Anchor Hoy by Maurys - POF Harbor craft c. 1825 -- 1:48 - Finished

[druxey]

This seems a reasonable proposition. There should be sufficient space under the lower chocks to slide the pawl into place.

[Roger Pellett]

Maury,.  Rule of thumb- Follow your source material!  The original Grice drawing nicely shows some details of the capstans.  

 

Bar holes and pawls only on the capstan driving the pinion.

 

Hour glass self fleeting shape of the drum.

 

Multiple pawns that "automatically" drop into a notched ring (possibly wrought iron) ring beneath the capstan.

 

Roger

[Maury S]

Roger, 

Thanks for the reminder.  And I see your point.  The original source material (Grice sketches) seems pretty clear on the capstans, and has plenty of internal conflicts in other areas.

 

This was going to be a subject for another post, but here goes: 

On the profile sketch, the shrouds clearly set up outside of the railing.  On the second sketch, there is no tumble home or inboard canting of the rail stanchions.  Can't have it both ways.  The shrouds would bind on the rail and crush it under the strain of the shrouds supporting the weight of a large anchor.  I've run this by a couple of maritime historians and they have insisted there would be no channels to provide clearance for the shrouds since they could scuff the sides of the ships being serviced.  None are shown on the sketches.  One has suggested the shroud chainplates were let into the top timbers (in-board) at angles continuous with their leads to the mast.  Grimwood and Cairo (secondary sources) both show the shrouds setting up inboard to the waterways  (and there are other conflicts within their drawings).

 

Such an arrangement severely limits the arc of the boom swing and would impact sailing on a broad-reach or a run but close-hauled would be OK.  Awkward in a crowded harbor.  Comments?  Challenges!

Maury

[Roger Pellett]

Am I correct that we don't know if this vessel was actually built?  If Grice's drawing is just a proposal than details such as running shrouds inside or outside of the rails could be sketchy.  It is also notable that the drawing does not specify the method of terminating the shrouds at the hull. It is quite possible that some of the after shrouds could have terminated with block and tackles to allow them to be slacked off when sailing as loads on the rig would presumably be less. 

 

Roger

[Maury S]

Roger,

Correct...not sure if ever built.  It could have just been a proposal.  Druxey and I had a discussion about slacking off the last two shrouds while under way...very possible.  Erik Froneberg speculates they were set up to chainplates and bullseyes inboard.  "No need for deadeyes and lanyards with this many shrouds".  Thanks for the input.

Maury

[Maury S]

I finished up the larger capstan (parts) and it looks a lot better.  Head and base not permanently attached yet.

 

It does not match the Grice drawing and I'm going to see if I have the ability to make a capstan like that.  Thanks to Roger for reminding me to keep referring back to the original source.  The capstan on the sketch seems a bit ornate for a work boat and I'm doing some more research.

Maury

[Maury S]

I finished up the large capstan with the whelps but using "drop-down" pawls.  First the iron ring.  I cut a wooden disc on the lathe with a scribed notch to insert the cogs.  They are pieces of 25 lb. test (.022") monofilament line.

A couple of coats of "Iron Black applied.

Next come the pawls themselves.  I used some brass strips (.016" x .0625"), annealed and drilled out with a #75 bit on the mill.  Cut to length and then filed to the finished shape. 

The edge of the base was drilled at six points and the bolts were made from the same 25Lb monofilament line.  I cut the bolts about 1/32" proud and then held a wood-bending hot iron against each end which created a head on the bolts.  The pawls were then bent to the round shape of the base and they actually drop down as designed.  I'm much happier with this pawl version.  Minor filling and sanding yet to do, then attach the drumhead permanently.  I am still researching early 19th C. capstans to see if those shown on the Grice sketch were actually in use at the time.  "Capstans and Windlasses" by John Harland has some good information.  Illustrations of U.S. Navy capstans from 1803 - 1820 show "Capstans were not standard designs" and that spindles with 4 - 10 whelps as used in my effort were still in general use.

Maury

 

[druxey]

Nice pawl rim and drop pawls, Maury!

