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

[russ]

Ron:

I like the edge details on the thwarts. Very nice work. If there are imperfections, I cannot see them. 

 

Russ

 

 

[BETAQDAVE]

On 11/28/2013 at 7:48 PM, rlb said:

Holes are marked and drilled in the deck for the aft posts--

 

   I've been going through your build log for the last few nights and am impressed with your drive to make it as accurate as possible.  Not to many modelers will look at some feature, decide they can do it better and then take that one out and replace it with the new and improved version. I tend to do the same thing, so I know the feeling. 

    One thing that I noticed here is that the fore bits go through the main deck into the lower deck, but the aft bits are just pinned into the main deck.  Is this the way they are attached on the actual ships or is there something done that just isn't visible below decks?  If it was just pinned in place, it would appear that not much strain on the belayed lines could yank it right off the deck.

[rlb]

Dave, 

 

I've noticed the steady stream of likes going back in the log, thanks!

 

I think you've got me on the bits. You are probably right that they wouldn't just sit on the deck the way I am doing them.  I hadn't thought about that, except to pin them for holding resistance on the model.  I would love for this model to be accurate in all ways, but my knowledge and resources are not as complete as I would like them to be, or as it may look.  I'm constantly learning (which is one of the things I love about this hobby), and learning what I've done wrong!  Some things bubble up to the do-over status, some stay "I'll do it more accurately next time".  

Thanks for looking in and commenting.

 

Ron 

[BETAQDAVE]

On ‎4‎/‎13‎/‎2014 at 11:53 PM, aliluke said:

We all go through the lulls

        I know from experience what that is like.  I started like gangbusters on my Phantom, but gradually the interest started to wane.  A friend of mine requested I build a plastic whaling ship model of the Wanderer that I had sitting on my kit to build shelf for him for a change of pace.  That is working for me so far, especially as I make some drastic modifications to the kit, and even started a build log for it.  I would still be at it pretty heavy right now, if it wasn't for my elevator woes right now.  And while I'm waiting for parts of the whaler to dry, I often switch back to the Phantom for a bit of variety.

[rlb]

Dave, good luck with your builds, sounds like the variety helps.

 

I was looking through W E May's book The Boats of Men of War for some general guidance, and this illustration caught my eye.  Though this is for a different sailing rig, with two masts vs. my single mast, the way the mast steps were drawn made me doubt my version of the mast step.  This was more rectangular, which makes sense as it gives an area fore and aft to fasten the step to the floor/keel.  And on the thwart, I noticed the transition curve was concave (ironically more like my first version) rather than convex--

I also thought maybe my round step was a little too fancy.  A simple square mortice might be more practical, and that's the way the ship's mast steps are as well--

I will leave it this way until time to glue.  Leaves both options open as well.  I have a weakness for delaying decisions as long as possible!

 

Here's the correction to the mast thwart--

 

And here's the beginning of the ebony stain "soup".  Some rusty nails need to sit in vinegar for a while--

 

Ron

 

Edited December 11, 2018 by rlb

[Canute]

Ron, you might want to use 4 ought steel wool. It's go into solution faster than the nails. I use it as a wood stain on my models.

[rlb]

Thanks, Ken.

 

I agree, and I have used steel wool in the past.  But I have a tin can full of old nails from various home renovation projects, which I have saved for this specific purpose!

 

The concoction is brewing--

 

Mostly preparatory work happening.  Nothing being finished, but if I can consistently spend some time, it's all progress.

