Maine three-masted schooner by Bedford - 1:54 - RADIO

[Shazmira]

Dry fit or not, she is coming together nicely, and really presents a beautiful profile. will the masts stay white? I like them that way, makes them really pop

[captainbob]

She's looking so good I can't wait to see her sail.

 

Bob

[michael mott]

The boat looks great. Stay safe.

 

Michael

[Bedford]

Thanks, I love looking at her, she feels right.

 

Yes Robbyn the masts and bowsprit will stay white, with a lot of ships of this era the masts were made of iron and therefore painted. The James Craig is a good example of this although in her case because she is a barque she has the fore and main made of iron and painted while the much smaller mizzen is timber. The top masts and bowsprit jib boom will stay varnished.

 

 

One of the reasons for the iron masts and often the yards, is that they were the ships' cranes and iron was more reliable and stronger than timber. Top and top gallant masts and yards were still timber.

 

I hope my hardware turns up soon, it's driving me nuts not being able to do anything to her.

 

Steve

Edited January 19, 2014 by Bedford

[Bedford]

Small update, I made one of the grates for the helm, as I said before, the quality is much better than expected for the price. All the cuts are clean and acurate and the timber has a fine grain so not much splintering although there are a few "hairs". I made a right angle fence to make the grate against. All the pieces just slipped straight into position.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 30, 2014 by Bedford

[Shazmira]

Those look like the same decent quality grating I purchased from Model Expo, I was very pleased with their product. The grating that came with my AL kit was really bad quality, nothing lined up correctly, the wood was poor quality and it wanted to splinter apart with just the slightest pressure. Yours look good!

[popeye the sailor]

your build is coming along quite nicely..........I can see what you mean about the prop size.   hull paint looks great!

[Bedford]

This is the big planning stage, making sure I get all the controls right.

I have worked out which types of servos I need for all but the stays'l sheets but that will be in the fore deck house. I have worked out the aft deck house and will make it as inner walls that are part of the ship and then the deck house will fit snuggly over it forming a lid for the radio conpartment.

 

 

The servos will screw down to beams fitted at deck level, the outer beams will be glued to the fore and aft walls of the deck house while the inner beams, along with the sheave axle will be srewed down so they are removable to allow greater acces below the deckhouse.

 

All the winch servos will only have one in and one out line with the exception of the stays'l winch which will have three in and three out. This is because each stays'l has a different length of pull to raise and lower it so there will be three different diameter drums.

 

The lines will go over sheaves turned from either delrin or brass which will be spaced along the sheave axle, because the stays'l winch will have three lots of lines, one above the other, I will turn larger diameter sheaves to keep the feed level with each drum. The lines will then go below to spring tensioned individual blocks where they will turn forward into tubes that will guide them to their respective destinations.

 

Well, that's the plan.................

 

 

Edited March 30, 2014 by Bedford

[captainbob]

I find your build quite interesting.  Most builders I know would have cut out the beams where the deck house is and put the servos below decks.

 

Bob

[Bedford]

Ahh this is because I think outside the square. Because I build from complete scratch, ie no previous knowledge and no-one to learn from, I do it with a completely open mind. I thought all this out long before my first post so while people on here influence the build and give good ideas to make things better and easier the bones and core controls of her are always my way.

 

Putting the servos up in the deck houses has a few benefits. They are easier to get to. They are high enough that a sealed radio box is not required because if water ever gets to them I will have bigger worries than fried servos as she will be on her way to the bottom. The deck will be able to be permanently attached with below deck access via cargo hatch to the only things down there, the motors and battery.

 

Floyd told me about a kit schooner of the same size which I posted a link to a while back, she is lousy for scale appearance and is really designed to look good sailing at a distance, the point is she weighs in at 2.7kg wet and mine will be 5.7kg wet so having a few servos up at deck level will not be a problem for my schooner.

 

I am a problem solver and this is why I am building this, to give myself problems to solve. Others build yachts to do club events or tall ships to sail but I am building a working model that will sail, if you see the difference. I'm about making a working machine. She may not sail as well as others but that isn't why I am building her. Early in this thread you see a pic of the back of my Land Rover with an r/c one inside. It was the same thing, I got the body then scratch built the rest, from the hand made aluminiun chassis to all the suspension linkages, bull bar etc. All scaled off my 1:1 in that case and it drives like the 1:1 as a result. Others don't.

[Bedford]

I have added up the rigging required and am looking at approx 76metres.

