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

[Dowmer]

Ron, the suspending pattern method you would stand the anchor "on end". Instead of flat. Pour to fill up to the cone top then cut it open half way and retrieve the anchor. That might work better. 

[rlb]

I see what you mean.  If it were a pattern with some width, like a cannon, I could see that working, but the target here for cutting the rubber in half is about 1/32nd of an inch, and I've got the interior curve of the arms of the flutes to cut into also.  The anchor is only 1/16th (maybe slightly more) of an inch thick.

 

I do appreciate your thoughts on the matter.

 

Ron

[rlb]

After my mishap with the anchor casting mold, work continues on the channels.  I ordered some casting mold clay from Micro-mark on Apr 11th, but the order has not been filled yet, so I assume the coronavirus restrictions have that on hold.

 

 I measured the various channel pieces needed, and cut them out--

 

Holes drilled and wire inserted to make pins for temporary and permanent holding--

 

Holes were marked and drilled on the hull--

 

And the channels temporarily installed for marking the deadeye chainplates--

 

The second (aft) piece ended up a little too far aft, so it needs to be repositioned a bit.

 

At this point I became aware of a discrepancy between Chapelle's hull and sail plans.  I had been making my channels as shown on his hull plan, which is better drawn and more detailed.   For some unknown reason I took a look at the sail plan.

 

Here is a closeup of the hull plan, showing the mainmast channels (ignore the pencil circles from when I was working out the locations of the deck scuppers)--

 

He shows the main shroud deadeyes, and the topmast backstay deadeyes, but something is missing, that I might have noticed had I rigged a ship before.  

 

Here is the same view of the sail plan--

 

He locates the topgallant backstays on longer channels.  Same thing with the foremast.  So these two sections of channel (four counting the port side) that I have cut need to be remade.  (I just noticed on this drawing he omitted a main shroud set of chainplate links!)

 

Ron 

 

Edited April 15, 2020 by rlb

[rlb]

After cutting new channels to accommodate the topgallant backstays, here they are test fit to the hull.  On the foremast, the last channel, which accommodates the topmast backstays and topgallant backstays, is narrower.  I saw this detail on Glenn Greico's Jefferson model.  I was less sure what to do on the second channel for the mainmast, which has a foremast shroud, the topmast backstays, and the topgallant backstays.  In the end, I decided to notch it back, rather than taper it, reasoning that that way, the chainplate links for the topmast backstay deadeyes would be more consistent, and the deadeyes themselves would be straight in a row, parallel to the rail.   Perhaps a wrong guess there, but Glenn's photos didn't show a similar situation! 

 

Here they are test fit--

 

Next I made card templates to set the mast rake angles.  The bottom edge goes on deck, or at least parallel to it if there are hatches in the way.  The left edge is the rake of the mast--

 

My foremast was right on, so I attached a string at the height of the platform--

 

Then I marked the location and angle of the preventer plates on the wale--

When I got to the narrower channel with the topmast deadeyes, I realized I couldn't mark the chainplate links.  Those angles need to come from the crosstrees of the topmast!   So more mast building needs to happen, or at least something rigged up to the correct location to run a string.

 

I then checked the rake of the mainmast, and was surprised to see how far off it was.  I double checked the template, because it seems like a big difference--

 

I'll need to work on the mast partner piece, as it's a snug fit to the present angle of the mast with not that much play.   I may be able to file it to work, if not I'll need a new one of those.

 

Ron

 

 

Edited April 18, 2020 by rlb

[rlb]

I was able to file the main mast partner piece to allow a greater rake, however, the mast step did not allow the heel tenon to slide forward enough.

