ADA CLIFF 1918 by Jond - 1:48 - three-masted Boothbay Schooner

[Jond]

Joe

 

thanks again for sharing. Considering the time you must have survived the old Wiscasset bridge. It was not replaced until 1979.  The two four masted schooners , Luther litter and the Hesper were beached there and the familiar landmark. They are also gone now. the photo came off the internet today.

 

 

I have been coming here all my life.  My Parents retired to the same Damariscotta you mentioned. My family followed with summer homes and eventual was able to move to the harbor here in Boothbay where I always wanted to be.  It is definitely special and a joy.

 

  The main Maritime Museum in Bath is a fine beginning for a continuous maritime adventure if you get back to the mid coast.

 

jon 

Edited August 16, 2021 by Jond

[Jond]

post 17

continued deck work and planning

 

I continue a little each day with the steady production needed to get through all the preparation for the deck.   Some folks put the deck on first and then try to paint around it.  I like to think of it as a floor in a new room.  Let’s get all the surrounds done and painted and then lay the deck.  

 

• 128    While progressing with the waterways, I am setting up to set the mast steps.  I also am picking off whatever underdeck items I can like the cabins, quarter bitts and rudder.  The hawse pipe holes are now in, and I need to run a little tube to carry the chain.  so much to do.

 

• 129.    Here is my setup to set the rake and check the heights of the lower masts.  The hung board over the model is set level.   I can then measure both rakes and tops.  The tops all need to be the same height and the setting of the deck level was a theoretical dimension.  Let’s see how I did………I had to cut one ¾ inch and another ¼ inch…not bad

 

• 130.     here we have the spanker marking on the board.  From the Turbo cad I measure the rake to be just 2 inches at. 28 inches above the deck

 

• 131    here on the deck, the dowel projects down to a plate where I mark for a centering hole [ the mast step].

 

• 132    As I progress forward with the waterways, I need to build up the roof of the forward cabin to receive the foremast. I have also have been infilling supports to catch the ends of the deck planking where it will run into the waterway.

 

• 133   and just to balance out production I have started stripping the center 7 planks from the cedar stock pieces I milled earlier.  These are to be 8 inches wide in scale, just under 3/16”.  I will need to build in the quarter bitts and the rudder assembly as this work progresses before I set the planks.

All for now
 

[jlefever]

Nice looking project! Definitely worth checking out.

 

Jim

[Jond]

Jim

 

thank you

 

I have enjoyed watching your work too. Ben Latham was one of my first models . I chuckle when I look at her now.  The Dove is truly a fantastic project.  I built a diorama of the first Hodgdon Pinky , built in 1816 a few winters ago and have drawings of another one built locally in 1834.   I will share reference to it on your log one of these days. I have a few other projects before I get to that build.

 

jon

 

 

[Jond]

Post 18

 

Research update and progress with underdeck 

Now to share more of the research documents needed to avoid wild guessing.  

 

• 134.     from the Bertha Downs book I used these two pages for the rudder assembly. The left page shows the total ‘cut in’ aspect of the pintle and gudgeons as mentioned earlier.  The Right page, left image, shows the parts that are visible on deck under the gear box house, that I hope to replicate.

 

• 135.   This is a new book. It is called Fly Rails and Flying Jibs.   It is based on an incredible collection of photographs taken of schooners.  It is helped tremendously by the writing of Douglas and Linda Lee.  Douglas I am told is a Naval Architect who through the main Maritime Museum recreated drawings and details for Schooners including  a four masted[ Charles Notman}, five masted {Cora Cressy} and the six masted Wyoming.  These comprehensive plans and details are critical for anyone looking into these schooners.  As a couple they also owned and sailed the windjammer Schooner Heritage for many years.   The book is an incredible photographic resource specifically for new England Schooners.  There are also many pages of photos and text all about Boothbay Harbor, the center of significant schooner activity.  The Boston firm Crowell and Thurlow used the marine railway in Boothbay Harbor and the adjacent acquired land on McFarland point as the center for building many four masted schooners and subsequently providing the maintenance until their failure in the late 1930’s

 

• 136     This view is typical of what can be seen for making decisions on what to show on the deck.  This is especially true if one wants to model a schooner that was not just launched. The mast was clearly painted.  I use this tone to compare with tones on the cap rail and pin rail below as I need to decide how to paint things.

 

• 137    this is a similar view from another schooner.  The main deck bulwark is what I am building, the simple poop deck enclosure. I love the little porthole.

