Sven

Hi Nenad
All you detailing is looking terrific!
The sharp and fragile piece I think is called the whisker and is hinged on the real CS as you can just see at the top of the photo to keep it out of the way when necessary
 
Hope this helps!

Hi Nenad
All you detailing is looking terrific!
The sharp and fragile piece I think is called the whisker and is hinged on the real CS as you can just see at the top of the photo to keep it out of the way when necessary
 
Hope this helps!

Margin plates-false frames and gunwales were set. (I know, I know... but there’s a lack of photos.) 
 
........
 
........
 

 
At this point and before the formation of the deck, I had to find more details about the penna rigging.
My search was continuous in collections and forums, looking for old b/w photos of the area in which that rigging has been developed (ports-historical events of NE Aegean up to western coasts of Black Sea).
What I found, in a combination with a few notable points in the photo of the real boat, convinced me that she was rigged as penna.
The leaning backwards mast with a sail folded on it and a small shadow of a stem, I considered them as good clues.
..................
 
So, at that time early 1900's according to some information of books and the photos I have found, there seem to be two versions of penna rigging.
I think you can see the differences.
Thanks
 

 
To be continued...

Thanks  all for the likes and inquiry's
I have been looking after some domestic issues related to cleaning up almost 20 years worth of collecting junk around the yard (6 trailer loads) in anticipation of moving to the coast in the near future, The next time Maria sees open water it will be somewhere between the Mainland and Vancouver Island. I have kept her eyes hidden from the early break up of the lake this year, knowing that bigger water beckons.
 
My next shop will be very tidy and tools will all have their own special places, no clutter will be allowed, each project will have proper storage of parts and materials as they progress!
 
I am a reformed Hoarder, My time will be better spent building models and not sorting and organizing and looking for something that I collected 20 or 30 years ago, for instance I really only need about twenty feet of very fine spring wire not 3 miles, All the containers of little pieces of cut wood continue to grow with no signs of them getting used (it is easier to cut new for what I need) I just need to learn to not cut so many extra bits that then get stacked.
 
I will be taking good planks and billets of special hardwood to the new shop, plus a smaller assortment of metal bar and sheet stock, all the tiny off cuts will not be traveling west.
 
It is a serious learning curve, but I am a determined student, I am going to live the next 30 years clutter free which is really exciting.
 
Michael 

Thanks, everyone.  I appreciate the comments and "likes"
 
To answer your question, Greg, the 1:96 POB model has not reached the state of the framed model.  The picture below was taken a few days ago.  You are correct.  At a point after completion of the framing and deck structural work, the two models converged so virtually the same methods may be used on both to complete them.  You will note in the picture that bottom planking on the POB version has begun.  There is no bottom planking on the framed version.
 
The POB model was built from the beginning using similar methods to the framed model - such as upright construction, similar frame alignment  methods - but from different drawings.
 

 
Ed

Denis, there are two things with ship modeling I am/shall be sorry forever ... first - why I made 30 years break ... thinking I coud have today more skills, and second, why I started building CS on messy way without brain and patience ... whatever ... milk is spilled away, and there is no return
 
Anyhow, pigpen is finished, with a net on the door of cage
 

 
Hey, look who is here .... Bob's runaway pet ...
 

 
 
Let's get it inside where it belong
 

 
Who is interested how door net is made, please visit Captain Steve's bashing galaxy log
modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/4679-the-kit-bashers-guide-to-the-galaxy/page-14

Thanks everyone for the kind comments and for the visits to my build.
 
I ended up having to make a second inlet manifold that was a bit shorter than the first one, I also made the flanges a little bigger.
 

 
The brass piece at the bottom is threaded 6x80 for the carb body. I am waiting for Roger to get back to me with some pictures of the manifold side before proceeding.
 
Michael
 
 

First of all thank you all for the kind messages and birthday greetings. Judy and me went for a nice walk and them met her Mum and Brother for supper at a great Greek restaurant that has tasteful furnishings and no TV's.
 
