Refit of the schooner CHARLIE by AON - Finished

[AON]

Wednesday 26 November 2014

 

Glued and pinned the bow cowling

- cut off the excess wood pins with a carving knife

- sanded flush

- clamped down

 

Drilled out the port holes

- measured and marked locations

- scoured outer marking with 7/16" diameter brad bit. this will outline the recess or spotface for the clear plastic window to be set into

- drilled through with a 3/8" diameter brad bit holding a back up piece of scrap wood in behind to avoid spinters

 

It happened on the second hole I did and then I was worried.  I hit a nail!

Used mini chisels to cut around the nail and through the wood

Used small files to cut off the nail and shape the hole

 

Turned the main and fore topmasts on the lathe using a wood rasp file and sand paper

- cut off excess on band saw

- put the mast into the chuck of my drill press and finished the shaping with sand paper

- squared off the foot with the belt sander

Edited November 28, 2014 by AON

[AON]

Thursday (morning) 27 November 2014

 

sanded the bow cowling

assembled and clamped part of the trestle trees

 

time to go to work 

Edited November 27, 2014 by AON

[AON]

Thursday (evening) 27 November 2014

 

Completed assembly of the trestle trees

- dry fit last block

- marked location

- glued and clamped

will lightly sand tonight and make the two caps

 

I also cleaned (vacuumed) off the hull which revealed a couple more minor dents that were filled

And I determined the sizes (diameters and lengths) of the booms and gaffs (again by ratios) and cut my material

 

Still plan to start painting this weekend!

Edited November 28, 2014 by AON

[AON]

Saturday 29 November 2014

 

Painting and staining today (and tomorrow)

Also a pic of the booms and gaffs... they need more work yet.

 

I am very happy with the staining and hope the painting ends up looking as good

 

I also started assembling the build photos in some chronological order to bind together to go with Charlie when she is done.

I think they will all (father-in-law, daughter and son-in law) enjoy seeing all that went into her.

 

I am going to be spending some time figuring out the standing and running rigging.

If anyone has a cheat sheet they would like to share I am quite receptive to the idea! (hint, hint)   

Edited November 29, 2014 by AON

[druxey]

Looking very good, Alan!

[AON]

Thank you Druxey

The black band seems a bit narrow to me but I cannot go any lower or I'll encroach on the rudder elevation

 

Sunday 30 November 2014

 

Continued with painting

- lower white band on hull

- upper white band on hull and deck

- one coat of unbleached (undiluted) white on deck

- one very light coat of watered down Autumn Brown (ceramic paint from my darling wife's stash... with permission and tutoring!!!) applied with a fanned brush drawn long along the deck to simulate wood grain (my wife knows a thing or two about painting).

 

That deck turned out better than I ever imagined.

 

Why faux wood grain and not an application of thin planking?

"BUDGET"

That is why I am using most of my scrap wood on this project.

In the end it will be 1000 X more then he ever expected (and I hope to catch that expression in a photograph)

 

 

I was originally thinking of drawing in lines to simulate the planks but I'll likely screw it all up and I think this is one of those times a person needs to know when to say enough.

 

Next is to paint the red bottom, touch up the white, attach some of the bits and pieces and get back to the booms and gaffs

Edited December 1, 2014 by AON

[AON]

Tuesday 02 December 2014

 

Completed the painting of the underside of the hull red

Need to do touch ups to the white and black to be completed this stage

 

Completed the assembly of the cross trees and trestle trees to the masts

Dry fitted all together

 

Started working on the main boom again

Edited December 2, 2014 by AON

[AON]

Thursday 04 December 2014

 

Worked on Booms, Gaffs and their Jaws

I chose to make each jaw in one piece

- cut a slot in the end of the boom or gaff

- chiseled steps in the jaws to fit

- chiseled channels in the steps to hold glue

 

Worked on the Port Hole assemblies

- scribed the window cut lines into plastic sheet 

- cut out the glass pieces

- dabs of glue in bulkhead port hole recesses to hold the glass in place

- glued the port hole rings over top

 

Assembled the Rudder and attached (glued) bits and pieces to the aft end

I used small store bought brass nails on the rudder

I had to cut these considerably shorter and file a new point to them

[AON]

Friday 05 December 2014

 

Added block to bowsprit to attach jib boom and jib stay to

- drilled out 7/16 diameter hole to match bowsprit diameter in location of assembly

- cut through hole at 5° angle to match bowsprit assembly angle so top of block will be horizontal

- sanded all sides to required thickness then sanded edges soft (removed sharp corners)

- glued and clamped

 

After all the fitting in place to get this right the bowsprit paint job was damaged so I will need to freshen this up.

