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US Brig Oneida 1809 by rlb - The Lumberyard - 1:48 scale - POF - Lake Ontario Warship


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Beautiful work Ron! Great idea on those cleats! That looks so good all assembled.

 

For softening PVA, I seem to get it free very quickly with denatured alcohol, usually in minutes. 
JJ

Current Builds: HMS Winchelsea 1764 1:48 - 5th rate 32 gun frigate (on hold for now)

 

                         HMS Portland 1770 Prototype 1:48 - 4th rate 50 gun ship

 

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Thanks Toni!   Nice to know folks read the text as well as look at the pictures!

 

Aahh, JJ, thanks so much for that info!!  I didn't know there was a difference between isopropyl and denatured alcohol.  Now I do, and I'll get some.

 

Ron

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2 hours ago, rlb said:

Thanks Toni!   Nice to know folks read the text as well as look at the pictures!

 

Aahh, JJ, thanks so much for that info!!  I didn't know there was a difference between isopropyl and denatured alcohol.  Now I do, and I'll get some.

 

Ron

Ron, I’m not entirely sure on the difference but I think isopropyl is used in small quantities to “denature” pure ethanol.

all I know is that it doesn’t take hours to soften titebond. Hope it helps.

JJ

Current Builds: HMS Winchelsea 1764 1:48 - 5th rate 32 gun frigate (on hold for now)

 

                         HMS Portland 1770 Prototype 1:48 - 4th rate 50 gun ship

 

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I determined that I needed to redo eight of the cleats.   If I were a perfectionist, I would have had to do more (strike that, if I were a perfectionist, I would have to redo them all--for reasons to be noted later).  There were a few that were barely passable, to my standards.  So eight is enough--

Oneida20230331A.JPG.0fb9d887049c8a7ccff7e76cd84fc110.JPG

 

The eight were made with an extended 'big' end.  After gluing these in place, work was begun infilling the rim with chocks.  Time consuming little pieces--a different angle at each end, and the front ones had to be filed with a curve on the inside, with the outside to be sanded down after all the chocks are glued in.

The top on the right has had all chocks installed, the one on the left is in progress.  And here are the tools used for them (actually there were a couple additional files, and a disc sander used to fine tune the angles)--

Oneida20230331B.JPG.6b44cf2756c2f86d81526845cf494be2.JPG

 

After gluing in all the chocks, the sides and back were sanded to even out the projecting cleats, and the front sanded to finalize the curve.  Then the top was sanded flat to even out and reduce the height of the rim.   Something to note: the three chocks on each side of the top are wider, to accommodate the shroud futtock plates that will be mortised through them.  They actually overhang a tiny bit on the inside of the rim beneath (which is how Petrejus shows it)--

Oneida20230331C.JPG.0e1a336a0234a2290542f70fd41f28b6.JPG

 

And now the reason all the cleats should be redone:  the break from the flat top of the cleat (embedded in the chocks) to the slope should start where it leaves the chock.  Only a few here and there actually ended up breaking at the right spot.  AND the break should have led to a more gradual reduction in thickness.  I will do some cutting and filing to address the break points, but the slope still won't be quite right. Oh well, I'm pleased with the outcome (though they're not finished yet!)--

Oneida20230331D.JPG.3fb5e6c46aad4098e8533394a9c38020.JPG

 

Seventy some pieces of wood in each of these.

 

Ron

 

 

Edited by rlb
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Ron - 

 

Really nicely done and fitted.

I applaud your striving for perfection, even where no one but you will ever notice.

 

Be well

 

Dan

Current build -SS Mayaguez (c.1975) scale 1/16" = 1' (1:192) by Dan Pariser

 

Prior scratch builds - Royal yacht Henrietta, USS Monitor, USS Maine, HMS Pelican, SS America, SS Rex, SS Uruguay, Viking knarr, Gokstad ship, Thames River Skiff , USS OneidaSwan 42 racing yacht  Queen Anne's Revenge (1710) SS Andrea Doria (1952), SS Michelangelo (1962) , Queen Anne's Revenge (2nd model) USS/SS Leviathan (1914),  James B Colgate (1892),  POW bone model (circa 1800) restoration

 

Prior kit builds - AL Dallas, Mamoli Bounty. Bluejacket America, North River Diligence, Airfix Sovereign of the Seas

 

"Take big bites.  Moderation is for monks."  Robert A. Heinlein

 

 

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Thanks Dan, and thanks for looking in.

