Swift 1805 by PopJack - FINISHED - Artesania Latina - Virginia Pilot Boat - Older version

[themadchemist]

Hey I know some chemists.

 

Hey Popjack, Coppering looks good, That side water line really shows the curvature of her hull. I dont see the problem spot though.

On the riveting, I have a question on the diagonal rivet row. I've seen rivets in many rivet arrrangements, including as you have them. Is there a reason for the various methods of rivet arrangement or was that period related.

 

On the aging, what are you going for? My first question is the tape coated? Some copper stuff in polycoated to prevent oxidation. Are you wanting it browned or greened. ME has solutions for blackening and greening  http://www.modelexpo-online.com/page.asp?lp=8004

If its not coated it should brown with Oxygen (air exposure, wetting may speed the process, just a quick wipe with a damp towel over time, but thats slow). The Brown is a Copper oxide and the green a copper carbonate, after oxygen exposure from air or H₂O the CuO reacts with Carbon dioxide CO₂ to from the carbonate CuCO₃.

[PopJack]

I knew there was a Chemist around! 

 

Thanks for the explanation.  I know that copper "in the wild" eventually is coated with CuCO₃, but I didn't know where the Carbon came from.  It must have quite an affinity to pull in the CO₂.   (At this point, I have to admit that ti never occurred to me that anyone would use the subscript format enough for it to be on the easy access format bar). 

 

I'll make up a little chunk of fake hull with extra tape and try a few things on it.  I have some 10 year old tape that has made the CuO stage that is just what I'm looking for.

 

Concerning the pattern, I've read a lot on the subject and just decided to try it when I saw it was done.  I like the way it looks, and so I did it.  Which at some level is amusing, given how much time I spent trying to find realistic depictions of paint jobs.  Oh well, I never claimed consistency.

 

I found a couple of different approaches to the copper bands- most referred to finding the banding used in the particular ship.  This wasn't likely in this case, so I just followed the technique of starting at the bottom back and moving forward.

 

 

[PopJack]

Okay, worked on the little boat a bit today.  But first I made some frames for large items out of some mahogany I had laying around.  Every time I make something that has a rabbit, I end up with sticks that I throw away.   After building these little models, however, I am now thinking that sooner or later there has to be a place for some .025" X 0.25" X 40" mahogany pieces.   The down side is that they multiply like rats and if we don't have a cold winter where I can burn them, I think I will be over run!

 

 

I masked the boat as best I could and shot it with the deep sea blue.  It looks like a whimpy black- which I read is what you want.  Originally I was going to leave a thin white stripe between the copper water line and the black paint.  The water line is so close to the bumpers that I gave up on this idea.  So, I hope the masking tape doesn't destroy the copper!

 

Here she is all dressed up.

 

 

Recalling that this boat is all about learning and doing things I haven't done, I have to say I had a learning experience when I learned what happens when you spill air brush cleaner on a freshly painted boat.  Not good.

 

 

The paint coats from the air brush are so thin, though, that repair was easy.

 

Finally, I spent  lot of time making a tiller that I could be proud of.  This is the kind of thing no one will ever notice, but mine has a square hole for the top of the rudder. 

 

 

 

After the boat dried, I thought it looked dead with the flat paint.  I understand that I was "supposed" to leave the boat flat- but just "flat didn't like it" (so to speak).  So I shot it with a coat of semi-gloss lacquer.   No photo, but it looks a lot better to me.  Of course, this will make touch up harder, but, what can I say?  I don't do ugly well (except in person).

 

 

 

So, all in all a lot of fun was had today.

[PopJack]

i pulled the tape off and set everything in place (nothing is glued on).  She don't look too bad!  I'm glad I dropped the white band at the water line. 

 

[PopJack]

Crud.  I just figured out that at scale, the end of my tiller is 8 feet in the air.  Probably not what I would have ordered, unless people were taller in the early 1800s.

[captainbob]

Ah, the fun of it all.

 

Bob

[PopJack]

Well, I'm out of town for over a week.  The only good thing I can say about my progress is that I've finished this little boat every night in dreams.  If I can only make it work out as well as my mind's eye sees it.

[PopJack]

For Father's Day, my sons gave me a copy of Tom Cunliffe's Pilots: The world of Pilotage under sail and oar, Volume 1: Pilot Schonners of North America and Great Britain.  Soooo..... I hope I don't end up finding I did too much wrong!

[PopJack]

Back in town tonight.  Decided to make a new rail for my Swift.  I had some mahogany that I think will look nice, so I used a bandsaw to cut it out and the my drill press with a sanding drum to shape things up a bit.  I attached one side and ran out of clamps.

