Spray by Josh Williamson - FINISHED - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 3/8" = 1' - Joshua Slocum's yawl

[Josh Williamson]

On 10/28/2020 at 7:48 AM, Friday Dog said:

Josh - Nice detail work. Is the blacking solution you used primarily for modeling, or a more general use product?

 

Great job, so far.

 

Thanks Friday Dog.  The blackening solution was something I had in the shop already for some metal blackening projects but found it worked well on the model work.  The pieces only need several seconds in the bath to achieve a nice patina.  

[Josh Williamson]

Following up with the remainder to my previous post... 

 

Spent the latter part of my 15th model build day working on the mahogany rails.

 

15-B:

 

1) Laid out for the spacings, and drilled a small 1/16" pilot hole in the cap rail.  Finished hole with a file, and cut rounded ends on 10 mahogany stanchions.   (I cut them long so that I could place a long continuous piece against all rails to strike a line and cut to height).

 

 

Close up view of the rounded ends:

 

 

2) Once I had test fitted all of the stanchions in their respective places, I took them all out to stain them with a coat of gloss.  

 

 

3) Glued them in place and measured out the height of each stanchion by placing a long mahogany piece along the edge, and then marked the tops. 

 

Below: I had a couple stanchions that depending on if my drill hole was perfectly perpendicular tended to "lean" one way or another.  This was my attempt to straighten some out in the gluing process...

 

 

Same step, different view:

 

 

4) After sufficient time gluing, I set the final top rail in place and clamped.  

 

NOTE: In this process unfortunately, I had some CA glue run down the side of some stanchions...also some of these clamps had actually glued themselves to the mahogany.  Boo!  I broke some glued connections when unclamping and had to re-glue where needed.  Also not shown is some significant post-sanding that needed  be done to clean up some "over-glued" areas that ran.   The result of this is that the efforts of pre-staining the stanchions was wasted effort.  Oh well... 

 

 

 

5)  Below, (and after some time fixing some connections and messy glue), is the final product, sanded.  Next will be a coat of the "gloss" again, and will call this step done. 

 

[lmagna]

Coming along very nicely Josh.

[Ken_2]

Josh:  This is some good work.  I like your pictures and text.  It is very helpful.  Take your time, but I can't wait to see the finished product!  

 

Ken

[MrBlueJacket]

Just curious - how many hours a day are working on this model?

 

Nic

[Mark-NS]

Looks great. I just finished my version of this model last night.

[Josh Williamson]

14 hours ago, MrBlueJacket said:

Just curious - how many hours a day are working on this model?

 

Nic

Hi Nic,

 

Every day is a bit different: I usually spend at least 3-5 hours working when I sit down for a session, but there have been some 7-8 hour days as well as one or two "all-nighters."  I would guess I have about 80+ hours into the model by now.  I am really enjoying this model - starting to think about what may be the next one!

 

Good job on putting together a solid kit Nic!

[Josh Williamson]

Some odds and ends from Days 16 and 17 of the model build:

 

1) Took some time to work on the barrels:  These were first coated with some Early American stain, and then finished off by painting the barrel straps black.  

 

 

2)  I have been excited about starting the dinghy since I opened the kit; so no better time to start than now!  

 

At about this time, I compared the dinghy size to what is drawn on the deck plan, and realized it was a bit larger in the modeled form.  It still fits in between the two cabins, but the barrels do not fit along with the dinghy as drawn - there's just not enough room.  I believe all of this is stemming from the steering gear being a little forward from where it should have been placed. 

 

 

I placed some rails, and a strip along the center for the keel:

I only had some flat black rattle primer, so that's what I used (for now).

 

The reference from "Sailing Alone Around the World" that gives indication of the dinghy color is this:

 

"The Spray being in the stream, we boarded her from the beach abreast, in the little razeed Gloucester dory, which had been painted a smart green. Our combined weight loaded it gunwale to the water, and I was obliged to steer with great care to avoid swamping. The adventure pleased Mrs. Stevenson greatly, and as we paddled along she sang, "They went to sea in a pea-green boat."

 

So, I will search for a period-appropriate dark green to paint over the black later...

