bhermann

After looking everything over I followed the same as before and assmbled the hull starting out with the backbone and then and then after assembling the turret I installed the gun deck.  

Just a quick update to let everyone know I have not dropped this build off the face of the earth. I have been making a bit of progress. Currently my time in front of Connie is limited by my rotator cuff issues - I am working on that. In the mean time, I get downy to the Connie  sporadically. I decided to use the beeswax/turpentine mixture to wax the shrouds. I decided on the wax turpentine mixture since this allowed the wax to fully saturate the shroud rather than just wax on the outside. I saw where some use an incandescent blurb to melt the wax into the shroud but I think this allows me a bit more control over the amount and consistancy of the wax that gets into the rigging.
 
I have cut the shrouds for the lower foremast and stained them using India Ink. I tried a number of different stains from dark brown to India Ink and liked the latter best. 
 
I also ran a test of the serving machine and worked that process out. Originally I was going to use a black fly toying line for serving. However, I found that not only could I not see the serving, I could not see it underneath a magnifying glass. The line was too tiny. So I went with a small diameter thread (I think it is #100). Anyway, with the thread the serving is just enough without adding bulk to the shroud. I did not see it anywhere, so I judged that 4 inches of serving for the center of the shroud would be enough for wrapping around the mast. I still plan on fully serving the forward most shrouds on each set. I have started serving the shrouds. Once I have done a few, I will serve the forward most shrouds. I wanted to work out the feel for these before I did something that would be really visible.
 
Anyway, that is the update on the Connie.
 
On another note, I have decided to pursue building the Brig Eagle. I obtained the raw information, i.e. the book, the dissertation, the practicum and the overall ship's plans, to allow me to start working on the lofting plans. Once I am a bit more along, I will start a build log for that. It will be a scratch built PoF build in a fully rigged admiralty style. I have started a personal log to capture everything and will put everything on the on-line log when I get further along with the plans.
 
Thanks for following my logs. When building with wood, it was easy to see I need to take photos and update the log. When working on the rigging, I forget that I need to do this. I promise to update more consistently as I go along with the rigging.

Well, after another long silence - finally an update!
 
I'm continuing to make and fit hull frames, and am finally starting look like that job will be finished soon; only a few more to go now.  The next job after that will be to fair up the inside of the hull as needed and fit some stiffening in the form of stringers before I start to fair up the external hull for planking.
 
Here are a few photos of the current situation.
 
John
 

 

 

 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 69 – Final lower deck framing/
Waterways
 
In the first picture the last ledge of the lower deck framing is being marked for cutting.
 

 
Once all of the beams and carlings were set, the remaining ledges went quickly – a morning’s work.  These are 9” wide and 7” deep – hard pine on the original like the rest of the deck framing – except for the hanging knees – white or live oak.
 
The next picture shows the completed framing – looking aft.
 

 
Sometimes it is hard to decide from which direction these pictures were taken.  The fore and aft ends of this deck are very similar.  The next picture shows the area around the main hatch and main mast.
 

 
At this stage the deck members – beams, carlings, ledges – have been sanded flat and finish sanded.  All traces of the bolt glue are gone.  Below is a picture taken above the foremast area.
 

 
No time to celebrate - on to the waterways.  These monsters are 15” square – hard pine on the original – as long a log as possible.  The first picture shows the foremost section on the starboard side.
 

 
The outboard face has to be beveled back to fit tight against the frames and flat on the deck beams.  There is a slight gap between the waterway and the tops of the lodging kneses.  This was discussed earlier.  The next picture shows a closer view..
 

 
In this picture the section has been glued in and clamped.  As many copper wire bolts as the interference with the clamps would allow were then inserted and epoxy-glued from both ends.  When the clamps are removed the remaining bolts will be installed down into the beams and through the frames.  The hook scarph connecting this piece to the next section was fit before installing the forward piece.  I wish I had made this piece longer to get the joint into a straighter area.  It was hard to close on the curve.  The next picture shows a wire beam bolt being inserted in the next section.
 

 
The pin coming through in the lower left corner is a marker for the hole drilled from the outside so I can find it to fill it with a bolt.  The outsides of the frames are becoming “bolt-dense.”  The air gaps above the lodging knees between the beams and ledges show clearly in this picture.
 
The last picture shows the second section of waterway after filing off the bolt heads and epoxy.
 

 
The waterway has been sanded smooth.  A 12” wide by 10” deep “standing strake” will be installed along the top of the waterway.  A thick “binding strake” – the outer strake of planking will butt against the side of the waterway and bolted horizontally through it as well as into the deck beams. I believe a “margin plank” was installed inboard of the binding strake, but I am still researching this.
 