[Maury S]

BTW, Other sources checked for info. on the capstan include

 Harland, Chapelle, Lavery and Petrejus.

Lavery’s Arming and Fitting…seems the best reference. 

Maury

 

[Maury S]

Misc. chores.  Started making some thimbles.  2mm thin wall brass tubing.  I sliced-off pieces about 1/8" and used a punch to gently widen the sides like Chuck's examples.  I must have missed some details.  The first couple of pieces split (too much hammering?).  I tried annealing the tubing first, but the pieces distorted more than without annealing.  They are not pretty.  I tied to make sure the pieces were evenly cut, I filed the end of the punch so it was symmetrical, I tried tapping the punch more gently on both a wood base and metal anvil.

Suggestions?  techniques?

Maury

[druxey]

I slide the tube into a hole in a brass plate of the thickness needed for the slices. I then use a razor saw to cut off the protruding tube. This prevents distortion and makes for consistent slices. A few passes with a fine file over the surface cleans up the ring. If there are any protrusions in the hole, a small pointed burr will clean them out. I then take out the ring, place it on a brass block and (gently) flare each side with a centerpunch.

[Roger Pellett]

I made some by spinning on a lathe. I chucked the tube in a lathe, and fed it into a tapered tool held in the tail stock.  I then cut it off with a razor saw.  I then turned the now cut off piece in a holding fixture and flared the other end. Fiddley but it works.

 

Roger

[Maury S]

Changed task for a while...Scuppers have been drilled and reamed to 3 - 4" diameter.  I'm going to use grey paint to simulate metal linings so I borrowed a 1/8" hole punch from an associate who does "scrapbooking" and used it on some tamiya tape put on some wax paper.

I then sliced of sections and covered the scupper holes. 

A couple of coats of grey later I have the 6" (1/8" at scale) flanged scupper linings.

Maury

 

[druxey]

Nice masking solution, Maury!

[Maury S]

Back to the thimbles...I took the several suggestions to heart and tried again.  This time I started with a piece of 1/8" brass and drilled a 5/64" hole (close to the 2mm o.d. of the tube) and then another hole counter-bored to provide a seat for the flaring.  All done on the mill.

The annealed tube is inserted into the first hole (see above) and cut off with a razor saw.  That way, all pieces are 1/8" long.  Touch with a fine file while still in the hole assures both ends are square.  The piece is then inserted into the counter-bored hole and tapped with a center-punch.

 

The piece is then removed and the center-punch used on the opposing end...back and forth a couple of times.

I looked at Chuck's thimbles and they are not flared as much as I initially tried so I tapped less than earlier.

These thimbles (2mm tube (= to 3-3/4" at scale) are a good size for the .054" diameter rope* I'm using for the shrouds but I'm not sure there would be thimbles on the shrouds.

I'm getting some 1.5mm tubes for smaller lines. 

 

*By the way, be sure to check out Chuck's rope size table in yesterday's post on the Syren Ship Model Company post:

https://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/12476-syren-ship-model-company-news-and-forthcoming-new-projects-products/&page=11&tab=comments#comment-525811

 

This brings up the issue regarding termination of the shrouds at the waterways.   Informed opinion is that with this many shrouds (6 on a side), "there was no need for deadeyes and lanyards, but well-stretched shrouds siezed to bullseyes;  the aggregate resistance would be enough to counteract the tension from a large anchor."  So eyebolts (with bullseyes attached) through the waterways.  The aft-most shrouds may have been loosened when not under load to provide more range of swing of the boom.  Block and tackles definitely out of the question because all the stress would be on the sheave of a block.

Any other opinions / suggestions out there?

Maury

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Heinrich der Seefahrer]

Maury, Maury!

 

As allways that's exciting wonderfull work you do. 

