dvm27

It's a nice little book with beautiful color photographs but hardly comprehensive. Those wishing a more complete treatise on the subject would could do no better than Englishman of War 1600-1850  by Peter Goodwin or Arming and Fitting the English Ships of War 1600-1815 by Brian Lavery

It's a nice little book with beautiful color photographs but hardly comprehensive. Those wishing a more complete treatise on the subject would could do no better than Englishman of War 1600-1850  by Peter Goodwin or Arming and Fitting the English Ships of War 1600-1815 by Brian Lavery

Hello Paul yes I really enjoy working at this scale, that said it becomes more difficult to hide errors.
 
Hi Denis, thanks for looking in.
Bedford, Thanks for the kind remark.
 
Hello Ed, thanks I really appreciate your comment, having spent a great deal of time admiring your own metalwork.
 
Thank you to all who have pressed the like button, it lets me know that you are following along.
 
One of the advantages and disadvantages of designing as I go along is that the structure evolves over time. I have been fiddling with the deck structure for the companionway and skylights for what seems like years and not being very happy with one thing or another. this time i feel positive that I'm getting somewhere now. The structure is solid now and can be lifted off easily in order to add the ballast weight for when I do put her in the water to sail. here are a few shots of the progress.
The first shot shows the Mahogany drop sides for the "lid" these are glued along the length and dovetailed at the corners.
 

 
a close up of the corner, I only used one dovetail the height is a scale 6 inches or so and the thickness is a full 2 inches in scale.
 

 
The stern end all cleaned up.
 

 
I will be adding a thin foam seal around the bottom where the "lid' meets the deck as an added protection to the interior. It will just look like one of the other sealed black joints.
 
I also finally added the rail across the stern, it still needs a little shaping but at leat it is now glued in place.
 

 

 
That's all for now.
 
I have to head out to the lake, being as I am the harbor master of the Edmonton Yacht Club and the docks are coming out tomorrow. September has been a very cool month and we did not get much sailing in during the month. The docks were supposed to come out today but it was 0 degrees, and it is warming up tomorrow to 11, so it will be easier on everyone's hands. there is over 520 feet of floating docks in two lengths that need to be dissembled and stacked on the beach for winter. Also and additional 380 feet of fixed dock. We have a club meal when we are all done.
 
Michael 
 
 
 
 

Thanks....yes I am not a big fan of those brass and/or bulbous wooden belaying pins.  Easy enough to make them myself and you only need four for the longboat.   The knees are all finished now.   I will add the roller and fixed block sheave on the stem next.
 




 
 
 
 

Well played, sir! 
 
I have occasion to splice lines in place. A fairly imperceptible way is to fray the ends to be joined by separating out the strands and 'combing' them, them cutting them diagonally. A small wood block in one hand and a sharp scalpel blade in the other achieves this. A small amount of white glue on one end and (with clean, dry fingers) roll the two ends together to make a nice tapered together faux splice. Once you have the technique down, it is a reliable and surprisingly strong method of 'splicing' at small scale. I use this technique extensively for eye splices as well: they hold nicely under tension.

Moving along to the mast thwart...
 
The ironwork was fairly straight forward.   I used 1/16" x .025 brass strip to make the three straps needed to hold the mast in position.   I of course drilled the three holes for the two bracket straps while the brass strip was flat   (#74 drill bit).   I used the plans to find their placement.  Then I bent the two brass straps to shape around some scrap wood the same thickness as the thwart.  The final iron strap was bent around a 3/8" dia. drill bit because that is how big the mast will be.  Then I bent back the ends so I had a half circle remaining.   Then the three pieces were blackened and glued into position.
 

Once glued into position below....I drilled through the holes in the straps part way.  Then I inserted small lengths of 24 gauge black wire into each hole.  I carefully filed them down so they stood proud of the straps and looked like bolts.  Then I touched up the blackening a bit.
 

I turned the four belaying pins from 1/16 x 1/16 boxwood strips in my dremel.  I use the flex shaft with the small pen-sized head while I turn the belaying pins to shape.  Here is a photo of Mike's belaying pins from Cheerful which are done the same way.

And this is what they look like finished on the thwart.
 

