bhermann

No problem - the whole log is backed up, as I have been at this for almost seven years.  I simply soldered some brass eyes (or maybe galvanized steel) out of wire, drilled holes into the spreader, glued them in and painted the whole mess white.  BTW, I just looked at what you did with the toothpicks and am impressed!  It is an elegant solution.  In any case, feel free to ask about anything at any point.  It may help someone else, and it certainly doesn't hurt me to go back over details from the past.
 
Bob

Kim
 
Nice job on finishing up another build.  Masts and rigging seem to be the main issue for many builders here, but with experience you will improve.
 
If I could make one suggestion, it would be that you stop more often to post progress pictures and ask detailed questions about things that are driving you crazy.  There really are a lot of people here who have been through what you are going through and who are more than willing to share their expertise.  Model ship building is not a race and the result is rarely improved by rushing through steps or attempting things blindly on your own.  Posting on your log more often will do two things.  It will slow you down a bit, and give you the chance to get things clear in your mind before getting to a point where you are not completely happy with the result.
 
I look forward to seeing your Conny get underway - stay warm - Winter is almost over!
 
Bob

Build log part 35
 
 
 
 

foreward welldeck with deckhousing and foreward boat Station (no shrouds fitted yet)
 

boatstation with capstan underneath, skid device for pushing boat back
 

slowly getting somewhere
 

chart- and wheelhouse
 

view on poopdeck
 

skylighthousings and small vent
 

chart- an wheelhouse completed
 
 

highdeck completed
 

 
 

lifevest containments
 
 
 
Build log part 36 to follow....
 
Nils

I finished my Pinta.  The tiny little rigging things with the holes in them were really tough, and I had to figure out how to do them on my own.  I am not sure I did them right, but I was pretty proud of myself for doing them.  I am afraid my Pinta did not turn out so great, but I worked hard on it, and I didn't give up.  The boat part ended up looking great, but it is still the masts, sails, and rigging I have a lot of problems with.  My front mast ended up being crooked.  Here is the finished ship:
 

 

 

 

 

 
I am not giving up on model ships.  I am starting the Revell 1:196 Constitution (the small one).  This will be my 2nd time doing it.  This time I am going to do all the painting on it, and do more rigging on this one.  I truly hope I will get better at this the more I do it.  After this one, I am going to do my 1:96 Constitution that I got for Christmas. 

So, I've been thinking about fairleads on the mast around the spreaders.  The scale is small and I want to make something that looks good, but isn't too far out.
 
I came up with the idea of wrapping  wire around toothpick, then coating it with superglue and letting it dry well.

Then I took a razor saw and cut the toothpick close on both sides, filed it a bit and drilled a hole in it.  This is what I go.

Held up the spreaders, it looks like this. I would paint it before installing it.

 
You may also notice on this last photo that I attached the brace to the forward spreader by drilling a hole in the spreader.  I didn't think I could make anything else look good.
 
Comments or better methods appreciated- Especially what you know about the scale.  I'm a flatlander and have no idea what these things looked like on real wooden ships.

Thank you all for stopping by and the likes.
 
Thanks Dubz.
 
Mark I wouldn't want to be standing next to when it was fired let alone be down range
when she let loose!
 
Thanks Bob I am really happy with how she looks.
 
Hi Grant. Sorry to disappoint but I played with one 1/2" dowel while waiting for the rod to arrive.
 
Now I will make a confession. Machine equipment is no stranger to me. When I was a
young'in I had training in machining engines. I could bore an engine block, hone a cylinder
or machine a head to a couple of thousandths. I just never played with a lathe. Also it's
been 37 plus years since I used any of that equipment  so I wasn't sure if any feel was left.
 
Now all you lathe users I have a bit of a bone to pick with you! No one ever mentioned how
messy these things are. Now I'm no neat freak by any means but man it makes a mess.
 

 
Here is a the cannon barrel turned to the correct taper .
 

 
And here it is completed except I have now realized that I don't have a cut off tool!
 

 
 Oh goody something new to get! I can see where this can be very addictive.      

I have gathered some of my build accompaning handscetches for those of you who would like to see some of the thoughts brought down to paper, not necessarily Showing the last executed Version but Trial scetches, etc....
Sorry if the Quality of the pencil scetches is not the best, but here the Pixel size for posting is limited to 1200 x 1600, it would`nt work otherwise
Trust the Content is self explaining
 
Scetches part 1
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
12 more scetches to follow
 
Nils

Build log part 31
 
 
 

using ordinary string to simulate the shroud wires best fit and spaces (get even spacing for neat ratlines)
 

here gaff sail booms of the mizzen mast
 

put ratlines to the 2nd Level shrouds, I am getting a bit worried about if there would remain enough space to fit the running rigging, and to sheave to the deck blocks well, next to having Access to all the pin belaying in this scale 1:96 ...
 