 

 

3.  Albeit somewhat late in the process, I wanted to get organized with my fittings , so I finally acquired a little plastic case to keep everything dust-free and organized.

 

 

4)  Lastly, I am still working through a solution to making the gaff jaws.  Not sure what the next steps will look like here, but I am hoping  they will look a little more realistic as I continue to work on them.

 

 

All for now-

[Josh Williamson]

Ordered this Model Master "Medium Green" enamel for the skiff and repainted over the black.

 

Below is how it turned out.  I think the green compliments well and isn't obnoxiously bright.

 

[Josh Williamson]

Getting caught up on the last week of the build (worked 3 days for a couple hours each day).  Focused primarily on the mizzen sail, and developing some standard work for working to the larger sails. 

 

 

1) Having not spent much time behind a sewing machine, I thought it would be good to do a small test sail before moving forward with the actual mizzen sail.  Also, I wanted to try staining the sail material with some diluted black tea to give it a more aged look (in the end, decided that this wasn't necessary as the sail material already has a nice warm tone).

 

Further, I made a decision that in the model's final form, I wanted it to look like it was sailing... So, I needed to make some decisions: Firstly, I decided that in the mounting cradle, the ship would be facing to the left (sailing westward when placed in my office).  Wanted to be able to see the boom and majority of the deck when viewed, so it would have to be on a port tack.  So decision made! : sails will be set for close-hauled, port tack (or something in that range).  

 

I have seen some blog posts of other modelers that have given the sail a nice full shape by shaping blocks and applying a diluted glue solution to the sail, then allowing to dry.  Below is the small test sail I made, and  the result thereafter with the dried sail.  It seems to have worked well.  

 

 

 

2) Tests complete, I went about tracing the shape of the mizzen sail (note that the plans show a shortened sail foot and mizzen boom in order to fit on the page.  You need to continue the line of the leech downward to get the actual shape).

 

 

 

3) I transferred the sail geometry to a piece of plywood and cut that out using a skilsaw.  Taking some time to sand down the edges with an orbital sander, was able to generate a curved sail shape.  Below, the shaped plywood form, outline on sail material, and original sail plan traced to sketch paper.

 

3) 

 

 

4) Using a very thin pigment liner, traced the outline of the sail, a seam margin for overlapping and sewing the edges, and the reinforcement points.  Did some more tests with stitch width to give the appropriate stitch scale, and then started on the reinforcing seams of the sail...

 

 

 

5) 

 

Here is the final result after sewing complete. 

 

5) The form block was made from plywood (Note: the cutout is actually the mirrored image because on a port tack the sail is a concave shape if looking at the port beam, and convex if looking at the starboard beam) .   Two coats of spar varnish were added to the surface.  Once those were dry, I took some wax and put that on the surface to aid in the removal process. 

 

Did a mixture of white glue with equal part water and brushed that onto the surface of the sail.  Let dry overnight, and removed from the form in the morning.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the sail after letting dry overnight.  It removed easily from the plywood:

r

 

 

6) After removing from the form,  proceeded to stitching the sail to the yard and boom. Rigged the sheet blocks and lines, hoisted the halyard and positioned the sail.  Added a drop of glue where the yard touches the mast to help keep in position.  Coiled some line around the pins at the base of the mast...

 

 

Edited November 12, 2020 by Josh Williamson

[MrBlueJacket]

A general word of caution:

 

Using tea or coffee to stain cloth is not good for longevity. The acids in them will very slowly degrade the cloth.

[Josh Williamson]

6 hours ago, MrBlueJacket said:

A general word of caution:

 

Using tea or coffee to stain cloth is not good for longevity. The acids in them will very slowly degrade the cloth.

Advice heeded!  Thanks Nic.  

[Josh Williamson]

21 hours ago, MrBlueJacket said:

A general word of caution:

 

Using tea or coffee to stain cloth is not good for longevity. The acids in them will very slowly degrade the cloth.

Nic - perhaps you can help with a question I have:

I am looking for some information or photos of where the jib sheets lead to on Spray.  The plans show them leading along the deck to about midships.   I am assuming there is a location towards aft (probably near helm) that would enable Slocum to adjust from an aft position?  

