Prisoner of War bone model c. 1800 by shipmodel - restoration by Dan Pariser

[Keith Black]

Dan, $250.00 in 1956 = $2,404.25 today. 

[shipmodel]

Hi again - 

 

I forgot to mention that I am corresponding with Manfred Stein in Germany.  He is the author of the book on bone models that dvm27 spoke about.  He also has a very nice website that has located many bone POW models around the world and places where you can see them.  If you are interested in these singular art objects, here is his URL - -  http://www.pow-boneships.de/  

 

Stay safe

 

Dan

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

The 1956 repair cost of $210 is equivalent to about $2,500 today.  Since the failures in the interim are similar to the earlier failures, and due to the deterioration of the oldest (original?) rigging left on the model (reportedly apt to crumble into bits if touched) - perhaps the best restorative efforts should focus on a more secure attachment (reinforcement by unseen drilled wire?) of the parts apt to break in future, as well as replacing all rigging with durable material (not sure exactly what that should be).  I'd expect that an investment of $2,500 today in a 'longer-term' fix would be a good investment for the owner, since the auction value of a properly restored antique bone model would be at least double that above what it would bring in the present sorry state.  Any serious buyer would figure on an expensive repair, and would lower their maximum bid accordingly.

 

 

[barkeater]

Interesting that you are starting to get more background info on the model. 

[shipmodel]

 

Hi again to all –

 

Thanks for all the likes and comments.  I love it when there are wider topics discussed in a build log than just the building.  

 

The past several days were spent trying out 7 different glues and varnishes to see if they could help the original rigging.   I was looking for a liquid which can be painted on gently and which will strengthen the lines and make them flexible so they do not break when they have to be manipulated to fix the current problems.

Here they are.   I tried to set up as wide a range of solutions as I reasonably could.  If there wasn’t a suitable one in this group then there might not be one.

 

 

Next I needed something to test them on.  The original rigging lines were probably made of linen.  Every time that similar old lines have been chemically examined, as far as I know, they turned out to be linen.  It was readily available in England at the time since it was made from flax plants which grew there.  Cotton was scarcer since Egypt was in French hands most of this time.  Linen is also quite dimensionally stable, so rigging lines do not sag or overtighten.  Fortunately, I had snapped up a collection of linen line spools about 20 years ago which includes diameters from 0.007” to 0.048”.  I use them for all of my museum work that requires rigging.  Although most of it is very white, it dyes black or tan quite easily and permanently.

 

 

To simulate the cooking that the original lines had endured over the years, I took lengths of 0.02” and 0.04” lines and baked them in the over overnight at 350 degrees.  Nothing!  They came out hot, but as flexible as before.  The same thing happened at 450 degrees. 

 

Finally, I simply wrapped the lines in foil and set the packet on top of the naked flame of the gas stove.  In a few minutes wisps of smoke started coming out of the seams.  I turned it over for another 30 seconds then removed it from the heat.  When it was unwrapped the lines had been blackened and charred, just as I hoped.

 

 

After cooling I tried one of the thicker lines and gently pulled it along its length.  It took little effort to break the line, with the ends, under magnification, looking a lot like the ends of the broken rigging on the model. These would be acceptable stand-ins for testing purposes.

 

 

Now that I had my test materials I took seven short pieces of both the large and small diameter lines and mounted them on a piece of file folder.  Some of the thinner ones were extremely delicate and one broke as I was mounting it.  Then each was painted with the liquid corresponding to the numbers on the composite photo. 

 

 

After they dried overnight I examined them under magnification and then tried to bend each around a ¼” diameter dowel.  Here is the photo of the results.

 

 

What I found was as follows, recognizing the limitations of my not very precise or controlled materials and methods:

1.    Krylon spray – I decanted some and painted it on with a soft brush.  I worried that the power of the propellant might damage the smaller lines, and also that I would not have a lot of control over the application on the actual model.  It dried stiff with a matte finish.  It did not seem to improve the pull-apart strength of the line, but made it too stiff to bend easily.

