Wintergreen

Yes, I'm still alive. But no time for modelling or even to follow along all the beautiful logs here. Life, you know... my oldest daughter moved back to our small town and made med grandpa last Feb. Happy days! They live just down the road (1km) from us and I'm so so glad. An adorable girl (aren't they all) named Agnes.

Baggy wrinkle??? But it most be those catepillars crawling their way up the lifts, right?
To minimize shafe on the sails I presume the intention was. 
I cant say much else about your build than it looks than it looks picture perfect.
 
Keep it up John!

Baggy wrinkle??? But it most be those catepillars crawling their way up the lifts, right?
To minimize shafe on the sails I presume the intention was. 
I cant say much else about your build than it looks than it looks picture perfect.
 
Keep it up John!

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 170 – Rigging Cleats 1
 
Most of the work to be done before embarking on masts and rigging is to install a variety of rigging connection points to the decks and hull.  There are two sizes of cleats on the model.  They are being made by two different methods.  I will start first with the smaller 9" long cleats.
 
There are a few dozen of these, too many and too small for me to consider fabricating them in pieces, so they were sliced off the milled brass section shown in the first photo.
 

 
In the next picture a 9" square rod (1/8" actual) has been aligned on the milling plate, clamped, and is having a shallow, concave groove milled in the top.
 

 
Next, the piece was inverted and the sides milled to form the rough fina,l stepped, "T" shape.
 

 
The piece was then rounded and refined by filing before slicing off the cleats.  The slicing is being done as shown below using a thin slotting saw blade and a sacrificial wood fence.
 

 
This method allows the small pieces to be cut to a precise thickness – in this case about 3" (.030" actual).  The individual cleats were then rounded by filing and polished as shown below.
 

 
The brass cleats were then blackened and finally inserted in drilled holes with a small drop of CA to keep them in place – shown below.
 

 
The next picture shows the small cleats installed on the poop deck.  These will eventually secure some of the lighter mizzen rigging.
 

 
The next picture shows cleats on the forecastle.  These are duplicated on the port side and will belay the jib sheets.
 

 
In the next part, the larger 12" cleats for the lower sails' sheets and tacks will be described.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 169 – Rudder Pendants
 
Another small item of work completed today – the rudder chain pendants.  But first, I made a small modification to the binnacle to give it a larger base and to improve its overall proportions.  The additional base was added as a brass bottom disk as shown in the first picture.
 

 
The rudder pendants, sometimes called preventers, were provided to prevent loss of an unshipped rudder or as a means to operate the rudder from the deck in the rare event of a steering gear failure.  They consisted of chains on either side of the stern, bolted to the hull.
 
I used 30 link per inch copper chain for the rudder pendants.  At 1:72 this equates to 30 links per fathom.  After cutting the chains to length, eyebolts were fitted to the chain.  I am making all eyebolts for the model by spinning copper wire.  The wire is looped over a bent pin hook in a hand drill and the two ends held in a vise.  The drill then spins up the shaft of the eyebolt.  In this case the end link of the chain was first slipped over the wire.  In the next picture the wire (and chain) has been spun and the shaft is being clipped off.
 

 
The wire in this case was 26 gauge.  Most eyebolts on the ship will be made from 22, 24, or 26 gauge wire.  The eyebolt and chain are shown in the next picture.
 

 
Each pendant is anchored to the hull just below the sheer rail at two points, so a second eyebolt was fitted part way along the chain by the same process.  Some 26 gauge wire was then threaded at the other end to make a shackle to the rudder horns.  This is shown in the next picture.
 

 
The pendants were then hung from the stern as shown below.
 

 
The next picture shows some copper-phosphorus solder applied to the shackles.  Silver soldering these this way is a bit risky, but this is what happens when you do not plan ahead.  It would have been much better to have done these shackle connections before the horns were mounted, but this will do.
 

 
The torch flame was kept well away from the wood and at just enough gas to flux the solder on the thin wire shackles.  The next picture shows the finished pendants after blackening with liver of sulfur solution.
 

 
In the picture the rudder is turned hard to port to check that sufficient chain has been provided and rudder movement is not hindered.  Ideally the chain stays above the load waterline at all rudder positions.
 
