dvm27

Brilliant, Mark! Just curious if you ever thought about adding the CNC package to your lathe and letting the program do all the work for you?  Now that you've mastered Fusion 360 imagine what you do with the mill and lathe.

I began planking the magazine deck with 1/4" X 5/64" boxwood planking. This translates to 8" in scale width. The planking will be treenailed. I use a paint pen to paint the edges of the planking black. Any excess scrapes off easily with an X-Acto knife. Since this is a magazine, no iron or steel was used for anything -including fasteners- because of the danger of sparks igniting the gunpowder. All metalwork would be copper.
The decking for the magazine is on several levels, each supported by it's own set of beams. The main powder room (where the two scuttles are) will have palleting on the deck, set into rabbets in the framing.

Good question Johann. Navy Board models (when rigged) used silk. Some of these models have survived to today with original rigging. Silk has been around for ages. There were questions about the effects of UV light on silk but a recent study does not seem to consider it is a major factor (see article below). Perhaps one of our ship readers here who have attended the ship model conservators conference in England could comment.  On the Navy Board models in the Naval Academy Museum the silk rigging does have a lovely catenary. Does your silk line assume natural curves Joann?
 
Preserving silk: Reassessing deterioration factors for historic silk artefacts N. LUXFORD1,2 , D. THICKETT2 AND P. WYETH1 1 Textile Conservation Centre, Park Avenue, Winchester SO23 8DL, UK 2 English Heritage, 1 Waterhouse Square, 138-142 Holborn, London, EC1N 2ST, UK nl1@soton.ac.uk
 
Silk can be found in numerous examples of costume, flags and banners, tapestries, upholstery, etc., in collections worldwide. These objects are unique records, offering invaluable evidence of political, economic, and social histories. However, silk is susceptible to ageing, and the preservation of such artefacts is of significant concern. The deterioration of silk causes embrittlement of the textile leading to splits and tears, and eventually a powdery and very friable fabric. Interventive conservation treatments, to consolidate silks, may radically alter their appearance, dramatically affecting the way in which visitors see and interpret the objects. Alternative preventive conservation methods are being sought to improve the longevity of silks in cultural heritage collections, by optimising the display parameters. Light has long been considered the major cause of damage to silk objects, which has lead to lower light levels for displays. However, recent research on medieval tapestries casts doubt on this. Unfaded silks on the reverse were found to be in a similar deteriorated condition to the faded silks on the front. Other environmental factors are important, and circumstantial evidence implicates raised humidity (RH), although there has been little research on this factor. Here we report the results of preliminary experiments in which we have investigated the effects of RH, as well as light, on the deterioration of new silk; relative humidities were chosen to reflect a variety of typical display conditions. The temperature and RH dependent kinetics of silk ageing were determined, by assessing the changes in mechanical properties and silk fibroin molecular weight. Initial results confirm that light (with the UV component excluded) is not necessarily the critical factor causing damage to silk objects. This has implications for the collections management and display of historic silks, leading to a reassessment of the most appropriate environmental parameters for the preservation of silk objects.
 
And, from another source:
 
Silk has been with us for a long time. Records indicate that silk has been in production before 6803 BC. Silk is archival. There are examples of still brightly colored silk found in China from the third and fourth century BC. Silk was alsothe painting support of choice long before canvas or paper was ever used. 
Protecting Fine Art Silk Paintings
Dirt - When the silk painting is steamed, the dyes are bound in the fiber. The painting is hand washable using a mild soap and can be ironed with high heat. 
Light - more specifically, UV light can fade the colors in a textile. The best way to protect a silk painting is to keep it out of direct sunlight. Framing the artwork under UV-protected glass such as museum glass can eliminate the impact of fading.
Moisture - silk resists mildew and most other bacteria and fungi. Moisture and humidity can make the silk fiber brittle over time. So it is especially critical, if framing under glass, to make sure that there is air flow around the painting to reduce the possibility of moisture build up.
__
 
Reference - You can find more information on the history or biochemistry of silk and silk painting in the book "Silk" by Mary Schoeser, Yale University Press, 2007
 

Hello Paul.
 
