Young America 1853 by EdT - FINISHED - extreme clipper

[matiz]

Beautiful work, Ed

[Bob Legge]

Beautiful, Ed.

 

Bob.

[EdT]

Thanks, everyone, for the comments and likes - most appreciated.  Not a lot to show these days - mostly splicing, tying and lashing ratlines.  Tedious work.

 

Ed

[BANYAN]

Tedious but necessary Ed, I am sure the effort will be reflected in the quality of your rigging.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[SailorGreg]

Clue - or clew? Certainly current use this side of the Atlantic is the latter. But given the detective work you have done to get the rigging correct, perhaps clue is more appropriate! 

 

Amazing work. Loving it.

 

Greg

[EdT]

Thanks for the help with my careless spelling, Greg.  Clew vs. Clue is right up there on my list with Sheer vs. sheer, bitts vs bits, etc.

 

Ed

[garyshipwright]

Nice job Ed, very nice. Since we  are on spelling how about Rudder vs Rother. :o) Gary

[rwiederrich]

Or *Sheer v. sheer*...that one always trips me up.  Heehee.

 

Ed...Your work is a model for all who are serious about improving their own skill.

Happy new year!

 

Rob

Edited January 11, 2018 by rwiederrich

[BANYAN]

 

9 hours ago, rwiederrich said:

Ed...Your work is a model for all who are serious about improving their own skill.

Happy new year!

I think Rob has stated that very well - the style and tone of your books, and the quality of your build logs help us less capable modellers learn to do exactly that - even if there is an occasional typo :). 

 

cheers

 

Pat

[EdT]

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 261 – Fore Topsail Yards

 

I have finally been able to break out of the ratline work to start on the next set of yards – specifically the fore lower and upper topsail yards.  These will likely be the next two to go up, but the main yard is also an option.  I want to get all the ratline work done on the lower and upper masts before staring on the yards.  I got ahead of myself with the fore yard and that made finishing the ratlines a tougher job.

 

I described the methods I am using to make spars in Parts 217-218 and Parts 247-248, so I will not go through it all again.  I will mostly stick to some things that may not have been covered earlier.

 

I generally like to drill all the holes in a spar at the first trim.  At this stage it is sized but still square and not tapered, so it is easier to hold and center the piece.  I forgot to do this on the lower topsail yard so it had to be done later as shown in the first picture.

 

 

In the picture the holes for the jackstay stanchions are being drilled.  The yard is clamped to the tooling plate at the octagonal center area and at the yardarm square section – not optimum but not too difficult.

 

In the next picture the upper topsail yard is set up for drilling while still at the first trim.

 

 

In the earlier description of this drilling I used the mill vise, but since I had the tooling plate set up I decided to use it instead.  To make the yard parallel with the plate, I used the small depth gauge described back during the deck framing.  The next picture shows the jackstay stanchion holes drilled into this yard.

 

 

The stanchion holes are the most important to do at this stage because they need to be centered on top of the yard and equally spaced.  Other holes will be drilled later.  In the picture the quarters are marked out.  In the next picture dividers are being used to mark the diameters on two opposite sides at each quarter.

 

 

These are taken directly from the drawing and serve as guides for the first roughing out only.  The final dimensions at each quarter will be measured and adjusted more accurately as shown below.  In the next picture the two marked faces are being tapered using a plane with the yard clamped in a vise.

 

 

The vise works well before the spar is tapered.  The fixture described earlier and shown below could also be used.  The taper is planed, scraped, rasped and sanded down to the divider marks.  In the next picture calipers are being used to check and refine the sizing to the dimensions specified on the drawing.

 

 

The drawings specify the diameter at each quarter in full size decimal inches, which are then divided by 72 to get the measurements to the three significant digits used in the final sizing as shown above.  The sandpaper board is used for the final sizing. 

 

With the spar tapered on two sides, the planning fixture shown below was then used to taper the remaining two faces.

 

 

For these smaller spars the top section of the stop was removed to clear the plane.  In the next picture one of the remaining two sides are being tapered.

 

 

The yard was then converted to an octagonal shape, except at the yard arms, as described in the earlier posts.  The center area on these "single-tree" spars were left octagonal, so the final rounding begins at the end of the octagonal section as shown below.

 

 

After filing off the corners of the octagon, the rounding was completed down to the square yardarm section using the sanding stick shown.

 

 

This has 220-grit paper on one side and 320-grit on the other.  The last picture shows the two topsail yards ready for their ironwork.

 

 

 

Ed

[wefalck]

Clean and focused work as always !

 

I have been thinking of making a micro-depth gauge myself and would be interested to see your design solution. Do you remeber in which post no. you showed more details of it ? Very often I use the Vernier caliper for this, but something with less leverage would be useful.

