Wintergreen

Hi fellow builders!
 
So, first scratch build as well as first build in a fairly long time...what can be of this you say. Actually it is a build that I've been commissioned to do. That doesnt happen too often. For this particular commission I will not charge any payment, it is for pure fun.
 
Quick background story (to keep with MSW rules of non-this and non-that content):
Our pastor came up to me and asked about ideas for a candle holder to place in our church. A candle holder, usually found in Lutheran and Catholic churches, can have the form of a globe, a tree or just a box filled with sand to put small Christmas tree sized candles in.
 
"A boat" was my immediate thought. I tested the idea and it was received well so I went home and took out my sketchbook. But what form should the boat be of? Anything open of course. Reverted to Google that told me about a excavation some 30 years ago at the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
http://www.jesusboat.com/Story-of-the-Jesus-Boat
How appropriate! A boat from the time around the start of our calendar. Not unlikely a type that Jesus, himself, rode in.
Search "Galilee" in our forums and you will see both scratch builds as well as kit.
 
Anyway, out from my pencil came the below sketch. Never mind the tables, they are a separate story. The sketch was presented to the board and accepted. Return question was: "When can it be ready?"
Guess I have to start making sawdust.
 

 
But first I made a card skeleton to grasp the needed size. As it turned out the finished boat needed to be some 20% bigger than the card model.
 

 

 
Obviously the finished boat will be of wood, not card. But card is quick and easy to do a mock up in.
 
Scale, might someone ask for. No such thing. My boat will some 75 cm long from stem to stern. I have blown up the mid section to care for more candles. There is some plan of the real thing on the site above which shows a flat bottom, rather upright sides and curved stem and stern and then the distinct feature of the cutwater. Like found on Roman ships of the time.
 
Wood then? It will be oak. Rather uncommon on these pages because of it coarse grain. The real thing was build in Mediterranean species of which I have none...also the size of my model will cater for rather sturdy dimensions. Oak is known to bend well and it looks great when aged. Another feature of the oak I will use is that it is salvaged from an old motor boat from the 1940s...the trees that was used started to grow some 200-250 years ago...
 
Here are some pieces that I picked out, arent they nice?
 

 
Well, after some hand planing and a couple of runs through my thickness planer the blanks for the stern looks like this:
 

 
That is how far I've come now. 
As always, daywork will interfere with time in the workshop, but I will make the most of it.
 
 

Hi fellow builders!
 
So, first scratch build as well as first build in a fairly long time...what can be of this you say. Actually it is a build that I've been commissioned to do. That doesnt happen too often. For this particular commission I will not charge any payment, it is for pure fun.
 
Quick background story (to keep with MSW rules of non-this and non-that content):
Our pastor came up to me and asked about ideas for a candle holder to place in our church. A candle holder, usually found in Lutheran and Catholic churches, can have the form of a globe, a tree or just a box filled with sand to put small Christmas tree sized candles in.
 
"A boat" was my immediate thought. I tested the idea and it was received well so I went home and took out my sketchbook. But what form should the boat be of? Anything open of course. Reverted to Google that told me about a excavation some 30 years ago at the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
http://www.jesusboat.com/Story-of-the-Jesus-Boat
How appropriate! A boat from the time around the start of our calendar. Not unlikely a type that Jesus, himself, rode in.
Search "Galilee" in our forums and you will see both scratch builds as well as kit.
 
Anyway, out from my pencil came the below sketch. Never mind the tables, they are a separate story. The sketch was presented to the board and accepted. Return question was: "When can it be ready?"
Guess I have to start making sawdust.
 

 
But first I made a card skeleton to grasp the needed size. As it turned out the finished boat needed to be some 20% bigger than the card model.
 

 

 
Obviously the finished boat will be of wood, not card. But card is quick and easy to do a mock up in.
 
Scale, might someone ask for. No such thing. My boat will some 75 cm long from stem to stern. I have blown up the mid section to care for more candles. There is some plan of the real thing on the site above which shows a flat bottom, rather upright sides and curved stem and stern and then the distinct feature of the cutwater. Like found on Roman ships of the time.
 
Wood then? It will be oak. Rather uncommon on these pages because of it coarse grain. The real thing was build in Mediterranean species of which I have none...also the size of my model will cater for rather sturdy dimensions. Oak is known to bend well and it looks great when aged. Another feature of the oak I will use is that it is salvaged from an old motor boat from the 1940s...the trees that was used started to grow some 200-250 years ago...
 
Here are some pieces that I picked out, arent they nice?
 

 
Well, after some hand planing and a couple of runs through my thickness planer the blanks for the stern looks like this:
 

 
That is how far I've come now. 
As always, daywork will interfere with time in the workshop, but I will make the most of it.
 
 

Hi fellow builders!
 
So, first scratch build as well as first build in a fairly long time...what can be of this you say. Actually it is a build that I've been commissioned to do. That doesnt happen too often. For this particular commission I will not charge any payment, it is for pure fun.
 
Quick background story (to keep with MSW rules of non-this and non-that content):
Our pastor came up to me and asked about ideas for a candle holder to place in our church. A candle holder, usually found in Lutheran and Catholic churches, can have the form of a globe, a tree or just a box filled with sand to put small Christmas tree sized candles in.
 
