AON

Saturday + Sunday 13+14 December 2014

I got quite a bit accomplished... photo tags help explain

Problems encountered:

 - When installing the masts I discovered the cross trees on the foremast were not quite horizontal.  I had to saw the trestle tree loose from the cheeks to correct the error.

 - I discovered I attached the cross trees incorrectly and decided to install a third rather than attempt to remove the shorter one and rework the trestle trees

 - The jaws on the main boom were too long and needed to be shortened.

 - I had trouble with applying the name to the hull as my methods were terrible.  My darling wife suggested using our office labeller.  This looks better than what I was trying to do.

 - I had missed installing an eyelet which resulted in my standing rigging (one line) being incorrect.  I love doing things twice!

 - My finger is raw from all the pin vise drilling... the knurl finish on the pin vise is a bad idea.

I have learned I need much more practice with the techniques to get better.

I hope my blocks will be okay but even these will show a lack of skill.

Looking at David Antscherl's block making method in "The Fully Framed Model" would likely have been a better approach.

I'll being working on this to get better.

Meanwhile, my schedule is to be done this week for a Friday delivery.

Hope I succeed!

Thank you Dee Dee

the photo does not do it justice

it looks like real wood grain!

Alan

Thursday 11 December 2014

It didn't feel like I accomplished much

made two very nice wooden cleats to mount on the main boom

Drilled and pined

Glued to the boom

Clamped

then they broke

Decided to follow the KISS principle and made them out of the 22 gauge wire

Started smoothing/sanding the mast hoop edges

I am very happy with these

They look like real wood (well paper is a wood by-product) and they contrast very nicely on the mast

I have 7 more to go on the foremast to be done with them

Wednesday 11 December 2014

The roll of stained and glued newsprint had dried considerably through the day, not yet 100% but enough to allow cutting... and I was able to reinsert the dowel!

​I cut 14 mast hoops for the main mast and 13 for the foremast ... with material left over.

They need to dry more and as they are thinner and open I imagine this will be quick.

They require some sanding on the edges.

I also installed eyelets on the masts, booms and gaffs

RE: the mast hoops

I can try to slip the dowel back in the tube but I am hoping the wood glue will be stiff as old heck and all will work out in the end

I felt that I had to remove the dowel as the tube wasn't drying... no air to the inside (my logic) and it seemed to make a difference in the hour before I left home this morning

Possibly I should not have attempted such a wide strip

RE: the blocks

I'm likely going to try a quick "dowel block" and see if it will work for me... have to check the "direction of the grain" as I'll admit sitting here I hadn't give it the thought it likely deserved

My plans to make the blocks

Oh crap!

Let you know how it works out

Tuesday 9 December 2014

Stained glued and rolled my newsprint to make the mast hoops

As I had no wax I wrapped my dowel with plastic wrap

The stain went on nicely, hung it to dry.

I water my wood glue down and brushed it onto the paper

It all rolled nicely when I practised before staining and gluing

Not so easily to keep it all aligned when glued.. but it is done

I should have removed it from the dowel late last night but hadn't done it until early this morning (Wednesday)

It had not dried through as yet but was making considerable progress about a half hour later since the dowel was out!

Should be well cured by the time I get home from work tonight.

I also made up the remainder of my eyelets

Singles, doubles and 16 combination Long/Short doubles

I hope my count was right.

BZ !!

She looks fan-freak'n-tastic

I have a length of 5/8" dowelling to use as the bar (mold) to wrap around.

Might be using a light coating of petroleum jelly in lieu of wax.

I also have some clean newsprint paper (no ink on it)

I will try this technique tonight.

I like the look of a dark stain against the mast so I think I will try brushing a test piece of paper with stain.

If this doesn't work I will use the black marker.

Wish me luck.... and thank you once again Dee Dee and Druxey for the alternate mast hoop making suggestion.

I must be the odd one as I liked the contrast but what I liked isn't important.

It is still very clean, sharp and damn beautiful to look at.

Thank you Dee Dee

I like the "stationary" fabricated hoop and not just because I'm a cheap old bugger that can't waste a dollar... actually we haven't got $1 bills in Canada anymore (ours is a coin  called the Loonie because of the Loon image) 

I am going to check out your link as this may be the kitty's derriere of a method!

Alan

Interesting method

I imagine the wax keeps the "molded" glued wood shavings from sticking to it so it can be removed from the cast shape.

Finding a rod of the right diameter... like dowelling.

I liked the "look" of the results of my slightly oversized piece and want to see if I can manage as the melamine stains nice and dark for contrast with the mast ..... but this looks like my plan B.

Thank you

Thank you everyone for the likes

Painting and staining some bits. Not quite done with the painting yet.

The rings and little blocks are the mast shelf ring s that the sail hoops will rest on.

I made 1 of 28 mast hoops for the sails (not in the photo below)

I used two hole saws, one inside the other (5/8" and 1") to cut the hoop out of 1/8" melamine.

It looks good by itself but when on the mast seems too large a diameter and too sloppy a fit.

I'll have to try a 1/2" drill bit in a 3/4" or 7/8" hole saw cutter.

This may end up being a two step operation which will then be very tricky to keep the holes centered to each other.

Completed the NEW fife rail and spaced the pins a wee bit.

