CUTTY SARK by keelhauled - Mantua - kit bashed - First wooden ship build

[rfolsom]

Hmm..  I'm not planning on sails,  but i'll have to wait and see what you and Nenad come up with, I may change my mind..

 

As far as new tools go, aren't we all a little clumsy the first time?  I'm still trying to tame my cheap scroll saw, and I've cut out about 10 of the Victory's bulkheads...(still not comfortable)

[keelhauled]

Bob, what's a ship without sails? a raft? you have to have sails....so says my admiral , if I want it displayed in the living room 

 

So I'm working on the ship's wheel. Trying to see if I can do better than what was supplied.

 

Here's the high tech micro lathe that I'm using on this project

 

 

... yes it's a rotary tool drill press laying on its side

 

Here are the spokes. I turned them free hand.  They are laying with the handles to the right. Next it to finish off the handles and cut off the bottoms.

 

 then figure out how to do the rim and drum.

 

Edited January 12, 2015 by keelhauled

[NenadM]

Wow!!!

[rfolsom]

Brilliant!

 

Questions, if you don't mind:

 

Do you need support for the other end?

 

What material are you using, and what is the diameter?  Looks like 1/16".

 

And at what speed are you running the rotary tool?

 

Outstanding!

[keelhauled]

Nenad,  

You always know how to make me feel good!

 

Bob,

I don't have any support for the other end.  It probably would have made it easier.  

I think that the wood was birch.  I tried walnut, but was having issues.  Probably the lack of skill and knowledge on my part.

The diameter of the actual spoke is 3/32 inch for the the thickest part and about 3/64 inch for the thinner part and about 1/2 inch long.  The dowel itself was 1/8 inch. 1/16 would have saved quite a bit of reduction in wood and saved time, but the 1/8 was all I had.

The speed was at a setting of 3 out of 6.  Not sure of the RPM.

I think that the biggest issue was not having a hand or tool rest to help steady my chisel (sharpened precision screw driver).

These took a good part of Saturday and Sunday afternoon.  Mainly because I kept stopping to check with calipers.  

 

I was hoping to get some more work on it Monday and Tuesday, but had a headache.  I didn't want to mess with these small parts when I'm having trouble concentrating.  You know one second of lack of concentration and an hour of work destroyed.

 

thanks

Marc

 

.

[jimger33@frontiernet.net]

Keelhauled:

 

     I have started the Cutty Sark, which I assume may be the older kit by Sergal (it was purchased back in the mid-1980s).  Unfortunately it comes with many sheets of diagrams (all in Italian), and one small instruction book.  I have glued the bulkhead frames and decks in place and am ready to start planking.  In looking ahead, after the planking is completed the instructions say to remove the bulwark stays as shown.  The picture shows the chiseling-off of the tops of the bulkhead frames that extend above the level of the deck.  The instructions caution not to damage the planking that presumably is attached to these stays either by glue or nails or both.  I have great difficulty envisioning how this can be accomplished 1.  without damaging the planking, and 2. keeping the curved shape of the planking if there is nothing to hold it in place.  I would be interested to know how you handled this.

 

                         Thanks,

 

                              Jim

 

 

[keelhauled]

Hi Jim

 

First, If I were to do it again, I'd plank the deck first and dry fit sections of recessed waterways before planking the bulwarks

 

As to planking the bulkhead extensions for the bulwarks - I actually wrapped the tape around the extension. The tape needs to go all the way to the deck line.  The trick is to prevent the extensions from becoming glued to the planking.  If the extension becomes glued to the planking I'm not sure you could ever separate them.  I used artist tape.  It comes off easily, but most importantly, wood glue doesn't stick to it well.

 

Put tape on the outside of the bulkhead extensions for the bulwarks.  plank the bulwarks using nails.  Be very, very, careful nailing the extensions, they break easily.  I placed glue into the seams between the planking and wiped it clean.  After drying for a few days remove the nails.   The planks are strong enough that after they dry from steaming they will hold their shape.  The nails just hold them in place while they are drying.  With the glue in the seams, the are very solid.

 

Use the artist tape and run it along the waterways and planking near the bulwarks to protect the deck.  Thus why I use artist tape because it won't pull on the wood deck planking,( However, you need to test this to make sure that your tape won't harm the deck!!)

 

Use a rotary tool with a cut off disk or more preferably a small Japanese dowel saw, cut the extensions.  I guess you could use a shap chisel to cut through the extensions like the instructions say.  However, you do it, be careful not to cut through to the hull bulwark planks.  My extensions didn't stick at all to the bulwark  planking because of the artist tape.

 

Good luck!

Marc

Edited January 23, 2015 by keelhauled

[jimger33@frontiernet.net]

Marc:

 

     Thank you for the information on the bulkheads.  That should do the trick.  Just out of curiosity, you recommend planking the decks before the hull.  Why is that easier than waiting until after the hull is planked?