I used plastic film for calking. I used this method when i was building "Carolina". All that one needs for this can be found in any stationary shop.
Plastic bag for paper (they can be found in different colors and thickness) and two sides adhesive duct tape. I 
use the balck side of the plastic bag. I put the duct tape on plastic fim and cut  it in stripes according to the thickness of the batten, 
it can be made with a small margin, then I separate
protective paper from the strip and stick on the end of the batten, the allowances are cut off with the knife, - it's cutting off nicely. 
Here are several photos, maybe they can be of use to somebody. If you have any questions - it would be my pleasure to help.
My best regards, Alexander.

Now the insides can be seen only through the illuminator or the door. 

The final installation of the deck-house.

 
I have coated the state cabin with oil. Probably, in the future, few will see it. 

One more decoration piece.

Hi everyone,
 
It has been a long journey figuring out how to make the cannon. The efforts at pattern turning failed miserably. I used an old Vanda-Lay pattern tool for the Sherline, but I could not keep it from deflecting, and the cuts were quite ragged. Probably operator error, but not worth pursuing I decided.
 
I temporarily lost heart, thinking about the long uphill climb making 74 guns, and I looked for ways that I could have them made for me. But 3-d printing was way, way too expensive, and I did not find a source that could provide the level of quality I hoped for. I also explored the idea of having them CNC lathed, but could not find a willing machinist.
 
All of these failures were just as well, because this focused my attention again on how to do these myself.
Here is a summary of where I am so far. I have determined to turn masters in brass, then cast in pewter. I think my previous casting problems were caused by a strange pewter that I had purchased from a jewelry supply store many years ago, which needed high heat and this destroyed my moulds too quickly. I have ordered low temp pewter from MicroMark, and I hope this will work better.
 
To make the masters, I first drew the cannon in Fusion 360 (a great program, I am discovering, and free for hobbyists). I was able to create a number of instruction sheets, one for each stage of cutting, so I could dial in the dimensions with great accuracy for the fine mouldings. I used the Sherline compound angle slide for the taper cuts, which does not work with my digital displays. So I had to calculate how many turns of the dial for each manual move. 
 
I found that my attention wandered when dialing in all of these X and Y dimensions, leading to ruining parts well into the process. So I wrote down the next X and Y moves on a card taped to my digital readout. This saved me from a lot of silly errors once I got used to it.
 
I also messed up overall dimensions at one point, placing the trunnion hole too close to the muzzle (the cannon below with the turned cascable shows this error). I then figured out how to measure from a temporary trunnion in its drilled hole to the hind side of the base ring, which became a fixed measuring point for subsequent operations.
 
The cascable was cut while still using the tailstock for stability. I used the cut-off tool for cuts straight into the metal, and then files to shape the ogee and the button neck. A little scary, thinning down so much while still between centers, and also holding needle files so close to the spinning chuck. But no accidents yet.
 
On to the other three cannon masters....
 
Happy new year to all!
 
Mark
 
 
 











 

Thanks everyone for the "Likes".  In preparing the frames for gluing the keel to them, I took care to make sure that they were properly aligned.  The design of the kit gives you a little "wiggle" room for adjusting the frames from side to side.  With the keel dry fitted to the frames, I used a 1/32" thick piece of flexible planking material as a batten and kept adjusting the frames from side to side until all the frame edges touched the batten.  I taped some of the frames to the build board using painters tape so that they would not move when I removed the dry fitted keel.  I also marked the frame where the edge of the keel was so that I would have a reference point to place my glue.  When it came time to glue the keel to the frames, I followed the kit instructions and placed a generous dab of glue on the frame pieces. After aligning the keel, I used a damp paint brush to remove any excess glue. I glued the stern half of the frames to the keel and let them set up for 24 hours and then glued the forward half of frames to the keel.  Here are photos of my progress to date:
 

 

 

 
Next step is to "gently " fair the frames and to line off the hull.  I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year!

Greetings everyone;
 
Having seen Steel's description, sent by Druxey, I can now present a solution which we both agree is the most likely one. 
 
Steel specifies that the port stops must be a minimum of 3 to 3 1/2 " depending upon the rate of the ship.
 
The contracts I quoted in an earlier post state that the outer planking of the port lid is the same thickness as the outer planking of the ships side, and that this is backed up by an elm lining laid vertically and nailed to the outer planks of the port lid.
 
By the way Mark (SJ Soane, see post above) I never envisioned a rebate in the frame timbers. A misunderstanding somewhere along the line. Siggi's left hand sketch in post 201 was as I interpreted the contract description.  This has now been slightly refined, see attached sketch. 
 
