Dunbrody by Mahuna - FINISHED - 1:48 - Cross-Section - Irish Famine Ship

[Mahuna]

Part 51 – Belaying Pins

 

Even though there will be no actual rigging on the Dunbrody sectional model, I think it’s still appropriate to have belaying pins in the model.  I like EdT’s method of making belaying pins, as I think it gives me the best chance to make reasonable-looking pins.  I followed Ed’s lead, and first drew a belaying pin in CAD – I decided on an 18-inch overall pin length, with a 12-inch shaft.  After converting the full-size measurements to 1:48 scale, detailed measurements were used to make the pin-making fixture on the milling machine as described in Ed’s Young America post.

 

The stock used for the belaying pins is 3/64 round bar.  My very first attempt at using the fixture was pretty successful.  The following photo shows the first pin – the prototype.

 

                       

 

The following photo shows the pin-making fixture, based on Ed’s design.

 

                       

 

After making a couple more prototypes it became apparent that some changes needed to be made to achieve a consistent size.  The hole that had been bored for the bar was too long, so the handle length varied noticeably from pin to pin.  The shafts of the pins were also noticeably different lengths.

 

To correct the first issue, the hole was blocked off so that the length of the handle was fixed.  The second issue was addressed by making a ‘measuring fixture’ for the shaft – really just a piece of wood of the correct thickness with a hole drilled through it.

 

                       

 

The new pin is inserted in the hole, the excess shaft length is clipped off, and the remaining shaft length is trimmed to the proper length by filing.  The following photo shows the first two pins made with these corrections.

 

                       

 

In the photo enlargement it’s apparent that the collar of the pin is a different size between the pins.  This resulted from misalignment of the pin after removing the fixture for measurement of the pin and then resetting the fixture (the pin wasn’t inserted into the fixture completely).  The variance isn’t apparent in regular viewing, but it’s something that’s easy to watch for and prevent.

 

The manufacturing process starts by filing the end of the handle to a nice round shape.  All steps use different grades of files, starting with coarse (either a grade 0 or 2) then progressing to fine (grade 4) and finishing with an extra fine file (grade 6).

 

                       

 

The pin is then inserted in the fixture and the flat is filed down to the correct thickness.  A caliper is periodically used to measure the thickness until the correct .025” thick shaft is created.  This step takes the most time and uses the coarsest files at the beginning of the step.

 

                       

 

The following photo shows the first pins inserted in the pin rail, along with a penny to illustrate the size of the pins.

 

                       

 

The first day’s production of belaying pins totaled 11 pins.  With more experience I think I’ll be increasing production, but there are still a lot of pins to be produced.

 

                       

 

This leads to a question I have: should all of the pin holes in the pin rails be populated with pins?

 

There will be 8 pins across the two fife rails, and another 8 will be in the Spider Band.  Each pin rail on the model has holes for 22 pins (this is from the construction plan, but seems excessive to me), so populating all of the pin holes would result in 60 belaying pins (assuming belaying pins in the unfinished starboard side).

 

The photos taken on the replica ship show a lot of open holes in the pin rails.

 

                       

 

I’d appreciate comments and suggestions on this question – but I’ll continue to make the belaying pins for the next few days (maybe longer).  Since this work is very repetitive I’ll probably occasionally interrupt it to work on some other remaining tasks in order to break the monotony.

 

Thanks everyone!

Edited October 29, 2016 by Mahuna

[druxey]

Nicely proportioned pins! Well done there.

[GuntherMT]

Looking at my photo's from San Diego of the Surprise, I only found a single belaying pin in the rails that didn't have a line belayed to it.  All of the other locations without a line were also missing the pins, especially the rails around the masts (the rails on the sides are mostly full of lines).

 

It's only one point of reference, but it's the only one I have.  

 

You will likely remember that there were a number of belaying pins without lines on the Star of India, but it is also only partially rigged right now, so no idea if there are lines that should go to those pin locations.

 

The new pins are looking very nice!

[Mahuna]

Looking at my photo's from San Diego of the Surprise, I only found a single belaying pin in the rails that didn't have a line belayed to it.  All of the other locations without a line were also missing the pins, especially the rails around the masts (the rails on the sides are mostly full of lines).