 

Jim

 

 

[keelhauled]

Hi Jim,

 

If you are planning on putting recessed water ways or especially jogging it will make the work much much easier.  With jogging you have the ability to place the end planks in place at the bow or stern, jog the deck planking and lay over the margin plank (end planks that are at an angle to the run of the deck planks), trace in pencil  the edge of the jogged deck planks  on the the margin plank and then remove the margin plank, cut out the overlap at the pencil line and have a perfect fit.   Then you can put the jogged planks in place as well as the margin plank and then trim the outside edge of the margin plank to the shape of the waterway or deck. Look up jogging the deck planking and you'll see what I'm trying to explain.

 

 

this is jogging the planks into a margin plank

 

 

If you have the bulwarks in place, It makes the whole process very tedious and you will have a much harder time trying to get the fit right.  Also if you cut out a space for one plank to large in the margin plank it is ruined. I ruined several margin planks and ended up using each subsequent one as a pattern for the jogged planks that were good, but the time wasted was huge.  If you won't be jogging planks then it doesn't really matter that much.  Jogged planks are a nice detail though.

 

Hope it helped

 

Marc

Edited January 24, 2015 by keelhauled

[NenadM]

I agree with Marc. At fore deck I did this "nibbing" (?) after making bulwarks .... it was horror when you realise that one milimeter is big and you can place in it 3-4 very different cuts with different consequences, and was followed by mistakes. Also changed margin plank several times, but in one moment... to the hell ... and now it is to late for corrections after painting ...

 

 

BTW, we are unpatiently waiting for new CS log here, Jim , and for new member of CS fleet!!!!

Edited January 24, 2015 by Nenad M

[keelhauled]

Well I finished my new ships wheel.

 

A few posts back I talked about turning the spokes on my rotary tool.  After turning the spokes, I turned the hub on the rotary tool drill press using it as a lathe.

 

My next step was to drill the holes in the hub for the spokes to seat into. I  found that I couldn't put the tapered portion (the axle?) of the hub into the drill press, it was too small.  So I made a holder for the hub, by taking a dowel, drilling a hole in the center smaller than the hub axle, then increased the diameter with a file, until the axle fit into the dowel was tight, but not in danger of breaking the axle when inserting or removing the hub.

 

 

I made the copper cover for the the wheel making it out of wood and creating a peg so that it is easy to align and glue into the hub.

Edited January 25, 2015 by keelhauled

[keelhauled]

So I sectioned off the hub into eight with a pencil and by sight.  I drilled 8 holes and the hub feel apart.  Oh well, such is life.  I went back to square one for the hub, turned another hub and this time only drilled 4 holes 90 degrees apart.

 

 

 

I then glued 4 spokes into place and let it dry overnight.

 

 

I then drilled the other 4 holes and glued spokes into the holes.

 

Edited January 25, 2015 by keelhauled

[keelhauled]

Now I had to make the rim.  I tried making it as you would a real wheel.  However, I found that I didn't have a way of accurately making the angles..  So I made the rim out of two parts.  I made two hoops, one from  walnut plywood and one from thin walnut sheet.  I placed the spoke and hub assembly on the plywood hoop (from the back) and marked the position of the spokes.  I then used a rotary tool to remove wood until the spokes where embedded into the rim.  

 

 

 

I glued the spoke assembly into place and then glued the wood hoop onto the back.

 

 

The wheel parts

 

 

Here is the completed wheel

 

 

Here is the my wheel with a new steering box

 

 

Here is the kit supplied wheel next to my scratch build wheel with is actually at the correct scale.

 

Edited January 25, 2015 by keelhauled

[GLakie]

I think your scratch-built wheel looks way better Marc. Nice work! 

 

Cheers

[keelhauled]

Thank George,  It really means a lot to me. It took me three weekends to make.  Partly becuse I kept having to make replacement parts because I would either break them or drop and loose them.  Don't know what was wrong with my butter fingers!

 

Marc

[GuntherMT]

Awesome work on the wheel, it looks much better than the kit wheel.  I've been pondering trying to scratch a wheel for my AVS, but I'm not sure yet whether I'll make the attempt on it.  It is only my 2nd kit, and if I keep adding new 'things' I'll never finish it!

[NenadM]

You lead me to the devil's road Marc!

 

Looks good !!!!

[gjdale]

Great job on the wheel Marc, it looks fantastic!

[keelhauled]

Brian, 

Thanks for the kind words.  You should go for the wheel!  This is my first wooden ship model and any model since I was a teen.  You just have to go for it.  But I know what you mean about mean about adding new things and never finishing.  I've rebuilt from scratch stuff that I've already completed from the kit.  But if I didn't go back and change some stuff, I'd probably regret it.  I try to limit what I do, but where do you draw the line?

 

Nenad, 

I thought we were skipping down the devil's road together, with Bob of course!

 

Grant, 

Thanks for the feedback!  I really appreciate it.  By the way I'm really enjoying your new build.  It looks fantastic.