The stop distance given by Steel is the distance by which the outer planking of the port lid overlaps onto the face of futtock or toptimber.  He also states that the lining is to be 1" to 1 1/4" thick.  This will be the thickness of the elm lining boards on the inner face of the gunport lid.
 
No extra work required, no need to form rebates, no need for the stated dimensions of the gunport to be reduced by a separate lining, and no need to fit the separate lining. 
 

 
All the best,
 
Mark P
Gun port sections002.pdf

Here are some pix of the stepped mast from several angles.
 
Got to let it dry for a couple of hours before I begin to focus on deciphering the many lines and getting the correct ones belayed on the spider band. 
 
I'm enjoying the speed of the build at this point...I truly think this technique of nearly finishing each mast before stepping....makes the completion look as if it's not years off.......
 
Rob

Added the rest of the upper topsail rigging.  Just a few touch-ups and some detailing left.
 
I'll step the mast..then begin the main shrouds.  I have to swing the main mast port/starboard to make this the simplest it can be and that means I cannot fix the lower topsail until that work is complete.
 
Have a fine evening.
 
Rob

The diversion to the floorboards continues.
 
The large boards seen in the last post were one piece each. The center board and two outside boards have a rabbet along their edges. 
They were glued together with a rabbet on both sides. The outside planks of the floorboards only have a rabbet on one side so the
inboard side needed to be sanded down to fit.
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
I'm back at the rest of the nailing and should be done soon.
 
 

Ciao a tutti, il lavoro continua……
Hello everyone, the work continues...….


 

 

 

 

 

 
Un Saluto e Felice Anno Nuovo a tutti.
Greetings and a Happy New Year to all.

I didn’t attach metal until the installation of a pillar.
Macro filming, as usually, has shown a number of rough edges, but before oil coating they all will be eliminated.

Here is the hull with all the frame tabs removed, the build board flipped over and two pieces of scrap glued to it and the hull fastened to the board.
The reason for fastening the keel to the board was to stop hogging of the hull which I saw with the QAB as I only have minimal planking, maybe not needed with the longboat as the keel is much thicker but I thought I’d stay on the safe side.
 
Maybe get the Caprails installed over the weekend.
 
ben

Thanks friends, I started assembling the first deviated coasts of the bow. A greeting

Finally, a proper update!
I was able to spent some time in the garage, I heated up the place and did a bit of work. 
 
First the pattern for the new tabernacle was transferred to 0.7 mm brass.
 

 
I drilled and cut the piece an then filed across the lines and bent the piece to shape. It came out fine but just a bit wide.
 

 

 

 
I think the scale is more appropriate compared to the previous tabernacle
 

 

 

 
 
I actually made a second one, about 1 mm more narrow. I did not file deep enough though so it did not bend as well. I decided to use the first one.
 

 

 
I am not sure how it would work in the real boat, however I am thinking that having the base of the mast supported by just a through bolt might not be a long lasting solution. A metal sheath would transfer forces to the base of the mast much better. So I made one, again from 0.7 mm brass. I silver soldered it but poorly, as the edged did not touch well.
 

 

 
I like this set up but the metal sleeve was not a very good fit. I cut the joint, sanded the edges and silver soldered it again. I had to lightly sand the base of the mast but overall a much better soldering job and a much better fit.
 

I made the axle, 3 mm brass rod secured to a drill and 2 groves filed down to 2 mm. I finished the edges on the disc sander. It fits like a glove!
 

 

 

 

 
Next, I drilled a 3 mm hole through the mast and the metal sleeve. A pilot hole was first drilled and then I used a massive 3 mm tungsten carbide drill. The little Proxxon drill did very well!
 

 

 
I test fitted the whole assembly with the tabernacle screwed on a piece of timber. Everything came together perfectly! And not only that, the tabernacle actually works and the mast very easily comes down! It is also very stable laterally despite the huge leverage from the tall mast.
 

 

 

 

 
I could not resist taking a short video!
 
 
 
Now I need to clean, acid etch, prime and paint everything and then put on the boat. I might also solder a bar on each side of the tabernacle to provide points to attach cleats.
It felt good working on the boat again!
 
Best wishes for a Happy New Year!
 
Vaddoc
 
 
 

In order to install hinges, I had to use a non typical method. I hope the photos will explain everything.
 
