Wintergreen

Wow thanks guys! It's really fun to build this little stove, much more than I had imagined. Now I understand why people build small buildings from individual brick, one ought to try once. 
Tony, I think a simple stew would be appropriate.
Gee Rusty you're tough to please
 
So chimney added, time to make some pots and pans....
 

 

 

 

 
Remco

An other trade to master, stone  masonry ... 
 
I cancelled the stones I had ordered and got a rubber mold from dioramadebris.co.uk instead , now I can cast my own bricks in the color I want. First I made a big batch with slightly different colors (plaster & pigment)
 

 
Then I had to find a way to make the mortar. At first I glued the sones with thin paper sheet in-between to get an even spacing. I had planned to use sculpey to make the mortar but this doesn't stick to plaster :-( 
So I had to find an other solution, from the DYI shop I got a pack with powder mixed with water this is used to fill holes in walls, as this dries in just under 1 hour it looked good, but this didn't stick to the plaster too :-( 
 

 
So I mixed it with titebond and pigment and this was a working formula. The surplus removed just before it dries and with a wet brush I softened the flushing. 
 

 

 

 

 
At this point the chimney needs to be made, I'll make this from brick and not steel like my original plan. In the two holes two big cooking pans are fitted. The square hole's on the sides will get a metal hinged doors. Opposite to the hearth I'll make a pantry with different kitchen utensils. I must say it's really time consuming to make but this is really a lot of fun to do. The admiral is complaining she didn't see me all weekend :-D 
 
Remco

Thanks Michael, Pat and Alex. Well good sirs other then pot's and pan's the stove it complete, accept for the  stack. I finally added the pully's and chain, for the pit, which was just a little touche. Most of the new parts are made out of metal accept for the pulley's which are wood. Couldn't find any brass round stock big enough. Well back to the pump's. Gary

Thanks guys.  Of course there is a bright side to all this.  The first go round I didn't have any HobbyMill cherry wide enough for the brackets, so I used inferior wood.  This time, I still don't have any HobbyMill stock large enough, BUT ...
 
Many, many moons ago, about when I first started this project, I was in a Rockler store and bought a piece of cherry wood sized 3" x 3/8" x 24".  I had no power tools at the time, so I really couldn't use it, but it was just such a beautiful piece of wood I grabbed it.  Well, in my search for lumber to start my second attempt at the carriages, I came across that long forgotton gem!
 
As Grant would say, I now have the chance to play with my toys (Byrnes thickness sander and table saw) some more -- and to use them much more extensively.  This time, I didn't have to glue up strips, I could in fact slot the profiles in a larger block of wood, then slice the brackets from that.  Also, I'm going to drill all the holes for the eyebolts BEFORE assembling the carriages this time.
 
Robert

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 34 – Stern Deadwood continued
 
In the first picture the stern deadwood has been constructed.  A template has been made and is being used to mark out the bearding line on the model.
 

 
As mentioned before, the bearding line describes the position along the hull where the hull profiles intersect with the width of the deadwood.  Below this line the deadwood narrows down to the rabbet of the keel.  The cant frames rest on this line and provide for the increased breadth of the hull above it.  The other side was marked with the same template.
 
In the next picture another template is being used to mark the cutting down line on the port side.
 

 
The cutting down line marks the intersections of the inboard faces of the frames with the deadwood.  It is just slightly below the top of the deadwood.
 
In the next picture the fore and aft lines of each cant frame are being marked on the deadwood.
 

 
These lines are squared up from the base drawing using the small square and the special Plexiglas square that was made to clear the keel side support strips on the shipway.
 
The next picture shows the cant frame lines drawn in.  As with the bow, these lines define the shallow mortises that will seat each cant frame.
 

 
The dashed lines forward of the cant frames mark the location of the half frames back to the last full square frame.  The next picture shows the remaining area to be framed.
 

 
In the next picture the two central stern timbers have been cut out and are held up in place on the sternpost.  Stern framing evolved during the clipper period.  Early clippers continued to feature the square counter stern and transoms of earlier times.  As the elliptical and circular sterns evolved, new methods were used in their construction.  Young America’s actual construction was not recorded.  I have elected to go with the transomless framing that was widely used at the time on circular/elliptical sterns.
 

 
In the next picture the lines of the cant frame mortises are being scribed with a knife before paring them out.
 

 
The last picture shows the in situ paring of the mortises on the starboard side
in progress.
 

 
The extent of each mortise is defined by the two cant frame face lines, the cutting down line at the top and the bearding line at the bottom.
 
