Frigate Essex by Heronguy - Aeropiccola - Cross-section

[Heronguy]

The gunport lids are all done and the chain plates and pinrails have been added.  

 

 

Need to add port holes and then it is on to masting!

 

[donrobinson]

This baby is really looking super fine!!

[Heronguy]

Thanks Don,  it still the most fun as things proceed so quickly - only 8 cannons, 1 mast ...   Whoever came up with the idea of a cross section gets my vote of approval!

[Heronguy]

I added the historically unacceptable portholes to one side.  Since I didn't do it very well, and it looks silly to have portholes, I will tale them out and repair the hull. Live and learn.

[mikiek]

I won't argue with you on the port holes

[Heronguy]

I have a question of technique. 

 

I have started to shape the spars and have an issue with the yards.   I need to taper both ends.  I've done one end by chucking the dowel in a drill and sanding it down.  Now I'd like to flip it around and taper the other end.

 

Problem - if I put it in the drill chuck the nicely tapered and will be marred (crushed).

 

Looking for techniques to accomplish tapering on that 2nd end. 

Thoughts:

1 - sand by hand instead of drill - this is the fallback solution but I'm a bit lazy and don't want to do all the hand sanding.

2 - wrap the end to be chucked to prevent crushing the nicely tapered 1st end - I tried this using tape - no good, and then by wrapping some brass sheet around the dowel - still crushed.

3 - try to find a collet that can fit in the drill chuck and can take the dowel and hold it firmly - the dowel is tapered to the collet doest grip it well.

4 - buy a lathe that allows the yard to be inserted so the appropriate collet is holding the middle of the yard where it isn't tapered - my preferred solution except that it is expensive and would introduce a longish delay.

5 - ask MSW gurus how else to approach the problem

 

I'm going to try #5 1st and failing that #1 for now and #4 eventually (got lots more yards to taper over the next few years!)

 

How about it - any suggestions?

[mikiek]

Doug - seems like you could do #3 without the collet. I'm guessing you put one end in the drill and started tapering the other end? Instead, taper the end in the chuck leaving enough for the chuck to hold on to. When nearly done stop. At that point you could either work the free end or put the free end in the chuck and repeat. Remove from chuck, cut off the big ends and touch up by hand. If you had a lathe that's probably how you would do it.

 

What are you using to reduce the material? Sandpaper? File/Rasp? Is the drill mounted somehow or just laying on your bench?

[Heronguy]

Good idea Mike.  I could have done that except that the dowel provided in the kit was not long enough ( though easy enough to get a longer piece next time I get to town.)

 

I am using sandpaper and a hand held drill i.e. both hands busy.  

[mikiek]

Doug - if you are considering buying another piece and doing it again, think about getting or making (I don't know what diameter your dowel is) something like a 1/4"x1/4"x24" stick. Whatever the dowel dimensions are the stick should be a little larger. Use some wood with a good straight grain. Make your own spars from square sticks.

 

It's almost a guarantee that a dowel will warp over time. While the grain appears straight, closer examination usually shows it is not and that is why they warp. I have a page or two in my Niagara log that shows what I did and even a jig that can help taper and cut octagonal sides should you need that.

 

A suggestion for turning - use a file or rasp to take away material at first. More bang for your buck. 50 or 100 grain paper next and then some 200.

 

To get a good consistent shape, start where the spar will be thinnest. Let's say that's the left side. With the drill/lathe on,place the file on the left side and hold for a second. Slowly slide file to the right about an inch than back to the left. Then out to the right 2 inches and back left. Out 3 inches and back. Follow that pattern until you get to the middle of the spar (or where ever the taper stops) then do it all over again.

 

You might also see about holding the drill in a vise or something to free up a hand.

[Heronguy]

The Essex has been adorning a corner of my desk for the past few months.  Some progress since my last post but not really much time has gone into it.  The rigging of the yards left me unsure how to proceed so I've been just enjoying what is there.  Time to start up again!

 

 

 

 

The most fun getting here has been the "outrigger eyelets" (Aeropicolla term) perhaps more correctly called the "studding sail boom irons" (Mondfeld) or "boom brackets" (Takakjian).

 

I tried 3 different approaches - the wood from the kit, a brass strip bent into shape and soldered, and a brass bar milled on a Sherline CNC mill.  The results were:

 

 

The CNC milling was a nice little learning project;

 

Programmed the g-code to mill the outside the bracket

 

Ran the program on a thick piece of stock cutting only part way through the stock.

 

Drilled the inside holes, then milled off the underside of the stock to free the bracket.

 

I tried I couple of different thicknesses to choose a pleasing appearance.

 

 

Then ran the milling program 3 more times to make the rest of the brackets required.