Albatros by Dr PR - Mantua - Scale 1:48 - Revenue Cutter kitbash about 1815

[John Ruy]

5 hours ago, Dr PR said:

This build has been a learning experience!

Phil,

Following your build log has been a true learning experience. Thank you for documenting the details of your thought  processes as well as your construction techniques. Awesome! 😎

[Dr PR]

John,

 

Thanks! I am glad you find these posts useful.

[Dr PR]

I have been working on the pivot gun tackle. It is a 12 pounder, so the blocks and rope are larger and easier to handle than for the 6 pound carriage guns. The blocks are 5/32 inch (4 mm) and the rope is 0.018 inch (0.45 mm). The hooks are 4 mm. The breech line is 0.035 inch (0.88 mm).

 

The method for rigging the blocks was pretty much the same as for the 3/16 inch blocks used on the carriage guns. First I ran a short piece of the rope through the eye of the hook and then tied a knot of small stuff (0.0025 inch/0.6 mm silk thread) around the rope as seizing. A small amount of white glue (school glue or PVA) was added to the knot and allowed to dry. Then the excess small stuff was cut off.

 

Then glue was applied to the sides and end of the block and the rope was pulled tight around the block. After the glue set a drop of glue was added to the other end of the block and the rope strands were folded over. After the glue dried the excess rope ends were cut off.

 

 

The procedure was similar for blocks with an eye opposite the hook for the standing end of tackle to attach to. After the rope ends had been glued to the sides of the block, one end was folded over the end and glued. After the glue dried the excess was cut off. The other end remained straight.

 

A "U" shaped brass wire tool was inserted in a hole in the block (see picture). The remaining rope end was looped around the longer end of the wire and  back across the end of the block. The loop was then secured with a knot of small stuff. A drop of glue was placed on the knot and on the end of the block to hold the rope end. After the glue set the tool was removed and the loose ends were trimmed off.

 

 

 

The standing end of the tackle  rope was looped through the eye on a block and secured with a knot of small stuff. Then one end of the small stuff was wound around the rope and tied off again to form the seizing.  The seizing was covered with white glue and allowed to dry.

 

Edit: I think it isn't necessary to tie the eye on the end opposite the hook. You can just use a pin to create an opening between the block and the strap. Then you can run the standing end of the tackle between the block and the strap and create an eye in the standing part.

 

Here is a photo of the pivot gun tackle and another of the entire pivot gun. The falls remain loose because I haven't decided how I will secure them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I prepared the breech rope cut splice for the cannon cascobel as described earlier in post #59:

 

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/19611-albatros-by-dr-pr-mantua-scale-148-revenue-cutter-kitbash-about-1815/?do=findComment&comment=650378

 

The other ends of the breech rope were secured to ring bolts in the pivot slide with double seizings.

 

 

 

 

I will rig the tackle for the pivot gun turntable similar to the gun tackle after I have painted the bottom of the hull (I don't want the gun sitting high on the deck while I am working with the hull inverted). I think I will use a luff tackle (single and double blocks) instead of a gun tackle (two single blocks) because it would take a lot more force to drag the turntable around than to just move the gun on the slide.

 

Here is a photo of the (almost) completed guns.

 

 

 

Edited March 19 by Dr PR

[John Ruy]

3 hours ago, Dr PR said:

Here is a photo of the (almost) completed guns.

Excellent work… 

[Dr PR]

I have completed the pivot gun rigging. I decided to loop the gun tackle falls on the sides of the carriage. I have seen drawings and photos of this configuration. I added the pivot table tackle - a luff tackle configuration, and just looped the falls on the deck inside the circular rail. For this I have started adding the ring bolts to the deck. There will be a couple dozen more for the standing and running rigging.

 

 

Some builds show four sets of tackle for the pivot table - one on each corner - but a bit of thought will tell you only two are necessary. They are shown in a stowage position with the gun aligned on the center line. They can be unhooked and reconnected to any of six ring bolts arranged around the gun to position it at any angle.

 

I will unhook the pivot table tackle and remove the gun assembly (and all other deck furniture) while I am working on painting the hull bottom.

 

I found another problem with using the alcohol based leather dye on the blocks - a very bad idea! On the lower left double block of the pivot table tackle you can see where I brushed on some shellac to stiffen the rope. The dye in the block wicked up the rope, leaving a nasty brown stain. This has been a learning experience! I should have used the white glue instead of shellac. Better still, I should have painted the blocks!

