Bob Cleek

Midwest Products produces a wide selection of milled basswood for modeling, running from small dimension strips and thin sheets, through large blocks the size of a brick and larger.  https://midwestproducts.com/collections/basswood These can usually be found in the lumber section of any Ace Hardware store and many other chain hardware stores, as well as most any craft store, such as Michaels. Midwest often has a good size display rack in such places stocked with a wide selection. Sourcing basswood is no problem at all. You should be able to find something very close to what you require easily at a local store. Importantly, buying "hands on" will allow you to select a premium piece with the grain just the way you want it, rather than taking your chances ordering mail order.
 
Even Walmart has it:  https://www.walmart.com/ip/MIDWEST-PRODUCTS-4422-BASSWOOD-BLOCK-2X4X12/36775784
 

If I may be so bold as to presume to make another recommendation...
 
Such grab handles would not likely be seen on any well-found seagoing vessel. All accommodation lockers require positive latching mechanisms to keep them from flying open when the vessel heels in a seaway, especially when a locker's weighty contents are thrown against the door. (Magnets, spring clips, and spring-loaded detent balls are sometimes seen on power boats, but simply won't cut it on a sailing vessel that will routinely be thrashing around at a significant angle of heel.) Given the period, these may be a finger-hole through the door with an elbow latch behind it, so the the finger can be inserted to press down on a spring-loaded latch to unlatch the door, which would latch when pushed shut, or a "button knob" which was a knob with a button in the middle which, when pressed, released the spring-loaded latch. Less complex latches were also used, such at the usual barrel bolts and sliding or swinging bars.
 
Elbow catch for finger-hole access: 

Push-button knob locker latch (also available with a keyed locking mechanism.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Alternate, larger wardrobe latch:
 

 

 
Or, in keeping with your "theme," there are flush spring catches with finger ring pulls:
 

 

 
See generally:  Toplicht (Hamburg) https://www.toplicht.de/en/shop/innenbeschlaege/schnappverschluss-und-schnaepper/?p=3 and Davey and Co. (London) http://davey.co.uk/pdf/interior_fittings.pdf my favorite go-to sources for fine traditional yacht fittings (and priced like Tiffany's jewelry, unfortunately.)
 
 
 

Midwest Products produces a wide selection of milled basswood for modeling, running from small dimension strips and thin sheets, through large blocks the size of a brick and larger.  https://midwestproducts.com/collections/basswood These can usually be found in the lumber section of any Ace Hardware store and many other chain hardware stores, as well as most any craft store, such as Michaels. Midwest often has a good size display rack in such places stocked with a wide selection. Sourcing basswood is no problem at all. You should be able to find something very close to what you require easily at a local store. Importantly, buying "hands on" will allow you to select a premium piece with the grain just the way you want it, rather than taking your chances ordering mail order.
 
Even Walmart has it:  https://www.walmart.com/ip/MIDWEST-PRODUCTS-4422-BASSWOOD-BLOCK-2X4X12/36775784
 

I'm sure I'd have driven Stirling and Sons batty if they were building her for me. I'd make sure they provided for ventilation in the locker doors as well, whether that were a decorative cut-out scroll sawed into the face of the door, a row of holes along the top edge, or a panel of bronze wire or woven cane mesh to make sure things in the locker didn't get all musty and moldy, too. 
 
True, a disguised swinging latch handle could be done, but from a stress distribution standpoint, that would probably be considered some pretty poor engineering. If one was thrown off balance by a wave while holding on to such a moveable handle, I'd expect it would be pretty easy to bend the shaft of the handle. I'd file that idea under "If it's such a good idea, how come nobody else thought of it before?"  The options pictured in the Toplicht and Davey and Co. catalogs have been "state of the art" since at least the late 1800's. I've probably been aboard hundreds of fine (and not so fine) yachts over the years. I've never seen a disguised "grab and twist" locker handle. They do make one like this, though:
 
 

 

 
https://www.toplicht.de/en/shop/innenbeschlaege/vorreiber-und-riegel/vorreiber/vorreiber-1
 
These are the sorts of details that the great designers like Nathaniel and L. Francis Herreshoff, Fife, Camper and Nicholson's, and J. Laurent Giles so enjoyed inventing, many of which became trademarks of the yachts they designed.
 