Thickness sanding some stock to use for the rudder--

 

Wrapping wire around a drill bit will become eye rings to go in the boat, and wherever else needed--

 

And cutting some brass sheet for the mast "keeper" and pintle and gudgeon ironwork--

 

Onward,

Ron

 

[rlb]

Modifications to the sternpost to accommodate the pintles and gudgeons--

 

Rough shaping of the rudder--

 

And after modifications for the pintles and gudgeons--

 

Silver soldering the two pintles--

 

The tiller is an iron rod with a ball shaped handle at the end.  For the ball I initially started shaping the corner of a hunk of brass--

 

Before long, I realized that maybe this was not the best way to do this.  I thought of an alternate idea of soldering a short section of brass tube at the end of the tiller brass rod--

 

It was easy then to shape it into a ball--

 

Here are the tiller, eyebolts, pintles and gudgeons, and the mast keeper, ready to be blackened--

 

The tiller--

 

Here is the rudder with all pieces attached--

 

 

And held next to the boat--

 

It can't actually be "shipped", though it is very close.  It doesn't matter, as the rudder will not be mounted, but will sit in the back of the boat, as it's lashed on deck.  I realize the pintles and gudgeons are a little over scaled, and I could do better if I scrapped them and tried again.  But I think this will have to do. 

 

Here is the boat with the thwarts, seats and bow platform glued in, as well as the eyebolts.  (Except the stern one, which went missing right when I had the epoxy mixed up-fortunately I later found it--it is there in between the rudder and mast steps.)  The mast step--type 1, round (which was miraculously also found) and type 2, square--is yet to be decided upon, and glued.  The gunwales are roughed out, they will be dyed black before installing--

 

 

Ron

 

[hamilton]

Amazing detail - and so clean at such a small scale! Can i ask what you're using for a blackening agent (Maybe you've noted this further back in the log so sorry for repeat....) - I used to use Blacken-it, but no one seems to carry it up here any more....someone said it had been discontinued....I have another product that does not do a very good job at all.....looking for something that actually works! 

 

Thanks for the update Ron

hamilton

[rlb]

Thanks, Hamilton.  I am using Blacken-it.  I am at the end of a bottle, and in anticipation of running out I got another 4 oz. bottle--but that was four years ago!  I have also considered trying Birchwood Casey Brass Black.

 

Ron

[rlb]

Staining the boat's gunwales, and the ship's deadeyes.

 

In the coffee cup is the Quebracho bark "tea".  In the small shallow bowl is the rusted-nails-in-vinegar solution (with bits of rust swimming in it).  The procedure is to soak the pieces to be stained in the bark tea, then paint them with the rusty nail liquid.  Here I have put the deadeyes on a paper towel after dumping them in the coffee cup and stirring them around for a minute--

 

 

I painted the bark tea on the boat gunwales with a q-tip--

 

With the deadeyes, I dumped them into the rusty nail solution, then fished them out and got a fresh bowl of solution to paint the gunwales with.  If the rusty solution gets contaminated with too much of the bark solution, it doesn't work well.

 

Here the gunwales are epoxied at the bow, and left to cure.  My plan is to incrementally epoxy them from bow to stern.  You can't seem much detail in the deadeyes, the ebony stain worked quite well--

 

Five oar blanks out of castello boxwood.  I'm wondering if I can really make some nice oars out of these--

 

I started by chucking one in a hand drill, and sanding it round, close to the diameter of the weighted part near the hand grips.  From there, I'm shaping it by hand with files and sandpaper.  I feel like this is going to snap at some point, as the diameter reduces--

 

This is going to take a while--

 

In between working on the oars, I'll be working on some other things for relief.  Probably the ship's lower masts, as they will help me in making the channels and chainplates.

 

Ron 

Edited December 17, 2018 by rlb

[rlb]

As usual, in making the oars, I have charged off, having an idea of what I'm doing, but not full knowledge.  And as with most things in the model, as I get into the task, and questions arise, I spend time hunting for answers, and learning.  I started by eye, from a few model photos (and particularly dangerously, memories of model photos), and a chart in May's book which listed a 13 or 14 foot oar (I don't understand the dual listing for all the oars in the chart) for a 20 foot cutter, which is what I have.  

