Young America 1853 by EdT - FINISHED - extreme clipper

[EdT]

Thank you all for these very generous comments.

 

Ed

[Mau]

Hi Ed,

 

Amazing work!

 

Do you use white or yellow beeswax?

 

Mauricio

[EdT]

Mauricio, thank you.

 

I have not tried white beeswax, but I intend to.  The natural yellow wax imparts an nice warm color to the wood, but sometimes it is a bit too yellow and turns the pear an orange hue that I do not like.  I may try some blends.

 

Good question.

 

Ed

[druxey]

You might wish to consider conservators' (microcrystalline) wax: it is colourless and pH neutral.

[EdT]

Thanks for mentioning that, druxey.  I do use conservator's wax (Renaissance Wax) and should have mentioned it.  It is a petroleum product and as you say is water-white and pH neutral.  I believe it is also more stable and lasts longer.  I often use it on metal.  It adds no color to the wood and may provide more permanent protection than beeswax.  Beeswax does seem to last for decades however.

 

I use beeswax on wood as a personal preference because it deepens and warms the color of the wood somewhat.  It also penetrates when used in solution with turpentine - giving depth in appearance and additional protection.  I have not tried diluting conservator's wax, but I suspect it would be best to do that with a petroleum based solvent like mineral spirits.  I don't like the smell of that on the wood - although I have used ms with tung and other oils on furniture work. 

 

The acidity in beeswax could be a problem I suppose, perhaps on metal like blackened brass or copper, but I have not seen evidence of it on some very old work.  I think acidity is a non-issue on wood. 

 

I think the yellow color - and perhaps the acidity - in beeswax is from pollen.  White beeswax is processed to remove most of that.

 

I would probably not try to blend the two different types.

 

So, like most finishes - a heavy dose of personal preference in the decision.

 

Ed

[Piet]

Hello Ed, I have been silently following and admiring your build.  A note of interest on mineral spirits.

As an artist (among many other things) using oils and now also permanent museum quality colored pencils I use Gemsol.  Yes, some makes of colored pencils can be softened with mineral spirits and use it like tempera paint. 

This is a truly odorless mineral spirit that dries up clear and leaves no residue.

It's not cheap $16.99 for one pint (473ml), but I don't use it a lot, so it last me a long time.

 

Cheers,

[SJSoane]

 

Hi Ed,

 

Very interesting, to see the inboard works of the clipper compared to your Naiad. So there are no riding timbers or other transverse structural members in the lower hull? Or is that still to come?

 

Mark

[EdT]

Piet, thanks for the tip on the odorless mineral spirits and for your interest in the build.

 

Mark, a very good and interesting question.  A variety of inboard reinforcements were used by different builders - to stiffen the hull and reduce hogging strains.  I have based the design for the Young America model on what is known about Webb's practices on his ships.  Bill Crothers book discusses many of the methods used and was a primary reference for me - among some others. 

 

I have mentioned earlier that Wm Webb seemed to be more economical in the use of timber than some other builders, so heavy supplemental sister keelsons, keelsons at the bilge level, long diagonal riders on the ceiling, hogging chocks, etc. - common features - were probably not used in his ships. 

 

What you see on the model is essentially it.  The package includes: increased frame spacing and smaller frame timbers toward the ends to reduce weight, 16" x 48" deep straight keelson stem to stern, diagonal iron strapping, heavy "bilge ceiling" around the turn of the bilge up to the lower deck clamp.  This last item is deceptively strong reinforcement.  It consists of 8" x 8" timbers iron bolted through every frame with strakes probably edge bolted together.  It parallels the line of the lower futtock heads, so it converges into the lower deck clamp toward the fore and aft ends of the ship where tapered timber ends are edge bolted into the clamp - forming a sort of girder with the clamps and the clamp-parallel inboard members above.  Also, the deck beams, located uniformly at every other frame (no guns to consider) were heavily kneed and bolted through the clamps and the frames.  This is the best assessment I could make for the model - considering that no specific detailed design or specification for the original exists.

 

From what I gather, these later American builders often eliminated some traditional wood pieces in favor of more bolts.  They used a lot of bolts.  You can't argue with success.  I wonder how many of those 18C RN ships could go around cape horn fifty times, as YA did.  Webb was doing something right.

 

Hope this answers your question.

 

Ed

[dgbot]

Ed,  from what I have read finding usable timber around this time became harder and more difficult.  As a result it might have been more profitable to use a material that was already easier to obtain as well as cheaper to work with as time went on.  Many people forget that these individuals were not only builders and visionaries, they were also sharp and astute businessman who were out to make a good profit on there endeavors.

David B

[EdT]

David, I believe that the main drivers were cost and construction time - with perhaps an emphasis on the latter.  The demand for these ships was very high and the shippers wanted them fast to capture the markets.  Forest resources in the US were basically unlimited in the mid-19th  century - or thought to be so at the time - and very good ship timber was plentiful - unlike in England where the Navy had essentially deforested the island.

