Elia

Thanks for the kind comments Ben, John, Sherry, Piet, David, George, Greg, Nils and Popeye - much appreciated .
 
 
Nils - the holes in the Tops are just large enough to slip over the shrouds.
 
Fore Mast Shrouds
 
With the completion of the Fore Mast ones I've finished fitting all the lower shrouds :
 

 

 

 

 

 
My apologies for the poor quality of the pics - it's very difficult to take good ones with the lighting and backgrounds in my caravan .
 
  Danny

You're welcome Robin .
 
Main Lower Shrouds and Burton Pendants
 
I've fitted all the Main Lower Shrouds. The foremost one is served all over, and the others are served for the uppermost quarter.
 
The Burton Pendants are slipped over the mast head before fitting any of the Shrouds. These are used for heavy lifting of any cargo, in conjunction with other rigging on the yards. They have a Thimble spliced into their lower ends, and are made up as a pair with a Cut Splice around the mast :
 

 

 
The foremost shroud is a single and also uses a cut splice to connect the port and starboard shrouds :
 

 
The rest of the shrouds are paired on each side as were the mizzen shrouds. This pic shows all the shrouds fitted around the mast head :
 

 
The deadeyes and lanyards :
 

 
An overall pic of the rigging so far :
 

 
  Danny

Mizzen Mast Forestay and Collar
 
The Mizzen Mast Collar was made up in similar fashion to those on the Bowsprit. It's fully served and has a Heart incorporated :
 

 

 
I turned the Mouse on the lathe after first drilling a 1.2mm hole up the centre. This gives a good fit over the served stay :
 

 
The Forestay with mouse fitted :
 

 

 
Lashed to the masts :
 

 

 
  Danny

Thank you Dave.
 
Mizzen Mast Shrouds
 
The Standing Rigging for the Bowsprit is now complete, so I'm turning my attention to the Mizzen Mast rigging. The reason I'm starting back-to-front to real practice is one of access - once the mainmast shrouds are fitted it will make rigging the mizzen forestay a little more difficult.
 
 All the mizzen shrouds are served for about 6 feet below the mast top - unlike the other two masts the foremost shrouds aren't served for their full length as there is no Mizzen Course which could chafe them. I left them overlength for now, and lashed the pairs together around the mast :
 

 
Using a wire spacer between deadeyes I measured each shroud, starting with the foremost starboard pair, which are the first to be fitted. Then I removed the pair from the mast and turned in the deadeyes on the bench using a vise and a set of Third Hands - much easier than attempting to do them on the ship.
 
When all four pairs were done I fitted the Laniards :
 

 

 
  Danny

Thanks Brian, Steve, Nils, Grant, Ed, George and Mark - much appreciated .
 
Main Stay Collar
 
This is the largest Collar on the ship. Again, it is served all over.
 
After measuring and serving the line I "spliced" an eye into one end. Next I lashed the Heart to it. Then came the fun part - attempting to pass the line through the hole in the knee of the head. To assist me with this I tied a length of thin cotton to the free end and led that through the starboard headworks, through the hole, and then back up through the port headworks. All went very well .
 
Once the line was all in position I passed the free end through the first eye and seized the end back on itself :
 

 

 

 
  Danny

Fore Tack Step Blocks
 
These are relatively large Blocks which attach to the Boomkins - 14" in real life. I made them from English Box, the pics tell the story :
 

 

 

 

 
Their Strops are served :
 

 
  Danny

Rusty,
 
Very nice work on that planking. No stealers is no easy feat. I think it looks superb. I can't wait for the next side!
 
Cheers,
 
Elia

Hello everyone,
 
Well, dingy version 1.0 is completed and hanging on the loading tackle.  I also managed to lower it into it's storage area.  I lucked out again in that it fit!   
The measurements on the drawings Daniel made worked !!
 
So, now I have no more excuses and must obey Rear Admiral Sjors and start on version 2.0.  Don't hold your breath though, it'll go a little slower this time because I'll be using a different process that'll take more time.  I also need to make more planking and make an actual rabbat at the stern section and bow post.  I plan to make the bow and stern post from separate parts with knees tying them in to the keel.
Nothing like having gained a little more confidence in this miniature building world   Wish me luck.
 
Okay, here are a few of the pics I took yesterday afternoon of my efforts, it doesn't look half bad.
 

