Elia

Hi Dimitris,
 
I am fine. Thanks for asking. This past summer I took on a number of home projects - rewiring my shop (now grounded outlets and lights!), solved some basement plumbing problems, and I demolished and rebuilt a crumbling stone walkway and stairs. Those took some time; the walkway and stairs are now done, with just a little cleanup remaining. Couple that to running the kids to sport practices, school work, etc and I haven't found time for modeling. I hope to get some modeling in during the holidays.
 
I pop in every so often to MSW to see some modeling - always inspiring and keeps the modeling embers lit.
 
Cheers,
 
Elia

Hi Dimitris,
 
I am fine. Thanks for asking. This past summer I took on a number of home projects - rewiring my shop (now grounded outlets and lights!), solved some basement plumbing problems, and I demolished and rebuilt a crumbling stone walkway and stairs. Those took some time; the walkway and stairs are now done, with just a little cleanup remaining. Couple that to running the kids to sport practices, school work, etc and I haven't found time for modeling. I hope to get some modeling in during the holidays.
 
I pop in every so often to MSW to see some modeling - always inspiring and keeps the modeling embers lit.
 
Cheers,
 
Elia

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 126 – The Wheel
 
I had hoped to make the wheel by the same methods used for the larger wheels on Naiad, but do to the smaller size of this wheel and the material, I found that some compromises would be necessary.  They are described later, below.
 
I wanted to use a darker wood for the wheel and decided to use cherry.  This is less hard and strong than the European Boxwood I used on the Naiad wheel.  In the first picture the outer diameter of the wheel has been turned in the lathe and the 39” (.54” act.) diameter is being checked.
 

 
The square cherry block in the four-jawed, self-centering chuck has its grain running perpendicular to the centerline of the lathe.  This would permit using a cross-grain lamination to strengthen the final assembly.  The 1/16” hole in the center of the turning was centered carefully using a center drill in the tailstock, before boring the final hole that will eventually receive the wheel axle.  In the next picture, slots for the 10 spokes are being milled in the face of the turning.
 

 
For this work the chuck was removed from the lathe to the rotating table on the mill without removing the turned piece.  The saw was then centered on the turning and brought down into contact with the face.  The blade here is .032” thick and it was lowered into the work to make a slot about 2.5” inches square.  After each cut across the face of the piece, the table was rotated 36 degrees and repeated to make all the cuts for the 10 square spokes.
 
In the next picture the piece has been returned to the lathe and a laminating piece is being glued on with the grain at 90 degrees to that of the turned piece.  The drill chuck in the tailstock is being used to clamp the glue joint.
 

 
This single cross grain lamination is already a much simpler construction than the multi-layer pentagonal assembly of the two Naiad wheels.
 
After the glue had dried the added piece was turned to the rim diameter and its entire face trimmed off to the final thickness.  The next step was to remove the area between the rim and the hub.  This leaves an integral rim/hub turning that will ensure centering of the hub.  The 10 square spokes were then slipped into the piece as shown in the next picture.
 

 
I had intended to insert these temporarily, to be replaced with the final turned spokes later – one-by-one as was done on the Naiad wheels.  However, I decided this would be impractical on this small wheel.  Apart from the difficulty expected in turning these very small cherry spindles, the amount of gluing surface at the hub was too small without the spokes.  For these reasons I decided to glue these square spokes in at the hub and round the handles by hand.
 
The next picture shows the inside face of the rim being turned through to the hub.  Once the cut passed through the ID of the rim, only the spokes held the assembly together – as with the real wheel..
 

 
In the next picture the wheel has been parted off and is ready for final sizing and shaping of the handles.
 

 
The next picture shows the handles being shaped using diamond grit files – very carefully, since the glued-in spokes may not be replaced if one is broken,
 

 
 
The last picture shows the finished wheel mounted on the helm enclosure.
 

 
The enclosure is still removable and I expect it will spend the next many months stored away somewhere, safe from damage during the remaining construction and rigging of the model.
 
Ed

Young America 1853 – POB 1:96
Part 35 – Forecastle Deck Beams
 
The POB model has some real deck beams to install – not many – just enough to introduce the method used on the framed model to POB builders. The method I used to make the forecastle beams – as well as the breast beam at the poop shown earlier – was very similar to that used on the framed model, but somewhat simpler.  It begins with a template for the round up of the beams.  In the first picture, a copy of one of the bulkhead patterns has been pasted to plywood and the curve of the deck is being sanded on the edge.
 

 
Since the round up radius is the same for every frame and every deck, any one of the patterns could be used.  The template was then used to trace the round up on to a piece of maple.  The curve was then sanded on to this piece as shown below.
 

 
Using a compass the depth of the forecastle beams was then drawn along the curve.  A blank that will be sliced into several beams was then cut off along this line, allowing some excess for sanding.
 

 
I then used the thickness sander to impart the final thickness on the underside of the beams as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The thickness sander does a great job with this.  The depth is uniform and parallel to the top face.  It is also very fast.  Without a thickness sander, I would have cut very close the line with the scroll saw, then sanded the underside by hand – not too arduous a task.  The individual beams were then ripped off –top side down! – on the circular saw as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The last picture shows the six maple beams and the breast beam, for which pear was used since it will be exposed and not painted.
 