 

It's only one point of reference, but it's the only one I have.  

 

You will likely remember that there were a number of belaying pins without lines on the Star of India, but it is also only partially rigged right now, so no idea if there are lines that should go to those pin locations.

 

The new pins are looking very nice!

Thanks Brian.  That's what I'm seeing too, when I look at ship photos where you can see the pin rails.  Also, when I look at the pins I've temporarily installed I'm thinking the pin rails will look overcrowded if every hole has a pin in it.  So I'm leaning towards having some random empty holes in the pin rails.  Waiting for more comments, though.

[Mahuna]

Nicely proportioned pins! Well done there.

Thanks Druxey.  Do you have an opinion on whether I need to put a pin in EVERY hole in the pin rails?

[cog]

Frank,

 

Very impressive, it's more like a  tutorial, I cannot get enough when people like you show the way they tackle challenges, or just make parts. I have a question though: Any reason why you didn't use wood?

[EdT]

Beautiful pins, Frank.  I'm glad the method worked out for you.  Its not fully automated, of course, so some art and a good eye is needed to make consistent pins, especially if they are not going to be covered with rope.  Great work.

 

Ed

[Mahuna]

Frank,

 

Very impressive, it's more like a  tutorial, I cannot get enough when people like you show the way they tackle challenges, or just make parts. I have a question though: Any reason why you didn't use wood?

Thanks Carl.  I used brass because I thought it gave me the best chance for success.  I might give wood a try, though, based on your question.

 

 

Beautiful pins, Frank.  I'm glad the method worked out for you.  Its not fully automated, of course, so some art and a good eye is needed to make consistent pins, especially if they are not going to be covered with rope.  Great work.

 

Ed

 

Thanks Ed.  I've learned so much by reading your build logs and books.

[druxey]

I imagine it's your call as to the number of pins in the racks, Frank. You are the ship's master!

[michael mott]

Franks question is interesting, Why would there be so many holes and some not used, would it relate to different sail and or rigging configurations?

 

Michael

[Mahuna]

I imagine it's your call as to the number of pins in the racks, Frank. You are the ship's master!

Thanks Druxey - although when the work gets a little tedious I sometimes feel like the ship is my master!

 

 

Franks question is interesting, Why would there be so many holes and some not used, would it relate to different sail and or rigging configurations?

 

Michael

 

Hi Michael.  I've been doing some more reading, and it looks like every pin location should have a specific purpose and therefore I would expect it to have a pin in it when under sail.  Since my Dunbrody looks like it's in dry dock, I guess it really is my choice.

[popeye the sailor]

it's a good question.....the main point though:    why are the pins removable?    I think this would be the way to separate the different type lines,  as to cut out any confusion.    in plastic kits,   the belaying pins are in segments........the rigging diagram shows where each line ties to the corresponding segment.  if any segment requires an additional pin,  it's quite possible that it's pulled from a group that has an unused pin,  thus creating a gap,  or widens an existing gap.

 

or course it needs more research......I'm no expert by any stretch,  but I would think that not all holes are used,  if they are not required.  it shows this in your reference photos  

[IgorSky]

My very first attempt at using the fixture was pretty successful.

WOW! Very good idea! Many thanks for sharing, Frank!

 

Best Regards

Igor.

[Mahuna]

Part 52 – Pin Rails, Spider Band, and Fife Rails

 

In the last post I questioned whether I should fully populate the pin rails or leave some positions open.  I received several different comments and opinions, which I greatly appreciate.  I decided to populate most of the pin positions, leaving several open.  The following photos show the results:

 

                       

 

                       

 

Dunbrody has Spider Bands on each of her masts - these are iron bands with sockets for some belaying pins, as shown in the following photo of the replica ship.

 

                       

 

Also note the simple fife rail configuration.

 

I found the following drawing of a spider band in Harold Underhill’s book ‘Masting and Rigging’, and used it as the basis for making the spider band.

 

                       

 

The bands would be made by annealing a brass strip and bending it to form the band.  The jig shown in the following photo was used to make the band.

 

                       

 

The jig was turned to the same size as the mast, and the protrusion is used to bend the projecting pieces of the band at the proper locations.  A CAD drawing was made to identify the locations of the holes for the pin sockets and was pasted to the top of the jig.