 

With the tops basically formed, I set about making the cross trees and trestle trees.  After the complexity of the tops, they were pretty straightforward.  The main and fore set do need to be slightly different, as the dimensions of the fore mast are very slightly less than the main mast.  Here the main mast trestle and cross trees are temporarily assembled.  There will need to be some adjustments to the length of the pieces--Oneida20230401A.JPG.ee4389838cf7b2a0e0d3662d7bfb5ef9.JPG

 

The main top assembly was then checked on the main mast to make sure the trestle tree spacing fit the mast.  The mast top was measured before the notches were cut into the cross trees--

Oneida20230401C.JPG.c498f9821158ba05f3321c429b295f6d.JPG

Oneida20230401B.JPG.61003598f47472775d91a5faafc513f8.JPG

 

The foretop assembly will be checked as well.  You may notice that I worked on the top cleats.  The break of the slope is better when the cleats leave the rim.

 

I am working backwards from the tops, to the trestle/cross trees, to the mast.  The bibs will be made and shaped soon.  All is still in progress.  The shroud futtock plate holes need to be mortised into the tops, as well as some other rigging preparations.  Bolsters need to be added to the trestle trees, and refinements need to be made to the masthead above the top.  

 

On most ships there is a railing on the aft end of the top.  I am omitting it, based on the US Brig Jefferson model by Glenn Greico, which is a similar Great Lakes ship from the same time period.  

 

Ron

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Thanks Joe!

 

More unanticipated issues!  I had to redo the trestle trees.  If you look at this photo from my previous post, notice the location of the aft cross tree.

Oneida20230401A.JPG.6100fb9e735937ee05198a23b503bce8.JPG

 

There is a slight gap between it and the aft opening of the floor, whereas the forward cross tree is just about even with the forward opening of the floor.  Look also at this photo of my previous post--

Oneida20230401B.JPG.ed5136a012af39682e4a5f3b1abb54f9.JPG

 

This is exactly how Petrejus shows it.  However as I began test fitting the bolsters on the trestle trees, and blanks for the topmasts, I began to realize that it wasn't going to work.  There simply wasn't enough room between the cross trees for the mast and topmast to fit correctly, and the bolster to be in the right position on the mainmast.  I thought at first this might be due to the substantial rake of the mast.  But Petrejus' Irene is raked also.  Ahhh, I realized my error.  I had scaled the top down, based on Chapelle's drawing, and the photos of the Jefferson model, whose tops, though I don't have measurements, looked by eye to be slightly on the smaller side.  My mistake was in also scaling down the cross tree spacing.  I had previously been puzzled that the Petrejus' trestle trees seemed too close together for the mast to fit through, and I had adjusted them for my masts.  This should have tipped me off, but I didn't change the cross tree spacing at that time.  Fortunately, the trestle trees were easy to remake, and I could reuse the cross trees.  Here is the new arrangement--

Oneida20230403A.JPG.e40bbc806a3db04e0ced456e87bf4a96.JPG 

 

Testing this with the mast, bolsters and topmasts, I think this will work.   I could now move on to the hounds/bibs.  Blanks are cut and the joints cut.  These need to be thinner than the trestle trees, but I used the same stock, as I don't have any thinner at the moment.   Rather than sand it thinner now (actually it also needs a slight taper), I'm going to assemble them, and then do the final sanding to thickness--

Oneida20230403B.JPG.7640e4d2607e310411f68d6ae90e0c9f.JPG

Oneida20230403C.JPG.c18f9dc09f1b2139da2ac0c5cb52bc04.JPG

 

Petrejus says that all tops should be parallel with the load water line, though, curiously, Chapelle's drawing shows the tops not at all parallel to the waterline, and not quite perpendicular to the mast--somewhere oddly in between.  I cut the hounds parallel to the waterline and did some rough shaping, testing it against the mast.  Here it is clothes pinned to the mast, and supporting the trestle trees and top, with my template for the rake--

Oneida20230403D.JPG.d5b4df273d7457d804afe2bd60bc0345.JPG

 

The top looks very slightly pitched back, but I think it's actually due to my camera not being exactly level.  That also makes the rake look just a bit more than it really is-

Oneida20230403E.JPG.98f0c98a6d821f6a8479aa95f3620aec.JPG

Oneida20230403F.JPG.ed138d91f893843f06e157ca7317b9b5.JPG

 

Satisfied, I now have a pattern to roughly shape the other pieces.  The rake of the fore mast is less, so that top angle on the hounds will be different--

Oneida20230403G.JPG.3922163f8b5468316bed1d5ee80ec125.JPG

 

The others will be roughly shaped, tested, and then the contours finalized, along with sanding them to the correct thickness.