 
As can be seen, I made these beams long before they were needed - before the planking of the main deck.  Cutting and fitting of the beams will be described in the next part.
 
Ed
 

Laman,
 
Finishes are heavily influenced by personal preference, so there is never a "right" answer.  The best approach is to test finishes on scrap model wood to see what you like and get familiar with them.  Perhaps a brain dump of what I think about will be helpful, or at least give you some ideas to pursue:
 
On bare, natural wood on framed models, I prefer beeswax/turpentine for a number of reasons.  In appearance, it leaves the wood in a natural state - not film covered.  It is easy to apply and can be done piecemeal without fear of overlaps showing differently - because it is self dissolving with each added coat.  I like the penetration vs. a surface finish like varnish or sealer - unless a definite gloss is desired.  The turpentine/wax solution penetrates the wood, leaving the wax in the wood as the solvent evaporates.  So the finish has more depth.  I think this gives a richer look.  Adding more coats of wax then buffing will add sheen.  Excess wax (or sheen) is easy to remove by buffing or wiping with turps.  Beeswax imparts some warming of the color (yellowing), but much less than oils like linseed or Tung, which can leave some woods, like pear, appearing orange.  Oils also build gloss with each coat and do not self dissolve, so progressive finishing (like working up from the lower framing) may leave glossy areas at overlaps.  Oil finishes also have a habit of later oozing out of corners, joint crevices, and pores and then polymerizing on the surface - leaving glossy spots that are very hard to remove.   Water based sealers and varnishes(acrylic) do not yellow even with aging, nor does microcrystalline wax, which could be used like beeswax - with a solvent.  Sealers and varnishes penetrate very little, leaving a film on the wood.  This is good if you want an easy gloss, which is why I tried it on the POB decking.  Oil based varnishes or shellac also lay on the surface and can be polished to a gloss.  These yellow the wood and darken with time - like oils  Solvent based varnishes are oils, but with driers added.
 
Some of the above relates to technical performance but much is preference.
 
Ed

Young America 1853 – POB 1:96
Part 34 – Main Deck Finishing
 
After all the deck planking was installed, it had to be leveled off and finished.  Regardless of how well the plywood bulkheads and the added under-deck supports are faired off beforehand, it will be necessary to level off the planking using a combination of filing with flat rifflers and/or sanding with coarse (say 120-grit) paper.  If you are building the model, I hope you will pay more attention to the bulkhead fairing work than I did.  My fairing could have been a bit more thorough.  The deck has some waviness, but only those permitted to touch it will notice.  Regardless of the perfection of the bulkhead fairing, it will be prudent to start with heavier deck planks – say 4 ½” thick vs. the final 3 ½”.
 
The first picture shows some 220-grit finish sanding being done after all the irregularities between planks were leveled out using a flat riffler.
 

 
I used this model to experiment with deck finish.  On the larger model, beeswax thinned with turpentine was used on all unpainted wood – after more extensive sanding and polishing.  After sanding with 220-grit, I finished this decking with water based, acrylic sanding sealer thinned to about 50% with water – two coats, each sanded smooth – 220-grit then 320-grit.  The planking was then coated with acrylic gloss artists’ varnish.  Two coats, thinned, each sanded with 320-grit and then rubbed with Scotchbrite® grey then white grades.  This left a silky satin finish on the deck.  Simulated deck fastenings were embossed after the first coat of varnish.  I used a piece of syringe tubing for this and felt that the varnished surface would better resist pulling out small plugs.
 
Deck fastenings on these ships were normally iron spikes driven into counter-bored holes that were later filled with wood plugs that usually matched the decking.  The next picture shows the embossing in progress.
 

 
For this work a length of syringe was held in a pin vise that could then be lightly tapped with a hammer.  I was very careful to emboss all fastenings directly over bulkheads or other under-deck supports to avoid the possibility of breaking the planks.  I used a light pencil line across the deck for each row, then alternated fastenings on either side of the line.
 
The next picture shows the tools used for this.
 

 
The syringe tubing had an OD of about 1 ½” and a sharp bevel was stoned around its end.  I used a scriber point to flare out the end slightly to avoid plugs being jammed in and pulled out.  The second pin vise shown was fitted with a small drill to use for cleaning out the end of the syringe as it became fouled.
 
After this embossing work, the deck was sanded with 320-grit paper and rubbed out with Scotchbrite®  in preparation for the final varnish coat.  This was then applied, left to dry, sanded with 320-grit, and finally rubbed out with grey then white grades of Scotchbrite®.  This left a polished sheen on the deck as shown in the next picture.
 

 
I felt that the acrylic varnish worked out quite well.  It dried hard enough to be rubbed out and polished to the sheen I was looking for.  Below is a picture of some of the finishing materials and brushes used on the model.
 

 
The finish used on the decks was Liquitex® High Gloss Varnish applied with the flat synthetic brushes shown.   High gloss finishes contain no flatting agents so they can be rubbed out to the desired sheen without being limited by the dulling agents used in semi-gloss or matte finishes.  The Scotchbrite® pads mentioned above were used for this and are shown in the picture.  The black Golden Fluid Acrylic® shown in the picture was used on the hull finish – to be described later.
 