 
 Ed

Ok;  I haven't posted in awhile due mainly to a really bad case of the flu that had me, then the admiral, down for the count for about 3 weeks last month.  Needless to say, very little progress has been made, but I am now continuing with my "bulwark trim panel strip" that I started awhile back.  These are 0.5 x 5mm walnut strips, 16 inches long, laid out on my enlarged copies of the Campell plans, with 1/32" x 1/16" x 5 mm long  pre-stained basswood vertical uprights glued along the length of the strip.  I then use a small wooden jig that fits around each upright to drill holes that are then connected together to make the oval cutouts.
 
Four of these will be made, two aft (p&s) and two forward (p&s).  There is a small amount of material at the top that will be sanded away to align with the top of the bulwarks;  hence the ovals' offset towards the bottom of the strip.  I am following Campells plans, and each oval panel is not regularly spaced, and vary in length.  (I am accounting for the negligible curvature of the hull in this area).
 
As can be seen, some (many?) of the oval panels are out of shape;  those beyond repair will be cut out of the strip and remade...  This is a work in progress, and I'm getting better shaping these things as I go along.  I'll do a final Q.C. check before affixing the strips... they won't be perfect, just something I can live with, and better to attempt than ignore!! 

Thanks Michael.
 
         The next part is where I had a problem and actually broke one of the pieces.  Clare Hess was a great help at this point providing me pictures of his build as a reference.  You can see the piece I had to make out of boxwood supplied by Jeff at Hobby Mill.
 
 Bob R.

Not to forsake my Constitution build but I had the opportunity to purchase this kit while in Japan during the month of April.  A Japanese friend of mine picked it up on Japanese Yahoo for a great price.  It was delivered to his house the next day and I hand carried it back to San Diego. 
 
    The Japanese Cyprus wood used in the kit is outstanding and the laser cut parts are of the highest quality.  I quickly noticed that when sanding the wood there is a very pleasant odor.  Smells like Nana's old cedar closet.  The only downfall of the kit is that the instructions are entirely in Japanese.  Fortunately, there are not a lot of written instructions.  The instruction format is 90% graphics.  The packaging of the model is superb as seen below in the obligatory box / contents photos.
 
My goal is to complete this kit in time to show at next years 40th Rope Exhibition in Tokyo.
 
    The Higaki Kaisen (hee-gah-kee-kah-ee-sen) is an Edo Period cargo boat used from 1600 to about 1868.  Higaki was a Trades Guild in Osaka, Japan and Kaisen translates roughly to Cargo Boat.  During the Edo Period, Osaka was the center of the national economy and Edo, which is Tokyo today, was a big consumer city.  The Higaki Guild held the chartered right of maritime transportation of consumer goods from Osaka to Edo.  The Higaki-Kaisen were the sailing freighters of the Higaki Guild.
 
   The Higaki Kaisen hull structure has no framing.  Instead, its' hull consisted of only planking firmly joined with nails and clamps.
 
    I want to give a special thanks to Clare Hess.  Clare has helped me get this started and has provided me with numerous photos and information on his build.  Thanks also to Don Dressel who just completed his build and has provided me access to his model.
 
      Bob R.

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 68 – Lower deck framing continued
 
In the first picture the beams around the opening for the main mast have been installed.
 

 
The forward beams and half-beams around this opening have double pillars – one on each side - set on the base timbers on the hold planking.
 
Making and setting these pillars, with their four knees each, is a large portion of the work involved with these beams.  The next picture shows a monofilament bolt being installed in an upper knee that has already been glued into an assembly.
 

 
The next picture shows the three parts of a pillar assembly ready for installation.
 

 
The lower knees will be installed after the top assembly is set in place and glued.  In the next picture the final beam – a half beam – is ready to be installed.
 

Unlike the other pillars, this one has been pre-installed since there will be insufficient space to do it later.  The hanging knee has also been pre-attached to the half beam for this reason.  The pillar is pinned to the base with a piece of wire.
 
The next picture shows the final beams installed.
 

 
Copper wire bolts have been installed through the tops of the beams to help secure the them, their hanging knees and each of the pillars   these are glued with epoxy that has not yet been sanded off the tops of the beams.
 
The next picture is another view of this area.
 

 
All of the work below the beams has been finished with beeswax solution before installing the ledges.  Missing lodging knees, carlings, ledges and a lot of monofilament bolts still need to be installed to complete the lower deck framing. 
 
The last picture shows most of the lower deck at this stage.
 