 

• 138.    here we are looking forward. The deck planking that the Bertha book told us to make 4 inches and it looks right on in this shot.  It is darkish and dull. I need to do that in stain if I want the jointing to show through.  This cap rail in this photo is lighter in color than others. It is more like a gray popular on fishing schooners.  Another important detail is the turnbuckles. I made them previously on Charles Notman.  I will use a clevis on the top and a ring on the bottom.  I find that orientation interesting as using the previous info building Charles Notman they were the other way around with the clevis at the chain plate and the ring on the splice…we all live and learn

I share the next photo for fun. It is a mystery.  

 

• 139.     The original photo was included in Jim Hunt’s four serial articles in the Nautical Research Journal, on page 218 Vol 43 No. 4.  Which was December 1998.  It was credited with a file number from the Boothbay Region Historical Society (BRHS) but cannot be found at BRHS. I took this photo in the Windjammer Emporium Museum Store downtown where my 3 previous builds, all dioramas ,are displayed. It is a huge blow up that was done two years ago. There must be a digital file somewhere. It is important, because this is the photo that shows both Ada Cliff and the keel of the first four masted schooner, Marguerite M Wemyss.

One week later….
Well, a little luck and thanks to the owner of the museum store we have recovered it, and I have a nice high-resolution version to use.  The Original I learned belongs to the Penobscot Marine Museum if one wants to acquire a copy.

• 140.     here is a cropped blow up showing the keel laid for the first four master based on the lines of Ada Cliff, the Marguerite M Wemyss.  Ada’s Bow sprit is on the right side.   

progress update
I continued to work on the fore ward cabin so I could step the mast

• 141    this view shows the dowel leading to the centering pin.

 

• 142    shows continued progress with the chock rail.

 

• 143    it is always fun to get that waterway on the transom.  Now I have to think about all those turned balustrades.

All for now. 
 

[Jond]

Post 19

 

Masts are stepped, waterway is done and first painting to get ready for deck is started and then another oops!

Every once and a while a real brain cramp shows up…   then again sometimes more research comes into play and we realize our earlier assumptions need to change. Let’s see what it was this time. The first issue is a minor brain cramp and it got fixed. The second one………

 

Following the plans I continued to make some progress……..

• 144    here we see the foremast is set through the cabin.

 

• 145    here all three masts are set, and their tops have been adjusted to be the same height.

 

• 146.    this shot is for the record.  At least at this point the three masts lined up well.   We’ll look again after all the rigging is done.  

 

• 147.    Here is an experiment.  I have set the 8-inch seven king planks between the hatches.  Next up I will need to sort out how to stain them.

 

So far so good?.... Absolutely not!.............Two issues have cropped up. One is an error in building cabins. It’s no big deal, but the other is an overall concern for the basic design of the deck level. As to the cabins, I made up templates for the sides.   I got them all on, but things looked odd.  Back to the books and sketches and recheck the height of these cabins…….oops

• 148    remeasuring I found all the posts on the aft cabin are 3/16 "too high.  That will not do

 

• 149.    here they are cut

 

• 150    here they are reglued

 

• 151.   here are the templates on the fore cabin.  It was not so bad.  It was level and not following the shear line, so the aft post was high and the next two a little less.  They were cut progressively to regain the right slope, parallel to the shear.

 

• 152    here they are being reglued at the right height.  Fortunately, all this cutting and gluing is under the cabins and out of sight.

 

Now for what I consider the big oops is for the deck construction.   There are two opposing concepts in these big schooners. 

•    in one the main deck located at the shear line carries through the schooner.  Then the poop deck and fore decks are raised above it. That is what the Priscilla Alden plans and the Bertha book show that I have been following
•    in the other concept, there is only one deck level.  Now that I have all these photos to study of multiple schooners, it seems that where the balustrade fly rail goes all the way forward to the fore cabin.  That seems to happen because the deck is high throughout.

 

 

• 153.     this view is from the book Fly Rails and Flying Jibs . I have been going over more and more views.  This view clearly shows the balustrade rail goes with the fully raised deck. There is no poop deck.    

 

• 154     this view is what I was building based on the drawings I was following.   There is no balustrade fly rail along the length of the main deck

OOPS

• 155.    here we are right after launch.  The fly rails go all the way forward. One can see people leaning against the rail back at the main shrouds.  Another detail that I understand now is that there is no indentation of thinner planks making up a bulwarks above the shear line of the main deck.   I have been curious about that detail for some time, as the photos show continuous planks all the way up.   Now it all makes sense. there must be only one deck level.

 

• 156.    here is a broadside cropped picture taken after the launch.   