 
Next I will complete the knees along the sides of this thwart and the forward -most thwart.   That will complete most of the interior work before rigging starts.  Although I will make some oars and a grapnel too.  😄  That will leave the rudder and tiller and a few last details and the hull will be completed. and ready for rigging.
 

I've recently switched to Birchwood Casey Brass Black as I find it easier and more consistent than the Jax blackener. I also use 320 grit sandpaper on the brass (or before I form rings and other small items). Soak the piece in alcohol first (or vinegar) to degrease. The B.C. solution is applied with a small brush and only takes 10-15 seconds to work. Rinse in water then see if you want the piece darker. If so just repeat the above process.
 
I also do not solder my rings but do file the ends after forming the circle. This makes a neat joint. I can't imagine why you would need to solder the breeching rings unless your cannon was actually going to fire!
 
And I now use only silver soldering paste. It is self fluxing and flows beautifully, Check out  https://www.beaducation.com/pc/393-jewelry-making-tools-soldering-fusing-tools. Also, look at the videos on silver soldering and other jewelry work. they're terrific. And remember - you need a tight joint for silver solder to flow.

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 303 – Boom Topping Lifts Revisited
Let me politely try again.  Please start a new topic.  Meanwhile, back to the business of this model.
 
The first installation of the spanker boom topping lifts was not correct.  I was not completely satisfied and others noticed the problem.  I wanted to fix it, but the question was how to do that without dismantling more than two day's work.
 
First, some discussion of these lines is appropriate.  The purpose of the topping lifts was to hold up the outer end of the spanker boom when the sail was furled or for reefing.  The sail itself supported the boom at other times when set.  During reefing, the gaff was lowered to allow the sail to be shortened by tying off reef points to the boom, so the boom needed support.  The amount of lift required at the end of the boom was probably in the range of 5 to 10 feet – not a lot.
 
Different configurations were used.  A single lift from the end of the boom through a sheave at the end of the gaff to a block at the top was often used.  Single pendants on either side of the boom were also common.  To distribute the lifting force over more of the boom-end, a doubled span through a single pendant block was also used.  There may have been other arrangements.  Lacking any specific YA design data, I chose the third option based on the large size of the boom and relying - as I often did in matters like this – on Bill Crothers' drawings.  He showed this arrangement for both Young America and Lightning and showed two single pendants on his Challenge drawing.
 
With the length of the doubled span and of the pendant specified at 48' and 24' respectively, the lengths of the tackles would be correct – if the forward span connection was correctly located on the spar.  It was not – a drawing mistake by me. 
 
The first picture, of the original installation, shows the movement of the band and shackles required to correct the error.
 

 
To make this correction and to avoid dismantling the entire spar, I decided to try and do it in place.  In the next picture the two shackles have been pulled out of the band with pliers and are hanging just above the spar.
 
 
 
Sliding the tightly fitted band along the spar was the most risky and difficult part of the job.  It was done mostly by pushing with pliers while firmly holding the end of the spar as shown in the next picture.
 

 
In the picture the final position has been reached with the only damage being the (usual) bending of the iron railing.  The wheel enclosure and binnacle were removed for their safety.  New holes for the shackles were then drilled into the spar through the existing band holes.  In the next picture the starboard span shackle has been fitted and re-glued into the relocated band.
 

 
And in the next, both spans have been re-rigged.
 

 
To allow relocation of these connections, the belaying points had to be cast loose and the tackles lengthened.  The next picture shows the two topping lifts with the falls pulled down. 
 

 
The length between the two tackle blocks has been increased from about 54" to about 86" – a satisfactory correction.  The fall on the port side had just enough length to permit re-belaying on the spider band.  The starboard fall was left short, however.  Rather than re-rig the tackle, a splice was put into the line as shown in the next picture.
 
 
 
When the glue holding this splice together has dried, the excess ends will be clipped and if the appearance is OK, the line will be belayed.  If not it may be replaced or redone.  There are two such splices in other parts of the rigging so far – perhaps no one has noticed.  Some cosmetic repair to the spar itself will complete the job.
 
I hate rework, but my nature seems to generate it on occasion.  And, oh yes, the drawings will of course be corrected.  Other boom/gaff rigging shown in the above pictures will be described in a later post.
 
