Young America 1853 by EdT - FINISHED - extreme clipper

[michael mott]

Checking the roundness with the drafting template is such a simple idea, I have used shaped templates my whole modelmaking career, and never though about using one of these. It is this sort of out of the box thinking that I find so inspiring.

A question Ed, the clamping plate and clamps that you show in the first pic of the milling of the mast, did you make these or are they a commercial item?

 

Michael

[EdT]

Thanks for the comments and questions, guys.

 

Maury, the step tenon could have been milled, but I wanted to hand fit it to the step mortise.  These were to be 16" square, but it has been over two years since I had access to them so I thought hand fitting (by filing) would be safest.  The mizzen step in particular is completely invisible and none can be measured.  They could certainly have been at least started on the mill.  Turns out that all fit correctly.  I started out with the tenons long until I got a fit, then shortened them to final size.

 

Micheal, the milling base is a Sherline accessory.  The clamps are from the old Unimat milling table.  The hole template is great for checking roundness, but a caution: it is not good for size checking.  The holes are larger to allow for the pencil point.  The 1/2" hole on mine is .540".

 

Ed

[druxey]

Nice going, Ed. I have a small stop on my 45 degree planing jig so I can use both hands to control the tool. You may find this a convenient item to add.

Edited October 31, 2016 by druxey

[EdT]

Thanks for the tip Druxey.  I do have a stop (see nail) on but because its just a V-groove, the tapered spar rocks and has to be held down.  I am working (i.e. thinking) about a better design - one that has intermediate supports, a better end stop and several sizes of v-groove.  Too much on the plate right now - in addition to the masts, the soon to be needed monster dust case - a project that is making lots of dust.

 

Thanks,

 

Ed

[druxey]

Oops! I missed spotting the nail in your photo, Ed. I have one version of the holder with three sizes of groove and gaps along the length to minimise that rocking issue.

[EdT]

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 182 – Made Masts

 

At 36" in diameter, there is little doubt that Young America's fore and main lower masts were built up of multiple pieces – so called "made masts".  Beyond that, the details of their construction is speculative.  Masts were made in a variety of ways – probably dependent on the mast maker's methods and certainly on the available timber.  Most made mast construction featured a central core, a "spindle" that may have been of one or multiple pieces.  Attached to the sides of this were "side trees" over the lower to upper mid-length with additional side "cheeks" up to the "stop" at the top of the square "hounds" that supported the top.  These might be integral with the cheeks or separate pieces.  Timber pieces that filled out the fore and aft faces, "fish" completed the typical body of the mast.  Often, each of these pieces consisted of multiple members.  All these pieces were fitted together with a variety of hidden mortises and the pieces were often made as long scarphs.  I had no intention of trying to duplicate these complex assemblies, especially without knowledge of the actual original masts.  I chose a simpler design for the model fore and main masts that consists of a single spindle squared over the full length of the mast to the dimension of the doubling – the square section above the stop.  Two side cheeks and two fish over the full rounded length were used to fill out the size of the squared mast that was then shaped as described in the last part. 

 

The first picture shows the five parts of the lower foremast.

 

 

The next picture shows the first two sides glued to the spindle.

 

 

Dark glue was used to yield a subtle joint line.  These first pieces were cut just larger than the spindle so they could be scraped flush to provide a flat surface for the remaining parts.  The scraper blade in the upper corner of the picture was used for this step.  In the next picture the assembled stick has been marked at the quarters and on the centerline.  The dividers are being used to mark the breadths at each point.

 

 

In the next picture two sides are being sanded to the line – the so-called second trim.

 

 

After marking these sanded sides, shaping them as above in the third trim, and then marking the apices of the octagon, the corners were removed.  The first step, planing, is shown below.

 

 

After forming the regular octagon, the mast was rounded using the tools shown in the next picture – a rasp, a medium flat file, and a medium-fine barrette..

 

 

The lower end of the mast is shown in this picture.  It will be cut off and the step tenon formed by filing down the square spindle to the size of the step mortise.

 

The three bare lower masts are shown positioned on the steps in the last picture.

 

 

The next step on all these spars, bowsprit and masts, is the iron banding.  These round hoops must be fitted over the masts before the installation of the hounds.

 

Ed

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Really wonderful, Ed. I love your precision. It looks so absolut easy but is so very difficult to reach.