 

Thank you,

Josh

[MrBlueJacket]

Hi josh,

 

They go through a block just aft of the mast near the waterway, then back to the stern and terminate at a belaying pin in the taffrail.

 

Nic

 

 

[Josh Williamson]

Thanks Nic!

[Keithbrad80]

Great work! 

 

Bradley 

[Tomculb]

Nic, thanks from me too, because I was wondering the same thing.  The fittings include a couple of large cleats, which I had planned to put on the deck a little forward of where you have the blocks for the steering apparatus. If not that, what are the cleats for and where do they go? 

 

Also with regard to the jib sheet, I had planned to attach a couple of blocks to the clew, start the sheets at the blocks on deck, run them up to the sheets blocks on the sail, and back to the blocks on deck before running aft.  That jib seems like a lot of sail to pull in without the help of some block and tackle.  Do you think I'd be wrong in doing that?

Edited November 13, 2020 by Tomculb
Used the wrong word

[DanielD]

Nice work!

[MrBlueJacket]

9 hours ago, Tomculb said:

Also with regard to the jib sheet, I had planned to attach a couple of blocks to the clew, start the sheets at the blocks on deck, run them up to the sheets blocks on the sail, and back to the blocks on deck before running aft.  That jib seems like a lot of sail to pull in without the help of some block and tackle.  Do you think I'd be wrong in doing that?

Although it is speculation, I think Slocum was a minimalist. To keep the rig as simple as possible, if he had trouble with the jib sheet, I think he would have dropped the jib until he could manage it. Just a guess on my part.

[Josh Williamson]

On 11/12/2020 at 8:47 PM, Tomculb said:

Nic, thanks from me too, because I was wondering the same thing.  The fittings include a couple of large cleats, which I had planned to put on the deck a little forward of where you have the blocks for the steering apparatus. If not that, what are the cleats for and where do they go? 

 

Also with regard to the jib sheet, I had planned to attach a couple of blocks to the clew, start the sheets at the blocks on deck, run them up to the sheets blocks on the sail, and back to the blocks on deck before running aft.  That jib seems like a lot of sail to pull in without the help of some block and tackle.  Do you think I'd be wrong in doing that?

 

Hi Tom,

 

I believe the two large cleats are for attachment at the main boom for the topping lift?  At least that's where mine are now.  

 

 

 

I haven't decided yet on the jib clew rigging yet.  I like Nic's suggestion to keep it simple (nothing like a simple bowline knot).  I have also seen an image from the link below, that seems to show a block attached similar to what you are suggesting.

 

 

 

[Josh Williamson]

Getting caught up a bit on some progress throughout the last week and a half.  I have lost track of where I am at in terms of "days spent" on this, but I suspect this update represents Days 21 through 23... or something like that. 

 

Anyways, started on the mainsail, and used same techniques as previously described when sewing the jib sail.

 

Before starting the hoops, I soaked them in the blackening solution.  The attachment of the hoops required a little bit of trial and error, but after a few tries affixing to the luff, I found a good method that seemed to work well.  The hoops are malleable enough that they can be bent back into shape after placing over the mast (as the instructions suggest).  

 

 

Sewing the boom to the foot of the sail went fairly easily - I would suggest marking out the spacings so that the loops don't unexpectedly increase or decrease in size over the length of the boom.  (I just used a basic over/under loop method, but I would suspect there is a more specific "interlocking loop" that is more functional and accurate to how this connection would actually be made?)  

 

 At this time, I also attached the main sheet and blocks to the end of the boom.  

 

 

 

On the reefs, I have read that many just pull thread through and dab some CA glue to keep in place.  I learned the hard way on a small tear in the main sail that CA glue will discolor the sail cloth and leave a somewhat translucent splotch where the glue dries.  So, reef points were made by pulling a small thread with knot at end, and then knotted on the other side - then trimmed to consistent lengths.  This is somewhat more time consuming, but preferable to gluing them in (in my opinion).

 

 

 

I made a similar plywood form as was done for the jib, and wiped on the gluey-water mixture to help form a more curved sail shape.  Let to dry overnight...