Ed
 

Thanks for the nice comments, they are appreciated. Also for all those who visit and follow along.
The rework of the opening for the section that houses the companionway and skylight are now moving forward in earnest, now that I have figured out what I am doing.
the strengthening of the structure and cleaning it up was accomplished by adding some fir longitudinal beams, this also added a lip around the opening.
 
 
 
Next the cross beams that form part of the removable section were dry fitted with enough clearance so not to bind when lifting them out. thee are clear fir. A full 1 inch by 6inches.
 

 
After the discussion about yellow cedar I went and found a supplier here in Edmonton who has lots so I picked up a length of nice clear wood 53 x 1 1/2 x 6 and re-sawed it into some various sizes to work with. I made a strip 6mm x 15mm to fill in the spaces between the cross beams and glued them in place after laying a strip of Tamiya yellow masking tape along the edge of the framed opening.
 

 
Once the cedar and fir were glued up, I glued a piece of clear fir 1x6 along the top side as a strengthening member.
 

 
Next I did a dry fit of the companionway and the skylight to ensure that the whole assembly will work.
 

 

 
The next task will be to take off the removable part and finish the ends and sides to form a clean box like structure that will slow down any errant water that might want to slosh in during the heavy weather sailing. 🌊.
 
Michael
 

Sanding sealer test results are quite surprising. On cherry, there is no visible difference between any of them and Danish Oil (while there is a clear difference on Pear).
However, the surface smoothness is different, especially on endgrain or diagonal grain. Rustins and Liberon are rough and look blotchy on a photo, while Briwax cellulose leaves a smooth and even finish, though a bit too glossy for my taste. Danish oil is slightly less smooth.
Decided to go with oil since I am more used to it, and these clamps are tricky to finish (a lot of surfaces, narrow areas between the metal rods, and I do not want the finish to cause any buildup where the metal cylinders go).
 
From left to right: Liberon, Rustins, Briwax, Danish Oil:

 
Each clamp got a nice chamfers on all edges, primarily with a block plane and a file on a crossgrain:

 
Half of the regular shorter clamps got that narrow tips. Simple radius looks good enough:

 
 
Drum sander leaves marks on cherry, so it needs some satisfying sanding time to make it smooth and beautiful:

 
So all short clamps are waiting for their turn to have their sides sanded. It is tedious, and brass particles get stuck in a wood, requiting some scraping afterwards to remove them. Hope it would be less of a problem for cherry.

 
While the longer clamps are ready, and just need to get their handles (which requires to mix a batch of epoxy, so I will do it later for all clamps in the same batch):

Hi, another pictures

Congratulations on landing this contract, Dan. Lucky you're a lawyer because that contract would be rather daunting for a lay person!

Greetings to all.
My name is Tomek. For some time I have been working on my next card sail ship the British cutter HMS "Fly". I build my models only from paper and cardboard without painting (of course masts and rigging are made of wood and thread). I will honestly admit that "Fly" is my 20 cardboard model of a sailing ship so it looks much better than my first models from 15 years ago.
The "step by step" how I design and build card sailing ships...
1. Frames made of 1mm card. The model is really small (about 16 cm long)
2. The first layer to strengthen and stabilize the hull 
3. The second layer made of 0,5 mm card. The glue is applied only in places where the edges of the frame are located . Thanks to this the hull gets soft curves without visible "cow's ribs" ... 
4. Attaching the third final layer on a well-prepared hull is a pleasure. 
5. The deck equipment and artillery
 
6. The current stage - the mast and the bowsprit with standing rigging
 
Regards
Tomek

I can't say for sure how the spanker was stuck on the real ship, either, ("different ships, different long splices,") but given the snow mast, which would presumably carry luff hoops on a vessel that size (rather than a laced luff,) I suspect the rig you describe was intended to provide the option of some sort of brailing if desired. There are no "lazy jacks" on the spanker boom, although the topping life rigging appears if would offer the same control of the gaff boom, at least, but perhaps not the sail itself. The spanker is going to be close to, if not the largest sail on the ship and difficult to handle when coming down. This is particularly so, since the spanker boom extends outboard a fair distance, foot ropes or not. The task of "smothering" and lashing down a fore and aft sail is, IMHO, a lot more of a hassle than square sails.  The latter usually flutter outward away from the yard when the sheets are started and do not tend to interfere with the job of gathering them up and reefing or lashing them down. A gaff rigged sail comes down on top of you, and in this instance, on top of the helmsman and, in any kind of a blow, will flog all and sundry within range. (And the weight of wet canvas in a sail of that size is not to be underestimated.) I would think the best way to handle this spanker would be to simultaneously lower the gaff boom and haul the clew inboard and the the leech to the extent possible as she comes down, then beat whatever canvas isn't controlled by the clew inhaul, lazy jacks,  and brails into submission and stop her up.  Were she my ship, I'd be inclined to drop a couple of lazy jacks from the topping lift pendants down and under the spanker boom and back up again on the other side to control the canvas as the gaff boom was lowered. I don't know if that was common practice on ships of that size, though it's quite common in smaller gaff rigged vessels I've known.
 