 

Being somewhat dissatisfied with the progress on my little oar, I was able to find online an excerpt from David Steel's The Art of Making Masts, Yard, Gaffs, Boom, Blocks, and Oars, from 1797.  It gave dimensions for the various parts of the oar, which was a great help.  The smallest oar it listed was a 16 footer, but close enough.  I was able to fine tune my proportions.  Among other things, I squared off the loom portion (yes, I learned the proper term) to get it to a more correct dimension.  The blade became much narrower also.  It's still a bit too wide, maybe a hundredth of an inch or so.  And the handle should be thinner.

 

But I am stopping here in fear of breaking it.  Once I get a few more done, I may come back and fix those discrepancies, or maybe I will just bury this one in the bottom of the bundle when they are all stored in the cutter--

 

 

Observant folks will notice which mast step I decided upon.

 

Ron

Edited December 18, 2018 by rlb

[hamilton]

Beautiful work Ron - and thanks very much for the tip on Birchwood Casey brass black - I'll see if I can't source some....

hamilton

[rlb]

Thanks hamilton.    There is also a product called Jax Black.  I have not used either of them, so I don't know how well they work, but I have seen that others use them.  From a quick search, the Jax seems to only be available in larger sizes.

 

Thanks to all for the likes.

 

Five stages of oar making--

 

Ron

[rlb]

The oars are 95% done.  Some fine-tuning to the shoulders of some of the blades, and a little further reduction in the handle diameter will finish them for me.

 

The color variation is a little bothersome--they were all cut from Castello Boxwood, but a couple are as dark as the Pear.

 

The oar on the right was the first one, and it has a slightly smaller shaft diameter up near the loom, which I think is too small.  I made the others a little beefier--

 

Happy Holidays, all,

Ron

[russ]

Ron:

They look great. Very good work. A little color variation is fine. Call it character and feel good about it. 

 

Merry Christmas to you and yours. 

 

Russ

 

 

 

[rlb]

Thank you, Russ.  I do feel good about the oars.  I was dreading them, but as is usually the case, once you get started, the rest follows.

 

Not much happening since Christmas, but I'll start the new year off with a post.

 

I had to remove the partially epoxied gunwales.  The curve of them wasn't an exact match to the hull, and I thought I could bend them as I glued them incrementally.  No go, there was too much curvature at the aft end.  The pencil line shows the actual curve taken off the model, compared to my piece--

 

It doesn't seem like much, but as it's curving against the wider dimension, the force was too difficult for me to deal with.  So, I submerged the removed wale in heated water, and edge bent it carefully with my fingers, heat-bend, heat-bend, numerous times, checking against the boat, until the curve was good, and I could glue them all in one shot without forcing any bends.

 

Next was shaping a breast hook and two stern hooks (?)--

 

These were blackened, along with a deadeye that missed out when it was his brothers' turn--

 

They are now glued, with the gunwales--

 

 

Finally, the splash boards are being fitted, and glued--

 

Happy New Year all!

 

Ron

[Martin W]

Terrific work, Ron.  I can only admire your nerves of steel in getting those oar shafts down so thinly.

 

I also have to envy the quality of your photographs -- their clarity really does bring out the fine details of your work.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[rlb]

Thanks Martin, and to all for the likes.

 

Amazing how time flies by.  I am still working, though at a snails pace for the last couple months.

 

Here's a little bit on how I am making the splash boards:

 

First a blank piece, slightly curved (by bending with my fingers, no additional heat needed) to match the gunwale--

 

Next, a groove is cut in a piece of square stock--

 

This groove is widened a bit with a file--

 

And cut into short sections--

 

These are glued to the ends of the splash board (which has been "pointed" on the ends with a file, to fit the grooved pieces--

 

The end "supports" are oversized (only to make them easier to handle) and need to be filed and sanded down to size--

 

The assembly needs to be very slightly sanded on the bottom to match the slight sheer of the gunwale.  Once they are all glued on, I will sand them all down to the right height (as attached they are too tall).

 

The last two boards are more curved, so they are boiled and bent to the original plug--

 

These two now need end supports on the forward ends.  As with the other splash boards they will be sanded down to the right height once glued on--

 

The little boat is slowly getting there!  How long has it taken me to build this?  Three years?!