Ed

I gave a sealer coat of paint to the deck:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 168 – Binnacle
 
"Odds and ends" seems to be the order of the day for the past month or so.  Not the best prescription for a lazy, hot summer.  Too easy to procrastinate.   Big consuming tasks are better.    On these little projects it is first research, then the drawing, then the modeling and photos – one step at a time.  The binnacle is one such piece.  A small part, but to judge by the mess left in the shop, one would think it had been the entireTitanic.
 
It started out as a cherry cylinder, turned to the ID of a brass tube from which two decorative rings were turned.  The next picture shows stage 1.
 

 
The four-paned glazed top was next.  It too, was made from a section of the same tube with the glass mullions filed out on the end as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The solid rod in the tube helps establish a constant depth and prevents the vise from squashing it.  The next larger size tube was used to make a ring to fit around the bottom of the top – shown below.
 

 
Telescoping tube is very handy for making a variety of assemblies.  I try to keep a stock on hand.  The mullions were then bent to the center and the assembly silver soldered.  The parts at this stage are shown below.
 

 
The cap was then sawed off the tube.  I did not want to leave the top without glass but making and fitting small panes like this is well beyond my ability, so I decided to make a small Plexiglas® prism to fit inside the brass top.  In the next picture a rod is being turned to the diameter of the wood cylinder.
 

 
A four sided prism was filed at the end of this until it fit well in the brass top.  It was then polished using Micromesh® sticks, followed by buffing – shown below.
 

 
The assembly was finally glued together using small droplets of thin CA.  The final piece is shown positioned on deck in the next picture.
 
 
 
I guess the two rudder pendant chains will be next.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 167 – Helm Details
 
So, it has been a month since the last post – seems longer.  Not a lot of modeling being done this summer, mostly just odds and ends getting ready to start masts and rigging.  This week I made a replacement for the first wheel and added the bell to the rudder head enclosure.  First the wheel.
 
I wanted to make two improvements to the first wheel.  I wanted to add turned spokes to replace the simpler hand filed spokes on the first version shown in earlier posts.  I also wanted to downsize the section on the rim to make it lighter and less clunky than the first.  One of the turned spokes is shown in the first picture next to the belaying pin.  The picture shows the four sizes of spindle turned pieces on the model.  A different turning method was used for each.
 

 
The largest is a turning of one of the 8" beam support pillars.  The rounds on these were turned with a shaped tool.  To its right is a 4" fife rail, turned with a single pointed tool.  At the far right is a 2" belaying pin, turned from a round brass rod using a hardened steel filing guide.  These are the smallest turnings so far.  There are 300 of them on the ship. The methods used for these three turnings were described briefly in earlier posts. 
 
The wheel spokes were turned using a simple filing guide and fine files as shown in the next picture.
 

 
Because the 2½" spokes are so small and fragile I made the first set of European Boxwood.  The final set used in the wheel were turned from .032" cherry heartwood square strips.
 
Making the hub/rim was described earlier.  In the next picture the new wheel, with spokes installed, is being parted off in the lathe.
 

 
The final cherry wheel is shown in the next picture.
 

 
The bell is a simple brass turning drilled for the rod shown inserted below.
 

 
The bracket for the bell started out as a rectangular brass section.  In the next picture it is being shaped and polished.
 

 
The last picture shows the new wheel and bell mounted on the rudder head enclosure.
 

 
The wheel was finished with a small amount of polyurethane, instead of the wax finish I normally use.  So far, none of the deck has been waxed because there are still many rigging attachments to be made.  The enclosure itself is only temporarily fitted on pins and will be stored away until much later.
 
Ed

So, I just randomly clicked the "San Felipe" link in your signature. I must say, every now and again I get dumbfounded of the skill some people show in their logs. It didn't look like much in the beginning with the big chunks of lumber resting on your big table saw. I read a few pages and then skipped to the end...and Wow! What a ship you have build!
Hats off and bow deep!

This week I was finally able to finish the last major piece of the machinery.  With the paddle wheel clutch mechanism in place I can drop the boiler deck in place.  I will miss all the metalwork but, I'm really looking forward to the woodwork.
 
Heroine's port throw out lever.  roughly forged from  3/8 inch strap.  The handle is roughly octagonal at the strap and tapers to round.

