Elia

I did manage to get a little model work in today, every little bit helps.  A few more shots to show how the work on the hull is progressing.  
 
Cheers,
Tim
 

 

 

 

 

Lou, Blackie,
 
Thank you very much for stopping on Arethusa and for the very kind and generous comments. That yellow stripe by and large runs pretty true. It is quite thin - rather amazingly thin masking tape is the trick. There are a few spots where it wavers just a whisker, but in one location, to my eye, it's somewhat of a doosie. [the more I think and write about it the more I think of redoing it!]. Lou, it was quite some time that I was away from working on Arethusa and it is good to be back working with wood and brass. I look forward to getting the hull completed and starting on the masting and rigging.
 
Cheers,
 
Elia

Hi all.

This project, beeing my first build, was started in september 2011. Having thought about building a wooden ship for many years i finally got around and ordered my Schooner from Blue Jacket in the US.
 
In MSW 1.0 I maintained a build log since day 1, sadly, all the information were lost during the crash. However, all of the pictures are still on my hard drive. In below posts I have added all the pictures in somewhat of an order, this post contains the pictues of the current status of the build.
 
The Blu Jacket kit is of excellent quality, containing a solid hull and a small box of britannia castings. There are no laser cut wooden parts, all parts are built from profiles and sheets. The instructions are thorough and contains a number of hand drawn sketches, and also a number of pictures of the prototype build by Blue Jacket. The length of the finished model will be about 33¨, and I plan to make my own glass (or similar) display case. There will be no sails, but a full running rig.
 
I really enjoy my new hobby, and starting a build log at MSW has been extremely helpful and encouraging. 
 
Thanks for looking in, and I hope you will follow my progress along the way.
 
/Alfons
 

Thanks Ricky.
 
Tim.
 
Regarding the rudder assembly, see pictures below.
 
I attached both the rudder stock and the rudder to the stern post. I guess this is not the proper way to do it, but the result came out well and I am happy. However, the rudder is glued solid and will not be able to swing.
 
Please note that I forgot to cut the small slots above the rudder hinges, not allowing for the rudder to come off during overhaul. 
 
/Alfons

I am uploading the rest of my pictures, the new log required a little bit more life to it.   
 
Sorry that the time line does twist a little bit back and forth.
 
/Alfons
 

Time for a small update, just to let you know I am alive 
 
Thanks for the kind words, it good to be back.
 
I am making slow progress with the seine dory, next step is finishing the main rail.
 
Thanks for dropping by.
/Alfons

Continuing on with the aft coaming area--
 
Here the blackened brass rods are fit to the skylight sashes, and dry fit on the frame--
 

 
 
The skylight hinges are trimmed short.  You can see where I've cut a small mortice in the skylight for them to sit--
 

 
 
The binnacle is started from a solid block.  I've also epoxied "glass" (cut from the plastic address window of an envelope) on the underside of one skylight sash--
 

 
 
The center is cut out of the binnacle block.  I've glued the hinges onto the skylight sashes, and you can see the effect of the glass in the skylight--
 

 
 
A top is made for the binnacle, and holes are drilled in the center.  A larger size from the top (the width of the compass) and a smaller one all the way through, to push the compass back out from below during test fittings--
 

 
 
In this photo you can see two sections of brass tube soldered together.  Inner tube will form a seat to glue the compass face to.  For the compass, I smeared the corner of a piece of white card stock with some stain, so it wouldn't be so bright.   Then I epoxied some "glass" to it.   After not doing a very good job cutting a tiny circle (that's where that little cut out in the corner came from), I got the idea to file the end of a brass tube to make a punch--
 

 
 
The punch worked great, but I ended up making another from the next smaller tube, as this left a little gap between the brass tube and the compass face--a hint of a gimble assembly--
 

 
 
After much frustration and delay with the companionway doors (re-gluing hinges multiple times), everything is finally there.  Some is glued, some is just sitting (the binnacle).   There's no hardware (i.e. latches, knobs, etc.) on the companionway doors, or the binnacle doors.  I'm still deciding whether to add anything to those.  I have a hard time controlling epoxy smears, and my CA has all gone bad, so for now they'll stay as is--
 

 
The binnacle is pretty short.   It's that way to stay below the companionway top, which overhangs its sides about and inch and a half.  
 
 
I think the visibility through the "glass" is just about perfect--
 

 
 
A longer "context" shot.   The deck is looking a lot more finished!
 