Ed

Young America 1853 – POB 1:96
Part 33 – Main Deck Planking continued
 
Completing the deck planking on each side involved fitting the straight parallel planking to the wide margin plank inside the binding strakes and waterways. These members follow the curve of the side.  The waterways and binding strakes were structural.  The curved margin planks allowed the deck planks to be cut in without damaging the structural inner binding strakes.
 
After the angles of the plank end cuts reached about 60 degrees, further tapering would result in feather edges at the ends that could not be caulked.  Forty-five degrees is probably a better guide, but I used sharper angles on these joints that would be completely hidden by the forecastle deck. In the first picture, loose planks are being used to mark the points at which the full plank widths intersect the edge of the margin plank.
 

 
These marks define the cutting in points.  At each of these a knife or chisel cut was made into the margin plank perpendicular to the deck plank ends and one-half of the plank width.  The shapes of the required plank tapers can be seen in this picture.  Note that the joints get longer going aft, as the curvature of the side becomes less.
 
In the next picture the end has been formed on a plank and it is being marked for cutting out further aft where it meets the main cabin coaming.
 

 
The next picture shows the plank ends under the forecastle.
 

 
In this picture the Samson post knee has been installed and the breast beam made and laid across the bulwarks. The bowsprit opening has been enlarged to the required 36” width.  In the next picture the main deck planking is approaching completion.
 

 
The method of cutting the long joint tapers is shown in the next picture.
 

 
I cut the joints while there is sufficient space for the chiseling - before the adjacent planks were installed.  The chisel is a long, straight, model-sized paring chisel – one of my most frequently used and most essential tools.  Directions for making these chisels were included in Naiad Volume I.  In the next picture a shaped plank end is being fit into its joint.
 

 
For best visual results the pared side of these planks should be painted like the inner edges – to show the caulk line.  I did not do the on this demo model – relying solely on the dark glue to highlight the joint.
 
The next picture shows the very last piece – with a very longer taper – about to be installed.
 

 
Except for the uncovered hatches, the crude POB framing under the deck was now completely covered – a moment I was waiting for.  In the next picture the last plank is in.
 

 
The deck is still wet in this picture from washing off excess glue.  When completely dry, the deck planking was leveled where necessary using the flat rifflers and then sandpaper.  I will cover the methods used for fastenings and final deck finish in the next part.
 
 
Ed
 

Young America 1853 – POB 1:96
Part 32 – Waterways, Binding Strakes, Margin Planks
 
Before deck planking could be extended out to the sides, the waterways, binding strakes and margin planks needed to be installed.  I worked on all these things concurrently – partly to break the monotony of deck planking and also to fill the time it took glued planks to dry.
 
The first picture shows the blue waterway is installed on the starboard side.
 

 
Installation of these members on the POB version is identical to the installation on the framed model and is covered in detail in the book and to a lesser extent on the 1:72 blog.
 
The next picture shows the binding strakes being installed.  I made these structural members with Castello to distinguish them from the ordinary holly deck plank.  These members are also joined at the ends with hook scarphs.
 

 
The next picture shows these members and some of the holly margin planking installed at the bow.
 

 
Deck planking at the bow has begun in this picture.  Planks have been notched as necessary to fit around the installed Samson post.  In the next picture a barrette file is being used to clean up the inside edge of the margin plank on the port side.
 

 
The next picture shows all three members installed on both sides of the forward hull.
 

 
After the planks were installed, they were cut out to allow room for the bowsprit to fit against the forward bulkhead below the deck,
 

 
Installing the planks then cutting the opening ensures that the strakes will be aligned.  Of course all this forward planking will be covered by the forecastle.
 
The next picture shows the decking approaching the margin planks at the side.
 

 
Each plank is cut into the margin plank at one-half of its width.  The planks were tapered back to the point of the next cutting.  This process will be covered in the next part.
 
In the last picture the planking is being levelled out with a flat riffler prior to sanding.
 

 
The straight, parallel strakes of decking were continued outward until the gaps at the margin plank were completely closed.  This final fitting will be covered in part 33.
 
 
Ed

Young America 1853 – POB 1:96
Part 31 – Decking
 
Readers may note that I am going into some detail on methods in this log.  As I mentioned earlier, I wanted these posts to be a supplement to the POB model work described in Volume I of the book.  Once the POB model is framed, common methods are used on both versions, but space did not permit pictorial presentation of both versions.  So this should be helpful for POB modelers who are using the book.  There are also a few twists on this version that may be useful.
 
With all the hatchway and cabin coamings installed, the planking of the weather decks began - working from the central plank outwards with the strakes parallel to the centerline.  Inside the waterways that abut the frames at the side, there are three strakes that follow the curve of the side on the main deck – two thicker structural “binding strakes” and one wide ”margin plank”.  The margin plank is similar to that shown below on the poop deck where there are no binding strakes or waterways.
 

 
In the picture the starboard margin plank is being glued to the tops of the frames and to the top outboard plank.  These margin strakes were made wide enough to “cut in” the ends of the straight planks to avoid feathered-edge tapers that could not be caulked. 
 
The picture also shows the pin clamps that I used to hold all of the deck planking in place on this model.  On the larger, framed version, planks were held down with pins pushed through tight holes drilled in each plank – into the members below.  I did not wish to drill holes in this version, so used “pin clamps” that could be hammered into the plywood bulkheads at the edge of the plank being glued.  I made about a dozen of these by drilling holes through small segments of dowel that would allow a tight sliding fit for ½” long lil pins, allowing the pin point to project from the end by about 1/8”.  The pins were then glued into the dowels using medium viscosity CA.  Pins can thus be driven by tapping the head of the pin with a hammer, and removed by pulling on the dowel with pliers.  There is little stress on the CA joint in either case.  These were very useful to say the least.  The next picture shows the completed poop deck.
 