Sanding :- 25mtr

Running :- 42mtr

Sails :- 9mtr

 

The run for raising and lowering the fore top stays'l will be the longest at approx 3mtr, definately can't have any stretch in the lines.

[michael mott]

I am following along. Your servos in the deck house is giving me some Ideas.

 

Michael

[captainbob]

Bedford, 

 

It was obvious from the start that you wanted to build this boat your way and liked figuring out how to do it on your own.  That is why I only answered questions and did not tell you how to do things.  I’ve enjoyed your creativity and am anxious to see the finished boat in the water in full operation.

 

Bob

[Bedford]

Thanks Bob, I get the feeling we have a simmilar view to things like this. Don't get too anxious to see her under sail, there is a long way to go yet.

 

As I said before, if you see me doing something that really won't work then by all means say so. All the tips and advice I have been given have been very helpful and having you, Floyd and Jerry along for the ride has really made a difference. I like to do it my way but I'm not stupid so I take all suggestions on board and process them.

 

Steve

Edited January 27, 2014 by Bedford

[Shazmira]

I need pics The planning and talking, and engineering are too far above my head!

[Jim Lad]

And mine, Robbyn!

 

John

[Bedford]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, I'll try not to be too technical then, you see the hypotenuse of the clew on the fore top stays'l is exponetially influenced by the amout of rum that is gone, why's the rum always gone?

 

Seriously though, while the maritime engineers ague between himself as to which is the best way to effect certain applications of force and leverage and the procurement officer is frantically trying to fullfil the engineers requests the shipwrights have been stood down. There are some things that lie where they left them like the almost finished grates, they just need to be cut to size when the helm is in place.

 

 

The stairs which are waiting to be cut to size to provide safe access and egress to the quarter deck and fo'csle.

 

 

A bunch of blocks......

 

 

A whole lot of plumbing, the running rigging will run in pipes below decks so I have a handful of 5/32 round brass tube which suits the K&S bender and one length of 3/16 tube which is a lovely fit over the 5/32 and will be cut into short lengths and used as couplings where needed and soldered into place.

 

 

The sails have also arrived, in kit form! This will test my feminine side, I have mums old sewing machine and a head full of half knowledge I gathered while married, my ex made some very nice quilts etc.

 

 

After a lot of web searching I think I have the sail winch servos on their way to me, they are all 6 turn servos but can be set to exactly how far I want each one to turn so I won't have to turn bespoke drums for each of them, I will still need to turn the complex drum for the stays'ls though. I will however need to redesign my aft deckhouse layout a bit but no biggie.

 

On an unrelated note, this was a little close to home as they say, glad they got on top of it very quickly.

 

Edited January 30, 2014 by Bedford

[Jim Lad]

It was even closer to home to the bloke across the road!

 

John

[Shazmira]

Thanks for the update in pics Steve! Whew, that brush fire definitely got a bit close for comfort! I really do love reading this log, don't get me wrong....just had to give you a hard time about needing pics lol.

[Bedford]

That's OK Robbyn, keep pushing, the new job and extreme heat we are experiencing are combining to knock the wind out of my sails on this build. There are lots of little things that can be done and I am being a bit slack, days and days of scouring the 'net to find parts have left me a bit burned out too.

[Bedford]

OK Robbyn, and Jim Lad. I have got off my design chair and done a little work today, just for you

The first pic is a bit out of focus but you can see well enough the pins I have installed to locate the top masts in the raised position.

 

 

Then I made the dolphin striker in the lathe, this is a very delicate operation because the thin piece of timber is so easy to break. First I gently turned the end down to 2mm diameter to accept the rigging hardware that I will make soon. Then using the Dremel and a bur bit while turning the piece I made the taper roughly. Then I used sandpaper wrapped around a piece of flat timber to smooth out and complete the taper. This whole process was done using my finger against the opposite side of the work as a sort of travelling steady to stop it from breaking. Then I used a triangular file to work the grooves into it.

 

 

Dolphin striker fitted and first coat of paint.

 

[Shazmira]

That dolphin striker looks great Steve! A lathe?!? wow nice tool to have, I tried the poor mans version, just inserting my dowel into the chuck of a drill or a dremel....didn't work real well. I do love the symetry that can be accomplished using the proper tools...one of these days...

[Jim Lad]

Nicely done, Steve!  A bit of sawdust is good for unclogging the brain's design cells.