 

Ron 

 

 

 

Edited by rlb
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In over 15 years, I may never have made a post with only one photo.  Here it is, the current state of the mast work--

Oneida20230405A.JPG.30c5bc7b3fc920fc66edaccdf8d1a090.JPG

 

The hounds/bibs have been shaped and glued onto the masts.  The trestle/cross trees are not glued.  Chamfers and tenons have been cut into the mast tops.  The small loose pieces are the bolsters which will be glued to the trestle trees, and the two pieces at the top are the topmast blanks.

 

I have neglected the carronade tackle blocks, and will have to buckle down and put some time in to get caught up to my one set a day goal.

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JJ, the mast work is all Swiss Pear.  Parts of it will be stained black.   Most of the model is Swiss Pear.  The Carronade carriages are Castello Boxwood.  The decking is Maple.  The few carvings and and the head rails are Castello.  I have been applying a Tung Oil finish, which seems to take some of the pink out of the Pear.  All the wood looks almost the same color in the photos.  In person the difference is more discernable, but it is not pronounced.  Over the years the Castello and Maple have oxidized, and with the Tung Oil finish, they're not far off from the Pear.

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Your choices of wood look great Ron, I’m really enjoying how it all looks together and I’m sure it’s even better in person. It’s amazing how things can look different in person as opposed to a photo, I’ve certainly noticed it with my model as well. 

Current Builds: HMS Winchelsea 1764 1:48 - 5th rate 32 gun frigate (on hold for now)

 

                         HMS Portland 1770 Prototype 1:48 - 4th rate 50 gun ship

 

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Thanks, JJ.

 

After a couple of tests with different numbers of threads, I was able to make a cable of the right size for Oneida's larger anchors--

Oneida20230408A.JPG.5cfe6101c9ee9faa9ba67da090d9afec.JPG

 

Oneida20230408D.JPG.0a39bcbcbf21c58b9d5b2effd29979f7.JPG

 

Oneida20230408B.JPG.7430df495dedd170c6810d2b75834ff8.JPG

 

Oneida20230408C.JPG.9c8d33052f39f481570810cbc74cb1d0.JPG

 

The anchors won't be attached until near the end, but I wanted to get the cable on board before getting heavy into the rigging, and access to the deck becomes more difficult.

 

Ron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Back to the masts:

 

The fore topmast is shaped--  

Oneida20230502B.JPG.e38ee9b1344ddf07269784516bf32c88.JPG

 

The main topmast will be identical--

Oneida20230502A.JPG.6330fb2dbd72580a32d8f6607a11715a.JPG

 

I have made a few more pairs of carronade tackle blocks.  I'm more than half done now, and getting a little better/faster at it, but I still don't enjoy it!

 

Ron

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  • 7 months later...

Here we are with 2023 almost done, and I have finally felt like working on Oneida again.

 

Continuing with the main topmast (which is identical to the fore topmast), I roughly marked the various transition locations, and began roughing out the shape with a file--

Oneida20231216A.JPG.b014acc9077648258e0a67f7ecdcbbc6.JPG

 

With the top reduced to the correct dimensions (minus some chamfering which will come at the end) I began filing the taper into the main part of the topmast--

Oneida20231216B.JPG.d06646bb921eedd83565c36657de051e.JPG

 

Once the taper along the topmast was correct, I then filed the corners, turning this section into an octagon--

Oneida20231216C.JPG.85b471f7227456fe2f22d197f925d0c5.JPG

Oneida20231216D.JPG.e74ed4b7d533ca7d26e29e55ed39e8cf.JPG

 

At this point I filed the eight edges of the octagon on the center section of the topmast, masked off the upper and lower areas for protection, and began sanding that central part round--

Oneida20231216E.JPG.16ec7c73a3f26aec4ace66f57bb330d6.JPG

 

Hopefully more updates soon!

 

Ron

 

 

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Looking great Ron.  Just curious, what type of wood you are using for the spars. It seems to hold edges very nicely and color is good too.

 

 

 

Able bodied seaman, subject to the requirements of the service.