"A boat" was my immediate thought. I tested the idea and it was received well so I went home and took out my sketchbook. But what form should the boat be of? Anything open of course. Reverted to Google that told me about a excavation some 30 years ago at the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
http://www.jesusboat.com/Story-of-the-Jesus-Boat
How appropriate! A boat from the time around the start of our calendar. Not unlikely a type that Jesus, himself, rode in.
Search "Galilee" in our forums and you will see both scratch builds as well as kit.
 
Anyway, out from my pencil came the below sketch. Never mind the tables, they are a separate story. The sketch was presented to the board and accepted. Return question was: "When can it be ready?"
Guess I have to start making sawdust.
 

 
But first I made a card skeleton to grasp the needed size. As it turned out the finished boat needed to be some 20% bigger than the card model.
 

 

 
Obviously the finished boat will be of wood, not card. But card is quick and easy to do a mock up in.
 
Scale, might someone ask for. No such thing. My boat will some 75 cm long from stem to stern. I have blown up the mid section to care for more candles. There is some plan of the real thing on the site above which shows a flat bottom, rather upright sides and curved stem and stern and then the distinct feature of the cutwater. Like found on Roman ships of the time.
 
Wood then? It will be oak. Rather uncommon on these pages because of it coarse grain. The real thing was build in Mediterranean species of which I have none...also the size of my model will cater for rather sturdy dimensions. Oak is known to bend well and it looks great when aged. Another feature of the oak I will use is that it is salvaged from an old motor boat from the 1940s...the trees that was used started to grow some 200-250 years ago...
 
Here are some pieces that I picked out, arent they nice?
 

 
Well, after some hand planing and a couple of runs through my thickness planer the blanks for the stern looks like this:
 

 
That is how far I've come now. 
As always, daywork will interfere with time in the workshop, but I will make the most of it.
 
 

Hi fellow builders!
 
So, first scratch build as well as first build in a fairly long time...what can be of this you say. Actually it is a build that I've been commissioned to do. That doesnt happen too often. For this particular commission I will not charge any payment, it is for pure fun.
 
Quick background story (to keep with MSW rules of non-this and non-that content):
Our pastor came up to me and asked about ideas for a candle holder to place in our church. A candle holder, usually found in Lutheran and Catholic churches, can have the form of a globe, a tree or just a box filled with sand to put small Christmas tree sized candles in.
 
"A boat" was my immediate thought. I tested the idea and it was received well so I went home and took out my sketchbook. But what form should the boat be of? Anything open of course. Reverted to Google that told me about a excavation some 30 years ago at the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
http://www.jesusboat.com/Story-of-the-Jesus-Boat
How appropriate! A boat from the time around the start of our calendar. Not unlikely a type that Jesus, himself, rode in.
Search "Galilee" in our forums and you will see both scratch builds as well as kit.
 
Anyway, out from my pencil came the below sketch. Never mind the tables, they are a separate story. The sketch was presented to the board and accepted. Return question was: "When can it be ready?"
Guess I have to start making sawdust.
 

 
But first I made a card skeleton to grasp the needed size. As it turned out the finished boat needed to be some 20% bigger than the card model.
 

 

 
Obviously the finished boat will be of wood, not card. But card is quick and easy to do a mock up in.
 
Scale, might someone ask for. No such thing. My boat will some 75 cm long from stem to stern. I have blown up the mid section to care for more candles. There is some plan of the real thing on the site above which shows a flat bottom, rather upright sides and curved stem and stern and then the distinct feature of the cutwater. Like found on Roman ships of the time.
 
Wood then? It will be oak. Rather uncommon on these pages because of it coarse grain. The real thing was build in Mediterranean species of which I have none...also the size of my model will cater for rather sturdy dimensions. Oak is known to bend well and it looks great when aged. Another feature of the oak I will use is that it is salvaged from an old motor boat from the 1940s...the trees that was used started to grow some 200-250 years ago...
 
Here are some pieces that I picked out, arent they nice?
 

 
Well, after some hand planing and a couple of runs through my thickness planer the blanks for the stern looks like this:
 

 
That is how far I've come now. 
As always, daywork will interfere with time in the workshop, but I will make the most of it.
 
 

Hi fellow builders!
 
So, first scratch build as well as first build in a fairly long time...what can be of this you say. Actually it is a build that I've been commissioned to do. That doesnt happen too often. For this particular commission I will not charge any payment, it is for pure fun.
 
Quick background story (to keep with MSW rules of non-this and non-that content):
Our pastor came up to me and asked about ideas for a candle holder to place in our church. A candle holder, usually found in Lutheran and Catholic churches, can have the form of a globe, a tree or just a box filled with sand to put small Christmas tree sized candles in.
 
"A boat" was my immediate thought. I tested the idea and it was received well so I went home and took out my sketchbook. But what form should the boat be of? Anything open of course. Reverted to Google that told me about a excavation some 30 years ago at the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
http://www.jesusboat.com/Story-of-the-Jesus-Boat
How appropriate! A boat from the time around the start of our calendar. Not unlikely a type that Jesus, himself, rode in.
Search "Galilee" in our forums and you will see both scratch builds as well as kit.
 
Anyway, out from my pencil came the below sketch. Never mind the tables, they are a separate story. The sketch was presented to the board and accepted. Return question was: "When can it be ready?"
Guess I have to start making sawdust.
 

 
But first I made a card skeleton to grasp the needed size. As it turned out the finished boat needed to be some 20% bigger than the card model.
 

 

 
Obviously the finished boat will be of wood, not card. But card is quick and easy to do a mock up in.
 
