are surgical stainless steel and you can cut knots flush with them. They are from Securos Surgical http://www.securos.com and are not cheap. But they will be the last scissors you ever need. They may sell to the general public. If not ask your veterinarian or ophthalmologist if they'll order for you. Beware of cheap, non-surgical imitations available from Amazon. when it comes to surgical instruments you get what you pay for.
 

 
 
 

This is the latest on my model, we have varnished  the decks and other parts, painted it, added some little details and have got the rig up its looking amazing.
George

To prevent 'hourglassing' the shrouds due to over-tightening ratlines, do every fifth ratline first, then every third and lastly the remaining ones. It's easier to control the tension that way.

The belaying pins are now installed in their shroud deflectors. That's a term I had never read before but that's what they're called according to Markquardt. Perhaps they're called pin rails only when affixed to the inner bulwarks. The deflectors have grooves filed on the outboard edge for the shrouds and lashings inboard and are surprisingly strong once attached.  At any rate, I was able to hone my lathe technique to turn out consistent pins. Next it's on to ratlines. Perhaps Archjofo would fly in from Germany to show me how he successfully duplicated actual practice when securing them to the outer shrouds. Personally. I believe he used Photoshop as this is not humanly possible to do.
 

As many of my favorite modelers are posting updates this weekend I thought I'd share some recent progress on Speedwell. She is now sporting her copper cupola (say that three times quickly!) which arches over the steps to the "Great Cabin". I use that term in quotes because, after the lockers are installed, there is little room for the commanding Lieutenant. But this little vessel was designed for shore duty and was seldom used for sleeping. The cupola was shaped from a square of holly, hollowed out then spray painted with a hammered copper finish followed by matte varnish.
 
The rudderhead cover was also shaped from a holly plug which was then hollowed out. The panels were added to each side. Each one was a different dimension and all are hand fitted.
 
A little more work on the inside and outside of the hull and Speedwell, Volume I, will be off to the press!
 
 

Been awhile since my last Speedwell update. David and I were hoping to have volume one of her construction in book form by the end of the year but I suspect it might be a tad later. I do envy you retirees! 

Yes, Danny, I did say that. And I really mean it after this model is completed!
 
Your stagecoach is awesome. Glad you're back.
 
Speedwell has a beautiful quarterdeck bulkhead (see NMM photo above) which I'm working on now. The arched door and molded frame has taken me almost two weeks to reach this point.
Thanks for those who have commented. David and I are hoping to get the first volume of our Speedwell book into print this year (late, very late). It will give three options for building - plank on frame, plank on bulkhead and lift method. Volume two will cover masting and rigging.
 

 
 
 

The belaying pins are now installed in their shroud deflectors. That's a term I had never read before but that's what they're called according to Markquardt. Perhaps they're called pin rails only when affixed to the inner bulwarks. The deflectors have grooves filed on the outboard edge for the shrouds and lashings inboard and are surprisingly strong once attached.  At any rate, I was able to hone my lathe technique to turn out consistent pins. Next it's on to ratlines. Perhaps Archjofo would fly in from Germany to show me how he successfully duplicated actual practice when securing them to the outer shrouds. Personally. I believe he used Photoshop as this is not humanly possible to do.
 

Not too much progress to note on Speedwell but the standing rigging has commenced. A photo of her in her current state is shown below. She needs twenty belaying pins. For the most part I find commercial belaying pins clunky and like to make them myself. I have seen several different techniques but they did not work particularly well in my hands so, if you have a lathe, maybe try this technique.
 
I discovered early in my machining, self-taught trials that in order to turn a very small diameter like the 0.020" leg of the belaying pin you have to turn against a much thicker stock or deflection occurs. In the first photo the 0.020" diameter is turned from 0.25" boxwood. The speed is high and the feed is very slow and consistent to avoid warping and deflection.


The cutting tool backed off 0.020" to form the diameter of the head of the pin.

The next step was impossible to photograph but a very fine Swiss file was used to reduce the area just above the transition.
 

The rest of the head was shaped with a fine Swiss file. The finished belaying pin was parted with the knife edge of the file while shaping it's curved profile. Many extras were made to insure consistency. You can see the delicate elongated shape of the pins against the illustration by David Antscherl in our Speedwell book.
 

The key takeaway for new home machinists is that you can turn very small diameters even in wood if you turn against a thicker stock. I can't say for sure exactly how thick but I should think at least four times the desired finished diameter.
 

The belaying pins are now installed in their shroud deflectors. That's a term I had never read before but that's what they're called according to Markquardt. Perhaps they're called pin rails only when affixed to the inner bulwarks. The deflectors have grooves filed on the outboard edge for the shrouds and lashings inboard and are surprisingly strong once attached.  At any rate, I was able to hone my lathe technique to turn out consistent pins. Next it's on to ratlines. Perhaps Archjofo would fly in from Germany to show me how he successfully duplicated actual practice when securing them to the outer shrouds. Personally. I believe he used Photoshop as this is not humanly possible to do.
 

Just for fun I tried to turn a smaller belaying pin from the box wood and was able to turn the pin portion down to 0.010" but when I  turned the handle portion at 0.015" the pin portion whipped and separated off. perhaps you could make them in two sections as Druxey does.

The belaying pins are now installed in their shroud deflectors. That's a term I had never read before but that's what they're called according to Markquardt. Perhaps they're called pin rails only when affixed to the inner bulwarks. The deflectors have grooves filed on the outboard edge for the shrouds and lashings inboard and are surprisingly strong once attached.  At any rate, I was able to hone my lathe technique to turn out consistent pins. Next it's on to ratlines. Perhaps Archjofo would fly in from Germany to show me how he successfully duplicated actual practice when securing them to the outer shrouds. Personally. I believe he used Photoshop as this is not humanly possible to do.
 

Mabuhay Kale! Spent four memorable years in Quezon City decades ago. The Model Shipwright series is a great way to learn the hobby of ship model making. After that perhaps try your hand at a Banca.

Mabuhay Kale! Spent four memorable years in Quezon City decades ago. The Model Shipwright series is a great way to learn the hobby of ship model making. After that perhaps try your hand at a Banca.

Well good sir's I just about have the forward capstan completed, just need to add  a few more items to the upper capstan and then I can get started on the main one. Gary 

Mabuhay Kale! Spent four memorable years in Quezon City decades ago. The Model Shipwright series is a great way to learn the hobby of ship model making. After that perhaps try your hand at a Banca.

Just for fun I tried to turn a smaller belaying pin from the box wood and was able to turn the pin portion down to 0.010" but when I  turned the handle portion at 0.015" the pin portion whipped and separated off. perhaps you could make them in two sections as Druxey does.