"I may very well sink, but I'm damned if I'll Strike!" JPJ

 

My Pacific Northwest Discovery Series:

On the slipways in the lumberyard

Union, 1792 - 1:48 scale - POF Scratch build

18th Century Longboat - circa 1790 as used in the PNW fur trade - FINISHED

 

Future Builds (Wish List)

Columbia Redidiva, 1787

HM Armed Tender Chatham, 1788

HMS Discovery, 1789 Captain Vancouver

Santiago, 1775 - Spanish Frigate of Explorer Bruno de Hezeta

Lady Washington, 1787 - Original Sloop Rig

 

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Thanks JJ and Dowmer.  The wood is Swiss Pear.

 

Filing the tricky tapered octagon at the top of the topmasts-

Oneida20231221A.JPG.ffa5603b067bf550d0a1967dd7851cfa.JPG

 

All that's left at this point is making the hole for a sheave near the base--

Oneida20231221B.JPG.5fea5b20c1322118d7faf914beebef4d.JPG

 

And, pretty much done on the two topmasts--

Oneida20231221C.JPG.90a828e71491cbbb01c04c1c07452026.JPG

 

Next will be the mast caps, and then I'll be able to set the masts, tops, and topmasts up (temporarily) on the model!

 

Ron

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Great work on the topmasts!

hamilton

current builds: Corel HMS Bellona (1780); Admiralty models Echo cross-section (semi-scratch)
 
previous builds: MS Phantom (scuttled, 2017); MS Sultana (1767); Corel Brittany Sloop (scuttled, 2022); MS Kate Cory; MS Armed Virginia Sloop (in need of a refit); Corel Flattie; Mamoli Gretel; Amati Bluenose (1921) (scuttled, 2023); AL San Francisco (destroyed by land krakens [i.e., cats]); Corel Toulonnaise (1823); 
MS Glad Tidings (1937) (in need of a refit)HMS Blandford (1719) from Corel HMS GreyhoundFair Rosamund (1832) from OcCre Dos Amigos (missing in action); Amati Hannah (ship in a bottle); Mamoli America (1851)Bluenose fishing schooner (1921) (scratch); Off-Centre Sailing Skiff (scratch)
 
under the bench: MS Emma C Barry; MS USS Constitution; MS Flying Fish; Corel Berlin; a wood supplier Colonial Schooner Hannah; Victory Models H.M.S. Fly; CAF Models HMS Granado; MS USS Confederacy

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Thanks Hamilton and all who hit the like button.

 

Two blanks for the mast caps--

Oneida20231228A.JPG.175d1162615e21a7ad050d422294f1c2.JPG

 

A few tries later, I got two good ones.  The problems were various--inaccurate spacing of the holes, holes being filed out too big, or out of round--

Oneida20231228B.JPG.fcd0998b479df8be91527688cd41e95e.JPG

 

Here are the masts and topmasts temporarily on the ship--

Oneida20231228D.JPG.9c9357ef35dd5846a1a509bffb3632c9.JPG

 

And disassembled again.  I have temporary fids made from a toothpick, I'll make a couple from brass.  To the right are two blanks for the topgallant masts--

Oneida20231228C.JPG.a4e8e2db914af7069b7ea64377e0ba34.JPG  

 

All for now.

Ron

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Posted (edited)

Happy New Year!  Thanks CiscoH and jereramy, and those liking and looking in.

 

To replace my toothpick topmast fids, I filed a pair from brass--

Oneida20240108A.JPG.0dabc1d12584801261ca5410b7c18b4a.JPG

Oneida20240108B.JPG.8b47173ec96fdc70a1049052276f6ea6.JPG 

Oneida20240108C.JPG.ab9fc388676612cb0ee812036becb946.JPG

 

Next these were blackened, along with some eyebolts, ringbolts, and four hooks that I need to finish the carronade tackle blocks--

Oneida20240108D.JPG.24fc58ebf4353f1ac60a65266b75f53c.JPG

 

Next task is the topmast crosstrees, following the illustration in Petrejus' book "Irene"--

Oneida20240108E.JPG.836b227115555e4ec7d0b5e4bcbe5123.JPG

 

I glued six blanks together so I could do the rough shaping for all of them at once--

Oneida20240108F.JPG.146e020d7a27e5f3a4d454b9c15e5629.JPG

Oneida20240108G.JPG.8ab1328d365716dd495a14730eaf4749.JPG

Oneida20240108H.JPG.36522fb8e47013c5ee495607ad833be7.JPG

Oneida20240108I.JPG.0037130ba0eef31886c0feaa42860d94.JPG

Oneida20240108J.JPG.f67bda32e103fdd250c6ae36c5c010af.JPG

 