Row the taper pins are quite tough, I got the idea about using them from some old mechanical navigating equipment that all sorts of splines and gears that were fixed with small taper pins.
 
I started work on the inlet manifold today, it is 1/8 inch diameter copper tube I am going to use a petrol vapor carburetor. By all accounts this type of carb works well in small engines. I can make the carb look scale and have the vapor pass right through the model carb with the fuel tank hidden under the seat or floor boards.
 
the tube was annealed and filled with some .093 styrene them bent around some 1/2 inch dowel, the the loop was folded down a few degrees to match the face on the cylinder.
 

 
The extra length was cut off with a jewelers saw and the styrene burnt out. the flanges were turned on the lathe filed to shape then soldered to the tube. The faces that mate to the cylinder were cleaned up with a file and a sanding stick.
 

 
The four short holes in the cylinder needed to be tapped for the manifold studs these holes are only .060" deep I reground the tip of a 1x72 tap to make it absolutely flat and square, then just knocked off a few thou with an Arkansas Stone. The head was rest in the small machine vice so that the manifold face was horizontal, used the back end of the #52 drill(.063")
to locate the first hole then was able to index to all the rest following the numbers on my plans.
 
the drill was replaced with the tap with one of the brass thumb discs for the tapping.
 

 

 
I turned up some stud from some .073 music wire, this allowed me to cut a slot for a small screwdriver to set the stud temporarily, I will use high temp loctite with the final set up. The stud on the right is too long so I will shorten it up to match the left one.
 
Because the space is pretty tight I made some special small diameter nuts out of some 3/32 allen key, (a great source for small hex-stock old allen keys) I softened it by heating up to a bright cherry red and letting it cool slowly.
 

 
Tomorrow I will finish off the inlet by adding the T and the bottom of the loop which is where the carb with attach about 1/4 inch below the T
 
Thank you to all who visited the log over the last day or so.
 
Michael

The battery of the La Créole fills up slowly but steadily. Today the carronade no. 17 was set. Now is still missing 3 pieces and 4 pieces 18 pounder, then the battery is fully.
The following photo shows the famous image of Horace Vernet the Battle of San Juan de Ulua with the poop deck of La Créole as background. I just wanted to transfer the atmosphere of the image on the model.

 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 116 – Bow Decoration
 
Young America's bow decoration is interesting for a number of reasons.  Each side is different.  Just aft of a billet decorated with greenery, the carved figures rest mostly on the waist planking and partially on the base of the billet.  There were no headboards, so it is not clear how these were mounted on the original ship – much less how to mount them on the model -  due to the angle between the two surfaces.  Also, unlike the gilded stern decoration, the figures at the bow were painted in natural colors.  All this, like many other aspects of the ship, is based on Bill Crothers research.
 
After some unsuccessful attempts to fashion a wood base in the angle, I finally decided to sculpt these as six separate pieces, then fit them together on the bow.
The first picture shows the initial figures, sculpted with MagicSculpt® on wax paper taped flat on the pattern sheet.
 

 
The figures are quite small.  The starboard side features a female figure – presumably Liberty – with a shield flanked by draped flags.  On the port side an American Eagle is substituted for the female figure.  Below is the sculpted female figure before any post-hardening refinement.  The points on the flag staffs are thumb tack points.
 

 
The next picture shows some refining of the sculpture using a very small chisel.
 

 
In the next picture the fragile greenery has been lifted off the waxed paper, laid on the billet and touched with a drop or three of thin CA.
 

 
 
Refinement of the greenery was done after being glued on.  In the next picture the three port figures have been fitted and glued on with CA.
 

 
The figures were set into soft sculpting material placed in the angle between the billet and the side, than pushed into a fit.  Some modification of the parts was needed for this.  The sculptures must leave clearance for the square bowsprit to slide in and out.  Excess material was removed.
 
After attachment, the figures were primed with thinned flat black enamel.  The entire hull was given one last coat of acrylic paint and the figures were painted using acrylic gouache.  The next picture shows the starboard decoration.
 

 
The next picture shows the port side.
 

