AON

I was just forwarded this link to help me with the mirror finish http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Trade_Secrets/Sharpen_your_chisels_so_they_cut_like_razors.html I have a helovalot of sharpening/polishing to do!

Good morning Allan Thank you. I thought it was the bestest (is that a word) idea ever! I cleaned it up and the paper looks fantastic... but ... I should have trimmed the crepe paper back first as the assembly of the two pieces has a small rise to it. The crepe paper folded over (?) against the ruler when it was clamped I am presently soaking the joint in rubbing alcohol to take it apart and do it over as this tiny little lift will nag at me forever.

For years I laboriously sharpened my chisels by eye. Then I saw someone use this neat contraption so I acquired it. Now I find my chisels have a wonderful round to them. I spent another long time removing this round with the new contraption. Now I have to polish the back side to a mirror finish? Yes, I'm shaking my head.... but...If it is going to help me do it right consider it done. It has also been suggested I practice with a square block backing to get a better feel for the perpendicular angle. I am game to try this also. Thank you. Alan

And we start (again) Saturday 27 Feb 2016 Ripped a couple pieces of castello boxwood to about 20" (1:64) on the table saw then milled down to 18" Sliced of strips from it to about 20" and then milled them to 18" square. This is the stock material for the 4 keel pieces The foremost section of the keel with the boxing scarph joint for the lower stem post needed to have the strip cut made wider, about 40", as it stands taller forward than aft. Using a longer piece than necessary, using a sharp soft (HB) pencil lead, I marked of the length, depth and angle of the scarph on the top side of the stern most keel section. The depth of the scarph joint was carefully cut on the scroll saw and using a freshly sharpened chisel I attempted to cut it out in very small slices. I seem to have a huge problem keeping my chisel perpendicular to the stock to get a clean square cut. To remedy this... until I master my chiselling skills... I cut off the bad scarph joint (scrap) and remarked the stock. I clamped it on the line on my flat faced woodworking vise. Using a fine toothed saw I cut the depth perpendicular to the stock. Using the same saw I cut the length somewhat parallel to the surface of the vise. Using my chisel I cleaned it up and then sanded. I repeated this on the mating piece and this resulted in a good joint. I did not invent this method... I saw it somewhere in a build log on the forum. Thank you! Sunday 28 Feb 2016 I used this same method to cut down the 40" height of the foremost keel section aft of the boxing scarph joint to 18". The scarph joint shape was transfer to the stock using carbon paper. The carbon paper was place on top of transparent (see through) graph paper. The carbon side faced up to the graph paper. My template was placed over top of the graph paper. I traced the outlined of the scarph joint shape with my pencil which transferred it to the underside of the graph paper. The transparent paper was placed on the stock and the carbon line (on the underside against the stock) was traced once again with my pencil resulting in the line being transferred to the stock. This is much more work than cutting and gluing but I am trying to preserve my templates (and eliminate any need to spend more money on another copy) This shape was roughly cut out on the scroll saw and then cleaned up with a drum sander attached to the drill press. The boxing scarph joint has yet to be cut. The stern post mortise hole was drilled out and cleaned up as best as I can manage for now. Black crepe paper (representing the waterproofing tar soaked felt) was cut oversize and glued to one outer set of joints (toe/heel). When this dried the two pieces were glued and clamped. This paper has yet to be trimmed back to the keel surface.

To mark this special occasion I've updated my profile photo with a younger me. Today I took a trip to Exotic Wood in Burlington (1 hour drive north) and purchased three pieces of Castello Boxwood 2-1/2" x 5-1/2 to 6" x 51" at $11.50 bd foot. They have two pieces 2-1/2" x 8" x 51" left. When these are sold the price increases 30% higher. Luckily I can cut this down, plane and sand it to my required thickness. I also made my scales (rulers)..... used my Eastern Hemlock fir strapping for this. I can measure to 1" at 1:64 accurately I glued the paper scales to the wood with Rubber Cement and then sealed the whole piece with spray sealer. Funny story... since my first use in grade school I have always used the Rubber Cement incorrectly. I always bushed it to both pieces and placed them together immediately then waited (im)patiently for it to dry. I was recently shown it is to be applied to both pieces, let them dry and then place the one piece over the other and press. I think I'll use the Hemlock for the False Keel among other choice locations for colour variation. So the build begins!

OMG Plans printed and seeing them for the first time at the build scale... they look great They all are consistently 1/64" short per foot (0.4mm per 0.3 metres) I think I'll learn to live with it.

Thank you for the kind words. Just paying it forwards.... hoping someone besides me can make use of them.