 
 Ed

The following techniques were utilized in preparing sails for my circa 1800 Virginia pilot schooner model.  Materials used in making sails included: sailcloth (thin cotton muslin, available at fabric stores), .020 linen line stained hemp color (BlueJacket Shipcrafters #R1682), all purpose sewing thread (Coats & Clark hemp colored #543), and Dritz Fray Check liquid (available at fabric stores).  Special tools utilized included: 2nd hand home sewing machine and high quality sewing sears (4” and 8”).  References utilized include: ship model plans; Making Sails, a mini-practicum by Robert Hunt; and Steel’s Elements of Mastmaking, Sailmaking, and Rigging of 1794 by David Steel.  Prior to starting, the sailcloth was washed using a warm water cycle with several pairs of blue jeans for color.
 
The sail outline, seams, and reef bands were then laid out on the sailcloth using fine drafting pencils.  The sail design was based on the ships drawings and reference to Steel’s Elements of Mastmaking, Sailmaking, and Rigging.  Final dimensions were checked and adjusted to suit the model’s masts and spars.  The bottom edges and reef bands of all sails were curved and they were laid out using ships curves.  Note that if the sail design is not shown on the model drawings, it can be laid out using the model’s rigging plan and data from Steel’s Elements of Mastmaking, Sailmaking, and Rigging.
 
The seams and reef bands were sewn using hemp colored thread and a straight stitch (28-32 stitches per inch).  The bolt rope (.020 linen line) was sewn along the sail outline using hemp colored thread and a narrow zigzag stitch (approximately 3/64” wide and 28-32 stitches per inch).  Cringes were modeled by leaving small loops in the bolt rope at sail corners and reef points.  Note that all sewing of seams, reef bands, and the bolt rope were accomplished prior to cutting out the sails.
 
A thin line of Fray Check liquid was run over the zigzag stitching and bolt rope prior to cutting out the sails.  After allowing the Fray Check liquid to dry, the sails were cut out using high quality sewing sears.  Reef points were sewn on by hand and secured by Fray Check liquid using the same thread used for sewing the seams, reef bands, etc.  After completion, the sails were ironed using a steam iron set on cotton.
 
Halyards, tacks, downhauls, sheets, and the jib traveler were seized to the sails, and the fore and main sails were laced to the gaffs prior to mounting on the model.  Mast hoops were lashed to the sails using hemp colored thread after mounting to the model.  All sewn attachments to the sails were secured with Fray Check liquid.
 
Details of the model sails are illustrated in the following photographs:
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder

The Problem:
 
Anyone who has followed my HMS Terror scratch build may remember my issues with blackening brass fittings for the stern assembly. To briefly summarize, I immersed the parts in a standard 8:1 mixture of Blacken-It solution mixed with bottled water, waited until the parts turned the appropriate colour, then rinsed in bottled water to “neutralize” the reaction. I tried this several times on different parts and each time it resulted in a flaky, blotchy appearance that could not be made even despite buffing with a soft cloth.
 
 

Here is an image of my results. Note the blotchy and flaky texture.
 
Inspired by the fine results of other modellers on the boards, I resolved to master the “mysteries of the blue Liquid”.  I began with research; modelers, gunsmiths, jewellers, instrument makers, and mechanics all use various products and processes to chemically blacken metals and a great deal of information is available from forums, blogs, websites, magazines, and books.
 
With this knowledge at hand, I decided to conduct a series of trials to determine the best process for blackening metal using Blacken-it. I chose Blacken-it as it seems to be the most commonly used product on Model Ship World, and, perhaps more importantly, I had a supply available. However, the techniques I use here should be applicable to other metal blackening products.
 
Before I outline my tests I should begin with a note on safety:
 
The chemicals used in the blackening process are dangerous. Rubber gloves, safety goggles, and a well-ventilated room (or fume hood) must be used EVERY time you handle the chemicals.
 
The Process:
 
From my research, I learned that producing consistently good results requires seven steps, in this order:
1)      The surface of the metal should be mechanically prepared. This roughens the surface and removes synthetic coatings that are often used to give stock metal a shiny appearance.
2)      The surface of the metal should be treated with an acid pickle to remove any scale or corrosion.
3)      The metal should be cleaned with a solvent to remove organic contaminants such as oils, fingerprints, and other dirt.
4)      The metal is chemically coloured using a diluted blackening agent.
5)      The reaction should be “fixed” or halted, using a neutralizing solution.
6)      The surface of the metal should be buffed to remove excess blackening products and to polish the new surface.
7)      The metal should be coated in a protective agent to prevent corrosion, soiling, and damage (optional).
 