 
The greenery is actually brighter with light highlights than shown in the photos.  The next picture, from dead ahead, shows both sides.  Photos like these and closer ones were very helpful in judging the paint job and suggesting improvements.  The model went back and forth a few times for these.
 

 
The acrylic gouache used for painting the figures dries dead flat, causing an almost two dimensional appearance in the photos – especially in the close ups.  I may give these a coat of semi-gloss medium, perhaps the acrylic sanding sealer I used over the stern lettering.
 
Speaking of that, I received the second order of dry transfers, so I was able to correct the letters that were photo shopped in the last post.  The last picture shows the repaired letters – unadulterated.
 

 
This picture was taken before the final repair on the C.  After repair the dry transfer letters were given a coat of diluted sanding sealer.   I am also quite happy with the final black finish on the hull – shown in this picture.
 
With all this work done, the lower framing was given a last coat of wax, so the model should not have to be inverted again, I hope.  This will allow me to get on with work on the upper deck – cabins, etc.
 
Ed

John, Steve, Denis, Druxey, Mark, Lawrence, thanks for your kind remarks. A big thanks also to all who have visited.
 
The valves and lifters have been a tricky bit of work so far. Had to make a wrench for the reduced sized nuts.
 

 

 
drilling the holes for the taper pins to fix the cams
 

 

 
All the cams are now pinned in place.
 

 
here is a video of the valves in motion
 
Michael
 
 

Collateral damage fixed, color corection done

Right side



Left side



And famous under-bow look of Her




Stern lettering left, and I can finaly left paintbrush for a while, and climb to the deck to make some sawdust. I mean under fore deck first (animal area) to make a room for Bob's piggy

Spent the evening turning up the new valves.
 

 

 
decided that the flywheel might be a good way to spin the valves
 

 

 
after the valves were lapped I parted them off
 

 
then completed the rest of the turning.
 

 
popped in the new springs and the old keepers.
 

 
tomorrow I will cut the new lifters.
 
Michael
 
 
 
 

Thanks for the visits and likes.
 
Denis, the valves are just shy of the surface now and I am thinking that I need to change the amount of rise on the camshaft lobes.
 
The valve seats look so rough at this magnification I am working on sorting out how to lap the valves and  the seats
 

 

 
The tiny clearances at this scale are beginning to concern me.
 
Valve open
 

 
valve closed
 

 
I think it needs to open about 15 thou more. Oh well what's one more change, and it probably wont be the last
 
 
Michael

Thanks to all for the likes and comments
 
Today I mounted the waterpump with 4 00x90 hex bolts
 

 
The other milestone was to finally get the head mounted.
 

 
and made a spark plug wrench.
 

 

 

 
Michael

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 114 – Cabins, Brass Sheathing
 
With the forecastle essentially complete, I returned to the interior of the cabin deck.  The first picture shows the cabins on both sides completed.
 

 
The poop deck framing has been installed back to the last cabins.  The curved wood block that will serve as the base for the circular seat and paneling is set in place.  This will close off the aft end of the cabin deck, separating it from the stern framing and the helm.  Note also that the double doorway into the cabin deck has been cut – once the poop framing was done.
 
I also started work on the main deck cabin.  The starboard fore and aft wall panel is being constructed in the next picture.
 

 
The panel was made first from individual planks.  It has to follow the sheer of the deck.  In the picture the 4X4 plate that will support the roof rafters is glued on and 4X4 studs are being attached.  The next picture shows the framed wall in place for a trial fit.
 

 
The doors and windows have been framed on the inside.  In the next picture they have been cut out.
 

 
The exterior walls will be white.  I will do this painting before fitting the natural wood framing of the doors and windows.
 
This has all been a nice diversion from the brass sheathing of the hull, but I did not want to proceed further with details on the main deck without finishing the lower hull to minimize the need to upending the model.  The next picture shows the stamping tool for embossing nails on the brass plates.
 

 
This was discussed in some previous posts.  The area on the right is used to stamp every plate.  The single row stamp to the left is used for the top dress course.  It needs a row of nails added at the top.
 