[albert]

Hi Ed, very fantastic work.

[rwiederrich]

Good deductive application of the build masts for this vessel Ed.  36" D places your banding at scale 36" spacing.  After building the Glory of the Seas  masts I realized that that is quite a bit of banding.  Love the updates and fine workmanship.

 

Rob

Edited November 8, 2016 by rwiederrich

[Mike40]

What a joy to see the results and the way you work. 

[PeteB]

Hi Ed – I have followed your work on the Naiad and now this project, from inception to where you are at the moment. I have gone from - maybe I can do that, to How Could I Possibly Do That - each post just keeps getting better and better and the standard you have set is right off the scale past magnificent heading stellar.

 

Its not just your work that stands out, its also your most generous and inclusive build log. Your posts show that the amazing is achievable, your explanations by way of a the sequenced photos and text give some of your more mortal followers some hope of achieving a result that we are able to live with having the benefit of your build log and of course the books and plans which themselves are incredible.

 

I have some favourite pieces of music which always give me great enjoyment. I now get double my moneys worth listening whilst I browse back through the posts and admire the joinery and finishes of your work.

 

One final comment with tongue firmly in cheek - Your last picture with the masts stepped has made me realise just how large she is going to be fully rigged – knowing how you plan ahead I wondered if you had any draft designs of the Taj Mahal to do her justice yet?

 

Cheers and thanks Pete

[EdT]

Thanks, Alberto, Christian, Rob, Mike, Pete and all  those who hit the like button.  Your comments make the work of posting rewarding.  Pete, the model is going to be large - one of the reasons for including the smaller scale and simpler hull in Volume I.  The next books will also include the 1:96 scale drawings and text where that is necessary.  The size of the 1:72 model has come home to me with the design and construction of the dust case that will soon contain the model for the rigging work.  The overall size of that is roughly 61" long, 19" wide, and 42" high.  I will probably post some pics of the case project soon.

 

Ed

[Chasseur]

Man she looks clean, phenomenal work here!

[SawdustDave]

Ed....Re-visiting your amazing build log is always such a mixed bag of emotion for me.  As much as it serves as an inspiration on one hand, it reminds me just how sloppy my work is.  Somewhere in there, I can't help but be just a little better than before the visit.  
Thanks again.

Dave

[EdT]

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 183 – New Home Port 1

 

With the prospect of rigging work looming, it was time to think about a new birth for the Young America model – a new "home port."  Two requirements: 1) dust protection, an enclosure that would keep dust off the model and also provide necessary access for the work.  2) a larger shipway, large enough to provide a base for the dust enclosure.

 

The design for this is very similar to the enclosure I built for the Victory model, but larger.  In that earlier box I used foam board to enclose the sides. This is larger than the standard sizes and also I wanted the inside corners to be more seamless to provide a good photographic background for the many close up pictures that I expect to take during the work.  I am determined to build this entirely from scrap material of which I have a supply that needs to be consumed.

 

The first picture shows the new shipway.

 

 

The base is a disused, laminate coated, particle board kitchen panel painted with gloss white enamel. It is 61" long and 19" wide.  The width will allow the main yard to be squared with its retracted studding sail booms.  The length will accommodate the flying jibboom and the mizzen booms.  One of the hull drawings has been pasted to this and in the picture the board is being framed with pine sides.  These will keep the underside raised enough to allow the mounting bolts and also provide support for the upper parts of the case. 

 

The first work on ends is shown below.  Pieces for the 42" high end frames are ready for assembly.

 

 

In the next picture the lap joints of the end frames are being glued.

 

 

In the next picture the model is being mounted on the new shipway.

 

 

The copper wire strut is being used to very gently bring the hull into alignment using the square and triangle as guides.  The three mounting bolts and single blocks screwed into the base on each side hold the hull securely in this position.

 

The last picture shows the two assembled end frames and the top.  The top frame encloses a sheet of Plexiglas® that will allow overhead lights to illuminate the model.  The top has screwed corner gussets for additional rigidity and strength.  The 3/16" acrylic sheet is heavy.

 

 

The pieces shown may be assembled once the end panels are papered.  The side panels will then be made.  They will be easily removable without tools.  The ends and top may also be removed with a screwdriver.

 

Banding of the masts has been proceeding and will be the subject of the next part, but I wanted to interject this first work onn the case since it will begin to appear in pictures.