This pic is taken with flash, there was not enough light.  1/20 sec at f5.8.  The obvious question Gwen asked, how did they get the dingy into the water with the railing being in the way?  Well, the stanchions lift out of the deck fittings and the guide cable unhooks.  Unfortunately I didn't think about doing that 
 

Here is a better view and taken without the flash!  I rested the camera on a broom handle to steady it and shot it at 1/20 sec at f5.8.  At first I thought the dingy was too wide by looking at it from this angle but it did slip into its little hangar below deck.
 

Another broom handle pic without flash.  Here I have unhooked the bridle cable after having lowered the dingy into its hangar.  Yup, that mechanism works.  I think though that I'll shorten the lifting cable a little on version 2.0.  I didn't bother unhooking the bridle cable.  You  can also see that I stowed the rudder and helm stick, which slipped from the seats.  I believe though that they would store them and the oars inside the lower part of the con..  I just lashed the oars to the seats for the drama and show and tell 
 

Another shot a little closer by.  Come to think about it, I still need to make the stowing cradles for the dingy on top of the hull.  I won't bother with the lashing hardware though, like eye hooks welded to the hull   Hmmm, getting lazy - - - well . . . . .  maybe.
Yes, everything can be unhooked, the loading boom lowered and secured to the deck frame and the hatches closed.  This is all very time consuming so I don't think I'll ever to that again.
I have also not made provisions to make the railing removable, however that is still possible to do but will most likely forget about it 
 
Cheers,

Hello everyone and thank you all for visiting and your like votes, much appreciated.
 
Well, dinner is done and i watched a fabulous nature show with my dear bride Gwen.  Birds of paradise in New Guinea.  
So, now back to the dingy saga, almost finished with version 1.0.  My wife asked me also, version 1.0?  Proto type?  That means version 2.0 is coming up?   Plan to gold plate that one????  She has a wry sense of humor, must be her English blood 
 
Today I made the four oar locks, the bow lifting / mooring ring and started with the oars.  I also painted everything dark grey and it's not looking all that bad.  I want to let the paint dry and then do some fine sanding on the outside and one more coat of paint.  It's amazing how much time goes into such a little boat, especially when it's klinker planked.
 
Okay, here are a few pics.
 

These oar locks are made from thin brass sheet and 0.5 mm brass rod.  The strips are about 1.5 mm wide and 5 mm long.  I bend them into a U shape around a 1 mm rod and drilled a 0.5 mm hole in it for the pin.  Then soft-soldered it together and trimmed them.  
 

First I made an eye bolt with a 0.5 mm eye.  Then a ring from 0,5 mm brass rod and looped it into the eye bolt and soft soldered it shut.  It' too crude to my liking and will remake the ring from thinner brass rod.  That's why it's a prototype    I drilled a hole in the bow frame and cemented the eye bolt in.
Yep, it's klinker planked alright.
 

Here I have put the oar locks into their little holes so they can swivel when rowing.  They'll be readjusted when the oars are completed for a better fit and appearance. 
 

Here is the dingy with two coats of dark grey paint and two oars.  Okay, I only painted one oar because I was still working on the second one when i decided to paint.  I may have to make the oar blades a little longer and thin the shanks some some.
 

 

 
Cheers,
 
 

Hello everyone and thanks for your patience, waiting for the O19 dingy progress.
I finally put the last planks on that little bugger and worked on the gunnels.  I also started to put the rower's seats in and the helmsman seat.
Overall she's not too bad looking for a prototype and will finish it.  It'll be good as a s spare on the display board.
 
In my humble opinion it was a worthwhile excercise.  I found that building a miniature model like this plank on frame is doable.  However, there are several things I will do differently now that I have gained the experience.
First of all I'll use build-up frames to prevent them from breaking. 
Just as with the larger models it's equally important to keep all the frames square and plumb to the keel. 
Working klinker planking with 1.5 mm or so thick planks is a real challenge at these small sizes. Here too a I think that a slightly wider plank that's pre-tapered will work better then to shave it after the plank is on. 
That in itself will be a challenge but I also found it was rather easy thinning the planks down after they are cemented on. 
 
Okay, enough about the should'vs and show how the dingy looks like as of this afternoon.  The first 5 pics were taken this morning before lunch.  The rower's seats are just stuck on loose.
 
The last three were taken late afternoon after I cemented the rower's seats on, made and installed the bow deck and the helmsman seat.  Next will be finishing the gunnels, the oar thingy's, the oards and the rudder. Then some nice dark grey paint.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Cheers,

Hi Everyone. Thanks for the comments and likes.
 