 
 
Ron
 
 
 

Shipwrights - it has been a long time since I last posted progress on Arethusa.  I have been working away on her, in little snippets of time here and there.  Springtime turned to summer, when my modeling usually all but ceases, replaced by outdoor activities.  Autumn typically welcomes the shipwright (me!) back to his work shop.  This year my wife and I decided to embark on a large home improvement project and it has taken far more time and energy than initially estimated.  That resulted in less model time than I had hoped for.  I am now getting a little modeling time in and following are some progress photos.

 

The saga of the yellow cove stripe is almost over.  I had removed the offending strip of wood, per my previous postings, glued in the repair strip, and spackled, sanded and faired it.  I then painted the yellow stripe region.  After the painted dried for a couple of days I applied the 1/64” wide masking tape.  It was surprisingly difficult for me to get it to run straight and true along the new piece of wood.  ?!  Once in place I painted a light coat of the yellow over the masking tape to seal its edges for bleed under by the black topcoat, which followed.  The resulting stripe looks thin and yellow, as desired, though it wanders a wee bit. I think I’ll live with it.  As you can see if the accompanying photo I’ve added some white to the scuppers.  All of my remediation work had filled in the scuppers with spackle, sanding dust, primer, and paint.  I cleaned out the scuppers and applied some of my white paint as touch-up.  Once the chainplates are attached I’ll apply black topcoat and it should look tidy (at least that is the plan).



 

Speaking of chainplates - I have been working away on those details.  First off was making the deadeyes.  Ron (Oneida build) was very helpful in providing me a direction in which to proceed regarding making my deadeyes.  I followed his lead, similar to Harold Underhill, in making a jig to locate the lanyard holes and setting the height of the deadeye.  

 

I don’t know if you shipwrights ever see a detail on the full size ship that just sticks with you and you find you need to model it, but that happened to me on the deadeyes.  The large Gloucester schooners had deadeyes which were iron stropped to the chainplates.  That in itself isn’t unusual.  What is unique (in my mind at least) was that the strops were double wire loops.  Not one, but two iron strops restrain the deadeye to the chainplate.  I had purchased britannia deadeyes from Blue Jacket Shipcrafters for Arethusa but upon inspection I found I could not easily make the purchased deadeyes accept the double iron strop arrangement.  Thus I set off on making the lower deadeyes.  I used boxwood as it is hard, has little grain direction, and cuts and sands cleanly.

 

The larger deadeyes on the larger schooners were 7” to 7 1/2” in diameter and the width was about 5”.  On my model the ones I’ve made are 0.160” diameter (4mm) and 0.10” thick.  The smaller lower deadeyes were 5 1/5” in diameter, and my model ones are 0.115” diameter (3mm).  Interestingly these double stropped deadeyes are essentially flat faced, making fabrication a little easier.

 

My deadeye fabrication process was as follows:

 

Shape wooden rod from square stock using chisels to form first an octagon, chuck it in a hand drill, and use progressively fine grits of sandpaper to sand to the final deadeye diameter.



 

Using the little jig and a pin vise drill the three lanyard holes.



 

Chuck the dowel in my benchtop drill press.  Use the jig to mark the final width/cut of the deadeye with a fine kerf saw (on the drill press).



 

Use a triangular section file to create the strop grooves (on the drill press).  This was the most inconsistent part of my process as I didn’t have (or use/implement) some ‘tool rest’ with which to steady the file.  Remove the deadeye from the drill press and saw off the deadeye at the previously marked line.



 

Finish drilling through the lanyard holes.



 

I eased the holes with a micro “V” shaped gouge, followed by using the lanyard hole drill bit in the pin vise, rotated slowly, and angled to create a shallow groove.  All edges were then lightly sanded.



 

I have made the chainplates, both (16) longer ones for the lower shrouds and (4) shorter ones for the upper shrouds.  I used a jig to locate the chainplates for drilling the bolt holes.  The upper loops are soldered.  A few extras were made as I typically lose or mess up some when working through the fabrication steps.



 

I have fabricated the jumbo, jib, and flying jib stay ironwork from brass sheet stock.



 

I have made some cleats:



 

And some chocks:



 

And for the deadeyes I have begun making the double iron strops.  Here is a photo of my jig for forming the strop from 26 gauge brass wire.  I solder the one loop end, trim off the excess wire, and file it to resemble a hoop end.  I then use a larger drill bit shank to wrap the double strop around and straighten the hoop ends.





 

Once the strops are complete I'll proceed with assembling the deadeyes to the chainplates.  I intend to stain the deadeyes black and paint the strops (before attaching them to the deadeyes) dull silver (for they were galvanized).  I'm scheming now on how to solder the bolt and nut hardware, joining the iron strops to the chainplate.

