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


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 Beautiful rope, sir.   Just beautiful.  Not quite a 21-gun salute.... but it will do. :pirate41::dancetl6:

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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And I see your old mentor is still watching from the other bench.

 

Bob

Every build is a learning experience.

 

Current build:  SS_ Mariefred

 

Completed builds:  US Coast Guard Pequot   Friendship-sloop,  Schooner Lettie-G.-Howard,   Spray,   Grand-Banks-dory

                                                a gaff rigged yawl,  HOGA (YT-146),  Int'l Dragon Class II,   Two Edwardian Launches 

 

In the Gallery:   Catboat,   International-Dragon-Class,   Spray

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Yes Walter is keeping an eye on things.

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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Michael,

 

You should take a look at this guys log, if Walter let's you ... It's amazing - unfortunately in Polish, which I don't speak (do you?),  sometimes pictures say more than words ...

 

http://www.koga.net.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=26364&start=160

Carl

"Desperate affairs require desperate measures." Lord Nelson
Search and you might find a log ...

 

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Carl thanks for the link, neat stuff.

 

Sinan, thanks

 

Elia Glad you like the rope I have been practicing today.

 

I made some more rope today with the machine horizontal, both RH and LH .

 

post-202-0-76514100-1361230410_thumb.jpg

 

All made from embroidery thread

 

post-202-0-43603700-1361230408_thumb.jpg

 

The 3/8 rope is 3 strands

The 1/2 inch is 6 strands

The 1 inch is 12 strands

 

more pics of the rope walk mod on the tools thread.

 

Michael

 

 

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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Michael:  You have some serious  woodworking skills, this is one awesome! build.

Frank

completed build: Delta River Co. Riverboat     HMAT SUPPLY

                        

                         USRC "ALERT"

 

in progress: Red Dragon  (Chinese junk)

                      

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Frank thanks for you kind comment.

 

John, I have no Idea what I am going to use it for I just tried it out. What would left hand rope normally be used for?

 

Today I put the rope machine away so that I can concentrate on the boat. I drilled out the holes for the treenails and started to glue them in I decided to use the ordinary carpenters glue without colour.

 

post-202-0-68804800-1361395964_thumb.jpg

 

post-202-0-47967000-1361395961_thumb.jpg

 

A slow task but somebody has to do it ;), It is good to be building again.

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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Michael, left handed rope is obviously used for tying left handed knots! :D

 

Seriously, it used to be used for shrouds on larger ships and sometimes on small ships.  Strangely enough (if memory serves me) coir rope was often laid up left handed.

 

John

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John, Thanks for the info.

Sherry, that you for your kind words.

 

Today I took a break from the treenailing and had a bit of fun with some English Boxwood that I purchased in 1972 it was a small log billet about 24 inches long by about 3 inches in diameter.  Now I know why people use boxwood for model shipbuilding. What a lovely wood to work with.

 

post-202-0-10772900-1361606556_thumb.jpg

 

1) a small piece cut off the billet

post-202-0-77588200-1361606557_thumb.jpg

 

2) made a slot with a shortened zip bit that I ground the tip to cut like a fly cutter.

post-202-0-43662900-1361606559_thumb.jpg

post-202-0-99782400-1361606560_thumb.jpg

 

3) fretted out an oval with the jewelers saw

post-202-0-02565600-1361606563_thumb.jpg

 

4) machined up a sheave out of brass and pressure fitted it to the ball race and did some final shaping of the boxwood

post-202-0-71631800-1361606564_thumb.jpg

 

post-202-0-18190900-1361606566_thumb.jpg

5)assembled the sheave with a piece of 1/8th brass rod that is a press fit

 

post-202-0-74332400-1361606567_thumb.jpg

6) added some 1 inch diameter rope which is 1/8thinch  in 1 1/2 inch scale

 

post-202-0-26925400-1361606554_thumb.jpg

7) tomorrow I will figure out how to attach the blocks rope for attaching to the boom.

 

This was a lot of fun, all the blocks will be made this way. luckily it is not a fully rigged 3 master or I will be 100 before this "tub" gets finished.

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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SIGH ... ( a very long silence) ... That is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship you show on that block! You surprise me again, and again. I've been watching the pictures of that block silently for at least five minutes ................

Carl

"Desperate affairs require desperate measures." Lord Nelson
Search and you might find a log ...

 

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Thought I was looking at a full sized block until I saw it with your thumb.

Wonderful craftsmanship.

 

Bob

Every build is a learning experience.