Scale, might someone ask for. No such thing. My boat will some 75 cm long from stem to stern. I have blown up the mid section to care for more candles. There is some plan of the real thing on the site above which shows a flat bottom, rather upright sides and curved stem and stern and then the distinct feature of the cutwater. Like found on Roman ships of the time.
 
Wood then? It will be oak. Rather uncommon on these pages because of it coarse grain. The real thing was build in Mediterranean species of which I have none...also the size of my model will cater for rather sturdy dimensions. Oak is known to bend well and it looks great when aged. Another feature of the oak I will use is that it is salvaged from an old motor boat from the 1940s...the trees that was used started to grow some 200-250 years ago...
 
Here are some pieces that I picked out, arent they nice?
 

 
Well, after some hand planing and a couple of runs through my thickness planer the blanks for the stern looks like this:
 

 
That is how far I've come now. 
As always, daywork will interfere with time in the workshop, but I will make the most of it.
 
 

COMPLETING 2D PARTS
 
 
Progression continues, 2D portion is now completed.  I tried to do it in 1 block. This way it is easier to have the same style in the carvings. To give a bigger volume to the 2D parts, many were cut in a thicker plank than require (especially the flowers) in a way, trying to make it look  bit more 3D than it is really.
 
Some parts were directly made from the plans, other were made according the place  on the exact place where i twill be install on the model. This way the parts fits before to be carved.
 
 Remaining sculptures  are 3D noted in red on the original drawings. On the first picture.
 
On the second picture, 4 pictures regrouped to give an idea of the progression of the construction; which is similar in many ways to a house : framing, walls, moldings and decoration on the other pics.
The third pic is to show how to work standing  having every thing at the good height.

Build log 34 – main, mizzen topsail, bell
 
Hi to all from snowy Brooklyn.  I know that we have not had anything to compare with our daughter in Boston or son in Detroit, much less those of you who live in Canada or the northern tier of the USA, but between Brooklyn and Albany I have had more than enough of this winter !!   So here is a quick update before SWMBO and I leave for a week on a warm island.
 
The last segment ended with hanging and rigging the fore topsail. 
 
#
 
Since then I have made, hung and rigged the main topsail.  Nothing original here, just used the same techniques as on the fore topsail. 
 
1
 
The pair look good, especially when backlit.
 
2
 
And here is the full model with the two large topsails.
 
3
 
One of the few details on deck that I had not done was the ship’s brass bell.  One has been located in the excavation, so I had to include it.  I hunted through all the usual sources, including several that said they had ones the right size.  But when it came time to order them, there were none to be had.  Finally a friend in the NY club and on this list, JerseyCityFrankie, found ones in a jewelry and beading supply house.  Toho Shoji, Inc. has a lot of wire, threads, beads, and other items that can be useful.  Check out their website at tohoshoji-ny.com.  Anyway, here is the 10mm size installed in the belfry at the break of the foredeck.
 
4
 
I made the mizzen topsail, but have only hitched it to the mast with the parrell and the tye/halyard.  I ran out of properly sized blocks from Warner Woods West, but Lloyd is sending me some more.  The break therefore comes at a good time.  So here is the model with the three topsails.
 
5
6
 
Thanks to all for likes and comments.  Stay warm and be well.
 
Back soon
 
Dan

I've had quite a bit of extra time at the museum of late, filling in for one of the model makers who has a few health issues.  As a result I've managed to get quite a bit of work done on the 'Pritt'.
 
The treenailing of the hull is now complete and the low kick rail has been fitted and treenailed.
 
The photos show the hull treenailed and rough sanded.
 
The next steps will be to finish sanding the hull; thin down the kick rail stiffeners to a more scale like dimension and then fit the rubbing strake.  After that I'll give the hull a coat of finish to protect it and then get on with the capping rail and the deck.
 
In the fourth photo below you'll see that the stern is quite open above the deck.  This was quite usual for the T.I. pearlers - the capping rail is supported on three knees across the stern.  This configuration allowed for very quick and easy cleaning of the deck after sorting and cleaning pearl shell by simply hosing and sweeping all the rubbish over the stern.
 
John
 

 

 

 

Hi everyone,
 
I purchased something to melt my pewter; will try tomorrow and see what happens. Druxey, I wasn't peddling, I was rubbing sticks together very vigorously...
 
Meanwhile, I kept working on carriages. I learned a few helpful techniques.
 
The photos of the saw sled are showing how I have a flip-up stop to cut each truck to the same width. The stop has to flip up after setting the blank against it, so the cut off part doesn't bind against the sawblade after it is cut. But the parts fly away if not retained in some way. I finally hit on putting double sided tape on another small piece of wood; I push this up against the blank after flipping up the stop and just before cutting. When cut, both the truck and the small piece of wood gently slide aside, but don't fly. Ignore the snake on the wall in the background in the 3rd photo; it has nothing to do with where the loose pieces fly, I keep telling myself....
 
The photos of the lathe are showing a nifty setup for cutting the rear axles. The cylinder is centered in a rectangular but not square blank, and so a four jaw chuck is needed to hold the blank. Rather than trial and error getting the center of the cylinder aligned with the center of the lathe, I set it up with a dial indicator. I used the Sherline quick change tool post boring head holder, to mount my dial indicator to the Y table. I could then swing the opposite sides of each side of the blank towards the indicator, measure the discrepancy between the two sides, and then dial in the jaws until they were equally distant from the center of the lathe.
 
