bhermann

Hi everyone
 
Well, as promised, here are the latest photos of Rainbow's hull. She has emerged from the temporary frame jig in all her fragile glory. There's still a lot of sanding and filling to patch up the little inevitable hollows that occur when planking, but, it's a milestone to have released the hull from the jig. The simulated internal ribbing will also need to be added...monotonous job it may be, but necessary to ensure some degree of structural rigidity.
 
I've also made a temporary work stand to hold her from this point on.
 
Hope you enjoy the photos.
 
Cheers
 
Patrick

I've been away from working on my model due to seasonal work that wrapped up at year's end!
 
As you can see, I have completed the hull.  Not much variation from kit plans except:
I used pins to secure the belaying pin rack to the deck.  Drilled 1/4 inch hole in bottom of each post; pin extended about 1/8 inch out; pressed pins into deck when glueing.  Reinforced butt joint on belaying rack by glueing small pieces of deck to underside.  Should have made an overlapping joint! Before stepping the mast, I taped all the dowels together as a mock-up to help align everything. Used cheap mm drill bit set from Amazon to drill holes with a Dremel.  Painted model using RR paints.  They are flat finish.  Painted all metal parts hull black.  To spice up the finish I'm giving the whole thing a coat of clear satin.  You can see the difference on the one photo of the outside hull - top half is in satin.
 
Next up standing rigging.  I'll depart from the instruction a little now.  I'll assemble the mast, yards and the rigging before installing in hull.  I'll leave enough length on the lower lanyard/ratlilnes to finished them up when mast goes in.  First step will be to install all the blocks on the deck, mast and yards before running any lines.
 
Question for forum:  How do you secure lines to the blocks??
 
Thanks for the feedback
 
Tidbinbilla

Yesterday evening I was able to do something which had been bugging me for a long time now. Between the foredeck and the aft deck there is a step. The great beam, which is visible between the decks, had been painted grey like the waterways, as per the instructions in the kit. Looking at the Nova Scotia Archive pictures, this is not correct. I assume that this beam was natural, like the waterways and the deck. The visible part of the beam on my model is about 5 mm high, which is a little more than the width of 1,5 deck plank. So I cut some deck planks to length and in halve (laterally) since this also makes the bending easier in this cramped space and it allowed me to glue in three times the same strip per side, which looks better than one wide strip and one narrow strip.
See below the before and after pictures:
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 103 – Planking and Wales continued
 
The work proceeds apace.  Post-holiday lull and the winter weather helps.  Work on the lower hull requires either some gymnastics or some other support for the model.  The first picture shows the simple setup that allows the model to be tilted as needed – a very un-shipyard-like look.
 

 
The wale on this side is about one-half planked in this picture.  The next picture shows the wale planks converging at the lowest perimeter strake at the stern.
 

 
The brass rod is the diameter of the gudgeon eyes and is being used to mark the center of the helm port by laying it on the sternpost.  In the next picture a hole for the port has been roughed out.
 

 
The rudder head was round and was encased at the port in a sleeve – wood or iron – to prevent ingress of water.  The diameter of the rudder shaft was 16” – matching the sternpost.  With the sleeve the opening will take up much of the area as yet unplanked.  I decided to fill the area with a single chock as shown in the next picture.
 

 
A circular opening for the sleeve and rudder head will be cut through this later.  In the next picture the hole has been centered.
 

 
Additional wale strakes are being added in this picture.  In the next picture the final piece on the port side has been boiled and is being fitted to dry.
 

 
The planks on this side are being stepped back at each frame to allow the stern area to be completed without adding more strakes on this unplanked side.  Hence these last two pieces are very short – the lowest will be half the length shown.
 
The next picture shows the final wale strake in place at the stern on the starboard side.
 

 
This side will be planked down below the waterline so there are more strakes to be fitted at the stern.  These will diminish down to the thickness of the common lower planking.
 
I don’t want to use this forum to pitch the forthcoming book, but I feel that a few words are in order, since several people have asked about it. 
 
Bob Friedman of Seawatchbooks and I were both quite enthused about a book on American clipper ship modeling.  We both felt this was a neglected area.  However, I had some concerns about another “full framing” methodology book that would be a rehash of previous material.  I was also concerned about writing a book about a large, fairly advanced structural model that would probably appeal mainly to a small slice of experienced modelers.
 
 It took some time for me to resolve these issues and decide to write the book – two books hopefully – the first on modeling the hull and the second on masting and rigging. 
 
Like the Naiad books – and unlike this build log – the books will be very heavy on methods – I like the word processes.  As work on YA progressed, the processes used were both different enough and in some ways unique and this allayed some of my concerns about redundancy. 
 
