JesseLee

Glad you're back at it Dave!

Here are the pics of the belaying pins area for the inhauls and the Hypo cement I promised.
 

Glad you're back at it Dave!

It was out west, Jesse. Hope yours was as well.

Thanks! House was/is full of grandkids. May you have a blessed and fruitful New Year!

Here and there, I have been able to gain access to my basement model shop for a little work on my Wanderer.  When I left off before, I had just removed all of the deck beams to correct errors in their lengths.  Six of the frames shown in photo below were trimmed to the correct lengths and glued back in place with carpenters glue and put aside overnight to set.

    These six were done first so that I would have easier access to suspend a partial lower deck visible through the open upper hatch.  I sized the lower deck length to equal the distance from one beam beyond the hatch frame to the stern and one beam to the bow.  The width was sized to span across the inside of the hull at approximately a scaled 6’ below the upper deck and still allow some clearance for the lower deck framing. 
    To make the inner deck, I trimmed three left over scraps of pre-made 1/32” thick decking to be applied to a sub-deck of 1/16” thick piece of sheet basswood.  I repeated my earlier method of marking the deck plank ends and treenail impressions.  I stained and sealed them to match.  Once dried, they were glued with carpenters’ wood glue and clamped to the sub-deck.  I first used a vice for the center portion and then heavy weights for the outer portions to ensure a flat deck.



    Looking through my copy of Whale Ships and Whaling by Albert Church, I found an ink sketch of the wooden cooling tank between decks of the bark Commodore Morris that also showed an inner hatch with a coaming.  While not the Wanderer, I assumed that it was probably similar.  So I decided to trim the opening with a coaming similar to the upper hatch for it.  I marked the location and size of the hatch to align with the upper hatch and bored holes in the four corners, and used a fine coping saw to cut the opening.

 
    Once it was rough cut, I took a sanding stick to trim it down to the final size.

                                                                (Opps, looks like the camera focused on the wrong subject!)  
    To suspend the lower deck from the upper deck I took some 3/32” x 5/32” basswood to make a pair of U shaped frames for suspending the front and rear edge of the lower deck.   I cut one piece the length of the deck width for a horizontal beam and glued a pair of 1” long posts vertically at each end of the beam.  These U-frames were set aside to dry.  Once they were set, I sanded the bottoms of the U-frames to allow more clearance in the hull.   
     I cut four spacers to give me a scaled 6’ ceiling space between decks.  The U-frames were glued to the front and rear of the inner deck and the spacers were glued to the 1” vertical posts leaving an open notch for the lower deck and an overlap at the top to be attached to the deck beams above.
    For the coaming itself, I cut some more 3/32” x 5/32” basswood to length for the outer trim and some 1/32” square basswood for the inside ledgers and glued them all in place with CA.


    The assembly was slid in from the stern and past the front deck beam to test the fit and propped in place with a sanding stick.

    At this point it looks good enough to me.

     I masked off the lower deck and gave the coaming two coats of paint and light sanding between.  I took a couple narrow pieces of decking to serve for the interior hull sides and finished them to match the deck.

    The masking was removed and it was ready to install.

    The assembly was slid back in with the side pieces unattached, glued and clamped in place. (I tried with them attached before installation but didn’t have enough clearance to slide the whole assembly in place.)   So, now with a lot of fiddling and cussing, the side pieces were glued into place.

    I measured the hatch opening before installation, as I was not sure if the hatch would be solid or a grating, so I just left it open for now.  As you can see here, the sidewalls were maybe a bit much, as they are not easily seen, but maybe a couple of subdued LED lights would help.

    I’ll give it some thought, as I was impressed with the way Doris did it in her ships.  I plan on installing a few knees that would also be partially visible and maybe an oil cask or two.  So, now that the lower deck is in place it's time to decide what to do with the transom problem.  I will experiment with a couple of solutions and get to it!

I haven't quit. Been slowly working on making the yards and rigging blocks on them a little at a time.  It's taking me a very long time. Hopefully I can get some pictures up soon when things get back to normal around here. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
 
Jesse

UPDATE.....
Thinking, a few friends may be wondering if I'm actually back to this build after taking a little "fun break".
Well here's your evidence..... and a good laugh to go with it.
Finishing up the Cross Jack Yards, and the Topsail Yards went pretty well since I had already shaped them and had them ready for the eyebolts and iron works.  It didn't take long for me to regain the silver soldering technique required to complete the iron works.
The laugh comes when I moved on to shape the Royal and Topgallant yards.
Got them all turned and, the ones with eyebolts and iron works were finished.... something just didn't seem right.  
When laid along with the longer yards, the LENGTHS did not fit my eye.
Checked all measurements against the drawing specs..... everything was perfect.
RECHECKED..... still perfect.
Then it hit me.....  When I took the specs and made the layout sketch, I had not re-scaled them from 1:72 to fit my 1/60th scale!!!!
After a few choice words I cannot repeat here.... Back to the lathe.
Think we got it right this time.
This, along with all the holiday activity, and trying to remove a mountain of oak tree leaves from my yard has kept me occupied.
Happy New Year all!

