Colonial Sloop Providence by KenW - 1:48 - Finished

[KenW]

Thanks Gary.  I see in your "Downeast Salmon Wherry", that you are the oars expert.  Your work is truly fantastic.

Cheers.

[KenW]

I made the “crane irons over the quarters for oars”; as mentioned in the article, “The Ships of John Paul Jones”, by William Gilkerson in the Fall 1978 issue of, “Sea History”. His source was “A British intelligence report” describing the Providence/Katy in 1775.  So, I designed and made two “crane Irons”, for each side and I hope they look right.  The iron pieces are attached to the fore and aft swivel posts on both sides.  I wonder, however, if I should make more irons so that there will be four per side.  What I have looks fine, but I wonder if that’s enough to hold the oars in heavy seas.  Two more irons on the ‘middle’ swivel posts might make the oars more secure.  I’ve got to think about it.

 

[lmagna]

You know the research as well as anyone Ken but I personally would think that four, one at each swivel post would be better than just two, especially as there is so little overhang with your oars. This would make them hard to secure with just two cranes at the ends.

 

Your work is looking fantastic.

Edited April 23, 2021 by lmagna

[KenW]

Thanks Lou:  I agree and plan on making the additional cranes this afternoon.  The current setup just doesn't look right.  At least to my eye.

Thanks for the likes as well.

Cheers.

[KenW]

I decided that I didn’t like the look of only two ‘iron cranes’ per side.  It seems too flimsy.  So I made 4 more so there will now be one crane on each swivel support.  The result looks much better.

 

 

[Mike_In_RI]

Hi Ken, the crane irons look quite authentic. Just curious, are they metal, etc. ?

 

Mike

 

 

[KenW]

Thanks Mike: 

Yes they are made from 3/32 wide 1/64 K&S brass strip (#815021 Flat bar).

Thanks too for the 'likes'.

Edited April 25, 2021 by KenW
Just to correct my prevous entry

[KenW]

My first effort at making line with the Syren Rope Walker!  Actually my first effort was a total disaster so I don’t count that.  I’m using the Guttermann maro thread in a color that was part of my ‘test’ to determine which color I wanted to use.  I figure I can, if I get a first class line, use it on the bob stays since they will be served with the ‘chosen’ color.  Anyway, looks good so far; I’ll try again tomorrow.

    The Rope Walk set up diagonally in my small shipyard:

 

The first completed length of .035 line:

 

[Chuck]

Looks good Ken but go even tighter.    More initial twists and more final twists.....It will make a tighter lay of the rope and look even better.

[KenW]

Thanks Chuck.  Now I know why you don't like to make rope.  But I'll get used to it as I get more experienced.

I assume you mean "more initial twists" on the head end, and "more final twists" on the tail end of the rope walk.

Cheers.

[Chuck]

That is correct!!!

[KenW]

My second official batch is better than yesterday’s.  But, of course, rather than too loose, I think it’s probably too tight.

I didn’t feel the back pull on the line when spinning from the tail stock, but I moved it back, and then forward, anyway.  I tried to judge by how the rope twirled.  When I released the line, it did kink-up, so I take that to means it was too tight.  Check it out below.

[Mike_In_RI]

Quote

When I released the line, it did kink-up, so I take that to means it was too tight.  Check it out below.

Hi Ken, I don't see any (what I call ) kinks in that shot. That line looks pretty good to me albeit a bit "hard".... slightly too tight and looks stiff. By "kinks" do you mean the first twists got so tight it kinked into a little lump?

 

What formula (weight of thread, threads per strand, number of strands) did you use to get to .035"? Is .035" the size you want? Did it unravel?

 

Mike

Edited May 6, 2021 by Mike_In_RI

[lmagna]

Rope making is a new venue for me and to be honest I have never done it but your efforts look just fine to this untrained eye. If these are your rejects then I am pretty certain that I could find them a home!  

[Mike_In_RI]

Ken, I meant to mention... hard wound is good if one wants to control the shape a little while soft wound will drape the way it wants.

 

[Chuck]

Ken

 

thats much better and not to tight at all. It looks great. If it untwists a bit when you release it that is fine.  But remember only cut one ebe free and let it untwist until it stops.   Then it wont kink up.  You have to hold it while it untwists until the rope is in balance from the opposing tensions you put on it.  
 

that rope looks perfect.

[KenW]

Thanks Chuck.  The 'kinks' occur when I cut the tail stock loose.  I just rubbed them down with my fingers and they went away.  My latest was better.  I think I'm getting the hang of it.

Thanks Lou and Mike:  I use Gutermann Mara all purpose thread.  My first efforts were using Mara 30, three strands only.  Chuck's list has four strands to get a proper .035.  Tonight I tried making a four strand rope and it looks like the 'old' .035 thread.  I do think I need more practice, however.

Cheers.

[KenW]

Yesterday I made a real .035 line using 4 threads.  It makes the line I made before with 3 threads look maybe like a .030.  Today I made two lines of .025 using the Gutermann Mara 70 with 4 strands.  It looks fine, although the second was tighter (and better) than the first.  There is a difference working with the finer mara 70 thread, but I got used to it eventually.  I’m now able to make an 11 foot line in about 30 minutes.  The line today is using the proper color thread for running tarred line.