 


 
 
 
 

Yikes, thats a detail that was made for photoetching!

As EG has stated there is a Russian who is producing micro chisels in various sizes and profiles. They are by far the sharpest and best quality micro chisels I've come across and I highly recommend them. A set is pricey but it's likely the last set you'll ever need. His address is (or was)
mihail.kirsanov@mail.ru

As EG has stated there is a Russian who is producing micro chisels in various sizes and profiles. They are by far the sharpest and best quality micro chisels I've come across and I highly recommend them. A set is pricey but it's likely the last set you'll ever need. His address is (or was)
mihail.kirsanov@mail.ru

Chile’s coastline extends more than 4,000 km along the Pacific Ocean, wrapping around to the South Atlantic in southern Patagonia (not to mention Chile’s territorial claims in Antarctica). The country has a fascinating and diverse maritime history, including the unique boats used by indigenous peoples, its largely naval War of Independence against Spain (strongly influenced by British involvement), its later naval victory over Peru that cemented the region’s modern boundaries, its prominent role in influencing Charles Darwin’s evolving understanding of natural and geological history before he ever reached the Galapagos, its little-appreciated role in the final rescue of Shackleton's stranded crew in Antarctica, and the vast maritime resources such as rich fisheries available to the modern country.
 
Mrs. Cathead and I recently spend a month exploring the southern half of Chile (from Santiago to southern Patagonia), living out of our backpacks while using local buses and hostels to get closer to the landscape and people. We encountered and investigated many locations of maritime interest, and will share some photos, stories, and information in this thread in hopes of inspiring others to learn more about (and visit) this nautically fascinating country. This won’t be a full travelogue (for example, I’ll be leaving out all the time we spent hiking in the Andes and otherwise botanizing and geologizing inland), but a series of posts focusing on specific locations and/or themes of potential interest to MSW readers. Here are a few images as teasers, all of which will be expanded upon in subsequent posts.

Valparaiso, Chile's main seaport and a great place for modern ship-watching as well as host to a fantastic naval museum. The place is absolutely marinating in nautical history and diversity.

Ship models are everywhere in Chile, including this huge example of the Esmerelda, perhaps Chile's most famous warship. She sank in 1879 while engaging the more modern Peruvian ironclad Huáscar during the Battle of Iquique, sparking a patriotic furor that drove Chile's subsequent victory in that war as well as immortalizing her captain, Arturo Prat, to near-godlike status in Chile.

View south across Corral Bay from the Castillo de Niebla, a beautifully preserved Spanish coastal fortress. On the far shore lie the remains of five other Spanish fortresses stormed in 1820 by Chilean forces under the command of Lord Thomas Cochrane (model for Patrick O'Brien's Jack Aubrey) during the Chilean War of Independence. This action was fictionalized in the final novel of Bernard Cornwell's excellent Sharpe series.

Diverse shipping in Puerto Montt, with Volcán Calbuco in the background. Modern Chile features a fascinating array of interesting ships of many sizes and uses, far more varied than most US ports I've visited.

A full-scale replica of HMS Beagle, the first in the world to my knowledge, in southern Patagonia. Part of a private museum featuring other full-scale replicas of famous vessels including Magellan's Nao Victoria and Shackleton's James Caird.
 
I hope readers will enjoy the subsequent entries in this topic. I'll try to answer any questions that may arise, or perhaps someone more knowledgeable will chime in (and correct me if necessary). This trip certainly provided me with a series of new modeling possibilities, more than I'll ever be able to tackle.

I wish you all a happy Christmas

 

The History of Navigation written by Dag Pike traces the history of navigation from pre-history to the present.   Mr. Pike is a lifelong mariner, having first gone to sea at age 16, has written many books and is a contributor to various marine magazines.   Instead of dividing his chapters by historical time frames, he divides them by technique, starting with line of sight navigation and moving on through direction, speed, position, etc.  He finishes with a discussion of the human element in navigation. 
 
Although there is no new information presented, this is a well-written, easy-to-read summary of naval navigation throughout the ages.  There are many charts and photographs reproduced throughout the book but sources are only cited for a few of them.  In the same way, none of the information is referenced, making it difficult for the reader to obtain further information without additional research. 
 
The book was published in 2018 by Pen & Sword Maritime.  It is available in both hardbound and digital editions at www.pen-and-sword.co.uk.