the chains go through the mast (integrated rollers)one end connected to the vertical hoistable Yards, the other end connected to the appropriate tackles and the wormgear winches
 

the backstay wires go through the gallant platforms guide holes
 

the Forward boats go behind the backstays, the skids and cradles still to be mounted on the supports
 

although the welldecks hardly have spare spaces, there remains still sufficient room for the Crew at work
 

the Tackling for the third mast bracing rig goes to the poopdeck pinrack via this bumpkin and its blocks
 

These catwalks provide Swift Crew-transfer from poop to forecastle, due to waist-high railing even in rough weather an espcially with overcoming seas on deck
 
 

the masts stays are anchored at deck bothsides of the appropriate mast in front
 
 
 
Build log part 32 to follow....
 
Nils

Thanks for the nice compliments.
 
 
 
Sure, if I can hire you to do the drafting of the furniture, as I love your drawings. So just send your idea's and we'll make it a joint effort.
 
The upper half of the cupboard as two features, one shelf for pots and one to hold plates, I got the idea of some pictures I found of galleys.
 

 
 
 
Remco

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 45 –Inboard members continued, Stern fairing and half-frame bolting continued.
 
American Clipper Historical Note: In 19th Century America, forest resources were plentiful, in fact they seemed limitless.  For these reasons, and due to the immaturity of the American iron industry, ships with wood structures continued to be built throughout the century and into the 20th.  Several domestic species found their way into American-built ships.  White oak, very similar in species to English oak was the primary material used for structural components.  However, the less plentiful but superior species, live oak from forests in the southeastern states, was often specified for critical components.  It was almost 50% stronger than white oak and the shape of the growth lent itself to knees and curved members.  Joshua Humphreys specified live oak for the original American 44-gun frigates and crews from the northern shipyards went south to harvest the requirements.  Another southern species that was widely used in American ships was hard pine, also known as longleaf pine.  This plentiful timber had 90% of the strength of white oak and was roughly the same weight.  Hard pine was used for beams, planking and knees.  White pine, the species most associated with the term “pine,” was lighter, softer and less strong – only about 50% in strength compared to white oak.  It was often used in planking weather decks.  Other species of pine – pitch pine, yellow pine, red pine – were also used.  Another important species was black locust.  Its hardness, straightness and strength – 35% stronger than white oak  - found wide use for treenails and often for pillars.  Various other structural woods were used, but these were the primary species.
 
Young America’s structure was largely white oak – most frames, central sections of the keel and keelson, stem, stern posts, hanging knees.  But it is very probable that a significant number of important members were of live oak – parts of keel and keelson, keelson riders, hooks, some frame timbers.  Hard pine was used for beams, inboard and outboard planking, waterways, deck clamps, binding strakes, lower deck  planking and deadwood.  Lodging knees would have been pitch pine.  Exposed decks were white pine.  Pillars and treenails were locust.  Other decorative works were of other species and will be described later.
 
For the model, I an using Swiss pear wherever oak – white or live – was used.  Hard and pitch pine members will be Castelo.  Weather decks may be holly – not decided.  Most of the work covered so far has been in pear, but Castelo has been evident in the last few posts in the bilge ceiling and deck clamp construction.
 
 
Work described in the last part continued.  In the first picture the deadwood near the sternpost is being smoothed with a #0 cut Grobet riffler after paring with gouges. 
 

 
When the fairing of the aft part of the lower hull was finished, the bolts securing the aft half and cant frames were installed.  The next picture shows this in progress.
 

 
Holes were drilled deep into the keelson/deadwood.  Copper wire dipped in epoxy was then inserted and moved in and out to distribute the glue internally.  The wire was then clipped off as shown.  The stains on the wood in the picture are  from isopropanol used to wash off excess epoxy and has not yet dried.  The heads of the bolts will be sanded off flush and blackened just before the final wood finish is applied.  They were iron.
 
The next picture shows the lower hull after this bolting.  Bolts will be much more visible when black.
 

 
Finish sanding and polishing of these areas will be done later.  The next picture shows the stern framing from directly aft.
 

 
Work inside the hull on the strapping, deck clamps and bilge ceiling continued.  In the next picture a strake is being glued on the upper side of the band.  Strapping below the bilge ceiling has been added.
 

 
One of the lower strakes is being glued in the next picture. 
 

 
After the glue has dried, all of these strakes are bolted through every frame with epoxy at both ends of each bolt.  These bolts, also iron, will be blackened later.
 
This internal work is going to take some time.  I switch between iron strapping and ceiling planks when I can - to battle the tedium of repetitive work – not my strong suit.
 
