Fishing Smack c. 1920 by G.L. - FINISHED - Scale 1/20 - POF - cross-section

[Baker]

An impressive cross section

well done 

[G.L.]

Thanks, Patrick.

 

19.5 Rigging the topgallant

Both backstays have a served loop. The port backstay is resting on top of the starboard backstay.

They pass through the grooves at both ends of the spreader.

And end with a double block at about 1.8 m above the deck.

A tension line is going from a single block on the bulwark, twice though the double block and fixed on the pin rail inside the bulwark.

The whole mast

[G.L.]

23. Steam capstan

With the steam capstan I reach the last chapter of the smack cross section practicum. Most of the smacks in our region were equipped with an Elliot & Garrod's steam capstan (Drawing: 'Sailing trawlers' Edgar J. March).

I never saw such a capstan in reality, but I believe that it is mainly made of steel and cast iron. In the practicum of Mr. Verleene is described how to make it of wood. I will make it of beech.

Making the base plate:

The groove around the base plate is divided in 16 segments. It is done with small pieces of walnut.

The base plate and the other beech rings which have to build in.

In the center of the capstan stands a beech pipe. Making the pipe:

The base plate, the pipe and the top plate fitted together.

The capstan has four wings around which a cable or rope can be twisted. I make them also of beech. The camber of the outer side is made with the help of the sanding drum.

The wings fitted on the capstan

Top plate and filling pieces between the wings placed.

The upper disk is a big gear wheel. I use a paper maneuvering board from my navy time to make the ten degree subdivisions on the disk.

I make a saw cut every ten degrees.

Then I file out every saw cut with a triangular file.

The gear wheel on the capstan.

The blocking pin is made of brass.

Making the machine cover.

Making the base plate for the machine cover:

The capstan so far. The smaller gear wheel on top of the big one is recycled from a disused clock.

[FriedClams]

That’s some very detailed and intricate work on the capstan G.L.  Extremely nice work!

 

Gary

[Baker]

just this answer: an emoji  

[G.L.]

Many thanks Gary and Patrick.

This week I finish the capstan.

The cap of the small gear wheel is made of a piece of tin. I clamp it with a piece of wood while the glue is drying.

The rotating parts of the capstan are painted in black. In case of my capstan they will not be able to rotate.

In his the book  'Sailing trawlers' Mr. Edgar J. March describes the color of the capstan as light green. I try to mix a suitable color with acrylic paint.

The painted and assembled capstan.

The deck surface is curved and the capstan is situated slightly to the portside. When simply placed on the deck, the capstan would stand a bit askew. To avoid this I will place it on an oak pedestal.

The finished capstan:

[cog]

marvelous detail, nice tutorial

[G.L.]

On 7/6/2019 at 10:14 AM, cog said:

marvelous detail, nice tutorial

Thank you, Carl.

[G.L.]

22.  All kinds of stuff     
The cross section like it is described in the practicum is now finished. Before considering my model as completely finished, I will add some small things to give it a more personal touch.

22.1 Navigation lighting
Navigation lights are shown on several pictures of smacks, so I will make an attempt to make also a starboard and port light.

I am not a metal specialist like a lot of you, so it will be a bit improvising. I hope the imperfections of the lights won't catch the eye to much in the whole of the model.
The different parts, I will use a disused red and green led light (they will not be able to light).

The led light in its brass housing.

The roof of the lamp soldered on top of it. The excesses will be filed off.

The starboard and the port light.

The navlight boxes are made of ice-lolly sticks.

I attach them at the shrouds with copper clamps.

The port navigation light:

Edited July 13, 2019 by G.L.

[G.L.]

22.2 Gratings

The two compartments at both sides of the middle passageway  are net- and rope stores. The ;trawl warp - and rope fender storage in the center of the cross section are provided with gratings; to be consequent I make also gratings for those forward stores.

[G.L.]

22.3 Blocks and lines.

At each side of the hound pieces is a block attached. A double sheaves block at the starboard side for the boom topping lift  and a triple sheaves block for the hoisting line for the cod end of the trawl.

At the bottom the hoisting line is going through a double sheave block, hooked on a deck ring at the port side and I lead the loose end through the sheave post, wind it a couple of times around the capstan and belay it on the sheave post.

Due to the lack of a boom on the model, I hook the lower block on a deck ring besides the bow of the boat and belay the loose end on the pin rail.

To make the use of the strange hook at the mast above the shrouds clear. I attach a three sheaves bock on it. That block is meant to guide the main sail halyard.

[cog]

I thought: "Cool we get light on the section build" Poor chance now you have cut off the leads ... what a pitty.

[G.L.]

Electricity and I are not a good match, Carl. 

I also consider that two lighting navigation lamps wouldn't give a lot of added value to the model. It would be difficult to hide the wires from that position anyway.

[Moab]

As I've said before; your craftsmanship is inspiring and the build a joy to follow... Moab

[G.L.]