The last image is showing an A2ZCorp attachment for the Sherline. A shaft goes through the center of the lathe head, forming a stop so that each blank can be inserted exactly the same distance into the chuck for repetitive cutting.
 
All for now; thinking about melting pewter tomorrow at last.
 
Mark
 
 
 

Hi everyone,
 
While waiting for my newer MicroMark RTV rubber, I started on the carriages.
 
I used double sided tape to hold the blanks onto the mill table, and milled them to shape including the rabbets for the axles. I then cut the individual blanks on the table saw, with the mitre set to 2 degrees on each side for the correct convergence of the carriage.
 
I am also showing a jig for cutting the curved lower edge, using a piloted bit on my router table.
 
Best wishes,
 
Mark

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 112 – Main Deck/Forecastle Framing
 
The first picture shows the main deck aft of the main hatch after completion of the central planking and treenailing.
. 

 
Topsail sheet bits are now installed for each mast.  The metal plates over the pump suction pipes will be blackened.  The next picture shows decking completed at the bow.
 

 
The port side in this area will be left unplanked – as shown.  The starboard side was planked so the anchor chain can be shown on this side.  The chain pipes have not been installed, but will come up through the two square cutouts forward of the sheet bits.  The two carrick bits are installed and will support the winch later.
 
At this stage the forecastle could be framed.  The next picture shows the beginning with the setting of the breast beam.
 

 
The beam is supported at the center on the carrick bits and with a bolt into the central Samson post.  In the next picture the setting of the forecastle beams is underway.
 

 
The top of the forecastle decking needs to be flush at the side with the top of the outer planking – and, of course, it must be fair.  Fairness is being checked as each beam is set using the strip of planking as shown.
 
As the forecastle beams were set other structures were added.  In the next picture the mooring bits are being glued in.
 

 
The cathead and capstan carlings have been installed.  The forward beams are still loose, pending fitting of the bowsprit partners.
 
In the next picture those have been installed along with the lodging knees and half hooks astride the dummy bowsprit.
 

 
Except for carlings astride the bowsprit, the forecastle framing is essentially complete.  Copper wire, epoxied bolts have been installed to reinforce the structure.
 
The last picture is a view from directly aft along the deck.
 

 
This shows the copper bolts through the breast beam.  It also shows the upward sheer and the fairness of the forecastle deck.
 
Ed

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

Thanks for the dimensions. I don't use a scale ruler but a conversion table to quickly get from feet/inch to mm
 
Work continued on the bowsprit step. To accurately determine the step (square hole) in the chock (the vertical plank between the bitts) I had to make the bowsprit itself too. I find it very satisfying to make a mast just with hand tools, it takes time but the result is very accurate. 
 
While cutting the step the rabbet between the two planks very nicely
 

 
The bowsprit was cut from square to octagonal to round using a hand plane, well honed chisels and sandpaper. 
 

 
The base going from round to square
 

 
And the tip
 

 
The step is also rebated into the upright bitts
 

 

 

 
Remco
 
 

Aaargh! Do none of you folk use scale rules yet?

Thanks all for your kind comments.
 
Next up is the bowsprit step. As I needed two of the forecastle deck beams to determine the size of this part. Not looking forward to this job I made an (warning off topic) 1/35 BMW R75 with side car, a nice little plastic kit from Lionroar. After that I found new energy to return to the KF and I went ahead and cut all forecastle and quarterdeck deck beams so they are ready for future use. Some parts still need to be made but I can not find the with of the crosspiece. Any ideas? I guess it's shorter than the main topsail sheet bitt crosspiece...
 

 

 
Remco
 
 
 

Thanks all for your kind comments.
 
Nick, with diluted tung oil (applied sparingly ) it has no sheen and thats what I meant with dead flat. I have the mixture in a small jar and it will keep for at least 2 years, that is how long I kept is. Glue won't stick to well if the wood has been treated with tungoil or any other oil or wax based finish. So you'd better think ahead before applying it. 
 
The fore mast step, this is a nice little 3D jig saw puzzle. I realised I had to reposition the two deck beams that incorporate the mast step to properly align with the mast. No big deal but I felt pretty dumb when I noticed my mistake. Most straight forward cuts were made on the table saw that acted as router. The rest was cut with a chisel.
 

 

 

 
Remco

Well, all the hull planks are finally on! While I enjoy planking, I'm really glad that this part of the build is completed and I can get on with other stuff - like drilling lots of holes and then filling them in again - otherwise known as treenailing!
 
Here are some photos of what she looks like at the moment.
 
John
 
One Plank to go!


 
No Planks to go!!


 
And a close up of the partly cleaned up stern just to see what it might look like later.

I finished the companionway (although the stairs are still missing ).
 
Image 1 describes the different building steps, image 2 the finished result, and images 3 – 5 show the companionway mounted on my Syren model.
 
Thomas
 

Image 1: Building steps
 
 

Image 2: Finished companionway
 
 

Image 3: Companionway on Syren
 
 

Image 4: Companionway on Syren
 
 

Image 5: Syren with companionway
 
 
 

A little update: during the last few weeks ship modeling time was very scarce. Between traveling (image 1  -   ) and multiple home projects I was able to finish all my belaying pins (image 2), and as a “reward” for having this highly repetitive work finally behind me I built the capstan.
 
