harvey1847

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 22 – Cant Frame Scores
 
 
American Clipper Note:  In a departure from the historical notes on the stirring adventures of these ships in service, I thought it would be a good idea to comment on some construction aspects as well.  Since the forward framing is set to begin on the model, some description of that might be appropriate. 
 
The bulk of the transverse hull framing on these ships – and most ships – consisted of full breadth “square frames” whose lower timbers rested on and were bolted through the keel.  As the forward (or aft) end of the ship was approached and the v-shape of the floor timbers that crossed the keel became more acute, a point would be reached where naturally grown “compass timber” could not be found to make these pieces.  At that point – on these ships – “half frames” were installed.  These were still square to the keel, but were made in separate assemblies for each side of the ship and were bolted horizontally through each other and the vertical deadwood/keelson structure – the backbone of the hull.  Further forward, as the bevels on these frames became more pronounced, it would no longer be possible to bolt the sections of each half frame pair together with bolts “normal” or at a right angle to the face of the frame, without the bolt being exposed through the beveled side.  At this point “cant frames” were used to complete the bow (or stern) framing.  These were also bolted to the deadwood but were angled – canted – forward to reduce their bevel and allow the pairs to be bolted together securely.  Since every ship had a different shape and since timber availability varied, it seems likely that these break points were set for each ship in the mold loft as the frame patterns were drawn out and timber supplies known. 
 
I applied this assumption in lofting the frames for the Young America model.
 
Before starting work on the next frames to be installed – the forward half-frames – the “scores” for the cant frames needed to be cut while there was still enough room to do this.  These scores provided important support to the angled cant frames by allowing them to be inset into the keelson/deadwood – rather than depending on bolts alone.
 
The vertical joint faces of each half-frame and the cant frame extend up from the bearding line to the cutting down line.  The bearding line defines the point at each frame where the frame profile narrows down to the face of the 16” wide  keelson/deadwood.  The cutting down line defines the upper edge of the inboard faces of the frames at the keelson/deadwood.
 
The first picture shows a template - made from the drawing - being used to trace the bearding line on the model.
 

 
A similar template was used to trace the cutting down line above this.  The next picture shows the vertical lines of the scores being marked using a Plexiglas square made to slide clear of the keel retaining strips on the base board.
 

 
These lines define the extent of each of the five cant frame joint faces – the area to be inset.  The next picture shows the first score on the starboard side cut out.
 

 
Since I plan to plank the starboard side of the model, I started this risky chiseling process on that side for practice.  Planking is a great way to hide framing mistakes.
 
I will not describe the full process here, but the next few pictures show it generally.  In the first picture the vertical lines are being scored with a knife using very light cuts.
 

 
In the next picture, a chisel is being used to cut into the deadwood at the bottom – just above the bearding line.  The line just above the chisel is the joint line between the apron and the deadwood.
 

 
The score itself was then pared out with various small chisels.  The next picture shows some of that work in progress. 
 

 
The last picture shows three of the five cant frame scores essentially finished.  Two more to go – on this side.
 

 
Although it was more difficult to manage this work in place, I did it this way because the overall hull assembly is still quite weak and I did not want to risk setting it up on the workbench for that reason.
 
Next: on to the half frames.
 
 
Ed

After I came back from my dentist visit for a follow-up check on the double implant in my left upper jaw I spend a few hours in the dockyard doing some small stuff.  Everything looks very good in the jaw btw.  Could possibly get the crowns early January next year Hip, hip, hip, hurray!!!!!
 
Oaky, First I cut the stern crew escape hatch and loosely put it in its hole, then proceeded to the bow and made the triangular antenna brace slash net / cable cutter brace.  All it needs now is to secure it at the front end and make the net / cable cutter and solder it on.
 
I also finished the dingy loading beam.  It can now be lifted up and swivel.  The pics below will explain it.  I had to remove the hatch doors though, I'm replacing the paper hinges with metal ones.  Sounds like not much work but it was all very time consuming to make it look right.
 
Here are the pics. 
 

These are the parts for the forward end of the dingy loading beam.  I forgot to put an ExEcto knife blade in the pic for scale comparison so I annotated the pic instead.  What you see here is still rough and needs to be dressed yet.  The little tube goes into the deck right behind the con and that little "thingy" above it fits inside.  That 5 mm piece is soldered to the end of the beam.  A .8 mm holes will be drilled in these pieces for a .8 mm "bolt," which is a small brass nail.
 

This shows the beam installed with the swivel parts laid out where they go.  
 