I haven't quit. Been slowly working on making the yards and rigging blocks on them a little at a time.  It's taking me a very long time. Hopefully I can get some pictures up soon when things get back to normal around here. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
 
Jesse

I finished all the staysail rigging before starting on the yards. My camera broke so I'm trying to use my phone. Having a lot of trouble with the phone and laptop communicating with each for some reason and it is about to make pull my hair out. The phone does seem to take better shots than the camera did, it's just a lot more trouble transferring them over.
 
Jesse
 

Fortunately we have not lost power even though a lot of people around me have. Good time to work in the shipyard. Hearing the driving rain and howling winds makes me imagine what it was like to be at sea on way back then in such a violent storm. 
 
Anyway, made the Gaff and the Boom. I have done as much pre-rigging as I can before they are attached. The instructions said you can paint them or not- your choice. I was going to leave them with a light golden oak stain but had to do some patch-up work on the Gaff where it got some wood marred and gouged from an accidental drop on the floor and got stepped on. At this point I saw that the paint would completely hide this so black they now are. This also hid where I had to re-glue both jaws because of the very poor wood supplied in the kit. I wish I had made them from better wood to start with.
 
Completed all the rigging for these two. Found it much more difficult to get into the tight places to tie off to the belaying pins than it used to be for me. My kit was missing the beads for the parrels but I had plenty from earlier builds. 
 
Jesse

Did something a little different for the cleats. I have had glued on cleats come off in the past so I wanted them more secure. I measured and marked where they are and drilled small starter holes for them with a small twist drill. I then used these small drill/reamer tools I got many years ago. They twist i and open the hole. Then you can use them like a mini file or rasp to remove wood. I slowly did this form one hole to another to open up a slot through the boom and gaff. I pre-shaped the cleats out of scrap I have.  When all is shaped and ready I put glue in the open slot and push the cleat all the way through so it is sticking out of both sides then shape them up down to proper size.
 
Don't know when I will get back to the shipyard. One of my Aunts died and I will be going out of town for a few days, leaving there and going straight to a Dr. appointment.  I will most likely be very sick from the travelling and my body will crash on me for a few days when I get back.
 
Jesse

I'll miss your posts. May you have a safe move.

I haven't quit. Been slowly working on making the yards and rigging blocks on them a little at a time.  It's taking me a very long time. Hopefully I can get some pictures up soon when things get back to normal around here. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
 
Jesse

hope you had a great Christmas Jesse     given the way your Syren looks,  the addition of the yards will make her look even more impressive!   

Good luck on the move Rich, hope everything goes well and you are happy in the new place.

I haven't quit. Been slowly working on making the yards and rigging blocks on them a little at a time.  It's taking me a very long time. Hopefully I can get some pictures up soon when things get back to normal around here. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
 
Jesse

I haven't quit. Been slowly working on making the yards and rigging blocks on them a little at a time.  It's taking me a very long time. Hopefully I can get some pictures up soon when things get back to normal around here. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
 
Jesse

I haven't quit. Been slowly working on making the yards and rigging blocks on them a little at a time.  It's taking me a very long time. Hopefully I can get some pictures up soon when things get back to normal around here. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
 
Jesse

I haven't quit. Been slowly working on making the yards and rigging blocks on them a little at a time.  It's taking me a very long time. Hopefully I can get some pictures up soon when things get back to normal around here. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
 
Jesse

I haven't quit. Been slowly working on making the yards and rigging blocks on them a little at a time.  It's taking me a very long time. Hopefully I can get some pictures up soon when things get back to normal around here. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
 
Jesse

I haven't quit. Been slowly working on making the yards and rigging blocks on them a little at a time.  It's taking me a very long time. Hopefully I can get some pictures up soon when things get back to normal around here. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
 
Jesse

I haven't quit. Been slowly working on making the yards and rigging blocks on them a little at a time.  It's taking me a very long time. Hopefully I can get some pictures up soon when things get back to normal around here. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
 
Jesse

I'm closing down my shipyard so I can move. At my age it's time to downsize. I haven't touch my boat in a month while selling my house. I miss everybody but some things are necessary

I finished all the staysail rigging before starting on the yards. My camera broke so I'm trying to use my phone. Having a lot of trouble with the phone and laptop communicating with each for some reason and it is about to make pull my hair out. The phone does seem to take better shots than the camera did, it's just a lot more trouble transferring them over.
 
Jesse