 

Hopefully it won't been almost a year before I post further progress!

 

Cheers,

 

Elia

Cabin Structure part 14
 
The inside beams were shaped with a paring chisel to clear the forward end bulkhead of the companionway.
 

 
Test fitting the frame of the hatch
 

 
The new boards were glued to the slightly modified hatch frame.
 

 
The next picture shows the rebate for a new piece of side rail on the hatch cover. I am more pleased with the aestetics of having the brass rail engage on the inside face rather than the outer ones. This enable the design to be a little narrower and not to overhang. I did not like the way the original design overhung the slide logs, it felt a bit clunky.
 

 
close up showing the curve detail the ends of slide logs. The top boards will get a half round covering batten.
 

 
The brass rails are fitted with some #1 flat head wood screws, and the hatch slides nicely
 

 
In the open position
 

 
The next part will cover the companionway drop in boards, and trim.
 
Michael
 
 
 

Cabin structure part 13
 
Well it felt like the 13th today, I was basically not happy with the construction of the hatch. I should have given up on it at this stage.
 

 
However I persevered sanded and looked at it on the slide logs, and then began a new one. I spent a good part of the time working on getting some accurate cuts on the table saw and in retrospect I need to make some adjustments to the large fence which is slightly out of alignment because I was having some binding problems using the fine adjusting fence, so worked of tuning it but still was not really happy with the cutting.
 
the next picture shows the new frame for the hatch, I should have gone this route in the first place.
 

 
Next the new planks with fir splines ready to be beveled and then glued.
 

 
The new frame will be more sturdy and a bit longer
 

 
I will attach a keeper plate on the bottom side of the hatch side rails instead of the half round tubes.
I will use the KISS method
 
Michael

Cabin Structure part 12
 
The planking and scraping are finished on the top and now the bottom locating cleats are being glued to the bottom this cabin needs to be removable so that the weights and servo etc can be accessed.
 

 
The second picture shows the cleats being glued and also shows the small clamp draw from the card catalog file cabinet that shows up in some of the pictures.
 

 
Next is the hatch cover boards and the splines ready to be glued to the cross beams of the hatch.
 

 
The last picture shows a small work station that I can move quickly off the wood workbench, it has a cork surface and the pliers are held by some small 1/4 inch ceramic magnets glued into the pine backboard.
 

 
Michael
 
 
.
 

Cabin Structure part 11
 
Most of the caulking is now completed and scraped. The first picture shows the dark carpenters glue filling the seams befor scraping. A few spots needed to be topped up with more caulking.
 

 
The second shows the scraping of the planks and caulking.
 

 
Test fitting the slide logs, these are both different heights because of the slope of the larger area I used a couple of sticks to ensure they remained parallel and level to each other
 

 
The rear section glued and ready to be scraped, the slide logs are located to measure the forward end panel of the companionway, this will be mahogany.  The aft end will also get mahogany side slots for the drop in boards up to the hatch. after the pine section of the curved plank stop is removed.
 

 

 
Michael

Deck Fittings part 1
 
While waiting for caulking glue to dry, I unraveled some copper ground wire pulled it through the draw plate for the correct diameter to thread 0x80?
I spent some time bending up some deck eye bolts. These are going to receive rings as well. There will be a few sizes from 1 inch to 2 inch OD in scale
 

 

 

 
When they are all made they will be silver soldered.
 
Michael
 
 

Cabin Structure part 10
 
This series of pictures shows the laying of the long planks and the inserts of the "Screw Plugs"
 
The first picture shows the planks glued to the beams after they have been drilled with an .048" drill which is close to a 3/8th scale screw plug. a 3/64th would have been more accurate which is .046875" I can live with it.
 

 
Close up of the caulking rabbet
 

 
The first plugs glued in.
 

 
After the glue had set the dowels were cut off with an exacto saw blade proud of the plank surface.
 

 
The plug was then pared down with a very sharp chisel.
 

 

 
The rest of the plugs setting up.
 

 
The next part will cover the companionway and slide logs.
 
Michael
 
 

Thanks for the compliments Elmer , and Crackers.
 
I have been thinking about my build entries and like the style that Ed Tosti uses for his entries so I am going to see how it works from here on the numbers are starting at number nine because I have made 8 posts recently regarding the cabin structure. I will follow a similar pattern for different areas in the future.
 
Cabin Structure. part 9
 
After gluing up the sides and beams I noticed that I had not done as good a job making the beams line up on the top profile and this caused a problem with the gluing of the planks. My solution was to sand down the sides and ends to match the middle beams rather than removing the beams. this then ensured that all the curved surfaces were identical.
 
