dvm27

Good morning 

Continuation. 
 
 

 

 
Paweł 

Below is a picture of my mom and me in front of my Naiad taken several years ago.  Sadly, my mom, Judith Milgram passed away several months ago.  She was a great lady and a great mother!  My mother was a professional artist and an inspiration for my modeling habits.  I owe her a great thanks for instilling in me a love of crafts and modeling (although, I never got her painting gene... that went to my sister…).  I will frame this photo and place it on my workbench.
 
Here are a few bricks she painted for me upon my request many years ago.   They sit on my desk at work.  When I was a child, we lived on the coast of Connecticut in a small beach house where my mother had painted the fireplace bricks with miniature sailing themes. Those were special times and a special place.  She is now buried in that town. I wonder if those scenes are still there in that house.
 
I also have dozens of her paintings hanging in my home and office, many of them with ocean or sailing themes.  I am very lucky to have them in my possession as well as to have had her as my mother. Thank you for allowing me to share this.
 
Gary

Hello,
 
a smal update. Now I have planked the hull up to the waist rail.
 
What I have learned about this technic till now is, take better plywood and not balsa wood. For the under water ship it is may be ok, but now above the upper wales it's beginning to be too flexible because the walls here are too thin.  
 

 

I worked a bit on the plaque by adding the name plates.  I ran out of labeling so I'll get some tomorrow.
 
Rob

This program still exists...just letting folks know.  Just send your inquiries to Kurt....Toni....or any other NRG director.  In the past they were sent to me but since I am no longer a director all inquiries should be directed to one of the other folks on the NRG board.  This is an exciting program and as noted the guild just released their latest project from this grant program
 
see here
 
https://www.thenrg.org/genericsharpie.php
 

 
Chuck

Looking good....
 
But to correct Dave, there are actually quite a few fully rigged models of her in existence.  Most had followed the Corrothers plans rather than the Hahn plans.  Most notable is the Camaratta model hi-lighted in an old issue of model shipwright pictured below.
 

 
Chuck

Thank you all for the questions and comments – and for the likes, of course.  My comments on the comments:
 
Druxey, thanks.  Yes, the amount of work to include all the rigging on one of these is a bit daunting, exceeded only, I have to say,  by the effort to correctly document all of it – becoming a full time job – even for someone who thrives on complexity.
 
BetaQDave, thank you.  The short answer to your question is yes.  I suggest paging back to Parts 269-271 to get some insight into the blackening used.  Briefly, most is blackened after installation with Liver of Sulfur solution. This is one reason I used copper, although I believe this can be done with brass, but not with selenious salt solutions.  Sliding blackened bands over the spars and handling after blackening leaves them more smudged.  The method has also been discussed in a lot of earlier posts and, of course, in depth in the books.
 
Greg, I do not know if railings on the tops were ever used on this class of ships, but there is no sign of them on the two Young America photos.  This settled the issue for me.  Also, I spend a lot of time paging through photos in books when questions like this arise and as yet have not seen these on other ships either.  I guess a few topmen with one hand for themselves would be less at risk than a dozen or so marines loading and firing – don't know.
 
CGN, thanks for the tip on chain.  I have sources for 40 and 42 link chain plus a lot of larger sizes.  I am generally using model chain somewhat larger than the actual sizes, which go down to 92 links/fathom (92/inch at 1:72).  Anything under about 54 links will be modeled differently.  I expect to use real chain from the topsails down – sheets and halyards.
 
Hakan, thanks for the plug on the books.
 
Ed

Just curious, Ed. Did clipper ships ever have stanchions or railings on the tops like navy vessels? Looks like one could easily fall off the aft top, especially when wet or dark!

Tried to walk away but I just had to fold his legs back, shorten the wings more, shorten the pointy end of the spear, and clean up (simplify) the horses legs.
Now I need to let it rest a few days. Have been looking at numerous other figure heads and rigging and I was thinking along the lines of what you (Druxey) had sketched above.
Below is where I went. ... but I admit to liking your sketch a bit more.  It fits better, better scale, alleviates concerns for clearance of rigging and bowsprit.

 
At this time sketches cost nothing but spark ideas and give me something to try to whittle (or carve or gouge).  I think I have a far trip to develop a talent at this bit of wood magic before it can be considered I've gone to far down the road.  I am sure the first 5 to 10 goes would not have a chance to get near my bow!
 