My first attempt using mainly the parts provided in my Syren kit ended up about 1mm smaller in diameter than what was shown in Chuck’s plans (image 3). So I considered this a “prototype” and built a second one out of pear wood. Image 4, 5, and 6 show the building process. The drum head was constructed in the same way as described in the Syren instruction book. Of course, not having photo etched parts makes some things a bit more challenging (metal ring, image 4). The capstan foot I built in a slightly different way (image 6), using 2 slotted disks instead of individual tiny chocks. This also helped considerably with the chock alignment  . The finished result is shown in images 7 and 8.
 
Thomas
 

 
Image 1
 
 

 
Image 2 - All belaying pins are finished
 
 

 
Image 3 - First capstan attempt
 
 

 
Image 4 - 2nd capstan attempt: making of the drum head
 
 

 
Image 5 - Making of the capstan foot
 
 

 
Image 6 - Capstan foot continued
 
 

 
Image 7 - Finished capstan
 
 

 
Image 8 - Capstan mounted on Syren deck
 
 

Log 33 – Fore Topsail      
 
Hello again to all.  Since the last entry I have made and hung the fore topsail.  This is the first of the square sails that will be shown set and filling, and took somewhat longer to complete due to my inexperience.  I had to go back a few times to understand all of the lines and to work out some technical problems.
 
Here is the yard, shaped as usual with cleats, stop cleats and blocks.  At this point I still have to add the larger blocks near the center for the topgallant sheets. Also the stirrups and footropes.
 
1
 
The sail itself was laid out, like the lateen, on stiffened cloth.  The panel lines and tabling lines were marked out, then the perimeter was painted with pH neutral white glue.  When the glue was dry the sail was cut out and small triangle openings were cut along what would become the perimeter of the sail for the cringles.  The sail was turned over and panel seams were lined on, offset about 3 scale inches to one side of the first set of seams.
 
2
 
The boltrope was set into the creased sail edge and trapped in place when the tabling was folded over and ironed closed.  As with the lateen, the cringles were made by feeding a bend of the bolt rope through the previously cut openings to form the cringles.  When the tabling was completely closed the various reinforcements were added to the back of the sail.  These were made out of stiffened cloth that was marked with panel seams, if needed, then cut and glued to the main sail as shown on the plans.  They were ironed down to the main sailcloth and should be very stable and secure.  On the front of the sail two bands of reinforcement for the reef points were similarly cut, glued, and ironed.
 
3
 
Here you can see all of the elements of the sail, backlit and translucent.
 
4
 
A series of holes was drilled through the tabling along the top of the sail with about a 3/8” spacing.   A continuous series of loops was sewn through the holes to lace the sail to the spar.  Then it was set into a large plastic tub for stiffening.
 
5
 
The sail was painted with clear matte finish and weighted with about half a cup of rice in a plastic bag.  It was left to dry overnight and, once removed from the jig, had a pleasing catenary curve to the three free sides.
 
6
 
Holes were drilled through the reef bands and the reef points were knotted, glued into the holes, and trimmed.  Matte finish was painted on to hold them down on both sides of the sail.  Clew blocks were tied to the lower corners and the sheets were knotted and laced through the clew cringles.    The sail was hung on the mast and the parrell was strapped around the mast and yard.  In the photo you can see the running ends of the topsail lifts (the heavier light colored lines) are hanging down and have not been belayed.  There are clips on their lower ends to provide some weight and tension on the system to keep things from getting tangled.  The clips also remind me which lines have not been belayed yet.
 
7
 
The tie with its fiddle block already seized in was fed from aft to forward through a sheave hole in the mast under the trestletrees.  It was taken down around the yard and attached with a rolling hitch.  The fiddle block at the running end of the tye is the top of a three part purchase hooked into an eyebolt in the top.  The halyard belays to a cleat on the mast near the deck.
 
8
 
The lifts were laced through the fiddle blocks at the yardarm and led down towards the deck through the lubber holes, but not yet secured until the sheets were led through the sheet blocks on the main yard then down through the sheaves in the bitts forward of the mast.  Then both sets of lines could be tensioned against each other.  The braces were run from the main topmast stay, through several sets of blocks to a timberhead on the edge of the foredeck.  They can be seen in some later photos.  That completed the spar handling lines.  The sail handling lines were then run, which completed the rigging to the topsail.
 
Here is the sail fully rigged as seen from forward.
 
9
 
In this view the lighting was varied so the sail handling lines can be seen a bit clearer.  The fore topsail, like the other square sails, has p/s pairs of clewlines, leachlines, buntlines, and bowlines.  Eight more lines for each sail.  I had never previously fully rigged a ship, and the level of complexity with all these lines is a real eye-opener.
 
The bowlines start as a triple bridle from the cringles on either side of the sail.  They lead to blocks on pendants at the end of the bowsprit, then aft through the gammon blocks and up to cleats on the foredeck.  The buntines lead from cringles at the foot of the sail, through lead blocks on the yard, through blocks strapped to the topmast stay, and then to the deck.  Similarly, the leach lines run from the upper side cringles through lead blocks and down to the deck.
 
10
 
In this closeup of the masthead you can see those lead blocks on the yard and stay.
 
11
 
From aft in these two views you can see the braces and clewlines.
 
12
13
 
Each of the sail handling lines goes down to a tackle hooked to the eyebolts around the base of the mast.  It is starting to get very crowded here.  The halyard is belayed to the mast cleat with several turns of line and a yacht hitch, but no glue.  All of the belaying points will be painted with matte finish only after they are all done.
 