2.   Lineco pH neutral PVA – It was diluted to skim milk consistency with distilled water and painted on.  It significantly improved both the pull-apart strength of the line and was quite flexible when dry.  The one drawback was that it dried quite shiny.

3.   Liquitex gloss varnish – Painted on direct from the bottle.  The result was not very strong, not very flexible, and shiny.

4.   Liquitex matte varnish - Somewhat improved strength and flexibility, matte finish.

5.   Paraloid b72 – significantly improved strength but not very flexible.  Shiny finish.  The biggest drawback is that it requires a strong solvent like acetone for dilution or clean up.

6.   Powdered methyl cellulose - Dissolved per the instructions in distilled water.  It markedly improved strength, had decent flexibility, and dried with a matte finish.

7.   Gel cyano – It was laid on as thin as I could with a wooden toothpick so it would not heat up as it cured and damage the fibers even more.  It was the strongest in the pull-apart test, but was the most brittle when dry, especially for the thinner line.  Shiny finish.

 

The decision came down to two choices, the PVA and the methyl cellulose.  I am leaning toward the PVA just because I am very familiar with its properties.  On the other hand, the MC could be used to strengthen lines that will not be handled, with the PVA used where the line might have to bend and twist.

 

I am open to any and all further thoughts that you all might have. 

 

Stay safe

 

Dan

[druxey]

Seems the methyl cellulose is the best choice you have available, unless you want a shiny finish.

[shipmodel]

Hi all –

 

After reviewing all the experiment results and considering Druxy’s suggestion, I decided to go with a combination method.  I will use the methyl cellulose (MC) on lines that will not have to be manipulated, like the lower shrouds and stays.  I will need the increased flexibility and strength that the PVA will give me on the lines that I will have to move around when I repair them.  If needed I will tone down any shiny finish with an overcoat of the MC.  This should give me some additional strength as well.

 

So I took my softest sable brush and started to paint the MC onto the foremast lower shrouds.  Disaster!  Despite how gently I tried to apply the liquid to the forward shroud and ratlines, the ratlines crumbled all down the length of the shroud.  Of course I stopped immediately.

 

 

It appears that the ratlines are so thin and so cooked that they must be held together by will power alone.  I tried blowing on one and it crumbled with just a moderate puff.    To deal with this I thinned the MC some more, then painted it onto only the shrouds, hoping that capillary action would infuse the ratlines from the shrouds both left and right.  I tried it on the rest of the lower foremast shroud gang and happily got good results.  No more of the ratlines broke and, after the MC cured, I found that the ratlines were now strong enough to give them a second coat of MC without further damage.

 

Now I had to repair the damage that I caused, and to fix other ratlines that had broken over the years.  I wanted to use linen line, but ran into a problem.  Linen makes for a pretty stiff thread.  Even in the smallest diameter that I have, 0.007”, it acts like steel cable at these small scales.  You can see how it does not curve compared to my softest thread, Mettlar’s silk finish embroidery thread.  It is a mercerized cotton product, not linen, but I don’t think I will have to worry about shrinkage in this use.  It has a bit of an irregular finish, but the 50/3 size generally mikes out to between 0.007” to 0.009”.

 

 

I cut short pieces of the thread and soaked them in thinned PVA.  Carefully laying them across the gaps they were smoothed down using a wet brush and the tip of a dry toothpick.

 

 

After drying I gave them a coat of MC to tone down any shine.  Once this was dry the extra ends were trimmed with a sharpened cuticle clipper.  I use this tool from the cosmetics counter in almost all rigging situations.  It cuts cleanly, with the cutting edge laid very close to the knot/junction, and without the danger of a wayward blade slicing through a line that I want to keep.

 

 

Here is how it came out.  There are a few tiny stubs where the new lines overlap the old ones, but they are only visible under magnification and then only when there is a contrasting background like this pale Post-it note paper.