 

Ed

 

[Mirabell61]

beautiful ship Ed,

and a nice casing under way....

 

Nils

[albert]

Bravissimo Ed, wonderful ship.

[EdT]

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 184 – Iron Mast Bands

 

Iron hoops, or bands were used to hold made mast sticks together and to reinforce single tree masts.  These were 4" wide and ½" thick and were spaced about 36" apart.  Circumference of the mast at the band location was measured and a ring of that diameter was forged.  To install on the mast the band was heated, slipped on by the smaller end and driven into place.  It was then quenched with water to create a tight shrink fit before it had a chance to char the mast.

 

The bands on the model are copper, made from .010" sheet stock sliced into 4" strips.  Once the bands are sized and silver-soldered, the main issues become fixing them in position on the mast and blackening them without getting visible black smudges on the mast.  The solution (no pun intended) I adopted was shellac – to be explained below.

 

First, a look at the (almost) final product.  In the first picture the main mast is fully hooped and the fore mast is in progress.

 

 

 

There are a few special bands on the main mast – to be described later. Also, on that mast, with the bands complete, the hounds are being fitted.  This cannot be done until the bands above main deck partners are slipped over the top.  The housing bands – below the deck – are slipped on from the bottom.

 

When the masts were made, I also shaped two mandrels to aid in making the bands, one the shape of the fore mast and one smaller.  These are shown in the next picture with main and fore masts in progress.

 

 

Except for overall length and housing length, the main and fore masts are virtually identical in their diameters.  The mandrels have pin holes drilled along their length for use as shown below.

 

 

In the picture a strip has been drilled on one end, pinned to the mandrel at the desired diameter, wrapped tightly with the copper strip, and then clamped in the vise.  The hammer and razor blade in the picture were used to cut squarely through the strip, yielding open rings as shown below.

 

 

I won't go through complete detail for sizing the rings, except to say that they were trimmed before soldering to yield a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of their position on the mast.  In the next picture a soldered ring has been fitted over the mandrel for filing and polishing.

 

 

In the next picture a ring is being pushed into its position in small, even steps using a piece of hard wood.

 

 

By the time it gets to where it belongs it will have been stretched and will be fairly tight on the mast. 

 

Before banding, the mast was given a coating of thinned, clear shellac for two reasons: 1) the shellac will act as a sealer and prevent excess blackening from staining the open wood grain, and 2) because the shellac is soluble in methanol, wetting under the ring with that solvent – as shown in the next picture – will dissolve the shellac and when dry it will contribute to the bond under the ring.   With few exceptions the rings were practically immovable after this step.

 

 

The copper rings were then blackened using liver of sulfur solution.  Best results were obtained by applying the LOS by rubbing with a cotton swab followed by an immediate and thorough rinse under a faucet to wash away excess black.  The method is still something of a work in process that will hopefully be fully developed for Volume III.

 

The "special" bands mentioned above – the futtock band and the lower yard truss band will be described in the next part.

 

Ed

 

[michael mott]

Ed thank you for the great step by step of the banding process.

 

Michael

[Maury S]

Ed, Great explanation.  So each band was individually sized, tight to it's position on the mast.  How did you get it in place without scraping the mast as you forced it in place?  Is the copper that soft?

Maury

[EdT]

Thanks, Micheal and Maury for the comments and others for the likes.

 

Maury, the bands were sized to a slightly smaller diameter than at its final position (maybe 1/32" gap).  Each band has to be stretched to get to its final position.  Inching it along the mast does this.  The copper is able to stretch.  Care must be taken to keep all sides of the ring straight - the hardest part - and not to push it beyond its spot and overstretch it.

 

Ed

[rwiederrich]

Fantastic read Ed.....I love the technique you used.  Far more of an exercise in fabrication then in my method..that's for sure.

 

What will be your approach to fastening the chafing batten?  I simply used the seam of the banding and placed the bands with their seam under the chafing batten.  I also paint my masts and their bands..exposed iron would rust in a day if left un protected. As you probably already know, many captains painted these bands in several colors.  I even think Samuel  Samuels, capt of the Dreadnought painted these bands bright red. 

 

What method did you use to cut the copper in equal/even lengths...do you have a miniature sheer/break?