As for the color of deadeye lanyards, it is indeed black, or dark brown, tending to black as additional pine tar is added as a matter of routine maintenance. All deadeye lanyards and other similar lashings were of tarred hemp (and still are, if you can find it!) There is rarely, if ever, any need to "adjust the tension" of standing rigging in ships such as this one and deadeye lanyards rarely, if ever, are "adjusted." The lanyards should be pre-stretched when new and, thus, should not stretch appreciably in use. Even if they did stretch when new, they'd only need to be taken up once and the problem would be solved for all time. The sort of rigging we are talking about here was designed to "give" so that the strain on the spars and hull would be minimized. (We're not talking about a "high strung" modern jib-headed Marconi racing rig here.) In fact, the friction generated by the lanyards against the deadeye holes makes them quite difficult to set up, let alone  "adjust." The deadeye holes are greased before the tarred hemp lanyard is tightened, but even so, the tightening requires that a purchase clapped onto the shroud be taken to the end of the lanyard in order to get sufficient tension on it. (I've actually had to attach a second purchase on the length of lanyard running from deadeye hole to hole in order to "sweat" the lanyard through all five of the running eyes so that each segment was uniformly tight.) The deadeyes do spread the line stresses in much the same manner as a block purchase, but the lanyards do not run freely as they do in a sheaved block... not by a long shot! When a whole gang of deadeyes and lanyards are made up and fastened with the sheer pole and lashings, all tarred and, modernly, often painted, they are essentially a permanent thing not meant to be untied to be adjusted regularly.
 
Here's all anybody building models could ever need to know about deadeyes and lanyards, from a website selling full-sized traditional rigging supplies: http://www.woodenboatfittings.com.au/articles/setting-up-shrouds.pdf Perhaps it will serve to eliminate those light-colored lanyards we see so often!
 
I don't want to sound inappropriately critical, but I'd suggest you take a close look at your spanker boom topping lift rigging. The distance between the pendant purchase tackle appears too short to be of much use. You might want to play with it a bit and see just how much the end of the boom will rise when the tackle is two-blocked. I can't tell for sure, but it looks to me like it would only raise the boom about five feet at most, which isn't much. You can't really know if it is "right" until you consider how high up off the deck  the end of the boom is going to be when the sail is set, and then the topping lift would need a bit more "lift" beyond that if it were to be effective. Also, note the forward mast band to which the forward topping lifts are attached. It appears to be too far aft to be of any use. Imagine that the topping lift is hauling up the boom. With the forward band where it is now, rather than further forward, the angle of the "pull" is really only pulling the boom forward against the gooseneck and not upwards, as a topping lift should. If the band were placed forward so that the direction of pull of the forward topping lift line were in the other direction, the pull of the pendants would be "up" instead of "forward."  If so, they would also better serve as lazy jacks to control the gaff as it came down.
 
Great modeling, BTW. I'm really enjoying following your build!

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 302 – Spanker Boom 1
 
This is a slight diversion from the fore topgallant yard left unfinished in the last post.  I will return to that shortly.  The work described below was concurrent with that.
 
The spanker boom is a large spar – 62' long and 14" maximum diameter.  It is anchored to the lower end of the spanker mast with an iron gooseneck inserted in a fitting that was described in an earlier post.  The first picture shows the boom temporarily set up in position.
 

 
Some of the copper ironwork has been fitted in this picture.  Unfortunately, the band over the wheelhouse had to be moved aft.  In this position the boom sheets that attach to it would foul the wheel house as will be seen later.  After the correction – including the drawing correction - the hardware on the boom was completed and blackened, as may be seen in the next picture.
 

