kruginmi

Excuse me while I get my sea legs again.....but with the start of fall my workshop has come alive again.
 
I wanted to start with something smaller, so opted for the mast top supports.  Nothing too huge or taxing but it did involve careful measuring and a couple of slots....
 

 
The whole mast will be primed and painted - the mast head black.  Doesn't look too shabby for something that will be almost totally hidden before everything is done!  It is still totally removable for work on the platform.
 

 
Stay Building my Friends,
Mark

Excuse me while I get my sea legs again.....but with the start of fall my workshop has come alive again.
 
I wanted to start with something smaller, so opted for the mast top supports.  Nothing too huge or taxing but it did involve careful measuring and a couple of slots....
 

 
The whole mast will be primed and painted - the mast head black.  Doesn't look too shabby for something that will be almost totally hidden before everything is done!  It is still totally removable for work on the platform.
 

 
Stay Building my Friends,
Mark

Hi Mark
 
You definitely have my respect! Speaking of bikes, last week I placed an order for a new road bike. Should be a dream to ride, but, I wouldn't have a hope in hell of keeping up with you.
 
I hope your health stays good and all the best!
 
Cheers
 
Patrick

Thanks for asking Patrick.  Finished my third (and last) ~Olympic Triathlon of the season two weeks ago.  Hung up my bike at least for this year.  Pretty happy with my results, now to get flabby (and modeling) again.  I need to be in some sort of shape to deal with the two teenagers in the house - so much drama.
 
Mark

Thanks for asking Patrick.  Finished my third (and last) ~Olympic Triathlon of the season two weeks ago.  Hung up my bike at least for this year.  Pretty happy with my results, now to get flabby (and modeling) again.  I need to be in some sort of shape to deal with the two teenagers in the house - so much drama.
 
Mark

Excuse me while I get my sea legs again.....but with the start of fall my workshop has come alive again.
 
I wanted to start with something smaller, so opted for the mast top supports.  Nothing too huge or taxing but it did involve careful measuring and a couple of slots....
 

 
The whole mast will be primed and painted - the mast head black.  Doesn't look too shabby for something that will be almost totally hidden before everything is done!  It is still totally removable for work on the platform.
 

 
Stay Building my Friends,
Mark

Thanks for asking Patrick.  Finished my third (and last) ~Olympic Triathlon of the season two weeks ago.  Hung up my bike at least for this year.  Pretty happy with my results, now to get flabby (and modeling) again.  I need to be in some sort of shape to deal with the two teenagers in the house - so much drama.
 
Mark

Excuse me while I get my sea legs again.....but with the start of fall my workshop has come alive again.
 
I wanted to start with something smaller, so opted for the mast top supports.  Nothing too huge or taxing but it did involve careful measuring and a couple of slots....
 

 
The whole mast will be primed and painted - the mast head black.  Doesn't look too shabby for something that will be almost totally hidden before everything is done!  It is still totally removable for work on the platform.
 

 
Stay Building my Friends,
Mark

Good to see you back, Mark!
 
Nice work as always!
 
Cheers
 
Patrick

Excuse me while I get my sea legs again.....but with the start of fall my workshop has come alive again.
 
I wanted to start with something smaller, so opted for the mast top supports.  Nothing too huge or taxing but it did involve careful measuring and a couple of slots....
 

 
The whole mast will be primed and painted - the mast head black.  Doesn't look too shabby for something that will be almost totally hidden before everything is done!  It is still totally removable for work on the platform.
 

 
Stay Building my Friends,
Mark

Excuse me while I get my sea legs again.....but with the start of fall my workshop has come alive again.
 
I wanted to start with something smaller, so opted for the mast top supports.  Nothing too huge or taxing but it did involve careful measuring and a couple of slots....
 

 
The whole mast will be primed and painted - the mast head black.  Doesn't look too shabby for something that will be almost totally hidden before everything is done!  It is still totally removable for work on the platform.
 