 

John

[Bedford]

Yes John, sometimes when I am stalled trying to work out how to do something I just get stuck into part of the job and it all seems to just fall into place.

 

Robbyn there are smaller hobby lathe/mills around which may be better suited to fine modelling, it depends on what you see yourself making with it, but it is a brilliant thing to have, having said that I still taper my masts etc with a plane and sand paper.

 

Steve

[Bedford]

I have had a very frustrating day of ship building. I am trying to make the eye collars for the bowsprit and top masts but the mill bits I have are no use in this application so I decided to turn the collars to size then slit them using the fine cutting blade for the dremel in the mill as a slot cutter.

 

 

The idea being that I could cut oversized eye pieces and stand them all up located in the slots and solder with a gas torch but even the light touch of the melting solder proved to destabilise the whole thing so it was a write off.

 

I ended up turning the collar first and centre drilling it to the size to fit the timber, the external diameter is approx an extra 2mm to give a 1mm wall to the collar then machining the eyes in a way that is too hard to understand from text so when I do the next ones I will take pics to show how I did it. I need to get a larger diameter brass first though.

 

 

[Bedford]

I got some more brass today and I am enjoying working with it.

 

So this is how I made the collars, I have not made a kit for a few years and since this isn't a kit I have nothing to remind me of the correct names.

 

First pic shows one of the original collars with the grooves cut into it to accept the eyes and hold them while soldering. This didn't work because they were too unstable and the eyes kept falling away so I came up with a better way which needed a larger diameter brass. It also meant that because I wasn't cutting grooves into the collar I could make them thinner as you can see in the pic. Three smaller ones for the top masts and one larger one for the bow sprit jib boom.

 

 

 

So, first step, in the lathe drill out to 5.5mm internal diameter then turn down to 6.5mm external diameter to get the collar,  then using larger stock drill it to 6.5mm internal diameter and turn down to 10.5mm external diameter thus leaving a cylinder with walls 2mm thick. Then remove the stock from the lathe and secure it in the vice with the machined end facing up and carefully cut down into it with a hacksaw twice, once either side of centre with approx 1.5mm between the two cuts then rotate the piece 90degrees and repeat. Once the four vertical cuts have been done cut horizontally into the piece which is to be removed, just a bit, then using long nosed pliers take hold of the scrap and bend it outward til it breaks off leaving this.

 

 

insert centre section and solder

 

 

 

The reason the "legs" are longer than they need to be is to stop the heat from the gas torch going into the stock too quickly which would make soldering difficult because I would have had to apply much more heat. Note in the above pic the bright blue part of the flame, the very tip of that is the hottest part of the flame so you want that to be just touching the job as you heat it.

 

Now for those who think soldering is difficult and needs special fluxes etc, this really is not the case. I am using 40/60 resin cored solder. It is stonger than the normal 60/40, ie 60% lead and 40% tin and requires more heat but not so much as to need special equipment. I just use a hand held butane torch. The secret to successful soldering is cleanliness. All surfaces here were freshly machined without any cutting lubricants and I kept handling to a minimum to avoid contamination from touching.

 

Heat the opposite side to that being soldered where possible as solder runs to the heat. Apply heat for a little while then remove the flame - VERY IMPORTANT - if you leave the flame there it will burn the resin which polutes the surface. After removing the flame touch the solder to the joint and see if it melts easily, if so only a little is required and it should run into the joint, you may need to apply a little more heat to encourage it to run. I just worked my way around the piece doing each side of the tabs and when done I applied the flame directly to the solder for just long enough to melt it and then gently ran an old paint brush over it quickly to remove the excess solder. Molten solder will splatter so be careful where you do it.

 

 

A bit of a sand with the dremel and Robert's your mother's brother. I still need to drill the holes.

 

 

 

A little bit more brass work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Shazmira]

Those collars look great Steve, so glad you are enjoying the process! I honestly thing you are having more fun figuring out these little bits and dragging out the process of building the boat

[michael mott]

Bedford Now that was a neat way to set the tabs I shall remember that one. and use the same principle in the future, so thanks tor this.

 

Michael

[captainbob]

Michael said it first but I will be saving that method also.

 

Bob

[Bedford]

Michael and Bob, thanks, a craftsman always likes to know his work is appreciated !

 

That method makes it so easy.

 

Robbyn, yes that's the main reason for building her. To be honest she may only ever sail a few times, it depends on how much I enjoy sailing her. For me it is the build and problem solving.