Ed

Hello all
 
After a long hiatus, I felt guilty enough to pick up some tools and do a bit of work on Blanche. Things have been a bit busy, and will be for a while to come, so I am only doing small bits and pieces for the foreseeable future.
 
When I last posted, I was doing deck clamps and gun ports to stiffen up the hull and strengthen the framing, as I have not yet removed her from the build board for external fairing. As a result, the external side view has not changed much except for the addition of the tops of several frames, and port sills for the forecastle and quarterdeck.
 

 
Internally, I finished putting in the deck clamps which I had previously started, and repositioned a couple that looked poorly aligned. I have also done the fore and main mast steps, and I think they look ok for a first attempt.
 
First is the main mast step....


 
Then the foremast step......
1st - the rough shaping was done by copying the plans for the frames on which it rests (R to S), and cutting a slab of wood to the shape of the inside of those frames.

 
Then I sanded the block so the fore end matched the inside shape of the forward frame. After that, I used my little mill (Proxxon MF70) to cut the groove for it to sit over the keelson, followed by more sanding and shaping. Then finally I used the mill to create the slot for the mast.

 
The steps, and the hooks and crutches that I will do soon, are all from old Totara wood that was once fence posts and is much darker than the Totara I used for the frames, which was old flooring boards. The keelson is from a slab of Totara, and is a slightly richer colour than the frames. Clamps and thickstuff/planks are Kauri.
 
So that's my catch up as it stands now. Next work will be crutches and hooks, and maybe try and do some internal structures.
 
Cheers
Rob
 

Thanks every one and those folks for there likes. I have got the stove further along and do think  I have come close to the cast iron look, at least as close as my skill will let me. Well back to work on her gun deck guys. Here is some updated photo's guys, and Mr Jones finally got a paint job along with the stove. Some were he seem to have picked up a slop bucket. Now I wonder where he got that from. Thanks again guy's.
 
Gary

Well guys, I got to finally do some cooking and if any one has a pig, bring it on over and we can have a roast. Only kidding but finally have Alfred stove just about finished. Been working on it for a couple of days and has been a lot of fun. Its built of copper and brass, and a few pieces of plastic and wood thrown in to the mix. Still have to put the  bar around it and finish the stack. A couple of the items, probably will get replace, such as the pot holder's and in the mean time will have to make some pot's and pans. Don't be to hard guys and still need a lot of work on it.   Also have to figure out how am going to get that cast iron look so if any of you have any ideal's on how to do this, let me know, would you please. Just to let you know there was a few items that came from Chuck's photo etch set which came in real handy, so thank you Chuck. Enjoy the photo's guy's.
 
Gary 

Well Druxey let's see what song this Swan is going to sing over the stove.... I might make an early brick type galley to see how it looks and decide then.
 
Between looking at stoves, hearths and all that comes with that (does give an appetite seeing those big grill's...) I dry fitted most of the upper deck beams so now I can sart working on the bulkheads on the lower deck. 
 

 

 

 
Remco

Fellow ship builders. A small update from a visual point of view, but rather big from a time perspective..
 
I am detailing the deck, starting my way from the bow. The holes for the deadeyes are drilled trough the main rail and further trough the respective stanchion.
 
Thanks for dropping by.
/Alfons
 

Hi everyone,
 
Thank you, remco, grant and brian for your comments. They help keep me going.
 
druxey, beautiful model, exquisitely built! What I am thinking about on the carlings for the upper deck is a way to scribe the carlings locations right at the start. On the gun deck, I penciled the lines, and later they faded a bit. I like the idea of getting a positive scribed line against which to register the chisel. Did you pencil or scribe to get such perfect alignment?
 
Alex, you are right that this is a matter of taste. I fell in love with the admiralty models in the National Maritime Museum in London many years ago, and could not get the color scheme out of my head. I do worry a bit about red inboard planking, which is the admiralty norm, but druxey's photo in the last post shows how effective this can be. I may try some dummy setups of colored card to see how it looks before committing. I had to throw away my original riding bitts, because I painted them, and they were too garish. Red stain was more effective, a little more subtle for me. Greg, interesting to hear that you are rethinking color. It is difficult. I sympathize with remco's concern about losing some of the detail in his beautiful masts if he stains the tops black; but then the blackened mast heads look great from afar. I may have a scotch before deciding myself...
 