PDF Templates Print to size indicated in title and on image The first file as a 36" x 60" PDF sheet is a 4.5Mb file I tried compressing it but cannot get it below 3.5Mb which is still tool large for uploading So I've uploaded a JPG file. If anyone prefers the PDF please PM me with your personal e-mail address and I'll send it to you. You still need to purchase the original HMS Elephant documents from NMM image J2930 (lines), J2934 (framing) , J2938 (decks) and the Bellerophon build contract ADT009 for details. EDITED: note the correction to be made to the station labels near the deadflat in this image below (Alan 16 AUG 2021) (2) 36x48 STEM_STERN POST + KEEL.pdf (3) 36x60 Stn H-AFT to Stemhead sh 1 of 2.pdf (4) 36x60 Stn H-AFT to Stemhead sh 2 of 2.pdf (5) 36x60 Stn 2-AFT to G-FWD sh 1 of 2.pdf (6) 36x48 Stn 2-AFT to G-FWD sh 2 of 2.pdf (7) 36x60 Stn 3 to 17 sh 1 of 2.pdf (8) 36x60 Stn 3 to 17 sh 2 of 2.pdf (9) 36x60 Stn 18 to STERN sh 1 of 3.pdf (10) 36x60 Stn 18 to STERN sh 2 of 3.pdf (11) 24X36 Stn 18 to Stern sh 3 of 3.pdf

14 February 2016 is a date worth marking on my calender. The templates are done, checked, rechecked and checked again. (I am sure errors will poke their ugly heads up at some unforgiving time) They will be printed this week and the build begins (again). There are 11 sheets (PDFs to be converted to smaller files and uploaded shortly). The first thing to be made (next weekend) are two wooden combination 1:64 measuring scales or rulers if you prefer (see sheet 6 of 11 bottom left corner). One is 64 feet (12 inches real life) and the other 32 feet (6 inches real life). One side will be a standard scale layout where as the other side will be a centre measuring scale. While measuring off the NMM drawings at 1/4 scale my old drafting scales were invaluable so these should become very helpful in the build. So what have I learnt starting from a blank sheet, working though computer crashes and file losses, corrupted files and basically things that would make a real sailor swear up a storm? I've learnt to realize what 1:64 scale means as opposed to drawing in CAD at full scale (1:1); I've learnt to relax measurements and thoughts; I've learnt patience (a most unnatural state for me); and I've reinforced my "never quit" attitude (Irish stubbornness?). Of course I've also learnt there were many different ways to approach making the templates... but in the end "I did it my way". I've also learnt that all the free eastern hemlock (fir) strapping I've collected from my son's home renovation to use in my build may not be the very best choice of wood for many parts of my build. It is quite grainy and can be an concern. This will be dealt with at a cost I hoped to avoid. A good friend (I hope to have earned the privilege to refer to them as such) has given me a tremendous helping hand to start dealing with this concern. ... and so we begin.

I read the message in my e-mail program and didn't fully understand; then I opened the forum and saw your drawing.... and the light turned on!

What a wonderful weekend I have had. I am a firm believer in paying it forward and always try to do the right thing but due to my human failures I sometimes do not succeed. The big guy upstairs knows I try and as I understand it Saint Nick is keeping a score card. Possibly it was karma but someone did a wonderfully unselfish thing for me yesterday which due to their nature I have taken a vow of secrecy but it has restored my belief in the possible goodness of mankind.... and in return I vow to "pay it forward". Thank you. Now, back to my build, or lack thereof. I have completed my templates... twice now. I blame my CDO (or OCD for those that do not suffer from it) but every time I take another good look at it there is something I should tweak or believe could be done better. I swear I am very near a point where even I have to say enough is enough. I imagine it will be in the next few weeks. I have 11 drawings in all and my cost to have reproduced 2 copies of each has been quoted at approx. $80 Cdn (that's about 1 quadrillion US with the way the Canadian dollar is performing) I have removed my earlier PDF's of templates and will be reposting the full set. Then I once again restart cutting wood.

We didn't bundle them but then again we weren't flopping about on the deck of a warship! I can imagine things being kept tiddly (tidy / organized) by lashing them together. We also kept all blades in one direction, forward.

Back in the 70's we use to store the sweeps (oars) of the 27' whaler's and 32' cutter's under the thwarts on the floor boards. Not sure if you can manage to slide them in but we could.

I find matching one side to the other to be very exhausting working. Knowing when to stop is always the biggest challenge because you cannot afford to go too far. I imagine the transoms will be the biggest challenge yet! Can't wait to see you master it!

Very nicely done Mike! Have you finished working on the port side transoms? Alan

wow! do you lay hardwood flooring by day?

might as well grab a couple bottles while you're out there!

I apologize for my somewhat cryptic message above and hope the info I sent you is of some value. I will be following and learning how such a small wonder is performed! Alan

Interesting method! May I ask which ship the plans belong to?

verrrrry nice!

love the truck!

we called that type of coiling of the line "cheesed"

love the photos, details, locking cams for chiseling/shaping the deadwood, etc...

that is an excellent question that I hope to see an answer to (unfortunately I don't know)

Well that was over an hour well spent!