My conclusion is that I need to fix this oops  before moving ahead.   If I use the photos of the schooner I am building,  I believe I need to stop and fill in beams all the way to make one deck level. It makes no sense to continue as I am, because I would not then include the fly rail that is clearly in the photos.   

Arge 

Edited August 25, 2021 by Jond

[Jond]

Post 20

First part of fixing the big deck oops and starting production items

The first thing I needed to do after deciding to fix the big oops was to add the upper deck across the mid-section. I will worry about the bow later.

 

• 157.    first up was to mill out, shape and set the new deck beams.  The clamps are gluing vertical braces to hold them in place and add to future strength.

 

• 158    here we are gluing the new deck beams in place.

 

• 159.    this is the first view of the new overall effect of one deck.

 

• 160      here we are fixing the waterway at the bow.

 

• 161    here all the beams are in, the waterway is set, and first coat of paint on. 

 

• 162    this is a fun shot as it shows what should not be.  Obviously, there is only one deck in this schooner.  The lower main deck with its waterway and bulwarks is still there but not what I now believe is the right configuration for Ada Cliff

Production.  making those little parts

 

During these projects that are several components to be prepared. Sometime we simple buy them like blocks and sometime we need to make them like turnbuckles and balustrades.  Just to show that the work is now begun here are two views.

 

• 163    this view is from previous study and my build of the schooner Charles Notman.  We see the balustrades come forward as far as the poop deck.  On that schooner, it was very unusual as the poop deck came all the way forward past the main mast.  Regardless, we see the difference of the main deck and raised deck.   We also see the turnbuckles I made as part of that build.

 

• 164.    here I am using a similar technique as before to start making the balustrades.  I am using maple this time to turn and shape them using files.  We need about 100. So, a few each day is the way I try to work.

 

• 165.    here is the first pile of blanks.

 

• 166    here from my past build we see the main turnbuckles. I have found more photos and they all show about the same sizing.  The main deck shrouds our held by roughly 5 maybe 6-foot turnbuckles. we need about 70.  

 

• 167.     here on the top mast, they were a bit smaller. I tried to make them 4 feet. [ Note   Charlie was a sailing rc schooner thus the muslim sails]

 

• 168     looking at the launching photos of Ada Cliff, we see the turnbuckles and the chain plates are about the same size.  I will go with 5.5 the compromise feet for both.  Now I want to improve on the fabrication that I did before.

 

• 169    starting off I am where I was before.  Here I am soldering the clevis.  I am using a bent brass strip and a 0 hex head machine bolt.  The steel shroud will be spliced to a pin in this clevis.  

 

• 170    I am doing here again what I did last time.  This process does not get the look I want this time. I solder a small ring into the end of a screw top machine bolt, that I file to the best shape I can.   I have since rejected this method and will show results next time.

 

• 171    here is the assembly of the unit.  The two ends are stuck inside a small brass tube that has been filled to open the sides.   

cheers
 

Edited September 14, 2021 by Jond

[Jond]

post 21

 

onward with the second part of the deck oops fix

I had to chuckle again at myself as I got ahead of myself on the fore deck.  As I progressed, I just knew something was wrong.   The gas engine that is in the starboard side of the forward cabin needs to lead a chain forward to run the windlass.  Men must get there and receive the anchor chain and drop it though a deck that is below the high foredeck.   Thus, there must be a break in the deck and the foredeck must be higher.   Further observations of the launching photos helped me come to what I finally hope is the right solution.
Before we get there, I did some more deck work.

 

• 172    here we are replacing the center section of decking to get us back to where we thought we were a few weeks ago. 

 

• 173.    here based on that review I rebuilt the fore cabin to its corrected height assuming, as the Bertha details show, that the deck carries under the fore cabin.   In this photo we see I got ahead of myself adding bitts and things.  They have all since come out.

 

• 174    here is an extreme cropping of one of the launch shots.  One sees clearly the people standing on the raised foredeck and the top of the forward cabin is waste high.

 

• 175.    here is a good shot from the fly rails book showing the fore deck relationships that were so typical.  The floor of the fore cabin is clearly 4 or so feet down.  That allows the equipment to drive the windlass that is located below the raised deck.

 

• 176.    here I am OK to continue work on the after-deck area

Finally, the solution

 

• 177.    I took this photo into Turbo cad and scaled it to the full model size.  I set verticals at 6 inches spacing and measured from the water way to the water line.   When I checked the same dimension with my current build….