 

Started making tiny eyelets to tie off to

- hammered finishing nail into my work bench to bend to

- twisted 22 ga wire to the nail

- cut the nail head off as I couldn't slip the eyelet off!

- trimmed off end

 

Stained the masts, booms and gaffs

Will paint the unstained portions white

 

 

 

[michael mott]

Alan she is looking very nice your patience with getting the hull cleaned up and reworked is all coming together now.

 

Michael

[AON]

Thank you Michael

 

It is all coming together in time for Christmas as promised.

 

It is also a little sad as I have become attached to her.

 

There is so much more I'd like to do (especially since I took the sail making seminar last month) but I have already done more than asked.... and I've blown the budget.... but knew I was going to be getting more then I was going to be giving when I started 

[Omega1234]

Hi Alan.  She's looking great! A true credit to your skill, workmanship and generosity.

 

Beautiful!

[AON]

Saturday 6 December 2014

 

(Part 1)

Worked on painting and assembling the masts and bowsprit

 

Bowsprit and Samson Post assembled and glued in place

Eyelets added to bow of hull in readiness to do some line work

 

Mast assemblies installed to deck dry (not glued yet)

Edited December 7, 2014 by AON

[AON]

(Part 2)

 

Started line work on the bowsprit

Decided to use some of my sea cadet Boatswain and OJT boat shed skills and do some simple whipping

I had always done whipping (in real life ... full scale) with waxed twine to finish the cut end of a line (rope) or a back splice could be made

 

I used Black waxed line as my primary piece and tried black thread to do the whipping

It disappeared to the eye so much so that I couldn't see the whipping at all

 

I then tried white thread

It seemed too small and the black came through highlighting the gaps I'd made 

 

In the end I used a thicker three strand 100% cotton twine (off white) and was happy with the contrast

 

Whipping is done by

1. making a bend (fold over) the small stuff (twine) and hold it against the larger line

2. wrap the small stuff tightly round the large line working from the standing end and go towards the bend

3. pass the small stuff end through the eye of the bend that is left exposed

4. pulling on the standing end of the small stuff until the bend is drawn under the wrapping to hide it and secure it

5. trim off the two ends of the small stuff

 

When I completed the other end I had an unavoidable sag in the line

I pulled the end of the larger black line (holding the whipping close to the eyelet with my fingers) to draw it snug and taut.

Then I trimmed the larger line and applied a dab of glue as my "belt an brace" for the assembly so it doesn't come loose somehow

(it never did in real life but this is tiny work so I just don't know how it might hold up over time)

[AON]

Part three

 

Worked on the mainmast Fife Rail

 

- made the end piece, drilled 1/4" holes for the square post and had to file the holes square to match

- made the horse shoe shaped Fife Rail using hole saw, scroll saw and disc sander

- made the support posts on my lath and the knee braces on my scroll saw

- made two belaying pins on my drill press (used like a vertical lath) with files and sand paper

 

Dry fit it all together

 

The belaying pins seem too close together

If I stretch the rail to space the pins more the scale of the rail seems like it will be too far off

 

I am of a mind to leave it be (for now) and let it stew for a bit

On the other hand it hurts nothing to make a second slightly longer rail just to see for sure!

 

I have to finish the other pins and make the Boom Crutch

Edited December 8, 2014 by AON

[AON]

Completed the NEW fife rail and spaced the pins a wee bit.

I think this version looks better

... also added the boom crutch

 

The crutch and pins will be stained

the remainder painted white

 

Spent the afternoon twisting up 55 eyelets

By my calculations I may need another 30+

 

[AON]

Thank you everyone for the likes

 

Painting and staining some bits. Not quite done with the painting yet.

The rings and little blocks are the mast shelf ring s that the sail hoops will rest on.

 

I made 1 of 28 mast hoops for the sails (not in the photo below)

I used two hole saws, one inside the other (5/8" and 1") to cut the hoop out of 1/8" melamine.

It looks good by itself but when on the mast seems too large a diameter and too sloppy a fit.

 

I'll have to try a 1/2" drill bit in a 3/4" or 7/8" hole saw cutter.

This may end up being a two step operation which will then be very tricky to keep the holes centered to each other.