There's a lot of room for artistic license in modeling, so go for it! It's such an amazingly beautiful build. Wouldn't it be wonderful when it's done to be able to walk into one of the premier yards with it in hand and tell them, "Build me one just like it full size!" 

Parenthetically, my own "dream yacht," which will forever remain just that, in this life, at least, is Giles' Dyarchy, a cutter quite similar to your model. I have copies of all Giles' original drawings and a license to build one model of her. One of these years, I hope to do so. Your build log is plowing the hard soil ahead of me!
 

 

 
Your model's saloon reminds me of a very similar old British cutter I crewed on close to fifty years ago in a classic yacht race. As is often the case, the owners had no racing experience, and so recruited a bunch of us "young bucks" thinking we'd bring home the silver for them. As it wasn't our boat, we weren't particularly concerned about "babying" her. The owners lived aboard and, unbeknownst to us, the wife had a big bowl of soured milk covered with a dish towel out of which she was trying to make her own cheese. (I kid you not!) She'd stowed it chocked in with towels and whatever else on the pilot berth above and behind the saloon settee. As we were plowing along, we had to cross the wake of a large ship and, when we did, that bowl of curds and whey became airborne with quite a bit of velocity, flying across the saloon and coming to rest on the sole after bouncing off the base of the settee on the opposite side. It wasn't pretty, but the worst thing about for the crew was trying to keep a straight face while we continued to race along despite the cries of dismay from below!  
 

I spoke on the phone with Cathy, one of the Seawatch husband and wife team, a couple of days ago after encountering a problem with their ordering software when ordering a book from them. She got back to me by phone quickly. She's got a wonderful sense of humor and we had a nice chat. To keep the forumites up to date, the problem with their ordering software is "being worked on," but as it turns out, their son did the coding on the website for them and he, who conincidentally lives in my neck of the woods, was one of the many who lost his home and all of its contents in one of the firestorms that we've been having on, it seems, an annual basis, here in Northern CA. All of his data on maintaining the Seawatch website was lost in the fire and this has seriously hampered their website maintenance, so they are limping along at the moment. 
 
Bob, her husband, is presently not ambulatory due to a non-life-threatening health issue which should resolve in time, but that has left Cathy to "hold the fort" and pretty much handle the Seawatch business on her own. Seawatch is a small family operation. Jeff Bezos has spoiled a lot of us who now expect everything ordered on line to arrive in a day or two. Amazon they ain't. Yet, they are a valuable resource to our hobby. So, let's cut them a bit of slack. The shipping of their books is outsourced and shipping is indiscriminately impacted by the pandemic these days. They have no more control over how fast things come through the mail as we do.

Bob, so I'm guessing that Stirling and Sons would have probably not have liked your comment. That said they could have been cleverly disguised latch handles that needed a slight twist to open them, by having the top rotate a 1/2 inch or less sort of like a lever type handle only vertical.
 
Michael

If I may be so bold as to presume to make another recommendation...
 
Such grab handles would not likely be seen on any well-found seagoing vessel. All accommodation lockers require positive latching mechanisms to keep them from flying open when the vessel heels in a seaway, especially when a locker's weighty contents are thrown against the door. (Magnets, spring clips, and spring-loaded detent balls are sometimes seen on power boats, but simply won't cut it on a sailing vessel that will routinely be thrashing around at a significant angle of heel.) Given the period, these may be a finger-hole through the door with an elbow latch behind it, so the the finger can be inserted to press down on a spring-loaded latch to unlatch the door, which would latch when pushed shut, or a "button knob" which was a knob with a button in the middle which, when pressed, released the spring-loaded latch. Less complex latches were also used, such at the usual barrel bolts and sliding or swinging bars.
 