 
As areas of planking were installed, the tops were leveled out using curved flat rifflers followed by sandpaper.  The planks were initially cut about 1” thicker to allow for this.  As described in Volume I of the book and in earlier posts, the planking material was painted on one side with dark brown acrylic paint before ripping the planks – to simulate caulked joints.  Cutting planks into the margin plank is also described there and in other posts.
 
The next picture shows the first central plank on the main deck being installed between hatchway head ledges.
 

 
Accurate centering of these first planks is important.  Although the hatchways were carefully centered on the bulkhead pattern centerlines, I marked a center on each head ledge by measuring in from the outsides of the hatchway with dividers.  This helped ensure that the planking will be symmetric on each side of the hatch framing.  If hatches are found to be slightly out of line as the planking progresses forward using this method, they may have to be moved slightly.
 
In the next picture a plank is being marked for notching to fit around one of the mizzen bitts.
 

 
Planks will most likely need to be notched to fit around the sides of hatchways.  Where very thin widths would result, wider sections in planks along the side of the hatch were used, cut back to normal width to fit against angled cuts in planks at the ends.  (I will look for a picture and post later.) Dark glue was used for all this planking.   In the next picture a screw clamp is being used to close a joint at the corner of a hatch.
 

 
The next picture shows the main deck planking progressing forward.
 

 
To ensure adequate and symmetrical spacing between plank butts, I used a standard plank length that would span eight bulkheads, 7 spaces.  Planks were thus about 35-40 feet long.  This resulted in uniform and adequate spacing of butts both across and along the strakes.  Planks on these ships were narrow – about 6”.  On this model I used a standard width of 7” including the caulk paint.
 
You will notice that the outer members – waterways, binding strakes and margin plank are not yet installed in the last picture.  This work will be described in the next part.
 
Ed
 
Later:  Here is a picture illustrating the planking configuration described above.
 

 

Young America 1853 – POB 1:96
Part 30 – Coamings
 
I think I have mentioned before that the term “coamings” describes not only the entire hatch framing but also the fore and aft members. This can be confusing when writing – or reading - descriptions.  The cross deck members are called head ledges.  Coamings for hatchways and deck cabins needed to be installed on the model before decking could begin.  On the full framed version, with its complete underdeck framing, the hatchways were built up on the actual opening.  Since the POB model has only bulkheads at the stations, a template made from the deck plan drawings was used to assemble the hatchways.  This is shown below. (Sorry, the main cabin template is mis-labelled "main hatch" on this early version of the template.)
 

 
The hatchways for the POB model were made in exactly the same way as those on the larger framed model.  I described this process in the build log for the other model and more thoroughly in the book.  In the next picture a dovetailed lap joint at the corner of the main deck cabin coaming is being fitted.
 

 
These corner joints are a bit complex, but as I said, they are well described elsewhere.  In all cases the cross-deck head ledges fit over the ends of the coamings, thus clamping them down.  Head ledges were bolted through the beams, while coamings were fitted over carlings that were normally only wedged between beams – thus having little resistance to upward forces.  The excess stock at the corners was removed after assembly when the corners were squared off and the above deck parts rounded - by sanding/filing.
 
The next picture shows the poop deck portion of the coach coaming being constructed.
 

 
A reinforcing strut was glued into this assembly to maintain the correct width.  The next picture shows a finished hatchway installed on a bulkhead and on to one of the supplementary pine members described in an earlier post.
 

 
To support the ends of the planks forward of this framing, another supplementary member was need and later installed.  In the next picture the coamings on the poop deck have been installed and planking has begun starting with the central plank.
 

 
Note that the cap on the  breast beam was cut out to fit the aft section of the coach framing.  The lower part of this coaming is shown installed on the main deck.  These two assemblies had to be carefully aligned so the side walls of the coach would fit neatly – and vertically.  Another view of this is shown in the next picture.
 

 
This picture shows the first version of the pin clamps I used to hold down the glued planks on this model.  I will discuss the improved final version of these in the next part.
 
Ed

Young America 1853 – POB 1:96
Part 29 – Poop Margin Plank 2
 
After installing the stern section of the margin plank, the next sections forward were made and installed as described below.  In the first picture a sheet of 3 ½” holly has been cut and notched to fit against the two mooring bitts and the outside curve of the piece is being traced as was done at the stern.
 

 
If I have not mentioned this yet, I did use some holly I had to do the deck planking.  The white holly gives a good simulation of the salt-bleached decks of the white pine that was originally used.  I used Castello on the larger model.
 
In the next picture, the outside line has been cut and the piece is being fit inside the topmost outboard plank.
 

 
The breadth of the margin plank was then marked out using the compass as shown below.  This is a fairly wide plank – wide enough to butt and joggle deck planks into it inside the cap rail that will be installed later.
 

 
Again, to avoid breakage at the curved end of this piece when sawing, it and the piece for the opposite side have been pasted to plywood.  The curve of the starboard piece is being cut in the next picture.
 