 

 

[druxey]

Many folk make mast hoops by taking a rod of the right diameter and waxing it. Then they take planed wood shavings, coat them in glue and wrap them around the rod until the desired thickness is achieved. After the tube of wood is dry, suitable width pieces are sliced off. 

Edited December 8, 2014 by druxey

[AON]

Interesting method

 

I imagine the wax keeps the "molded" glued wood shavings from sticking to it so it can be removed from the cast shape.

Finding a rod of the right diameter... like dowelling.

 

I liked the "look" of the results of my slightly oversized piece and want to see if I can manage as the melamine stains nice and dark for contrast with the mast ..... but this looks like my plan B.

 

Thank you

[Dee_Dee]

Alan,

Your co-workers father in law will have a very merry Christmas.  

I make mast hoops in a similar manner as described by Druxey.  But instead of using wood shavings, I make them one at a time, using a US dollar bill, rag paper or under layers of silver birch bark. Birch bark can be stained just like wood.  It's quick, easy, with good results and the finished mast hoops are incredibly strong.  I completed 13 mast hoops in an afternoon (that includes the two hours needed for the glue to dry).  I did a quick how to on my build log:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/4670-muscongus-bay-lobster-smack-by-dee-dee-from-midwest-to-chapelle-124-small/page-6#entry186900

 

A couple of photos of results.  The black hoop is a dollar bill stained with a black Sharpie Marker, yellow is unstained birch bark and white is high % rag paper / stationary:  

 

 

 

Dee Dee

 

 

[AON]

Thank you Dee Dee

 

I like the "stationary" fabricated hoop and not just because I'm a cheap old bugger that can't waste a dollar... actually we haven't got $1 bills in Canada anymore (ours is a coin  called the Loonie because of the Loon image) 

 

I am going to check out your link as this may be the kitty's derriere of a method!

 

Alan

[druxey]

Dee Dee: isn't defacing or mutilating currency a Federal offence in the U.S.?

[Dee_Dee]

I'm not a lawyer (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn this past weekend), so technically speaking:  Yes. 

Laws exist to prevent counterfeiters and swindlers from doing 'naughty deeds'.  Essentially, it comes down to intent to render a bank bill unfit to be reissued.  I've seen a $10 bill altered to look like a $100 - Definitely illegal.  Here's a link that covers some of the basics and links to supporting docs:  http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=426715

[AON]

I have a length of 5/8" dowelling to use as the bar (mold) to wrap around.

Might be using a light coating of petroleum jelly in lieu of wax.

I also have some clean newsprint paper (no ink on it)

 

I will try this technique tonight.

 

I like the look of a dark stain against the mast so I think I will try brushing a test piece of paper with stain.

If this doesn't work I will use the black marker.

 

Wish me luck.... and thank you once again Dee Dee and Druxey for the alternate mast hoop making suggestion.

Edited December 9, 2014 by AON

[AON]

Tuesday 9 December 2014

 

Stained glued and rolled my newsprint to make the mast hoops

As I had no wax I wrapped my dowel with plastic wrap

The stain went on nicely, hung it to dry.

I water my wood glue down and brushed it onto the paper

It all rolled nicely when I practised before staining and gluing

Not so easily to keep it all aligned when glued.. but it is done

 

I should have removed it from the dowel late last night but hadn't done it until early this morning (Wednesday)

It had not dried through as yet but was making considerable progress about a half hour later since the dowel was out!

Should be well cured by the time I get home from work tonight.

 

I also made up the remainder of my eyelets

Singles, doubles and 16 combination Long/Short doubles

I hope my count was right.

[druxey]

Slicing the hoops off is easiest with the tube mounted on the dowel!

[AON]

Oh crap!

Let you know how it works out

[AON]

My plans to make the blocks

[druxey]

Interesting idea for making blocks, but the grain of the wood runs the wrong way. They may fall apart, especially in smaller sizes. 

 

You can slip the tube back on the dowel before cutting the rings, you know!

[AON]

RE: the mast hoops

I can try to slip the dowel back in the tube but I am hoping the wood glue will be stiff as old heck and all will work out in the end

I felt that I had to remove the dowel as the tube wasn't drying... no air to the inside (my logic) and it seemed to make a difference in the hour before I left home this morning

 

Possibly I should not have attempted such a wide strip

 

RE: the blocks

I'm likely going to try a quick "dowel block" and see if it will work for me... have to check the "direction of the grain" as I'll admit sitting here I hadn't give it the thought it likely deserved

Edited December 10, 2014 by AON