 

[KenW]

So now that I have made some adequate line; it’s time to use it.  The first use will be the various collars on the bow sprint.  I’m attaching a photo of the bob sprint and jib boom.  Also there is one collar for the bob sprint shroud, two collars for the two bob stays, one for the top mast and spreader braces, and one for the main mast stay.

 

[KenW]

All of the deadeyes, blocks and the open heart have been lashed to the bob sprint.  Then the bob sprint was glued into place and the two bobstays rigged.  Don’t worry, I corrected the placement of that pair of deadeyes for the bobstays.  I’m basing my rigging on the standing rigging plan done by Charles Wittholz for the 1976 replica.  He doesn’t have a dolphin striker, but has two bobstays instead.  That seemed like a good solution to me.

 

 

[KenW]

Quick update:  I added the bob sprint shrouds.  I followed the usual connections - a thimble and hook to an eye bolt in the hull, to a dead eye up at the end of the bob sprint. 

Pretty straight forward.

 

[KenW]

The boat is starting to look like a sailing ship.  I made the mast, boom and gaff.  I want to have furled sails on this model, as I’ve done on past models.  This means that the main sail will be furled with the gaff lowered. For that reason, I have to work on the mast from the bottom up.  First, the boom rest was added to the mast and the boom and gaff made.  Next I’ll make the main sail and its mast hoops.  Then the sail will be bent to the gaff. The gaff will then be lowered and the sail furled on the boom.  Because that involves sliding the mast hoops down the mast, I can’t make the mast top since the hoops won’t fit over it.  

I also encountered a problem with the gaff.  Usually the gaff is in its hoisted position.  But now it will be lowered and the gaff jaw must be as wide as the mast at its widest part.  The resulting jaw looks a little weird.  (The gaff is on the right.)

 

 

Now I want to consider whether I should paint the mast, boom and gaff black; as well as the jib boom.  I’m trying to visualize the effect of all the masts and yards in black. I haven’t decided.  I was even thinking of adding a little more black to the hull.  It is supposed to be a black boat. Please comment.

 

[TomShipModel]

Well done Ken.  Since, this isn't built to any particular establishment, the owner/skipper used their own preference.  Some blackening would have been likely.  In the Royal Navy of that time, both gaff and boom would have been blackened.  Maybe, blacken both spars at the jaws and at the end.

 

Tom

[KenW]

Thanks Tom.  The Providence models from the 1920s/1930s have various color patterns.  No clear consensus. 

“See” you at the meeting tomorrow.

 

[Mike_In_RI]

On 6/20/2021 at 12:00 PM, KenW said:

I’m trying to visualize the effect of all the masts and yards in black. I haven’t decided.  I was even thinking of adding a little more black to the hull. 

Hi Ken, this is Bromwell's black, 1926 build.    date edited

 

 

Mike

Edited June 21, 2021 by Mike_In_RI

[KenW]

Thanks Mike.

Thanks to all the 'Likes'.

Cheers.

[lmagna]

On 6/20/2021 at 9:00 AM, KenW said:

Now I want to consider whether I should paint the mast, boom and gaff black; as well as the jib boom.

Even though it may be more historically accurate, I think you would be disappointed if you use too much black. After all you will want to make your model pleasing to the eye as well. This most often involves adding some color where there may not have been any on the real ship. You have already added lighter sides above the wales and red in the bulwarks. Brownell went mostly black in the model Mike posted, but even he felt compelled to retain some wood color in his build and added the blue racing stripe along the quarterdeck, and deep red cap rails for some eye appeal.

 

I think that the contrast between your unfinished light woods and the black of the hull is what is making you consider going black on your masts and bowsprit. If you darkened your raw wood areas there shouldn't be so much contrast, and it may not bother you so much.

 

VERY clean and nice looking build though.

Edited June 26, 2021 by lmagna

[KenW]

Thanks Lou. 

Still thinking.

Cheers.

[KenW]

Next is to make the mainsail.  I’m following the advice of someone that you should always do as much as possible OFF the boat.  I noticed while doing my research that the holes I drilled in the boom and gaff jaws are wrong.  They should not be vertical, but horizontal.  So I used plastic wood to fill in the holes and drilled new ones.  I had to make a “channel” on the inside of the jaws in order to add the parrals.  I also added a block to the down-side for the mainsail outhaul rigging.  This follows pages 99 and 111 of Petersson’s “Period Fore-And-Aft Craft.  The block will be painted black as soon as the glue dries.

 

I made the mainsail from the Wittholz plans; however, while I kept the length, I shortened the height.  The sail was made from three layers of silk span.  The middle layer had the ‘laces’ drawn with a pencil.  The layers were glued together using white glue diluted with 10 parts water to 1 part glue.  I ordered the wooden hoops from the Syren Cheerful model and they fit just fine.  They were sown to the sail using a square lashing.  I learned lashing from my days as a boy scout many, many, many years ago.  I’m surprised I still remember how to do it.  This photo shows the sail sowed to the gaff and the hoops slid down onto a piece of dowel the same diameter as the bottom of the mast.  Next up is to furl that sail!

 

[lmagna]

Nice clean looking work Ken.

 

I saw the hull peeking out there in the background of the last shot!