 

 

Other ratline repairs were needed from causes other than my clumsy hands.  Here is how I found the main lower shroud gang on the port side.  On the left of the photo you can see that the first and second shrouds have somehow been reversed.  The forward shroud is twisted and at the masthead actually runs behind and aft of the second shroud.  This must have put increased stress on the ratlines between them.  At the upper right the brace for the lower mizzen yard is rigged, properly, to the aft main shroud.  But the line is a replacement (it is a slightly different color) which shrank and pulled on the shroud, breaking the ratlines around it.

 

 

And here it is after repairs.  The yellow color is because I shut down the camera flash and used only and incandescent bulb.  The picture is less confusing when there are no shadows of the ratlines on the paper backing.

 

 

I did this for all the lower shrouds and ratlines.  Here is the port lower mizzen gang during repairs and after.

 

 

There will be many more repairs needed on the topmast shrouds, especially those on the broken main and mizzen masts.  But those are for later.  Now I need a stiff drink.

 

More soon.

 

Dan

 

[barkeater]

Have you ever tried fly tying thread?  I fly fish and starting using it on my builds. It comes in very small sizes much thinner than sowing thread. I use 6/0 and 8/0 to serve or lash lines.  It comes in many colors including black and tan.

[shipmodel]

Hi to all –

 

Thanks again for all the likes and comments.

 

Barkeater – yes, I use fly tying thread when I want a very smooth seizing on a small scale stropping or splice.  It mikes down to 0.003”, and even less if you separate the several strands that make it up.  But here the seizings on the model, whether original or repairs, use larger line for those purposes and I will be matching them rather than trying to make improvements.

 

Today I worked my way around the lower shrouds, stiffening them and repairing ratlines as before.  I came to the main lower shroud on the starboard side.  I had noticed before, when I received it, that the lanyard of the center deadeyes was completely broken, although the lanyards on either side were still whole.  A number of the ratlines, especially at the bottom, were broken.

 

 

After stabilizing everything with MC I slid a Post-it behind the gang to help me see what I was doing.

 

 

I knew that I would not be able to access the back of the upper deadeye to lace the lanyard.  There was almost no room between the deadeyes and the hull so I would need to twist the shroud around, which would certainly break more of the ratlines, if not the shroud itself.   All I could do was to fake the lanyards enough to fool the eye.   First I removed the broken lanyard pieces.

 

 

I took a length of the very thin linen line that had been dyed black, then soaked it in PVA and hung it with a weight on the end.  It dried stiff and straight.  I measured and cut three short lengths and glued them to the face of the deadeyes.

 

 

I had hoped that these three would be enough to visually look like a lanyard, but it looked empty compared to the lanyards to either side.   So I took three more lengths of the stiff line and attached them to the backs of the deadeyes.  This last took lots of patience, some bad words, and a bent paper clip to nudge them into place without turning or twisting the deadeyes.  It did not come out as perfectly as if I properly laced the lanyard, but considering the variations in the other lanyards it fit right in. It is solving these small individual puzzles that I like best about restorations. 

 

 

After this I could treat the rest of the shrouds with MC and lay on the Mettlar threads over the broken ratlines.  Getting the lowest two or three sets of ratlines across the shrouds strengthened the entire web and hopefully will prolong the life of all of this rigging.

 

 

And hopefully the rest of the repairs will go as well.

 

Stay safe

 

Dan

[druxey]

Tedious and painstaking work, Dan! Next time you need to fake a lanyard, do the 'rear' ones first?

[Tony Hunt]

Hi Dan

 

Another possible contender to try for treating the lines is thinned epoxy.  There are quite a few commercial preparations on the market, most marine chandlers should stock it, it's used a surface sealer. You can also make it yourself using a comment solvent like methylated spirits and/or acetone as the solvent. Just mix the two parts of the epoxy and then thin it to the desired consistency.