 
 Ed

Cutting out all of those gun ports was also painful.
Lesson Learnt - I was only gluing the strakes at the ribs. But when you cut out the gun ports, the strakes that had a little bend in them straighten out or worse - fall out.
Next time I will glue the planks to each other, especially just below the bulwarks there gun ports will be cut out.

Build log part 30
 
 
 
 

ongoing rigging operations
 

wire chord stays and backstays
 

beginning Tackling for bracing (including the Jarvis winches)
 

in backgroung some of the backstay spanners to be seen
 

spanners for shrouds laying ready to be tackled
 

 
 

the bracing winch for the third mainmast is on the poopdeck, note, the vents have been moved aside slightly
 

stays and backstays already under tensile stress, masts to be kept in alignment carefully, continious crosscheck every now and then
 

Yards are braced "to the shrouds" in staggerd angles for the different Yard elevations
 
 

Mars top platform of the second main mast
 
 
 
 
Build log part 31 to follow....
 
Nils

Build log part 29
 
 

one of the tree masttops
 

topgallant platform painted
 

upper shrouds being fastened
 

beginning with stays and backstays
 

 
 

anchorcrane on forecastle deck
 

some of the Yards, the openings shall be closed with semiround caprivets later on
 

beginning to rig the yards
 

forestays and their spanning devices
 

Drydock view
 
 
 
 
Build log part 30 to follow....
 
Nils

ROUND TOOTH PICKS (Yet one more use)
 
As  "plugs" to temporarily fix the line in their belaying pin holes, while making adjustments and making sure everything is as it should be.
I use these instead of the actual belaying pins as these are easier to handle, and if one is lost, it really doesn't matter.
Once I'm sure everything is OK I glue the definitive pin in the hole, and add the coil. Photos of this last step later.

For cutting shapes on the long axis, I would mark exactly the shape I needed with a pencil, then carve or whittle the plank with a very sharp razor knife until almost to the pencil lines, then sand the rest off down to the line.

I thought I would just post the final result of everyone's advice here.
Thinner line for the flag halyard.
Small cleat installed on the mainmast.
Toggle above the flag, eye splice below.
Eye splice in the halyard for the toggle, sheet bend to attach the halyard to the eyesplice below the flag.
A little extra length in the halyard to join the two ends when a flag is not being flown.
 
And I added a few small drops of cyano to keep the flag in the direction I wanted.
 
And my first wood model is done! Thanks a bunch, mates.
 

Build log part 27
 
 
 
 

overview aft welldeck
 

checking with one of the 4 aft boat davits
 

space positioning for wheel- and Chart-house as well as other deck housings on highdeck
 
 

looking where to place lifevest Containment on aft boatstation
 

spacing aft poopdeck housings
 

the shipyard Management is quite happy with the progress so far
 

again checking mast positions
 

Forward welldeck Davits mounted
 

port lavatory door on aft welldeck
 

pig Kennels, port / starboard (for live pork) behind the forecastle bulkhead not fitted yet
 
 
 
Build log part 28 to follow....
 
Nils

LOL - if you do order the tap and die set make sure to get both RH and LH threads - so you can make those working turnbuckles!
 
I am not at a complete standstill - in fact my mind is going 200 mph, even though the build itself is crawling.  I did manage to finish making and cutting out the templates for the sail set.  Don't know if I'll use the fisherman sail, but I have it if needed.  I may add a third reef band to the mainsail - it seems too large not to have the option.
 
The sails laid out:
 

 
and where they are going to:
 

 
A closer look at the destination.  I see the mast hoops are too thick, but I have to remember I have a few extras on the mast in case of breakage.
 

 
Still working out the details of sail construction in my mind.  I am pretty clear on drawing the hem lines, not stitching them.  I am debating on whether to fold the hems over and glue them, or to get an iron-on edge and trim that to the actual sail size.  Anyway, here are a couple of shots of where I am at the moment.
 
Bob

LOL - if you do order the tap and die set make sure to get both RH and LH threads - so you can make those working turnbuckles!
 
I am not at a complete standstill - in fact my mind is going 200 mph, even though the build itself is crawling.  I did manage to finish making and cutting out the templates for the sail set.  Don't know if I'll use the fisherman sail, but I have it if needed.  I may add a third reef band to the mainsail - it seems too large not to have the option.
 
The sails laid out:
 

 
and where they are going to:
 

 
A closer look at the destination.  I see the mast hoops are too thick, but I have to remember I have a few extras on the mast in case of breakage.
 

 
Still working out the details of sail construction in my mind.  I am pretty clear on drawing the hem lines, not stitching them.  I am debating on whether to fold the hems over and glue them, or to get an iron-on edge and trim that to the actual sail size.  Anyway, here are a couple of shots of where I am at the moment.
 
Bob

Moving aft on the model, I decided to rig the spanker boom and the spanker gaff boom next.
The spanker boom was quite simple to rig and included a support structure made from 0.8 mm bras wire and painted.
 