 
Stay Building my Friends,
Mark

Excuse me while I get my sea legs again.....but with the start of fall my workshop has come alive again.
 
I wanted to start with something smaller, so opted for the mast top supports.  Nothing too huge or taxing but it did involve careful measuring and a couple of slots....
 

 
The whole mast will be primed and painted - the mast head black.  Doesn't look too shabby for something that will be almost totally hidden before everything is done!  It is still totally removable for work on the platform.
 

 
Stay Building my Friends,
Mark

Excuse me while I get my sea legs again.....but with the start of fall my workshop has come alive again.
 
I wanted to start with something smaller, so opted for the mast top supports.  Nothing too huge or taxing but it did involve careful measuring and a couple of slots....
 

 
The whole mast will be primed and painted - the mast head black.  Doesn't look too shabby for something that will be almost totally hidden before everything is done!  It is still totally removable for work on the platform.
 

 
Stay Building my Friends,
Mark

Excuse me while I get my sea legs again.....but with the start of fall my workshop has come alive again.
 
I wanted to start with something smaller, so opted for the mast top supports.  Nothing too huge or taxing but it did involve careful measuring and a couple of slots....
 

 
The whole mast will be primed and painted - the mast head black.  Doesn't look too shabby for something that will be almost totally hidden before everything is done!  It is still totally removable for work on the platform.
 

 
Stay Building my Friends,
Mark

This 'step' is coming up soon (pun intended) and I ask for some recommendations.
 
The ship plans only show the mast step from the side:
 

 
This shows a step on the keelson that appears to be parallel the keelson.  Note that the forward well wall pushes against the forward part of the step (no space for wedges).  For my full ship model oh so many years ago I made my best guess at how to do this:
 

 
From other builds (and the TFFM) the steps tend to lie perpendicular to the keelson with wedges forward and aft on the keelson to affix at a particular spot.  I am leaning towards using this perpendicular step and not what I did on the original build.
 
Thoughts?  Again, this was originally an American built cargo vessel from 1774.
 
Mark

Like the idea, if you could include the spar deck beams under that plastic, it would add to the effect you are attempting to obtain. The plastic over the spar deck beams could be used  to support partial sections of the deck beams. Start them all, but cut most back at random intervels leaving only a few full width. Can you soften the lighting in the forward area? Sorry if I sound critical, not my intent, I think you are doing a fanstac job. The intent of my coments is intended to be constructive only. You have demonstraited that my sugestions are well within your abilities, should you find them worthy of consideration.
jud

On to the bibs.  One lesson learned I have taken to heart is when working with a complex mating surface (ie non straight) I do not cut the whole part to shape and hope for the best.  I always have to file a little here, scrape a little there with the result being the constructed piece is just a little 'off' on one face or another.  This is especially true for me for stems.
 
So, I focus on one edge at a time, starting with the mating edge required.  The target shape was cut out of the mast join and then (supposedly) transferred to the oversized piece and cut out:
 

 
Once the join was satisfactory I marked and cut out the top edge, insuring it totally aligned with the bib top on the mast.
 

 
Now the curving part is easy (compared to the rest).  The curves where drawn out, cut and sanded.  Before gluing I produced the other bib piece (marking the finished one with which side it belongs to FIRST).  Replicating the curve was much easier piece to piece off ship.  After all that work (maybe two hours in the workshop) I glued the bib pieces on.
 

 
Looking at the plans for  the two thousandth time afterwards I did realize the bibs were not only supposed to support the top beam but also slightly go into the topmast space.  Initially you wonder how the heck that happened.  I finally opted to laminate a 1/32" piece of basswood on the inside face for this issue.  The top will be painted (black) and it will be basically invisible (unless pointed out, which I try not to do).  So, reprieve and lesson learned for the next mast down the road.
 
Stay Building My Friends,
Mark

On to the bibs.  One lesson learned I have taken to heart is when working with a complex mating surface (ie non straight) I do not cut the whole part to shape and hope for the best.  I always have to file a little here, scrape a little there with the result being the constructed piece is just a little 'off' on one face or another.  This is especially true for me for stems.
 
