Bristol Pilot Cutter by michael mott - 1/8 scale - POF

[IgorSky]

Hi Michael!
I have been absent for some time. But now I saw your amazing work again!
Bravo!

Best Regards!
Igor.

[michael mott]

Thanks for all the kind remarks.

I made a short video of the topmast being hoisted. I spent a long time getting the topmast to hoist up properly which also included making a couple of sheaves that are attached to the mast. The following sequence should be self explanatory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael

Edited November 19, 2018 by michael mott
add material add more material

[Bedford]

Absolutely beautiful work there Michael

[michael mott]

Thanks for all the likes and fine comments

More work on the topmast today. first i needed to make the small strop for the shrouds at the top. the first part was to make a ring by unwinding some rope making a length of about 8 1/2 inches long then recoiling itself into a ring.

 

Once the ring was formed then the thimbles were placed on some new arms for the third hand. and then some "whipping" can't think of the proper term at this time of the night.

 

Then the top of the topmast was ready for the "harness"

 

 

notice the line just below the harness, the result of the error of cutting the slot for the top sheave at 90 degrees to where it should have been cut. I slipped the topmast through the headstock of the Myford after several wraps of masking tape to protect the wood, and cut a rebate about 1/8th inch wide down to 5/32 diameter then cut off the top with the jewelers saw. then bored a shallow hole the same diameter. coated both parts with a thin film of ACC once that had set I pushed the parts together with the sheave fore and aft then gave another shot of ACC to fix it in place.

 

 

The shackles are different the small one is new today and the longer one from the bin of shackles.

 

 

Once the shrouds were connected, I hoisted the mast again, and laid them over the ends of the spreader to get the position of the lower tackle.

 

 

Tomorrow I shall finish the ends or the spreader.

 

Michael

 

[Bedford]

I'm really looking forward to the day she goes back into the water

 

[Ab Hoving]

An amazing job!

you really go for the details.

Ab

[kees de mol]

So beautifull. Thank you for your instructions for how to make these beautifull blocks!

[Tim Curtis]

Michael. Your model is amazing. I think you should just build a full size boat next time. Like the "Integrity" gaff rigged yacht that Will Stirling made in the UK. It feels like the only difference would be size.

 

Quick question. What does one do with a model that big once it is finished? 

I speak as a married man.

 

Tim

 

 

[druxey]

Good save of the topmast in re-orienting the sheave! 'Seizing' was perhaps the word that escaped you? Nice ropework.

[Dowmer]

Seizing or perhaps “serving” was what you were thinking of. 

Mike, increadible job. Looks 1:1 for sure. 

[michael mott]

3 hours ago, Tim Curtis said:

"Integrity" gaff rigged yacht that Will Stirling made in the UK.

Tim I have spent countless hours pouring over just about every detail of "Integrity" it is a beautifully conceived yacht. and to answer you question about the model I will probably give it away eventually.

 

3 hours ago, druxey said:

Good save of the topmast in re-orienting the sheave! 'Seizing' was perhaps the word that escaped you? Nice ropework.

Thanks Druxey, I really did not want to go through the motions of making a fourth topmast.

 

Kees thanks for you kind words

 

Ab thanks for your words and yes the details are for me, the most fun and challenging part. It again reminds me of Remco's byline that I'm paraphrasing if one treats every part as a model in its own right one will get there eventually.

 

8 hours ago, Bedford said:

I'm really looking forward to the day she goes back into the water

Steve yes this will be a great experience hopefully a lot of fun too.

 

1 hour ago, Dowmer said:

Seizing or perhaps “serving” was what you were thinking of.

Thanks Dowmer I was just too tired to remember last light.

 

I also forgot to add the pictures of the new pin rail that is almost complete. it is made from fir and i was able to get one more pin in by just squeezing them a 1/2 inch closer together. Scale that is of course.

 

 

 

 

I will put a small brass cap on the tops of the uprights and round off the center part of the extensions that come through the rail.

 

Michael

[BANYAN]

Very nice work on the metalwork, and the strop making - all turned out very nicely.  Love the new arms for the third hand!

 

cheers

 

Pat

[michael mott]

Thanks Pat

 

Not a lot to show for today, I am thinking of some steel cables for the topmast shrouds so did some experimenting with some Beadalon wire and made 4 new shackles. from some .060 copper wire.

 

I soldered up a small fixture for drilling the .056 holes through the shackles

 

 

 

The pins were turned from some inexpensive 3/16 brass rod from Home Depot. I am impressed at the free machining quality of this brass, which allowed for me to cut the diameter in one pass, this ensured that the work was supported all the way by the 3/16 section as it was being reduced. I backed out the cutter and cut a shoulder that was .030" larger in diameter, then parted off the pins for drilling the #78 retaining ring hole. 

 

I filed a small flat with a #8 cut file as a land for the drill. which I supported pretty close to the cutting edge.

 

 

 

 

That's it for today.

 

Michael

 

 

[mtaylor]

Such detail... love it. 

[Jim Lad]

Wish I could get to Canada to see her 'in the flesh'!

 

John

[Bedford]

3 hours ago, Jim Lad said:

Wish I could get to Canada to see her 'in the flesh'!

 

John

I'll go with you John

[cog]

On 11/22/2018 at 6:01 AM, Jim Lad said:

Wish I could get to Canada to see her 'in the flesh'!