The Equipment:
 
My research indicates that the following chemicals most often produce consistent results:
1)      Muriatic acid (31.4%). This is commonly used to remove scale and corrosion on the surface of the metal.  Most hobbyists and professionals use 1:1 concentration of water and acid. Remember, you should always pour the acid into water, as it can be dangerous to pour water directly into acid. You can purchase muriatic acid in most hardware or pool supply stores.
 
2)      Deionized water. This tip was given to me by Druxy on these forums. I’m convinced that the blotchy, scaly results on my first use of Blacken-it were the result of my use of mineral-laiden bottled water. Dionized water is treated to remove mineral ions which could react with Blacken-it. Use the deionised water for all stages of the blackening process, including rinsing between baths, diluting chemicals, and for neutralization.
 
3)      Acetone (100%). This is a widely used degreasing agent employed to remove finger prints, oils, or other organic coatings which might contaminate the metal. It can be purchased at any hardware store.
 
4)      Baking soda. The final stage of the blackening process should include proper neutralization. A common solution is two table-spoons of baking soda in a cup (250 ml) of warm deionised water. Often, hobbyists will use running tap water to neutralize the reaction with good results; baking soda seems to be preferred by jewelers and instrument makers.
 

Here is a photo of the equipment I used in my tests.
 
The Tests:
 
My trials involved testing two variables: 1) the concentration of Blacken-It (undiluted, 1:1, 5:1, or 10:1), and 2) water neutralization versus baking soda neutralization.
 

The test parts prior to preparation.
 
Step 1: I thoroughly sanded the surface of my brass test parts with 400 grit sandpaper. This is similar to the preparation of any metal part even if it isn’t going to be painted or chemically coloured.
 
Step 2: I buffed the metal with ultrafine steel wool. Be certain to carefully remove any steel wool filings that remain as they can react with the chemicals used in the next stages.
 

The parts after mechanical preparation. 
 
Step 3: Immerse the part in muriatic acid (diluted 1:1 with deionised) water for 30 minutes. You can immerse the parts for longer, but the acid will eventually etch the surface and soften sharp edges and other details if you leave them in too long. You may notice that the pickle will change the colour of the brass or that some corrosion may appear – this is normal and is caused by impurities or inconsistencies in the metal.
 

 
Step 4: Rinse each part by agitating vigorously in a bath of deionized water for at least 10 seconds. Allow to dry thoroughly on a clean paper towel. Change the water in the bath for the next step.
 

 

Allow the parts to dry thoroughly.
 
Step 5: Immerse the parts in an acetone bath for 30 minutes.
 

 
Step 6: Rinse each part by agitating vigorously in a bath of deionized water for at least 10 seconds. Allow to dry thoroughly on a clean paper towel.
 

 

Allow the parts to dry thoroughly.
 
Step 7: Immerse the parts in the Blacken-it solution. Maximize the surface area of the part exposed to the chemical by placing it on end if you can. Gently, without scratching the surface, turn the part every few minutes to ensure all surfaces are exposed equally to the solution. Carefully monitor colour changes, and remove the part when the desired colour is achieved.
 

Different concentrations of Blacken-it. 
 

The parts after 30 seconds. 
 

After five minutes.
 

After 60 minutes (other parts removed when desired colour achieved). 
 
Step 8: Instantly dunk the part in the warm baking soda bath. Agitate vigorously for ten seconds. You will notice that the part will begin to corrode and a blotchy green or red film will cover the surface. Do not worry.
 

 

After a bath in the baking soda solution, the part will appear green (or sometimes red). 
 

Neutralizing with water leaves a cleaner surface (but caution is warranted, see below). 
 
Step 8: Carefully buff the part with a clean soft cloth (an old t-shirt works perfectly). Do not touch the part with your fingers. You will notice that the corrosion products resulting from the neutralizing bath will scrub away.  Buff until all portions of the part have an even colour; continue to buff if you want a shinier surface.
 

Buffing the parts fixed in the baking soda solution removes the green/red coating. 
 

After buffing, all the parts appear roughly similar in colour and finish from a distance (see below for differences). 
 
Step 9: Wait 24 hours to ensure the reaction was effectively neutralized. If “sweating” or pitting is noticed, the reaction was not properly neutralized, and a further rinse may be required. Usually the part can be salvaged by buffing with a soft cloth. Sometimes, it may need to be blackened again.
 
Step 10 (Optional): Spray the parts with a thin acrylic matte coating to protect the surface.
 

I use Krylon Matte Coat.
 