 
In the next picture, both pieces have been installed.
 

 
The fit against the outside planking does not have to be perfect, since it will be covered by the capping fancy rail.  This picture also shows hatch coamings and decking that I worked on concurrently.  This will be covered later.
 
To finish off the margin planks at the forward end of the poop deck, the breast beam needed to be in place.  This is shown installed in the next picture.
 

 
This beam is at station 36, forward of the first poop bulkhead at station 38 to allow some overhang of the forward end of the poop.  It was rounded up by a process similar to that used for beams on the larger framed model – but with some differences that I will describe later when the forecastle framing is covered.  Rather than cut the rabbet on the top of this beam, a 3 ½” strip was glued across the top. It overhangs the forward face of the beam by about three inches.
 
In the next picture the hook scarf at the end of the relatively straight forward section on the port side has been cut and the length to the rabbet on the breast beam is being marked.
 

 
In the last picture the plank is being glued down with the aid of some homemade pin clamps.  I will describe these later.
 

 
In the picture most of the poop decking has been installed.  I worked on a number of things concurrently.  This other work will be described later.
 
 
Ed

Thanks for all the positive comments and likes they are really appreciated.
I just got home from the Hospital, Judy is improving.
This morning i had a little time before heading into Edmonton to work on the skylight. I created a crude jig on a sheet of paper with a couple of blocks stuck down with some masking tape. This was to enable working on the light while temporarily attached with the glue. 
 
When the lights were opened up one of the temporary glue joints let go so I started the hole drilling with the hinge that was still glued to ensure that the position of the light remained fixed relative to the ridge and central divider between the lights.
 

 
Because of the set up angle I was able to drill the holes for the rivets in the lights.
 

 
The rivets were pressed in and then glued with some thin Acc glue
 

 
After completing the lights on the first side I set it up to see how they looked......not good they did not sit down fully
 

 
This was one of those moments that had intuitively crossed my mind earlier when making the slots for the hinges in the top ridge. one of the thoughts was to set the hinges into the ridge the full depth of the folded hinge to eliminate the hassle of getting the notches perfect on the lights. It also allowed the lights to seat up fully well almost fully to the ridge.
 
The thing that I had completely failed to really understand was the minute amount of the rivet heads was enough to prevent the hinges from fully closing....what to do?  the hinges were set with pins and glued. I decided to deal with this later and made a change with the second side. The change involved setting up the lights so that the hinges could be mounted so that from the top when the light were closed thee looked clean, but that they would be slightly open underneath to allow for the heads.
 
The second side was drilled as the first side and the countersinks were made just a little larger then the hinges were unglued with a number 11 blade after marking their positions.
 

 
Then using the jewelers saw I cut them back at an angle from the topside to the bottom side.
 

 
then using the #11 I removed the slight wedge and cleaned it up with a needle file.
 

 
The next pic shows the one on the right has been modified and the one on the left is next to be done.
 

 
After fitting the first one and testing it to see if my fix would work I was satisfied that it would.
 

 
Then completed the second one, all that remains is to un-glue the well glued ones that I did first. the next pic shows the lights seated down fully on the second set.
 

 
Moral of the story... do a test first! but then you all knew that didn't you
 
Michael
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Again Thanks for all the positive support and likes.
 
I mounted the hinges today first on the ridge.  small awl first made a location for the drill and then drilled with the #68 drill mounted in a pin chuck to drill the holes then one of the rivets pushed home.
 

 

 

 
Once all the hinges were mounted I used tiny drops of thicker ACC glue Gorilla brand to temporarily hold the hinges onto the lights I will wait till the morning before opening them to add the rivets to them once they have set.
 

 

 
The blue tape is just to hold them overnight from sliding until the glue completely hardens.
 
Michael
 
 

Thanks for all the likes and concerns for Judy, it will take a while but I'm confident all will work out well.
 
Been a long week, but it is snowing and the roads are bad so since I had to stay home today I did manage to work a little on the hinges, picking up where I left off on Tuesday. Feels like I'm using up way too many electrons to show 32 holes in a few bits of brass. But here goes.
 
The hinges were clamped and cut to size using the vice as a guide for the saw blade.
 

 

 
I made a simple clamping jig so that I could drill all the holes with just 2 positions of the table. first I milled a relief slot with a 1/16th end mill in some hard aluminum scrap and clamped this in such a way as to give me the ability to use the small toolmakers clamps on the hinges.
 
The hinges were then drilled first in the bottom left and rotated so that the top right was next.The drill diameter was .032"
 

 

 
This shows the clamp to drill the top left which when rotated becomes the bottom right.... Are you confused yet? also the home made precountersink
 

 
All drilled the drill in the picture was used between my fingers in a twirling motion to set a bit of a countersink for the 1/32 flat head rivets which will represent the screws and hold everything together.
 

 
Now I just have to sort out the sequence for attaching them.
 
Michael

OK in an effort to make the pictures reveal themselves I have reposted them, then I am diving into the shipyard to make some saw dust.
 
Yours aye, Jason Wright
 
Never give up the ship.
 
 

The Book is out!
 

