Shenandoah 1864 by SGraham - FINISHED - Corel - Scale 1:50 - American Civil War-era Cutter

[captainbob]

I would have tarred it, but since it goes through a block at the end of the bow sprit, they probably see it as running rigging.

 

Bob

Edited February 10, 2015 by Cap'n'Bob

[SGraham]

Thanks for the reply, Bob. I was checking again in Biddlecomb. He says that the forestays in cutters run through blocks at the end of the bowsprit. So, they are definitely stays. I think I'm going to switch them to black line.

[jct]

Really shaping up nicely...looking like your nearing the finish?

[SGraham]

Thanks J. I've still got a gaff and boom to make, a couple of stays yet to fit, and then comes sail making and running rigging. At my rate of work, I'm looking at next Christmas...

 

Steve

[SGraham]

Standing rigging is done. I added the backstays and two forestays. I also stuck a couple of belaying pins up in the bows--no rope coils on them yet. Time to start thinking about sails. The first 2 photos show something that might help in the sailmaking process. My daughter and I found it yesterday.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Steve

[dgbot]

My grandmother used one for as long I could remember the thing finally broke down and she got a new one. It's looking better every day.

David B

[jct]

Hey Steve,

I'm looking fwd to your sail diy...that old White looks like just the ticket

[captainbob]

Can you talk your daughter into using your new sail making tool or will you have to use it?

 

I like the black jib stay.  It's much better than white.

 

Bob

[kruginmi]

I also agree with the black jib stay.  Awesome job Steve!

 

Mark

[SGraham]

Thanks for the input, guys. I finally figured that even though the jib and topmast stays run through blocks out at the end of the bowsprit, they cant move much. Maybe the blocks serve like the bees on the bowsprits on larger vessels. I don't know, but the white stays just looked wrong.

 

As far as my new sailmaking tool, goes...my daughter is going to show me how to use it. She doesn't know that yet. It's an 1881 treadle that was retrofitted with a motor sometime back. I have a new motor and pedal for it that I was going to use on a small lathe and never got around to it. Anyways, see where ship modeling has taken me? Now I have to learn to sew. Sheesh! Actually, it's all Jesse's fault. Those sails on the Scottish Maid were truly an inspiration.

 

Steve

[SGraham]

I've got the port side ratlines done. I put in some photos to detail the process. They show ideas I've "relocated" from other builders on this fine site. "Relocated," by the way, is a term we use in education to mean purloined.

 

The first shot shows the thin line I used for the ratlines. The kinked strand in the bottom of the photo is how the line came off the spool. The straight line above it is after heating it by running it around my bending iron for a few seconds. It straightened it right out. Be careful of using too much heat, though, if your line is nylon--it can partially melt and stiffen up. This makes it hard to tie knots.

 

The second shot is of the jig I made to make sure I spaced the ratlines out evenly. I succeeded for about a third of the way up the shrouds and then got curious to see how it looked without the jig, pulled it off, and neglected to put it back on to finish the job. So I've got rather free-form ratlines on the port side.

 

I read up on a thread about whether or not the ratlines were tarred. It was a very interesting read, but I learned that the answer isn't a clear-cut yes or no. Some said tarred, some said not, some said partially, etc. So, I "tarred" the outer knots with black paint where the ratlines tie into the outer shrouds. I pity all of you who build big, many-masted ships. Those rats are hard to get even!

 

Finally, I've been thinking about a stand for the Shenandoah. I wanted something very simple. The last photos are of what I came up with. They are still bare wood. I'm going to peg them to a larger flat display base later. They might be a little bulky and might look better a bit thinner. I'll live with them a few days and make that call later.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Steve

[dgbot]

Not bad but you should put some black on them before you go much further.  As they are they do not match the shrouds.  Ratlines were heavily tarred so that they would not rot.

David B

[jct]

Nice work on the rats Steve...I too am not sure if they should be tared or not...most everybody does them in black...I wonder if it is something that may have changed over time...thus the conflict of opinion?

J

[kruginmi]

Steve, keep the pics coming!  I like your decision on tarring the end knots.  Really makes the ratlines pop.  Something I need to file away for my own use sometime.

