BareHook

So I do believe that you lot of scallywags in this community have completely warped my concept of what exactly a "kit" for building a model is...
 

So this is really much easier than I expected it to be.  I measured along the longest bulkhead from keel to deck level with a tick strip, and set my chopper to that length and cut up one of the 3/64 basswood deck planks.  This made 9 pieces of the exact same width as the bulkheads.  I threw these into water to soak for a while, and then got after it.
 
I started with bulkhead F, which was the one that had the bad laser cut, with one side lower than it should be.  It's also the '3rd' bulkhead in the previous photos that didn't reach the bearding line, so I shimmed the top and sanded it down, and then shimmed both sides of the bottom.
 

 
The wet basswood is really amazingly easy to bend.  All of the terrible time I had with the planks on the Carmen made me think this was going to be a giant frustrating mess, and instead, they just bend right around the bulkhead, no problem at all.  I went ahead and bottom shimmed G, and double bottom shimmed H.

 
Couldn't ask for anything better than the result.

 
Based on how easy this was, I'm going to use more of the deck planking (since I'm not going to plank the deck with it) and shim out every bulkhead that isn't touching the bearding line, even if it's very close.  That way I should have a much easier time fairing, as I'll not run into a low spot that makes me have to shim a bulkhead that is already glued to the keel.
Thoughts on extending the shims up the bulkhead extensions?  Is there any point to that, or will I just need to sand them all down like I did on bulkhead F already?

Hello friends,
new photos of the construction progress the BHR.
Karl  
 
 
T e i l   51

Here's a couple photos of Belt C, which was actually pretty easy. I've only finished this Belt on the starboard side. Port side awaits for colder weather. 


I don't know why my images are suddenly importing upside-down, but I'm going to leave them, rather than try to upload again. You get the idea of how things look.
 

I'm a bit embarrassed to respond to your request Eamonn, because I picked these up from someone else's build log. But it was several months ago and I don't remember whose it was, so I can't give proper credit. 
So let's just emphasize: I didn't invent these.
With that said, here are the clamps:

To make them, take a 1.5" straight pin, bend it 90 degrees, then 180, then 90 again until you have them shaped as in the photo. 
Then apply a little solder at the bend, so they hold together when you push and pull at them. 
You can make a pile of them in about 45 minutes, once you get rolling.

Here's an example of one in use. It goes into the bulkhead, and the protrusion in the clamp holds the plank fast against the bulkhead and tight up against the adjacent plank. The beautiful thing about them is that the hole made by the pin is always going to get covered by the next plank. 
I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be able to use them for the outer layer of planking as well. They'll go right into the first planks without regard to bulkhead locations.
They do break over successive uses, so I've had attrition and have since made a second batch.

Such an elegant little tool, I wonder that everyone doesn't know about them. I feel fortunate to have stumbled on them early in my first build.

Ken, interestingly that rudder is made from only 2 pieces, with grooves as necessary to simulate the planks!
 
I've spent ages fiddling with the next few bits - the joys of retirement!
 
Following someone's advice, I didn't fit the hand cannons until I had finished other fittings.  At first I thought I would leave the new timber unpainted:
 

 
 

 
 
I made up a test ladder, and decided I could live with the scale, without redoing the doors.  So I made both ladders in finer timber than the practicum/plans suggested, and I think they look OK:
 

 
 
Then I decided to paint just the timberheads, leaving the cannon mountings just sealed.  I've placed the swivel cannons in, but saw no point in gluing them.  They swivel just fine:
 

 
And now I'm making the slipway or stand or whatever it's called.
 
Cheers,
 
Brett

Hahn's rigging plan is available through the Lumber Yard. As Russ points out, however, Hannah did not have belaying pins and the lines are secured on various timberheads, shroud cleats and block and tackle arrangements on the deck. Unfortunately, Harold shows none of these falls. His model is in the Washington Navy Yard and I spent hours figuring out how his rigging was done.

I would think that the Sultana's general belaying plan would be a good guide for the Hannah. They were of the same general area and vintage. They probably used shroud cleats and various timberheads for belaying points. There are some photos of Harold Hahn's fully rigged model of the Hannah in his book Colonial Schooners.
 
Russ

Hi Ken,
 
I'm going through basically the same thing as you. I have a model of a colonial schooner and I'm working on my rigging/belaying plan. Hahn's drawings aren't much help except for the overall rigging plan and his book The Colonial Schooner basically is just a place to find those drawings. I found little else of use in it regarding rigging. I wouldn't trust Petersson's book either – very specific craft and periods.
 