However, I still wanted to reach a broader range of modelers – specifically potential or less-experienced scratchbuilders looking for a foothold and some help on methods.  To this end the book will also include methods, drawings, text and pictures for construction of a smaller, simpler POB version of the model.  The processes developed for this model are designed to provide a basis for advancement to fully-framed modeling using the upright, shipyard-like, methods that many of us favor.  The planned volume on rigging – if we get that far – will apply to both versions. Simpler tools, fewer fancy devices and readily available materials will also be used for the POB model.
 
To support this important content, a second, 1:96 POB model is being constructed.  Until making the book decision, I have been careful to exclude this from posted pictures but that precaution is now no longer necessary so I will show one picture of the current work area with both models in progress.
 

 
Although having two models in the shop has exponentially increased the clutter, the biggest problems are keeping the two scales straight and using the right drawings – and getting all  the work done on schedule.
  
Ed

Continuing with the 25' cutter.  Bulkheads have been trimmed and ribs added.
 

 
Gunwale and rising plank added.
 

 
Final fairing, sanding and painting, sanding and painting, sanding and painting, painting, painting, painting, etc., etc
 
.
 
Weathered thwarts and floor boards (a bit too much), and comparison with the launch
 

 
Still a number of details to be added, aft seating, rudder, lifting rings, thole pins, etc.
 
 

My final post this evening is a look at the scroll work that has been "refined" by painting back with the dark blue...
I have seen so many variations of the scroll work on the Bluenose and realize that this is not historically accurate but nonetheless I am pleased with how it looks. A little more touch-up and then I am going to add the lettering above the cove line and the hull will be ready for a varnish.

So after 3 months- maybe 4, the stirrups and footropes are finally finished.  I realized I've been working on these yards for over a year.  It took longer to make and outfit these yards than it took to assemble the frame and plank the hull!  Crazy.  Oh well.
 
Here are the fore yards with stirrups and footropes

 
The main yards.  The attached tags have the name of the yard. I'm getting old and can't tell the difference sometimes, especially since many of the fore and main yards have the same dimensions

 
finally the mizzen

 
Here's my high tech storage apparatus.  I spent quite a bit of time building this to protect the yards and the footropes. 

Today I finished construction of the stern frame assembly. It won't win any beauty contests but, I figure it's all going to be covered by planking anyway. Here's a picture of the assembly after completion (still have some cleanup to do) and a couple of the frame assembly temporarily installed.
 
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 102 – Planking and Wales continued
 
With the announcement of the forthcoming book(s) on this model, I’ve got to keep my nose to the grindstone – giving up some of the leisure I enjoyed before making the book decision.  So much to do, so little time.
 
In the first picture the wale upper strake around the stern has been installed.
 

 
All of the wale planks are 6” x 6”.  This first strake transitions in thickness from the 4” common plank thickness.  In the next picture the first full thickness wale plank has been fitted around the stern and is being levelled off with a file.
 

 
Some of this levelling was required on all planking but especially around these curves.  The planks were slightly oversized to allow for this.  This wale plank borders right on the “knuckle” – a transition point in the aft hull shape.  Planking below this will butt into this strake as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The two strakes shown above will be pared down to half width after gluing.  There are chocks between the stern timbers to allow the ends of the lower strakes to be bolted.  Lacking documented practice, I have assumed that these planks would be cut into the last circumferential wale plank as shown below.
 

 
This was the common practice for the ends of planks that butted into another plank where the angle would require excessive tapering of the planks.  Maintaining a minimum of one-half the width and cutting into the margin plank as shown above would permit these joints to be caulked.  This could not be done with a full taper on the planks.
 
Additional planks have been added in the next picture.
 

 
In this picture the surface is being sanded with 220-grit paper in preparation for treenailing.  In the next picture additional strakes on either side have been boiled and clamped in place to dry.
 

 
These planks do not have the extreme curvature of the circumferential planks but do curve up at the ends and twist to follow the hull shape.
 
The last picture shows the starboard planking while the ship was uprighted for some dimensional checks – and for inspection by Christmas visitors.
 

 
A lot of exterior planking remains to be done – down below the waterline on this side and a few strakes below the channels on the port side.  There are about 20 strakes in the wale itself plus some diminishing strakes and common plank below that on this side.
 
  
Ed
 

Holiday update .

7 from 8 sails are now finally finished    . Last one will be done after installing fore and main mast. I learned a lot and next model will certainly have sails on.

Today I finished attachment rings for fore and main sail. I used 1mm brass wire and made spring from which I  cut out rings . Ends were soldered together. Because I didn't like brass color I decide do blacken them with Blacken-it solution. First I put them on cleaning solution for grease removal, then Muriatic acid for surface etching and finally blackening bath. To achieve final look I buff them with soft cloth. 

