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

[SGraham]

Thanks for the kind words, Mark. I'm going to give the modeling a go again this weekend.

 

Steve

[SGraham]

Well, I got a very little bit done today. I scratch built a rudder from some maple. I didn't like the thought of the plywood trailing edge being visible. There is a nice diagram in Chapman's American Fishing Schooners book showing how the rudders were fastened together. I tried to simulate the wooden plugs hiding the bolt heads on the trailing edge. Darker putty might have looked better. Thanks for looking!

 

Steve

[jct]

Nice gonna look good mounted to the hull, keep up the fine work

[src]

Steve,

Thats a really nice looking rudder.

Great to see you back at it.

Sam

[SGraham]

Thanks, J and Sam. Onward to metal work--about which I know nothing. This hobby is turning out to be at least as much about learning as it is about relaxing.

 

Steve

[src]

This hobby is relaxing? What am I doing wrong then? I thought the tall glass of Scotch after was the relaxing part!  

And just remember, metal is an inferior product. Its only there to make the less skilled feel good about themselves. At least that is what I tell our welders and machinist at work when I need something and dont know how to do it myself.

Sam

[SGraham]

I don't know about this metal work, Sam. You can coax wood along and get it to do what you want. Metal, on the other hand, has an attitude. It fights you the whole time you're working with it. Very uncooperative stuff. Humph.

 

I got a tiny bit more done in the Glacial Progress Boatworks. I made some pintles and gudgeons from flat brass straps. They were a bit of a challenge to drill. Like I said, I'm not used to working with metal and I'm slithering all around on the learning curve. The holes are nowhere near in line with each other. I blackened them with brass black and found that it rubs off fairly quickly, of course (paint stays on wood much better...). So, after I'm done installing the rudder assembly, I'll touch up with black paint and probably put on a coat of wipe-on poly to seal it all on there.

 

On another build log, I found a technique for assembling the pintles and gudgeons that looked like it might be within the scope of my abilities. I can't remember right now which are which--are the pintles on the rudder and the gudgeons on the hull? I'll continue, assuming that's correct. After installing the pintles on the rudder with round-headed brass pins, I notched the pintle on the inside edge. This notch is to conceal a wire that will be used to connect the rudder to the hull. I've got the wires installed now and the rudder dry-fitted to the hull. Next comes the gudgeons and some kind of gasket where the rudder post enters the bottom of the hull. Thanks for looking.

 

Steve

Edited July 21, 2014 by SGraham

[jct]

Rudder looks fine in place, I've had the same issue with the blackening chemical, you may have hit on it though, perhaps it should be sealed prior to handling?

[Mirabell61]

Thanks J and Sam. I finished planking the deck today and got it sealed. I'm still deciding whether or not to give it a thinned coat of light stain.

 

I'm going to try to simulate treenails with filler after it dries. Is it best to oil/poly first and then do the treenails or vice versa? Or does it even matter?

 

Here are some pics of the finished deck.

 

Steve

 

Very nicely done Steve,

 

hull- and deckplanking and also treenails look great

 

Nils

[dgbot]

Nicely done Steve, your rudder looks great and your hinges look good as well.  As for blackening the motto is clenliness is next to godliness.

David B

[SGraham]

Thanks for the comments, David, Nils, and J.

 

David, I cleaned the parts with soap and water and then hit them with naphtha just to be sure. I cleaned my tweezers too before touching the parts. The blacking went on well. I got a uniform blackness. It took 3 applications with rinsing in between. I left it all for a day to cure and then started to handle the pieces. The blacking started to come off after a few minutes of handling. Maybe I should have clear-coated them before handling? Is that what you do?

 

J, what was your solution?

 

Steve

Edited July 21, 2014 by SGraham

[jct]

I wouldn't call it a solution... I resorted to paint

[dgbot]

What was your ratio of Blacken It to water?  If use straight the stuff will merely do the outer suface and that will rub off.  A ratio of 1 to 8 will take longer but the etching will be deeper and once rinsed and dried will usually not rub off.  There are several discussion on blackening brass on the forum, you should look through some of them to get a cuple of ideas.

David B

[SGraham]

Thanks David. I was using Blacken it straight. Looks like I've got some reading to do.

 

Steve

[src]

Steve, I have struggled with metal work all my life, your not alone. Bill Cosby did a slit about metal shop, that's me.

I not sure, but doesn't naphtha leave a residue? I have been using dilute muratic acid and distiller water with good results, except for my gudgeons. I had a sweating problem a few days after. My tale of woe is in the metal working forum if your interested. Never figured out what I did wrong and went with paint. I blame it in the metal , not my fault , no sir!

Sam

[SGraham]

Thanks Sam. I used to work in my dad's jewelry shop when I was in high school, soldering chains, sizing rings, doing minor repairs. It was all metal work, but actually a lot like woodworking: shaping, filing, sanding, polishing. There was a lot of soldering, but I found that quite easy at the time. Gold, silver, and platinum all behaved themselves pretty much. Still, I guess you could say metal and me broke up in high school and it's been awkward ever since.