[mtaylor]

Nice save on re-doing the lanyards, Dan.  Watching this makes me think you have the patience of a saint and language of a sailor which together works some miracles.

[druxey]

Epoxy is the conservator's nemesis, Tony!

[Bob Cleek]

Smith and Company's' Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer (called in the trades "CPES" is a special penetrating epoxy sealer (not an epoxy adhesive) originally formulated for the conservation and restoration of decayed "gingerbread" on Victorian wooden structures. It took the wooden boat marine industry by storm about fifty years ago when it was invented. It's secret forumula is something much more than thinned epoxy adhesive, which some substitute for it. It's penetrating ability (it's about the consistency of water) is derived by it's very "hot" solvents. ("Apply only in a well-ventilated area.") I've used many gallons of it over the years restoring wooden boats. It would soak into that rigging, I'm sure, and bind it together as well as anything, and it does not leave a glossy sheen on the first coat, which is all you should need. It's a two part coating, mixed 50/50.  You can telephone Steve Smith, the inventor, and he is happy to advise customers on its many properties for use in many applications. It's sold in most decent marine chandleries these days, as well as some hardware stores. Many have tried to duplicate it, but only "CPES"(tm) is the real deal. I bet it would work very well on that rigging. It does not dry hard and brittle, but retains flexibility and I expect if it were formed as it dried, it would yield very realistic catenaries. 

 

See: http://www.smithandcompany.org/CPES/

 

From what I've seen of your descriptions of the condition of that rigging, it's really not long for this world and any that's preserved will simply break in short order. It's the customer's call, of course, but it seems more a candidate for a total re-rigging than for the restoration of the existing fiber components. Some material that will penetrate the existing rigging and form a matrix material is the only thing that's going to work at all. Just my take on it, but it's a really old model and that rigging seems to have lost any strength it ever had at this point. I'm watching with interest to see if it can be saved.

 

As the saying goes, "You're a better man than I, Gunga Din!"

 

[shipmodel]

 Hi again –

 

Druxey – Now you tell me . . .  J

 

Tony – Thanks for the suggestion, but I only use epoxy for metal-to-metal joins, or making ocean spray (a process that I have not perfected).  It cures very hard and brittle, in my experience, though I have never thinned it.  I have no idea what solvents like acetone might do to 200 year old linen, and I don’t think I will try it on someone else’s model.

 

Mark – That’s the s*******, c*********, r*****est compliment I have ever gotten.  

 

Back in the drydock, just one small repair today  -  the forestay preventer that I had broken before realizing how fragile the lines were.  Notice how nice the cable is that makes up the stay and how neatly the heart was turned in.  This must have been quite the nice model when it was new.

 

 

The lines were painted with MC and allowed to dry.  I did not try to paint the snaking lines, but again let capillary action take some of the MC onto them.  I cut a length of 0.010” line to use as a splint, long enough to span the two breaks with a bit on either end.  It was painted with full strength PVA and gently lifted up from underneath.  I attached it at both ends, the tackiness of the PVA holding it in place.  Then I could gently maneuver the middle piece until it lay on the splint in the gap. 

 

 

After the PVA cured it became completely clear and I gave the repair a top coat of MC.  I also painted the snake lines which were now strong enough to hold up.

 

 

Thanks, as always, for the likes.

Back soon.

 

Dan

[shipmodel]

Bob - 

 

Thinned CPES sounds like an excellent solution, but not for this problem, I think.

Unfortunately there is no such thing as a "well ventilated area" in a Brooklyn apartment.

I will stick with the water based products.

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

Dan

[Tony Hunt]

On 3/2/2021 at 12:08 PM, druxey said:

Epoxy is the conservator's nemesis, Tony!

 

Oh, I absolutely agree. Epoxy glue in restorations is a complete no-no. However, this isn't the epoxy you're thinking of, it's as thin as water.  And it's quite flexible when dry.