Edited September 24, 2023 by Dr PR

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

39 minutes ago, Dr PR said:

alcohol based leather dye on the blocks

Ouch! That’s bad luck. 😔

 

Thanks for the warning. 

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

46 minutes ago, Dr PR said:

but a bit of thought will tell you only two are necessary

I suppose that would depend upon the weight of the gun, friction in the mounting and available men to work them, but I can imagine four tackles getting in an awful mess. 

[Dr PR]

Jack,

 

When turning the pivot table you would only pull on one or two of the corners to turn it, and maybe push on the other two. Seems to me that if you had four tackles two would always be in the way and getting tangled up.

 

Another thing to remember is that things happened much more slowly two centuries ago. A tall ship with sails aloft would be visible for 10-15 miles from the deck of another ship, or more from the mast top. Those ships moved at 6-8 knots max, so even if the two ships were sailing directly at each other at their best speed it would be an hour or two before they closed enough to duke it out with the short range cannons of the day. It wasn't necessary to be able to run out the guns and rotate the pivot gun quickly. There was plenty of time to load the guns and set the sails to maneuver for the best advantage.

 

Today you get only a minute or less warning when a wave skimming supersonic missile pops up over the horizon. Reaction time has to be just a few seconds instead of hours!

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

1 hour ago, Dr PR said:

Another thing to remember is that things happened much more slowly two centuries ago. A tall ship with sails aloft would be visible for 10-15 miles from the deck of another ship, or more from the mast top. Those ships moved at 6-8 knots max, so even if the two ships were sailing directly at each other at their best speed it would be an hour or two before they closed enough to duke it out with the short range cannons of the day. It

Aye, very true. Trafalgar was a perfect example of that. Being a physical coward myself, I can’t imagine how it felt watching the battle approaching all morning at walking pace. I’d have been a wreck! 
 

I neglected to mention how much I like your model. You have done a fine job of this fascinating vessel. 

Edited September 12, 2023 by Jack-in-the-Blue

[ccoyle]

On 9/9/2023 at 1:13 AM, Dr PR said:

The dye in the block wicked up the rope, leaving a nasty brown stain.

 

Fortunately, it's not overly noticeable, and will be even less so at stand-off viewing distances.

[Dr PR]

John, Jack and Chris,

 

Thanks for your comments.

 

Keep in mind that this is 1) a "theoretical" version of a revenue cutter, and 2) that I have discovered several errors in my work - all part of the learning experience. In fact, I am enjoying the learning more than the building.

Edited September 12, 2023 by Dr PR

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

45 minutes ago, Dr PR said:

I am enjoying the learning more than the building

 

I have the same approach to the hobby. It makes wonderful brain food.

[Dr PR]

I have been preparing for rigging the masts and bowsprit, finishing details like cleats for the anchor rigging and such. Part of the job is to go back through my drawings to determine rope and block sizes for all the rigging.

 

I started with the futtock shrouds on the mast tops. These have deadeyes at the ends of the crosstrees and ropes that lead down to the futtock necklaces around the mast below the cheeks.

 

 

I wanted to use deadeyes that were smaller than the 5 mm parts I used on the channels. I looked around and found some Amati 3 mm boxwood deadeyes. These turned out to be 3.4 mm diameter, but this is good enough. I plan to use these at a dozen or more places where there are lines and stays that require periodic retensioning, so I ordered two bags of 20. That was a good thing, because there were no two pieces alike! Some have holes that are not symmetrically placed, and in some the holes are absurdly close together. Looks like they were drilled by hand! I was able to pick out 16 that were reasonably symmetrical and close enough to be used together for the shrouds. Maybe I can find enough pairs that are similar enough  to finish the nine lines on the bowsprit.

 

****

 

I am also working on attaching the blocks and deadeyes for the bowsprit assembly before it is attached to the hull. First up on that job was making the traveller for the flying jib stay. I consulted Lees, Marquardt and Lever to determine the size and type of traveller suitable for a small vessel. The ring diameter should be 1 1/4 times the diameter of the jib boom, and the wire should be between 0.013" (0.33 mm) and 0.026" (0.66 mm) at 1:48 scale. The jib boom is 0.14" (3.56 mm) diameter at the bowsprit cap, so the traveller ring should be about 0.175" (4.45 mm) inside diameter. I decided to use 0.020" (0.5 mm) hard brass rod for the ring, shackle and hook.