The plates are cemented down with contact cement, with the indentations up to simulate nails hammered into the plates.  These should more correctly be called sheets.  They were very thin.  Being nailed over a felt underlay would have left a decidedly quilted appearance.  In the next picture, a plate has been cemented and is being rolled down.
 

 
This improves the bond with the contact cement, presses down the edges, and flattens out the indentations.  Glue is applied to one plate and its place on the hull at a time.  This is necessary to have glue on the overlaps.  Excess cement that can be seen on installed plates in this picture is easily removed later.
 
The last picture shows this work completed.
 

 
The brass is very shiny.  It will dull with time, but I helped it along with some buffing with a Scotchbrite disc in a rotary tool – just enough to dull the glare a bit.
 
Work on the bottom framing can now be completed – adding any missing bolts, blackening the copper wire bolts, final poolishing and applying wax finish.  It may also be time for the stern lettering.
 
 
Ed

Thank you everybody for likes and support. Wind in my sails

After two bussy day and "little" after-lunch-napping, made new music mix (this time Dylan, Baes, Donovan, CSNY, Melanie, Denver) and went down to play with "lettering"

From distance, look very o.k., and close up is still little frustrating. But, this panel is 22mm long, and whole model will be over 1000mm long. Think it is not such important. Game with "dotting" was pretty hard, full of very strong 3 hours lasting concentration of mind and non-shared attention to world around. Just me, magnifier, colors, needle and this pieces. And music

This time, main tool is sharped needle

Here is step by step , process ... what I wrote ... dot by dot









I





As it can be seen, I decided to step off C-plans and actual look and to "rise" a little this platform with letters, to "promote" it a bit in relation to other gold elements

Platform is a little more than 3mm wide, and a letters are about 2mm tall ... tricky

Only one lettering left ( rudder wheel box)

Thanks to all for the likes and comments
I have not been able to spend much time in the shipyard this last few weeks, but things have improved a great deal this week, Judy is home now.
 
I did manage to get some time today to make some changes to the spark plugs. I was not happy about the way the plug were integrated into the head structure so after a couple of experiments I now have proper spark plugs they are made from some Allen key, that I annealed.
 

 
The thread is a 6x40 I had to make them long reach which meant it was a bit tricky drilling a .028" hole almost 1/2 inch long through the Corian core which is only .078" diameter.
 

 
The hand shot for scale
 

 
The brass now functions as it was intended to hold down the oval cap to enclose the water cavity, and the spark plug threads into it.
 

 

 

 
All I have to do now is add a brass  0 x 80 or a 00x90 threaded section to the top of the electrode in order the be able to make a good positive connection with the ignition cables. i will need to see how easy it is with the 00x90 which is a better scale size.
 
Michael
 

I was able to get a little break from driving today and was able to stay home. I had a couple of hours in the shop and worked on the spark plugs a little more.
 
A few more bodies were turned up out of brass. the small diameter stub represents the plug body and will be filed to a hex section the larger diameter of the rest will represent the circular plate that is on top of the head covering the oval plate as in this picture
 

 

 

 

 
Next I cut a strip 1/8th by 1/8th off the side of a scrap of Corian that I used as a cutting board in the kitchen using the tablesaw.
 

 

 
Some time ago I made a special 4 jaw collet from a bolt in order to make square headed bolts out of 1/8th square stock
This came in handy for turning down the Corian to .078" diameter after drilling a .028" hole about 3/8" deep
 

 
I turned short sections 1/16 long down to the finish diameter and progressed toward the chuck, this helped to support the work. once the full length was turned I slipped the steel core rod into the Corian and then pressed the brass over the Corian, using the tailstock chuck to ensure a good alignment.
 

 
and a shot with the finger for scale
 

 
The electrode was tested with a piezoelectric crystal to see how the spark would work and it worked fine I will need to add a steel in for the ground so that the spark jumps from steel to steel and not steel to brass.
 

 
I will do some more experiments on the fabrication next week if I get time.
 
It was a good stress reliever today to focus on the model and take my mind of other things.
 