 

As Bob says, CPES is a well-known example available in North America, but there are plenty of others and they are all pretty similar in my experience. It's pretty easy to mix up a dab of epoxy and then thin it with methylated spirits (aka denatured alcohol) to try out on a test piece.  I think it might work well for making paper sails, too.

Edited March 3, 2021 by Tony Hunt

[Roger Pellett]

Beautiful work Dan.  This restoration requires creative solutions to problems not encountered by those of us doing “new construction.”  Well done.

 

Roger

[Bob Cleek]

On 3/2/2021 at 1:52 PM, Tony Hunt said:

I think it might work well for making paper sails, too.

Now that's one I've never thought of. It sounds like a great idea. I'll have to do some experimenting. 

 

As for solvents in apartments... "I love the smell of VOCs in the morning. it smells like... like victory!"  Seriously, though, for the amounts used in modeling, I've never had any problems with fumes if I work near a window with a big fan in front of it, blowing outwards, and a window open somewhere at the other side of the room. (My kid has the right number of fingers and toes.) Ventilation is something of a old fashioned thing these days. The norm seems to be becoming to hermetically seal everything up and run the HVAC all the time. I am so glad I no longer have to work in office buildings with windows that won't open! The watchword here is common sense.

Edited March 4, 2021 by Bob Cleek

[shipmodel]

Hi again to everyone –

 

Thanks as always for the compliments and interest.

 

Tony – I may try CPES the next time I have to make sails.  I have never been completely satisfied with the stiffeners I have used in the past.  It should work on thin fabric too, yes?

 

Bob – Yes, victory it is!  But I work in a space that is barely 6 feet by 7 feet with only one small French door (it used to be a walk-in closet).  I am also 70 with a bit of asthma.   I use solvent based materials only when there is no water based alternative.  If I do, I clear out for a while until a small fan can clear the vapors.  As you said, it’s all about common sense.

 

Back on the model, with the lower rigging strengthened and repaired, I turned to the first break, the bowsprit.  As it came to me the jib boom was broken right behind the bowsprit cap with the martingale detached and hanging only by its rigging. 

 

 

 

To test some ideas, I moved the broken forward piece around a bit and found that I could lay it in place on top of the aft piece, but the stays and other lines had shortened so they had to overlap about 2mm.

 

 

I could also set the heel of the broken piece in place, but then trying to pull down the forward end would overtighten the lines and pull the fore topmast much too far forward.

 

 

To mend the break I first cut off the martingale and all the raffle of lines that led to it.  To get the pieces to fit I gently ground off about 1mm from each face and flattened them so they met snugly.  Then I drilled into the ivory on both ends.  I knew that with such limited mobility I could only use a very short length of brass rod across the joint.  It was more used to locate and keep the two pieces centered than to provide any real strength against a future impact. 

 

 

Once in place with the brass rod inserted I gently clamped them against a straight piece of wood.  When I was satisfied that they formed a straight line I bonded them with cyano.   This is one of only two places where it is used.  The other is to stiffen the ends of rigging line that has to feed through small holes, and is then discarded.  Once the cyano had cured there was only a little groove where the pieces met.  I took a sanding wheel and ground some ivory into a powder.  Mixed with MC it made a nice filler.  Here is how it came out.

 

 

As mentioned, I was not at all happy with the “Y” shape of the martingale and the fact that it was not made of bone or ivory.  I consulted my sources and, although large models of ships of the line had “V” shaped martingales, the most common was a simple spike rigged to the boom, the bowsprit, and the hull.   You can see these features in the models in the Lloyd book much like these.

 

 

Although many martingales are mounted under the bowsprit cap, the stub of the bowsprit tenon that extended through the cap suggested that the martingale here had originally been mounted to the front face of the cap and had been vertical.  I decided that this solution had plausible deniability and went with it.  I took some ivory and cut a piece the width of the cap and a length that looked right for the size of the model.  I carved it down to a round spike with a mortise in the head that fit the bowsprit tenon.  Three holes were drilled for rigging lines at approximately equal spacing.