Thank you for having steered me.
 
I have to ask.  How did you create such a nice looking sketch so damn fast?
(Talent?)
 
 

Before you go too far down this road, remember that the figure cannot project too far forward and is constrained by the bowsprit above and the lower cheek termination aft (red lines, approximate). Everything would be far more compacted, with minimal projections, such as wings or fully extended arms, to catch and be broken off.

Tres bien fait!

Bonjour, enfin quelques photos.
 
Isalbert

Quite a bit has happened since my last post.
I am unofficially retired as of March 3rd (over a week ago).  About 9 months earlier than planned but my employer made me an offer I couldn't refuse.
 
Still making frames. Reached over the model and snapped the top timber off one that was still attached.  Remade it but none are attached as yet.
 
At the office I stood at my desk 90% of the time (one that adjusted) and now find my home desk computer screen height uncomfortable.  So yesterday I made a floating shelf.  It has been stained and needs a coat of Polyurethane before it gets mounted.  This is taking up room in the shipyard (playroom) so, as I cannot work on the ship at the moment, I decided to work on sketches for my figurehead.  I know I am getting way ahead of myself, but I also know this is going to take considerable amount of time, trial and error, to get right... so best start early.
 
After searching the web I decided on an image I liked and might be able to manipulate.
I inserted the image into DraftSight (a free downloadable early version of AutoCAD) and traced the image.
I worked in layers, hence the three colours to differentiate the layers.  I also used polylines and joined as many as possible.
I may have the back hoof too big.

I then inserted an image of my model's bow layout onto my sheet and traced it.  I suppose I should have made a DXF of the drawing, copied and pasted it in. 
DOH!   I'll do that next time when I get a better sense of the figurehead.

I scaled the wings smaller as they are a bit large.  Then I scaled Pegasus down leaving Bellerophon as is.
Then mirrored the whole thing so it was facing the same way as the bow and could be copied into my bow sketch.

I inserted this into the bow sketch, scaled it up to suit, rotated and took it in for a bit... let it soak in my brain.

Next I rotated Bellerophon, leaning him forward.
Rotated his right arm and both legs.

and finally shortened the spear.

I think she is getting there.  The spear isn't quite right.  Might need to fold the legs back at the knees.
I'll let this percolate a bit and come back to it later.
But you can get a sense of where I am going.
 
A special thank you to RMC for sending me some measurements off his Vanguard model and the optional 2nd Bellerophon figure head he had in his kit.
I've asked for a couple more measurements to help refine my sketch area.
 
Now I think I'll work on the 1:48 scale template drawings Gary requested a while ago (but I suggested he wait until I retired as I'd have more time then).
 
Then I have a shelf to put up, frames to make and install, take my car in for her regular maintenance....
 
 

Spent about 90 minutes visiting (at his invitation) one of our local model club members.  He understands this is my first ever scratch build ship and we both understand I know next to nothing.  As my wife said to me as I went out the door: I am so blessed to live so close to such a skilled model maker.  There are few real gentlemen and just plain thoughtful and sharing people in this world.
 
Came home and tore everything off the port side to match the starboard side to allow me to follow his suggestions.  I must admit it didn't hurt to remove them this time.  I believe I have become immune to the pain.
 
He recommended I consider making and spot gluing all the frames in place so I might remove them later.  They need to be marked (I'll do this at the heel) with their station numbers.  As a group are installed I should sand them to shape while I can still easily reach inside.  Once all are installed I can apply a batten at the proper distances above the gun decks and lightly mark off the gunport top/bottom openings in one step, marking an X on each frame to indicate what to cut out.

Then I should remove the frames and cut out each gunport individually.  The loose pieces above need to be lightly marked with station numbers on the same face as the lower portion, and indicate which end is the top (an arrow pointing upwards) so they get reinstalled properly.  Then (finally) reinstall them permanently. 
He also spent time demonstrated to me how make clean shallow cuts for the cills (sills) with a chisel, and described how he would make cills to match and fit, which was almost identical to what I had done (making the cills, not the cut outs).
 
So I am back to making the same frames, over, again.  I admit, that part just plain pisses me off.
It will be worth it in the end.  It will be worth it in the end.  It will be worth it in the end. 