But, as Russ and Greg have said, the Sultana should be a good guide. I have the Model Shipways' plans and they look pretty reasonable since both my schooner and the Sultana belay lines to shroud cleats, mast cleats, timberheads and a few to cross bitts. The Hannah should pretty much be the same and it's of the right period, right type, similar size.
 
Clare

Brett,
Your harsh reality diagram was pretty much correct for me. After cutting the rabbet down near the stem where the rudder will be, the false keel was almost transparent do to being so thin. Dont forget you lose some thickness from sanding though, you want the final plank to protrude a bit, so it can be sanded flush. Dont worry too much about the angles of the cut, just follow the bearding line and slowly "shave" away at the rabbet. Shave is the key word, don't do deep cuts, just take you time with shallow cuts and do a lot of fit checks with a piece of sample planking. Just slide a few bulkheads in place and lay the planking on it and against the keel to see where material needs to be removed.
 
I was worried about the strength, but after planking, she is rock solid.
 
PS In future when sanding, be careful not to go too deep with final layer, you can easily sand through it.
 
DocBlake,
Nice to see another wood finished hull AVS, looks really good!
 
Ken

I finally got my sailmaker to complate the topsail. I must say, anyone who has done sails for a full square rigged ship, my hats off to you!
I'm overall happy with the results, but it was certainly challenging.
I shaped the sail, then stiched it to the topsail yard and then loosly rigged it to the spreader yard.
I then hung this assembly with the topsail yard halyard and attached the yard parrels.
Next the spreader yard jeers.
Then I did the sheets, clewlines, and lifts.
I then added two buntlines which I cleated at the spare shroud cleats #3.
Finally I did the Braces for both yards.
 
I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel, just 3 foresails, rope coils, swivels and final clean/touchup.
 
Ken

The port ratlines are now completed. I'm happy with how they turned out. I used the clove hitch at all 4 points and just trimmed the ends off close.
 
Once I got the method down, I found it pretty easy. I started with every 5th to hold the spacing and then filled in from the bottom up. The template clipped in place behind really helps as well for keeping your spacing, and providing a contrasting background for grabbing and knotting the ratlines.
 
Following this method, I found it easier to tie by clipping one end of the string and working with the other end for the first knot:
Clip one end to the edge of the template card, near the height of the ratline, remove after first knot. Tie the center two knots, adjust height with small tweezers. Tie the outer two knots, adjust height with small tweezers. Repeat until the section filled between every fifth that were first installed. Double check alignment and tightness of all ratlines tied in group. Lock all knots with dilluted white glue. After glue has dried, trim off ends and start next group. I was able to complete a set of 4 ratlines in 10-15 minutes.
 
Ken

Well i've done just about all I can do until I get the sails fabricated.
The spars are ready and lots of rigging line everywhere to confuse the issue.
I finished the spars with minwax waterbase woodsheen in oak color, this is a rub-on stain/finish that I am happy with.
So far I've used waterbase finishes everywhere except some metal parts that are touched up with oil base paint. I like the low odor of the water base finishes used.
I decided to add cannon balls, bucket and tools to the battle stations (swab/worm & ram/loader).
 
I can't imagine how the full square rigged ships get done! I'm doing so much rigging prep on everything but it will be a lot easier than once the mast and spars are installed.
 
My main focus now is getting my sailmaker going on the sails, I need them complete before I install the standing rigging, as I plan to thread the fore sails hanks onto the stays to save me having to sew them on while on the ship.
 
Ken

I've finished rigging the anchors, I went with having them lashed since I'm planning on having her under sail.
I was ready to pull my hair out rigging the bouys...  that was a very fiddly task, and causes me to worry somewhat about the rigging process.
The cannons are loosly placed, next is to rig the tackle and bond them in place.
I need to build my block tumbler to help out with all the cannon tackle blocks, I purchased a set of 1/8" blocks to use instead of the 5/32" ones.
I want to finish the bowsprit, I've been looking for a pine stain that is waterbase, and may try a couple different paints that are close in color.

Thanks all or the info and comments! Alistair, yes that bowsprit angle will be interesting, I'll probably estimate the waterline angle in relation to the bottom keel, then determine the bowsprit angle from there.
I've been working on the cannon carriages and trucks. I created an assembly fixture for bonding the carriages, shown in the pics and loosly assembled one for a quick veiw as assembled. I've also completed a lot of fiddly little things:
painted the carriages and trucks assembled ringbolts cleaned-up brittania metal for blackening fabricated wood anchor cross pieces fabricated trunion straps and bolts Fabricate rope coil fixture similar to the "modeling for dummies" site type Fabricate channels, just need to add slots, waiting for creation of chainplates. Fabricate traveller, drill deck for install. Next up is blackening lot of little parts, completing cannon assembly, rigging cannons, rigging anchors & bouys, finish channels, make chainplates.