Here is the finished beam installed and ready for action.  I drilled a .8 mm hole in the bottom leg of the T beam and soldered a small bracket to the aft top end of the beam for a clevis to hold a pulley on a hook.  This tackle will go to the top-aft of the conning tower to raise and lower the beam and to let it swing. 
 

This shows the bow antenna / net / cable cutter brace.  Here it is not yet soldered together, which is now done.  It needs to be secured in the front by cementing a .8 mm brass nail into the wood of the bow.  Then I have to make one more piece of teeth to solder to the top brace.  This is made from 1.2 mm brass tubing and the legs are 1 mm brass rod.
 

Here is another view of that structure.  In several of my previous posts are actual photos of that structure you can look at for comparison.  No need to add them here again.
 
Cheers, 

Wow, a great amount of visitors to my dockyard, thanks everyone for dropping in and for your "like" votes.  Hey Sjors, I'm running low on pop corn, the machine needs replenishing       
 
@ John (Lad), thanks John for your very kind comment, yes, she is coming together!
 
@ Wacko Joe, thanks and pics are coming!
 
@ Mark, isn't it amazing what a little paint can do    The only way I figured to simulate steel plating is with heavy paper.  So far it's working for me just fine.  Even when looking at it close up it looks like steel plates, except for the absence of rivets.  But - - - we'll have to forego that I'm afraid.  Too costly.
 
@ Daniel, yes indeed, caution is in the order, even with this model, they are sharp!  How do I know?  Hmmmm, cut myself    I don't know how effective they actually were in penetrating through barriers.  
The example you looked at for a paint scheme is of the model of the O 21, which was build a little later and of another class.  They may have switched from red to black at that time.  According to the model that the ship builder made and from what Gino den Ridder told me it's red from the keel to waterline 7, then a forest green to the deck line and everything above the deck was light grey.  As I mentioned before, the red will appear dark brown in the water to blend in with the Indonesian coastal areas.  The green would blend in with the tropical coast lines and the light grey with the sky.  This was a minelaying sub to serve in the former Netherlands East Indies, so most of it's time was spend near the coastal areas.  In any case I'm following the paint scheme as she was in 1939 when my father served on her till January 1941.
The net / cable cutters are hand made and soldered to brass flat stock.  very tedious work and prone to cutting my fingers and hands.  
The "blue rust bucket" is actually a plastic container my wife uses for garden debris.  It comes in handy as a paint stand 
 
@ Popeye, yes, I'm very happy with the way she's turning out.  Thanks for the "Peanuts" cartoon     So, now we know that poor old Charley Brown has a kite eating tree and a kite eating sub!  Bwaaaa, haaaa, haaaa         Sorry it wouldn't allow me to click on like.
 
@ Sjors, thanks for liking my paint job, appreciate it.  And painting your fence?  No sweat, just supply a bed, three meals a day and a few pints of beer - - - and you buy me the plane tickets     
 
@ John (texxn5), thank you john and yes, we can now devote time for "stuff" above the deck line.  And yes, I did hoist a very cool Leffe to celebrate.  Just watch out with that skylight on your ship, I can peek in   
 
@ Popeye, Tom Sawyer?  Was he not that little dude who went fishing in the Mississippi River watching the Delta Queen go by?
 
@ Ian, thank you.  You feeling tired watching my progress?  Now you know how I feel after a day in the garage, I am standing and walking around the build, no break, except for lunch and chores for the Admiral.  And that at my highly advanced age - - - - -              
 
@ Augie, hey, nice to hear from you!  Thanks for your comment.  I think that my father would be pleased as well if he could see it taking shape, he loved that boot.
 
@ Mobbsie, give my regards to Sjors and Anja and ask where my plane tickets are so I can paint their fence        
 
Cheers,  

"........looks like a Tom Sawyer moment to me!"   :D
 
 
I found something for you Piet....enjoy!!!
 

Hello all,
 
This is my first build log on the forum, and my third ship overall. The first was a Dutch Navy contemporary frigate Zr Ms de Zeven Provincien, and the second a world war 2 submarine, Hr Ms K-XVIII. Both are radio controlled and both hulls were made with the bread and butter method. That worked out very well for these larger vessels but now I intend to build a much smaller sub and will need to be much more economical with space.
 
So this will be my first hull built out of wood with planks on ribs.
 
Hr Ms O-1 was a Holland-class submarine built as a private venture by Wilton Feijenoord and sold to the Dutch Navy when it has passed some trials set as condition for her purchase. In subsequent exercises she proved very capable to defeat the then surface ships of the Dutch Navy. She patrolled the North Sea during WW1 (but thankfully the Netherlands remained neutral throughout that conflict).