Gaetan, thank you for the vote of approval. I will thank you again publicly for the great advice on craftsmanship. I was able to work much faster, and more accurately, keeping to one step at a time, and processing as many similar pieces as possible at the same time.
 
I have attached a couple of photos of the stern timbers beginning to take form. A lot still to go!
 
Best wishes,
 
Mark
 
 
 

Hmm... not quite November of 2014 as I promised Sjors, but here's the latest. I finished the gunports (thank heavens it's not a 74), added the ebony wales (chain and main), and began working towards the top rails.  The red arrow points to where I need to fill in with either plum or swiss pear.  I'm undecided at this moment and waiting to see how some test wood looks with the Wipe on Poly.
 
I also cut out every other frame between the build board and where the cap rail will be in the midship area.  I need to rotate her around and do the other side now.
 
As for the ebony... if I ever mention on another ship, that I'm planning on using ebony, please do unto me which the Victory did unto Bucentaur at Trafalgar.   Just unload a broadside.   Aggrevating stuff.  The epoxy wasn't holding and required some gel type CA.   I think pear with ebony stain would look as good.
 

Thank you all, for your support and kind words.
 
I challenged myself that I wouldn't make another post until I finished the frames.  I didn't think this was very much of a challenge, as I thought it would be four or five hours work to do the half frames.   Now it is ten hours later (where does the time go?) and I can report progress.
 
I spent much of the day in this situation--
 

 
 
Some frames, having been wet and heated, are clamped to set the curvature, while I hold a freshly glued frame in place with my fingers until the glue sets.  The boat is in there, somewhere.
 
 
Here, the last two frames are clamped to set the curve--
 

 
 
I dropped the boat onto my wood floor twice.  The second time I had four clothespins attached, and I was sure some planking would spring loose, but there were no ill effects.
 
Now all frames are done.  I think.  There are a few that draw my eye due to uneven placement.  I don't know yet whether I will adjust them.
 

 
 
In this view they look more uniform--
 

 
 
There is still quite a lot to do on this boat--
 

 
 
Cheers,
Ron

Thanks, John!
 
Here I have all but one of the full frames bent and labeled.  As I did each one I marked a small "x" on the top of the plug to help me remember which I had done as I went along--
 

 
 
A comparison between a rough frame and a sanded frame--
 

 
 
A few of the frames glued in, and another unfinished frame for comparison--
 
 
 
 
Carefully sanding a frame, first on the inside, for smoothness.  220, then 320, then 600 grit--
 
 
 
 
Then scrubbing on flat sandpaper for the sided dimension, 220, then 600.  I ended up leaving the frames about 3/64 inch wide--
 

 
 
Then the outside (the face to be glued to the planks) was sanded with a small strip of 150 grit sandpaper to reduce the frame to a final thickness of 1/32 inch--
 

 
 
Then the frame can be glued into place.  The clothespins are holding the "pre-bend" of last full frame as it dries.  The frame just glued in hasn't had it's ends trimmed yet--
 

 
 
Current progress with all the full frames glued in--
 

 

 
 
Ron

Hi everyone,
 
I finally got time over the holidays to get back into the shop and to check out the website. Thank you Ron, and Sailor 123... for your comments. The 74 gun ship of the mid 18th century has the perfect balance of form and function--I learn something new every day about how elegantly the shipwrights met a functional need with a beautiful form. Guy, I would be happy to see anything you might turn up on the Bellona.
 
I finally finished the gun deck framing. I did it in record time, compared to my previous work. I followed Gaetan's advice from some time ago, to keep working systematically at the same task, and it will become easier and faster. I worked out a systematic way of numbering the ledges, and I was able to do each process on each piece, before going back to do the next process on each piece. It helped with a rhythm, and it meant the whole deck was built up in each stage. It was harder that way to say that I had finished a few more bays, and could come back later for the remaining bays. I had to keep working to see any real progress, and then it was all done. It seemed to work for me!
 
I counted up. There are 525 pieces in the deck framing itself--beams, carlings, ledges, and knees. And 856 mortices.
 
I am moving on to framing the stern, for a nice change of scenery. I have made some very interesting discoveries about the Bellona framing, while drafting it up. More on that later.
 
Best wishes,
 
Mark
 

Thanks to all of you!
 
I have completed the area around the cat heads. Small details and tricky soldering. The most challenging parts were the iron bars that connects to the hull sides. I made them from wire, flattened in both ends and then filed to shape. Finally, a hole was drilled in each end. 
 
Once again, I got use of my bolt heads, great product that brings an additional level of detail. Can you spot them in the pictures??
 