14
 
I try to leave extra line on the belaying point and delay the final securing till very late so that when, not if, I make a mistake I can correct it more easily.  For example, here is the first photo of the halyard tackle on the mast top.  Looking at it I could see that the halyard was running through one of the side lubber holes and made a fairly acute angle as it went through the lubber hole to the deck.  Such a kink is a mistake.
 
15
 
In most cases this would be difficult to correct.  Instead, I just had to untie the halyard from the cleat and re-run it properly, belaying it to the cleat again.  Although it took some finicky work with two tweezers, it only took 15 minutes, not an hour.  A very small point, but one that would have nagged at me at 2 am.
 
16
 
So here is the current overall look. 
 
17
 
Main topmast next.
 
Be well
 
Dan
 

Build Log 32 – crojack and lateen sail
 
Hi again.  Being snowed in here in NYC had the silver lining of giving me some extra time to work on the model, so here is the next installment.
 
The next spar to be tackled was the crojack yard on the mizzen.  Even as far back as 1710 it did not carry a sail, but was there to spread the foot of the mizzen topsail.  It was shaped in the usual manner to the Budriot plans.  Since it does not carry a sail the number of blocks stropped to it is reduced.  There are sister blocks at the yardarms for the lifts and mizzen topsail sheets, pendant blocks for the braces and sheet blocks under the yard near the center.  Since the yard is not lowered with any frequency, the parrell is replaced by a static collar, with the yard having a single large block in the center that will hold a sling that circles the masthead and supports the spar.
 
Here is the spar ready for mounting.  The sling has been turned round the spar on one side and sized to the mast, leaving two long legs to be hitched round the spar and trimmed.
 
1
 
Here is the crojack yard mounted.  In the enlarged portion you can see the collar hitched around the mast and spar and the sling running through the center block.  According to Anderson (who I mistakenly referred to last time as Andersen) the French used the same lifts here as on the forward masts, while the English had already turned them into non-moving standing lifts since the yard did not move up or down.
 
14
 
In the above photo you might notice that there is now a railing around the poop deck/roof of the captain’s cabin.  In testing the fit and location of the lateen sail I realized that there were no belaying points anywhere at the stern of the ship.  Some belaying pins will be added to these rails, and other lighter lines can be hitched to the rails without pins.  The posts will also give me some future locations for swivel gun mountings.  They are 3 feet high in scale and made from steam bent pear, like the caprails.
 
15
 
The lateen spar is the simplest on the ship, even more so than the crojack yard.  It tapers to both ends, but without a center octagonal section.  There is a metal reinforcement and eyebolt at the lower end, but I never did discover the use for that fitting.  A halyard line hitches to a point near the center of the spar, but a little towards the upper end.  I left it loose until the yard was finally mounted.
 
Along the length of the spar are six small blocks.  They are for the brailing lines that furl the sail and take the place of the clew, bunt and leach lines.  They alternate single and double blocks, which will be made clear later.
 
16
 
The parrell is made up of “B” shaped spacers and black beads.  The final piece is a small deadeye with only two holes.
 
17
 
Here is how it goes together.  The deadeye is seized into the parrell line which doubles and laces through the spacers and beads.  The lines are seized together again, although I took a shortcut and knotted them so I could adjust the placement later.  The knot will be invisible in the final mounting.  The lines then loop around the mast and the base of the halyard before threading through the deadeye.  The parrell does not go around the lateen spar, but holds the halyard close to the mast instead.  I read Anderson’s description of this many times before I began to understand it, and I am not really sure that I fully get it even now.
 
18
 
The lateen sail started by being laid out on the prepared sailcloth.  All of the panel lines are parallel to the cloth threads, although the lower corner is not precisely a right angle.
 
19
 
Since the sail will be set with all its lines, I had to develop cringles at the edge of the sail as attachment points for the brailing lines.  For my first attempt I cut small openings in the fold of the tabling, then laid the bolt rope into the fold and glued it as before.  With a pin I reached in and pulled the bolt rope out of the opening.  This did not work too well.  The rope was fixed in place, so pulling it out made a visible kink in the edge of the sail. 
 
20
 
For the next effort I worked the bolt rope into the cringle openings as I ironed down the tabling.  This was a much more successful effort, although it took a significantly longer time.
 
21
 
Once the tabling was all down I turned the sail over and marked the panel seams.  I found that the cloth was thin enough that a piece of white paper placed under the sail allowed me to see the panel seams through the cloth.  Then the second seam was drawn on next to the first, but offset about 1/16”.   When light shines through the cloth this double seam can be seen, but it is a subtle effect and may not be worth the effort.
 
22
 
Reinforcement panels were added to the back side of the sail, as indicated on the plans, then the sail was laced to the spar.  I wanted to show a small aerodynamic curve to the sail, so I mounted it to a scrap cardboard box with tape at the corners of the spar and a line at the clew of the sail that was held with a clip so the curve could be adjusted.
 
23
 
I painted the sail with matte finish to stiffen it and laid in a folded plastic bag of rice to hold the curve as the finish dried.
 
24
 
As it turned out, this was not a successful effort.  There is too much rice in the bag and the excess weight deformed the sail too much.  I might have been able to live with this, but at this point I realized that the entire sail was too small.  I had taken the dimensions of the spar from a digitized scan of the rigging plans that I had not double checked.  It was two inches short.  Even that I might have lived with, but coupled with the ragged cringles and the excess curve, I decided to scrap the sail and start again.
 