Michael
 
 
 
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 111 – Main Deck
 
For a change of pace from the cabin deck paneling, I started work on the main deck.  In the first picture, the external, cabin deck forward bulkhead has been constructed followed by the coaming and decking inside the cabin deck entry structure.
 

 
To proceed with the central decking and the hatchway coamings, the mast partners had to be first roughed in.  The next picture shows the partners for the main mast being fit.
 

 
The mast is a dummy – a ½" dowel fitted with a tenon on the mast step in the hold.  The rake is being set with the rule at rail height based on marks made along the top strake of bulwark planking.  This will all be refined later when the final masts are fitted with chocks and mast coats.
 
In the next picture, the main hatch coaming is being assembled forward of the main partners.
 

 
The cross-deck head ledges hold the fore and aft coamings down and together with angled dovetails.  The excess ends will be sanded off after the coaming is glued together.  It will then be permanently fixed to the deck framing.  The term coaming has two meanings: the overall assembly and the fore and aft pieces.
 
In the next picture, the two bilge pump suction pipes have been connected to their lower parts and framed in place aft of the main mast partners.
 

 
The next picture shows central planking being installed starting at the mizzenmast.
 

 
The next picture – from the opposite (port) side - shows planking completed forward to the main hatch.
 

 
The mast openings will be enlarged later.  There is a scuttle in the deck aft of the pipes to permit access to the main water tank manway below.
 
Forward of the main hatch is the large deck cabin.  Its coaming is shown fitted and pinned into place in the last picture.
 

 
The foremast partners and then the chain pipe openings are just forward of the cabin.  All deck structures were based on coamings similar to the hatch coamings.  These could be effectively caulked and sealed to keep water out of the cargo decks below.  The main deck cabin housed the crew and the galley.
 
Ed

Más

Final look and color of left hull rails
 
Nice and precise straight lines, clean and straight edges of color surfaced
 
 
Happy to the sky I succeded this. Hours and hours of exercises paid off
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 110 – Cabin Deck
 
Anything to avoid metal sheathing.  Actually, not much can proceed on the main deck until the framing of the poop and forecastle has at least begun, so this week I have been working on the cabin deck facilities.  The poop beams cannot be installed until all of that work is finished.  In the first picture the poop deck beams have been made, cut to length and pinned in place.
 

 
The cabin deck partitions have to be cut out around these beams so having them pinned in place is a prerequisite for the partition work. 
 
The next picture shows the first steps on the partitions.
 

 
The breast beam has been glued in with pillars on either side of what will be the "grand entrance" to the cabin deck level. The central section of this beam will later be cut out so people don't have to crawl into the cabin deck.  The beginning of the paneled partition shown is the forward bulkhead of the captain's day cabin with his bookcase cabinet pre-installed – but paneled doors not yet carved.
 
We do not know what all these facilities looked like on Young America, so this is all creative design on my part – but typical of the period and the class.  Some of these ships were very elegant in décor, because the few passengers carried were probably quite wealthy.  I am using black walnut to simulate old mahogany for all the paneling and furnishings.  Otherwise it is all going to be fairly Spartan.
 
The first semi-indulgence in elegance is the double, curved entrance staircase from the main deck.  The starting block is shown in the next picture.
 

 
The panels to the right are representative of the final paneling finish.  The next picture shows the perimeter walls of the cabin areas at the sides. 
 

 
The central "salon area" was open with tables and places to sit.  Modeling of this will be limited to preserve the view into the lower regions.
 
In the next picture the bannister of the staircase is being sanded to size after the treads, the balusters and the lower part of the rail were fitted. 
 

 
There will be a cap rail to cover the mortise holes for the balusters. 
 
The next picture shows the paneling of the fore and aft partitions in progress.
 

 
The panels are built up using thin strips on an underlying thin sheet of walnut. The port panels are incomplete in this picture. 
 
 In the next picture the capping rail on the staircase has been fitted but not yet trimmed, the paneling of the starboard wall completed and door hardware installed.
 