Time has come to mount the model to its brass stands and to the base board. Having done that, I will dry fit all the deck structures and post a few pictures displaying the complete status as per start of 2014.
 
Next step is to complete all the ring- and eye bolts and other deck fittings. There are also a few cleats that needs to come on.
 
I wish all of you a merry christmas and a happy new year!
 
Best regards from a windy Stockholm.
/Alfons
 










 
 

Merry Christmas and a happy new year every one.
 
Thanks to every one with their kind words. It seems that I have a small up date on Montagu gun deck. I took off the planking I installed the first time, or was it the second time but instead of installing just enough for the gun's, ran it all the way over to the hatch ways and left one side unplanked. The deck planking is silver maple and boy is it white and every thing has been pegged but have not done any kind of stain on it. Thinking about toning it down but not sure of the how or with what so if you have any ideal's please let me know. Have been expermenting but not happy with what am coming up with yet. Do know that Frolick used maplewood on his deck of his  La Belle Poule, and looks real nice. Seems it is a honey oak color and doesn't blind you when you look at it, but havn't found out what type of maple and if you know what type maple and  stain please let me know. The cannons are just sitting on the deck till other items get done and will be reloacted to a safer place once I start working on them again. Any way folks Merry Christmas and may you get that tool or kit that you been wanting for the past year.
 
Gary

I just realized it's been quite a long time since this has been updated.   So here goes....
 
Gunports have cut out, final shaped and the cracks between planks filled and sanded. The whole thing has been sanded with 600 grit.  I've cut the wales, shaped the bends and will, I hope, get them on by end of this weekend.  I'm testing some JB Weld "Wood Weld" epoxy to see how it holds.  As a backup, I have regular epoxy just in case.
 
I also found a source locally for MinWax Wipe On Poly which I'll use for a finish instead of the varnish I was planning on using.
 
Here's the pics.. an overall shot and close up just for kicks and grins. (Click the pics to enlarge).
 


 
If I don't get a chance to update this before then, here's wishing everyone a wonderful holiday no matter what you celebrate.  We'll be doing a quiet, low-key Christmas.  Just the three of us... and a fire in the fireplace. 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 31 – Aft Square Frames 3
 
The installation of the remaing full square frames has now been completed – back through frame 29. 
 
Starting with frame 21, the cutting down line begins to rise.  This is the line of the inboard faces of the frames adjacent to the keelson.  However, unlike the 18thC RN ships,  the keelson remains straight and horizontal all the way back to the stern post knee in these ships.  So the tops of the full frames need to be notched as shown in the first picture – to accept the straight keelson.
 

 
This notching of the last several full frames increases the thickness – the molded breadth – of the lower part of the frames so that when the first half frame is reached there will be enough depth for that frame to be secured with horizontal bolts to the keelson/deadwood.  That increased depth needs to be approached in a fair line so the inboard planking will lie flat on the frames with no steps up.
 
The next picture shows the last of the full frames installed – back to the filler piece atop the keel.  The remaining aft frames will be bolted on the face of this filler and the keelson/deadwood with horizontal bolts – as was done at the bow.
 

 
This picture shows the gradually increasing height of the cutting down line over the last half-dozen or so frames.  The straight lower keelson will fit into the notches.
 
The remaining three pictures show the framed hull at this stage – with the clutter of tools and debris removed..
 

 
Another foot or so of hull framing remains to be done – almost back to the ends of the two temporary ribbands.
 

 
The last picture gives some indication of the fairing of the hull at this stage.  Only the pre-bevelling of the individual frames has been done so far.  The frames appear to be fair with about 1/64”.  Some adjustment in alignment of a few frames may reduce that further, leaving only a small amount of final sanding.
 

 
The next steps will be to refine the fairing of the floors on the inboard side prior to installing the remainder of the keelson.  It is much easier to do this before the keelson is installed.  With the two levels of the keelson installed, .the deadwood can be constructed.  This will allow the half and cant frames to be set.
 
Since this will be the last post before Christmas, I will wish everyone the happiest of holidays and a great new year.  Thanks for following these postings.
 
Ed

We all have used and lost or broken several of those number 80  through 60 drills. Some look like a piece of wire and end up on the floor.
 
I decided to invest in a set of pin-vises that could be 'dedicated' to hold one drill bit each. I marked them with the size.
In addition, I went a step further and made this drill holder . . . .
No further explanation necessary . . .???