 
Sea Watch Books and I are very proud to announce the publication of Modeling the extreme Clipper Young America 1853, Volume I.  I think you will find that the book is unique in its description of a fully-framed extreme American clipper - as well as a smaller plank-on-bulkhead version.  As with the Naiad books, the focus of this work is on modeling processes - covered in detail with many photos and drawings.  Eight full sized drawings are included for the two versions as well as a CD containing patterns, detail sheets and other data.  A second volume covering fitting out, masting and rigging is planned.
 
My contribution to the book has included almost three years of research, drafting,modelbuilding, taking a few thousand photos and, of course, writing.  I will let Bob Friedman comment on the effort required by Sea Watch and its various subcontrators.
 
However, apart from this initial announcement, the purpose of this topic is to collect comments, questions, and opinions on the book.  Bob Friedman and I will pay attention to these as the book rolls out and address questions or issues that may arise.  I will use this topic to post any addenda to the work that may become necessary or even just useful.
 
There are plenty of people to thank for help with an effort like this and I hope I have adequately expressed appreciation in the beginning of the book.  The late Bill Crothers (1912-2015) tops my list and therefore deserves additional mention here.  His exhaustive work on the structures of the American clipper ship were a primary resource for me and neither the model nor the book would exist but for his many years of effort and his excellent books.  It was my honor and pleasure to meet with Bill with the framed version of the model in its earlier stages and to discuss various topics by phone on a number of occasions.  I regret that he is not here to see the either the current model or the book.
 
So, comments and questions are most welcome.
 
Ed
 
The book can be found at:
 
http://www.seawatchbooks.com/NewsForthcomingBooks.htm

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 125 – Helm
 
First, thank you, Bob.  Gross exaggeration, of course, but much appreciated nonetheless.
 
The term helm refers to all the equipment and structures associated with the rudder.  Unlike earlier ships where the wheel operated a tiller that turned the rudder by means of a system of ropes and sheaves, most ships of the clipper era used gear driven machinery to rotate the rudder.  It is most likely that Young America used a mechanism consisting of reversed thread worm gears that drove a collar at the top of the rudder post.  Gearing of this type had more mechanical advantage and resisted reverse forces generated by pressure on the rudder.  Wheels could therefore be single and smaller even though the ships were larger and faster.  Higher speeds put more stress on the rudder.
 
I did not intend to model the rudder machinery, given the scale and the fact that it is enclosed from view. (The small wheel was enough of a challenge for me.)  However, the lower part of the heavy machine base that supported the gearing would be visible because the rudder enclosure is open at the bottom.  The first picture shows the rudder shaft and a brass turning that models the lower part of the cast iron machine base.
 

 
In the next picture the rudder head has been shortened and the iron base blackened.
 

 
The base was simply glued to the deck using medium viscosity CA.  The next picture shows the completed helm enclosure waiting for the wheel.
 

 
The enclosure is fixed temporarily to the deck on wire pins into the corner posts.  This will allow the helm - with the fragile wheel - to be left off the model where it will be safe from damage as other work proceeds. 
 
In the next picture the wheel axle has been fitted into a solid block inside the enclosure and two small grated platforms have been installed to help keep the helmsman’s feet dry.
 

 
The helm enclosure was made by the same methods used on the other deck structures so I will not describe that here.  The last picture shows the completed helm with the wheel fitted.
 

 
I was fortunate to be able to use some grating left over from the 1:96 Victory model – just enough for the two raised platforms.  I will cover making the wheel in the next part.
 
 
Ed
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 124 – Skylights
 
There were two glazed skylights on the poop deck that provided light and sometimes ventilation to the cabin deck below.  The two completed skylights are shown below.
 

 
The frames for the lights were made of interlocking parts with lap joints cut on the milling machine using a 1/32” bit in the setup shown below.
 

 
Slots were milled to one-half depth in a 3” thick pear blank, then sliced to size with a thin slotting saw blade on the Preac saw as shown below.
 

 
Slots for one long side/mullion and two short sides/mullions were milled into the blank.  The next two pictures show the frame assembly.  My shaky hands required the parts to be held in place for this work.  I used sticky side up masking tape for this as shown.
 

 
The next picture shows the finished frame before final overall sizing and sanding.
 

 
The paneled walls for the skylights were made by the same method used for the companions, then painted white and fitted with natural wood corner posts.  Both frames and a ridge rafter have been positioned on the aft skylight enclosure in the next picture.
 

 
In the last picture the frames have been glued to the enclosure and protective brass wire bars and wire hinges added.
 

 
After dropping this last frame into the cabin deck and fishing it out twice, I added the masking tape.  This forward skylight was constructed with one side open, held up by two small wood supports.  In this picture the after skylight has had beeswax/turpentine finish applied.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 123 – Companions
 
Once the three ladderways into the lower decks were installed, the companion structures over these three hatchways could be constructed.  Before describing construction the completed two aft of the main mast are shown in the first picture.
 

 
All three structures are similar, with entry doors and a sliding panel to close them off when not in use.  They are fairly intricate structures.  In the one to the left in the picture the doors and sliding cap have been left open.  Unfinished wood on these has been finished with beeswax/turpentine.
 
The first step in making these is shown in the next picture.  The side and forward walls are paneled.  The first step in making the paneling was to trim long pieces with thin horizontal strips. 
 

 
The total thickness of these laminates is about 2 ½” (.035” act.).  These pieces were then cut to fit the coamings and trimmed out as shown below.
 

 
In the next picture one of these is being fitted into the rabbet on one of the head ledges.
 

