Bob Legge

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 289 – Mizzen Topmast 2
 
I have been focusing recently on completing the remaining upper mast assemblies.  Making the upper masts and boring caps to fit was described in earlier posts.  There is benefit in making many of these parts together.  Boring the caps and parral yokes using one milling set up was one example.  Making the remaining, small crosstree assemblies will be described later.  Ideally, the masts should be fitted into the crosstrees before cutting the square masthead mortises in the caps – so the masts will be straight.  Installing the mizzen topmast with its crosstrees, the last of the three, will allow the topgallant masts and caps to be fitted.  The first picture shows that mast, its assembled crosstrees and the parts for its iron spreader.
 

 
Shaping and soldering the spreaders was described in an earlier post.  The next picture shows the mast temporarily fitted.
 

 
The crosstrees were glued to the mast in this position so they could be leveled in place.  This levelling and side-to-side alignment was done before gluing by adjusting the angle at the hounds and the square masthead base.  Final adjustment was checked and refined right after gluing.  The next picture is a closer view.
 

 
This picture shows the fastenings of the spreader.  These are copper wire rivets through the cross tree members.  An alternative to this method would be to solder in the wire bolts then glue the whole assembly into the bolt holes later – as was done with the whisker booms.  This would avoid accidental bending of the assembly during rigging work.  The method I used will require straightening of these before rigging the backstays that pass through the cleats.  These are so vulnerable that I suspect that final straightening would be required in any case.
 
In the next picture the ironwork has been blackened.  The served futtock shrouds and deadeyes have been installed at the workbench as described in an earlier post.  The picture shows the mast gripped in the vise for sizing of the masthead tenon.
 

 
The mast is set in the vise with the jaws set at the base of the tenon.  This allows the jaws to be used as a guide for filing all four sides of the masthead to produce the finished 8" square tenon.  In the next picture the mast is set up for installing the bolsters and the eight masthead battens.
 

 
The bolsters are rounded squares that prevent chafing of the shrouds.  When the glue had set on the tiny battens, the tops were chamfered at an angle.  The last picture shows the mizzen topmast permanently installed by gluing the lower cap to its masthead and the topmast square into the lower mast top.
 

 
As with the other topmasts, gaps between the square at the base and the crosstree opening were filled with wood shim pieces.  The caps for all three topmasts may now be fitted up and their square mortises marked and cut.  Next time.
 
Ed

Few years ago when I decided to try cherry  wood instead of pearwood, it was not clear if
this wood was suitable for the task. In Europe, pear wood is a common tree, in Canada, pear wood is very expensive, but cherry wood is very much affordable. Workability of pear and cherry woods are very similar. For planking, pear wood is often use but it has no grain pattern. At the opposite, cherry wood has many grain patterns but not all of them are suited for the task, especially when the grain runs perpendicular to the length of the plank.
 
If we understand this  simple rule : ‘’The grain pattern must runs parallel to the length of the plank’’,  then I believe that cherry wood can be a good choice for the model ship builders.

Thank you Amalio, thank you for yours likes.

Hi Ed.
 
at Amazon I bought an acryl matt laquer.
The structure of the wood comes out even more beautiful.
 
Greetings
Karl
 
Wood Finish
 

For interest I bring some pictures of the Royal Katherine with my (meanwhile) best card model - Sovereign of the Seas. Please enjoy them:

 
Best regards,
Doris

And the starboard QG:
 

 

I just finished the port side platform clamp. The clamp was held in place with Wolfcraft clamps which can go deep into the hull. After gluing the aft end of the clamp, another balsa template was used to set the position of the forward end of the clamp.

You'll notice that I have been fairing the exterior hull. For the most part it is done. Just need to do a bit more work at the stern. Also, I left a 1/2" or so of extra thickness at the top timbers. After the Forecastle deck clamp and stringer in the waist are attached I will final sand the top timbers to an even thickness along the hull.



Mike

Good morning.

Hello Carl,
I followed your recommendation.
Therefore, I have received further interesting information from Patrick @Jouff on "Bouée de sauvetage". With his permission I can show you.




And here I started with the realization of this lifeboye in 1:48 scale.

Thank you Pat. 
 
Well, I'm getting closer to the part I've been dreading somewhat. No, not the sails, though I've been considering the possibilities for that too. But, the hard part on this model, I think, are the oars. Part of this is the construction, and part is the mounting. But, a big issue is about the type of oars.
 
Now, I've been thinking about this since the start of this whole project, and I've mentioned it in more than one post, I believe. Japanese boats mostly use long sculling oars. Some use paddles. And then, of course, there are river boats which often use poles. Some boats use some combination of these, since different methods of propulsion work better in some situations than others.
 
Most of the models I've seen of Kamakura period sea boats have sculling oars, but they are of a straight variety, not the kind with an offset head, which often appear on traditional Japanese boats. But, the key artwork I'm using, shows the rowers facing backwards and pulling the oars. They are not sculling.
 
If these oars aren't used for sculling, then the rope used to help scull probably shouldn't exist. And, the peg used to help scull and to which the rope is attacked probably shouldn't exist either. That's my feeling, but going against tradition has certain risks. The model itself may be dismissed as inauthentic, or the builder risks being considered a know-nothing outsider, which to a great degree, I am, even though I've spent more time and effort researching Japanese watercraft than most Japanese.
 
Why should I care? To start with, I need access to information, which can be difficult to obtain, so I need the help of some folks in Japan. I've already recently hit a wall after writing to someone who I believe could answer some questions for me. I'm beginning to think I'm stepping on some toes by venturing into something that is culturally very Japanese. It's happened before, and I'm sure it will happen again. But, avoiding barriers is important.
 
In any case, I did manage to make the straight oars without pins.