 

I've used naphtha for years and wasn't aware of it leaving a residue. It very well may. I may try the muriatic acid and distilled water and see how it works. I'll check out your tale of woe. It'll probably cheer me up. I remember I had a terrible time with a musket barrel sweating after I browned it. I finally got it stopped with baking soda.

 

Steve

[JesseLee]

Steve, I was a bench jeweler for 21 years till chronic lyme disabled me & I lost my career.

[src]

Steve, I am not at all sure about the naphtha. The more I think about it the more I think I am wrong; when I was in my twenties I worked with a furniture refinisher. When we were not stripping and re-staining a surface and were just shooting a fresh coat of lacquer we used naphtha to remove the wax and surface oils. I would think if it did leave a residue it would have caused all sorts of problems with the clear coat. So, I think I need to retract that statement.

Your barrel situation sounds similar to my gudgeons, I used baking soda also before painting.

Sam

[SGraham]

Sam, That naphtha is pretty amazing stuff. I've used it to remove duct tape residue from a guitar finish. It did the trick with no effects on the finish at all. Still, in the esoteric world of chemically treating metal surfaces, I'm not sure it wouldn't interfere somehow. I'm going to try diluting the Blacken It per David's suggestion too.

 

That makes a lot of sense, Jesse. Your handwork is beautiful, and you work very quickly. It's a joy to see your Scottish Maid taking shape. My dad and grandpa were both watchmakers. Speaking of naphtha, they used it to clean watch hairsprings. I called it hairspring cleaner for years and only learned it was called naphtha when I tried to buy a can of it using the wrong name. We had a wonderful old bench jeweler who learned his stuff after WWII on the GI Bill. He could make anything and fix anything. Great, patient, kind man. He taught me just enough to be dangerous. I learned to shape things with a file from him. When I wasn't soldering broken chains, I was repairing clocks--learned that from my dad. It was all interesting and fun work. I'm so sorry that lyme disease took you away from the bench. That's a heavy loss. I'm glad you're able to keep working with your hands--even after your recent surgery.

 

Steve

[SGraham]

Well, I finished the pintles and gudgeons, I guess. I redid the Brass Black using an 8:1 ratio on the pintles. On the gudgeons I used undiluted Brass Black and immediately after rinsing wiped them with a coat of wipe-on poly. It's funny, I got corrosion on the pintles and none at all on the gudgeons. Both stood up to handling pretty well, probably due to the wipe-on poly. I think I found what works for me.

 

I also redrilled and filled the plugs on the trailing edge of the rudder with darker colored putty. The pintles and gudgeons aren't quite straight, but I'm happy enough with how they look right now. Hanging the rudder was the trickiest step yet for me. Sorry for the low quality photos. Thanks for looking.

 

Steve

[dgbot]

Looking good Steve.  As for the pitting.  I was told that brass is an alloy.  And depending on the supplier you might get different ratios.  Once in a whille I have bought brass that will pit a little.  You are doing a fine job.

David B

[SGraham]

Thanks David. That's helpful to know. Next up is the tiller. I've got a piece of desert ironwood I'm planning on using for that. The question I have is about the ring that is let into the deck around where the rudder post emerges from the deck. I don't know its name. The kit supplied one made of brass. Were these commonly made of brass? Copper? Iron? Wood? Take your pick? I'm leaning toward blackening it like iron.

 

Steve

[dgbot]

Since it would be taking a lot of stress I would opt for iron.

David B

[SGraham]

Here's the rudder post made of maple and a desert ironwood tiller. Brass ring blackened and blackened brass bolts as well. Thanks for looking.

 

Steve

[SGraham]

And a little bit more today. I've started on the boobyhatch, if that's what you call it. It's the forward companionway. Here's a view of the back side of it planked up and slotted to take the rails for the sliding hatch cover. I decided to use wire for the slide rails. I think they'll look OK when the cover is on them. I used amber shellac on it and rubbed it out with #0000 steel wool.

 

Steve

[jwvolz]

Very nice clean work Steve. 

[SGraham]

Thanks Joe. I just took a look at your Prince de Neuf. That's the level of expertise I'd like to work up to. I especially like your paintwork on that build.

 

Steve

[src]

Steve, I agree with Joe, very nice; clean and crisp. The more I watch your build as well as others I am realizing light colored woods are the way to go on my next build. All the hard work and detail shows up so much better.

Sam

[captainbob]

Love that tiller.  Fine detail work.

 

Bob

[SGraham]

Thanks Bob and Sam. I appreciate the encouragement. My apologies for posting in tiny increments, but here's the forward companionway with a coaming. Next comes a pair of doors on the other side. Thanks for looking.

 

Steve