Sorry for the delay getting back to you all. My PC's hard drive started failing and had to take her to the doctor.
 
During that time I was able to complete the startboard side planking, sanded it down and applied one coat of
wipe on poly. The good news is that I was successful in doing it without any drop planks or steelers. The bad
news is after sanding it a few joints aren't as tight as I would have liked.
 
All in all I'm happy with my first attempt at this type of planking. Hopefully the next one will be better
and the planks a little more uniform.
 

 
Well I'm off to the port side to start the last two bands of planking.

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 94 – Main Deck Framing 5
 
Because the main deck framing supports the mast partners, knees are installed as reinforcements at the partners.  I also installed them at the hatchway openings.  I made these as overlapping knees.  I did not go to this trouble for the lodging knees at the side because their fore and aft arms are not visible on the model.  I do not yet know if these central knees will be covered with decking or not.  The first picture shows some of these knees before installing.
 

 
The next picture shows a few installed at the main mast partners and at the hatch just aft of this.
 

 
I installed these central knees first before going on to the major task of setting all of the ten dozen or so lodging knees at the sides.   The next picture shows this lodging knee installation proceeding aft from the bow.
 

 
The next picture shows a closer view of this work. 
 
 

 
This is one type of lodging knee combination used on these ships and is the one I used on all of the decks.  It is the simplest – with the fore and aft arms simply butting.  They will be covered by the waterways in any case.  In the picture a knee is being marked so it can be cut to fit neatly between its partner and the beam.  Bolts are then installed, the knee is polished up and then glued in.
 
The next picture shows all of the main deck lodging knees installed.
 

 
And, finally, a picture of the full hull at this stage.
 

 
The next step will be to install the ledges between each of the beams to complete the framing of this deck.
 
Ed

Hi all,
 
Well I'm back and glad to be back in the shop and it feels sooooooo good. The first thing I did was
to clean up a bit. Mind you it had nothing to do with running out of room to work.
 
One of the things I did was solve the issue I had with my vacuum hose being the same diameter as the
outlet for my Byrnes tools. I broke out my handy dandy lathe and took a 1 1/4" PVC coupling milled the
inside diameter to match the outside diameter of the hose and bingo I had a quick coupling.
 

 

 

 
 
The next thing I wanted to do was cut some sanding paper for my thickness sander. Normally there are
two 3" strips of sand paper on the drum. Sometimes though I sand wood that is 3" or wider. Now you can
put two strips of sandpaper side by side but that tends to leave a little grove in the wood from where they
meet. So I got some 6" wide sanding belts and cut strips  that cover the whole drum so now, if needed, I
can sand wood up to 6" wide now in one pass.
 

 

 
 
Ok back to actual modeling here. I have now completed planking the first two belts on both sides of the hull.
So far so good. Not stealers or drop planks. And as I said before it is slower but the planking is much easier. 
Everything has been sanded with 120 grit paper. Once the whole side is planked I'll finish sanding it
and apply a couple coats of wipe on poly. Now it's not a pristine as Chucks but I'm happy.
 

 

 
 

OK, last night I was able to get a shot from the front of the Mk. 56 platform that was IN FOCUS!!!
 

 
The center bulkheads (fore/aft) are completely scratchbuilt as are the director foundations/bases.
 
Hank

First - thanks to all who have commented recently - I haven't been AWOL, just busy
 
So, for a current update - I've been working on the modification of the center 40mm tubs between the stacks and have the basic mods in place. This area is now the Mk. 56 FC Director Platform. As with the rest of the model, it is in place but not adhered at this point. Work to be done on the other 40mm tubs (4) ahead and abaft of this platform. They will become Zuni Rocket Launcher tubs (to be built) and will require minor modifications. As a comparision to the orig. configuration, look at a couple of the photos from earlier posts of this area.

 
I hope to have another photo from the front of the platform later - the one I took last night was out of focus. The Mk. 56 directors are as yet to be built - I need 6 of these, so I am planning on making a master and molding the other 5 - that will be a project in itself. The remaining hole in the decking is for location of the antenna post (each side) to which antenna wires are turnbuckled and attach to the foremast yard.
 
I'm still doing research on the Zuni Launchers so those are not started yet. Photos that I have access to are not close up and details are sparce.
 