 

After things had pretty well set, I found that my seam was terrible- and I don't use the word lightly.  I'll do some kind of repair on it tomorrow if I have time.

 

While using the drill press, I decided to go ahead and drill for the mast.  These pilot boats had really raked mast- according to the book I am reading there are a couple of different theories why- including that it made sail handing easier (I guess it returned naturally to the boat's midline under gravity) which was important since they were often sailed with only one sailor on board.

 

In any event, I prepared a paper guide from the plans and then used it to set my drill press table angle.  I drilled both holes.  Hope they are right.  I also drilled for the bow sprint and anchor holes.  I was going to lash my anchors to the outside of the gunnel, but the photos in the book show them universally just thrown on the deck.

 

Finally, I found concrete evidence that at least some pilot boats did have copper bottoms.  I wasn't going to remove my copper regardless, but it was nice to see.

 

 

 

 

[themadchemist]

A much better way to drill mast holes then my freehand drilling. I love the rake on these little boats.

 

I found the top rail seam a pain, I used a scarf joint which may have made it even more a pain. I like the mahogany, will you paint it?

Did your Swift come with a rail? mine didn't. Other then walnut strips, IIRC, I quite paying attention to AL's instructions long ago....

 

Nice work, and isn't it good to be home.

[PopJack]

Thanks for the comments.  The kit's rail was from the same sheet of plywood as the false deck.  I was kind of surprised, being that they don't suggest painting- I kept wondering what it was going to look like.  I'm guessing you got a rail, but probably looked at it long ago with a "are you kidding" kind of look.

 

I'm not going to paint my rail (unless I'm too embarrassed by the joint).  I think when I put oil on it, it should match the tops of my deck houses- which I also left unpainted.

 

I've been watching your excellent build with great interest, BTW.  It is quite a beauty- I'm suspecting that your mast will look great as well and that the rake will be perfect.

[themadchemist]

I was thinking the same about if you left the railing it would match the deck houses. Its a nice contrast also.

I was already on the cherry pathway before the deck rails so I'm not sure what the kit suggested but there wasn't a preformed rail.

 

I have found that the mahogany keel works well in second planking to press the planking into submission. So far the only thing that will have to be modified on the masting is the boom lifted to clear the raised transom, but I'll figure that out when I get there. 

 

I also need to decide on rubbing strake design also. I bought some ebony stain, we'll see how that works, LOL.

[PopJack]

Worked on the bilge pump today.  The supplied part had rings, which after a lot of debate, I decided should be iron.  I couldn't find any historical reason for this- most appeared to have been only wood,  and even my pilot boat book doesn't seem to deam the lowly bilge pump as worthy of discussion.

 

I also made my first ever metal fitting- I am rather proud of it,

 

 

 

As fate would have it, I am fighting an eye infection that has temporarily affected my vision (actually the treatment has)... thus I can tell you these part feel good to my fingers.  If this post dissapears in a few days, it means that they didn't look as good as I thought. 

[captainbob]

Leave them up.  Looking good.

 

Bob

[PopJack]

I was making the upper spars for the fore and main mast.  In the instructions, it reads "these are to be treated exactly the same."  Basically, you start with the supplied 5cm dowel and taper them from 4 to 2 cm.   They are the same dimensions in all regards, thus the instructions.

 

I made the first one with no issues, but broke the second one while tapering it.  At first I was going to run by somewhere and pick up a small walnut dowels, but decided that if Themadchemist could make parts out of firewood, I should be able to make a spar out of the wood in the shop.  So, I went down, cut a corner off one of my walnut boards, put it in the lathe and then turned it down to roughly the right size before tapering by hand.  It turned out quite well.

 

In fact, this second dowel turned out so well, I decided to improve the shape of the first one- which, of course, I broke.  Both are now complete and more or less ready to proceed.

 

IN ANY REGARD, although I disregard many instructions, I certainly followed the one about treating these spars exactly the same way.

[PopJack]

So... tonight I got the stove pipes out to see if I could make them pretty.  I took a "before" picture to show what they looked like.

 

 

Then I put the first one in a clamp to see if I could do anything with it.  Turns out I can do something.  It broke while I was scraping it with a dental tool.

 

 

 

Poop. 

(and not the deck neither.)

 

I'm trying to figure out what to do about this.

[captainbob]

Ah, the joy of kit parts.  Looks like you get a chance to do another metal part.

 

Bob

[PopJack]

I have no clue how to do a metal part that doesn't involve investing a lot of money in some kind of molding kit.  I'm thinking this boat will only have one chimney.  I'll put a vent or something on the other one.

[PopJack]

QUESTION: On the knights head that straddles the bow sprint, does the cross piece rest on top of the bow sprint?