The Trial Results:
 
Undiluted Blacken-It solution:
 
The undiluted solution produced a very dark, but somewhat uneven black surface in about five minutes. Fixing the reaction with baking soda caused a significant amount of corrosion, but it was mostly removed by buffing. 
 

Undiluted immediately after buffing.
 
However, after 24 hours both parts began to sweat, indicating that the chemical reaction had not been neutralized even with a baking soda bath.  This is not unexpected, as the product guidelines indicate that the product is meant to be diluted.
 

Undiluted after 24 hours. 
 
Recommendation: Do not use undiluted solution.
 
1:1 Blacken-it Solution
 
This is the concentration recommended by the manufacturer. After ca. 10 minutes the part reached a deep black, but after neutralization with baking soda solution the surface appeared to be quite blotchy. After 24 hours the edges of the part began to sweat and corrode and the surface appeared pitted.
 

1:1 immediately after buffing. 
 

1:1 after 24 hours. 
 
The water neutralized part had a slightly more even surface, but unfortunately began to sweat after only 24 hours.
 

1:1 unfixed (water neutralization) after 24 hours.   
Recommendation: Do not use 1:1 solution.
 
5:1 Blacken-it Solution
 
The 5:1 solution required approximately 25 minutes to reach a deep black.  Immersion in the baking soda solution initially produced a green corrosion but buffing resulted in an even black surface. The part remained stable after 24 hours (and is still stable a week later).
 

5:1 immediately after buffing.
 
 
5:1 after 24 hours. 
 
The unfixed, water-neutralized part began to corrode at the edges after 24 hours.
 

5:1 unfixed immediately after buffing. 
 

5:1 unfixed after 24 hours. 
 
Recommendation: Works very well in conjunction with a baking soda rinse.
 
10:1 Blacken-it Solution
The 10:1 solution required approximately 60 minutes to reach a dark even black. Immersion in a baking soda rinse produced a slight corrosion, but buffing resulted in a very even and deep black surface (in my opinion better than the 5:1 concentration). The part has remained stable after a week.
 

10:1 immediately after buffing. 
 

10:1 after 24 hours. 
 
Similar results were achieved with the water-only neutralization, and the part remained stable after 24 hours. However, after ca. four days corrosion began to appear at the edges of the part.
 

10:1 unfixed after four days. 
 
Recommendation: The 10:1 solution performed very well in conjunction with a baking soda rinse, and in my opinion produced the best colour and surface.
 
Final thoughts:
 
1)      Fixing the parts by agitation in a warm baking soda bath appears to be a critical step in blackening brass, at least with Blacken-it. Even at lowest concentrations, and with a water-neutralizing rinse, the acidic reaction appeared to continue for some time, especially around edges and in nooks and crannies.  
 
2)      5:1 and 10:1 solutions appear to produce relatively similar results, even though they both require proper neutralization. The 10:1 solution appears to produce a slightly more even and deeper colour. Using Blacken-it at its recommended concentration is a waste of product and results in corrosion even after proper neutralization.
 
3)      Buffing is a critical step in achieving the proper surface appearance.
 
4)      I was able to rejuvenate “sweating” parts by dunking them in a baking soda solution and then buffing. Regardless, faint hints of the corrosion remained.

Minor milestone... Half of the 42 full frames have been installed.  Spacers have been glued into place and gunports are rought cut.  Final position with sills will be done after the first pass at fairing before the half frames are installed.   I'm finding minor tolerance build up issues but nothing that's a show stopper.  Anyway, here's piccy's....
 

Another minor update.
This time I decided to experiment a bit with my “woodcarving talents” ..
Note .. I have practically non-experience with woodcarving .. 
 
After having darkened the ornaments on the supplied metal plate it shows that they are not very detailed.
 

 
So again a bit creativity is needed to produce something more detailed.
The easiest part seem to be the lower part of it, so I started out with these.
 
The choice of wood I used:
It needed to be a light color and without much grain, the obvious choice would be boxwood ..
But finding boxwood for a reasonable price doesn’t seem to be that easy so, I decided to give it a try with abachi.
 
The tools I used:
- a very sharp scalpel (blade 11)
- a printout of the ornament on a sheet of transparent paper 
- electrical iron for transferring the printout on to the wood   
- a magnifier glass with light 
 
I started out with drilling holes for the openings and carved roughly the edges
 

 
Followed by carving the complete outline of the ornament 
 

 
After this I gently removed wood from the top and bottom to simulate the up/under “snake like pattern” I had pictured in my mind.
 

 
And "finally" starting to round all roughly cut edges into smoothly curved lines
 

 
It turns out for me that starting carving with abachi wood was not a bad idea after all.
It is a soft but firm wood and the grains are not that visible, but most important I find it very easy to shape with a scalpel  
 
..I must admit that I’m pleased with my first results.. 
 