 

• 178    here we are looking at the current front shear line.  We must remember we built this as a Bath built schooner and only have these photos to consider making it a Boothbay Schooner.  The late Jim Hunt shared with me his findings that he Boothbay Schooners were known to have very high shear.   Well, we just reproved it again.  The dimensions that came out of the comparison suggest that I start tapering up the shearline to a point roughly ¾ inch at the line of the fore cabin to 5/8  inch at the bow.   Oh well more demo….  I have already started

Fun with the display planning

 

I am trying a new process to make a painted sea to carry the schooner.  I have never done this and am not yet committed, but it is fun to try this process out.

• 179.    here we are painting out the shaped spackle sea with left over paint from the Bowdoin diorama.  The can says forest green and being old is a bit thick. With my liberally adding water to the brush, inconsistently, I got a large enough variation to look something like salt water off a rocky coast. Next up it white highlights etc.  I must remember less is more!!!
• 180    Here is the first attempt to sit in the water

All for now 

[Jond]

Post 22

Fixing the bow

I left off having figured out a plan to fix the bow to follow the shape from the photos. It had to come up another 3 feet in scale ,  so here we go. I had already raised one foot form the bath schooner plans, so the total is a four foot raised deck over the windless.  

 

• 181    I built up the planking on both sides.

 

• 182.    it took quite a few planks to get there.

 

• 183    here we are gluing down the chock rail.

 

• 184    I continued pecking away at the decking in the aft area.

 

Now a few fun photos to see where we are and where we are going.  I painted up the sea, and added some blue tint and white highlights.  I also painted the starboard side with a satin white to soften the hull a bit .

• 185    we see a normally preferred view .  wow if the sea could be two feet wide wouldn’t that be fun.

 

• 186    this view is like the main historic photo of the launch.  The high bow is now much more like the photo.  I think though I need to consider a rough sanding and start over of the hull finish.  This close up view leads me in that direction.

 

• 187.    here the forward deck supports are mostly in and the new Sampson post is set.

 

• 188    here on the aft cabin we have some walls ready and the deck coming forward.  The decking is now another area for sanding and clean-up work before staining. I also need to guess what color for the deck roof.  I am thinking to use the same dark gray on the waterways .

 

• 189.   this photo shows what will need to become a preferred view due to the narrow confines of the sea.   I will need to take several shots and blend them for enough to be in focus too, as this wide angle lense does not get enough depth.

All for now
 

[Jond]

Post 23 

Turnbuckles and bow finish

I need to get going with the few production items. These are the things that I will either make or procure and adjust like blocks.  Turnbuckles need to be made. Only radio sail ones seem to be available.   I also want this build to develop my learning, so the previous version is improved upon.   I shared those images before.  

• 190    here we are putting together an assembly based on that previous build.

 

• 191    here we are looking at it. I tried to make a smaller ring by bending copper wire, but that won’t do. I want to see the threads that the little machine bolts have.  Even though one of them will be backwards.

 

• 192    as shown in early posts, the top clevis is more like a shackle with the wire rope spliced around the pin.  The thimble will be solid, but that detail is much later.

 

• 193    I have taken some 22-gauge wire and made rings on a few size drill bits. I like this size.

 

• 194    here is the saga.  Moving up the photo we see that the lower ring fitting has a shackle for the chain plate. I made three sizes of shackles and chose the middle one.  At the top the new parts come together.

 

• 195.     here is my prototype for the chain plate and main shroud shackles.  Now I need to make about 60 of these.  Hopefully we’ll be OK.   They need to be galvanized then dirty.  More on that later

Just to show I have decided to backup and redo the hull finish.  A colleague at the Downeast Shipmodelers Guild in Bath had shared with us a few years ago, that a big mistake often made by us newbies was being too delicate with our sanding.  He told us take it back down and do it again.  That was specific to fiberglass over wood in RC models, but the theory needs considering.   

 

• 196.     I got a new utility tool last winter to work on a flooring project and used the sander attachment to take the hull back down to the wood and now can start over with painting.   The long stretch with fill is unfortunate. It is there where the unsupported bulwarks were built independent of the main hull molds.  If I had understood that the deck was raised, the molds would have been extended and that deformation would never had occurred.  O well.  

 

• 197.    the transom also had added planks that protruded a bit and needed rough sanding to come flush with the remaining planks.

 

• 198.    here we see the new bow.  Back to an early post, I expressed my desire to see the planks through the paint.  This is no museum piece, but I think I got the look I want.  I put some exacto knife slices through the filled area, and that came through too.

