dvm27

Richard,
 
I measured the bar (.250 x.250) and then used an edge finder to locate the edge. Having fixed the edge I indexed the mill over to compensate for the edge finder diameter. This set the mill spindle directly over the edge. I then moved it over a further .125 to set the mill directly above the centre of the bar. This video does a passable job of depicting the process https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_qiPE5z7SE.

Thank you all.  the comments are most appreciated.
 
Actually, Micheal. the complexity is a bit mind-boggling - at least for me - although I do like complexity and am often intrigued by it.  I hope to make the rigging fully complete with the only exceptions being studding or stay sail lines that would likely have been stored with the sails.  I have found myself adding studding sail blocks to the spar drawings, however.  The double topsails added a lot of lines and riggers seem to have been pressed to find belaying points.  I can't imagine what double topgallants would do.  I'm hoping I will be able to find my way through the forest to belay everything.
 
Ed

Hi Carabrente,
 
There are many ways to add a riser for the column. I choose to do the riser in 4 aluminium parts 1,000 inch thick.
the first is screwed to the column
the second and the third are in sandwiched between the first and forth
the forth one ties all the 4 blocks together
Last the base is screwed to the column

Here are two pictures of a 6-pr gun.

It has been a long time since the last time I visited this website, check the messages (I am very sorry that I did not check them and reply earlier), or updated the model. A lot of things happened over these years, and I had much less time to indulge myself in my hobby than before.
 
I made small progress on the model over the years, but still far from completion. As can be seem from the attached pictures, the beakhead and bowsprit are completed, with their standing rigging in place. The 6-pr guns are also placed at their ports.

Thanks to all.
Next part - lower and upper capstan.

Hi all –
 
I hope everyone has had a nice Easter, Passover, or other spring holiday of your choosing.  Thanks, as always, for the comments and the likes.  It is so nice to get feedback from our modeling family – both the in-laws and the outlaws.  You can decide which you are.
 
The last segment concluded with me working on the bow to get the shapes right and the surface smooth, as well as cutting and installing the flared bulwark pieces.
 
 While I continued to refine, smooth, and fair the bow, I turned to the challenges of the stern.  As seen in the photo, it has a smooth, rounded, but flared shape with two decks that are each pierced with large openings for viewing.  The lower ones are not as tall compared with the upper ones, or rather, the bulwarks are higher, as can be seen from the postures of the people looking out.  In the upper openings the bulwarks are lower, but a single open railing is mounted on top for safety.  This same solid bulwark and upper railing system is an almost universal design feature of the ship, and can be seen as well above the topmost bulwark at the stern.  The lower deck also has a number of round and elongated hawse holes for mooring lines, so the bulwarks have to be pierced for them as well.   

All of this meant that the model’s stern would have to be some sort of pierced shell, like a lacework Easter egg.  To get that shell I first tried to drape-mold styrene in one sheet.  I had already built up a solid stern block which I hoped to use as the form.  I screwed it down onto the hull block and made sure all the edges met.
 
I then put a sheet of 0.020” styrene in a bath of simmering water.  While it softened I heated the stern of the hull with a hair dryer.  When I thought everything had reached a workable temperature I pulled the plastic out of its bath and pulled it down on the hull form.  It did not behave.  Pleats and wrinkles formed which could not be flattened.  I tried several more times, making the plastic sheet hotter in an oven, moving around the points where I pulled on the plastic, etc.  Ultimately I only ended up with half a dozen sheets of unusable plastic which had to be discarded.  I will not embarrass myself by posting photos of the trash.
 
I decided that I would have to build up and pierce each deck separately, and then work on the seam between them.  This would be slower, but used techniques that I was already familiar with.  I first had to establish the shape of the stern with just the deckhouses and decks stacked together to get a feel for the internal structures.  They were cut according to the deck plans, but a little oversize, and were temporarily screwed to each other and the hull.
 
These pieces were faired to each other with a sanding block, checking frequently to see that they created the flared shape desired.  When I was satisfied, the upper wooden pieces were taken off, leaving only the lowest deck house and deck.  A piece of cardstock was used to make a pattern for a curved piece of plastic sheet, much like the one that was created for the bow bulwark.   
         
The plastic was cut oversize and then refined by trial and trimming until it fit well.  As at the bow, a rabbet was cut into the solid hull to bed the edge of the plastic into.  The piece was secured with gap filling cyano.  When the glue was solid the gaps at the edges were filled with Squadron white putty in several layers to build up the filler to compensate for shrinkage as it dried.  Then the surface was sanded flush with the hull, with special care being taken at the edges.  You can see where my smoothing process went through the layers of white primer and into the grey primer below.  The color change proved to be a good warning that I should not go deeper in that spot.  Then the locations of the window openings were drawn on the plastic in pencil, and the centers were ground out with a small burr, staying well away from the lines.  A sharp #11 knife was used to carefully whittle away the remaining plastic until the openings were the proper sizes and shapes. The hawse holes were done in a similar fashion.
 