On 7/14/2019 at 4:38 PM, Moab said:

As I've said before; your craftsmanship is inspiring and the build a joy to follow... Moab

Thank you very much for your kind words, Moab.

[G.L.]

24. The display board

I guess this will be the last part of my building log.
Here you see an almost two decade old picture from the time I was captain of the navy sail training ship. The picture is made in the navy yard in Zeebrugge during the winter maintenance of the ship. This picture gives a good idea of what I have in mind with the display board. I want to present my cross section on blocks like it would be laying in a dry dock.

I suppose that the floor of a dry dock in the twenties was a not a nice flat surface in concrete as it is in the navy dock yard, so I will cover my floor with cobblestones.

I start with sawing a board of 12 mm MDF plate.

Then I coat it with white wood glue and on top of it I roll out modeling paste to a thin layer of two to three to mm thick with a rolling pin. I wipe the surface smooth with a wet sponge.

I made a wooden punch with the sizes of the cobblestones (± scale 1/20) and start stamping until the whole surface is covered with small squares. I try as much as possible to interchange the grouts between the stones in each row.

When the whole board is done. The paste may dry and some days later lightly sanded to get rid of sharp ridges.

Then I paint the whole surface with black acrylic paint. I make sure that all groves between the stones are covered with paint.

When the black paint is dry I dry brush it with gray paint to simulate the granite color of the stones and then here and there with some green hues for some moss and weeds between the stones.

Finally, I give the board an oak frame and varnish the whole board with mate varnish.

Now I make the blocks. The keel of the cross section will stand on three piles of blocks. Gluing the piles:

Lining up the piles on the display board and making the spacers.

Determine the positions of the side piles. I use a spirit level to check if the model is standing horizontally.

Gluing the side staples.

Finishing the side staples. They are bolted together with small brass plates and brass nails which are blackened.  The wood of all bocks is stained with pepper color wood stain and mate varnished.

The display board, completed with name plates.

and the model standing on its seat.

My local modeling friends were the first to see and to judge the completed cross section of the fishing smack during our monthly meeting.

 

During next days I will make some detail pictures of the cross section and load them in the gallery section.

[Baker]

Great work on the dry dock (and the cross section of course).

The navy sail training ship, was this the Zenobe gramme??

 

[cog]

Very well done. I really do like your display. In all a build which was fun, creative, and educational. Thanks for sharing

[Sea Hoss]

Fantastic work!

[FriedClams]

Congratulations on the completion of your beautiful model G.L   Your methods and approach to modeling are ingenious, effective and the results drip with authenticity.  I enjoyed your log and will miss the updates.  Thank you for sharing this with us.

 

Gary

[mtaylor]

Well done, G.L.  The drydock really adds something to the appearance. 

[G.L.]

On 7/20/2019 at 1:31 PM, Backer said:

Great work on the dry dock (and the cross section of course).

The navy sail training ship, was this the Zenobe gramme??

 

Yes Patrick, it was BNS Zénobe Gramme (A958).

I had command of the ship during 4 years, the most exiting years of my career.

[G.L.]

On 7/21/2019 at 10:54 AM, cog said:

Very well done. I really do like your display. In all a build which was fun, creative, and educational. Thanks for sharing

 

22 hours ago, Sea Hoss said:

Fantastic work!

 

18 hours ago, FriedClams said:

Congratulations on the completion of your beautiful model G.L   Your methods and approach to modeling are ingenious, effective and the results drip with authenticity.  I enjoyed your log and will miss the updates.  Thank you for sharing this with us.

 

Gary

 

7 hours ago, mtaylor said:

Well done, G.L.  The drydock really adds something to the appearance. 

 

 

 Thank you Carl, Sea Hoss, Gary and Mark, It was also great fun to me to build the model. I am very glad that you liked my log. I hope that I can interest you with new projects in the future.

[G.L.]

I made some detail pictures of the cross section. They can be watched in the gallery.

[Mirabell61]

Very impressive build Geert,

Also had a look into your pics of the gallery, very nice fotos as well !

 

Nils

[G.L.]

Thank you Nils.

[Speedy]

Very nice.

Björn

[G.L.]

On 7/22/2019 at 5:45 PM, Speedy said:

Very nice.

Björn

Thanks Björn

[G.L.]

The last episode in the smack cross section story is the evaluation of the model during the model discussion of the modeling club last Friday. There the evaluators are much more demanding than my local modeling friends of post 196. The model discussion is moderated by a senior modeler with a lot of experience and a critical eye.

The author of the cross section handout was also present (right on the picture below). Before his retirement he was a ship carpenter. My model is thus a bit his spiritual child, he examines it with a lot of attention for detail.
In general all comments were positive.

[Jorge Hedges]

Beautiful work!!!  Level of detail on both the build and your log are perfect!  Thank you for sharing this unique piece of work!