[Maury S]

I started working on the bulleyes for the shrouds.  I used copper wire, following Ed Tosti's solution to being able to blacken the metal once in place without staining surrounding wood.  First time for me so a little experimenting was in order.  Using Allan Yedlinsky's Scantlings...I chose some 24 gauge wire (.02" = 1" at scale).  I pre-blackened the wire, knowing I could easily touch it up if they become scuffed. The instructions for the liver of sulfur say to thoroughly clean the metal so I rubbed it with steel wool to get any lacquer off then washed it in a soapy solution with a touch of amonia (Windex).  A few drops of the L of S into a bowl of water for a minute was all it took.  Neutralized in water with baking soda and dried off.    Small pieces pre- and post-treated below.

 

The bulleyes are 5mm box wood from Model Shipways that I had on hand from years ago.  5mm = 9.4" diameter at scale...just about right.  I sanded them about 25% thinner than provided and enlarged the holes a bit, dyed them black and wrapped the copper wire around and twisted the tails tightly.  Ed Tosti used this technique to make sure eyebolts would stay glued-in.

They are ready to install once I clean up the rest of the hull.

Maury

 

 

[Maury S]

Preparation for masting and rigging.  Because of the placement of the shrouds (20' off the deck on a 53' mast) to support hoisting an anchor, she uses a Spencer mast.  The issue this creates is leaving enough room between the Spencer and main masts for the mast rings to move freely up and down when hoisting or dropping the main sail.  This will be controlled by the mortises in the mast partners at the deck and the trestle trees at the the top.

To determine how much space I needed, I made a jig with a stub of a mast.  It is the same diameter as the main mast and has chocks at the 20' above deck height.  A couple of temporary shroud lines placed there and brought back to where they end at the deck (on the jig) gives me a good idea of how much clearance I need.

The Spencer mortise is too close to the hole for the main and I can make a block with a mortise and tenon to fix this.

Maury

 

[Maury S]

New step for the Spencer mast.

This moved the mortise (mast step) back a bit.

Maury

[druxey]

Well, that was easy!

[Maury S]

While everything else was going on, I made and installed the boat name and port.  While there is evidence the boat was destined for Norfolk, there is no record of the boat being named.  I took artist's liberty and named her after the designer.   A little research showed a font called "Bodoni" was designed in the early 1800s.  Microsoft Word has that font, so I printed out several sizes (12 - 16 pt) on laser decal paper.  Below is the result.

Up close you can barely make out the decal.  From 2' away it's invisible.

Maury

 

 

Edited October 24, 2017 by Maurys

[Nirvana]

Very nice, Maury.

 

Wonder if that font is somewhat consistent with the time era, thinking about Syren?

[Nirvana]

Maury,

is that font called Bondoni or Bodoni? 

My office word has the Bodoni compressed font.

[druxey]

Bodoni it is, after Giambattista Bodoni, an 18th century designer of typefaces. And a handsome face it is, too!

[Maury S]

 Spelling corrected to "Bodoni".

[Maury S]

I worked on the main mast tops.  First the bibbs to support the trestles, then trestles defining the space between the main and top mast.  There are no spreaders evident in any of the source material.

The spacing between the main and Spencer masts will be determined by the partner block on the deck and a block between the trestles (not made yet).

 

The top mast is held in the trestles by a pin (not installed for the photo). The cleats on the aft side of the doubling are for the two fore-stays.  The cap needed to be measured carefully with the centers of the main and top masts aligned.  Holes pre-drilled for all rigging.  The sources differ in some minor rigging plans.

Maury

 

[Maury S]

More little projects...Capstan bars.  I looked high and low for good images of period capstan bars.  I finally settled on one in Dan Vadas' build.  I like the square end to fit in the capstan head.  The ends were cut on the table saw (with sled) and finished by hand.

 

Rounded off and fitted to capstan.  I may thin them down a bit more...they are a little under 0.09" or 4 1/4" at scale.  Does anyone have a good idea of bar diameter circa 1825?

I think I'm going to put some kind of rack on the inner bulwarks to show storage.  Maybe just a couple of blocks with a rope strap to hold them off the deck.

Maury

 

[druxey]

Grip a comfortably sized handle. That is the diameter of a capstan bar.

[Maury S]

Druxey,  Thanks, that means they get slimmed down a bit more...

Maury

[druxey]

I went through this exercise recently with handspikes for a windlass!