 

                       

 

A strip of medium card stock was formed around the jig, and the hole locations were marked on the card stock.

 

                       

 

                       

 

This strip was then glued to a brass strip and the holes were drilled.  A centering drill was used to make the initial hole, and the final drilling to the correct size was done with a rotary tool.

 

                       

 

After several trial and error attempts

 

                       

 

An acceptable band was produced.

 

                       

 

There were several attempts to make pin sockets.  I made some small rings from copper wire, but these didn’t hold the pins in a vertical position.  I tried bending 1/64 x 1/32 strip around a drill of the appropriate size, but the socket holes were elliptical rather than round.  I finally decided to form the pin sockets by shaping them with a rotary tool and diamond bits. 1/8 x .025 strip provided the correct depth. The strip was first drilled for the correct socket size, and the socket was then formed as shown in the following photo sequence:

 

                       

 

          

 

                       

 

          

 

          

 

The outside diameter of the socket is .055, and the hole for the pin is .025 – the thickness of the pin socket is then .015, or slightly smaller than 3/4" in actual terms.  The pegs for the sockets were shaped to .025.

 

The sockets were then individually soldered onto the band using the following setup.  The vertical piano wire was used to ensure that the sockets stayed horizontal during the soldering.

 

                       

 

The following photo shows the completed Spider Band before blackening.

 

                       

 

After blackening the Spider Band was installed on the mast and pins were added to the band.

 

                       

 

The final work involving the belaying pins was the manufacture and installation of the Fife Rails.  As shown in the earlier photo, these are fairly simple affairs.  The legs are not turned as spindles but are simply shaped.  This was performed on the lathe with an appropriate sized file.

 

                       

 

A jig was used to ensure that the fife rails were square and that the legs were centered on the rails.

 

                       

 

Black monofilament was used to simulate the bolts that hold the rails and legs together, and belaying pins were added to the rails.

 

                       

 

This completes the work related to the belaying pins. 

 

So Dunbrody is now on the final stretch - the remaining work consists of creating the companionways, making and installing a bollard on the port side, and making and installing a capstan. 

 

Thanks everyone.

Edited October 29, 2016 by Mahuna

[cog]

I'm all a back ... did you perhaps have a ruler near the  items when you were working on them ... because I'm very bad in inches ... (just another metric idiot)

Edited October 29, 2016 by cog

[EdT]

Fantastic as usual, Frank.

 

Ed

[Mahuna]

I'm all a back ... did you perhaps have a ruler near the  items when you were working on them ... because I'm very bad in inches ... (just another metric idiot)

Thanks Carl - I made frequent checks using a digital caliper. 

 

 

Fantastic as usual, Frank.

 

Ed

 

Thanks Ed.

[captainbob]

Well done.  The spider band came out just right.

 

Bob

[Mahuna]

Well done.  The spider band came out just right.

 

Bob

 

Thanks Bob.  It was great seeing you on Wednesday, and seeing Pequot in person - beautiful work!  It's even better in person than in the photos.

[druxey]

That is one sweet spider band, Frank! Well done.

[ggrieco]

The belaying pins and spider band look wonderful!

[Mahuna]

That is one sweet spider band, Frank! Well done.

Thanks, Druxey!

[Mahuna]

The belaying pins and spider band look wonderful!

Thanks, Glenn!

[albert]

Hi Frank very nice work.

[Omega1234]

Hi Frank

 

Impressive work, that's for sure!

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[GuntherMT]

Fantastic work Frank. That spider band is awesome.

[Mahuna]

Albert, Patrick, and Brian - thank you!

[michael mott]

Frank very nicely done on the spider band. Some of your pictures show a non metallic jig material, is it Corian or one of the same type of substrates, or something else entirely?

 

Michael

[Mahuna]

Frank very nicely done on the spider band. Some of your pictures show a non metallic jig material, is it Corian or one of the same type of substrates, or something else entirely?

 

Michael

Thanks, Michael.  The jigs used for soldering and for forming the fife rails are made from Corian.

[michael mott]

Thanks frank, I thought it might be Corian, it is a good material for these types of jigs. it is actually a good all round material for a few applications. and off-cuts are easy to come by at the kitchen counter suppliers.

 

Michael