I saved the stropped brail blocks and the metal end fittings, but made a new spar and sail, which came out satisfactory.  Here it is being curved and stiffened.  Note how little rice it took to give the sail the curve that I wanted.
 
25
 
Once stiffened the sail was suspended by its upper corner and the reefing points were laced through holes in the reef band.  There are knots on the back side which were glued into the holes, then the points were painted with matte finish and draped down on both sides.
 
26
 
The brailing lines were attached to the cringles then run up, diagonally, to the brail blocks.  The first line, at the top, goes through a single block, then through the inside hole of the second, double block.  The second line goes through the other hole of the double block, then both lines go together to a belaying point.  Here they are coiled and taped together with a small clip to keep them from tangling until needed.  The remaining brail lines are set up in similar pairs.
 
27
 
This photo was taken without a flash as it will normally be seen, with the light shining through the sail, making visible the doubled panel lines, reef points, and sail reinforcements.
 
28
 
A large single block was attached to the clew and a pair of single blocks on a short pendant to the lower end of the spar.  Here it is, mounted.  At the upper end of the spar a set of blocks on bridles leads the mizzen lift to a block at the masthead, then down to a belaying point on the rail.
 
29
 
Here it is from the windward side.  I am not really happy with the look of the lift bridles.  They are attached to the spar where both Anderson and Budriot indicate, but once tension was put on them they took on this pattern, not the more symmetrical one from the drawings. 
 
30
 
Here is how the halyard and parrell came out, as seen from forward and aft.  I am not happy with the bend in the halyard as is goes behind the crojack, but putting it in front results in an even bigger bend. 
 
31
32
 
The final bit of rigging are the lines at the fore lower corner.  Although they work like the braces of the square sails they are known, a bit confusingly, as the bowlines.
 
33
 
Here is the current status.  The main topsail yard is clipped in place to get a sense of the size and shape of the sail.  I can already see that the crowsfoot is going to be a problem.
 
34
 
Next, ad topsails per aspera . . .
 
Be well
 
Dan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Log 31 – Furled Sails
 
Hello again to all, and thanks as always for the comments and likes. Here is the next installment.
 
Having done the furled spritsail, I used many of the same techniques for the fore and main courses.  Here is the current appearance of the model with those sails furled and hung.
 
1
 
To start, the spars were shaped as usual, octagonal in the center, then rounded and tapered to the ends.  Cleats were added to the center and stop cleats on the ends.  Two pair of single blocks were stropped below the spar near the center for the clew lines and topsail sheets.  Pendants for the braces were made up with an eye on one end to fit the spar and a large single block seized into the other end.
 
2
 
On top of the spar small single blocks were stropped for the leach lines and bunt lines.  Below the spar are the stirrups and footropes, stiffened, weighted and hung in the same way as those on the spritsail yard, as described in the last log. 
 
3
 
At the outer ends there are fiddle-style blocks, without sheaves, for the lifts and topsail sheets.  Here are those blocks before installation.
 
4
 
And here are the Dutch blocks which will be hung on short pendants at the masthead for the lifts, as described by Andersen.
 
5
 
The only other fitting not connected to the sail is the parrell.  The rollers were made from plastic tube, while the spacers were parted off a stick shaped like a triple letter “B”.  The ropes will go around the spar, double back lying in the grooves of the parrell, around the spar again, and then have one leg taken to a belaying point on the deck.
 
6
 
The technique that I worked out for the furled sail is a bit complex, and there were a lot of missteps and discarded efforts before I got a method that seems to work.  The first step was to lay out the shape of the sail onto the sailcloth.  The cloth was stretched slightly and pinned to a corkboard.  The entire sail area was sprayed lightly with matte finish to keep it from bunching as I worked on it.
 
The top line is the length of the sail, which is about 3/8” short of the stop cleats on each end of the spar.  This line was marked, as closely as possible, along the warp of the fabric so the fewest threads would be cut, reducing fraying.   The primary depth is 2/3 the actual height of the sail if it were to be set.  The reduced width of the lower edge was estimated by drawing out the full sail, then drawing a line between the clew and the future location of the clew block.  Where that line crossed the 2/3 line was where the corner of the sail was set.
 
If I wanted a tight furl, as though on a naval ship in harbor, I would stop here.  But for a pirate ship without a permanent base, I went with a loose furl with the clews of the sails pulled out a bit, ready to be lowered.  I therefore added two points on the ends of the lower edge. 
 
7
 
The size and shape of these points was done by eye, but I was a bit off.  I found out during the furling process that the points pull inward too much, making furling more difficult.  When I do it again I will have the clew points angle outward a bit to compensate.
 
Panel seams were penciled in every 20 inches in scale.  At the ends they were angled in so the last one was parallel with the outer edge of the sail.  An outer line for the tabling was drawn all around the sail.  A double coating of slightly thinned white glue was painted on the tabling and an equal distance inside the sail.  This was left to dry.
 
8
 
 
A length of line long enough to go around the perimeter of the sail was coated with white glue and laid along the sail edge inside the tabling to represent the bolt rope. This was pinned in place and left to dry.  
 
10
 
At the clews and upper corners the line was looped around itself to make the attachment points for future lines.
 
11
 
Once dry, the shape of the sail could be cut out without fraying.
 
 
9
 
Now the tabling was closed around the bolt rope.  First a metal straightedge was used to fold the tabling, then the fold was burnished to form a sharp crease.  With an old plank bender I carefully applied heat to the overlap.  This reactivated the glue to form an instant bond.
 