 

• 199.    I thought for fun to see what the anchor will look like.  I happened to have this anchor from Bluejacket in my stash of extra stuff.  

All for now
 

[allanyed]

Jon,

I don't know which I am enjoying more, your build or the research that you did to get the photos and other information.   

Kudos

Allan

 

[KeithAug]

On 9/28/2021 at 2:11 PM, Jond said:

prototype for the chain plate and main shroud shackles.

Jon - interestingly in my recent post I was also making turnbuckles - and quite similar to yours. Hull looking very sleek

[Jond]

Allan

 

thanks for the follow up

 

I suggest through your work with Ernestina Morrissey. you have joined the ranks of Schooner lovers. I hope it keeps bringing you back

 

the photos and books are fun to search for and through.   I hope to get into that some more as Covid allows us to get back to the historical society this fall.  

 

cheers 

[Jond]

Keith

 

Glad to hear from you.   I followed your turnbuckle comment and did go back and catch up with your build.  I am thrilled with your comment but admit clearly there is a very long gap between our turnbuckles.   your machining, fine soldering and fit up of consistent components is just incredible to watch.  the idea of jigs to make such components I will take on board.  the example of placing the metal inside a piece of wood and then sliding on the table saw for controlled consistent cutting was inspirational.   I am constantly struggling with that process.  as an example I do all the filing and cutting of the turnbuckle barrels by hand.  I have a milling lathe combo from Sherline that i inherited from my brother, but no real skills to use it.  I saw you were doing very tight bends with tiny brass rod.  I keep using copper and mixing it with the brass.   

 

there is just so much to learn.  Thanks for your kind words and inspiration to go catch up on your work as it will surely help me.

 

cheers 

[allanyed]

Jon,

I would love to get back into a schooner model once my current project is complete, but right now I will probably go back to work on HMS Litchfield (1695)  Then again, things change as they did with Ernestina and the Boothbay 65 projects thanks to you!  If a schooner project does come up I would love to research some for which no models have been built previously.    

Allan

 

 

[Jond]

Post 24

Build the display

I may be ahead of myself, but I wanted to get my display built and ready, so I can set the Schooner in its final place while she is resting.   

 

• 200.    here we are all with the at sea system assembled.  

 

• 201    here we are in with Ada in place.

 

• 202.    here looking below we see my attempt to paint out “water infinity”.   The color, Jamestown Blue, is a bit of a guess.  My thought is to use a little color but not have anything to take one’s eye off the hull.  

 

• 203    looking from forward. Here I have a new issue.  The hull is basically flat.  I did not shape the seascape opening for a slight heel.   I will think about that as to alter it  will involve both cutting into the one side and adding on to the other side.   Sounds like a wintertime study.

 

• 204    looking down from the stern we see some progress in the rough in decking and cabins.

 

• 205.    and here we see the new raised foredeck coming together.

Cheers 
 

[Jond]

Post 25

Complete the decking

A little celebration was held, as I finished the deck planking. I now need to start the sanding and rethinking about finish.   We had our monthly guild session, and it was fun to get the input of diverse ideas of how to both finish the deck but then how to make sails. 

 

• 206    here the planks for the raised foredeck have been sized and their outboard side darkened with magic marker. I must say I have enjoyed working with the Alaska yellow cedar.  This has been my forst milling job and hopefully it will come out ok.

 

• 207    here in the mid deck area we see remnants of the experimental staining with “special walnut”.  More on that next time, as I need to satisfy both historical reference, which is hard since images are black and white, and then the rear admiral, if I want the model to stay home.

 

• 208    here we are working on the main cabin as the decking gets finished.  The roof will be painted but I believe the material was quite similar as I follow the anatomy of book. The planks were shown to be just a fraction smaller, but I believe that difference would not be seen.  So, forgive me for keeping the 4-inch size.

 

• 209    here the fore deck is done but not yet sanded

 

• 210    likewise the after area is done but also unsanded 

 

• 211    now for the overall look

 

• 212    and here is the bow shot

Next up is sanding and clean up, some retouch up of waterways and staining the deck.  I will then start the on-deck work, complete the cabins and hatches and the preliminary standing rigging.  I think it’s fair to say we are sort of halfway home now. At some point I need a yawl boat too.
All for now
 

[Jond]

Post 26

 

Stain the deck and begin deck furnishing

 

Staining and finishing one’s deck is both a personal and historical effort.  I rationalize that with some exceptions we only have black and white images, so when a nice warm cherry blend is added, it is OK. Another issue is making the rear admiral happy if the finished model is to stay home.  In the first shot, I was experimenting a month ago with the dull brown of walnut stain on the Alaskan cedar.  It was not approved for the home showing and warmth was required.