The Holland boats have beautiful lines, and I was hooked when I saw a working model of an Austrian Holland class at a meeting in Lichtenstein some years back.
 
Please feel free to comment and advise as I have some experience, but little in this kind of hull building especially.
 
Groeten, Freek
 

Beautyful bow Piet!
 
I would´t like to be in front of her diving around... It looks so agressive and pretty at the same time. Anyway, I thought you were goint to painted lioke the one you show us in the first posts, green, black, grey. Those cable net cuts are hand made or you photoetched them?
 
Nice blue rusty bucket !!
 
Best wishes Piet!
 
 
Daniel.

Beautyful bow Piet!
 
I would´t like to be in front of her diving around... It looks so agressive and pretty at the same time. Anyway, I thought you were goint to painted lioke the one you show us in the first posts, green, black, grey. Those cable net cuts are hand made or you photoetched them?
 
Nice blue rusty bucket !!
 
Best wishes Piet!
 
 
Daniel.

This is going to be very interesting.
 
It is also stronger as the wood grain is running in the right direction. Utrecht has frames that are almost square,
so sawing them in one piece will seriously lower their strenght, as at least one parft of the frame is cross-grained. 
 
Are you also adding the frame pieces that are in the 'real ship' to attacht the futtocks to the floor-parts of the frame?

More pics of the build on http://veilinghaven.statenjacht.nl/het_schip/foto.htm (don't change the language to english, or you will loose all the interesting pictures )
 
And just to show you my pics of the actual replica:
https://picasaweb.google.com/101597346346552139735/UtrechtsStatenjacht?authuser=0&feat=directlink
 
Jan

Hi there;
 
This is my first scratch built.  I’ve thought long and hard about it and the last kit (HMS Bounty – Constructo) I built, I changed numerous items as they were not accurate to that year it was built. So if I can do that, I can build a boat where I am in complete control.
 
I decided on the Statenjacht “Utrecht”, because I love the lines from (plat bodems) flat bottom boats. I bought the book on the Utrecht from Seawatch books a while back because I am interested on how they built the replica. In the late 80’s I had a friend who worked as a volunteer carpenter on the Batavia replica in Lelystad, The Netherlands and I was with the amount of wood that went into building that boat.
 
This year I purchased another book on the Utrecht authored by Gilbert McArdle, also from Seawatch books. This gave me insights on how to build the boat. I will not build it the way he did it.  I will not do a “no deck boat” where you can see the interior. My plan is add a deck with cannons and all the deck items, sails and all the rigging.
 
I am getting ahead of myself as I still have to finish "The Royal Yacht Mary".
 
I started by copying all the frames and taping them with clear packing tape on the basswood.  The reason of the packing tape is that this tape will lubricate the saw blade at all times and the use of basswood is that this wood is cheap and once the deck is on you will never see it.
 
 

Thank you all for dropping in, enjoy the fresh popcorn and some good belgian ale.
 
@ John (texxn5), hmmmm, yes John    I have X-ray eyes that bounce off of the satilite and see you smirk'n   
 
Well, today I dressed up the net - cable cutters I cemented on yesterday and prepped the boat ready for painting the bottom.  
I took her outside to paint, weather was nice and warm, some sunshine and very little wind.  I masked the the hull above waterline 7, that's the one with the dock bumper or wale.  This was mainly done to keep the overspray off of the white primer.  The paint I was originally going to use was just the wrong red so I bought a "rattle can" of RustOleum Satin Paprika.  I is not quite the same as the color photo of the model but it's close enough.
The reason for a red bottom is that below water it appears more like a very dark brown.  At night all red colors appear black.
 
After I removed the masking paper I let the boat sit outside to let the paint dry and went inside for lunch.
 
After lunch I made a few pics for the profile thingy and took the boat back into the garage and put it on the build board.  I shouldn't have to remove for some time now and can proceed with the stuff on and above the deck.
I cut two round holes in the deck structure for the escape hatches and cut two 17 mm brass tubes for the hatch tubes.  One more to go just aft of the deck launcher and between the tracks.
Talking about tracks, I completed grinding the flanges away from the four pieces of N gauge tracks that will be cemented forward of the con.  There are still some long ones to tackle that going aft.
 
I also made six of the torpedo loading access hatch doors above the deck launcher.  There will be three on each side.  The rest going aft will be simulated between the rails like the rest of other hatch doors except those at the dingy "hangar."
 
