bhermann

I think I may be approaching the "home stretch". All the sails are hung and filled with wind to the best of my abilities and the colors are aloft.
Now is time for coils and more coils, what a messy crew leaving all the lines everywhere!
 
I stiffened and shaped all the sails with dilluted white glue. I attached the flags to the halyards with a tiny bead of CA.
 
I think all thats left to do are the coils, installing the swivel guns and any final clean-up and touch-ups.
 
Ken

I finally got my sailmaker to complate the topsail. I must say, anyone who has done sails for a full square rigged ship, my hats off to you!
I'm overall happy with the results, but it was certainly challenging.
I shaped the sail, then stiched it to the topsail yard and then loosly rigged it to the spreader yard.
I then hung this assembly with the topsail yard halyard and attached the yard parrels.
Next the spreader yard jeers.
Then I did the sheets, clewlines, and lifts.
I then added two buntlines which I cleated at the spare shroud cleats #3.
Finally I did the Braces for both yards.
 
I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel, just 3 foresails, rope coils, swivels and final clean/touchup.
 
Ken

Kimberly
 
Given the number of bumps molded into the hull, I'd say you did a very good job.  As Harvey said, we are often our own worst critics and we can drive ourselves crazy trying to get everything "perfect".  The good news - when you get to the larger scale Conny down the road, those bumps (which are part of the chain plates) will be separate pieces that get attached after the stripe is painted, which will make the taping off much easier.  Sometimes the small scale plastic models try to put so much pre-formed detail into the mold that it makes it very difficult to work with.
 
If you had started your taping-off experiment with the copper plating, you would have gotten a better feel for how well the process can work.  There is much less in the way at that section of the hull and it is possible to get a much cleaner tape and paint line down.  I agree with Harvey, take a step away for a day or two, work on something else, and then come back to this.  You may find that it looks better than you think it does right now.  It's always that "patience" thing .  I have heard it said that patience is the most important tool in the toolbox, and the more I do this, the more I believe it.
 
Bob

After many days cementing these small slats to the deck I finally put the last ones on this morning and added dye where needed.  As far as I'm concerned it looks okay, not great but acceptable. Gwen, the Admiral, says it shows character.  
 
Now I have to make a decision what project I should tackle next.  Hatch hinges?  Torpedo loading gantries?  Mines?  Torpedoes?  Finishing the AA guns?
I guess it'll have to be the hinges.  This'll be slow going - - - I'll be taking my time with this.  Not an easy project  because it's all part of an afterthought.  As mentioned before, I did not plan to make certain things workable but alas, after seeing the model of the O21 I got this wild eyed idea to do something similar.
 
Okay, I took the model outside and shot a bunch of pictures in front of the garage door.  This time I put the boat on two bricks which made for better pics.  I may not post all of them here - - - just too many - - - I got carried away, again.  Well, I kinda like the model as she looks now     
Hope all yuns like them.
 

Starboard side profile
 

Top view from the bow
 

Top view of forward deck from bridge area.
 

Looking aft along the hull from the bow.
 

Looking forward along the hull from the stern.
 

Top view looking forward.
 

Looking forward directly into the stern
 

Top view if the deck looking forward.
 

Looking at the forward deck from the bridge area.
 

Aft deck view towards the aft side of the con.
 

Gwen, the Admiral, took this pic to give all y'all an idea of the size of the model.  I'm 5 feet 8 inches tall.
 
Cheers.

Tonight I spent a couple hours working on the fore mast.
 
I started by spending 20 minutes straightening the replacement dowel that MS sent. It was bent in a S-curve that was at least 1/16" in each direction.
 
I used a set of pliers to burnish the high side while bending the dowel past straight. I ended up with a section that was within 1/32" of true. Close enough. I will be able to pull any remaining curvature out when I add the standing rigging.
 
After that I added the octagon shape at the base and cut it to the 13-1/2° angle called out in the plans. In the picture the fore mast looks quite a bit more vertical but it's only 2° less than the main mast. The lens on my iPhone makes it look much more than it is. It's not perfectly positioned for the picture either. I will use the standing rigging to set the masts in the proper location when it comes to that point.
 

 
It's time to clean up the workspace I think!

Kimberly -
 
I think I see what you mean about it being difficult to get a smooth line for the tape.  I took a closer look at the photos and I see the molded bumps on the hull that fall in the middle of where the tape would run.  This is one of those places where you need to go slow to get a good result.  As you lay the tape down, use something to push the edge so that it forms a nice tight seal against the protrusions.  There is no substitute for taking it slow. The suggestions that Harvey and Andy made about sealing the tape line before applying any white paint are good ones too.
 