When I was satisfied that the rough shape was close, the block was given an isopropyl alcohol soak to separate the pieces--

Oneida20240108K.JPG.1fc5aff0417b66444dee6bbc1d04aff9.JPG

 

I notice some irregularities, mostly the right side end is a little "bulbous", and they look just a bit chunky to me, but there is still a lot of work to do on these: drilling holes in the ends, notching for the trestle pieces, tapering the underside, and refining the overall thickness and curves--

Oneida20240108L.JPG.556b808053f2db2c0be8cb44d80b0806.JPG

 

All for now,

Ron

Edited by rlb
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On 1/8/2024 at 5:36 PM, rlb said:

When I was satisfied that the rough shape was close, the block was given an isopropyl alcohol soak to separate the pieces

That's just so clever in all it's simplicity. I really need to buy me a bottle of iso to have when I run in to similar issues/challenges.

 

Keep it up!

Happy modelling!

Håkan

__________________________________________

 

Current build: Atlantica by Wintergreen

Previous builds

Kågen by Wintergreen

Regina by Wintergreen

Sea of Galilee boat, first century, sort of...

Billing Boats Wasa

Gallery:

Kågen (Cog, kaeg) by Wintergreen - 1:30Billing Boats Regina - 1:30Billing Boats Dana

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Thanks bigcreekdad and Håkan.

 

I have used that technique often, anytime I need a number of identical parts that have some kind of non-square shape, such as cleats, or even the anchor stock planking of the wales.  They are glued together with a bare minimum dab of white (PVA) glue, as the iso alcohol does take time to do soften the glue.   In fact, hot water works better for that.   A few posts back, JJ (scrubbyj427) suggested that denatured alcohol works much faster than iso, and I will be trying that soon, since I need to redo the crosstrees!   

 

Ron

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17 hours ago, rlb said:

I need to redo the crosstrees!

Ouch. Another one of those "practise makes perfect" situations Ron?

Happy modelling!

Håkan

__________________________________________

 

Current build: Atlantica by Wintergreen

Previous builds

Kågen by Wintergreen

Regina by Wintergreen

Sea of Galilee boat, first century, sort of...

Billing Boats Wasa

Gallery:

Kågen (Cog, kaeg) by Wintergreen - 1:30Billing Boats Regina - 1:30Billing Boats Dana

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Yes, Håkan, more practice!!

 

I had cut out the trestle trees, and glued the crosstrees down to a piece of paper, to "hold' them while I filed the tapered undersides.   But a nagging feeling that they were too big wouldn't go away.  After holding the topmast close to them, I was pretty sure of it.   I looked at some photos of other models and then got out Lee's "Masting and Rigging", and calculated the length of the crosstrees according to that source.   Sure enough, it appeared that I had made them about 50% too long.   While I love Petrejus' book, this is the second time I've gotten burned using his illustrations without checking the scale accuracy.   Although the caption for the crosstree illustration read "full size" (meaning full scale size), it was actually quite a bit larger.

 

Here are the new crosstrees, roughly shaped, compared to the previous ones--

Oneida20240113A.JPG.f8d824fbc9d27d27054c0def541326e5.JPG

 

I glued them down and tapered the undersides--

Oneida20240113B.JPG.48f639e01a23453acdd7ab8627b4f0b0.JPG

 

I cut out new trestle trees, and here they are along with the crosstrees, and a wrong sized trestle tree and crosstree--

Oneida20240113C.JPG.ff85db711c05329d18d40c0365f93563.JPG

 

The crosstrees need some more work, generally narrowing the depth and breadth a bit, and cutting notches for the trestle trees.  The trestle trees need deeper notches, and some further shaping, then I'll try assembling them and see how they look on the topmasts.

 

Ron  

 

 

Edited by rlb
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Off by 50%?! 

That IS a bit steep, even for my liking.

Guess it is always good practise to cross-reference cross trees 😉 and other parts also of course.

 

Keep it up!

Happy modelling!

Håkan

__________________________________________

 

Current build: Atlantica by Wintergreen

Previous builds

Kågen by Wintergreen

Regina by Wintergreen

Sea of Galilee boat, first century, sort of...

Billing Boats Wasa

Gallery:

Kågen (Cog, kaeg) by Wintergreen - 1:30Billing Boats Regina - 1:30Billing Boats Dana

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