Well, that was a productive day and am pleased how she is turning out.  Can't wait for the con to go on but must exercise patience 
 
Okay, here are the pics of today's work.
 

This is a close-up of the bow net /cable cutter. There will be a "steel rod" structure at the bow for the antenna support and there will also be an extension of the net /cable cutter on top of the center steel tube.  There is still a lot of small detail work to do.
 

This shows the small horizontal net / cable cutters on the side of the hull.
 

This pic shows the masking for the overspray.
 

A shot of the now freshly painted bottom of the gull.  
 

Another shot of the freshly painted bottom.  At the bow and stern I painted it a little higher then the intended demarkation line of the red bottom and the green top.  Reason is that I can now feather the small sections to prevent a masking line under the green.  The demarkation line will be at waterline 7, which is at the dock bumper or wale.  That line will be level with the waterline from stem to stern.  Thus some of the red you see here will disappear under the green.
You can also see the mushroom anchor at the keel close to the bow.
 

I placed the painted hull in front of the garage door for some nice shots of the hull 
 

 

 

Here you see the six hatch doors between the tracks over the deck torpedo launcher.  They are ready to get their hinges put on.  Further to the bow you can see the forward exit hatch tube. This thing is just stuck into the hole, it still needs a ladder, hinges and the pressure door before I can permanently cement it in place.  
 
 
Cheers,

AUTHENTIC DECALS
 
Model Train Stuff - HO Scale Microscale Decals
 
Decals :: Decals, Trim, Pilots, Scale Accessories :: Airplane Hardware :: Airplanes :: Advantage Hobby
 
FLIGHTDECS~PRODUCT LISTING
 
Scale Model Decals
 
this is just some of the sites I have listed........I hope you find something good      I'll look forward in seeing the coning tower.  I had a funny thought,  after reading your post.   "Gee,  with the coning tower on there,  it will be hard to flip 'er over."   of course,  I thought about it for a moment,  and then gave myself the 'Denozo headslap'............on saw horses......what-douya think :D :D
 
you don't need encouragement........I think you have enough  'drive'  for the both of us     I will cheer you on though.......I think your doing a fantastic job! 

Hello Shipmates.
Another update.
The photos says it all
Not yet finished yet Now have the thin Deck timbers to add.
 
View fron the top.

 
Close up.

 
This is a view from the underside. The Wires are for the LED lighting.

 
The last set on the Orlop Deck.


 
Regards Antony

Hello Daniel.
I had a old piece of kitchen work surface which had MDF on the bottom.
I turned this over to show the MDF which I can drive screws into.
Then I have a sheet of Poleycarbonate 10mm thick. This is pulled into the camber by putting the correct packaging at the edges and using countersunk screws to pull the centre down.
Plans can be held in place tith the edge packing.
As each deck has a different camber all I need to do is reduce or increase the edge packing for less or more camber.
And of course if you lammanate timber it will hold its shape with little or no spring back.
 
I hope this is the information you wanted
 
Regards Antony.

This set of photos shows the main gun deck planking and three 32 pound guns in place.

This set of photos shows the chain pumps crank handles.

No pressure on this site, is there?  
 
I'm going to bow to pressure, even though it's against my better judgement.    I guess don't want Sjors to hit me up for piccy's.  
 
Here she sits with various implements of destruction lying about...  The black square is where the broken frame was.  Still have a lot of sanding and some re-working of joints before I cut gunports and lay in the ebony wales.
 
The black X's, in case you're wondering, are for the frames I can remove after the chain wale goes on.  A top rail fits in there.  I'm thinking about removing those early just in case she decides to implode/explode/self-destruct when I start removing the build board down the road.
 

I added closed lids to the lower gunports on the port side. They are made from Beachwood with Ebony hinges.  

This is a few more photos of the exterior planking.

Good morning Daniel,
 
Any questions or comments are always welcome. For the simulated treenails I use a 90 degree pick to pierce the plank and a brown pencil to color the hole. I normally do not use guide lines to give the deck a natural look. I am using Watco Danish Oil Natural for the finish.
 
Mike

Thanks Michael and welcome aboard.
 
I’ve cut and fit the mortar pit boundary timbers. Between these two timbers will be a first
row of decking. It is cut from boxwood and the calking is simulated using black construction
paper. Doing the pencil on the edges just looked too thin at this scale.
 
 

 

 
 
Here I’ve cut out the plans showing the second layer of planking that will go right over the
top of the first. You will notice that a nice circle is formed in the middle for the mortar.
Seeing I don’t have a drill bit that big it should be interesting getting the hole round.
 