 
When the three sides were  trimmed to size, they were painted white, fitted with natural wood corner posts and installed on the coamings as shown below.
 

 
Additional internal members and the outer roof planks were then added as shown in the next picture.
 

 
Next, the remaining roof planks, excluding the slide rails, were installed and painted blue.
 

 
The rails, door jambs, door and a closing cross piece were then added as shown below.
 

 
One of the sliding caps that were made to fit over the rails is shown in the picture.
 
The last picture shows the companion over the forward hatch.  The double-door entry to each of these was fitted with very simple brass wire hardware.
 

 
Next will be the two skylights on the poop deck.
 
 
Ed
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 122 – Ladderways
 
With the two larger deck cabins constructed, it was time to turn to the several smaller deck structures.  These include three companionways, two skylights, two small lockers at the forecastle break and the paneled housing for the rudder mechanism.  I thought this work would be the next logical step, before moving on to the several fife rails and the machinery – the windlass, bilge pump, capstans and wheel.
 
In preparation for making and placing ladders and stairs – work that must be done before constructing the companion structures – I had to finally decide the time period to base the model on.  Young America had a long life – 30 years.  Changes were made.  I had tentatively decided to aim for the period after installation of the Howes double topsails (1854) and after pole masts were installed above the topmasts (1860’s?).  Apart from my interest in these features, the two existing photographs of the ship were taken after these modifications.  These photos are the best primary data source available and I spend a lot of time going over them with a magnifying glass.  The photos clearly show two features that differ from the basis I initially used for the drawings and model.  First, the entryway is shown well aft, adjacent to the mizzen mast.  Also, there is a large area of each upper bulwark removed astride the main hatch.  This was undoubtedly to facilitate loading and unloading cargo.  The first picture shows the modification of the bulwarks to incorporate this feature.
 

 
This change also required modifications to the pin rails to move belayed rigging clear of this area.  The next picture shows me cutting the new entryway on the starboard side.  The pin rails in this area were also cut out.
 

 
The decision was now irrevocable, so I can stop thinking about it.  The next picture shows the completed entryways.
 

 
 The method I use for stairs and ladders was fully described in Naiad, Vol II and to some extent in earlier posts.  I use a milling machine to precisely set the angle, depth, and spacing of the treads on the stringers.  The first picture shows this in progress.
 

 
Mirror images of the cuts need to be made.  The stringer material is 4” thick and the slots are cut 2” deep and 9” apart.  The blade is about 2 ½” thick.  I used a 4” (actual) diameter blade so the work will clear the underside of the motor.  You can see by the shortness of the last two cuts that I ran into the column on the mill – but there was still enough material to make all of the 25 degree stairs.  The ladders at the entryway were 15 degrees.  This piece was then ripped into stringer pairs.
 
The next picture shows a pair with treads being fitted.
 

 
After installing the first two as shown, I fitted the other stringer and then slid in the remaining treads.  The next picture shows the finished assembly being sanded to even out the treads.
 

 
The next picture shows a stair assembly fitted into the aft main deck hatch.  There are three of these companion hatchways.
 

 
The last picture shows six of the nine ladder assemblies installed. 
 

 
There is also one into the forward hatch and two at the forecastle break.  These last two were made but will not be installed until the windlass is in place.  With this work done, the companionway enclsores can be constructed – next time.
 
 
Ed
 
 
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 121 – Coach
 
The coach was really just a vestibule at the break of the poop to provide access from the main deck to the entrance of the “mezzanine” level cabin deck below.  It is an interesting and intricate structure.  Its forward end is just large enough to fit an entrance door on each side and that part is supported on a coaming on the main deck.  The aft part merely provides headroom above the main deck level over the head of the staircase that leads down to the cabins.  At the break of the poop is a double-door entrance to the head of the cabin deck staircase.  As mentioned before, the design of all this interior work is speculative.
 
The first step was to make and fit the starboard side panel on the coamings on both decks and to the bulkhead at the break of the poop.  In the first picture that wall has been built up of planks in the usual way and then cut to fit.  In the picture the forward corner post is being glued on.
 

 
In the next picture the studs on the inside of the wall have been installed and the door opening cut out flush with those members using the circular saw for most of the cut length.
 

 
A panel for the entrance door was then cut and fitted to reinforce this very fragile structure and provide a base for the door paneling.  In the next picture the panel is being glued in.
 

 
The outer door jambs and header are being added in the next picture.
 

 
In the next picture the door has been paneled inside and out and the wall installed on the coamings.
 

 
I made the doorway into the cabin itself a bit more ornate, using the same wood and trim style used in the cabins as shown in the next picture.
 

 
In this picture the double doors have been fitted with simple brass hardware.  As with the cabin woodwork, I used black walnut for the doorway.  In the next picture the finished forward bulkhead is in place and aft bulkhead is being glued in.
 

 
The wall on the port side consists only of the stud framing – to provide some visibility to the interior.  In the next picture that framing has been installed and other work is in progress.
 

 
In the picture the overhead rafters have been installed as well as the structure and panels on either side of the doorway.  The exterior end trim pieces are being glued on in the picture.  The last picture shows the freshly painted roof on the finished coach.
 

 
This picture also shows a new entryway on the port bulwark and some modifications that I will explain in the next part.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 120 – Main Deck Cabin 2
 
Work on the deck cabin continued.  In the first picture the starboard side has been installed and the forward bulkhead is in the process.
 