 

Ed

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

I saw a  table,

http://www.apimondiafoundation.org/foundation/files/1986/A.I.%20TIHONOV,%20S.V.%20IAVTUSENKO,%20I.%20ACILOV,%20T.G.%20IARNIH.pdf

 

Beewax acidity would be at the beginnning of acidity on  the ph scale ,

so very close to neutral.

 

I did apply beewax  on a roll top desk I built about 30 years ago.

Still today  the same wax is still there and looks very fine.

[EdT]

Thanks, Gaeton. A little science always helps. As the table indicates beeswax is pretty close to neutral - close enough for me to stop worrying about it on blackened metal. Also, thanks for the testimony for beeswax as along term furniture finish. This agrees with what I have observed as well.

 

Ed

[druxey]

Those are interesting figures, Gaetan. Thanks for posting them. I assume therefore that the slight acidity does not affect wood but is sufficient, in combination with UV light, to deteriorate rigging cotton, linen or silk. 

[Jaxboat]

RE Bees Wax: As a result of Druxey's comments about Beeswax, I was curious as I sell Beeswax into the personal care industry. I consulted one of the worlds top technical Beeswax and wax in general experts on Druxley's comments . My associate confirmed that microcrystalline wax was preferred by art conservators for all of  the reasons Druxley mentioned.  Beeswax is a truly amazing natural product that contains a plethora of chemicals besides "wax".  Those other components  can be neutral, beneficial or harmful depending on your application. Microcrystalline wax is carefully extracted from hydrocarbon streams and is very uniform and virtually 100% wax with no pH issues.

 

Also, I know of no reasons why microcrystalline wax won't dissolve in Terps. I suggest trying it. However, terps like Bees wax is a natural product. It is recovered from gum rosin harvesting from pine trees among other things. There are truly odorless mineral spirits now on the market that should fill your need.

Hope this helps and thanks for bringing up the subject.

Best

Jaxboat

Edited April 11, 2014 by Jaxboat

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Here are some other notes  going the same direction about beewax.

            

Beeswax is a component of the complex substances and contains almost 300 different substances. Beeswax becomes slightly corrosive when exposed to UV because it's a biological material and UV degrades the molecule releasing natural acids. 

I think that, the corrosive effects only really matter on a really long term scale and with fragile museum items.  

  Microcrystalline and renaissance wax was invented because the V&A realised this fact after a century of applying beeswax to protect the nation's most precious and ancient artifacts that they had, unbeknownst to them, been applying slow acting acid. 

[SJSoane]

 

Thanks, Ed, that is a very thoughtful answer to the question of how the clippers could be pared down to minimal structure necessary. It is always a design aspiration, to get the most done with the least material....

 

Mark

[von stetina]

Hi everyone,

 

I had great results thinning my Conservators Wax with Naptha. Actually I used automotive wax and grease remover otherwise known as Pre-Cleano for before painting. It's available in automotive or auto-body stores usually. Hardware store for Naptha.

 

 I'll bet it would work great on the wood as it would soak in so well. So far I've used it on my rigging and it has stayed tight and without sag

 

Must say...Young America is looking awesome!

 

Bruce.

Edited April 12, 2014 by von stetina

[EdT]

Thanks for the comments and the useful input on waxes and solvents.

 

I do not know if the relative differences in these materials is significant to our purposes or not. However, to be prudent I would use microcrystalline (conservator's, Renaissance) wax on metal and rigging where color makes no difference. I would thin it with some high quality naptha-type solvent - see below. Some future generation may thank us for this caution. I see no reason why either material should not be used on wood and would let the desired appearance be the guide in this case. I expect to test these waxes - mainly to see what beeswax blends look like - on wood samples and will post some pictures later.

 

As far as solvents are concerned,I expect to continue to use turpentine to thin beeswax - perhaps from habit, perhaps because I prefer the aroma in the shop, or maybe I like the fanciful idea of an "all natural" finish. (Turpentine comes from trees.) All of these solvents work pretty much the same way.

 

Mineral spirits is essentialy naptha - a broad cut of distillates from petroleum refining. Odorless forms have had the aromatics (benzene, toluene, xylene, etc.) removed. Since these are the less healthful constituents, odorless is probably safer to use - and your shop will smell less like a refinery. I have often wondered if the product sold as "naptha" is much different from mineral spirits. There are light and heavy cuts of naptha so perhaps it is one of these variants. Lighter cuts would be more useful for cleaning. Ordinary "mineral spirits" may be the heavier - more oily - cheaper cuts - good to thin paints/varnishes and clean brushes. I don't really know the specific differences. Anything sold in small containers for artists is probably higher quality and always more expensive.

 

So, thanks again for the input.

 

Ed

[dgbot]

The problem with naptha is that it is  highly flamable.  Not to be used in a confined space.  While I have used it every now and then I prefer not using it in my apt if I do not have to, the fumes may ignite if there is a spark if there is no adequate ventilation.  As a result I prefer mineral spirits ot turps as my solvent of choice.

David B

[EdT]

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 54 – Treenailing, steps, water tank plinth

 

The first picture shows the treenailing of the ceiling planking on the port side in progress.

 

 

Treenails have been glued in and clipped off on the center to right side of the picture.  To the left, holes have been drilled and are waiting for nails.  The next picture was taken later around the midship area.