I purposely haven't mentioned the gentleman's name as he doesn't share his knowledge or personal time for any acknowledgement.  He does it because it is his choice, because he can, and it seemed to him I might be heading down a road filled with aggravation.  Since he had been there many years ago, he might save me from some of it if I wasn't too thick headed to listen.  (Okay, I added the thick headed part because I know me).
 
Once again, thank you.
I hope to return the favour by sharing with some unfortunate modeller down the road... after I am blessed with some skill to share.
 
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 274 – Fore Upper Topsail Yard Rigging 3
 
The last rigging lines to be installed on the upper topsail yard were the buntlines, the reef tackle and the downhaulers.  The first picture shows the yard with these lines.
 

 
The next picture shows these lines more clearly.
 

 
As with the lower yard, the reef tackle block is tied off to the jackstay where it awaits the bending of the sail.  Its standing end is seized to a single block suspended from the outer boom iron.  The line then passes through the tied-off block, back through the first block, then through one sheave of the double block at the quarters and is belayed on the fife rail below.  The double block is shared by the downhauler used to help lower the yard when gravity alone won't do the job – for example when the ship is heeled.  The standing end of the downhauler may be seen spliced to a shackle on the lower tops'l yard arm band.  Since it is never reefed, the lower topsail yard has no reef tackle.  The buntlines are stopped at blocks lashed to the jackstay as with the other yards.  They then pass through double blocks hooked eyebolts under the crosstrees as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The tied-off topgallant sheet chains shown in this picture is a temporary measure until the topgallant yard is installed.  The next picture shows the rigging on the starboard side.  The large extra blocks dangling from the boom irons on this yard are the halyard blocks for the topmast studding sail yards that will not be installed.
 

 
The next picture shows about one-third of the top's fairlead holes filled at this stage.  All but two will be used.
 

 
In the last picture the halyard gin block may be seen hauled up close to the mast sheave with the yard in its lowered position.  The standing lifts that support the yard when lowered are shackled at their upper ends to the topgallant mast fid and will be added later after that mast is set.
 

 
The work is now shifting to the main mast.
 
Ed

The display case progresses. Sloooowly (live gets in a way, in a good way). Only get 1-2hrs of hobby per week, assuming no trips.
Everything is milled up, and miters are cut using miter jig on a table saw and fine tuned with a disk sander + miniature block plane.
First series of strips buckled up significantly, because of a moisture in the glue. But I quickly realised that I do not really need to spread a glue over the entire plank - few spots is enough for it to be in place.
So I apply the glue in lines:

And brush some water on tope of the plank before putting a weight on it - that helps to neutralise moisture on both sides of the plank, or even force it to bow in another direction. 
After that, plexiglass plates + Books help to clamp it down:

 
That process worked well, all planks are now flat and there is no buckling.
 
Next strake was made of willow, 4cm wide. It was carefully straightened with a plane and straightedge before passing it through table saw:

 
The idea was good, until I screwed up. I was trying to carefully align the grain pattern, so the sapwood strip will be on the outside... 
Except one plank where I made a mistake:

 
With very little material to spare, I will reuse this plank for the central part of the floor.
So the left plank was made out of two cutoff pieces. Not ideal, but not super bad:

 
Nothing is sanded or finished, so pardon for some glue lines. 
 

Türkiye 'den merhaba, adım Adem,
 
Acemice yapmış olduğum Sunbeki modelini sizlerle paylaşmak istedim.
 
Ölçek 1/60
Plandan çalışılarak yaptığım modelin posta ve omurgaları huş kontraplak, gövde sarımı 2 mm ayous çıta üzerine 0,5 mm maun çıta kaplama, güverte 1 mm kontraplak üzerine 0,5 mm armut çıta ile armuz kaplama, direkler gürgen kavela, ızgaralar ve top arabaları lazer kesimdir. Modele satin vernik uygulanmıştır. Toplar kurşun dökümdür ve gerçek döküm top görüntüsü verilmeye çalışılmıştır. Modelin boyu 82 cm, genişliği 16 cm, yüksekliği 64 cm'dir.
 
Google Translate I apologize for the translation mistakes.
From Turkey Hello, my name is Adam,
 
I wanted to present you with the Sunbeki model that you have done in a moment.
 