 

This stuff is pretty small, and the shackle was something of a challenge. I used a 0.024" (0.6 mm) drill bit inserted into a pin vise with the shaft sticking out as a mandrel for shaping the eyes on the shackle and hook. A 0.044" (1.1 mm) bit in another pin vise was the mandrel for forming the "U" of the shackle. A 11/64" (0.172 ", 4.4 mm) drill bit was the mandrel for shaping the traveller ring. I used chain nosed pliers to start the eyes and normal needle nose pliers to finish bending the wire around the drill bits. After the eyes were formed they were soldered closed using 60:40 tin/lead resin core solder (what I have on hand) and a citric acid liquid flux.

 

Note: After the shackle and hook were added to the ring the assembly is a bit too tight fit around the jib boom at its widest point near the bowsprit cap. I should have used the next largest drill bit (3/16", 0.187", 4.7 mm) for the mandrel to make the traveller ring.

 

 

 

I have seen master modelers turn out tiny shackles in quantity, every one a perfect replica, but this was my first attempt and I wasn't sure what I would get.  I think the results are OK for this project.

 

The next step was to solder the ring closed - with the hook inside the shackle, and both on the ring. I washed the traveller in warm water to remove the liquid flux, then washed in acetone to remove the resin flux from the solder. Then I etched it with white vinegar for a while. After washing and drying I used a five minute soak in a 50:50 mixture of Birchwood Casey Brass Black and water to finish it.

 

 

 

The results are interesting. I seem to have discovered a way to "antique" the metal. Rather than the dull black I expected, the part looked like it had been dredged up from the mud over a centuries old shipwreck! But after wiping it a bit with a paper towel it looks pretty good on the jib boom. I'll keep it!

Edited October 22, 2023 by Dr PR

[Gregory]

2 minutes ago, Dr PR said:

After washing and drying I used a 50:50 mixture of Birchwood Casey Brass Black to finish it.

What was the other 50 ?

[Dr PR]

Gregory,

 

It was plain tap water. Several other modelers have recommended diluting the Brass Black 50:50 with water to avoid excess flaking. And I found 5 minutes was long enough to blacken brass and tin/lead solder. Then there still is some black that will rub off the parts, but not much.

 

Some people "pickle" the parts in warm Sparex #2 (sodium bisulfate) instead of vinegar to give the parts some "tooth." That might result in a more uniform finish, but I haven't tried that yet (I do have a package of Sparex on hand).

[Gregory]

Good info.  The finish really looks good.

[Dr PR]

More work on the masts and bowsprit in preparation for starting the rigging.

 

First are the trucks at the mast tops. These are about 0.20 inch or 5 mm diameter and are supposed to have two sheaves for raising flags and pennants. I just made two pairs of holes and cut a channel between them to simulate the sheave.

 

The material is 1/16 inch (1.58 mm) aircraft plywood - I tried making them out of regular wood and it kept splitting as I was drilling and shaping them. I didn't have 1/16 inch plywood, but I did have 1/32 inch (0.8 mm) plywood, so I glued two pieces together.

 

It took several attempts to get three pieces  - one spare in case another one disappeared.

 

 

The mast tops have a bunch of blocks for running rigging attached to them. I wanted to get these in place before installing the spars and booms (yet to be made) and placing the shrouds.

 

Rigging the tiny blocks is tedious! I used Syren rope (on the metal thimble) for the pendants and Syren hooks. The seizing is a very tiny (0.005 inch or 0.13 mm) black line (small stuff) that I got years ago with some model kit - maybe even this one. I tie an overhand knot around the ropes and add a drop of white glue. Then I wrap (serve) the line around the rope and finish the seizing with another overhand knot. The seizing is then soaked in white glue and after it dries the ends of the rope and seizing are trimmed.

 

Here is the top of the fore mast. The main mast top is a work in progress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The large (5/16 inch or 8 mm) double block for the gaff peak halliard caused a bit of a problem. The 5 mm hook fit loosely into the hole in the mast band, and could be shaken off fairly easily. I tried mousing it but the knot kept slipping off (this is pretty small work).