 

 

In this picture the nails have been filed off flush and the planking finish sanded and polished up with some steel wool.  The iron blunts at the butts are more pronounced.  The step of the main mast is in position but has not been permanently fixed.  It still needs assembly bolts.  The next picture shows more of the port side ceiling and both forward mast steps.

 

 

I had to catch up on some drafting in order to move forward with the permanent fixing of the steps.  I had not yet detailed some additional hold members.  The next picture shows some of the additional members required in the midship area.

 

 

Some of the pillars in this area are located outside of the openings for the main hatch, the mast partners and the two large square tanks that stored fresh water.  These off-center pillars will be installed on the long base members shown loose in the above photo.  The next picture shows the beginning of construction of the plinth that will support the water tanks.

 

 

These two iron tanks rested on the keelson and are about 6 feet wide, so additional supports were needed on either side.  These are being built up as a solid base of 8” x 8” members.  The first layer of these is shown in the above picture.  The next picture shows this first layer being leveled off on the port side.

 

 

The lower members were shaped to match the hull curvature, but the final structure needs to be flat at the top.  The next picture shows the completed plinth.

 

 

The top of this substantial base has been fitted with 6” x 6” dunnage beams.  The two flat-bottomed iron tanks will rest on these.  The aft tank is 6000 gallons and extends up to just below the main deck, a height of about 20 feet.  The smaller 2000 gallon tank is 12 feet high with its top just under the middle deck.  I don’t know why these were so tall.  I would have thought shorter tanks with a larger footprint in the hold would be better for stability, but the source is reliable.  These were usually round, but Webb installed square tanks in Challenge and that was the basis for this design.  I assumed no change would be made in the short interval between Challenge and YA.

 

The pillar support members seen in this picture have not yet been shaped or installed.  There will be three pairs of pillars on the forward set and two pairs on the set astride the tanks.

 

The last picture shows the final installation of the foremast step.

 

 

After gluing the assembly on to the keelson and the ceiling planking, holes for the bolts in the horizontal arms of the knees were drilled down through the frames.  Copper wire through-bolts were then epoxied into place.  Long bolts through the centerline of the cap were inserted into the keelson in what had been locating-pin holes.  All these bolts were iron and will be blackened before applying finish.

 

Ed

[newbuilder101]

When I stop by your log I feel that I am in an actual shipyard viewing a real ship taking form! Beautiful work!

[michael mott]

I have to echo what Sherry has said, superb attention to details.

 

Michael

[dgbot]

Same hear.

David B

[realworkingsailor]

Ed, regarding your comments about the shape of the tank, it all comes down to free surface effect. The easiest way to understand this is by taking a glass of water and a small flat Tupperware container. Fill each of them with an equal amount of water. Give each one a shove across a flat surface. The water in the flat container will slosh more than the water in the glass.

A mass of water in a tank behaves like a pendulum with its weight acting about the imaginary swing point of the pendulum. This can result in a very serious loss of stability due to a virtual rise in the centre of gravity. This effect can be lessened by partitions in tanks (not necessarily divisions). I can dig up my stability book and give you the mathematical formulas that calculate the rise in the centre of gravity based on the surface area of a tank, if you'd like.

 

Andy

Edited April 13, 2014 by realworkingsailor

[druxey]

Fascinating discussion on the merits of water tank design! And great work as usual, Ed.

[dgbot]

I agree with Druxey,  This is a topic that could be written up for the Journal.  Hint Hint.

David B

[EdT]

Thanks yet again,everyone. Your comments are always most welcome and appreciated.

 

Sherry, the workshop has actually become "the shipyard" in everyday speak around here. Your comment is apt. One of the things I like about building the ship upright from the bottom up is that I get to ask myself questions like, "How did they drill those long holes in that confined space?" Of course all this effect is lost when I have to invert the model to file off boltheads on the bottom.

 

Andy, thanks for he input on the tank issue. I had assumed, as did my source (Mr. Crothers in this case) that these tanks would have been baffled internally regardless of the design. However, maybe not, and perhaps that is the reason for the tall columns vs short broad hold tanks. I'm not sure where the hull center of gravity is. Perhaps not much of the water is above it. I'll tke a pass on your offer of more information and move on to he next problem. Had enough fluid mechanics for one lifetime.

 

David, thanks for the suggestion but I will pass on that too. I don't want to further expose how little I know about the subject.

 

 

Ed

Edited April 13, 2014 by EdT

[dgbot]

Ed.when you are  done with this model please bring it to Manitowoc if you can I truly believe everyone will be amazed at the workmanship and the detail you are putting in it.

David B

[EdT]

Thanks for the invitation, David, but it might be easier to bring Manitowoc to YA.  I don't fancy this in checked baggage - or in a U-haul.

 

Nice thought, though.  Thanks.

 

Thanks, Robin.

 

Ed

[Sailor1234567890]

I'd say Andy is spot on with his reasoning. And Sherry is spot on with her assessment. Visually stunning work you do. I'm absolutely amazed by your skills and the product you put out.