• 213.    here we see remnant of the first trial using only “special” walnut stain [ vs dark] which is clearly a dull color.  Around it is a light coat of cherry stain to start off with a warmer base.

 

• 214.    here I have added the special walnut to the cherry base.  For a finish I have chosen to use tung oil for my last several builds and I continue to like the affect.  We all have seen many blogs discussing these choices, and they were helpful to me go get comfortable with this choice. If it were to be an RC model I would have used hand rub poly.   

 

• 215.     here is the foredeck with its first coat of oil.

 

• 216.    here we are amidship.  I am also experimenting with hatch construction.

 

• 217     here is the aft deck.  In these photos I believe the warm color is nice against the blue green cold-water coloring.  So, the conclusion is my selection is openly personal more than historical.

Starting the deck furnishing:

There will be many different topics here as we all know. I tend to work on a little of each as I go. That means my updates will have a little of each and not be by subject.  

 

• 218     here is the foredeck area, I am working on the fore cabin. Quite rough at this stage.  Maybe on my next schooner I will have more things open to try to show what is going on inside.  On the side of the hull I have cut out for the chain plates and added the waterway extension around them. There is also another piece added into the rail at the upturn for the raised bow. I needed this in fill as the fly rails go forward all the way to these shrouds. This added piece was an attempt to smooth out the line of the rail and the result is more like the photos.

 

• 219.    here on the aft deck, I have installed the first section of fly rail and started clean up and detailing on the cabin.

 

• 229.    here I had fun making the entrance to the main cabin. I need to now finish fitting it to the sloped deck.   The two wood blocks on top of the cabin are only dummies for where the skylight and similar structure go for the aft companionway to the main cabin.  They both need to be open frame.

 

All for now 
 

[KeithAug]

Starting to look very smart Jon. She was quite a substantial vessel wasn't she.

[jlefever]

Great progress. the thought and effort really show up well.

 

Jim

[Jond]

Thanks Keith 

yes these big schooners are quite substantial.  I just went back into the detailing done with photos in the late 1930’s. There are several fun details I hope to include to show how the small crews sailed these beauties

 

cheers

[Jond]

Thanks Jim

 

from here on in is the fun stuff.  

[Jond]

Post 27

 

Progress on deck

 

There are many interruptions these days as fall is in full swing and we need to get ready for winter.  No rest in site.  Regardless we plod along.  Before showing a little progress I want to describe the basis I have chosen in making decisions about what goes where on deck.  I take us back to the Fly rails book mentioned before where several Schooners rested in Boothbay Harbor in the mid 1930’s and were photographed.  A key one was the Zebedee D  Cliff, sort of a grandson of Ada Cliff ,our subject.   After the Yard became the Eastern Ship Company they built 4 each 4 masted schooners.  The last and most famous, here abouts anyway, was the Zebedee D Cliff.  She was the last one launched.  My point is that she was built in the same yard only a few years later.  Therefore, the views of the deck give us a good potential of seeing what might have been on deck of Ada.  I start with three photos from the book….

• 221      starboard aft looking forward: Note the treatment of the deck house, the long rail leaning in and the bollards.  It looks as though those fore cabin doors slide…oh well I copied another view where they are Dutch doors.

 

• 222    port aft looking forward …just more details like the galley and crew quarter hatches on the fore cabin, gang way, white large blocks, etc.

 

• 223    forward deck looking aft …at the fore cabin.  Note the large exhaust for the boiler forward of the mast, the port hole etc.  this schooner had only one deck level exposed.   The tip-off is the fly rail going all the way forward.

 

• 224    This view is not the same schooner but a lot more items are here to consider. The galley stove pipe,  also, for information, note the shrouds were removed on the dock side to promote loading

A little progress

 

• 225.    I did not show this view last time, but thought is worthwhile to document the nice clean empty deck.

 

• 226    I also left out this photo showing the assembly line for the balustrades.   I make roughly 8 at a time. After a single coat of white they get pinned into place.  I then drill through the cap rail into the balustrade and glue a small pin.

 

• 227    here we are lining up the cross trees at the mast heads.

 

• 228.    I build the hatches and am working on the bitts. Most photos show not fife rails.  I am still working on that because there are many lines and normally 12 of them tie off there. More to think about.  I need one for the pump regardless.

 

• 229     I chuckled when I read the angle of the balustrades is 14 degrees.  Forgive me for using a 15-degree pin when cutting them.

