Pegasus by hdrinker - 1:48 - POF - Swan practicum

[hdrinker]

I’m using Holly for the tree nails. Of all the stock I have, this seems to work best. Found bamboo difficult because of the nodes. Swiss Pear to brittle. Can’t get Juniper. Got the Holly down to 0.027” on average. Settled for that size.

HD

[hdrinker]

Nailing below starboard wale complete. Roughly 2K nails! Anyone know of a shrink who specializes in tree nail overload? 

[Kevin Kenny]

Way to go Henry

[mtaylor]

17 hours ago, hdrinker said:

Nailing below starboard wale complete. Roughly 2K nails! Anyone know of a shrink who specializes in tree nail overload?

We do have one for general shipaholic types...   Dr. Per.  He has a topic in Shore Leave for shipaholics.

[hdrinker]

Sign me up! Can’t quite face the other side for awhile. Planning on completing the starboard planking topsides for a diversion and then maybe the deck.

[hdrinker]

Starboard topsides installed. Tree nails pending.

[Kevin Kenny]

Smile, smile, smile

[hdrinker]

The process of making the tree nail dowels has proven a challenge, for sure. I agree with Kevin that the Byrnes draw plate is exceptional for its accuracy and sharpness. However, any blade will dull with use over time, and this I have found to be true even with this excellent tool. After awhile the stock starts to compress rather than cut when drawn through successively smaller holes. More force becomes necessary and stress accumulates in the dowel, causing breakage and wastage. The solution for me has been (thanks Kevin) the sanding of the flat cutting surface with 100 gr. paper. This restores the sharp edge of the holes. Also, I started cutting the dowel stock narrow enough to just pass through the .059” (largest hole) in the plate. By the time I reached my goal of .031”, the length of the resulting dowel was drastically reduced, leading to more hours of rather tedious work to have enough material for application. By reducing the stock size on the table saw to .042” to start with, I found the process greatly accelerated with much less breakage and about 3 times the resulting amount of usable dowel by the time .031” was achieved.

[Kevin Kenny]

You will find that after you’ve recovered you can get those down to .020, you’ll just have increased breakage. I now have another draw where I keep the .020

[hdrinker]

I don’t like breakage!

[Kevin Kenny]

Hahahah

[druxey]

Ways to reduce breakage:

 

1) Use bamboo with its long, parallel fibers. Split it first into smaller cross-sections by halving and re-halving the lengths.

 

2) Use parallel pliers to draw the pieces through the plate. The fibers aren't crushed which happens with regular pliers.

 

3) Draw steadily and in a straight line.

 

4) Only use the hard part of the bamboo just under the glassy outer layer.

Edited December 9, 2022 by druxey

[hdrinker]

Are you using swizzle sticks, or some other source of bamboo?

[Kevin Kenny]

Not sure if i sent you this Henry

 

[Kevin Kenny]

I actually  wrote him and he confirmed that he was pulling the dowel through the plate the wrong way. I was glad that i was not the only person to film things the wrong way.

[druxey]

An easy mistake to make if you haven't been told or seen the process done.

[hdrinker]

Hi all,

In my defense, I only put the stock into the draw plate from the countersunk side to get it in there. The taper directs the stock into the hole much more easily. I then bring the dowel all the way through to get it in position for the cutting step which, I’m well aware, is in the other direction. Also, by applying a slight angle to the plate, the cutting edge can be made to engage the stock more aggressively, removing a bit more stock. In that video, he stops at .036” which is a lot easier than going to .020”.

Anyway, I’ve ordered some bamboo (not swizzle sticks) in hopes of getting stock without nodes, and will report on the results. 

[Kevin Kenny]

This is how i get the bamboo squares split. The dowels in the draw were made in half an hour watching the world cup.

[hdrinker]

Outer hull complete. I found in the end that bamboo clear stock, not skewers, ordered online proved the best source for me for making tree nail dowels and was able to get them down to .020”, starting with very narrow strips cut on my Byrnes saw. Darker tree nails were made from Mansonia stock provided by Dave at the Lumberyard and drawn down to .030 from think strips.

[hdrinker]

The sheeves for the stationary blocks are made from Ebony.

[Kevin Kenny]

I am just  putting mine in through the outer planking and it was a bit of a struggle. 

[hdrinker]

Main deck framing underway. The wood is holly.

[hdrinker]

Meant planking!

[Kevin Kenny]

I like the contrast.Henry

[hdrinker]

Currant plan is to use a darker color for the outer planks, which were apparently of oak for better wear beneath the cannons, and to only plank one side.

[hdrinker]

Main deck planking complete, as far as intended, to catch a glimpse of the deck below.

[hdrinker]

Further progress on the main deck. Gun port stops next.

[hdrinker]

I’ve been thinking about scuppers, as I near the task of making them. If pewter is the material of choice, can anyone recommend what form of pewter to start with?

[tlevine]

My scuppers were made from a silver-gray craft paper.  I rolled the paper around an appropriate diameter dowel to form the scupper.

[hdrinker]

I’ve been thinking about scuppers, as I near the task of making them. If pewter is the material of choice, can anyone recommend what form of pewter to start with?

 

I experimented yesterday on the mini lathe with solid aluminum rod. It’s doable but the results are quite bright…not terribly realistic. Pewter does make more sense, but I’m ignorant of a method. No one seems to sell pewter tubing. The paper idea sounds interesting. Any other suggestions?