For a better controlled process, build yourself a simple jig. Get 2 paint mixing sticks (for free from Home Depot), cut them to appropriate lengths (slightly longer than the length of your mast) and glue to each on one side a strip of medium grade sand paper.
At one end of such stick glue short piece of wood (spacer) of same thickness as the top of your mast, and at the opposite end glue two other spacers as thick as the bottom diameter of your mast, leaving center hole empty. Glue both sticks together. Especially helpful if you fabricate many identical parts.
 
 
 
Clamp your jig to the worktable.
 
Insert one end of your dowel into a chuck of a handheld drill and place the opposite end of the dowel into this center hole of your jig. Start your drill and gently press it into your jig, until it goes all the way. It will be stopped by the smaller spacer at the other end. Voila!
 
I saw this concept in the Polish shipmodeling forum - one modeler was fabricating a few dozen oars for his model. You can see it here (scroll down the page half way to see appropriate pics).
 
http://www.koga.net.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=44911&p=57251&hilit=galera#p57251

Hi everyone. Well, progress continues; albeit slowly!
 
I've started on the internal floors of the cabins/accommodation. The floors are individually planked and once sanded, they should look a treat! I then started marking the locations of the bulkheads, furniture, etc on the hull and the floors.
 
I also started to build the deck using a jig with the correct deck camber. The deck's fully planked on one side, whilst partially unplanked on the other side. This is done deliberately to allow the internal accommodation to be viewed. Both the deck and the floors are individually planked using strips of birch and wattyl respectively.
 
Admittedly, there's still a lot of finishing to get a good fit between the hull and deck, etc, but, that's all part of the fun of building, isn't it?
 
The hull has also been puttied and sanded, but I won't paint it until all the rough stuff is done. There's no point doing it now, only to find that I've accidentally damaged the paint during the building phase.
 
Hope you enjoy the photos.

Chainplates done!
 
My first thoughts when I read Chuck’s practicum on how to make these plates was ‘you've got to be kidding! ’  But taking some advice of one of my old professors, I had a good cry over how this is impossible and there’s no way I can do this and then got down to solving the problem.  After two trial attempts on some scrap brass strips and three failed attempts at the real thing I finally came up with a method that worked fairly well for me.
 
Some of the problems I had while working on the trial pieces was getting the drill bit to bite into the brass while at the same time trying to keep the holes in line and spaced properly.  I tried using a punch (brad) but all that did was dent the strip and it was still hard to line up the punch marks.   What I finally came up with to keep the holes in line was to scribe a line down the middle of the brass strip with a steel point.  I discovered later while drilling the holes that this not only helped with keeping the holes in line but also made it easier for the drill to bite into the brass.  To mark the location of each hole I made another scribe mark perpendicular to the center one.  This in effect made a center mark for the drill bit.  Once I made one plate that I was satisfied with I used it as a template for all the others.
 
Below are some of the other steps I preformed while making the chainplates.
 
1. Filed down the top portion of the plate that will form the hook at the top.  Found it easier to work with the entire brass strip and not cut it to size until I was finished with the piece.
 

 
2. Form the hook using a needle nose pliers and bent it around the tip of a pin.  At this point I test fit the hook into the hole on the caprail and marked where the first bolt hole should be located.
 

 
3.  Marked the bolt hole location, one at a time, and drilled the hole.  Repeated for the other two holes.
 
4. Marked the end of the plate and sniped it off the strip.
 

 
Note that all the scribe marks were done on the back of the plate.  And sorry for rambling on so.

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 67 – Lower deck framing continued
 
I had my small camera in the shop so I took this first picture with it.  It shows one of my more important tools.  No one would design this contraption this way from scratch.  It was first just a simple fixture to allow me to take overhead sequential shots during Naiad’s magazine construction.  It has since evolved into the adjustable mount shown below.  You can get seasick looking at some of the pictures taken with this but they can easily be rotated in post processing.  I take very many pictures including lots of in-hull close-ups and could not do without this thing. 
 

 
I take all the photos in available light using aperture priority so the camera is stopped down to increase depth of field.  Thus, the shutter speeds are quite slow requiring a mount.  Most of the pictures are still taken using an almost-normal tripod.
 
Pardon the digression, but I thought it might be of interest, since we cannot build ships any more without photography.
 
Back to the work.  In the next picture the beams are progressing forward.
 

 
The large opening is for the larger of the two rectangular, vertical fresh water tanks.  The half-beams and headers are pinned in place at this point.  The next picture shows a hanging knee glued to one of the half-beams. 
 