 

 
Well, yes, the drills in the second picture have a thicker shaft which comes in handy when using them in my drill press. The set of 'unmarked' drills in the first picture have various sizes for those times when the hole diameter does not matter too much and I just need a 'drill'.
But there are also a number of collets that I can use in the pin vises or my drill press.
Notice also that I have to replace a couple of the real tiny guys.

Cannons – Blackening
 
Using the process outlined in many places on MSW, I chemically blackened the guns.
 
Maybe some minor variations from what others use for mixture ratios or the duration of each step in the process, but pretty much the same drill:
Silver solder trunnions in place Acetone bath for grease removal (15 – 20 Minutes) Muriatic acid bath for surface etching (15 – 20 Minutes) Thorough rinsing with cold water Blackening bath, 5 parts Birchwood Casey Brass Black, 1 part distilled water (approx. 2 – 4 minutes) Thorough rinsing in cold water Following a few minutes of air drying, buff with a soft cloth The end result, depending on the lighting, looks like a pretty attractive deep, gun metal gray.
 
While I think they look kind of nice as is, the shine is a bit overwhelming for 1:64 scale.  Therefore, the final step will be to seal them with a coat of clear, matte lacquer.
 
The result of the matte finish treatment can be seen on the gun at the far right.  With the reduced light reflection, it now looks more black.
 
Onward to making some carriage bolts, eyebolts, and ringbolts...
 
Robert

Building the cutter backbone
 
All models begin with one piece--
 

 
 
That stem piece took four tries, and I still had a pretty ragged looking rabbet.   The keel piece took three tries before I accepted the less than perfect rabbet.   Here are the seven pieces of the cutter backbone--
 

 
 
Once I had those, I could start to cut the notches into the plug for the stem and stern.   Here you can see work beginning on the plug, and the backbone dry fit together--
 

 
 
I glued the stem and the apron together, and used it to test the carving out of the plug--
 

 
 
After gluing the sternson knee pieces to the keel, I could test fit the stern notch, and see how well the keel fit.  The keel matched my hull drawing, but you can see there was some more work to do on the plug to close the gap between the keel and stem--
 

 
 
I worked on the notches, and fine tuned the plug shape at the bow and stern, until the keel fit together on the plug--
 

 
 
I could now glue the transom and sternpost to the keel--
 

 
 
Fitting the completed backbone into the plug and evaluating the result--
 

 

 

 
 
One thing I noticed was that the stem apron needed a bearding line cut into it.  The lighter crescent of wood in this shot shows where I chiseled a bevel in the apron--
 

 
 
And the resulting transition from the plug, across the apron into the rabbet--
 

 
 
Look ma no hands!!   The backbone balances--
 

 
 
This shot give a little better idea of the scale.  The cutter is not tiny, but it's not that big either--
 

 
Now I have to decide if I want to plank this in Swiss Pear, which I have on hand (though I have to thin it down from about 5/64ths [i had mistakenly typed 5/16th originally] to 1/32 or less.), or order some boxwood or holly, which I could get in the necessary thickness, but it means a long wait.   I'm leaning toward the pear, and make the gunwale and washboard black, for some contrast, along with some nice boxwood oars.  Have to think about this. 
 
 
Ron

A couple of shots of the plug on deck--just to see how the boat will fit in--
 

 

 
 
In between sessions of shaping the plug, I worked on the hawse holes' inner bolster or chock.
 
I cut away a portion of the waterway, because I wasn't confident that the bolster pieces would fit well on top of the waterway, and under the hawse holes--
 

 
 
Here are the two rough pieces in place--
 

 
 
They are complicated to shape.  They are angled at the deck, a compound angle at the stem, a curve has to be sanded into them (I opted not to try and steam bend them), and the hollows have to align with the hawse holes.
 
Here the starboard piece is about halfway through shaping--
 

 
And here both are done--
 

 
 
I was not happy to see the gap at the stem.  It surprised me because the rough pieces fit well.  The gap developed as I sanded the bulwark curve into the bolster pieces, and as they "sat back" into the bulwark curve, it was just enough to cause that gap--I never touched the stem angle, or the aft ends.  The gap will be hidden by the bowsprit, but I may put a little sawdust paste in there anyway. 
 
Ron

That's the thing with a great tutor. Even if you read it yourself a couple of times it's not until someone puts it into reference that you fully understand.
(just got the whole width of stopwaters myself...).

Fishy plan mainly done though I will probably update it with the transoms when I get round to them.
 

 
Next up the slow and tortuous square frames. 
 
Joss