I made a long sander with some 220 grit and carpet tape strip of oak.
 
 

 
I used the narrow side first then the wide side to finish, i did not see the need to go any finer than the 220 grit because all the surfaces will be covered with glue and other wood.
 

 
This allowed me to set some new pine strips that were all the same thickness as the fir planks. These strips were glued to the perimeter and across the separation beam.
 

 

 
The fir planks will be pre drilled for the "screw plugs" (small dowels) before being glued to the top then the dowels and caulking before fitting the companion way slide logs and hatch.
 
Michael
 

Ron, thanks for stopping by.
 
Today I worked on the edge moulding for the hatch sides the split tube design was described in the fourth edition of "Boat Building Manual" by Robert M Seward on page 244 showing typical slide details.
I developed a drawing and the split tube needed to mate to the edge of the mahogany board which is 1/8th inch thick or 1 inch in scale. the boards still need to be tapered and spline d before joining them.
 

 
Set up the mill
 

 

 

 
Michael

Well a quick jig that I was happy with. A scrap of maple was drilled to accept a slide fit of the 3/16 tube
then a .014 slitting saw was set in the middle of the tube and the block , the tube was pushed into the blade untill it came out the other end of the maple.
Next the tube was gripped with the needle nose and as evenly as possible pulled through in the same way we use a draw plate.
the 3/16 seemed a bit small so I moved up a diameter to 7/32 tube.. I am pleased with the results.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Now to make the hatch.
 
Michael

John, thanks
Bob,
yes Walter is a hard taskmaster.
 
Druxey,
The thanks have to go to Mr Prince My old junior school teacher who knew how to teach woodwork and coax the best out of the boys. Woodwork was my favourite class, next to drawing and metalwork.
 
Crackers,
I'm not so sure about that.
 
Mark, thanks for looking in,
Photography can be deceiving.
 
 
Getting back to the cabin and working out the slide logs for the companionway hatch I needed to make a sort of Ogee profile, I thought about scrapers and beading tools used by cabinet makers. I have used the razor blade scrapers but this is a rather larger profile and I thought that a router type form cutter would work. it took a few tries to get the cutter working reasonably well. The cutter was ground into the end of a broken end mill.
 

 

 

 

 
Now all I have to do is slit a 12 inch length of 3/16th brass tube. to cover the sides of the hatch.
 
Michael

Andy, Mennonites eh?
 
John, thanks.
 
Greg, Thank you.
 
Here is a couple of shots of the crude thickness sander, I like the fact that I can use the cross slide to index for fine cuts.
 

 
The raised block in the centre had the original purpose of making the fence taller, serendipitously it also acts as a finger stop.
 

 
And a bit of planking on the cabin, all is just resting the rebates are false and glued.
 

 

 
Time for a break, its been a long day.
 
Michael

Mark, John, Yambo, thanks for your thoughts on the cabin planking.
 
Bob, the helmsman is Arnold he is a giant at six foot eight. Walter on the other hand is four foot six.
 
Denis, thanks for your thoughts about the planks.
 
Nils thanks for the ideas about the colour of the sails. I still need to address those.
 
Also thanks for the Likes, it is not something that I do in any of the programs that have that feature, just one of my idiosyncrasies.
 
Dan, thanks for your comments, regarding the approaches to my work. Having the luxury of being retired from commercial model making and exhibit design gives me the time to redo elements that are more appropriate for this model, which for me is a steep learning curve. Greg had said "that for some it is the journey and not the destination" it is that journey which for me gives me the greatest pleasure, and  whether something stays or is changed or replaced is part of that journey.
 
Today I made a start on the final cabin walls the mahogany ones had to go, there were too many things I wanted to change. The biggest one was the colour, Having decided upon the Fir for the cabin top I thought that white would look better for the sides with the exception of the companionway which will be in some bright-work and Mahogany
 
But I really am not wanting to paint them so I have changed them to some white pine. in scale it is a single plank of white pine that is 16 inches at the aft end and 12 inches at the fore by 2 inches thick, a large plank for sure but not outside the bounds of reasonable.
 
 
I built a small thickness sander, which is easier than lots of hand planing to work with the wood.
 
After preparing the planks I cut my first dovetails in 34 years, I am pleased with the result.
 

 

 
One down three to go
 

 
I also set a new more shallow curve for the cabin top. and made a template for the rest of the beams

 
Cut the rough opening for the companionway.
 

 
Now to make the beams.
 