 
The boom sheets and footropes seen in this picture will be described in a later post.  The first lines to be installed were the two boom topping lifts shown in the picture.  Each of these consists of a 5" central pendant with 10" blocks spliced on at each end.  The lower blocks are reeved with a 3" span that is shackled to the boom at each end.  The span allows the boom to be supported equally at two points regardless of angle.  The shackled connections at the center of the boom are shown in the next picture.
 

 
Shackles allow the connections of the spans to be spliced eyes with thimbles (no thimbles at this size) and still be disconnected from the eyebolt on the spar.  The next picture shows the two pendants
 
 
A lot of loose ends visible in this picture and many not shown – soon to be tidied up.  The next picture shows a close up of the luff tackles at the top of the lifts.
 

 
These consist of single blocks on the pendants and double blocks hooked under the top.  The 3" falls are belayed below on the spider band as seen in the next picture.
 

 
Again, a lot of loose ends that will soon be clipped off when all the line tensions are right.  The spider band is about half full at this point.  More rigging of the boom in the next post.
 
Ed

Very nice job, Toni. I think you'll find the cross-section a pleasant diversion from the fully framed model. Those scupper insets look spot on.

I've recently switched to Birchwood Casey Brass Black as I find it easier and more consistent than the Jax blackener. I also use 320 grit sandpaper on the brass (or before I form rings and other small items). Soak the piece in alcohol first (or vinegar) to degrease. The B.C. solution is applied with a small brush and only takes 10-15 seconds to work. Rinse in water then see if you want the piece darker. If so just repeat the above process.
 
I also do not solder my rings but do file the ends after forming the circle. This makes a neat joint. I can't imagine why you would need to solder the breeching rings unless your cannon was actually going to fire!
 
And I now use only silver soldering paste. It is self fluxing and flows beautifully, Check out  https://www.beaducation.com/pc/393-jewelry-making-tools-soldering-fusing-tools. Also, look at the videos on silver soldering and other jewelry work. they're terrific. And remember - you need a tight joint for silver solder to flow.

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 301 – Fore Topgallant Yard 1
 
Since I have made a number of posts on yards and their rigging, I will try not to be too repetitive in describing those that remain.  The first picture shows the fore topgallant yard after attaching the parral yoke over the central sling band.
 

 
The yard was made as described earlier.  One exception for this and other smaller yards is that the yardarms have through sheaves rather than the iron cheek blocks fitted on the larger yards.  These were drilled, along with the jackstay stanchion holes, before any tapering of the spar.  The sheave is merely carved into the wood as was done on the upper mast sheaves.   In the next picture the iron (copper) bands have been fitted and the studding sail gear fabricated.
 

 
The inner bands are soldered strips.  The yardarm band is an expanded bit of copper tube.  Brass was used on the outer boom irons because it is stiffer than copper.  The next picture shows the yard with the inner boom irons fitted.
 

 
These are blackened with Brass Black, so unlike the copper they had to be blackened before fitting.  The picture also shows the booms as well as the reinforcing ironwork over the yardarm.  The next picture shows a closer view of this.
 

 
The outer boom irons will need to be bent and cut to length before insertion into the ends of the yard.  The next picture shows how holes for these were drilled.
 

 
After securing the end strap with two fitted rings, the enlarged end of the strap was center-marked and drill as shown, with pliers holding the sides of the strap to prevent it from spinning and destroying itself.  The square section inside the yardarm was held in the vise with wood battens.  The last picture shows the still wet yard just before insertion of the outer boom irons and the jackstays.
 

 
As with other yards, one coat of Wipe-on poly was applied before adding the iron bands. All holes for eyebolts or other hardware were then drilled through the bands into the yard.  The bare copper was then blackened on the yards by brushing with liver of sulfur solution then rinsing under running water.  The yard and ironwork were then given a second protective coating of poly, wiped dry.  The picture also shows the "hinged" bracket that closes the parral to the mast.  I will return to the remaining work on this yard in a later post.
 
Ed

Your work is a joy to behold! I've hung my share of full-size coiled falls on belaying pins in my day and I can confirm that your deciding to hang them as you have is correct.  It's done as pictured on the Joseph Conrad above, although it looks like in that picture a few more turns around the pin than is necessary (or properly shipshape) have been taken. Correctly, the fall is brought down and beneath the rail, behind the bottom of the pin, up and across and behind the top of the pin, back down and hitched over the top of the pin. More than one "figure eight" around the pin only makes for more work casting the line off the pin.