 

 

It was mounted to the cap with glue and metal pins, then martingale guys were made up of dyed linen line.  One ran from the tip of the jib boom to a notch at the base, and then two went to eyebolts already in place on either side of the hull.  Smaller lines were run from the boom through the holes in the martingale and tied off to the bowsprit.  Between the guys and the inner rigging they form a triangular truss arrangement that would have strongly resisted the pull of the headsails.

 

 

The various foremast stays that led to the bowsprit and jib were tightened by sliding their collars out on the boom or up on the mast till the stays were barely straight.  This left just a bit of slack for further tightening when the mainmast is fixed and its stays that run to the foremast are rigged and tensioned.

 

 

One break fixed, three to go.

 

Stay safe

 

Dan

[Bob Cleek]

27 minutes ago, shipmodel said:

I am also 70 with a bit of asthma. 

Take it from a 71 year old, you sure don't look 70 in your picture. Maybe there is something to avoiding VOC fumes. I've been exposed to them all my life, most of the time without regard to hazmat safety short of passing out. Perhaps I'd look like a thirty-five year old if I'd only have been more careful!  

[shipmodel]

Hi to all –

 

Bob – I’ve passed a lot of water under the bridge since that picture was taken.  I really should update it, if I can find a photo that will not scare the kids.

 

Just had time for a quick repair today.

 

The first piece of rigging to repair on the main mast was the mainstay collar.  As received the mainstay is one of the better preserved elements of the original rigging.  The stay and preventer are both secured to the masthead with eye and mouse fittings.  The crowsfoot is properly rigged through a small ivory euphroe.  The stay and preventer are appropriately sized as is the snaking line between them. 

 

 

The preventer is properly rigged with a pair of hearts, but it is clear that its collar is a replacement.  It is the wrong color and it runs badly.  Its seizing around the bowsprit is particularly sloppy.  On the mainstay the two hearts are still attached to each other by the lashing, but the rest of the collar that should run from the lower heart to the bowsprit is gone.

 

 

I carefully cut through the lashing between the hearts and cleaned up the upper heart.  In this photo you can see how kinked the preventer collar had to be to run under the pinrail.  I’m not sure why any restorer would do this.

 

 

I seized the heart into a line that matched the diameter of the other collar, but was the proper color.  I passed the running end around the bowsprit and seized it so it could extend up toward the matching heart with a reasonable gap between.  I thought about doing the collar in a more accurate manner, but decided to match the style of the earlier repair.  I lashed the two hearts together and this little repair was done.

 

 

More soon.

 

Dan

[druxey]

Looks like you are making good progress, Dan. The new martingale looks very convincing.

[barkeater]

Great stuff. I find it very puzzling too why on the earlier repair the preventer was run under the pin rail. Snaking it under makes no sense from an accuracy point of view and would be harder to do? From the picture it looks like there was enough clearance to run it straight to the bowsprit.

[shipmodel]

Hello again –

 

Thanks for the likes and compliments.

 

Barkeater -  That’s exactly what it looks like to me too.  It might not be that difficult to open the seizing around the bowsprit, run it above the pinrail, and reseize it again.  My hesitation is because of the limited space in which to operate and whether any change in angle might damage the snaking lines.  Hmmm

 

This segment is short but important.  I decided that it was time to tackle the broken mainmast.  Here is how I received it, broken just under the trestletrees and the doubling of the head of the topmast and bent forward almost 90 degrees.  The stays that led forward were kinked but not broken.  The topmast shrouds and backstays were also intact, but bent sideways.  

 

 

Taking a closer look I realized that those shrouds were not original.  They are the wrong color and lie over a mass of cutoff ropes that must have been the heads of the original shrouds.  The good news was that this made them more flexible.  More importantly, the mast was not broken.  The head of the topmast was a separate piece from the body of the topmast.  Possibly that was because that was where it changed from a round cross section to a square one.  In any event, the mast was not splintered.  The lower mast seemed to fit into a socket between the trestletrees, and there was the same red glue residue of an earlier repair.