I think this version looks better

... also added the boom crutch

The crutch and pins will be stained

the remainder painted white

Spent the afternoon twisting up 55 eyelets

By my calculations I may need another 30+

Part three

Worked on the mainmast Fife Rail

- made the end piece, drilled 1/4" holes for the square post and had to file the holes square to match

- made the horse shoe shaped Fife Rail using hole saw, scroll saw and disc sander

- made the support posts on my lath and the knee braces on my scroll saw

- made two belaying pins on my drill press (used like a vertical lath) with files and sand paper

Dry fit it all together

The belaying pins seem too close together

If I stretch the rail to space the pins more the scale of the rail seems like it will be too far off

I am of a mind to leave it be (for now) and let it stew for a bit

On the other hand it hurts nothing to make a second slightly longer rail just to see for sure!

I have to finish the other pins and make the Boom Crutch

(Part 2)

Started line work on the bowsprit

Decided to use some of my sea cadet Boatswain and OJT boat shed skills and do some simple whipping

I had always done whipping (in real life ... full scale) with waxed twine to finish the cut end of a line (rope) or a back splice could be made

I used Black waxed line as my primary piece and tried black thread to do the whipping

It disappeared to the eye so much so that I couldn't see the whipping at all

I then tried white thread

It seemed too small and the black came through highlighting the gaps I'd made 

In the end I used a thicker three strand 100% cotton twine (off white) and was happy with the contrast

Whipping is done by

1. making a bend (fold over) the small stuff (twine) and hold it against the larger line

2. wrap the small stuff tightly round the large line working from the standing end and go towards the bend

3. pass the small stuff end through the eye of the bend that is left exposed

4. pulling on the standing end of the small stuff until the bend is drawn under the wrapping to hide it and secure it

5. trim off the two ends of the small stuff

When I completed the other end I had an unavoidable sag in the line

I pulled the end of the larger black line (holding the whipping close to the eyelet with my fingers) to draw it snug and taut.

Then I trimmed the larger line and applied a dab of glue as my "belt an brace" for the assembly so it doesn't come loose somehow

(it never did in real life but this is tiny work so I just don't know how it might hold up over time)

Saturday 6 December 2014

(Part 1)

Worked on painting and assembling the masts and bowsprit

Bowsprit and Samson Post assembled and glued in place

Eyelets added to bow of hull in readiness to do some line work

Mast assemblies installed to deck dry (not glued yet)

Thank you Michael

It is all coming together in time for Christmas as promised.

It is also a little sad as I have become attached to her.

There is so much more I'd like to do (especially since I took the sail making seminar last month) but I have already done more than asked.... and I've blown the budget.... but knew I was going to be getting more then I was going to be giving when I started 

Friday 05 December 2014

Added block to bowsprit to attach jib boom and jib stay to

- drilled out 7/16 diameter hole to match bowsprit diameter in location of assembly

- cut through hole at 5° angle to match bowsprit assembly angle so top of block will be horizontal

- sanded all sides to required thickness then sanded edges soft (removed sharp corners)

- glued and clamped

After all the fitting in place to get this right the bowsprit paint job was damaged so I will need to freshen this up.

Started making tiny eyelets to tie off to

- hammered finishing nail into my work bench to bend to

- twisted 22 ga wire to the nail

- cut the nail head off as I couldn't slip the eyelet off!

- trimmed off end

Stained the masts, booms and gaffs

Will paint the unstained portions white

Thursday 04 December 2014

Worked on Booms, Gaffs and their Jaws

I chose to make each jaw in one piece

- cut a slot in the end of the boom or gaff

- chiseled steps in the jaws to fit

- chiseled channels in the steps to hold glue

Worked on the Port Hole assemblies

- scribed the window cut lines into plastic sheet 

- cut out the glass pieces

- dabs of glue in bulkhead port hole recesses to hold the glass in place

- glued the port hole rings over top

Assembled the Rudder and attached (glued) bits and pieces to the aft end

I used small store bought brass nails on the rudder

I had to cut these considerably shorter and file a new point to them

Tuesday 02 December 2014

Completed the painting of the underside of the hull red

Need to do touch ups to the white and black to be completed this stage

Completed the assembly of the cross trees and trestle trees to the masts

Dry fitted all together

Started working on the main boom again

Good morning Tadeusz

I have this same item as I thought it would save me some time... I rarely use it and if I did I'd still go back to wet stones to finish off the best edge ever and (as the other fellow mentioned and I forgot to) a few wipes against the leather strop to boot.

A really good edge makes your work much easier and almost look masterful... especially when your not a master.

Alan

very nicely done!

Thank you Druxey

The black band seems a bit narrow to me but I cannot go any lower or I'll encroach on the rudder elevation

Sunday 30 November 2014

Continued with painting

- lower white band on hull

- upper white band on hull and deck

- one coat of unbleached (undiluted) white on deck

- one very light coat of watered down Autumn Brown (ceramic paint from my darling wife's stash... with permission and tutoring!!!) applied with a fanned brush drawn long along the deck to simulate wood grain (my wife knows a thing or two about painting).

That deck turned out better than I ever imagined.

Why faux wood grain and not an application of thin planking?

"BUDGET"

That is why I am using most of my scrap wood on this project.

In the end it will be 1000 X more then he ever expected (and I hope to catch that expression in a photograph)

I was originally thinking of drawing in lines to simulate the planks but I'll likely screw it all up and I think this is one of those times a person needs to know when to say enough.

Next is to paint the red bottom, touch up the white, attach some of the bits and pieces and get back to the booms and gaffs