Finally - another "take your time" opportunity - it may take more than one coat of the white paint to get good coverage.  Resist the notion that you need to put down one thick coat of white to get the job done.  You will get a better result and less paint bleed if you do multiple thin coats, letting the paint dry between coats.
 
It will be interesting to see how you make out with the paint pen.  A steady hand might solve all your problems!
 
Bob
 
 

Hi all,
 
The hull is finished.  When they rebuilt Lettie, which is what the drawings were taken from, the fore deck was raised to match the poop deck.  That’s why the deck measurement is longer.  They also extended the monkey rail all the way to the bow.  In trying to restore Lettie to original condition I installed the monkey rail around the stern, only up to the step in the deck.
 
I’m going to do something different this time.  I’m going to paint the hull and then install the deck.  On the one hand I won’t have to mask the deck; on the other it will be harder to sand the deck.  Well that’s how we learn.
 
Bob
 

 

 

I don't know if this would be the right size or not for your needs, but steel guitar strings have something very similar to a thimble in one end. You probably can modify one of those to fit your needs. It'll cost you a few pennies to research that.

Bob - I have spent about 2 years doing the 4th option. So now I want to have fun with a relatively easy model.
 
And yes I plan on painting her. No unpainted or uncoppered hulls for this guy! You might see my planking!!

Thanks Augie and Ben!
 
Hi Mark,
 
Yes toys I mean tools are great! I can see where a duplicator would be a god send!
Edit...Though it's not a Sherline the Unimat link was very informative.
Re-edit: Sherline version is great too.
Re-re-edit: Vanda-lay link will save me a bunch of searching.
Re-re-re edit: Do-over's. It seems everyday has to many do-overs!
Thanks Joe.
druxey, the design and execution is a bit over my head at this point but maybe in the future.
 
Ok here is the result of the duplication. An acceptable job. Not perfect but they won't be
right next to each other so all should be good.
 

 
 

Kimberly
 
This looks like it will be a good study preparing for the larger scale build.  I understand that having visual references works better than trying to read text.  If you haven't yet, make sure to check out Jays (Modeler12) Constitution build.  He has done a very good and detailed job of documenting the rigging on his build.  Being able to see that might be a big help to you.  I will be following along here with interest.  Enjoy, and take the time to learn.  This one will be better than the last, aand the next will be better than this one.
 
Bob

Thanks Popeye and Bob.  
 
Well the ships complete!  I took a plethora of photos for your enjoyment.  
 

 

 

 
  
 

 

 

Getting there Allan, just have to finish these platforms ....
And Druxey, I suspect the blood is a sign - a message to suggest it is time to wrap it up for the night.
 
This update is just a note to show that I'm still at work, even if the progress doesn't show. I had been working on the aft magazine and got to the point of working on the light room. As there will be more light rooms in the forward magazine, I decided to see if I could mass produce these. To do this, I ripped a length of wood (Matai), then using the tilted blade on the table saw, cut the angles profile of the light box.

Then I milled out the enclosure to make a rough box ....

(this was a test piece that was discarded)
Which I then carved to form my interpretation of the light box ....

....Which was then discarded as the door was
Too high
Too wide
The cross boards were round the wrong way.
But the photo was quite good so I kept that
I then added the window frames to the box (but haven't done any glass for it), and it now resides in the magazine.

 
I had also added the "spiral staircase" access ladder as well

 
By this stage, I had spent considerable time working on this tiny room that in all likelyhood will never be seen ..... when the Vacuum God visited and sucked up my newly built light room access ladder
 
I took this as a sign that I should take a break from the Aft Magazine, and move on to the middle platform and lower well. So I left the aft platform in this state ....


 
And moved on. The deck beams were easy enough to do. I chose not to do any round up on them, milled the rabbet for the deck planks and chiseled the mortices for the carlings. Having checked their heights when sitting in the notches chiseled in the orlop deck clamps, I then started on the lower well. At this point I found I had a problem. The main mast step sits too far back if I allow room for the elm tree pumps (frame 7 aft), so has to be moved forward over the recesses.

 
I am unsure what I might have done wrong here, but to be honest I am comfortable with the way everything is sitting. I wonder if the elm tree pump recess should have been in frame 7 fwd and not 7 aft, or perhaps 8 aft, aft of the step and fwd of the chain pump recess? In this shot, the aft of the step is sitting on 8 fwd and extends over 7 aft, covering the recess.

This is the well in place, the main mast step has had the bolts and wedges fore and aft added, and I have put two blocks with dowel in place for positioning the chain pump shafts later.
 