 

Here is my solution. I tied an overhand knot of the 0.005 inch (0.13mm) small stuff around the hook, and then another overhand knot around the mast band eye. A small drop of white glue secured the knots.

 

The knots were positioned so they are under the hook and mast band when the block is rigged, and will not be visible. Here you can see the loose ends of the small stuff while the glue dried. Then the ends were trimmed back to the knots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I was working on all of the small parts I also painted the bottom of the hull. I used a mixture  of white paint with a drop of yellow to simulate the tallow/whitelead/turpentine mix used on small vessels.

 

 

I have put this off while making all the deck furniture, cannons and masts because the hull was handled quite a bit. But this needed to be done before adding the anchors and starting the rigging.

Edited October 2, 2023 by Dr PR

[John Ruy]

7 hours ago, Dr PR said:

Here you can see the loose ends of the small stuff while the glue dried. Then the ends were trimmed back to the knots.

Awesome work on those details…

[Dr PR]

John,

 

Thanks!

 

There will now be a slight delay while I do the taxes for a non-profit I am Treasurer for. Form 990 makes all the other tax returns I have done (1040, Form C, Form R, etc.) look simple. About 120 pages of instructions and 12-15 pages of forms including schedules. It is very tricky and will take at least a week, sometimes two.

Edited October 3, 2023 by Dr PR

[John Ruy]

7 hours ago, Dr PR said:

John,

 

Thanks!

 

There will now be a slight delay while I do the taxes for a non-profit I am Treasurer for. Form 990 makes all the other tax returns I have done (1040, Form C, Form R, etc.) look simple. about 120 pages of instructions and 12-15 pages of forms including schedules. It is very tricky and will take at least a week, sometimes two.

Sounds tedious… 😆

[Dr PR]

Free at last, free at last!!! Taxes are done and now I can get back to important things like ship modeling!

 

Only some small progress to report. I am adding rigging to the mast and bowsprit that will be easier to install before the assemblies are added to the hull permanently. Lots of blocks and such.

 

I have actually installed the bowsprit onto the ship, and am working on the stays. One thing I needed to do was make tools for setting the spacing between deadeyes. The vessel has 5 mm deadeyes on the channels and 3.5 mm deadeyes in the tops and in some rigging on the bowsprit. Here are photos of the tools. I saw this in another post on the forum and it is an easy and simple way to achieve constant spacing.

 

 

I selected brass wire a bit smaller diameter than the holes in the deadeyes, twisted two pieces together and soldered them. Then I shaped and cut them to space the deadeyes the desired amount - 0.75" (19 mm) for the 5 mm deadeyes, and 0.5" (13  mm) for the 3.5 mm parts. You can't get much simpler than that!

 

Here are photos of the tool in use.

 

 

These deadeyes are on the bobstay. The bobstay deadeye is part of a collar with deadeyes on either side for the bowsprit shrouds. The tool was used to position the left side deadeye while the bobstay was secured around it with seizing. Then the tool was removed and the lashings added to draw the stay taut. The free end of the lashing was looped around the stay and the end secured with a lashing. With this the rigging of the bowsprit has commenced!

 

Note: I wondered if the lanyards should be dark brown like the stays, or lighter tan like the running rigging. The general opinion on the forum is that they are the lighter color. I consulted several of the standard references and did not find an answer. However, lashings must be fairly limber to be able to pull them through the deadeyes, hearts, thimbles and such (Lever says to grease the lanyards good so they can be pulled very tight), so they are considered running rigging. The ropes of the running rigging are tarred as they are made, but no extra tar has to be added before use. The running rigging wears out and is occasionally replaced, so it is typically light in color. In contrast, the more permanent standing rigging periodically was retarred for protection from the elements and was usually darker.

Edited October 24, 2023 by Dr PR

[Dr PR]

I have finished the bowsprit standing rigging. There are probably as many variations on this as there were ships, but the configuration I am using was found on some smaller vessels.

 

 

 

You can see the octagonal bowsprit housing in this photo, with the heel stepped between the two bits. I added two cleats for belaying miscellaneous lines. I had to wait until the bowsprit was installed to add these because they wouldn't pass through the hole in the bow. The open heart for the forestay also could be installed only as the bowsprit was being put into place.