Elbow catch for finger-hole access: 

Push-button knob locker latch (also available with a keyed locking mechanism.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Alternate, larger wardrobe latch:
 

 

 
Or, in keeping with your "theme," there are flush spring catches with finger ring pulls:
 

 

 
See generally:  Toplicht (Hamburg) https://www.toplicht.de/en/shop/innenbeschlaege/schnappverschluss-und-schnaepper/?p=3 and Davey and Co. (London) http://davey.co.uk/pdf/interior_fittings.pdf my favorite go-to sources for fine traditional yacht fittings (and priced like Tiffany's jewelry, unfortunately.)
 
 
 

The plane runs on the "rails" upon which those side plates run. The rails are adjustable as to the degree of taper desired. The side plates are adjustable to set the height of the plane above the work piece. The side plates are shop made and they are apparently fastened to the sides of the plane body with bolts which are placed in drilled and tapped holes in the side of the plane body.

It's really a matter of taste. To my eye, fancy detailed pedestals, posts, and cradles detract from modern models. They are, perhaps, more appropriate for Seventeenth Century ships with lots of "gingerbread." For more modern ships, the less attention that is drawn to the mounting, the better, I say. I often simply use a length of quarter inch bronze brazing rod polished up as a post to mount the model on a nice piece of finished hardwood. This approach seems to show off the underwater lines to the best advantage.

I don't doubt that, but the issue is, I believe, "compared to what?" Seawatch appears to me on first direct impression after a somewhat protracted chat with Cathy, to be a retirement online business run by a husband and wife. At present, Bob is incapacitated and Cathy is caring for him and keeping the business running. The "heavy lifting" of warehousing and shipping is outsourced. Their website needs to be rebuilt and the coding has been destroyed, so their son, who did the programming, has to start from scratch, this after losing his home in one of our firestorms. (Recovering from which is a near impossible task for many of the victims. "'Socialism' is when the fire department comes to put out the fire, 'Capitalism' is when you try to collect on your fire insurance policy.")
 
What doesn't seem fair to me, assuming one knows the circumstances, is to expect the speed and efficiency of an international online marketing and delivery conglomerate. I didn't get an immediate email response, either, but Cathy called me back right away when I left a phone voicemail message and was most helpful. In the olden days, we had to wait for "mail orders" and nobody complained. We've been spoiled by modern mega-technology. Seawatch provides a very small niche publishing service for a very narrow spectrum of customers. I'm sure that in order to have that business model "pencil out," they have to do it with relatively limited business resources. Given that fact, I don't think it is fair to complain when one doesn't get an immediate response from some fellow working in a customer service "boiler room" in Mumbai when they email an inquiry. As I said, Seawatch ain't Amazon. If it weren't for them, I doubt the titles they publish would be available to the hobby at all. I really appreciate their efforts on our behalves.
 
Everyone should appreciate the small entrepreneurs who provide the ship modeling fraternity access to parts, tools, information, and other products unique to the hobby. We are watching those sources dry up one by one because the smaller "one man band" businesses simply cannot compete with the likes of the huge online conglomerates. Scale wood is becoming increasingly hard to find as is amply demonstrated by the many posts lamenting the suppliers who have gone out of business. Chuck Passaro of Syren Ship Models has just stopped producing his line of scale rope because he can't keep up with the demand and maintain the quality control he feels he must. His posts concerning the abuse he has received from customers exhibiting "bad behavior," while sometimes related in humorous anecdotes, amply demonstrate what our suppliers have to put up with from spoiled and outrageously demanding consumers. I think we really need to take care of and respect the small businesses that are trying to survive by providing us what so many rely upon. When they are gone, there will be nothing but junky pirated Chinese kits, if that, and total scratch-building and that development doesn't bode well for the longevity of the model ship building hobby.
 

Tung oil is a component of quality varnishes, together with thinners and driers, but is not much good by itself. In its raw form, it takes quite a long time to "dry" and may not be compatible with other coatings. 
 