 
All the bulkheads were made to fit into the rabbet on the coaming.  In the next picture, both end bulkheads are in place and the framing for the port side is being installed.
 

 
Pine strips with wedges were used along the floor to hold the studs against the coaming at the bottom.  The reinforcing pine batten is still pasted in place.  This side of the structure will be left open for visibility into the framing below.
 
In the next picture the pine batten has been removed and masking tape has been placed on the deck framing to prevent small pieces from dropping through.  These can now be very difficult to extract.  The first of the rounded up roof rafters are being fitted.
 

 
In the next picture these have been installed.  A number of them have been fitted with hanging knees to provide some wind bracing.  This structure had to be quite strong.
 

 
In the next picture the masking tape has been removed and the tops of the end bulkheads trimmed out in readiness for the roof planking.
 

 
The next picture shows the initial strake of 3” x 7” roof planking being aligned against a straightedge and pinned in place.
 

 
There is a strake with a water stop to be fitted outside of this one, but I wanted to paint that first and use the next inner strakes for alignment.  The next picture shows that outer strake being fitted against the two initially installed planks.
 

 
In the next picture the planking has progressed almost to the centerline.
 

 
The last picture shows the finished roof.
 

 
The ends of the planks have been sanded square and notches cut through the water stop for the two transverse skid beams that will cross the roof.  The roof has been coated with acrylic sanding sealer, sanded smooth and painted with the same color blue as the waterways.  The paint is acrylic.
 
The next task is to construct the coach – the entrance to the cabin deck.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 119 – Main Deck Cabin 1
 
It has been quite a while since my last posting to this log in April.  Work on the book, drafting for the next phases, and taking the 1:96 POB version to a more complete state has filled the intervening time.  I had decided to leave both models at the level of completion covered in Volume I of the book for display at the NRG conference.  Work on the 1:72 framed model has now resumed – I hope in earnest.
 
I started fabrication work on the main deck cabin in August and some of that work is shown below. This large cabin housed the crew, the galley, and perhaps other things.  Boats were stored on skid beams on the roof.  I will be the first to admit that this finicky, small-piece, detail work is not my forte.  I am much more at home with beams, clamps and futtocks, but I will describe the method.  The first picture shows wall panels for the ends of the cabin.
 

 
These were made by edge gluing planks that had the outer edges beveled – to simulate lapped planking.  The pieces were glued up on waxed paper, with the first plank curved against pins to match the round-up of the deck. The panels were run through the thickness sander to remove excess glue on the inside.  They have a first coat of white paint on the outside.  These two have been drilled at the widow openings.  In the next picture these openings are been cut square.
 

 
After marking out, this work was started with a chisel and finished off with a flat file.  The next picture shows the two panels painted and with the window framing and inside structural members installed.
 

 
Lacking specific original detail, I framed the cabin much like a house, but with heavier members – 4x4 studs capped by a long 4x4 plate to support the 4x10 beams with knees that will be added later.  I found examples of this type of construction in later wooden vessels.
 
I had to decide whether to enclose the cabin completely or leave some of it open to reveal the deck framing below.  I decided on the latter course, leaving out internal detail that would further hide the structure below.  The next picture shows work on the long, starboard side wall.
 

 
On all of these wall panels, the siding was painted before installing the trim.  In the picture, door openings were cut out and filled with panels that would eventually be trimmed out with small pieces to simulate doors.  The next picture shows inside framing on this panel.
 

 
The 4x4 studs are left long at the bottom to “bolt” into the base coaming.  The next picture shows the finished wall panel.
 

 
The panel for this wall was made to match the curve of the deck sheer by curving the planks as they were edge glued.  Door jambs, paneling and simple hardware were added to the base panel shown above. All of the windows and doors are fitted with sliding storm panels that could be closed for protection in heavy weather.  Paint was scraped from under these details to ensure good glue joints. 
 
 In the next picture the side wall is clamped in position and the forward end panel is being fitted for size.
 

 
The next picture shows the side wall being glued in place to the coaming.
 

 
The wall is being held in position using pine wedges to force wood strips against the feet of the studs.  The last picture shows the port side wall framing being assembled - studs and plate only at this stage.
 

 
This structure will be left open on the port side.  It will be very fragile until all of the framing is added.  The heavy timber across the bottom is temporary and has been added to support the structure until installed.  It is held to the studs using the paste stick-glue that I use on patterns.
 
To be continued….
 
Ed

Thank you all for your comments and likes and for your support for the now-published book.  I feel I have been neglecting the fully-framed version of Young America - and posting to this blog - for way to long.  
 
There has been little work on the model since April - a long hiatus.  May and June were taken up with getting the book ready for press.  Since then I have been consumed with the drafting and research for the next phases of construction - fitting out the weather decks and rigging.  I also decided to carry the POB version of the model to a more advanced state and post that work on MSW to supplement to POB Chapters in the book for those who might want to build that model these posts will provide more information than could be included in Volume I.  Volume II will apply to both versions equally - but it is some time off.
 
The picture below shows the current state of both models - mounted on temporary bases and ready for transport to the NRG Conference in Mystic next week.  Hope to see many of you there.
 
Ed
 

 
 

Steering gear wheelbox.