Edited January 15, 2018 by wefalck

[BANYAN]

You achieve such clean crisp work Ed, a joy to see.  

 

Cheers

 

Pat

[the learner]

This is quite certainly the most important part of your build as most model builders, my self included, lack the expertise to properly rig a model especially one as complicated as YA. any additional work you do in documenting during this process will be most appreciated by all of us. Detail, detail, detail...... Thank you!

Edited January 16, 2018 by the learner

[EdT]

Thanks, everyone.  Two weeks between posts seems like a long time.  It has been good to get back to some sawdust for a change.

 

Wefalck, I started looking through the posts for the height gauge but decided looking through the photo files would be easier, so here are two pictures.

 

 

It is a simple device made from some square telescoping brass tube.  The inner tube is 1/8".  The sliding outer section has a reinforcing strip soldered on one side to give more thread depth.  This side is tapped for a 4-40 knurled screw.  Square tabs are soldered on as shown at the ends.  The primary purpose for this was measuring the heights between beams so supporting pillars could be cut to size.  Works well for this and other simple tasks.

 

Hello, Guy.  Good to hear from you.  Thank you for your comments.  I hope that sharing the rigging work on YA will benefit builders of a variety of ships of the period.  I can definitely say that the rigging work and therefore the posts on rigging will not be lacking in detail - some quite excruciating I'm afraid. 

 

Thank you, Pat.  Not always as crisp as one would like, but I guess we are our worst critics.

 

Cheers,

 

Ed

[wefalck]

Thanks, Ed. Looks like an interesting device to make.

[Seahawk1313]

I love all the devises you make and use, I have copied some and they are very handy.  I follow your excellent work with great interest- Hal

[the learner]

Ed, it looks a little difficult to tighten the thumb screw on your height gauge,  Perhaps if we lengthened the outside tube a bit it would allow for easier access to tightening the thumb screw.

 

I will be making one! soon. thanks Ed

Edited January 19, 2018 by the learner

[EdT]

Good suggestion for improvement, Guy.

 

Ed

[EdT]

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 262 – Fore Lower Topsail Yard Truss

 

When a double topsail (or double topgallant sail) arrangement was adopted, the lower yard position on the mast was fixed, and therefore this sail was not reefed.  Any reduction in overall topsail area was done by taking in the upper topsail.  Under the Howe patent, the arrangement most likely followed when Young America adopted double topsails in 1854, the lower yard was supported from the forward end of the lower mast cap by means of an iron truss that allowed the yard to rotate in two planes like the lower fore yard below.

 

The first picture shows the installed sling band with a double bracket that will fit over a shaft on the truss itself.

 

 

The band is pinned through the yard and the underside drilled for the sheet block eyebolt.  The band is octagonal, made from .010" (about ¾" at 1:72) copper sheet.  The band was soldered first.  A U-shaped bracket was then formed from .015" copper, and drilled to accept the truss shaft.  Both parts are shown in the next picture.

 

 

The u-shape was used to assure that the bracket holes would line up after assembly.  The joining top piece will be removed later.  The next picture shows the two pieces being set up for soldering.

 

 

After soldering, the assembly was set up in the vise as shown below to file off the end of the U and shape the brackets as shown in the last photo below.

 

 

The U was formed over a wood block that was kept in place when the bracket holes were drilled.  In the above picture a small piece of this block is inserted to allow the bracket to be clamped for filling.

 

The truss itself is shown in the next few pictures.  To start, two pieces of telescoping tube were soldered together then soldered to the top of a copper block that will be shaped to the truss configuration.  Using tube avoids drilling aligned holes and assured a match with the hole in the mast cap boss.  This initial assembly is being marked in the first picture.

 

 

The truss was then cut and filed to its overall shape shown in the next picture where it has been temporarily mounted to check fit.

 

 

In the next picture the truss shaft is being filed round..

 

 

In the picture the 5" shaft is being rounded from a sized square, to an octagon to a round – as was done in making the spars.  In the last picture, the full truss assembly is temporarily mounted with the yard.

 

 

The forward end of the truss shaft will be fitted with a retaining cap and cut off.  This will be done later after the other yard ironwork is fitted.  All will then be blackened and the yard given some finish as was done before.

 

You may note in this picture that the ratline work on the topmast is still in progress.

 

Ed

Edited January 21, 2018 by EdT

[Mahuna]

Your metalworking continues to amaze me, Ed.  Beautiful work.

[BANYAN]

Nice detail Ed, and well executed as usual.  Much here for me to note - thanks again.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[druxey]

Beautiful as usual, Ed!

[EdT]

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 263 – Fore Lower Topsail Yard Ironwork

 

In the first picture some of the bands fitted to the yard. 