 

Rob

[druxey]

The use of shellac to both seal the mast and secure the bands is a stroke of genius, Ed!

[EdT]

Thank you, Druxey.  The process still needs some tinkering - the sequence and the amount of shellac - but I'm pretty happy with it.  The main mast in the pictures has been the "laboratory" and will probably be replaced.  I think blackening of all the ironwork on the mast will be deferred as the final, final step - done all at once - after the hounds, bibbs, battens, bolts, etc.  Just before erecting and wedging.  Idea is to minimize handling of the black parts.

 

Rob, I intend to glue and nail the chaffing battens ( there are also two small ones at the sides where the mainstays rub) over the bands using small copper bolts.  Even though the solder joint on the bands is barely visible, I am trying to orient them to fall under the forward batten.  I am leaving everything above the deck unpainted to show the construction more clearly.  This is generally the approach I have been following on structural detail.  Painting the hull, cabins and some other trim was the exception.

 

The copper is cut to width using a paper cutter - described in an earlier post - a poor substitute for a brake, but it works.

 

Ed

[Sailor1234567890]

Absolutely awe inspiring. Beautiful work.

[EdT]

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 185 – Iron Mast Bands 2

 

In addition to the shrunk-on hoops that reinforced the masts, there were bands for other purposes.  On the lower masts these included bands with eyebolts to secure rigging, bands to secure the spencer gaffs and bands that supported the lower yard trusses.  These other bands were generally clamped on the mast rather than heat shrunk.  I experimented with two different methods for making these.  The first picture shows a clamp band bent around the mast ( actually the mandrel) to be soldered in one piece.

 

 

The next picture shows a band made like the reinforcing bands to which parts will be soldered to form the clamp joint and in this case the bracket for the yard truss.

 

 

This band is made from thicker material.   The tabs on the truss bracket in the lower part of the picture were bent around some band stock to size the gap.  The bracket was then hammered square before soldering.   In the next picture the truss band has been soldered together and a wire bolt added at the clamp joint.

 

 

In the picture the band is pushed on to the mandrel for finish filing and polishing.  The next picture shows the special bands on the foremast.  These are the three at the top.

 

 

At the top is the truss band – blackened.  More on that below.  Below that is the band that supports the fore spencer gaff.  The eyebolt on the aft side of this is not visible in the picture.  Next is the futtock band with six eyebolts for the lower futtocks and one on the aft face to secure a block for another line, I believe one of the main staysail's downhaul.  The bands below these are the normal reinforcing bands.  The joints that show on these will be covered by the forward chafing batten.  The next picture is another view.

 

 

In this picture the horizontal eye for the spencer gaff is visible in the band below the truss.  The pattern of the eyebolts on the futtock band and the chafing batten may be seen in the drawing.

 

The last picture shows the fore mast with all its iron bands installed.

 

 

Some bands are blackened on this mast and others not.  The plan going forward is to defer all blackening until all other work on the mast is complete – hounds, bibbs, battens, cap tenon, yard sling eyebolt, etc.  Blackening just before installing the mast will reduce handling of the blackened parts and the resultant rubbing off of the black.  It will also help keep the wood surface of the mast clean of black.  These were problems on the first main mast.  A replacement is in progress.

 

 

 

Ed

Edited November 25, 2016 by EdT

[MarcM]

Nice work, Ed.

The futtock band with the 6 eyebolts, how did you do it ?

Silver soldering, perhaps ?

Did you use silver brazing paste with different melting points ?

 

I can imagine that when you use only the "easy" paste, the already soldered ones could fall of ...

But in my experience, when I soldered one part, the melting point of the joint gets a little bit higher.

My point is, that it is very important to hold the different parts nicely together.

 

Keep on modelling,

Marc

[Landlocked123]

Hi Ed,

 

Absolutely astounding as per your usual.

 

When you soldered the copper rings, did you have a small overlap or did you solder butt end to butt end? Also, did you silver solder? I would imagine a soft solder joint would fail while stretching.

 

Again, thank you for this wonderous build.

 

Best,

John

[Mahuna]

Very nice work, as usual, Ed.  I'm amazed at the number of bands on the mast.  As you mentioned, I also find myself redoing a lot of work as I develop the correct sequence and process - it certainly pays off, as seen in your results.

[Mirabell61]

Very nice metal work Ed,

 

Nils