So, I focus on one edge at a time, starting with the mating edge required.  The target shape was cut out of the mast join and then (supposedly) transferred to the oversized piece and cut out:
 

 
Once the join was satisfactory I marked and cut out the top edge, insuring it totally aligned with the bib top on the mast.
 

 
Now the curving part is easy (compared to the rest).  The curves where drawn out, cut and sanded.  Before gluing I produced the other bib piece (marking the finished one with which side it belongs to FIRST).  Replicating the curve was much easier piece to piece off ship.  After all that work (maybe two hours in the workshop) I glued the bib pieces on.
 

 
Looking at the plans for  the two thousandth time afterwards I did realize the bibs were not only supposed to support the top beam but also slightly go into the topmast space.  Initially you wonder how the heck that happened.  I finally opted to laminate a 1/32" piece of basswood on the inside face for this issue.  The top will be painted (black) and it will be basically invisible (unless pointed out, which I try not to do).  So, reprieve and lesson learned for the next mast down the road.
 
Stay Building My Friends,
Mark

On to the bibs.  One lesson learned I have taken to heart is when working with a complex mating surface (ie non straight) I do not cut the whole part to shape and hope for the best.  I always have to file a little here, scrape a little there with the result being the constructed piece is just a little 'off' on one face or another.  This is especially true for me for stems.
 
So, I focus on one edge at a time, starting with the mating edge required.  The target shape was cut out of the mast join and then (supposedly) transferred to the oversized piece and cut out:
 

 
Once the join was satisfactory I marked and cut out the top edge, insuring it totally aligned with the bib top on the mast.
 

 
Now the curving part is easy (compared to the rest).  The curves where drawn out, cut and sanded.  Before gluing I produced the other bib piece (marking the finished one with which side it belongs to FIRST).  Replicating the curve was much easier piece to piece off ship.  After all that work (maybe two hours in the workshop) I glued the bib pieces on.
 

 
Looking at the plans for  the two thousandth time afterwards I did realize the bibs were not only supposed to support the top beam but also slightly go into the topmast space.  Initially you wonder how the heck that happened.  I finally opted to laminate a 1/32" piece of basswood on the inside face for this issue.  The top will be painted (black) and it will be basically invisible (unless pointed out, which I try not to do).  So, reprieve and lesson learned for the next mast down the road.
 
Stay Building My Friends,
Mark

Mark,
 
nice clean work on Hull and masting, this will be a very good looking cross section
 
Nils

On to the bibs.  One lesson learned I have taken to heart is when working with a complex mating surface (ie non straight) I do not cut the whole part to shape and hope for the best.  I always have to file a little here, scrape a little there with the result being the constructed piece is just a little 'off' on one face or another.  This is especially true for me for stems.
 
So, I focus on one edge at a time, starting with the mating edge required.  The target shape was cut out of the mast join and then (supposedly) transferred to the oversized piece and cut out:
 

 
Once the join was satisfactory I marked and cut out the top edge, insuring it totally aligned with the bib top on the mast.
 

 
Now the curving part is easy (compared to the rest).  The curves where drawn out, cut and sanded.  Before gluing I produced the other bib piece (marking the finished one with which side it belongs to FIRST).  Replicating the curve was much easier piece to piece off ship.  After all that work (maybe two hours in the workshop) I glued the bib pieces on.
 

 
Looking at the plans for  the two thousandth time afterwards I did realize the bibs were not only supposed to support the top beam but also slightly go into the topmast space.  Initially you wonder how the heck that happened.  I finally opted to laminate a 1/32" piece of basswood on the inside face for this issue.  The top will be painted (black) and it will be basically invisible (unless pointed out, which I try not to do).  So, reprieve and lesson learned for the next mast down the road.
 
Stay Building My Friends,
Mark

On to the bibs.  One lesson learned I have taken to heart is when working with a complex mating surface (ie non straight) I do not cut the whole part to shape and hope for the best.  I always have to file a little here, scrape a little there with the result being the constructed piece is just a little 'off' on one face or another.  This is especially true for me for stems.
 