 

• 230.    here we have a milestone.  I have made and blackened the chain plates and they, the first metal work,  are now going in.  

   
All for now 
 

[Jond]

Post 28 

 

Fly rails are installed and helm and top works begun

 

There is less time to focus during fall a Maine clean up, but some progress continues.  I have the fly rails installed now and have started preparing the lower mast shrouds and cross tree assemblies as well as continued with other on deck work.

• 231    here I am in my truly amateur area of soldering the boiler stack.

 

• 232     here we are on in place on the fore cabin.  The Boiler was forward of the mast and ran the steam engine to hoist sails pump water, raise the anchors etc.  There is lots of conflicting information regarding the ending of steam jockey engine and introduction of smaller gasoline engines.  I took that the larger schooner built at the same yard 4 years later clearly included the steam flue as  justification to assume the slightly smaller schooner had the same technology in 1917.  The smaller flue aft of the mast is the galley stove.  

 

• 233     here we have the pins going in for what is clearly shown on both sets of anatomy drawings. I say this carefully because they are labeled compression rods in one book.  As a retired building engineer, I question that label.  The wood stanchion was plenty strong resisting any downward forces…. compression.  The fly rails contain all the tie offs for all the running rigging.  Many of those lines would have tried to lift the rails, thus these rods were from that perspective in tension.   The connections of the turned wood stanchions would not have been strong in upward resistance…regardless we move on. Please take note that the colorful pin heads are not xmas decorations.  I just wanted to use them up in this effort.

 

• 234     here the rest of the fly rails are going on.

 

• 235     here we are all painted. Work is beginning on the helm. as well.

 

• 236.    here again the fly rails in place giving clearer identity to our subject.

 

• 237.     here I have started building out the cross trees and iron word at the mast tops.  I am working on the rigging table making up shrouds as well so they will be ready when we complete the deck work

All for now
 

[Jond]

Post 29

 

The helm

 

Building the helm is always fun.  One of these days I hope to do the gears, but I have much to learn before trying that.  Anyway, I needed to find some photos to see what I would try to do.

 

• 238.    here we see the helm on Zebedee Cliff.  It was built four years later but I believe the style is fine. I am not sure how tall the 1933 tourist in the photo was, so I am going for about 5-foot outer diameter.  

 

• 239.     I have used this method before and though crude it seems to work for me.  I use a Forstner Drill Bit to cut inside holes in birch plywood.  I use 1/16” for the center and 2 each 1/32” for the rims. The inside gets cut into segments to go either side of the spokes.

 

• 240     here we are set up to glue the spokes on top of a template for the 36 degrees per spoke. I use maple for the spokes as they are turned.

 

• 241.    tada….oops I think we are a bit too big.  Well, this was good practice anyway.

 

• 242    just for fun here is the too big wheel on board…..no go

 

• 243     back to the drawing board we used a ¾” bit and went again.

 

• 244       here we are in glue up and I think we may be ok this time. Below lying on the deck, we see the blocking and brake. I used different colors stain, so the pieces make sense.  Just a few bolts and a brake slide plate and we are done.  On the roof my limited supply of chocks is resting.  According to the details I have found all but the forward chocks need to be closed.

 

• 245.     One of my joys is entering the shop in early morning in winter.  The leaves are mostly down, and the winter low morning sun streams into the shop.   Here the helm is in place. A few little handles and we are done.

Other work

• 246.      Just an update I am working on the mast tops. Here the futtocks shrouds are made up based on details from booth Douglas lee at Maine maritime and the anatomy of Bertha book. I love it when I find two sources that agree.  I need to adjust the stain as the mast tops are all light stain and the darker oiled finish that should be below these shrouds.

 

• 247.    here I had a little fun and wasted a pin rail.  I went to my supply of pins and found I have none at 5/16” which is the size I need.  Here are 4 different designs of what is out there in a size for 1:24 left over. I need 100 and am in the market.  

All for now
 

Edited November 14, 2021 by Jond

[Jond]

Not a progress posting just a few photos. 

248.    just in case one does not know what happens if the phone rings or some other disturbance arises, and you forget there are pieces in the blackening solution.   If you leave them overnight they become toast. The top ones toast the bottom rebuilt.

 

249a      here I had some fun.  I cut away the cabin to make the aft companionway.  

249b.   In the second shot we realize once I build the enclosure, there will be little to show, but it will be fun to know about.  One of those little surprises

 

250      Here I started rigging by stringing the chains on the bowsprit. From the photos I believe these chains were galvanized.   Like the two turnbuckles included I need to get some metallic paints to replicate the galvanized finish.  I also note the lower chains at the tip of the martingale should be a bit smaller.  