 
 From there I repeated the process for the upper deck.  But first, the lower deckhouse and the underside of the lower deck were painted and permanently installed.  At this point I was committed.  It was no longer easy to remove the stern pieces and redo them.  As before, a cardstock pattern was created, plastic sheet was cut and fit, glued into the rabbet and faired to the hull and the lower deck bulwark.  The viewing openings were drawn on, pierced and whittled away as before. 

In the previous photo you can still see some spots where additional refinement and whittling of the lower openings is needed.  This was a continuing process and done very carefully.  A slip here might mean that the entire piece would have to be stripped out and replaced.  Fortunately, it ultimately came out as I wanted.  After a coat of primer it is, I believe, quite difficult to tell that it was pieced together.
 
 So here is the current state of work, with the rough superstructure laid on.  It sure will be great when I can replace the plumbing pipe funnels for the lacework cages that Bob made up.  Can’t wait.
 
But there are many more miles to go before I can reach that point, and many more postings.  Until the next one –
 
Be well
 
Dan
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 210 - Mainstay
 
Once the main shrouds were installed the main stay was next.  Like the lower shrouds and the forestay, this was 10 ½" rope.  The first picture shows the main shrouds in place and tensioned, and the mainstay rigged so the served areas could be marked out.
 

 
The shackled bullseyes and eyebolts through the main deck beams were installed earlier.  In the next picture the stay has been served and leathered and is rigged to allow the glue on the leathering to dry in position before painting.
 

 
The stay is clamped where a collar seizing will be placed after the stay is secured at the fore ends.  In the next picture the first seizing at the lower port end has been tied.
 

 
The lower ends of the stay are served as well as the collar at the top.  In the next picture frapping turns to the first seizing on the port side are being made with the aid of a sewing needle.
 

 
The next picture shows the four seizings on each leg completed.
 
 
 
I was very pleased that the stay clears the chafing battens on the mast by about six inches and is just inside the sheet bitts, so I may not install the spreader that was used if needed to keep the stays outside the mast.  The smaller bullseyes inside and just aft of those for the main stay will anchor the main topmast stay and will hopefully fit as well as the first.
 
The last picture shows the completed main stay with the collar seizing applied below the top.
 

 
The sheer poles have yet to be installed on the main shrouds and the lanyards are still dangling loose.
 
 
Ed

Im finding that the mast fittings are gong on a bit. Each time I look at the plans and photographs I find something else to make. Anyway here I go with another update.
 
Today I decided to start by joining the upper and lower main and foremasts. This involved joining 8 mast collars (making 4 fitting in total). I wanted to make sure the the upper and lower masts lay parallel to one another and as the upper and lower collars were of different diameters this involved accurately sizing and making the spacers that joined the collars. The spacing pieces were profiled using differing sizes of end mill which were plunged into the 1/4" square brass bar stock.
 


The components were then assembled for soldering. Initially I tried wiring the parts together to retain them during the soldering operation. It worked but it required a great deal of dexterity and created much frustration. I then bent a nail to form a clamp, this proved to be a much better solution.
 



The soldered collars were then parted from the bar with a razor saw before being polished.
 

 

 
 
 
 

Gas Patch models make a beautiful set of 1:16 Spandau guns, but they are pricey.
 
https://www.bnamodelworld.com/for-other-scales-model-planes-gaspatch-models-gas15-16079?zenid=d1f49320612eb0ea8862234ad9690013
 
Regards
CDW

Hello,  
 
Here is another update.

Alexandru

Following Mike's point, you may also wish to consider building a jig to make sure all the frames are the correct height and orientation. On the jig add a keel stop at the bottom to fit the keel slot and two small stops above the toptimbers. On the glued up blank first cut and file the slot for the rabbet. Then trim the toptimbers to fit the top stops. Now that the glued up frame pieces fit the jig exactly, you can cut out the body of the frame and the maximum height of breadth (widest part across the hull) should line up perfectly on both sides of the hull. I would also leave 1/16" outside the line while cutting to allow for slight errors in raising the frames. Finally, if you can swing it, I would highly recommend the Byrnes disk sander to finish the outside of the frames and an oscillating spindle sander for the insides. It'll cut your frame making time in half.

Well done, Christian. Doing this in two parts certainly helps keep the rabbet crisp but you did a very nice job..

Thanks for all the likes.
 
Greg, I am going to build a cradle to display the model.
 