 

Marc

Edited January 26, 2015 by keelhauled

[keelhauled]

So I have a question.  I'm planning on having the Cutty under way with sails.  I've read that the fore castle steps were removed once the Cutty was  under way and you can see the hook and eye attachment of the steps currently.  When I was visiting the Cutty years ago, I asked a docent about the pin rail that is in Campbell's plan for where the stairs are.  He said that the pin rail was removed for safety, they didn't want visitors stepping over it to get onto the deck and that although the rail would have held crewman fine anywhere on the ship, they weren't' designed to have thousands of visitors a year stepping on it.  Originally the steps hooked onto the pin rails when in port and the belaying pins would be removed since there were no sheets to belay which would have blocked access using the steps.  

 

However, I don't think that I've ever seen a model of the Cutty under sail where the steps were removed.  Should I keep them or remove them.  I think that if I have the jibs belayed, it will block the steps on one side.

 

Comments??

Edited January 26, 2015 by keelhauled

[NenadM]

Ahhhh ... still without answer ... just thinking ...

 

Stair blocks closet door ...

 

 

 

With stairs you can not see pig pen etc well ...

 

Stairs are nice detail

 

Maybe both ... one side rail at another stairs ...

 

Maybe rails with stairs separated and layed somewhere near ...

 

Hmmmm

 

Some photos to show fragile stairs and space under

 

 

 

 

Bob, what is your opinion ?

Edited January 26, 2015 by Nenad M

[popeye the sailor]

personally,   I'd leave them in place.   it's all hypothetical........but it depends what you wish to show in your model.   the decking would look more 'complete'....and look better in the process.

[keelhauled]

Thanks Popeye and Nenad.  Bob what's your two cents?

 

Nenad thanks for the photos.  The steps are much narrower than the kit version.  Looks like I'll be going back and rebuilding the steps if include them.  Any guesses on the width?  Maybe 3.5 to 4 planks - anyone know the width of the actual planking?

 

Thanks

marc

[popeye the sailor]

hard to say without measurements of the sill.  I would suggest making a few test steps and see what would fit the bill 

[NenadM]

Poetry ...

Edited February 4, 2015 by Nenad M

[keelhauled]

Thanks Popeye,

I agree Nenad, poetry.

 

Just did a "dry" fit of fore stays to check staysail scale and placement.  Showed me that I hadn't finished putting in all the hardware.  So I'm busy doing that stuff.  Also realized I hadn't stepped in the taper of the mast at the hounds!    So how do I fix this?  I think that I'll use a file and cut in a grove for the fore stay to seat into and hopefully everything else will seat on top of the lines the same as if there was an actual stepped hound.  HOW could I have missed this???

 

thanks

Marc

[popeye the sailor]

sounds like a plan.......remember,  with all the rigging that will be there,  it might be hard to see.   only you will know the wiser

[keelhauled]

thanks Popeye!

 

Hope to post some soon.  I've been on travel and now have to catch up around the house.

 

Marc

[keelhauled]

Sorry that I haven't posted.  I've been on travel for work for the past few months.  right before I left I made the make shift hounds discussed above.

 

So I took a file to the masts and cut some make shift hounds.  I made the funnel taper which would have been on the hounds had it actually stepped.  I thought that just this would create the shoulder that I need without weakening the mast too much.  The test shrouds bit perfectly onto the new hounds.  With all of the stays and blocks attached I don't think that you will notice that the mast isn't actually stepped in its tapper.

 

Here is a couple of photos.  I just cut into the mast all of the way around with a file with a funnel shaped taper.  then I painted it black.

 

[keelhauled]

I decided to make the gin blocks.  

 

Gin blocks are used to raise the yards.  A chain goes from the yard through a sheave in the masts then connects to the eye of the gin block.  another chain goes from one side of the hull up and through the block and back down to the other side of the ship where it is connected to a line which then is heaved (sometimes through a block on the deck).  When the line is heaved on deck it pulls down on the gin block which pulls the chain attached to the yard and the yard travels up as the gin block travels down.

 

So here is how I made them

 

I put a dowel into my drill, using it as a lathe and cut the wheels for the blocks.  No photos for that step.  Took them and lost them somehow.  Anyway, I found that the best way to do this was to measure the widths needed and cut grooves into the dowel - this is where the wheels will be separated with a saw.  After cutting these grooves, I then shaped the groove to hold the chains into each wheel.  I then separated each wheel using a hand micro saw.  I made many extra wheels which I lost all over my garage some how.

 

I made the frame out of copper and brass.  I made eye bolts bending brass wire and then soldered it to a straight piece of brass. I then bent the brass piece into the front and back vertical sections and then bent and soldered  the copper into the horizontal section.  Originally the prototypes had an axel and moving wheel.  They took a lot of work for no real benefit over a fixed wheel version.  Since they didn't need to function, I decided to make the wheels fixed.

 

So this is the prototype tests

 

 

Here are the gin blocks before painting

 

Then after painting

Edited May 21, 2015 by keelhauled