 

 
 
The pins that engage the bearing are about one inch in diameter with a two inch head.  Inserted through holes in the strap, the protruding ends were then hammered flat.  The pins show a lot of wear from rubbing against the bearing.

 

 
Straps fresh from the mill.

 
Soldering the handles and pins to the straps.

 

 
 
Finished throw out parts.

 
Clutch mechanism installed.  I decided to show the starboard side with the bearing engaged and the port side disengaged.

 

 
 
On to the boiler deck.
 
I have temporarily installed the boiler deck on poplar posts in about half of the post holes.  Next week I'll replace them one by one with boxwood posts, aligning and plumbing them as necessary. 

 

 

 

Hello Everybody,
 
I didn't get a chance to post last week.  I took a few days off to take the family to the beach before the Memorial day weekend.  We had a great time but returned to Tornadoes and floods in College Station. 
 
Since my last post, I spent three days framing the boiler deck and two days tearing it apart and rebuilding it.  One incorrect measurement threw several of the beams out of location.  I think everything is finally correct and I should be able to drop the deck on the model in the coming week.
 
The deck before the rebuild.

 
After rebuild.  The shifting of the deck beams is difficult to see but, I also found it necessary to extend the overhang of the walkway by a few inches.  The notch in the doubled beam amidships will fit around the two posts supporting the feedwater pump lever.

 

 
I've been putting off securing the paddle wheels in place -- it's easier to move the model with the wheels off.  Now that the boiler deck is going on, it's time to assemble the clutch mechanism for the paddle wheels.
 
Milling the pocket for the shaft end.

 
Before and after milling.

 
The final contour was hand filed.

 
Test fitting one of the throw-out bearings.

 
The original throw-out bearing weighed over 300 pounds.  Amazingly, when we reassembled the the original pieces, the heavy bearing slid easily and smoothly along the shaft end with only the moderate pressure of one finger on each side.

 
 
 

At this point I interrupted work, because I received an order to build a model of  Flemish galleon. Then I came back periodically to build of model but did not take a photo.
 
A little bit about some detail  .Decorative elements to the stern.

Next, I need to remove fragments of technological frames. I took a short video that showcases simplicity of this process
 
 
http://sailmodel.ho.ua/present/09098288.MP4.mp4

Ed,
 
The anchors are beautifully done!   And as far a clutter, I think you added some just for the photo.  When I was lucky enough  to visit you and your shop many moons ago, there was not even  a spec of dust thanks to your central vacuum set up and duct work going to each work station.  Heck, even the wood scraps were neatly separated and neatly stored if I remember correctly.  Then again the remembering part is always an issue.  As Bette Davis put it so well, old age ain't no place for sissies.
 
As always, thanks for sharing so much on your building log.
 
Allan

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 161 – Bower Anchors 1
 
Work on the channel deadeyes and chains has been progressing, but a change of pace was necessary, so I began work on the ship’s anchors. 
 
Like most ships Young America carried several – probably two bower anchors, a smaller stream anchor and an even smaller kedge anchor.  This last was probably small enough to be stowed in one of the forward lockers or below the forecastle so I will not model it.  Over her very long career she carried different types of bower anchors, and very likely more than one type at a time.  The photo taken at San Francisco, probably in the 1860’s shows her swinging a wood stock type from her starboard cathead.  The New York photo, which I believe was taken later, shows a Trotmans anti-fouling type on the port cathead.  These two types span the range of development during the period.  I decided to make one Woodstock and one bar stock – bypassing the Trotmans type for now..
 
The first picture shows the arms of one of these being sawed out of some 1/8” thick brass plate.  This took a while and used a few jeweler saw blades, but it worked well to rough out the pieces using a drawing fragment as a pattern.
 

 
The next picture shows both bower anchors during fitting of the two main pieces.
 

 
The shaft was silver soldered to the arms using copper-phosphorus solder.
 

 
The anchor to the right has been soldered and given a first filling.  This joint took some heat.  I used a full sized propane torch.  I would have used the small oxy-propane torch but was out of O2.
 
In the next picture the side plates that thicken the shaft around the hole for the bar have been soldered on.  The second fluke is set up to be soldered.
 