Shrouds and standing rigging done, now for ratlines and running rigging.

A Holiday Greeting
 

Fitted up all of the bulkheads. Several of the slots on the false keel required a lot of work to get the bulkheads to slide in. I actually broke the framing for the spar deck at the top of bulkhead "E" trying to get it to slide in. I glued it back in place before proceeding just so I could make sure everything lined up okay. The lesson I learned here is that if you encounter an appreciable amount of resistance, stop and sand/file the bulkhead slot a little more.
 
The good news is that, for me, I'm going to cut the spar deck framing off anyway since I'm going to model the gun deck. Normally, in addition to cutting away the spar deck framing you'd cut down the bulkheads and false keel by 1/16" to account for the thickness of the gun deck planking. However, I plan to put down two sections of 1/16" sheet prior to planking the gun deck. So, I'll be cutting the bulkheads and false keel down 1/8".
 
Also, I may attempt to use the fairing lines from the plans to get the fairing on the bulkheads close (even though I already know the shape of the bulkheads on the plans is inaccurate). Then once I get the bulkheads back on the false keel, I'll adjust the fairing as necessary.
 
 

Work in progress; I completed belts "A" and "D" and belt "B" is in progress.
I am trying to go by the book, although I took some liberty, especially when when it comes to nibbing.
I think end result will be fine, although I am still worried about this transom piece...

Thanks for the likes and encouragement! It really helps. There are pictures tonight! Woohooooo!!!!
 
I took a picture of an early Christmas gift. The Proxxon table circular saw will be incredibly useful in getting those perfectly cut pieces of wood (ie. planking)
 
The other pictures are of the three stern timbers I have mounted so far. They may not look like much but I'm incredibly proud of designing my own pieces and fitting them onto my ship like they were perfectly cut puzzle pieces. My measurements are lining up well and things are falling (snugly) into place.
 
Tonight's post is brought to you by Led Zeppelin and Kenny Loggins.

Some more time on the mast in the last few days.  The mast bands are black acid-free paper.  They will be painted with an "Iron Black" paint.  The battens are filed out to allow for them to fit over the mast bands.  Two on each side, clamped while glue dries.  Cap drilled, simulated bolts installed and the eyebolts made and installed.
The mast tree parts were sanded to thickness and cut on the Byrnes table saw.  Interlocking notches carefully laid out and cut.  Bolt holes drilled.  The cross tree notches were cut last after the trestle trees were held in place against the mast top.  Getting close to the end.  Some more bolts need installing and the bibs need attaching.  I'm not sure if I'll build the platform.
Maury
 
 

Well the masts are now mounted half the deadeyes and chainplates are mounted, soon this will be done and I can start my fair American build.

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 101 – Planking and Wales
 
To conveniently work on the planking below the channels, the hull was inverted as shown in the first picture
 

 
The toptimbers are no longer as vulnerable with the planking installed up to the top so there is minimal risk of damage.  I still use carpet padding as a precaution and have tied the hull down to keep from pushing it off the bench.
 
The next picture shows some of the planking installed at the bow.
 

 
The hull is marked with pencil lines to show the extent of the wale and the load waterline.  I have highlighted the lower edge of the wale in red and the lwl in blue.
 
The wale is 6” thick and there are roughly 20 strakes of 6” wide planks from top to bottom.  The top strake transitions from the 4” common  to the 6” wale planking two strakes below the lower channels.  That break in thickness can be seen in these pictures.  The next picture is a close-up of the “hooding ends.”
 

 
The wale planks are pared down to match the depth of the rabbet.  The treenails are hard bamboo (old garden stakes) – very hard and very dark.  The grain flecks and the color variation in the maple planks is a bit distracting, but all of this planking will be painted.
 
The planking around the stern was done concurrently with that shown above. In the next picture the second strake below the planksheer rail has been curved and is clamped to dry.
 

 
Each of these is boiled for over an hour, clamped as shown below and left overnight to dry.  It can then be glued with a similar clamping arrangement.  This is really a one-step-per-day process.
 
The last picture shows the three strakes below the rail – levelled off but not yet finish sanded.
 

 
 
The next strake will be the transition strake to the wale thickness.  There may be one more circumferential strake  - at the "knuckle" - but the planks below will butt into the last of these.  The ends of the the planks below will bolt into the supporting chocks between the stern timbers.  The chock around the helm port has not yet been fitted.
 
Space is left for the main rail.   The area between this and the lower rail will be decorated with a bas-relief eagle and some s-curved vines.  The words “Young America” then “New York” will be lettered below the lower rail on these lower three planks..
 