I don't want to sound rude, but your questions betray that you lack experience with the basic concepts of finish coating, be it paint or varnish.  I urge you to search in YouTube for videos on fine furniture finishing and painting and familiarize yourself with the basic principles. After you have done so, test and practice on scrap wood before applying anything to your model. A test should always be made on the same wood species and grain orientation as your model before you apply that finish to the model. Lots of things can go wrong, even when you are experienced, especially with today's synthetic coatings. This practice can save you a lot of grief. 
 
Check these out for starters: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+fill+wood+grain+for+a+fine+finish
 
If it is an open grain surface that you intend to paint, you should build up several coats of sanding basecoat until the pores are filled and then sand the entire hull down to 320 grit or so until it is smooth as a baby's bottom. Tack well and then apply your finish coats.

Tung oil is a component of quality varnishes, together with thinners and driers, but is not much good by itself. In its raw form, it takes quite a long time to "dry" and may not be compatible with other coatings. 
 
I don't want to sound rude, but your questions betray that you lack experience with the basic concepts of finish coating, be it paint or varnish.  I urge you to search in YouTube for videos on fine furniture finishing and painting and familiarize yourself with the basic principles. After you have done so, test and practice on scrap wood before applying anything to your model. A test should always be made on the same wood species and grain orientation as your model before you apply that finish to the model. Lots of things can go wrong, even when you are experienced, especially with today's synthetic coatings. This practice can save you a lot of grief. 
 
Check these out for starters: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+fill+wood+grain+for+a+fine+finish
 
If it is an open grain surface that you intend to paint, you should build up several coats of sanding basecoat until the pores are filled and then sand the entire hull down to 320 grit or so until it is smooth as a baby's bottom. Tack well and then apply your finish coats.

Allen,
 
It is my understanding from reading posts here and elsewhere that the bond strength of PVA Glue is dependent on clamping pressure.  More is better.  
 
If that hat is true, it would seem that some clamping pressure would be desirable.
 
Perhaps readers with a better understanding of glue chemistry than me (none) will weigh in.
 
Roger

Just looking at the video again and saw that the upright post on the side of the bowsprit step was installed the wrong way. Dam. Had to make the whole  thing over again. Interestingly thought, it only took a few hours rather than a few days. Knowledge and experience should never be underestimated. 

Tung oil is a component of quality varnishes, together with thinners and driers, but is not much good by itself. In its raw form, it takes quite a long time to "dry" and may not be compatible with other coatings. 
 
I don't want to sound rude, but your questions betray that you lack experience with the basic concepts of finish coating, be it paint or varnish.  I urge you to search in YouTube for videos on fine furniture finishing and painting and familiarize yourself with the basic principles. After you have done so, test and practice on scrap wood before applying anything to your model. A test should always be made on the same wood species and grain orientation as your model before you apply that finish to the model. Lots of things can go wrong, even when you are experienced, especially with today's synthetic coatings. This practice can save you a lot of grief. 
 
Check these out for starters: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+fill+wood+grain+for+a+fine+finish
 
If it is an open grain surface that you intend to paint, you should build up several coats of sanding basecoat until the pores are filled and then sand the entire hull down to 320 grit or so until it is smooth as a baby's bottom. Tack well and then apply your finish coats.

Not just with winches, mate - any working with wire.  Everything except the derrick guy tackles were wire.
 
John

Yes. No seaman would ever try to pull on a wire rope. Handling wire rope, which is really fairly flexible cable made up of a greater number of strands than the more rigid cable used for standing rigging, has a tendency when worn or damaged to have broken individual strands that spring out away from the cable. Understandably, these are called "meat hooks" and if one runs their hands carelessly down a cable and is caught by a "meat hook," at best, it's time to tell the sawbones to get out his sewing basket.
 
Wire rope is not flexible enough to be tied off to anything and lacks the friction to hold any sort of knot. Wire rope which is used for halyards or sheets, when not permanently wound on a winch, will have a suitable length of fiber line spliced to its end with a "wire to rope splice" so that the "working end" of the wire rope is that length of fiber cordage.
 