 

I found this Amati cast metal figure on line, and use it to show the scale. However, it is a peculiar size - 35 mm high. At 1:48 this makes the fellow about 5.6 feet tall (1,7 meters) with hat, or about 5.2 feet without the hat. So it is really about a 1:55 scale figure, assuming the fellow is 5' 6" tall (1,7 meters).

 

Why would anyone make a 1:55 scale figure?? Either people were shorter 200 years ago, or perhaps this is a midshipman! Perhaps it is Napoleon's cousin? Anyway, it does give a general idea of the size of things. I would like to find an actual 1:48 scale (O scale) figure 35-38 mm without hat or 37-40 mm with hat.

 

The gammmoning fastens the bowsprit to the knee on the stem or head of the ship.

 

The jib boom guys attach to the catheads with 3.5 mm deadeyes. Some vessels used hearts and others used thimbles. The lanyards are half the diameter of the guys or shrouds and are belayed by taking a few turns around the guy and securing with seizing.

 

The bowsprit shrouds (port and starboard) are secured to eyebolts below the catheads. The eyebolts below the hawse openings will secure the jib stay (stbd) and preventer (port). Below these the martingale backstays (P & S) attach to eyebolts with deadeyes and lanyards. The bobstay is doubled, passing through a hole in the stem and secured with seizing.

 

The bowsprit head is the belaying point for several lines. The martingale (dolphin striker) is attached to the bowsprit cap. At the bottom end is a metal fitting where the two martingale backstays are secured on the aft side (left in the photo). On the fore side the aft end of the martingale stay is belayed. The other end has an eye looped around the end of the jib boom. You can see the traveler on the jib boom and the sheave in the base of the boom for the jib boom outhaul (not rigged). The deadeye on the starboard side of the front of the bowsprit cap is for the foretop stay. The flying jib stay (traveler outhaul) tackle will attach on the port side of the bowsprit cap.

 

 

The most complex part of the rigging is the bobstay collar. This has three deadeyes attached to it. The port and starboard deadeyes are for the bowsprit shrouds. The center deadeye is for the bobstay. I made the collar a bit too loose. It is supposed to fit tight in front of the three thumb cleats attached to the bowsprit, but you can see that it actually rides over the two thumb cleats on the sides of the bowsprit, and is hooked in front of the top one only.

 

Here are a couple more pictures to show scale, with the 12 pounder pivot gun on the left and a 6 pounder carriage gun on the right.

 

 

And finally, a photo of the entire ship as it stands today. The masts have not been installed permanently. I am still working on some of the rigging that will be easier to attach with the masts off the ship.

 

 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by Dr PR

[Dr PR]

I have installed the starboard anchor.

 

 

 

This anchor is secured to the rail with the shank painter and the stopper ropes. These lines are secured to timber heads on the rails and belayed to cleats on the bulwark. When secured this way the anchor cable is detached and stowed, and the cat tackle is not attached.

 

I haven't installed the port anchor yet - it is just sitting on deck for size reference. I am planning to have it in a position supported by the fish davit and fish tackle attached to the fore tackle. The anchor cable will be attached and the head of the anchor supported by the cat tackle attached to the ring. This would be the configuration for hoisting the anchor up to the position on the rail while weighing anchor. I have discussed this rig in  this link:

 

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/27410-small-ship-anchor-handling/?do=findComment&comment=787942

 

I have also been working on the tiller tackle for steering the ship.

 

 

I should say that this configuration is a bit speculative for the early 1800s. It is in use today on the vessel Lady Washington, but I do not know when this exact arrangement came into use. It was common to have tackle attached to the tiller as far back as the early 1700s. Some models and drawings show two separate tackles attached to port and starboard sides, with the falls led forward and belayed. But I have seen photos of a model of a topsail schooner from the early 1800s with this rig, although I have no idea how accurate it is.

 

The tiller tackle serves two purposes. First, it acts as a shock absorber to absorb forces generated in following seas when waves slap the rudder and swing the tiller. The friction of the ropes running through the blocks and the mechanical advantage of the tackle reduce the rate of the tiller swing, making it easier for the helmsman to control the tiller (and get out of the way as it swings). The tackle could also be used to steer the vessel by hauling on the appropriate fall and slacking the opposite.