 

John

 

On 11/22/2018 at 9:53 AM, Bedford said:

I'll go with you John

As would I ... whom's paying the ferryman ...

[Omega1234]

Well, Michael.  

 

I guess you know what I’m going to say...Superb.  Just seriously superb.  

 

I’m just in awe of your skills and talent!

 

Cheers. 

 

Patrick

[Chasseur]

Just caught up to this. Hope you and Judy are well. Now that the beast is it of your Man Cave it looks like you  ‘all of a sudden’ have tons of space. Thanks again for the tour of your shop, the shim stock, and I look forward to the completion of the cutter. As always top notch workmanship!

Jeff

[michael mott]

Thanks for all the likes and comments I do appreciate them.

 

55 minutes ago, Chasseur said:

Thanks again for the tour of your shop, the shim stock,

Thanks Jeff, we should get together again in the not too distant future.

 

I had to make a new spreader bar because I slit the end of the pine one so I opted for a Castelo one which actually looks better anyway. I finished the captive loops on the ends and added a reinforcing plate in the centre.

 

 

 

Also I have been doing a fair bit if cogitating about the forestay and the bowsprit when it is housed. The new taller pin-rail just happens to interfere with the bowsprit when shipped on board, so I am re configuring it  so that it also acts as a seat for the end of the bowsprit when fully retracted.

 

So beginning with the forestay today I decided to change the way it was set to the stem post.

First I needed to secure the forestay temporarily so tied it off to the anchor roller then removed all the bolts and the two pins on the bottom thin section to lift off the fitting.

 

 

 

 

Next I removed the existing bracket that was silver soldered on the top and replaced it with a new one with a series of holes plus an extra hole to shackle the stay-sail into.

 

 

 

I like the way this new fitting looks.

 

 

So again one step forward two steps back and so on. Also watched a nice video of Cornubia under sail, looking at the rig.

 

Michael

[druxey]

Interesting arrangement, Michael. However, would the sharp turns of the laniard through the perforated plate (even though eased) lead to wear and premature failure?

[wefalck]

That's Dutch style, the setting-up of the forestay. However, I had exactly the same thought as 'druxey'. The Dutch drill(ed) holes through the stem (which is normally then wider at the top as for those of other nations), which is akin to a fixed dead-eye.

 

I don't comment on the quality of the work, it speaks for itself ...

Edited November 28, 2018 by wefalck

[rwiederrich]

I'm impressed with the entirety of the image...not just your masterful work on the ship.....

 

Rob(I applaud you) 

[popeye the sailor]

so good to see more of your block and metal work Michael........fantastic job on the rigging  

[michael mott]

3 hours ago, druxey said:

Interesting arrangement, Michael. However, would the sharp turns of the laniard through the perforated plate (even though eased) lead to wear and premature failure?

Good point Druxey, so I shall make the plate as thick as the dead eye which will eliminate that concern, And as wefalck indicated the principle is one that is practiced by our Dutch friends. So long as the radius of the curve that the rope turns through then the stress on it would be no more than all the other locations that the lines and ropes pass through. My reason for making the change was to add a clean place to shackle the tack of the stay-sail and to help eliminate the rotation of the forestay which seemed to keep happening no matter what I did.

 

Thanks Rob

 

Denis, every day I realize that there is so much more to the rigging of even a single masted yacht, especially when there are moving parts to the standing rigging that is adjustable.  And this being a continual work in progress based on my own ideas, traditional working and some nice modern iterations of these yachts, it can sometimes be a little troublesome, doing and redoing but that aspect is really not a problem, but a process.

 

Michael

[wefalck]

Some sort of wooden bolsters left and right atop the holes might do the job. Isn't there any respective information on the prototype ?

[michael mott]

Spy, I have not got to the back stays yet. Thanks for the pictures. The reason i have not gone to the bottle screws is because I like the look of the dead eyes.

 

So in light of Druxey's comment and wefalck's comment about a wooden bolster,  It occurred to me that I needed a dead-bar to complement the dead eye.

Back to the drawing board. off with 'is 'ead then.

First a bit of Lignum Vitea for the dead-bar

 

 

Next a support for the dead -bar a bit of un-soldering and re-soldering after a lot of fettling the parts together.

 

 

final fitting and then a tight press fit of the lignum Vitea into the frame, and finishing and then bore out the holes and carve the easements at an angle.

 

Next smooth out the holes with a thin strip of Emery.

 

 

 

Then return it to the stem.

 

 

And re-thread the new dead bar

 

 

 

I think this will work, and Keep the consultants happy.

 

Michael

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2018 by michael mott
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[Mark Pearse]

nice resolution of the detail Michael; & thank you for the Cornubia video link - it's interesting how flat her wake is for such a large vessel 

 

Mark

[druxey]

Now, isn't that better? Looks great, Michael.

[Bedford]

33 minutes ago, Mark Pearse said:

nice resolution of the detail Michael; & thank you for the Cornubia video link - it's interesting how flat her wake is for such a large vessel 

 

Mark

Mark, it's interesting how the old boat builders knew how to make them that way but we don't today. The Waratah is the same, 160 tons, 33mtrs long and no wake to speak of. Granted she's going slow in these pics but she never makes much more wake