12
 
The tabling was ironed close to the trapped line, giving the impression of a bolt rope without having to sew it to the sail, a process that I have tried but cannot master.  Someone who knows how to use a sewing machine could probably make a realistic edge.
 
13
 
Now the sail could be hung on the spar, then furled.  After much experimentation, I decided that I could not simply fold, crumple and crush the sail so it looked realistically furled.  Instead, I found that a ‘twist’ in the method made all the difference.  If I rolled the sail around itself as I folded it, the resulting furl was much tighter and more even. 
 
But if I laced the sail to the spar it could not be rolled.  Instead, the majority of the lacing was put on first.  Between the outer single blocks, the ones for the leach lines, and across most of the spar, there is a false lacing.  It has been darkened with finish and you can see the contrast with the new lacing on the outer end of the sail.
 
14
 
The sail was now sprayed with water till it was pliable.  The sail was rolled, folded and crushed until I was happy with the look from the end of the spar to the leach block.  There the first grommet was wrapped twice around the sail and spar, then loosely tied.
 
This process was continued across the length of the sail.  Each section from grommet to grommet was treated separately, with more or less rolling, etc. as needed.  The sail was periodically sprayed to keep it supple.  When the final section was basically correct the sail was painted with acrylic matte finish.  While still wet and soft the final tweaks were made and the grommets tightened.
 
After the finish was dry and the sail stiff, clew and sheet blocks were attached to the dangling points of the sail.  A tack line with a stopper knot was laced through the clew and the spar was ready to be hung.
 
I apologize for not having photos of the process, but it took at least three hands to keep everything going, and I did not take photos along the way.  You can see how the process worked out.
 
15
 
Here the fore yard is being hung.  The parrell was laced around the mast to hold the spar to it.  The ties lead from under the central cleats up through the mast cap, down through the top and through the ramshead block, then up again through the mast cap and down to the spar where it is attached with a rolling hitch.
 
The lifts start at the Dutch blocks at the mast cap, then through the inner hole in the sister block at the yardarm, through the Dutch block and down to a sheave in the bitts at the base of the mast.  The braces run from the main stay to the pendant blocks, back to blocks on the stay, and to timberheads near the break of the foredeck.  All this is as I understand it from R.C. Andersen.  Budriot is actually not much help here.
 
The sail handling lines were fitted and run through their blocks.  Here you can see clew, bunt and leach lines.  Also in the photo are the blocks for the brace and sheet lines.  Finally, the bowlines were made up and run according to Andersen.
 
15a
 
At the base of the mast you can see the belaying points, as well as the ramshead block and halyard lines through it.
 
16
 
From the other angle you can see how that strange cleat fixture on deck actually works quite well.
 
17
 
So here is the model with both fore and main spars hung and their furled sails and lines all rigged.
 
18
 
Next, the crojack yard and lateen sail on the mizzen.  This will be the first sail that will be set, so there are a whole new bunch of issues that have to be addressed.  Until then,
 
Be well.
 
Dan
 
 
 

Hello,
 
the work continues with the gratings and coamings of the quarter deck, and ladder way to gun deck. In this case the gratings should look like "real" and have proper thickness and shape. Follow images show the process. First the upper edge of the block was shaped on this jig:
 

 

 
then cuts are done on tablesaw:
 

 

 

 

 
then strips are glued and the whole was sanded again in the jig:
 

 

 

 
Coamings are build around gratings, ladder way and coaming added:
 

 

 

 

 
All is dry fitted now.
 
Alex

Thanks for looking in, everyone.
 
Port side, first three strakes.  Not too bad to my eye and I'm happy.  The pics, though tell me that I'll have to do some sanding and shaping still around the joints and also to fair and smooth things out a bit.  The big challenge here is the where the plank thickness changed and also where the hull shape changed due to the tumblehome.  I'll fix things with some sanding and then finally scraping to get the ebony dust out of the Swiss pear grain.
 
Onto the starboard side....

 

Update.. we ain't dead in the water yet..!!!
 
After milling my wood, I spent a fair amount of time sorting out how to put this together.. the wales.  There's 12 strakes that start off a 3/32" thick and as they go down to the main hull planking, they thin to 1/16" which is the "normal" planking thickness.  Above the main wales, the upper works planking is 1/32" thick. 
 
After much experimentation and sorting things out, my approach is below. 
 
First two pics are how I clamp things down...

 
This one shows the actual planking...  hang with me, there's issues that I know have to be resolved due to some gaps.
 
1) is the second strake of wales. Solid swiss pear.
2) is the underlayment of 1/32" thick Swiss Pear. This is for the top strake of wales.
3) is the first of the planking for the upper works.  Forward of the first port will be heavier planking going from the wales upward
(last photo which is from Karl's build of Bohomme Richard.)
4) Ebony for the top wale.  It's 1/16" thick to make it easier to bend than the full thickness of the strake. 
 

 
The issues are the end of the ebony needs adjusting. For some reason it drooped while getting it into place.  And there's piece near the stem on the second wale where pear split.   I'm not overly concerned about it as the bolster for the hawse pipes goes over that.  The whole thing will need sanding and smoothing but for now, I'm going to continue on and finish running these to the stern and then get the other side done.  I'm also still sorting out clamps. Seems I broke two frames in the process of getting things glue up.  I have to not put so much force on those clamps.
 
As always, feel free to click on the pics to enlarge and criticism, different ideas, etc. are always welcome.  I'm still learning this stuff.