 

 

These were made from .010" copper strips cut to size for the yard diameter at each point, and then silver-soldered.  The small diameter bands at the yardarms (not shown) were cut from copper tube.  The tapered maple mandrel shown was used to stretch the band and test the joint, to recover the round shape that is lost in setting up for soldering, and to hold the band for buffing and polishing.  The bands are then pushed over the yard into to position with a tight fit.  All the bands on this yard will be fitted with eyebolts or fairlead rings, so all were center punched and drilled for this.   The next picture shows the yard fitted with bands and jackstay stanchions

 

 

 

 

There is no finish on the yard at this stage and with some care it has been kept clean.  In the next picture the ironwork has been blackened using liver of sulfur solution.

 

 

This was all done in one step to avoid any black smudging on the yard beforehand.  The LOS solution was brushed over the yard.  As the copper work on each section blackened, within a few seconds, the yard was rinsed under running water.  It was then patted with paper towel and allowed to thoroughly dry. In the next picture the yard and ironwork have been finished with diluted Tung oil and allowed to dry overnight.

 

 

The ¾" diameter iron jackstays were made from straight brass wire.  This was treated beforehand with undiluted Brass Black®, then dried and buffed to remove residue.  In the next picture the jackstay has been threaded through the stanchions and cut to size.

 

 

The picture shows the assembled Howe truss temporarily pinned in place.  I may do some further filing of the end of the shaft.  The yard is retained with a tight fitting slit collar at the end of the shaft.  The next picture gives a better view of the jackstays and the truss.

 

 

The last picture shows the full yard on the mast.

 

 

 

There are no studding sail booms on this yard, since the topmast studding sails are hung from the upper topsail yard and the booms for the topgallant studding sails are supported from that yard.  The yard will now be removed to fit out its rigging connections and footropes.

 

Ed

[Wintergreen]

As all your work, stunning.

 

But, rinsed under running water... then you are very sure the yard wont bend when in water. Straight grained should not be a problem though, but there could be surprises. I guess one should consider which wood, and how it was milled before opting to soak tiny long structures in water. 

 

Oh, and btw, Santa brought your first Naiad vol. A very nice piece I must say!

[SJSoane]

Ed,

Would the reason for this ingenious fixed yard and double topsail be that it would take fewer men to manage the sails (smaller surface to handle, more subtle adjustments possible)?

 

Beautiful craftsmanship!

 

Mark

[EdT]

Hakan, thank you.  There is no problem soaking the spars and letting them dry.  Warping occurs when the moisture is uneven - like on one side of a plank.  Wetting does tend to raise grain on some woods, but this may be addressed by soaking before putting on the metalwork and then sanding off any raised grain.  A second wetting will then not raise more grain.  This pre-wetting and dry sanding is often used before applying water soluble stains to prevent sanding off the color if the grain is raised.  There is very little grain raising on Castello or boxwood, so I did not find that necessary.

 

Mark, thank you.  That was precisely the reason.  Topsails had grown to very large sizes and merchant crews were small.  Navy crews were large due to the manning needs for gunnery.  The large topsails were hard to handle even with a lot of manpower - especially in icey conditions.  Doubling these topsails sail (and later the topgallants on some ships) allowed the same degree of reefing by taking in the upper sail only and lowering that yard accordingly.  So the lower topsails have no reef tackle and no leech lines, and with the supporting truss and no need for topping, no lifts.

 

Ed

Edited January 22, 2018 by EdT

[JohnReid]

I am just tuning in now.Love those clippers.Great build. Cheers! John.

Edited January 22, 2018 by JohnReid
text

[Sailor1234567890]

Ed, 

As usual, your work is exquisite. I have a question about that lower top'sl truss. Are you taking it from drawings, scaling of photographs? A rigging plan? I can only imagine the stresses that piece must have been under as the lower top'sls were the last sails handed when stormy weather came so were therefore often the strongest sails in the ship. Still, that truss looks bulky to me. How does one determine who much structure is required to meet stresses of hard usage but not overdo it and add unnecessary weight aloft or make it "look wrong" in the process?

[EdT]

Sailor, thanks for your comment.  The basis for the model crane/truss is Underwood, Masting and Rigging.... Plates 6 and 16.  These show scale drawings of the parts.  The shaft and crane cross-sections are about 5". The 69' long, fore lower yard diameter is 16.75".  This device is the sole support for the yard, which is without halyards or lifts.

 

Ed

[BANYAN]

Hi Ed, that's an interesting comment about no additional support for the yards.  I had been contemplating using chain sling preventers which were shackled to an eye in the topmast?  I will need to look a little more closely at this; thanks for the heads up.

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited January 27, 2018 by BANYAN
Typos