 
 

 
http://econologica.org/splice.html
 
 

 
 
 

Fantastic! I almost feel bad being the occasion of putting you through all that, but just almost. Not quite. That's really beautiful.
 
 

Bob,
You threw down a challenge and it was met and exceeded!
Tom

Fantastic! I almost feel bad being the occasion of putting you through all that, but just almost. Not quite. That's really beautiful.
 
 

How deep does the throat have to be for your needs? I use alligator clamps with the teeth filed down for detail clamping.

After all these years I found out, that if I properly spill and heat bend my planks off the model, I don't need any planking clamps afterwards. The planks should lay on the bulkheads almost perfectly, you only need to gently press them in place. For this I use ordinary sewing pins, sometimes those with colored heads. I gently tap them into a bulkhead with a small jewelry hammer, maybe two or three times - just enough to hold them in there, placing the tip of a pin directly under the edge of the plank, NOT THROUGH IT! That way, I don't end up with a hole in the plank, but rather a small hole In the bulkhead (which will be covered by planking anyway, so it won't be visible).
This is my old model of the MS Rattlesnake, showing this process.

In the last 30 years, the introduction and perfection of Ultra High Molecular weight Polyethylene ("HMPE") braided fiber cordage has revolutionized the metal and fiber cordage industry. HMPE line has begun to replace wire rope for many applications. This rope is sold under the brand names Dyneema and Spectra fiber line. The two have slightly different performance parameters. Spectra has greater tensile strength in larger diameters and wears slightly better than Dyneema, but is more elastic than Dyneema, which is favored for standing rigging. Another type of HPME line is called Plasma rope, which has the greatest strength of all for its weight.  Amsteel rope by Samson Rope, a Plasma rope, is as strong as steel, but has only 1/7 the weight of steel and is specifically marketed as a replacement for wire rope. 
 
These new light weight synthetics are much more flexible than wire rope and cable and are replacing metal rope across the board in many applications.
 
375 ton Amsteel-Blue Dyneema recovery tow rope:
 

 
 
Sailing vessels have begun to adopt HMPE line for standing rigging as well, often serving HMPE shrouds to mimic the appearance of traditional fiber and metal rope and cable.  The service also provides protection from UV degradation and chafe, which are problematic. UV resistance when left bare is 8 to 10 years, nearly the same lifespan of stainless steel. Reportedly, served and "tarred" or painted, the lifespan of HMPE cordage is nearly infinite. At a seventh the weight of steel, the reduction of weight aloft lowers the vessel's center of gravity and makes the vessel much stiffer, yielding better sailing performance. HMPE has been widely adopted by the racing fraternity for this reason. I don't think there's an America's Cup contender that isn't using it at this point.
 
Below: a gang of Dyneema standing rigging with leathered hound eyes for a traditional wooden yacht. See: http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?227538-A-New-Rig-for-Julia-Parcelled-and-Served-Dyneema&highlight=Dyneema a description of the process and more photos.
 
 

 

 

 

I gather this applies when handling wire coming off a winch drum or situations like that. No gloves when working with machinery.

Bob -
 
I have his Master Shipwrights Secrets. It is a very well researched and detailed book.
 
If not able to acquire his books, there is some information published to the interwebz:
Endsor, R. 2005. “Notes: A Drawing of the Midship Bend of the Hampshire 1653.  The Earliest Plan of a Known English Warship and the Story of Her Repairs.” The Mariner’s Mirror 91 (1): 67–100. https://doi.org/10.1080/00253359.2005.10656933.   The Women of Restoration Deptford, Transactions of the Naval Dockyard Society, Volume 8, June 2012
The Van de Velde Paintings for the Royal Yacht Charlotte, article in Mariner’s Mirror, Vol 94, No 3, 2008
The Loss of Stirling Castle 1703, article in Mariner’s Mirror, Vol 90, No 1, 2004
https://www.richardendsor.co.uk/home/4539578529