 
They sure look a lot thicker here than they do when I'm working on them and trying not to break any. I made these from hinoki, like the rest of the model.
 

 
I'm not sure what type of wood was used for real oars. I read it somewhere at one time, but I don't recall where. Douglas Brooks's book probably mentions it. Anyway, I wanted a little color change, so I used a Dark Vintage Maple wood dye on these oars. Twelve oars are needed for this boat.
 
Next, I finally started to tackle the issue of finishing the aft deck house. At minimum, I need low partitions on the port and starboard sides. Some variations of this boat have the sides closed up with wicker walls. Others are pretty open air, which is what I'm thinking of doing.
 

 
I made these wall sections, but I have yet to complete the fit. The ends need a little sanding and adjusting before I can glue them into place. Fitting these is a bit of a challenge, since the deck house, or yakata, is already in place on deck. I know I should have added these before I put the framework into place on the deck, but I really have been figuring things out as I went.
 
Next time, I should have these in place. Then, I either need to make the anchors or deal with the sail.
 
 
 
 

Hello.
Thanks to all for kind comments and likes.
 
Rudder system built and assembled.
 
Karl
 
Part 28

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thank you guys.
Mike Y: I's tempting, but two shows in September are enough, maybe next time.
Little progress - anchor´s installation.

With this post, I'm beginning a build log for Leon.  302 tons, built in 1880 in Norway, traded until 1915.  Model is 1:48, about 2 1/2 ft on deck.  Structure is all Swiss Pear,  planking - internal and external is Pau Marfin, rail and wale is Indian Rosewood.  Much planking and decking will be left off so that the internals will be visible.  I just ordered 6 little oil latterns with LEDs that will eventually light up the interior of the hold.  Most helpful resources so far are Underhill's Plank-On-Frame Models, Crother's American-Built Packets and Freighters of the 1850s, Tosti's Young America and various forums on this website.  Heading to San Francisco shortly to review Ron Cleveland's research material for his model of Leon in the 1970s.  Suggestions from anyone who has ideas about how to research the internal construction are more than just welcome, they will be warmly appreciated!
 
For now the bilge ceiling (meaning the common planks between the keelson and the bilge stringer).  Next, I'll be planking the exterior to match the interior.  I'm planking  inside and out, in sections so that I can best judge what to leave out for maximum visibility.  I haven't decided yet if I'll be cutting out some of the frames.  Until next time.

Today there was a competition, a small gun - but a victory!

The throes of creation... Think of what?  What ornament to draw and cut? I really don't want to repeat someone's creations!

Thanks for the comments and likes; I certainly agree that I absolutely love the process of turning chaos into order.
 
I'll get back to the machinery (and an explanation of the engine inaccuracies) soon, but this weekend I decided to take a break from that arc of the project and do something quite different. Feeling the need for some motivation/inspiration, I started working out the layout of the main deck superstructure by cutting up an old water-filter cardboard box and using it to make templates for walls and decks.
 
We have no idea what the Arabia really looked like above-decks, as all the superstructure was washed away and there are no drawings or images to my knowledge. The painting at the beginning of this build log is an artists' rendition commissioned by the museum. that is mostly reasonable, so I'm using that as one guide so that my model approximates what people "think" she must have looked like.
 
However, after spending some time browsing the magnificent online collection of steamboat photography hosted by the University of Wisconsin, I've decided to also use the sidewheeler Mary McDonald as another reference. This vessel was built in St. Louis in 1866 and ran primarily on the Missouri River until 1873, long-lived for one of these boats. Although she was built ten years later, she has a very similar hull layout to Arabia and matches the painting pretty closely; everything in her design that I can would be fitting for an 1856 vessel as well. There are four good photographs and a drawing of her, covering many useful angles, making her an excellent reference. You can see all of the available images here; click on each one to get a high-quality zoomable image that really shows good detail. She's also a good match for the preliminary drawings I did of the Arabia's superstructure.
 
So given those resources, below are three shots of how the model looks in mock-up form.

On these boats, the deck above the main deck was confusingly called the boiler deck, although the boilers were on the main deck. The oddly named boiler deck tended to be about twice a person's height above the main deck to account for the very large machinery. Above, I've mocked up main deck walls about 13' (4m) high. The flat piece in front is a mockup of the boiler deck, though it's sitting on the main deck level, showing the outline of the main cabin, where the chimneys poke through coming up from the boilers, and the gaps near the front where the staircases will come up from below. If you look closely, you'll see a mockup person for rough scale standing in front of the port engine.
 

Here's a view from above so you can better see the deck layout. The boilers sit right under the main cabin outline, just behind the chimneys. They're actually drawn in pencil on the cardboard, but you can't see that in the photo (the rest is drawn in pen). As noted once before, the wheel axles would not actually cross the hull, I'm just using a single dowel here to help keep things aligned.
 

Here's a stern view that closely matches the angle of this photo of the Mary McDonald.
 
It all looks a little odd right now without the next set of decks and cabins above, but that's as far as I've gotten. It's exciting to envision the full shape and this was a fun, different exercise for the weekend.

Thank you very much.

Good morning.

Thank you very much guys!
To dvm27 - this model will be installed in my living room together with my other models.
To wyz - some people will be have the possibility to see this model in September 2018 in Romania (Naviga´s World Championship) and in Czech Republik (Czech Championship).
Some pictures from lanterns production.

..
The planks are 2x5 mm limewood.

Thanks to all for kind comments and likes.
 
Mounting the parapet with belfry.
 
Karl
 
 
P a r t   2 7

 
 
 
 
 

small update :
 
instead of a binnacle cabinet with compass, I made a compass column for the helmsman and placed it just after the mizzen mast...
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

Some more pictures.

A small update.