 

Current build:  SS_ Mariefred

 

Completed builds:  US Coast Guard Pequot   Friendship-sloop,  Schooner Lettie-G.-Howard,   Spray,   Grand-Banks-dory

                                                a gaff rigged yawl,  HOGA (YT-146),  Int'l Dragon Class II,   Two Edwardian Launches 

 

In the Gallery:   Catboat,   International-Dragon-Class,   Spray

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Michael,

What a fantastic looking block.. and it works!  Wow.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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Karl, Bob, Druxey, Remco, John, and Mark, thanks for your kind words. the next step is much more difficult that I thought it would be. Making the loop of rope and then fitting it to the block.

 

This is the second attempt not any where near that way I would like it to look.

 

Any suggestions ?

 

post-202-0-77180400-1361658316_thumb.jpg

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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Great looking blocks!  I can't wait to see the rigging come together.  To me that when the ship starts really coming to life.  

 

 This reminds me in our ship modeling club they did a presentation on making blocks.  The guy giving it sanded them round and then threw them in a rock tumbler full of sand over night.  They came out rounded and smooth and he didn't have to do a lot of the work.  I thought it was an interesting idea.  

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Michael,

 

Stropped blocks usually had a thimble in the eye, and the strop around the thimble was usually served, as well.

 

Looking at your photo of the stropped block, it looks like the rope of the strop has become partially unlaid in the process, which is what's making it look odd.

 

John

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John you mean like this.

 

post-202-0-44110700-1361716762.jpg

 

I also did a better job on the splicing after revisiting the eye slice that Remco did.

 

post-202-0-15579800-1361716758.jpg

Longridge talks about passing the rope through a flame of a spirit lamp to get rid of the fluff, it is amazing what the camera sees that i can't.

 

I had fun with the 4 inch block it has a working sheave but I couldn't find my jar of miniature bearings so opted for a simple shaft through the brass.

 

post-202-0-51766200-1361716760.jpg

 

I will do a little more experimenting with the strops, once i get it all figured out I will be able to set up some jigs.

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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Take some distance, and you won't see the fluffy on your ropes ;) Looks 'A' ok. Eventhough the size might make it easier, it's still a wonderful job. 'specially the four inch block. During the time bearings weren't known, a pen with tallow was used for the sheave.

Carl

"Desperate affairs require desperate measures." Lord Nelson
Search and you might find a log ...

 

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Hi Michael,
I´d suggest the runner enter and leave the block from (and back to) that beautifully done guiding score, as your last picture with the 4 inch block shows well. That will keep the working rope from chafing at the block´s shoulder. Parcelling and serving the block-strop, as John wrote before, is necessary for extended durability against the strain by the running rope, at least in this layout.

By the way: didn´t these cutters at their time carry wooden-shelled, iron-stropped blocks with hooks or eye-bolts ? You used a modern roller-bearing at your first block, but stropped it in the old-fashioned way, with rope, splice and thimble. As far as I know blockmakers after 1875 switched to making blocks with steel strops inside, that carried the bolt of the iron sheave. They dropped oak or lignum vitae sheaves in hollowed, solid wooden blocks, and took to roller bearings, steel - or at least iron - pins and strops. The feet, the two shells and the shoulders were - and still are - made of hardwood, but the trailing load was on the metal parts : sheave, roller-bearing, bolt, inside metal-strop; and so it is in use to this day. This arrangemant gives the blocks a smooth look on the outside.
And while we're at it :
Its a delight to follow your thread !
Germanus

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Dida, Carl thanks for your compliments.

 

Germanus, thank you for your comments regarding the history of the block making. eventually I will get the different methods sorted out. When it comes to making an accurate model of a boat in a set time period, say 1600 or 1800 or 1900 then I hope to have the different methods and types clearly understood form my own building point of view.

 

The reason for trying out the bearing sheave was twofold to see if I could do it. also because this will be a working model I want to reduce the friction.

The next type of block will be one that has the metal strop on the outside. then I will try the type with the strop on the inside. I do have a billet of Lignum Vitea so I will also be experimenting with it.

 

As regards the groove that you mention the sheave is larger in diameter than the wood at the bottom so there is no contact with the wood by the running rope.

 

As the model will be representing a Classic Bristol Cutter that has been converted to be a pleasure craft and upgraded with the modern looking classic hardware, I can have some fun and play.  besides Mini Me is not as strong as I am and he wanted the blocks to be easy on his hands ;)

 

Just made some 1/8th inch scale rope diameter is .0148" inch which is close enough to .015"

 


post-202-0-97897500-1361729240.jpg

 

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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