Thermopylae by My Fathers Son - or as near as I can get it

[My Fathers Son]

Well, I have roughed out the plan for the forward hatch and it's a bugger. It intersects frame 5 and as 6 is already compromised I am. Louth to do that to 5 as well. A temporary mast is in place so I can be sure it is vertical and has the correct lean aft, set at 86 degrees. 

 

Photos as promised. 

 

I should be OK with the main hatch as the main mast is immediately aft of frame 11 and I have not set out the beams 10 through 12.

 

Simon

[My Fathers Son]

Had to work today so didn't get round to big T but this is where I got to last night

[My Fathers Son]

So I have been working on getting the templates set up for the main deck. 

Having got the general shapes sorted out I can set out the locations of the various items that come through this deck. The mizzen location is sorted for this level. However, the Fore and Main masts are located on the false deck but I now have to calculate the location on the main deck taking into account the degree of rake of each mast. 

I will clean up the pencil marks on these templates and redraw some guide lines for the final ply deck to eradicate the errors on the templates. 

The more observant will notice there are a few bits of damage to the tabs on the frames. Two down to my heavy hands and the other two down to my four legged assistants. 

[My Fathers Son]

The broken tabs are not proving to be a problem, as you can see, I have managed to create templates for the main, fore and aft decks. I have erred on the side of caution and they are all slightly over sized so I can sand the actual decks once they are cut out. The main deck was made in three parts and after getting them lined up, I have glued strips over the joins. This is shoebox card so it's quite sturdy. 

Frustratingly, she is not symmetrical, some of which can be rectified by building up or filing down excess but there will be a case of "so be it". I will know it but I doubt any casual observer will. 

One of those annoying things is the bow, the ply has warped, I am taking steps to correct this but there may still be a slight twist to port in the end. I suspect once the decks are fixed in place and the hull planed, most of this will be sorted. 

 

 

Simon

[Baker]

9 hours ago, My Fathers Son said:

Frustratingly, she is not symmetrical,

Sounds familiar
I have experienced this too.
Drawing and building a model yourself is quite a challenge 👍

[My Fathers Son]

Not my best bit of photography 

I have taken the template for the fore deck and adjusted the port side by adding strips of wood. I will then use the dimensions for the port to reduce the starboard side to match. 

 

This means I had to add to the first couple of frames, still a bit of shaping to do there. 

Bit to wet outside this evening due to the persistent rain this evening. 

 

Simon

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  I've shared your job of adding-to or subtracting-from bulkheads ...

Edit:  Some might say shared your 'pain', but it not really that (although inconvenient) - its part of the journey, and keeps the mind working.  We're told that having mental tasks in old age can stave-off Alzheimers - so with the stuff I'm fiddling with, I might match my Dad's intact mental abilities before he 'passed over the bar' a month shy of his 95th birthday.

 

Edited May 22 by Snug Harbor Johnny

[My Fathers Son]

6 hours ago, Snug Harbor Johnny said:

  I've shared you job of adding-to or subtracting-from bulkheads ...

 

These three bulkheads are the most complex as the curves transfer from convex to concave shapes. I am happy at the deck levels of the shape but lower down, not so much. I am using a very flexible strip of 1/32" bass wood to check on the shape. 

I am also going back to the original drawings and the cad interpretation to check I am heading in the right direction. 

 

Simon 

[Baker]

7 hours ago, Snug Harbor Johnny said:

  I've shared you job of adding-to or subtracting-from bulkheads ...

 

Known problem. 
I've had that too on my Mary Rose. Call it the charm of scratch building. 

Nice work Simon.

[My Fathers Son]

On 5/21/2024 at 11:04 PM, Snug Harbor Johnny said:

  I've shared your job of adding-to or subtracting-from bulkheads ...

Edit:  Some might say shared your 'pain', but it not really that (although inconvenient) - its part of the journey, and keeps the mind working.  We're told that having mental tasks in old age can stave-off Alzheimers - so with the stuff I'm fiddling with, I might match my Dad's intact mental abilities before he 'passed over the bar' a month shy of his 95th birthday.

 

My old mum used to do crosswords to keep her brain active. She made it to 90 but the last 3 years were a trial for her, she knew something was up when she couldn't do the Times or Telegraph puzzles anymore. When she finally crossed that final frontier, it was a mercy for her. 

 

Did a bit more this evening, glued in the forward section of the main deck and cut out the forcastle deck. 

Bit more shaping to do as the forecastle is oversize. 

 

Simon 

[My Fathers Son]

Using a strip of 1/32 bass wood to check the shape. 