Regardless of the above issue, I am more than happy with how the middle platform is turning out so far.

 
I am adding limber boards under the platforms as I go, mainly to try and stop all the scraps falling into the channels. When I get to the forward platform, I will be returning to the aft as well to add the racks and other furniture.
 
Cheers
Rob

Adding netting to the mast tops.  I had delayed this step until the rigging was near completion, knowing that I'd snag it or find some way to destroy it.  The same black tulle used for the hammock netting was used for the tops.
Tulle netting measured and glued (C/A) outside the area to be fitted on the mast.  Two cuts marked on the bottom to fit over blocks.
 

 
Lacing the netting to the hand rail on the foretop (Similar to the hand rail on the quarterdeck).
 

 
Netting laced on hand rail, lashed to outer stantions and glued (Fast C/A) to the aft end of the foretop.
 

 
Netting on the maintop
 

 
Note the netting is visible on the aft end of the foretop, with a similar appearance on the maintop.
 

 
A thin veneer, 3 mm. wide was glued over the exposed netting on the foretop and main top
 

 
The mizzen top before and after adding the veneer.
 

 
Next step:  Adding the yard braces.  Cheers, Gil
 
 
 

Build log part 41
 
 
 
SAIL MAKING
 
 
 

this is the Basic sail Cloth, fine woven Cotton from warehouse IKEA
 

the different threads, all 100% Polyester thread
 

textile glue for prefixing the folded edges (instead of Fixing with needles)
 

this is hollow woven Polyester-line (will be used for boltropes)
 

first take the sails dimensions, horizontal width on top an bottom, vertical lengths
and draw a paper pattern (template for transfering dimensions to Cloth)
 

Cloth is then moisted (and spray-starched) and irond dry, then do transfered pencil markings on Cloth.My recomended procedure is to add all around twice additional parallel lines in 4mm distance fron another. Leave some additional Cloth all around ! That will give stability to the Cloth when sewing
then mark the cutaways in the corners (cut later on)
The vertical "seams" on the sail resemble the the individual Cloth breadths ( in scals here 7-8mm)
 
 

the stain is what hapens if the iron is left on the Cloth too Long, well most of the stain will be cut away afterwards
 

 
 

here handscetch how the edges are folded twice, how and when the glue for Fixing is applied, and how and where the boltrope is attached by laying a zick-zack stitch over the centered bolt rope. Need some experience
 
 

the bottom boltrope, only This one !, (The hollow woven Polyester thread) is reinforced with a thin (0,4mm) springhard stainless steel wire. The wire is pushed into the threads Soul by rounding the wire edge thorrowly before. Leave Surplus wire Ends Standing out. You shall bend Loops to the Ends later on
 
 
 
Will be continued.....
 
I hope it has been understandable so far, be assured it works well
 
Would love to receive some Feedback from whoever tried this procedure (preferably the "never give up" type)
 
 
 
 
Build log part 42 to follow....
 
Nils

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 46 –Inboard structural members continued
 
Work on the starboard side, inside of the hull, continued.  The iron strapping on that side is complete, except for a bit of repair work.  The first picture shows the use of an Incra rule taped to the paper cutter to assist in cutting the straps to accurate widths.
 

 
The sheet is first squared up on the cutter and then advanced 1/16” after each cut.  The indexing holes on the rule could be used, but I found this unnecessary and rely on my eye.
 
Below is a picture of strips after slitting on the cutter.
 

 
Fortunately, these straighten out easily and quickly when held in a vise and pulled with pliers.  After that they are blackened with LOS before installing.  They are held in place with copper “riveted bolts” made from 22-gauge copper wire.  These are more like nails, being pushed into a tight hole, then clipped off, then peened over with a small hammer – as shown below.
 

 
Once the strapping was finished, the deck clamps on this side could be installed back to the stern.  The next picture shows a scarph joint being marked on the next piece. 
 
 

 
Initially I fitted the next of these joints on the bench, but identifying them and keeping track became more trouble than doing it in situ – with equivalent results.
 
The next picture shows the right angle Dremel drill boring holes for the through bolts.
 

 
I don’t use this tool much.  It is large and has a good kick when starting, but it is indispensable for drilling “normal” bolt holes down in the hull.  I use it with a Foredom foot pedal speed control, plus the speed contol on the tool to keep the speeds low and to avoid it jumping out of the center-mark.
 