 

cheers

 

[Jond]

Here are a few more photos as I move through this long middle section 

 

• 251.    I am determined through this build to develop some soldering skills that have previously limited many opportunities.  Here is probably my fourth attempt at this tiny fitting, the fore staysail gooseneck fitting.

 

• 252.    celebration …it worked.  It’s Not so elegant, but functionally represents the details out of the research books.

 

• 253.    here all together we have the fore stay with lashing and the complete gooseneck assembly.  

 

• 254.    having learned the benefit of using the mill for drilling slots, we are off drilling slots for the fid and sheave in the top masts.

 

• 255.     here is my shortcut to make little wooden sheaves for the top masts.

 

• 256.     here we have the fore top mast resting in place with the fid and sheave in place.  Both the forestay and jib stay are in place as well.

 

Happy Thanksgiving
 

[Jond]

Post 30

Slow transition deck to rigging

I write this paragraph to record the slow shift, as I am probably halfway through the deck work. That is other than clean up and touch up paint that never ends.  I am moving into the rigging partly as much of that work is done on the side and brought to the schooner only for installation.   Much of what I find in this stage is I get to try something, and if like the chain on the Martingale I mentioned above, I don’t like it or it is just wrong, I get to do it again.  I have a few orders out for needed material to do the rigging. Unlike the master builders we all love to follow, I do not make everything.  Early 20th Century navy anchors, cast iron on deck water pumps, and the like I get castings.  For blocks I love to use Maine made Bluejacket blocks on my Maine schooners.  I am also getting from them my first silk span.   

Including the last few posts, I am working away here through this transition.  A few more tidbits and overview.

 

• 257.     After many tries, I final got to a process to make a series of turn buckles.  My first ones remain a bit crude, but hopefully as I work through the 50 odd units, they will get better.    I am a full amateur when it comes to solder, but I insist on learning the trade.   To get the annealed copper wire to take, I chose to make up 10 shackles and pickle them. I also pickled about ten wire rings.   With that added step and the freshly filed cap screw slots, I was able, using a butane torch, to  “flash off” and make the joint. I finally figured to use a flux paste and that helped hold the little cut length of solder.  The electric iron and liquid flux are both back on the shelf for now as I just could not get it to work.

 

• 258     here we see I followed several pictures and made up the supports for the boiler stack.  They will be part of the next round of touch up painting that this photo shows is really needed.  The thin brass was blackened, but all the working after it will also needs touch up.  I find the lamp black paint works well for this purpose. Also, in this view we see I finally found enough evidence that the mast wedges were not wood wedges with canvas boots as on older vessels.  A few photos showed there were four quartered iron and bolted.  Thus, I filed them down [ they are maple] some and added lamp black to simulate the iron.  

 

• 259.     backing off we see the transition beginning forward.  The shrouds are clamped off. I need some aluminum paint to get the galvanized look on the turnbuckles before I make them fast.   This transition also means the lower masts are there to stay.  

 

• 260    here we see in the transition there is still much to do aft.  I have the deck house skylights roughed out. next up will be to add bars and iron rods to keep the lines from fowling.  There is another stove pipe, then a gangway, yawl boats etc. much to do!!!

 

• 261.     looking down we see a clean deck for the last time. Soon we need to get all though pins in place and be sure we have enough. I always find there are more lines than pins and expect no less of an issue here.  Example all photos confirm lazy jacks.  They go to fife rail on a fishing schooner.  There are not enough fife rails for all those pins shown in any photos.  

 

• 262.     finally we see the tops taking shape.  I am working along getting the top masts ready.  I need this step more to complete the sizing drawings for the sails.  More on that and rigging line issues later.

All for now
 

[allanyed]

Jon

With top quality turnbuckles costing a small fortune, making that many is a wise choice.  As you get these to where you are pleased with the results, it would be super if you could do a step by step photo shoot of the process.

 

Loving your build!

 

Allan

[Jond]

Allan

 

you are right!  I hate to admit what the cost was on the materials I share in the next post.    As to turnbuckles I have found that those on line are typically a barrel type.  In the photos I have found a few samples of barrels  on places like the jib stays .  That would mean 6 out of maybe 60.   What I see in the launch photo of Ada however, confirms the open yoke style even in those locations.   Thus filling away is the only way I know to get there.   

 

I will group some photos for a post in a few weeks.  thanks for you shared thoughts.  It truly is a constant learning process.

 

jon