 
The next photo shows the completed running rigging of the spanker boom.
 

 
And a close up photo of one of the blocks.
 

 
The lines are secured to an eye bolt in the deck. It is simply tied to the bolt with a half hitch and a drop of CA added. To finish of the job, I tried to add a rope coil which is glued to end of the tied line. The supplied rigging line is made from some sort of nylon, I think, and is very difficult to work with. It took quite a while to make it. I taped some masking tape to the table upside down and slowly laid down the line to form the coil. Finally, it was covered with diluted wood glue and left to dry overnight. It was then quite easy to pry it of with a scalpel and move it to the deck. However, I think it is going to be difficult to coil the rope this way in the real world. The end of the line should be in the middle I guess 
 

 
Luckily, I'm not going to make too many of this type of coils but I'm not looking forward to making all the rope coils for the pin rails.
 
Now on to the rigging of the spanker gaff boom.
 
/Lars Peter

Worked on main mast a bit this afternoon.  I understand that the practicum I bought would produce a nice model, but I have been bitten by the "real detailed real metal" bug.  As such, I started working on the main mast band for the futtock shrouds.
 
First, I used the mast to form the loose metal, then I soldered it up and finally added some elongated rings.  I'm not sure how accurate historically this is.
 
I think once painted it will be great.  The instructions say either white or galvanized.  I'm thiking galvanized or black. 
 
If all else fails, I'm creating a story where the ship's blacksmith had kidney stones the day these were made and an apprentice was pressed into service.
 

 
BTW, Two thoughts,
 
1) I notice this isn't the normal way to make rings.  I hope it works out.
2) Am I supposed to clean my work area before making photos?

Glenn
 
I have made quite good experience in using copper-tape as David is describing, and using a poncewheel as you mentioned, and it conforms to the hulls curves very well. If you do the copper stripes in a way of e.g. 4 or 5 "resembled plates" at a time. (length of stripes) you should be finished before you are old.
And a Major Advantage is you are not Messing around with CA, ruining your fingertips...., because of well sticking tape instead.
The ponced copper surface can be flattend off a bit afterwards, before the tape strips are put on.
Have a look below and see what I mean
 
Nils
 

 

 

I have fallen horribly behind with updates to my build. Catch up time! On of the major considerations with this build has been that of trying to produce a reasonable accurate rig. I have three sets of plans of various 19th c. Schooners and they all differ, a lot. So everything I do is accompanied by a fair bit of head scratching and research. However, progress continues. Fore tops'l up -

 
Accompanied by a lot of tiny blocks, of course.

and more sails...

...and a lot more lines! the reef pendants really try the patience.

They're a far cry from perfect...maybe next time, but they look quite good with a bit of light shining through.

Generally, I think it's easier to get a sail laced to a yard, and then put up the yard. It's a good idea to make sure you have all the blocks needed in place first, unlike me. another lesson  learned.

So here's where I am now, a few sails, a stack of rigging, anchors and, shudder, a 17ft longboatleft to make. I think the open boat is going to be, uh, challenging


The colour balance is way off here, the sea is not such a lurid blue!
Thanks for looking!

Build log part 15
 
 
 

portholes not inserted yet
 

portholes not inserted yet
 

 
 

portholes attached
 

working on the catwalks
 

here can be seen how the hight adjustable supports are fixed
 

ready for soldering
 

soldering started, hatch #2 rims (before the highdeck bulkhead)position check
 

the same with hatch #3 (after the highdeck bulkhead)
 

hatch rim
 
 
 
 
Build log part 16 to follow.....
 
Nils

More progress tonight. Now that the deck is planked, the next thing will be the deadeyes and chainplates. My first pass at these was ... bad. Really bad. So, I decided to reengineer the chainplates a bit. Hopefully, this attempt will be better.
 
The important issue is scale. The lower deadeyes and chainplates will all be painted white, but they need to appear in scale. That means everything has to be smaller than what I am used to working with. The chainplate is a simple strap with a loop soldered into its top end. However, there needs to be at least two fastenings for the strap into the hull. At this size and scale, that is a problem. The brass nails I have in stock are too large. So, I have made the strap with its loop and then drilled two holes in the strap into which two pieces of brass wire were soldered. The outer edges of each wire was trimmed and left just proud of the strap to appear like bolt heads. The wires go into the holes in the side of the hull. I will probably add a dab of CA to secure them. Even without glue, they are snug in their holes, but the CA should give some strength as well. 
 
Here are some pics. I still need to clean up the shape of the strap, but it should look okay once the hull is painted. There will be a wooden cap over the edge of the rail hiding that tear out along the edge of the rail. The strap is about 1/32" wide and the holes for the wires are .018" diameter.
 
Questions and comments welcomed.
 
Russ