Scale 1/60
 
0,5 mm mahogany lining, 0,5 mm size on 1 mm plywood, 1 plywood overlay, elbow horn dowel, gratings and ball trolleys are laser cut. Model satin varnish applied. The bulls have been tried to cast bullets and work out the actual cast ball image. The size of the model is 82 cm, 16 cm, and the size is 64 cm.
 

I've been paying around with alternative swages for the rigging wire. They aren't really needed for the model, but actual rigging would have them, & they - at a model level - join the wire (jewellery SS braid, nylon coated, thank you brains trust) to the chain plates or turnbuckles. There would be other ways of doing it but I wanted something neat & not fussy. I experimented with heat-shrink tubing, but it looked too old fashioned for this yacht; & settled on using some aluminium tube & brass rod. The tube replicates a swaged joint & the rod tries v hard to look like a neat eye joint. You can see below the parts (ends of swages are chamfered) & the heat-shrink results, which don't look mechanical enough. Glue is CA.
Brass rod into a eyelet, the other end of the rod gets glued into the aluminium tube.

The cranse iron :

Bobstay chainplate:

Whisker stay chainplate:

The overall. I'm especially pleased with this photo, the rigging joints should not jump out at you, so I think it's more or less in scale visually.

 
 
thank you

turnbuckle for the whisker stay done & coloured:

 
I was in a quandary about the bobstay chainplate.... the type I want to use has the base part faired to the stem shape; or the alternative is that sometimes the fitting has two plates in a Y, surface mounted on the hull but I am not so keen on that type, I think it would be better to bolt through the stem timbers for this most significant fitting, than laterally through it & planking (maybe solid blocking was used). If the protruding flange was all I made (& pretend the rest was there but just painted over), then fixing it would be tricky as there would be some load on the model fitting. But the base part & flange all in one seemed tough. In the end I shaped it all, cut & shaped down from some brass flat bar about 2mm thick.

 
Then fixed in place. The rivets are glued into holes, & when the glue is dried I will sand the heads down a bit, they stick out a bit too much. Then fill around the sides a bit & paint it, & do the bobstay itself. I haven't gone through it completely in my head yet but I think that then I can do the stays & shrouds.
 
The actual fitting would have a central cast bolt also, behind the flange, but the two end ones must be loose because the three bolts would not be parallel. The fitting is about 20mm long, so 240mm actual, & about 25mm thick actual dimension.

 

Your care is showing! Nice work, Mark.

Thanks, everyone, for your support. I was taken away from the shop for a few days, to rig up a hoist for kayaks--real rigging.
 
I am starting on the lower two strakes of the wales. I originally cut the foremost planks at the round of the bow according to my CAD drawing. But when I spiled to the strakes already installed, I discovered that the upper curve was much more dramatic than my original piece. The photo below shows the original piece at the top, and the card with the spiled edge below, showing the difference in curvature. In hindsight, I realize that I assumed the wales would be dead straight vertical, since they are so at midships; not so at the bow or stern! I made xerox copies of the spiled card for port and starboard. A couple of more pieces for the mistake box.
 
I had spent a great of time on the first two strakes sanding and filing the edges of the planks. I did this freehand with shaped sanding blocks. The challenge was to keep the edge square, or tapered slightly where needed to tighten up the joint. It was a little hit and miss. So I am trying a little jig shown below, which clamps into my jeweler's vise block. The two hold downs secure the plank, and then I can run the sanding block against the edge, keeping it exactly perpendicular. When I need to angle the edge, I will slip a thin spacer under one edge of the plank to change its angle to the table.
 
Mark
 

Chris, no matter how good your work looks now you'll want to replace it six months down the road. There's a definite learning curve here but you've made a good start. I find that what helps me a lot is to wear 5x loops when doing any joints. I use them not only because I have extra crappy vision but I find that if I am happy with a joint made under magnification it looks really good without them. 
 
That's an adorable puppy. By the time you've finished your model she'll have tumors, osteoarthritis, glaucoma and bad breath.

Looks terrific, Mike. I also prefer the boxwood but understand the economics of offering the kit in cherry.

Looks terrific, Mike. I also prefer the boxwood but understand the economics of offering the kit in cherry.