So, I focus on one edge at a time, starting with the mating edge required.  The target shape was cut out of the mast join and then (supposedly) transferred to the oversized piece and cut out:
 

 
Once the join was satisfactory I marked and cut out the top edge, insuring it totally aligned with the bib top on the mast.
 

 
Now the curving part is easy (compared to the rest).  The curves where drawn out, cut and sanded.  Before gluing I produced the other bib piece (marking the finished one with which side it belongs to FIRST).  Replicating the curve was much easier piece to piece off ship.  After all that work (maybe two hours in the workshop) I glued the bib pieces on.
 

 
Looking at the plans for  the two thousandth time afterwards I did realize the bibs were not only supposed to support the top beam but also slightly go into the topmast space.  Initially you wonder how the heck that happened.  I finally opted to laminate a 1/32" piece of basswood on the inside face for this issue.  The top will be painted (black) and it will be basically invisible (unless pointed out, which I try not to do).  So, reprieve and lesson learned for the next mast down the road.
 
Stay Building My Friends,
Mark

You make progress when you can.  I have affixed the futtock templates for ten half frames using around one and a third  boards (3 inch by 24 inch, 1/8 inch thick).  For comparison sake, using the expedited method created two half frames per board length if memory serves correct.
 

 
Many different techniques that probably vary with wood type, but for basswood I evenly apply a coat of rubber cement to the wood and allow to dry, usually around 5 minutes.  Then I apply a second coat and apply the paper templates to the wet surface.  You have around 5 seconds of maneuver time to slide them around before I apply pressure from the center and rub outwards to insure flat and totally affixed.
 
After getting the other ten halves affixed I will rough cut out using the scroll saw and cut the mating joints using the Byrnes saw with my sled.
 
Mark

On to the bibs.  One lesson learned I have taken to heart is when working with a complex mating surface (ie non straight) I do not cut the whole part to shape and hope for the best.  I always have to file a little here, scrape a little there with the result being the constructed piece is just a little 'off' on one face or another.  This is especially true for me for stems.
 
So, I focus on one edge at a time, starting with the mating edge required.  The target shape was cut out of the mast join and then (supposedly) transferred to the oversized piece and cut out:
 

 
Once the join was satisfactory I marked and cut out the top edge, insuring it totally aligned with the bib top on the mast.
 

 
Now the curving part is easy (compared to the rest).  The curves where drawn out, cut and sanded.  Before gluing I produced the other bib piece (marking the finished one with which side it belongs to FIRST).  Replicating the curve was much easier piece to piece off ship.  After all that work (maybe two hours in the workshop) I glued the bib pieces on.
 

 
Looking at the plans for  the two thousandth time afterwards I did realize the bibs were not only supposed to support the top beam but also slightly go into the topmast space.  Initially you wonder how the heck that happened.  I finally opted to laminate a 1/32" piece of basswood on the inside face for this issue.  The top will be painted (black) and it will be basically invisible (unless pointed out, which I try not to do).  So, reprieve and lesson learned for the next mast down the road.
 
Stay Building My Friends,
Mark

With a little time I jumped into the bibs and cheeks.  First up was to glue in the blanks for both:
 

 
So far so good.  There are a few small gaps but a little sanding and some glue will get rid of those.  Also, the mast will be painted so no worries.  
 
Now for shaping the blanks.  I wanted to protect the mast itself so I used some painters tape to provide a cover for the mast itself.  Most of the shaping was accomplished with a razor blade.
 

 
A relatively short time later I had both sides done:
 

 
For anyone new to making masts (such as I am) I would suggest practicing on basswood, even if that is not your final wood for your model.  Shapes, methods and results can be done to understand the process prior to your final try.
 
Thanks for stopping by,
Mark
P.S.  Finished the second Tri making all my target times.  Working towards the final one of the season on September 12.