As you can see, B4 needed to be brought in line. 

 

Simon 

[My Fathers Son]

Rabbits set for first strake. Not ready to start planking but have run out of timber for decks. 

Plus this helps to show where I have to reduce or build up the bulkheads. 

I the end, there will be no plywood visible, it will all be planed over or veneered. 

 

Can't decide on mahogany or cherry for the decking. Hull will have to be painted anyway so not too fussy about that. 

 

Simon

[My Fathers Son]

Bought more 1/16" basswood - - managed   to cut out and glue the 'main deck in place

 

[My Fathers Son]

Seems like I spent hours on her today and you can't see the difference. 

What you can't see is where I have added additional wood to the bulkheads and then sanded them back to blend it in. Still not finished but I don't think that I need to add any more, just sand down and blend in the last ones. 

Still have the aft deck to construct and create the supports so the is no sagging. 

Still need to make my mind up on the material for the decks. 

[My Fathers Son]

Took a day off from the main hull and started the jolly boat. I need a new jig for the life boats. 

This was originally constructed by creating the keel and then bending frames at strategic intervals with a notch in the inner edge of the keel for each one. 

I then stretched strake across the frames gluing only to frame and keel so it would come away from the jig. 

Now the shape is set, I can taper in the remaining stakes to pull the sides upright. I probable should have started tapering one strake earlier. 

At 90mm this is a litteon the long side for a 27ft ships boat but the smaller you go, it is proportionately harder to fashion and I should be able to fit this out with seats and boards, which would be a real test if it was just 10mm smaller. 

Simon 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

On 5/26/2024 at 2:01 PM, My Fathers Son said:

What you can't see is where I have added additional wood to the bulkheads and then sanded them back to blend it in. Still not finished but I don't think that I need to add any more, just sand down and blend in the last ones. 

Still have the aft deck to construct and create the supports so the is no sagging. 

Still need to make my mind up on the material for the decks. 

  I can see it ... and the lines are more graceful that those of the Cutty Sark, with the 'Big T' seeming more like a racing yacht.  Perhaps thats why she had the advantage under lighter winds, as well as 'ghosting' ...  although when 'hammered', the CS appears to have gained an advantage.

[My Fathers Son]

2 hours ago, Snug Harbor Johnny said:

  I can see it ... and the lines are more graceful that those of the Cutty Sark, with the 'Big T' seeming more like a racing yacht.  Perhaps thats why she had the advantage under lighter winds, as well as 'ghosting' ...  although when 'hammered', the CS appears to have gained an advantage.

I agree, I saw that on the small mock up I did as a practice, it's a bit like the difference between a 2 stroke engine and 4 stroke. 2 strokes are all about torque and acceleration but can't keep it up, where as 4 strokes are about stamina. Take longer to get to top speed but when they do, can stay at that output until the cows came home. 

 

Having read up on some of their history, there first opportunity to go head to head, both left Foochow on the same tide but CS got to te pilot boat first. She actually got a cross the southern ocean first and was a week ahead when she was hit by a freak wave rounding the horn which ripped off her rudder. This gave Big T the opportunity not just to catch up but overhaul her and get back to London a clear week ahead of CS. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing what would have happened in the lighter Atlantic winds on the journey North after rounding the horn if that freak wave had not caused a that damage. 

Simon

[My Fathers Son]

Made a little progress on the Jolly boat this evening. 

Just needs a bit of a rub down and a coat of paint before I fit the boards and seats. 

 

Too small for me o fit rollocks. This will be mounted up side down so nt much point in going in too much detail. 

 

Simon 

Edited May 29 by My Fathers Son

[rwiederrich]

On 5/28/2024 at 3:21 PM, My Fathers Son said:

This gave Big T the opportunity not just to catch up but overhaul her and get back to London a clear week ahead of CS. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing what would have happened in the lighter Atlantic winds on the journey North after rounding the horn if that freak wave had not caused a that damage. 

Indeed, we will never know.  However, That victory for T didn't last long, when the news got around that the mid ocean repair and jury rig of the CS's jury rudder.  Made from spare spars and reforged ironworks.  Braught great acclaim to the CS captain and crew from the owners and insurers.   What a feat.  In mid ocean...amidst, a boiling sea, the ingenious captain and crew, built and hung, (crew diving under the water to secure the rudder) , (blacksmith having his forge doused twice by high waves), their new rudder.  Never giving up and making land for repairs.    Hence the phrase,  *Wooden ships, Iron Men*.

CS still won the day.......in a way.