 

Happy that I hadn't glued it in place, I was able to retrieve the mast step from inside the hull--

 

And I extended the tenon slot forward.  I also had to shorten the dimension of the mast tenon to allow even more forward play--

 

There is a deck stanchion that the mast step butts up against, which constrained the mast step, and even the heel of the mast.  You can see where I also had to file a bit of the heel flat, so it didn't project forward of the edge of the mast step--

 

This done, I could reinsert the step (where I think it will remain unglued)--

 

And check the rake.  Pretty close--

 

I used a different technique to sight the rake against the template, in which I put the template parallel to the mast but a bit offset.  This way I had room on the deck to put the bottom edge flat.  I think this is more accurate than what I was doing before in trying to hold the template right on the mast, and then having to angle the template around obstructions, or on top of deck hatches.  I rechecked the fore mast using this technique and found I had to increase the rake a little bit.  Fortunately there was enough play in the mast step to easily allow the adjustment--

 

 

Ron 

 

Edited April 20, 2020 by rlb

[Ebomba]

Nice fix, as always great workmanship

 

Best,

 

Ed

[Martin W]

Nice fix indeed.  I'd worry, though, about offsetting your template, since that could set you up for a parallax effect.

 

It's just me worrying.

 

Martin

[rlb]

Thanks Ed!

 

Martin, your worry made me double check my method.  I checked the masts again.  I think it works as long as the template is absolutely vertical and parallel with the mast, and your eye is perpendicular.   You can shift your view angle to left or right, and the alignment angle remains constant.

 

Ron 

[rlb]

During the past week I received my Sulphur-free clay, so I was ready to try again with my anchor casting mold.

 

As before, I made a cardboard box, formed the clay around the anchor, placed wire vents and formed a clay pour head--

 

Painted the mold release liquid over all the interior surfaces, mixed and poured the silicone mold material over it--

 

And when I peeled away the cardboard, it seemed I had a good first half of the mold.  At least better than my goopy first attempt!--

 

After building another box around the silicone half, placing the anchor and wire molds, another clay head cone, and another painting of the mold release liquid, I was ready for the second silicone pour--

 

And after peeling away the second cardboard box, I had this--

 

Which separated into the two halves of the mold, which I can only hope are okay--

 

I did some minor surgery with a knife on the silicone at the air vent location on the palm tips, to make sure there was airflow (tested by blowing into the central cone with the halves held together--I could feel air on my cheeks from the two vent lines), I talcum powdered the mold--

 

And taped it together (I can't find any rubber bands, which the directions show-I will have to buy some)--

 

It's ready for the metal pour, which will have to wait until tomorrow.  I've had my pre-dinner cocktail, and I'm done with serious work for today.

 

Ron 

 

Edited April 25, 2020 by rlb

[Dowmer]

Nice Ron, glad it worked out..........I second the cocktail too 😀

[captain_hook]

Wow! I might try casting myself. Very nice results! Now I‘m curious about the final ones.

Edited April 26, 2020 by captain_hook

[rlb]

Thanks Dowmer, and captain_hook!

 

As soon as I got my coffee this morning, I started setting up on the kitchen stove to cast the anchor.  I heated the mold at 175 F degrees in the oven, while I waited for the metal to melt in the crucible on the stovetop.  When it looked ready, I took the mold out of the oven, set it on the counter (with a sheet of shopping bag paper for protection) and poured--"Don't pour too slowly--be intentional!"--I was advised.  As I practically dumped the metal in, it quickly spilled out over the top.  No metal emerged from the two air holes though, so I was worried that the metal didn't fully fill the mold.  I waited a while until the spilled metal was just warm to the touch, and then I opened the mold--

 

Sorry for the blurry images.   I took these without a tripod, so depth of field was very shallow.   But success!!   It looks good--

 

Bringing it back upstairs to my workshop, I could give it a closer look--

 

I separated the air vents with wire cutters, and the pour head with a saw--

 

There was just a bit of a ridge where the two mold halves came together, but it looked like it would clean up fine.  After doing that, I drilled the hole for the iron stock, and the ring--

 

I fit a piece of brass rod through the hole.  This will need to be cut and tapered at both ends, and a ring soldered near the middle of the stock, to "stop" it in the shank--

 