The 1870's picture of the Inuit kids on the deck also shows the coils correctly hung on the pins, although, as is clear from all the cargo and gear on deck, the vessel wasn't sailing and they were probably working on the rigging and not too particular about it at the moment, as things certainly aren't "shipshape." Still, any able seaman would automatically coil the fall into one hand, or on deck if it were too long to hold in one hand, starting at the pin end and leaving a length free from the pin, imparting a half-twist as each coil was measured out at arm's length, so the laid line would not kink, and when the fall was fully coiled, present it to the pin and reach through the center of the coil and grab the length of line between the coil and the pin, giving it a turn, or two, depending upon it's length, pulling the twisted line back through the center of the coil and up in front of the coil and over the top of the pin. (For lighter lines, one can take a longer length between the pin and coil and take a couple of turns around the coil with it to gather the coil together, and then bring it through the coil above the turn and place it over the pin. This will gather the coil of light line tightly and more neatly.) In this fashion, the loop over the top of the pin could be cast free and the coil fall to the deck, the side closest to the pin facing upwards, and the coiled fall will be ready to run free without fouling. Any seaman that failed to do it that way back in the day would likely get the bosun's start across his back! LOL
 
I don't know how many otherwise exquisite models I've seen with the coiled falls simply hung over the pins. It should be easy to imagine the consequence of that in heavy weather with decks awash... the deck would soon be a rat's nest of tangled cordage! Another frequently seen "faux pas" are coils that are the wrong size.  Each coil should be as long as is necessary for that part of the rigging to run as intended. If the line, such as a headsail halyard, runs to the top of a headstay, then the belayed coil when the sail is set should be made up of a length of line equal to the distance to the halyard block. Were it shorter, the bitter end of the halyard would run aloft and out of reach when the sail was struck. Coils on a pin rail if neatly done should all be about the same length, pin to deck, but of different girths, reflecting the amount of line properly needed. That detail is very frequently overlooked, even on otherwise very well-done models. Then there are the all-too-common "white" deadeye lanyards which in practice are always tarred "black," ... misplaced and oversized  trunnels, plank butts on frames, ... and overly long planks... but I digress.
 
I'd probably be a very unpopular model competition judge, but whether or not a model was built by a modeler with a command of full-sized shipbuilding practices and marlinspike seamanship is immediately obvious to the "sailor's eye." My obnoxious pontification isn't intended as a criticism, but rather to point out that you've illustrated here the correct way to do it and to offer the observation to those "landsmen" who otherwise must rely on instructions that come with a kit that learning to "think like a sailor" will avoid such pitfalls.

Well now I have a bit more room
Kingfisher is back to center stage at last.
 

 
Today I will finish off the bolts in the proper cradle, I had to lower the topmast because the long table that Albertic was occupying is about 5 inches higher, but that is OK for the moment. And I fixed my chiming mantle clock, I had missed it's sweet sound.
 
Michael
 

5 posts pass through the taffrail. 
The angle for the piercing is determined by tracing the angle on a block set on the vice as  seen on the second photo.

The colour of the flag was based on what Fleet the ship belonged to.
The Admiral of the Fleet chose the colour. It could be Red, Blue, or White.
The Red Cross is the English Flag, or the Flag of St. Andrew. The White 
Cross with Blue back round is the Flag of Scotland.
This is the Union Flag of 1705. The Flag of the Royal Navy, as we know it was
used from 1865 on. The White Flag with the Union Flag in the upper corner and 
the cross of St. Andrew
 
 
 
 

To give everyone an idea of how Alaskan Cedar ages, the below pic is of a ship I started in 2001. I then put it away in 2003 in a box.  No sunlight on it, but it does have a light coat of Tung oil.  You can see it has aged to a soft golden yellow.  Very pleasing.
 
The rest of the wood is ebony and holly.
 
 
 
Let’s just say the ship has “weathered in frame” as they used to do.  It’s about time it made it back to the lumberyard and onto the shipways to get finished. 😊

Thank you very much.

Scratch built carved stem eagle installed