 

Rob

[My Fathers Son]

10 hours ago, rwiederrich said:

Indeed, we will never know.  However, That victory for T didn't last long, when the news got around that the mid ocean repair and jury rig of the CS's jury rudder.  Made from spare spars and reforged ironworks.  Braught great acclaim to the CS captain and crew from the owners and insurers.   What a feat.  In mid ocean...amidst, a boiling sea, the ingenious captain and crew, built and hung, (crew diving under the water to secure the rudder) , (blacksmith having his forge doused twice by high waves), their new rudder.  Never giving up and making land for repairs.    Hence the phrase,  *Wooden ships, Iron Men*.

CS still won the day.......in a way.

 

Rob

Indeed Rob, I also read that they were only able to create the forge down to a young stowaway who emerged from one of the ships boats who had worked in a smithy. 

 Big T set the record for that year but CS beat it the following year. Soon after that they both became obsolete due to the opening of the Sue canal and the steamer became king. 

 

Simon

[My Fathers Son]

Ready for some paint. 

Simon

[Keith Black]

Nice bit of kit, Simon. The ship's boat would look good stained but paint is more correct.   

[My Fathers Son]

On 5/31/2024 at 11:55 PM, Keith Black said:

Nice bit of kit, Simon. The ship's boat would look good stained but paint is more correct.   

It's not bad but I am not happy with the Stern, the transom twisted. I am having another go at it. There is way too much overspill of glue for stain to be an option anyway but you are right, it would look good Stained, I can try this on the interior to see how this might of worked. 

 

I have started again on the Gig and on a new jig for the lifeboats. Trying different ways to secure it to the jig to see if that helps. 

 

Also experimenting with bending methods. Obviously, the coin gave the best curve and I used that to add the next lamination to the keel. Just need to find a coin the right size for each frame. 

 

Simon

 

[My Fathers Son]

Last night I laminated 3 strips together to create the keel. I have drilled holes in the former and am using the same cord as I am using for Stays on CS. This is prewaxed but I have run it over my beeswax block for good measure. 

I have then secured the keel to the former using a simple running stitch. This will not get in the way until I have to do the final 2 strakes on each side but by then, the boat will be pretty solid in its shape. 

The top most strake has been secured on both sides. 

I know I say "you can't have too many clamps" but in this instance, clamps are not working for me. 

I saw a video the other day of someone building a canoe (full size) and he strapped each longways strake to the ribs and this made me think, hence I am using cord. 

This is where patience comes in. Each time I lay down a fresh strake, I run a cord from a knot or clamp around the boat, this is then run around the glued in strake and the new strake to hold them together. The cord then is run around the model moving on to the next frame and rib and repeated until you reach the end, securing the end of the cord with a clamp. 

I then touch a small amount of ca glue between the strake and each rib. 

You then have to wait for the glue to set up. 

So wrap, glue, wait, repeat is the order of the day. 

I am trying not to mess up the planking so here are 4 strakes cut and sanded to taper identically.

 

Simon

Edited June 4 by My Fathers Son

[berhard]

I like your method, definitely something I’m going to try.

[My Fathers Son]

The gig turned out to be too below par due to the transom being twisted. Had to start again. Did much better this time. 

It's a good job it has turned out better as the model was stuck to the former and I had to break it to get the model off it. 

 

So next is the first lifeboat. 

I will have to prebend the stakes on this one. 

 

Simon

 

[My Fathers Son]

Not sure about this boat. I used lines for a generic 19th century ships lifeboat but the shape just seems off somehow. The front curves are from 15mm copper pipe. I have cut off a couple of rings. Holding a ring in a spring clip, I heat up the ring with a mini torch and the gently wrap the piece to be shaped around the pipe. 

It seems to have worked and the stakes did not need to have been clamped to create the shape. I will finish it then look for a different set of line drawings if I am still in two minds about it. 

Simon 

[Keith Black]

I think it's our eyes playing tricks because the planking isn't completed. 

[My Fathers Son]

1 hour ago, Keith Black said:

I think it's our eyes playing tricks because the planking isn't completed. 

I did one of the garboard strakes and both of the gunwhales before I finished for the evening. 

I am not working tomorrow so should finish it then. 

Simon 

[My Fathers Son]

I have not done anymore to the lifeboat, home life got in the way for the last few days. 

The more I look at it, the less I like it, and the former I used to make it broke when I dropped it. I didn't like the shape at the front and it is not supposed to have a transom. 

So I have started again and just finished cutting out, assembling and fine tuning the new former. 

I have sourced some cherry veneer and I will try this as the material for the boats from this. 

Simon