 
In the next picture the flukes have been soldered on and the holes drilled for the bar and the shackle.
 

 
In this picture the filing and smoothing is well along.  The final anchor, less the bar stock is shown in the next picture.
 

 
This is almost ready for blackening.  I expect to mount this anchor on the port side of the forecastle in roughly the position shown in the last picture and may secure the stream anchor to its shaft.
 

 
These anchors obviously took up a lot of deck space and also added considerable weight to the bow, but this seems to have been where they were stowed.  They were not easy to move around.
 
Ed

Robin, I usually do not let the camera lens wander above my wrists, but for you I make an exception - per your request....
 

 
Please excuse the typical clutter.
 
All the best,
 
Ed
 
ps. should have an update posting shortly.

I completed the formwork railing

 

 

 

 

 
 
I started the construction of the gun deck with the construction of the hook pins for the artillery:

 

 

 

 

Thank you, my friends!
 
Another little progress:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week I completed the last significant part of the machinery.  We are fortunate to have the feedwater check valve still attached to one of the arms of one of the standpipes.  The valve comes off of the standpipe at about a 45 degree angle.  The probable location of the water line suggests that the valve could not have been on the port-most standpipe but the exact location could not be determined from the remains.  I opted for the inboard port standpipe because it places the valve closest to centerline.  In Alan Bate's Western River Steamboat Encyclopoedium he mentions that one method of preventing breakage in the long steam and water lines was to include a length of pipe with a large radius curve.  This seemed to work well in this location.
 
Standpipe and check valve being lifted from the river.

 

 

 

 
 
Check valve parts fresh from the mill and lathe.

 

 

 

 
 Check valve in place on the standpipe.  The valve had a short foot cast into the bottom of the body.  This indicated the the valve probably sat on a block to support its weight.

 

 

 
Safety valves and steam line from the steam drum to the engine added.  This steam line will be slung from the deck beams of the boiler deck.  I'm leaving the lever and weight off of the safety valve until the boiler deck goes in.  I can only imagine how many times I'd knock it off if I had to work around it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, folks, we've come to the conclusion of this log. The Greenwich Hospital barge is about to row off, colors flying. Thanks to all who have looked in, 'liked', commented, complimented and discussed her. It's been quite the experience. I really appreciate the support of this electronic community over the past months. Thanks to each and every one of you, world-wide. 
 
So, what's next, I wonder?

On the contrary - You are an excellent model-maker Druxey!
 
I did not mean to be nosey or anything, it just made my mind tick when I looked at the oars. 
The barge is a piece of art all together.

On the contrary - You are an excellent model-maker Druxey!
 
I did not mean to be nosey or anything, it just made my mind tick when I looked at the oars. 
The barge is a piece of art all together.

On the contrary - You are an excellent model-maker Druxey!
 
I did not mean to be nosey or anything, it just made my mind tick when I looked at the oars. 
The barge is a piece of art all together.

On the contrary - You are an excellent model-maker Druxey!
 
I did not mean to be nosey or anything, it just made my mind tick when I looked at the oars. 
The barge is a piece of art all together.

Thanks for the "likes" and comments... time for an update.
 
 
 
Thanks Dan.   I did a similar thing by cutting the outline of galleries in thin basswood.  This gave me reference points.  I then added cardboard and basswood until I was happy.   At that point, I destroyed them for piece parts.  
 
Here's where I am today... not a major update but it's getting there.
 
I made the basic frames which provide the anchors for the the windows and planks between them.  I added a stop for the windows and planks and the molding strips to these pieces before installing them. The moldings were carved using a scraper.  
 
I then measured and fit repeatedly (even remade them a couple times)  until I was happy with the locations and appearance.   The pictures look strange, maybe it's the camera angles but there is a slight curve to these and they are dead on at .5" between the top and bottom. 
 
Next up will be to make and fit the windows and planks, then the drops and the top.   I have windows plugged into CorelDraw for cutting on the laser but still need to tweek them a bit.  The drops are cut oversize and I'll start working on them also.
 
Lastly, there's some joinery issues, but those will be hidden with the carvings for the taffrail.  I've them cut to size but not carved.
 
Now for the pictures.  As always, clicking the pictures will enlarge them.