In other words, do I cut the legs on the bow sprint to fit the heights available when the angle of the bow sprint is correct?

 

I read where the knights head "supports" the bow sprint, but I'm not sure how.  Any links to photos appreciated.

[themadchemist]

the bowsprit goes under the cross post. The instructions just mention gluing it but I'd think something has to hold it like lashing or pins. do any of your books show what holds the bowsprit under the knightshead cross post? I'd also think notching the bowsprit would make a better fit. 

 

On your pipes? are they vent pipes or chimneys? I'd considered making some out of soft copper tubing, that stuffs easy the stretch and shape. I dont care for the kit  pieces and I'm not even sure I'll include them, If I did I'd want battersea-esk stacks like from the animals cover anyway.

 

Like gramps always said, If it breaks it just needed replacing anyway.

 

 

[PopJack]

Excellent Points, all.

 

I will go through photos in the book and see if I can find a photo on the knighthead.  Despite the dozens of photos, its hard to believe what there isn't a photo of.

 

Concerning the pipes, the instructions call them "ventilators."   This makes no sense to me, since the cabins were small and the doors easy to open.  I know from my reading that the boats were used 'year round,' and that on boats of this size it was not uncommon to carry a cook and couple of deck hands in addition to one or more pilots and their apprentices.  In the winter the cabins were heated by wood or coal fired stoves, and of course any cooking was done on the same devices.  Knowing this and looking at the shape, I figured they were chimneys for small iron bellied stoves.  In the photos, I saw some of these also.

[runner63]

How about making a couple out of a piece of dowel carved to the right shape?

 

Just my two cents

 

Runner63

John

[PopJack]

Thanks for the thoughts on what to do with the stack. I've got one mounted and am thinking about the other one.

 

Well, I spent all evening on two soldered joints.  The instructions say bend and glue, and I suppose that actually might make more sense, but this is a learning ship and I want to learn.  Here it is mostly finished, but it needs to be blackened.

 

 

 

I finished one stack and mounted it.  I glued the other one back together but haven't tried to finish it yet.  I started to work on an anchor and broke it too.  I'm beginning to think this white metal stuff isn't as tough as I thought.

 

[PopJack]

My next adventure in metal- and I can't think of what you call it.

 

The kit has the bow sprint held in place only by the knighthead and a metal strap.  All of the boats in detailed paintings and photos show at least one chain from the tip of the bowsprint down to the cutwater.  I decided to install a chain and "tensioner" for lack of a better word.  This is my first ever attempt to make one, so any advice or constructive criticism is welcome.

 

 

 

Here it is soldered to the ring in the ring around the bow sprint.  Sorry about the focus.  I tried to find brass chain, but only found copper.  I'll darken it all before installation.

 

 

 

[PopJack]

I set the mast today and realized a major mistake.  I have placed the flag mast on the wrong side of the main mast.

This is not a simple fix- as the metal braces I was so proud of have been sized for the mast and drilled to accept rings for the running rigging.

 

I have made the decision that since everything is glued together I am not changing it. 

 

So- well shoot me.

[trippwj]

The turnbuckle you made looks very nice!  No one will likely notice the flag staff if you don't point it out. 

[PopJack]

Thanks for the comment Wayne.  I am actually pretty bumbed out about it.  I want to finish the little boat up so I can start a new project, and I don't want to start from scratch with cutting the old mast off and then redrilling the deck and everything- so it will stay.  But still....

 

Here is a photo of my turnbuckle.  I'm pretty proud of how this all came out.  The kit did not have any kind of stay for the bottom of the bow sprint, but all of the photos and paintings I could find of pilot boats had them, so I fabricated it.  

 

I also found some photos of things like turnbuckles and pulleys that on the model look out of scale to my eye.  In the old photos though, those things were BIG!  In the end making them look better probably reduces authenticity.  Funny ole world, ain't it?

 

I note in the photo that I still need to darken that brass strip- probably would have been wise to do that before I mounted it.eh?

 

 

And here sits my biggest screw up to date.

 

 

 

 

[trippwj]

Looking at that top, I guess the biggest question is what connects to the various and sundried eye-bolts on the mast cap and ring.  If they lead aft, you are fine.  If the connections are to the foremast, though, you could run into problems running those lines.

 

is it possible to loosen the glue just for those two bits or are they through bolted (pinned)? 

[PopJack]

Thanks for the comments.  When I made the metal pieces I had it in my head wrong.  The rigging will work fine.

 

It is glued and hammered on and then crimped.  I suppose I could take a small side grinder and cut them off... but I'm thinking I'm not.  I am willing to let it go so that I don't have to re-do all the work.

[trippwj]

The most important person you can satisfy is you - if it works for you, it works for me!  Personally, I think it looks awesome!