 

 

With that in mind I started to move the pieces around, as I had with the bowsprit.  I found that I could put the pieces of the mast in place against each other and pull up on the broken top till it was quite close to vertical before resistance made me stop for fear of pulling something loose. 

 

 

I checked all the lines to see which was the tightest, thinking that I could cut one or two and that would release the top and let me put it in place.  I actually found that none were particularly tight.  It was only the stiffness of the lines that was stopping me.  So I gently pulled the top up and released it back down several times.  The lines seemed to loosen up and I was able to get the top into a position where it stayed, although it was tipped forward just a bit.

 

 

The pieces were allowed to rest overnight and loosen up as much as they were going to.   In the morning I could pull the top up into final position.  Again I let it rest for a while.  Then I tipped it forward and fed several drops of cyano into the joint.  Here the mass of old lines below the trestletrees was a silver lining.  It gave me a much greater mating surface for the glue, which made the joint that much stronger.   I held the top in place till it solidified.

 

 

As the glue set up I checked the orientation of the top from every direction.  There are still some lines that have to be tensioned, but overall this was the easiest fix of a major problem that ever happened to me.  I wish they all could go as smoothly.

 

 

Stay safe.

 

Dan

[druxey]

You must have been living right, Dan! That was a lucky break.

[AON]

Good one!

Was the pun intended?

[Bob Cleek]

If you have a moment, Dan... I know this is "business, not pleasure" for you...

 

Can you generally explain what is bone and what is ivory on this model? (I can't tell for sure from the photos.)

 

Does it make any difference what is bone and what is ivory, and if so what difference?

 

The reason I ask is because I've got a lot of bone handy and I've been musing about starting to use it for modeling. My wife breeds, trains, and shows champion basset hounds and we have a pack of anywhere from eight to a dozen living with us here at any one time. (We are AKC "Breeders of Merit" and ours is an AKC "Breed Preservation" kennel, not a for-profit commercial breeding kennel.) We buy sterilized beef bones wholesale in large quantities for the dogs. It seems to me it would be easy enough to cut some of these up to use for modeling purposes. (These bones are readily available at most pet stores, although large, straight leg bones may be a special order item in your local pet store.) With the diminishing availability of boxwood, not to mention its price, I'm thinking about alternatives.  

Edited March 12, 2021 by Bob Cleek

[shipmodel]

 

Alan - in my experience, Druxey intends every one of the many puns he uses.  He is a master of understated humor.  Or was that humour.

 

Bob - Pretty much the only bone on this model, and most other POW models that I have worked on, is the planking.  Both the hull and decks are planked in thin bone veneers over a wooden core.  I think that this may be because bone will soften by immersing it in vinegar and can be bent to the shapes needed for hull planking.  I don't know if ivory will soften in the same way.  Ivory is used for all the masts and spars.  I think the grain in the bone (actually the holes from its blood supply) would weaken any long unsupported cylinders and make them prone to snapping.  Ivory is also much easier to work with for making the blocks, guns, deck fittings and, of course, any and all decorative carvings.  At the time, whaling was in full swing, so tooth ivory was plentiful, and I know that there was a lively trade in elephant ivory too, as the many Asian art objects show.  I can imagine making an entirely bone model, but only if I figured out how to solidify it for the masts, etc.  Perhaps an infusion of a stiffening liquid like the thinned epoxy that was suggested earlier might work.

 

Best of success with your work on behalf of breed preservation.

 

Dan    

[Bob Cleek]

Thanks much, Dan. I was concerned about the strength of bone in small dimensions. It also seems to vary with respect to its porosity. It seems, as well, that the balls and sockets of the knuckle joints seem to be less porous than the long bones. One of these days I'll play around with the material and see how it works. Perhaps it might serve for blocks, but I'll have to see.