 
This knee was fit before the knee on the beam forward was in the way, but it will be glued in after that beam is installed.  The difficulty in holding these knees under the beams for fitting dictates some preplanning.
 
In the next picture all is installed on the starboard side and a pillar assembly is being marked for sizing under the beam.
 

 
In the next picture both pillars with their knees have been installed on the starboard side.
 

 
Next is a picture of the same area from further back.
 

 
In the next picture the beam forward of the smaller water tank has been glued in and the headers on either side are being installed with the help of a clamp.. 
 

 
The pillars on the port side have also been installed in this picture.  These last three beams all require lodging knees and ledges.  The last picture shows the current status of the framing.
 

 
Two full beams and two pair of half-beams remain to be installed to fill the void.
 
 
 Ed

Rigging is going on.  So far so good.  Looks a bit better when the forward stays are tight.  
 

The crew finally came to a mutual agreement on the cap rail color and decided to go with a medium brown stain.  I wanted a color that was not too dark so all the attachments to the rail would stand out more.
 
One problem I ran into and didn't realize it until after I installed the cap rail was that I didn't leave enough of an overhang on the outboard side of the bulwarks.  While reading ahead in the practicum on how to make and install the chainplates for the deadeyes, I realized the amount of overhang I left (~1/32”) was not going to be enough to install the chainplates through.   I thought about just cutting the plates into the bulwarks but thought I would have to cut them in too deep.  My solution was, in lieu of making a new rail, to carefully cut the rail off, then split the rail at the stern so I could spread it out a little on each side and then reattached it to the bulwarks.  Filled the gap with wood paste and stained it after it dried.
 

 
Made and installed the fairleads.  I used a small brass strip left over from the pintles for its base and the thin wire from the kit.  These were a bit of a challenge to solder.  Blackened them and glued them in place.
 

 
Made and installed the splash rail.  I formed the splash rail on a homemade jig made on a piece of ¾” pine.  I had traced the shape of the cap rail onto a piece of cardboard before I installed it (the first time) to layout the splash rail, then used finishing nails to form the curve and push pins to hold the piece in place.  I had soaked the wood strips for a few hours before putting them in the jig and then let them dry overnight.  Sanded them down to shape, painted and glued them in place.  I then filed the notch into the top of the rail.
 


 
I measured the location for the two masts from the plans and drilled the holes in the deck.  On the advise of my brother-in-law, who is an avid sailor, I put a coin in the bottom of the mast hole, I figured I could use all the luck I can get.
 

Now working on top mast shrouds using 3.5mm dead eyes....
Thought I might share this handy seizing jig for anyone interested.
Took me about 15 minutes to create this simple jig, using two wire stubs to secure the tiny deadeye on one upright and the second upright with a map pin used as belaying point to secure the two ends of the shroud nice and taunt whilst being perfectly seized.

Haven't quite got the hang of the picture thing!
 
If anyone out there can tell me how I can narrate an individual picture with a caption either before or after I would appreciate it.
 
Thanks,
 
Darrel

This morning I ventured into the garage, my shipyard, to try and file these little nine eye brackets down to size.  I put my Proxxon hand tool into its drill press and but a fine grinding wheel in it.  The first eye bracket worked like a charm but I still had to do the final dressing by hand.  It's now close enough to scale or at least it'll look okay on the  mine.  So, number one is done, eleven more to go.  
 
I managed to do two more and started on number four but ran into a problem with that one and had to remake it.  That's the one Gwen took a picture of as I was grinding away.  Even though the grinding wheel is very fine I can only use a very gentle tough on it.  The brass is so thing that it tends to snag.  But at least it is gentler on the fingers this way 
 
The afternoon, after lunch, I went grocery shopping at the local all natural organic vegetables.  I cooked dinner to give Gwen a break, her back has been acting up again and it's hard for her to stand for the duration of making dinner.  She appreciated it a lot and it was  also very tasty   
 
Here are a few pics for my archive I share with you.
 

This is my grinding setup for the eye brackets.  It's also my soldering station.  What's behind curtain 1 is my VOC ship "Surabaya."  I covered it to keep dust from inundating the poor thing.  Yeah, you'll still see some of the cannon port lid parts on the workbench.
 

Here I put number 1 bracket next to number 2 yet to be filed down.  The hole is 0.5 mm.  
 

Here I am approaching the grinding wheel with number 3 bracket. It will only work when I gently place the bracket on the "dragging" "leaving side" of the grinding wheel.
 