Michael
 
 
 

Jay, John, thanks for the input on the cabin top planking. I'm torn about it because I really like the pinstripe planking, Like that on the power boats and the water taxi that was featured here on MSW 1, but it does feel a bit over the top on this boat. I'm just going to have to build one of those power boats down the road.
 
I did some other stuff today while I think about the Cabin.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Doing this took my mind away from the service this morning-- I placed a wreath at the Stony Plain Remembrance on behalf of the Royal Arch Masons... always a sobering memorial
 
Michael

John, no.
 
The inner core is some brass cross bored to accept a couple of small 1/4 inch diameter ceramic magnets the dial is a drawing done in cad I'm still playing with the final design.
 
 
 
 
 
The centre is bored out to 1/2 inch diameter.
 
 
 
The base which still need the holes bored for attaching it to the deck, has a 1/8th diameter rod with a dressmakers steel pin cut and glued into the top, At first I just used the pin but the magnets pulled to it , so with just a short piece the magnets are OK. the diameter is 1 3/16 or 9 1/2 in scale.
 
 
 
My silver smith  friend had given me a piece of copper that she had drawn into a cup shape on her press the OD is 1 1/4 inches in diameter I had to dome the top a bit because it was rounded but flat in the middle a bit like a copper end cap for plumbing pipe.
 
 
 
I machined up a ring of brass that will get the holes drilled for mounting on the deck  and some copper rivets to attach it to the copper.
 
 
 
 
A rotation to check that it is still working.
 
 
 
placed in front of Arnold who is sitting in the cockpit.
 
I still need to make the glass cover plate and brass ring. and nameplate.
 
I know its not fully gimbled, perhaps the next one.
 
Michael
 
 
 

Sherry, thanks for your kind words.
 
John, thanks yes I think I will get a round tuit.
 
I had to rearrange the workshop again today, I was bumping the build table every time I used the mill, and I was walking round it too much to do any other work. so basically I have just swapped the build and work tables positions and kept them lengthwise in the shop.
 

 

 
This arrangement will work better I think.
 
Today I thought for a change of pace I would try a cleat the model one is 1 inch long which equates to an 8 inch cleat in scale. I modeled it roughly on the one in the background.
 

 
Thinking about the complexity of the shape and realizing that the most complicated area to make is the underside I tackled it while it was still part of the 1 inch bar
 

 
First the lower sections were cut off with the jewelers saw,then the bottom sides were filed with a couple of needle files  then the wings were tapered with a flat file and given a wire wheel treatment. which makes it look a bit like a casting.
 

 
Next the top curve was cut with the jewelers saw to remove the cleat from the stock.
 

 
Then a couple of .011" counter bores down .050 and then drilled through with a .067" drill some # 1 round headed wood screws were reworked on the lathe to make them a facsimile of a domed cheese head screw. and the cleat cleaned up with files and emery first 220 then 320 then 600 a final polishing with a bit of steel wool.
 

 
Mounted it on the deck, and cleated the tackle for the bob stay. then coiled the rope without any glue or other means, one of the beauties of working rigging.
 

 

 
Michael
 
 
 
 
 

John, if you do eventually get here, there are some great views in the Rockies not too far from here just three hours away. and we do have a spare room.
 
Joe thanks for the kind words.
 
well the bowsprit shrouds were a bit more fiddly than I thought they would be, Had to make a few more thimbles and shackles
 
I decided on the dark rope for the shrouds and a light rope for the tackle.
 

 

 

 

 

 
I need to make some cleats now so that I can tie ropes and lines off better, just need to sort out where to put them and what type to make, they will probably be brass.
 
Michael

John, Andy, Bob, thanks for checking in.
 
Yesterday afternoon and today I worked on some more rope on the ropewalk. I used some Guttermann 100% Egyptian cotton Ce 50 to make up some more standing rigging parts
I used 39 strands to make some 5/8' scale rope and 27strands for some1/2"
 
and also some more blocks for the bowsprit shrouds the rig will use a single block with a becket and a double block on each shroud, tomorrow I will finish the second single block and make the brackets for the hull and drill the holes through the bulwarks.
 
This series of shots shows the parts of the block and the sequence of the gluing and shaping.
 

 

 

 
The brass bars were originally drilled inside all the previous blocks but I have refined the process a little and now am drilling them in a flat jig first
 
The top and bottom pins are .437" apart and the sheave is 1/4 inch diameter the wood is hard maple. I keep thinking about Remco's byline about treating each part as a complete model and it is really helping me with this build.
 
The port side belaying pins
 

 
Michael