 

Ron 

Edited March 6, 2019 by rlb

[Ebomba]

three years but it has to be one of the best I have seen, keep up the excellent work I can only dream of someday creating something that good

 

Ed

[Captain Poison]

I am following the construction process and it is really very good, where did you get Quebracho wood?

Since it is a tree originating in South America (Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia)
The wood is very high density and from there comes its name.. Quebracho/quiebrahacha/axe-breaker..

[rlb]

Thanks, Ed!

 

Captain Poison-

Thanks for the info and translation of the Quebracho tree!  I knew it was from South America, but not much more than that.  What I have is a plastic bag of powdered bark from the tree.  I learned of it's use from a woodworking magazine article on ebonizing wood.  I don't remember where I purchased it from, but found it from an internet search.   There is probably at least a pound of it in the bag (the bag was shipped in a 5 inch x 5 inch cardboard box), enough to last a lifetime and more of model making, as I only need a teaspoon at a time!

 

Ron

Edited March 6, 2019 by rlb

[ASAT]

Ron, meticulous craftsmanship as always, it’s been so long since we have seen Oneida, could you take a full shot of her and post it just to refresh the memory please? Really amazing build!!

[Sea Hoss]

Amazing, this is crazy cool!

[Captain Poison]

There are two kinds of quebracho, white and red.. It is a wood much appreciated for the construction of furniture, which will last for hundreds of years. Also the red is used to make the railroad sleepers. Watch out for the red powder as it is very toxic.. The bark of white quebracho is used as medicine. There are many species of trees in South America that are beneficial to health, we know for centuries thanks to the indigenous population.

When the Spaniards arrived in South America and discovered the quebracho they took tons of this wood because they used it for different parts of construction of ships, especially the keel.. In Europe they used another kind of wood that left it submerged for years (in some cases 100 years), with the Quebracho reduced the wait.

Edited March 6, 2019 by Captain Poison

[rlb]

Captain Poison,

 

Thank you for the additional information!   The Quebracho table is beautiful, the wood has a very rich color.  You prompted me to do some more research, and I must correct some of my information.

 

I do not think that the powder I have is from the bark of the tree.  It is a water soluble extract made from boiling chips of the red heartwood of the tree, which contains the desired tannins.  At the taxidermy supply retailer I purchased it from, it is called "Bark Tan", which led me to the wrong conclusion.  It seems to be used most commonly in this form to dye leather.  As pointed out by Captain Poison, and apparent from the label on the box, it's to be used with care.  Here is a photo of the label, and the bag of Quebracho Extract--

 

 

Lou,

I am only too happy to oblige!  Here is an overall photo of Oneida (sorry for the dark lighting, a daytime shot would probably be nicer)--

 

And a closer view with the unfinished boat in it's stowed (proper term?) location--

 

Ron

Edited March 7, 2019 by rlb

[rlb]

Another New Year, another New Year's Resolution (among others).

 

I moved last year.  Here's my new workshop--I don't need to use the dining room table anymore--

 

I finished the splash boards on the ship's boat, and put pins in the deck support pieces--

 

If you are very observant you will notice only 4 oars, but 5 rowing locations.  Somehow I lost an oar in the move to my new house!!!!!!!!   I can't believe it.  I'm not sure whether I will make a replacement oar. (but should, and probably will)

 

Drilled the corresponding holes on the deck for the boat supports-

And here they are glued in place--

The boat in place--

 

Next will be placing the tie-downs for the boat.

 

I vow to continue working on this model longer than I did last year!  

 

Ron

Edited January 8, 2020 by rlb

[Bossman]

Absolutely beautiful Ron!

[Martin W]

Nice work, Ron.  I always admire the clean lines you're able to get on your work.

 

And congratulations on your move:  if the only thing you've lost is the one oar, then you should be relieved.  Of course you'll never know what you've lost until you can't find it.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Jim Lad]

She really looks first class, Ron.

 

John