 
Well this will be the last post for awhile. We are off to the land of oranges, alligators and a
talking mouse with the grand kids. Should be interesting to see how steady my hand is
when we get back.  
 
You all be good now while I’m away! No slacking off or rum rations will be cut!  
 
 
 

Oops: I meant to write 'methyl hydrate', not methanol!

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 21 – Keelson/Forward Deadwood continued
 
 
American Clipper Note:  When Young America was launched in the spring of 1853, her builder, William Webb, incensed by some critical press, issued a challenge to the owners of the fast McKay clipper Sovereign of the Seas to a two-ship, head-to-head race from New York to San Francisco.  Excitement and bookmaking activity ran high.  Unfortunately Sovereign sailed for China.  Major disappointment all around.
 
Work on the forward sections of the keelson and the deadwood continues.  The first picture shows the second section of the lower tier of the deadwood being glued to the frames – held in place by pins with wood chocks buffers.
 

 
Below is a lower view of this from aft.
 

 
This view shows the pronounced v-shape of the most forward frames and illustrates the issue of securing timber to make the floor members of these.
 
Before these keelson sections could be installed, the insides of the floor and lower futtock timbers had to be faired – at least up the the floor heads.  The next picture shows this finish-work more clearly.
 

 
Apart from the issue of flatness across the centers of the frames, it is difficult to do this work with the keelson in place.
 
The next picture shows anoth piece of the deadwood being fitted over the forward end of the lower keelson.
 

 
This picture also shows the mounting nut that is about to be covered forever by the upper tier of the keelson.
 
In the next picture the forward section of the upper keelson tier is installed and anoth piece of the deadwood jigsaw puzzle being fitted.
 

 
In the next picture that piece is being glued in place.
 

 
Again, the dark discoloration on the wood is from washing off the excess glue.
 
Finally, as shown below, the last piece of the deadwood has been installed.  The sun has shown through the window and lightened this picture to help me celebrate the event.
 

 
In the next part, I will cover the risky task of cutting large scores in both sides of the deadwood to seat the cant frames.
 
Ed

Hello every one and thanks to Mark, Daniel, Sjors, Nenad and Freek for dropping in, much appreciate the encouragement. 
 
@ Freek, You know, I just overlooked that anchor on the floor of the dock, even with that cable running down.  Hmmm - - - what kind of excuses can I dream up - - - Not many, just not paying attention    And yes, that looks like a Hall type anchor all right.  Should be an interesting project making one. 
 
Well, today the Admiral wanted me to cut down a bush or two in the backyard so very little time in the shipyard. I did manage to cut the decking pieces between the rails over the deck torp launcher and cement them in.
 
Then I dry-fit the N-gauge rail tracks to see how they look but now I have to grind off the sides of the top of the rails.  It measured to .8 mm and at my scale of 1:50 that works out to 40 mm wide.  Much to wide for the original rails.  After grinding away the excess it measured to .2 mm which is closer to scale.  I can't get it any thinner and besides, it is the same thickness as the brass rails I made for over the deck torp launcher.  It's just a lot of work to that to do all the rails though but so what - - - 
 
I also started on making the two small net / cable cutters at the stern end just forward and above the propeller bearing housing.  
 
The mailman also delivered the 21/32 inch brass tubing for the crew escape hatches      Now I can also cut them to size and make the ladders for them.  I think though that I'll make the bow net / cable cutters and install them first.  I need to lift the model out of it's build dock to fasten them to the bottom part and need to have the deck clear of any obstructions.
 
Let me show the work I did this afternoon, I'm quite happy with it   
 

This is looking forward and shows the rails and associated decking installed.  Remember that I cut that part of the deck out some time ago and only made two rails for one row of hatch doors.  This was not in accordance with the drawings and photos of the real boat.  So I had to redo all that.  I tried to make the deck pieces fit as tight as I could manage and even the photos show very little edge seams, I am happy with it.  There is no putty used!  The "teak" deck slats will cover most of whatever seam is visible and then painted.
That steel hunk to the left in the pic is a bucking bar (I used in a previous life repairing aircraft) to hold the deck pieces down, the same with the socket wrenches with a steel bar on top.  As it turned out it didn't hold the pieces down tight enough so I mixed some 1 minute epoxy and held it down by hand.  Yeah, it says it's 5 minute epoxy but even when I mix less hardener in it it still cures rather fast.  I don't mind it but I can only work with one or two things at a time.
 

This is the same work but now looking aft.  
 
Cheers, 

The floor riders, first and second floor riders were installed next.

This set of photos shows the lower gun deck planking.