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Good news and bad news: First the bad news -- after beating my head against the wall trying to do the cathead supports and eking, I decided to take a time-out. The good news is that I did do the lower rail and then decided to do other work on the head ( the gratings, ledges, knees, boomkin chocks).
 
Apart from the grating, which is a laser cut kit part finished with golden oak stain, all of the other parts were made from boxwood strip.The lower rail is a two part lamination to create the molding.
 
I will now return to the cathead supports and eking.  
 
Bob

Between making the cannon trucks and rigging them, the practicum has you fit the rudder.  Aaaaarrrggghhh! 
 
Somewhere in the dim and distant past (probably about 3 months ago, during planking) I removed the rudder from the walnut sheet.  Then put it somewhere safe until I needed it.
 
It will probably turn up when my model building room returns to its correct usage as a spare bedroom - one day.  I've searched and searched, but no laser-cut rudder!
 
So, I had to make a new rudder from scraps.  This was my result:
 

 
 
I found it very hard to cut the rebates in the rudder for the "pintle straps".  And harder to get the "gudgeons" to stick to the hull. 
 
Seems wrong to cut rabbetts on the rudder but not on the hull, too.  However, it was not something I was going to try.
 
Cheers,
 
Brett

Well, I finally had to bite the bullet and start the work on the head. I made and installed the hair and scroll brackets, the upper and lower cheeks and the bolsters. These were all made from boxwood using a sheet of drawings from Sam as templates. Given my lack of success in the past scribing molding lines on small scale pieces, I chose, as I've done on other models to create the moldings by using laminated parts with rounded edges. The bracket pieces were bent to shape before laminating. 
 
I also drilled the holes for the mainstay collar in the gammoning knee and for the bobstays in the stem.
 
Next up will be the rails and head  timbers. As a note for the future, I tried to fit the kit casting for the figurehead, but decided that it is unacceptably too large ( and not very good). I'm now unsure what I'm going to do about a figurehead. My choices would seem to be a wood carving or using Sculpey, neither of which I've ever done. Sam had once offered to do a resin casting, but I've been unable to reach him by PM or e-mail. Does anyone know if he is alright?
 
Bob
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I think I may be approaching the "home stretch". All the sails are hung and filled with wind to the best of my abilities and the colors are aloft.
Now is time for coils and more coils, what a messy crew leaving all the lines everywhere!
 
I stiffened and shaped all the sails with dilluted white glue. I attached the flags to the halyards with a tiny bead of CA.
 
I think all thats left to do are the coils, installing the swivel guns and any final clean-up and touch-ups.
 
Ken

Complete! The armed privateer "Emma" is ready the become the scourge of English merchant shipping.
2 1/2 years to complete, who knows how many hours?
Below are a couple quick shots, I plan to setup a better photo shoot when able, right now the next couple weeks are really busy with moving to a new house, so I finished her just in time.
 
Ken

I've now done the channels and the remainder of the hull moldings on the port side. I had considered using the kit laser cut channel pieces, since I intended to paint them black, but found that the spacing for the chainplate notches didn't fit the spacing of my gun ports. It's hard to know at this point why that turned out to be the case. In any event, I ended up making them from boxwood strip, sanded to fit the hull. The channels were pinned and glued to the hull. I did use the kit laser cut pieces for the tiny support knees. The moldings, as with the prior pieces, are boxwood strip sanded to a simple half round shape, wet heat bent to fit the hull and painted black.
 
Next, I'll do this work again on the starboard side.
 
Bob

A relatively simple, but tedious, job underway. I am making and installing the remaining gunport lids (earlier, I had done a few just to see how they would look and fit). As can be seen from the photos, I added the PE brass hinges and eyebolts only  to the lids that won't be covered by the channels. For whatever reason, the tight tolerances under the channels wouldn't allow for them (they will be completely covered and invisible in any event).
 
The lids are made from boxwood strip matching the hull planking with an inner piece painted red. The PE hinges are from the kit. The lids are pinned as well as glued for strength.
 
Next will be the channels.
 
Bob

I've completed the deck planking and was even able to start making the deck furniture. I left the cap rail off for now. The deck furniture is not glued in as yet, I'll do that after I install the cannons and rigging, that way the deck will be clear. hoping not to get any snagged lines.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
See you soon.