Len - do you recall the interior of the nav. bridge? I may have asked before - I was thinking it was pea green on the bulkheads, but perhaps simply haze gray. If you've any ideas, let me know.
 
Hank

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 93 – Main Deck Framing 4
 
The two large fresh water tanks needed to be permanently installed before the main deck framing could be completed.  The first photo shows these two tanks in place.
 

 
The tanks were iron and rest on heavy wood bases in the hold over the keelson.  These bases were shown in earlier posts.  The tanks were made from cardstock glued on to wood blocks.   The picture also shows  tops of the lower sections of the bilge pump suction piping just forward of the tanks.   The next picture shows the run of these pipes down to the limber channel.
 

 
The pipes are copper tube.  The upper sections between these pipes and the pumps on the main deck will be installed later.  The 4”x4” dunnage timbers on the base for the forward tank can be seen in this picture – taken before setting the tanks - just aft of the pipes.  The main mast step can be seen just forward of the pipes.  (This was shot at an aperture of F32 and very slow shutter – much better field depth vs. the pictures in last post.)
 
In the next picture the framing in the midship area is approaching completion.
 

 
All of the full beams have been installed in this picture including their hanging knees and pillars.  In the picture the headers for the main hatch - with scores cut for the half beams - have been fit as well as the main mast partner carlings.  In the next picture the framing over the tanks has been completed and the last pillar under one of the half-beams is being test fit. 
 

 
All of the pillars are pinned with copper wire bolts top and bottom.  The fitting of this last pillar finishes the deck beam setting.  The next picture shows the hull with the main deck framing at this stage.
 

 
Next will come the lodging knees for all these beams and the ledges – but first a few housekeeping items needed to be taken care of.  One of these was literally a housecleaning of the workshop that might be partially noticeable in the above picture.  This tidying up also included installing 10 dozen or so functional copper wire bolts with epoxy to further secure the main deck beams and knees.  One of these is being installed in the next picture.
 

 
There are two at the end of each beam – one through the beam into the clamp and one through the beam into the hanging knee.  The other task was to apply wax finish to all of the structure from the middle deck up to just below the main deck beams.  This cannot be done easily after the ledges are installed. 
 
The deck framing has not been sanded at this stage as might be noticed.  This will be done once after all of the ledges are installed.
 
Ed

Thanks very much for looking in again Brian, Allan, Arch, Nils, Grant, and a welcome to George .
 
Work has been continuing on the Bowsprit Rigging.
 
Bobstays
 
These are the equivalent of the Forestays on the other masts. Like all the Bowsprit rigging they are served all over. The inboard ends pass through the foremost holes in the Knee of the Head, and are spliced together :
 

 
Bowsprit Shrouds
 
The equivalent of the Shrouds on the other masts. These are hooked through eyebolts at their inner ends :
 

 

 

 
The outer ends of both the Bobstays and Shrouds finish in a heart block, and are lashed to their respective Collars :
 

 
  Danny

I am finding it difficult to come up with the right words to describe my admiration of your fine work Ed, not speechless but darn close. Those last two photographs show just how fine an Artist with wood you are.
 
Michael

This is the build I come to for re-newed inspiration! If modeling is an art (I consider it a very high form of art), then you, sir Ed, are a true master. I'm thinking Rembrandt here.

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 92 – Main Deck Framing 3
 
Framing of the main deck continues from forward and aft.  Additional operational features are also being installed.  In the first picture the topsail sheet bits  and two round openings for the anchor chain chutes  are installed.  The samson post is being glued in place toward the bow.
 

 
This very large timber extends up above the forecastle deck.  It will support the lever arms for the anchor chain winch located on the main deck just below the forecastle break.  The levers were operated from the forecastle.
 
Working just one step behind the drafting sometimes causes problems.  The next picture shows the step for the main capstan, which I neglected to install when framing the middle deck.
 

 
The decking between the two hatches and the middle bay of framing had to be removed and reworked to include support carlings and the square step itself.
 
The next picture shows the extent of the main deck framing at that time – a few days ago.
 

 
The next picture is a different view.  The three rows of carling under the deck cabin can be clearly seen in this picture.  The cabin will extend some distance further aft than the beams installed here.
 
 

 
The next picture shows some additional progress on the aft part of the main deck.
 

 
The members that will support the capstan on the main deck have been installed including two large support carlings.  The design of these supports and the step is speculative.  It will soon be time to make the smaller forward water tank and install both iron tanks while there is still access.  The bilge suction pipes will also need to be installed soon.
 