  
Ed

Julian -  that object is part of the fore boom sheet.  In the MS version there is a slot in the top of of the piece where Billings has the five dots and a cast metal piece that goes  underneath the top between the side pieces.  There is a ring on top of of the cast piece that extends through the slot.  A shackle and a block are connected to the ring and they are rigged to a block on the boom.  If you look at posts 29 and 44 in my log, you can see the piece installed just ahead of the mainmast.  Unfortunately I didn't add the shackle and the block before installing it    If you would like a closer photo let me know amd I will try and get one.  Heck, I may try to add the shackle and block, if so I will update my log with it.
 
Bob

I finally have some progress to report...
 
I created a primitive template in order to transfer my scroll design to the hull. I then put multiple coats of yellow on and in the future will cut back to a more refined scroll with the darker sea blue color covering the bulk of the outer margins of the scroll.
 
Pictures to follow of the finished scroll...

A better view  of the painting.  The launch presented with grapnel and line, a heavier line for the horizontal windlass, oars lashed to the thwarts and the rudder unshipped in the stern.
 

 
Next will be a cutter.  Gil

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 100 – Rails and bulwark continued
 
Work continued this week on the topside rails, planking and channels.  The first picture shows the forward starboard upper channel being installed.
 

 
These are 6” thick.  Note that the main rail sections are missing in this photo – being only temporarily fitted at this stage.
 
In the next picture the mizzen and main lower channels have been installed.
 

 
Note that – unlike the uppers - these are “streamlined” at the ends.  I believe these lower channels spent a good deal of time in the water.  The main rail sections are positioned only in this picture.  The stack of planks on the deck are destined for the starboard side down to the wale. 
 
In the next picture the entranceway has been cut into the upper strakes.
 

 
The last section of topside planking is being glued in the next picture – held by pins and a couple of screw clamps.
 

 
The next picture shows the topside planking completed – except for treenails.
 

 
The toptimbers have been cut off flush.  The next picture shows the run of planking from almost directly forward.
 

 
Planking of the starboard side down to below the waterline is next on the agenda.  This will take some time with the narrow planks used on these ships.  The model will be inverted to make this work possible around the stern.  Planking on the port side will go just a few strakes below the lower channels – leaving the framing on that side open below that height.
 
Ed
 
 
  

Floyd,  Once a professor, always a professor. 
 
In building the launch, I'm tending to follow colors seen in photos of the ship.
 

 
Floor boards added and rising planks to support the thwarts.
 

 
Floor boards, 3mm. walnut, weathered with "Weather-It".  Thwarts, 4mm., also weathered. Mast supports and steps for the masts at the 1st and 5th thwarts. Horizontal windlass and lifting rings added.
 

 
Exterior painting underway.
 

 
There is still detailing to do with painting, rudder and supports, etc.
If the computer holds up, I'll post another photo or two.
Cheers,  Gil
 
 
 

Thanks, Dimitris.  I do hope to get back to work on her in the new year!
 
Bob

Here I go redoing things again. First of all I did make up a rectangular sanding stick with some medium sand paper and cleaned up the bottoms of the spar deck gun ports somewhat, so they are looking better.
 
Yesterday, I came across a Constitution build log on this site by galf, where he used WHITE GLUE for the rivet heads on the inner bulwarks. Now, if you remember my first thought was to use CA for these which I tried with no success. All the time I was doing that experiment, the white glue was sitting right next to the CA glue bottles, and I never thought to try it! Doh! Last night I took a wood strip and added dots of white glue to it using a toothpick. They looked nice and round and did not stick up too much from the plank, which was just what I had envisioned when thinking of using the CA. When the glue dried, though, the dots disappeared since they turned clear, but after giving the strip a quick coat of paint, there they were in all there round glory. So here I got crazy and pried off half of the wire riveted strips on the port bulwark sections, then I made up two long strips using the white glue method. I did add some grey paint to the white glue before I did this, so that the rivet heads would be visible after they dried, so I could line up the pattern when installing the strips. I cut sections from the long strips and replanked the bulwark sections that I removed, and I really like the results better than the wired method.
 
Here you can see a comparison of the old strip (above) with the new (In the jig) and the greyed white glue and toothpick that I used.
 

 
And a closer view of the strips:
 

 
And here is a comparison on the model, with the new strips on the left section and the old on the right sections:
 

 
It took a little while to get the hang of this and get the dots somewhat consistent. After a while, the glue got too tacky and was not sticking to the strip well, so I made up a new batch of grey glue, which made more consistent dots. Another nice feature of this method is that I can add or touch up dots on the planks after they are installed, like I did for a few that were too small.
 
After I took these pictures, I pried off the rest of the old planks on the port side and replaced them with these new planks. It went very quickly the second time, as did making the strips. Next week I replace the strips on the transom and starboard sides.