 

The rig shown here accomplished both tasks. When the helmsman pushes on the tiller line feeds from the tackle on one side and into the tackle on the opposite side. This reduces the rate the tiller swings, but also give mechanical advantage to the helmsman against the forces of the waves. In modern rigs a latch is attached to the top of the tiller where the line crosses. Pressure on the latch slows the rate of tiller swing, and if the latch is secured hard on the line it serves as an "iron mike" to hold the rudder at a steady angle.

Edited October 25, 2023 by Dr PR

[Dr PR]

Before I can finish the rigging on the mast tops I need to check some dimensions with the gaffs and boom. So making these was the next project.

 

 

 

 

I took spar lengths from the model rigging plan and created a 2D CAD drawing using the prototype spar dimensions from Marquardt's The Global Schooner. I think these dimensions are probably more accurate for schooners than the square rig spar dimensions from other books. The parts were carved out of square dowel stock.

 

If you haven't tried making masts and spars this way it is something to consider. It is very simple and quick.

 

First I drew the spar outlines in pencil on the faces of the square dowels. Then I used a small plane to remove most of the excess material - this produces a lot less sanding dust than trying to just sand the stock down to size. The final shaping was done by sanding on coarse sandpaper.

 

After the square cross section spars are done the edges are shaved off with the plane to create an octagonal cross section. With small spars like these I them just finished rounding the pieces with sandpaper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The photo above shows the rough shaped spars and the stock they were carved from. Below are the rounded spars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next were the jaws for the boom and gaffs. I printed the drawing of the spars and cut out the part with the jaws. After cutting out the jaw pattern I used it as a template to pencil in the outline of the jaws on thin pieces of plywood.

 

Again, this was made by gluing two pieces of 1/32 inch (0.8 mm) model aircraft plywood together and allowing the glue to harden overnight. It is easier to carve small details without the wood breaking with the plywood than with just a thin piece of wood.

 

Two of each jaw pattern were made. However, tough as the plywood is, one piece broke and I had to make another one to finish the job.

 

 

 

The pieces were glued together with Duco cement. This is an acetone based solution of nitrocellulose. It dries quickly and sets in a few seconds. I followed the instructions and coated the mating surfaces with glue and let it dry, Then I added a new layer of glue and clamped the pieces together. It set firmly in less than a minute and made a strong bond. After curing overnight I sanded the parts and coated them with shellac to seal the wood. I will add metal bands around the jaws and spars, and some additional details later. But for now I can use the pieces to measure the length of some of the mast rigging (throat halliards in particular).

Edited October 29, 2023 by Dr PR

[Dr PR]

Some authors say that masts were protected from chafing by booms and gaffs with a metal plate. I decided to try this on this model. The catch was trying to determine the proper location on the masts without having the rigged gaffs in place. But after the gaffs were (mostly) finished I could measure the length of the throat halliard tackle with the gaffs in position. Then I determined the dimensions of the metal sheets.

 

I searched through my metals stash for very thin material, and found some special metal sheets that were only 0.0035 to 0.004 inches (0.09 to 0.1 mm) thick. After the paint was scraped off the area the metal was shaped to fit around the mast and then glued (Duco cement) in place.

 

 

After the glue dried and a bit of touch-up paint on the masts the gaff jaws were filed to slip over the metal plates. Here are photos of the fore mast and main mast with the metal in place. The metal plates wrap 3/4 of the circumference on the aft sides of the masts.

 

 

 

I discovered that I made the main boom topping lift pendants too short, based upon my original drawings that showed the gaff hoisted too high on the mast. You can see on the right that the blocks hang down to about where the gaff will be. They should be somewhat lower so they don't bump on the gaff. Well, if you have done much scratch building you know that a lot of the work will have to be repeated! Could be worse!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the boom rest on the main mast with the jaws of the boom in position.

 

 

 

 

There is still a lot of work to do on the boom and gaffs. There are metal bands around the jaws, and I intend to drill through the jaws and mast and pin them together with wire for added strength. And there are several cleats, thumb cleats, metal bands and ring bolts still to be attached.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And what was that "special metal" that I used for the chafing plates? Well, it is something I have in nearly unlimited supply and it is very easy to work with. But oddly, I do not recall ever using it before.