The next picture was taken while I could still place a smaller camera on the middle deck.  The view is forward along the middle deck
 

 
In the foreground is the main hatch and the bilge pipe openings.  The dark areas along the waterways are shadows of the deck beams. 
 
The last picture is one of those scary close-ups taken through one of the view ports.
 

 
This was taken at F8 – the smallest aperture on the smaller camera - so the foreground is out of focus, but the detail of the knees on the middle deck framing can be clearly seen – also a scarph jint in the deck clamp.
 
Ed

Not much to show for the last few weeks.  Last week was devoted to the NRG meeting.  It was great to put faces to some new names.  Hope to see you again next year in Mystic.
 
I started the planking below the wales.  The first 6 rows of planking are anchor stock and the rest is standard planking.  The first strake is 3" thick at the wale, tapering down to 2".  The rest of the strakes are 2" thick.  I laid the first row of strakes full thickness and then tapered the lower edge after the second row of planking was completed.  The extreme fore and aft planks are dropped.  I marked out the landing spots for the planks terminating at the counter to prevent any uneven plank widths.  Holly is a pleasure to work with for the hull planking.  Gentle curves can bent by hand.  The extreme bends require a 30 minute soak in water and are pinned in place with clamps and planking screws.  After they are completely dry, final shaping is done and the plank is glued in place with almost no pressure.  I like to rough sand the planks every few rows to check for any problems.  It is a lot easier to pop one or two problem planks now rather than several planks after the hull is completed.  
 
The wale has gotten scuffed with handling and sanding.  It will get a re-paint  after all the planking has been installed.
 

 

 

 

 
 

Thanks for following this build, Christian.
 
Not much got done this weekend, between Fall cleanup and getting my Hannah cleaned up to take to the NRG meeting next week, there was not much time for building.  When I bought the styrofoam for the base, I found  a hobby-quality drafting table.  It elevates and tilts, important to me since I prefer to work standing up (I guess it's the surgeon in me). And at 30% off, what girl could say "no"?  A bungee cord across the base keeps everything in place, even at an angle.  And the casters allow me to follow the sun.
 

 

 

 
The second two rows of planking are almost completed.  When I return, I will start the planking below the wales.
 

 

 

It is time to work on the lower hull.  I pressed the top timbers, stem and counter timbers into a 2" thick slab of styrofoam. I then threaded butcher's twine through the gun port openings and secured the hull to the styrofoam in four places.  This allows me to comfortably work on the lower hull while having the ship securely attached to a flat surface.
 
The lower hull planking is holly.  I am using a different holly for the hull planking than I did for the decking.  That wood was more grey and had some color imperfections which became apparent after the finish was applied.  This is a whiter wood without any visible flaws.  (Thank you Hobby Mill.)  The garboard strake was installed first.  When you look at the plan, you are tempted to say "Oh, a straight line with the keel.  Easy."  Well, because of the twists in the plank fore and aft, that straight line is anything but.  The key is to make templates of everything and then transfer the outline of the template to the wood, leaving a little extra for fine-tuning.  The fore end of the garboard was terminated per the layout in TFFM.  Prior to gluing the planks in place, the keel rabbet was cleaned up.
 

 

 

 

Ben and Mark, thanks for the support.
 
I have reached a milestone...the upper works' planking is completed!  I left the frame ends protruding above the level of the top rail to protect the upper edge of the planking.  Now you can even tell which frames have timberheads associated with them. Because the only things keeping the starboard frames in line are the ribbands and the filler blocks above the top of the frames, this side was not cut down.  Now I have a question.  In TFFM it states that where the sheer strake "...widens down to the ports there is a change in surface level to produce a smooth, continuous chamfer line..."  I interpreted this to mean a smooth chamfer to the top of the port.  Another interpretation would be to make the lower part of the strake the thickness of the hull planking and the top part the thickness of the sheer strake.  Looking at a contemporary model of Atalanta did not show enough detail for me to tell which direction to go.  If someone could give me some direction, I would appreciate it.  I left things so that it would be easy to convert if my interpretation is wrong.
 
On to the lower hull planking.
 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Joe, Vivian & Mark. Indeed I used the knurling attachment from Shereline, it gives a good grip and a adds a nice touch.
 
Port side treenailed
 

 
And draught marks added, they won't be painted red as they should as this might be to distracting. They are just 3 mm, 1/8" high
 

 

 
Remco