 

Just to be above board, I have been recently thinking about a deck house for my Lady Anne and I think I have found it in your build.  Permission for a little artistic pull into my build?

 

Mark

[SGraham]

Thanks David and J for the comments. I learned that the ratlines were coated in pine tar, not the stuff we call tar today, and that it would turn black with repeated applications over time. I may paint them black; I agree that they pop, but I'm not sure I want that much pop. The newer vessels that I saw photos of all have black shrouds and white ratlines. The older ones, it was hard to tell. I also heard that the rats were left untarred to keep sailors from getting tar on their feet. That sounds like a story to me. I don't think pine-tar-coated rope would stay sticky for very long, though, and I'd hate to climb up a big tall mast on deteriorating little pieces of rope. Food for thought...

 

Mark, thanks for the kind words. And, of course, relocate away! I'm following the Lady A. with interest.

 

Steve

[SGraham]

Ratlines are tarred, and I switched out the wooden belaying pins for blackened brass. I like how they look.

 

The swivel guns for the Shenandoah look like 16th-century falconets. I could just picture the Confederate crew shouting, "Thou ill-favoured Yankee miscreant, I'll crack thy knave's pate with yon murthering piece!" Seriously, they couldn't look more out of place. I ordered a set of Chuck's brass swivel guns to replace them. They'll need some modifying, so...I went ahead and ordered a butane micro torch, silver solder, and flux from Otto Frei. When they arrive, I'll be entering the esoteric wilds of silver soldering.

 

Photos are of the tarred rats and blackened pins.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Steve

[jct]

Hi Steve, I think you made the right decision, the rats look better tarred, same with the pins.  Your chooses of woods and finishes have resulted in a really nice looking ship.

J 

[src]

Steve,

Been watching silently of late, work hasn't slowed since November.

Really enjoying watching your build come to life.

Sam

[SGraham]

Thanks J and Sam. So, J, what's the next build? And Sam, don't overdo it with the work.

 

Steve

[jct]

Hi Steve,  I started working on the 18th century longboat, link is in my sig, I'm looking to do sails for it.  Keep up the nice work, real impressive.

J

[SGraham]

Thanks J. I made a tiny bit of progress yesterday. I found a photo in Chapelle's "The National Watercraft Collection" that shows how they secured the anchor on the starboard bow rail of a schooner. They used a ringbolt and a plain cleat. A line is attached to the ringbolt and has an eye spliced in its other end. The line is looped around the anchor and the eye at the end of the line simply hooks around the end of the cleat. I'm not sure I want to stow an anchor up on the rail of the Shenandoah, but I thought I'd add this small detail. It's ready for the anchor if anyone wants to stick it up there.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Steve

[jct]

Nice detail...little things make a big difference

[dgbot]

Chappelle to the rescue again. I am going to have to get that book when I am gainfully employes again.

David B

[SGraham]

Thanks David and J. There's a used book store near me that puts racks of books out on the sidewalk for $2 apiece. I found Chapelle on the $2 rack. How the mighty have fallen!

 

Steve

[dgbot]

I rarely find that stuff used.  It is bought up before I can get there.

David B

[SGraham]

The torch arrived. I also bought a syringe loaded with a paste made of flux and silver solder. I tried it out on a brass ring and it worked well. I removed the knob on the back of the swivel guns I bought from Chuck. I drilled hole there and soldered in brass wire. It was easier than I thought it would be. Probably beginner's luck. Here are the guns blackened. I included one of the guns from the kit for comparison.

 

Steve

 

P.S. David--I'll watch the $2 rack for you!

Edited March 2, 2015 by SGraham

[kruginmi]

That looks awesome Steve.  Once you have the right equipment it actually is pretty easy.

 

Mark

[jct]

Nice...how large is the torch?

[SGraham]

Thanks Mark and J. The torch is 5 1/2" tall.

 

I went ahead and made a bracket for one of the swivels out of a half piece of copper refrigerator water line. I soldered a brass post to the bottom of it. I can't take adequate close-ups with my pathetic little camera.

 

Steve

[tarbrush]

wow Steve, those guns are exquisite!