 
The 22-gauge copper wire used for the bolts is a sliding fit in the holes.  An end is dipped in epoxy and pushed through the holes.  The outside is then touched with epoxy and the wire pulled back in.  These bolts are never coming out.  They will be sanded off flush and those that are visible will be blackened later.  Many on this side will be covered with planking.
 
Fastening the deck clamps is pretty easy work, but the 8 x 8 ceiling members at the turn of the bilge are another matter.  The curve of the hull where they are placed can be seen in the next picture.
 

 
These require some serious clamping and long waits for the glue to set.  I usually bolt them in place with the epoxy wherever possible before removing the clamps.
 
I am being extra cautious – as well as authentic – in the bolting through every frame because of the copper plates between the frames and the inboard members.  I don’t trust the glue alone on these joints.  The hull is now becoming extremely rigid.
 
The last picture shows a strake of bilge ceiling being attached toward the stern – intersecting with the lower deck clamp.
 

 
This picture also shows the strapping toward the stern.  Not too much of it is damaged.  I straighten our any problems as each wood member is added.  Most of the strapping on this side will only be visible from outside the hull – through the frames.
 
And so it goes…
 
 Ed

If the wood is soft and wet you can slightly bend (edge set)  and it will stay in that shape when dry.  Harder woods cannot be easily edge set and will lift. 
There are several write ups on this site on planking, including spiling.  Why fight the wood when you can cut it to  the shape that will allow it to lay without trying to fight the wood?
 
Allan

A number of people use lego bricks clamped to the keel and then the bulkheads clamped to the bricks to achieve perfectly aligned bulkheads. It's a simple but effective method. 

Build log part 40
 
 
 

forecastle deck, ships bell attached
 

poopdeck
 

view to completed highdeck
 

Forward welldeck
 

view on starbord side, ratlines under way on third mainmast
 

not any suplus space...
 

I tried to Keep it tidy though
 
 
 
Build log part 41 to follow
 
That one shall be comprising the sail making.....
 
 
Nils

Build log part 38
 
 
Here come some Pictures I made whilst daylight ilumination, I find they are sharper and better in colour Quality than those made in the Hobby room
Trust the sail making shall then start with log part 41
 
 
 
 

it has now nearly been 2 years since the Pamir was keellayed at Nils`s shipyard
Deck has just been cleaned up for inspection
 

the shrouds are fitted, but ratlines still missing
 

tackled Davits at starboard aft boatstation, boats strapped down
 

all bow stays set through tightly secured
 

the day for relaunch after the 1951 changes is coming nearer day by day
 

portside view to the ships comand- and control area on highdeck
 

second hatch area on foreward welldeck
 

portside aft boat on its cradles with functional strapp down device
 

all paint touchups done
 

view on the Jarvis winch for the third masts bracing tackle
 
 
 
 
Build log part 39 to follow....
 
Nils

Build log part 37
 
 
 
 

self explaining, this and the two next pics
 

 

 
 

now nearly ready for the sails set
 

but first I have to begin the glass case
 

 

 

 

 

the brass engraved nameplate, this shall go into the glasscase, attached on brackets
 
 
 
before I move on to the sail making part, I have a set of Pictures taken with daylight ilumination which turns out a much better Quality than the hobbyroom lights. It shall show the ship ready to take on the sails.
After that set of Pictures, I shall Show the results of my own sail making (and sewing) Trials, because I found nobody that would do it for me...
 
 
 
 
Build log part 38 to follow

As I am waiting for the last game of the Olympic Ice hockey I have been working of on my Harvey for a while..... and long before,   ( updates has been asked for)
Planking is complete and all is with 1.5mm walnut first layer..... and only layer.
However, I do like the finish even without any finish. There is several more steps before any painting will happen.
I tried to use minimal wood filler and where it is filled, a combo of wood-filler and dust from wood has been combined for the matching.
Additional sanding is needed but I am ready to for the next step of planking.... yeah! finally!

You would need to be VERY careful to get all of those bulkheads aligned EXACTLY so that the dowel would pass through them and they seat then correctly on the profile former. I would simply square each bulkhead up as you install it and then maybe add blocks in between the bulkheads. This would strengthen the hull without risky an all too likely misalignment of the bulkheads.
 
Russ

Peak halyard to poop deck, port.  Throat halyard similar to starboard.
 

 
Looking aft from starboard.
 

 
End of driver gaff
 

 
Now on with the fun stuff.  Gil

On with the Driver Gaff.  Preparing to rig the gaff.
 

 
Driver boom and gaff rigged.
 

 
Topgallant and topmast yard braces to blocks on driver gaff. Driver gaff vangs (or guys) with tackle leading to the taffrail.
 

 
Cont......in next post.