 

 

…AND HERE'S WHERE ISSUES BEGAN:

 

Upon reviewing the dried sail the next morning, I noticed that mildew had begun to grow all over the sail.  I don't have photos of how bad it was as I was in damage control mode at this point to try and remove the mildew spots.  I took a small toothbrush with some detergent and some water, and scrubbed the whole surface of the sail.  Then I set up a drying rack over a heat register in the house, and essentially cooked out the mildew.   Washed and dried a few times, and over a few days, the spots did go away...  In the process though, the color of the sailcloth somewhat yellowed, and there are still some visible water stains and some splotches.  I am going to have to see how everything looks together, and I may end up having to darken the other sails to match a bit more.

 

Here's where I am at currently: getting the main sail attached, hoops bent over, and beginning to rig for throat halyard, gaff peak halyard, and topping lift lines..  Still a bit of a mess to clean up, but foreword progress nonetheless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MrBlueJacket]

At a paint store, you can buy mildewcide to add to your gluey-water slurry.

Edited November 23, 2020 by MrBlueJacket

[Josh Williamson]

49 minutes ago, MrBlueJacket said:

At a paint store, you can buy mildewcide to add to your gluey-water slurry.

Thanks Nic.  That's really good to know.  I like the results otherwise that the gluey-water has on the sails, but not at the risk of forming mildew.  Further, I'm not convinced that future models I do will include sails... a topic I am debating and reading up on in this forum. 

 

[Josh Williamson]

Got to sewing the jib sail the other day, and began the rigging for jib halyard and sheets:

 

 

Hoisted the halyard, and temporarily fixed the line while sewing the "hanks."

On these, just did two passes through and back, with a knot at the end.  Followed up with the smallest dab of CA glue at the knot to hold fast. 

 

 

The sail, for some reason, had a shape in the opposite direction it was supposed to have (probably my error in forming it), so gave it a little roll and pinch:

 

 

Shifted efforts to the base plate and mounting cradle:  Had the advantage of being able to use a cribbage board that was not meant to be ( a gift from my carpenter wife 🙂 ).  Cleaned up a bit, and hit with some Poly oil stain.  

 

 

 

 

Installed and glued the dowels into the cradle bases...then flush cut with a pullsaw.  Coated with three coats of stain. 

 

 

 

I glued some pins into the bottom of the cradle and drilled corresponding holes into the base plate.  It turns out that the friction fit alone was stable enough that I didn't even glue the cradle into the base. I will drill some pins into the cradle where the hull sits (similar to Tomculb's post), and let those pins into the keel for the final mounting.

 

 

 

It's wrapping up pretty soon here.... I am excited to put some finishing touches on "Spray" and take some final photos. 

 

Until then--

 

 

 

 

[Josh Williamson]

Wrapped up on the Spray build last night.  I am really happy with how it turned out, and I certainly learned a lot!   I will be thinking about what the next model will be; but in the meantime, I'll be content to peruse the build logs to find another kit that is calling to me (I am seriously considering the Bluejacket "Mary Taylor" or "Revenue Cutter" for next)...

 

Here are the final pics (my best attempt at a photo studio by using sheets and reading lamp with piece of paper diffuser).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rshousha]

Imagine taking on the world in that thing!  He sure had vision. I need to read his book. 

 

[Josh Williamson]

2 minutes ago, rshousha said:

Imagine taking on the world in that thing!  He sure had vision. I need to read his book. 

 

Unreal journey!  No doubt some luck played into the successful completion of that trip - but more than that, a testament to Captain Slocum's knowledge of the sea and his vessel.  As inspiring now, as it must have been then.  I am currently reading the hard copy of "The Hard Way Around," and have "Sailing Alone" streaming audio from the Librivox archive (a good free resource for those who would like to listen to the story).

[ccoyle]

Congratulations! She looks great.

[Ryland Craze]

Congratulations on finishing this fine model.  Thanks for the detailed build log.  This will aid future builders of this model.

 

The photos turned out really great.  I hope you add them to the Gallery for all to see.

[Tomculb]

Very nicely done Josh, definitely a build to be proud of.  Averaging maybe 5 hours a week, I doubt that I will have finished my Spray before maybe mid-winter, but who knows. Regardless of the pace, she is certainly a fun build.  I'll be interested to see what you choose to build next.  

Happy Thanksgiving.