Cheers,

Another small update. I have decided on how to handle the deadeyes and chainplates. I am not yet happy with the results, but I will try to improve on them as I go along. In my defense, I can only say that the deadeyes are 1/16" diameter and the chainplates are .005" thick. It is all very SMALL.
 
The cap for the assembly is only held in place with a strip of bamboo right now.
 
All of what you see will get painted white.
 
One deadeye still needs to be rotated a bit counter clockwise, but I will take care of that in due course.
 
Russ

Bluenose Log #5.
 
Sorry for the extended gap in my build log.  We’ve been on holiday, with a wedding in Germany and a visit to the Holland, Belgium and Normandy.  Now back to work!
 
Prior to decking the quarter deck I ran into a slight dilemma.  The bulkhead extensions on the quarter deck had seen better days.  Some were gone and others were mere shadow of their former self.  I pondered for two days about how I could remove the stanchions and replace them with new 1/8 inch bulkhead extensions.  I really had no choice.
 
I removed all of the stanchions at the top of the bulkheads.  Obviously you can’t just glue stanchions back on without some additional support.  I reasoned that if I installed the waterway planks spaced exactly 1/8 of an inch apart and just resting on the bulkhead I might have a chance of creating enough glue area and support when I lock the stanchions in with the nibbing strike.  To my surprise it worked!  I aligned them correctly to accept the last two outside hull planks (Bulwark).  I’ve bumped them several times during the aft deck planking effort and none has given way.  I know this is almost a cardinal sin, but I got away with one.
 
The aft deck planking was somewhat more complicated due to the requirement to taper each plank in order to accommodate the deck taper to the stern.  I started out trying to carve the taper into the plank.  The small scale of the planking strips made it almost impossible to maintain a consistent taper.  I resorted to lining out the taper in pencil from the midpoint at the plank end up about six inches.  I then used a single edge razor blade to chop off the excess to form a consistent and true taper.  I edged each tapered plank with a soft lead pencil, but some of the simulated plank calking didn’t show up very well after much scarping and sanding.
 
Below you can see the decking effort about half way to completion. 
 

Greetings one and all.  I got to spend a great deal of quality time during May with the Emma C. Berry.  All frames have now been installed, and temporary batten installed along the deck line for support.  This will eventually be removed as the inside structure is installed.
 
The crew at the shipyard has been working hard on the frames and also on improving the build yard.
 

 
Unfortunately, the tide was rising more rapidly than they anticipated necessitating a relocation in the shipyard. (Yes, I am embarrassed to say, I did discover that she does float).
 

 
After a quick repositioning for one last bow-on shot. Note I will need to do a bit of work on the aft 4 frames on the starboard side (you may be able to pick out the flat spot near the stern_
 

 
Exercising great amounts of hindsight, the photo shoot relocated to higher ground.
 

 
And one final shot - I thought the shadows were interesting in this one.
 

 
And so, for the month of June, I will return my attentions to the Essex.
 
Appreciate any suggestions or observations on how to improve the lines on this lady.
 
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 66 – Lower deck framing continued
 
For those not yet exhausted by pictures of the inching along of the lower deck framing, here are some photos showing the latest progress.  In the first picture bolts have been installed in the tops of most of the forward beams.
 

 
The bolts represent fastenings for the hanging knees and the knees at the tops of the pillars.  There is also a bolt down through the beam into each pillar itself.  The next picture is a closer view of the bolts.
 

 
The glue – epoxy or CA – has not yet been sanded off in this picture.  The next picture shows bolting on the beams just ahead of the mizzenmast.  In this picture most of the glue has been sanded off.
 

 
The black bolts are dummies of black monofilament glued in with CA.  The shiny copper wire bolts are functional.  That is, they are epoxied through the beam into the members below and are lending strength to the glue joints of the hanging knees, the pillars and the beams themselves to the clamps.  The top of the framing will get a final leveling and final sanding after the ledges are installed.
 
The next picture is another view of this area.
 

 
The next picture shows the framing forward of the mainmast. 
 

 
Carlings have been installed back to the last beam with a pillar installed.  All of the lodging knees have been installed.  Hanging knees have been fitted to the two beams lying on the deck.  They will be the last to be installed.  At that point there will be no room for fitting the knees under the installed beams.  In the next picture almost all of the ledges have been installed in the aft section.
 

 
Note the irregular pattern of central ledges over the mizzenmast step.  Apparently these ships had supporting partners only at the main deck, so the mast opening is just framed on this deck.
 
The last picture shows another view of the forward framing.
 

 
The remaining framework gets more interesting.  There are a lot of half-beams and double pillars astride the main mast, main hatch and the water tanks.
 
 Ed