 
The captain's cabin was traditionally on the starboard side, close to the exit to the main deck.  In this arrangement his day cabin doorway is right outside the stairs.  The last picture shows the inside of the captain's cabins from above.
 

 
The day cabin in the center of the photo has a table, built-in bench and the book cabinet.  It is quite small.  A doorway to the left leads to his sleeping quarters.  Only his dresser is in place as yet.  In addition to the captain's palatial space, there are six other cabins for passengers and the mate.  All are quite small.  There will also be two small cubicles aft – a toilet and a storage space.
 
The crew space on these ships was a large cabin on the main deck – to be constructed much later.
 
Metal sheathing has begun, but has been held up waiting for some .002" brass.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 108 – Sheathing plates/Deck members
 
Well, those brass plates I showed in the last post certainly sparked a lot of interest – and helpful comments.  Even as I posted those photos I was thinking about improvements.  The comments convinced me and provided some good ideas.   One of the final plates is shown in the first picture – an ultra- closeup. 
 

 
This has a very close duplicate of the original nailing pattern.  The sheets would have been pre-punched – perhaps like this one – then simply placed in position and nailed over a tarred felt covering.  In the lower row, the indentations are about 3” apart, so you can see that the dimples themselves are less than an inch I diameter – just about right.  This plate is 48” x 14” (about 0.67” x 0.195”).  The model plates are .002” thick brass.
 
The next picture shows the stamping fixture – sitting on the block of hardwood used to stamp the brass.
 

 
The top piece is drilled to accept .018” straight pins – a sliding fit.  A fence is added to align the plates.  The top row of holes is extended so the “dress course” (top row) can be stamped a second time so those plates will have nail rows top and bottom.  A brass plate is sandwiched beneath the top piece and a lower piece as a hard support at the bottom of the pins.
 
After drilling the nailing pattern the two blocks and the brass plate were bolted together.  Pins were inserted and clipped off.  These were then machine ground down to a few thousandths above the wood surface to make them a uniform length – as shown below.
 
 

 
With the pins still in the holes, the parts were disassembled and reassembled with the plate under the ground off ends of the pins.  After testing on some plates, the pins were wetted with thin CA to keep them from falling out.  The fence was then added.  The lower block is held in a vise for stamping.  Small dimples are best achieved with a hardwood block tapped lightly over the plate.  I expect to describe this process step by step in the book.
 
All of this was a bit of a side show because I am not yet ready to sheath the hull.  The main event this week has been the installation of the waterways and binding strakes on the main deck.  The first picture shows the starboard waterway being glued against the frames in between the beams and the planksheer rail.
 

 
After forming these pieces and fitting the scarph joints, they were painted light blue before being installed to avoid have to “cut in” the painted line by hand – too shaky for that. 
 
The next picture shows the two 10” wide binding strakes and the “nib strake” being installed on the starboard side.
 

 
The top of the outer binding strake is about 6” above the beams, the inner binding strake is tapered so the inside edge is the height of the common planking – 3 ½”.  The nib strake is that thickness and 8” wide.  The planking at the side will be limited to these three strakes.  There will be central planking between the hatchways.  The next picture shows the starboard side complete and work in progress on the port side.
 

 
Some of the starboard scuppers can just be seen in the above picture.  The next picture shows these being fitted through the outer planking. 
 

 
These will be filed off flush and blackened before final installation.  The remaining hull planking can then be painted and the sheathing installed on the starboard side.  The pencil  lines in the picture define the height of the dress course.
 
The last picture shows a pin rail drilled and shaped but not yet installed.
 

 
These rails will fit right under the main rail.  Paint has been filed off of the top timbers under the rail so the pin rail can be glued.
  
Ed

Thanks Salty and everyone else that has been following this log, I have enjoyed it immensely and with all your encouragement I have done a lot more than I thought I could! There also seems to be a bit of a motorbike subculture among us modellers as well!
 
Finally it is finished, mounted on small brass pillars and installed in the glass cloche acquired by the admiral.
 
It took about 200 hours.... I am looking forward to doing another!
 
 
Matt