And now for the update.  All of the square frames are installed.  She is starting to look like a ship.  This week I will work on cutting out all of the half frames and cant and hawse timbers.  I also need to figure out the best way to make the transom timbers as well.
 
Anyways, here are the pictures.

Dan, when you first purchased your Stage Coach I followed suit.  I even spent time on the Scale Horse Drawn Vehicle web site (which makes me enjoy this forum all the more).  I have now built ME's Stage Coach, Conestoga, Doctor's Buggy and Chuck Wagon.  The carriage works shown by Mike seems to be the common method of supporting all kinds of wagons.  If I were to put a New England whale boat on wheels, that is the arrangement to be used.
 
I posted a few videos on YouTube on building the Conestoga that can be found by searching for "Building the Conestoga Wagon."  I append one photo just for fun.
 
I love what you are doing on the Stage Coach.
 
Wayne
 

A lot of effort for such small progress...............
 
I made a few more fittings for the masts.
 
I turned the 4 winches for the lower spiders, 2 winches per mast,  fairly straightforward turning task. The winches started as 1/4 inch brass bar and are approximately 1/4 inch long.

I then needed to make the 16 cleats that fit on to the 4 spiders - these are quite small and involve turning and drilling balls of a little less than .100 inch diameter on a stem of .040 diameter by .200 long. I made the form tool for the ball out of a broken centre drill. The balls / stem components stared as .125 brass bar. Cuts had to be small to prevent breakage - typically .005" (on radius) for initial cuts reducing to .002" for finishing.
 


I drilled the hole through the balls on the mill - using a centre drill followed by a .030" twist drill. All balls were drilled on a single setting using a magnet on the vice jaws as an end stop. The balls were drilled while still attached to the bar and parted off with a slitting saw thereafter.
 

The initial ball / stem took about 3/4 hour to make. At the end of the run for 16 I was making them in a little over 10 minutes.

The cross member of the cleat was wire, cut glued and then filed to length. The aluminium plate in the photo has a small hole and this was slotted over each end of the wire as a filing guide. The thickness of the plate giving the required arm length of the cleat.
 

 
 The end result will look something like this.

Today works
Rail8ng.mass.cat bridge vs

Hi All,
 
Still slowly rigging the cannon. I’m so glad there are only 12!
 
As a distraction I assembled the elm tree pumps.
Again another great mini kit from Chuck.
The laser parts were a life saver.
 

 
I will hold off on placing until after I finish rigging the guns.
 
They should be safer that way.

Small forward:
this is my wrapping machine

Tecko, what a wonderful project. this is the sort of work that makes being a volunteer worth every penny that you don't get paid. I am really enjoying your approach to the solving of the various elements and of the mostly low tech solutions, These become much easier for the viewing audience to grasp in my view. And at the same time a greater challenge for the designer builder. opening up the control console is a brilliant idea which also helps the viewer to see that complex operations can be achieved with simple technology (if one can call any electronics simple that is) 
 
I look forward to the next installment.
 
Michael

Is your mill CNC controlled or did you freehand mill that stem rabbet? Very impressive in either case.

Hello,
 
Ed and Carl,
thanks for the nice compliments and
all others for the LIKES.
The floors of tops at La Creole consist of grätings.
Here I show some pictures of the production.
Furthermore I show how I make the frames for the tops.
 

 

Hello Michael - good to see you back. I tend to get a good tongue lashing from my wife when I try to push recovery along too quickly. She is always right of course. Take it easy.
 
Yes good point about copper plating. My scrap box accumulates unused copper and I occasionally get seduced into using it when I think the machining is less complicated. I then regret it and for a while the memory prevents repetition. What I really need is a metals exchange. 

Im slowly working my way through the masts.
 
I needed to turn down the dowels for the upper main and foremasts. I had to break out the travelling steady as the masts are .300" diameter by circa a foot long. Much too flexible to be turned without the steady. The steady sees the light of day about once every 5 years. 
I needed  various collars - nothing too exciting here.
 

I spent a long tome thinking about how I was going to make the rather complex collar that joined the upper and lower masts. Its complex because it has a number of appendages and also takes the mountings for the yards. The drawings don't make it easy to interpret.

I started by turning the collar - the widest on the mast.
 

I then scratched my head for a long time trying to work out how I was going to make the anchor points for the strops at the the upper ends of the shrouds. These were made more difficult because they wrap round the top of the yards. In the end I think I worked out the best way of doing this - although as yet it is only half complete. Here is the progress thus far. 
I should explain I need one for each mast - hence 2. The .056 wire through them will be cut and will insert into the yards.
 
 
 

Stockwin wrote a very nice piece of life aboard a naval vessel in the late 1700's. It's a nice primer for his books.
http://www.mcbooks.com/pdf/KYDDsWORLD.pdf