 

 

 

You can see the original source here, around the top of the wine bottle. It is the metal alloy used to seal the bottle. Just cut it off and roll it out. I sanded the painted side to get better "tooth" for the glue to adhere to.

 

Cheers!

 

 

Edited October 30, 2023 by Dr PR

[John Ruy]

Nice! I’ve been tossing an excellent source of fine metals for years.
 

 Cheers🍷 

 

[Dr PR]

John,

 

I don't know if I would call it a "fine" metal, but so far it has been in abundant supply. I guess it's greatest virtue is that it is soft and easy to work. Of course, that property rules it out for many jobs.

 

I have noticed that the thickness varies quite a bit from winery to winery. And some companies are using plastic, so the metal seals may go the way of the wine cork.

[georgeband]

I made the galley chimney for Whiting from the same type of foil, though it was black on my bottle. It is a pleasant material to work with and I have also used it for 1/1200 scale sails. I keep a small supply in case it ever gets replaced by plastic. 

An alternative that I am planning for the masts when I eventually get to them is to bend copper plates left over from the hull. 

 

I am most impressed by the quality of your build, Phil. Well done indeed. 

 

George

[Dr PR]

George,

 

Rothschild! Brother. You move in different circles from me!

 

The black metal would be very nice for most ship modelling (and model railroading) purposes. I guess if I want the black metal foil I'll have to move up to more expensive wines.

 

Many (30-40) years back I used the small metal tins that held tubular glass fuses. I'm not sure what alloy it was, but some type of steel. It was very thin and easy to cut and form, and it soldered OK. Now everything seems to come in plastic.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Dr PR

[Dr PR]

Here is a bit more work on the gaff and boom jaws.

 

 

I thought I might drill through the jaws and spars edge on an insert a metal pin, but the 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) wood is pretty thin. I would have to hand drill straight with a pin vise for 1/4 inch (5 mm) or so without coming out through the upper/lower surface. The probability of doing that successfully a half dozen times or more seemed pretty low.

 

I did add the metal bands around the jaws and spars, and that gives the assemblies enough strength. First I notched the jaw edges and spars slightly with a small square needle file to accept 0.050" (1.27 mm) wide 0.005" (0.13 mm) thick brass strips. I didn't blacken the brass first because there was a lot of bending that would just scratch it and I wanted to solder the ends of the strips to fasten them in place. The strips were formed around the jaws and removed so the ends were tinned. Then the metal pieces were slipped into place, clamped and the solder was reheated to form the bond. After this I used forceps and a tiny chisel point to crimp the strip down and around the curved spar. This produced a very tight fit around the jaws. I repainted the wooden parts with the straw color of the masts and allowed a bit of paint to flow under the brass where it would to "glue" the strips in place. Then the bands were painted with flat black enamel.

 

The trick to working with thin brass to form it around something like this is to get very sharp bends around the corners. For this I used needle nose pliers to make the initial bends. Then I wrapped the piece around the edge of a 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) piece of metal and used a small hammer and anvil to make very sharp bends.

 

Here is how I get the 0.050 inch (1.27 mm) brass strips (or strips of any desired width). This will work with brass sheets as thick as 0.010 inch (0.25 mm) thick.

 

 

First I use calipers to scribe a light scratch the desired distance from the straight side of the brass sheet. This is then used to align a steel ruler along the scratch. The ruler is clamped into place, with the clamps also holding the brass sheet tight on top of a sacrificial cutting surface (scrap cardboard). Then an ordinary #11 hobby knife is run along the edge of the ruler, pressing down firmly, to cut into the metal (don't use a new blade). After seven or eight passes the blade will cut through 0.005 inch brass. About twice as many passes are needed for 0.010 inch brass.

 

 

The knife produces a slight raised edge along the cut. You can remove this with a file or sand paper.

 

With this trick you can have any dimension brass strips with only a stock of thin brass sheets. Of course it will work with other soft metals (aluminum, lead alloys, etc.) but I wouldn't try it with ordinary steel thicker than 0.001 - 0.002 inch (0.025 - 0.05 mm). I wouldn't try cutting stainless steel of any thickness this way.

 

Some modelers use a paper cutter to cut thin metal, but unless you can clamp the sheet firmly to the cutting board the cutter edge will try to turn the sheet and you will get an uneven width piece with a curved edge (been there, done that).

Edited October 31, 2023 by Dr PR