After soldering the ring on (I used two rings of different wire diameter, thinking maybe I can file them to look like a single tapered ring), and tapering the brass with a file, I heated the rod to soften it where the stock needs to make a sharp bend--

 

Then I bent the stock, put it on the anchor, and made the forked end that Petrejus shows on his drawing.  Well, my version isn't quite as elegant as his.  But it makes the stock wider than the hole in the shank, so now the stock can't slide out in either direction.  Now, there should be a slot in the stock opposite "stopper" ring, for a forelock, to lock the stock in position.  I will omit that detail!  I added the ring at the end of the shank, and this anchor is basically done--

 

The advantage of the iron stock is that the anchor can be stowed more compactly--

 

And for scale--

 

This is the smallest of the four anchors.  I figured if I can get this one cast successfully, I should be able to do the others.  I'll make all three of the remaining molds, and cast them all at once.  Then blacken them all, together with the chain plate links.

 

Ron

Edited April 28, 2020 by rlb

[usedtosail]

That came out great Ron.

[jwvolz]

Great work on the anchor Ron!

[Ebomba]

Totally agree with the others great job and an excellent tutorial (as always) dumb question what type of metal is used?

 

Best,

 

Ed

[smotyka]

Absolutely amazing persistence and dedication.  I now have my model and of coarse I will be studying your log and using it as my guide.  Once I get the frames started, I will begin my log.  What an inspiration!  

[rlb]

Thanks, Tom, Joe, Ed, and Steve, and all who have looked, and liked.  It seems there are never ending things to learn in this hobby, which is one of the things I love about it.

 

Ed, the metal is a tin-bismuth alloy, that I bought from Micro-mark (I'm sure available elsewhere also).  It is lead-free, and has a 280 degree Fahrenheit melting point.    

 

 

[rlb]

After the work and stress of the anchor casting, I needed a change, so I worked on the deadeye chain links.

 

First I made a test link, soldered it and bent it around one of the deadeyes--

 

This was then test fitted to the channel, where it looks like it hangs a little too long--

 

A shorter link was made, and test fit--

 

This looks about right.  Here is the comparison--

 

Twenty, plus an extra or two, were cut from wire stock-

 

 

Another test was made for the smaller topmast deadeyes, and 12 plus some spares were added to the pile-

 

These all needed to be bent into loops for silver soldering.   Each loop needs to close without a gap, which means filing the cut ends flat, since the wire cutter made an angled cut.  Also, there are two different sizes of wire for the two different sizes of deadeyes.  I began to worry about how to tell them apart easily (measurement with the digital caliper is always a fallback though), as they collected in the container top--

 

I laid each out with a dab of silver solder paste on the joint.  I haven't had a mass solder like this on the build!--

 

Surprisingly, the thinner wires darkened, while the others remained bright.  They were two different sources of brass wire, the thinner one soft, and the thicker semi-hard--

 

The heat from the soldering now makes them all soft, but at least the difference in coloring made them easy to tell apart!-

 

I'll have to repeat this a couple more times for the other chain links.  And then I'll get back to the other anchors.

 

Ron

 

Edited April 28, 2020 by rlb

[hamilton]

Amazing work on the anchors, Ron! I don't think I would have gone past thinking about it and then ordering something "good enough" from somewhere. It's this level of dedication to your build that makes this one a favourite!

hamilton 

[Martin W]

Wow, you've added metallurgy to your impressive set of skills.  Getting the right sized anchors seems to be a persistent problem, and you've solved it.  Ditto with the chains.  Having rejected the ones that came in my kit, I'm trying to get my nerve up to re-learn silver soldering techniques for the umpteenth time.  So tell me, where do you get your bass wire?  All that I've bought locally has been coated with something that prevents soldering.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[rlb]

Thanks Hamilton!

 

Martin,

The last batch of wire I bought here:  https://contenti.com/

 

Beadsmith German Round Bead Wire

They have multiple gauges and types.  I bought plain brass.

 

It soldered just fine.  It is half hard which is good in some ways, but not in others.  It's definitely harder to form.  Heated to solder, it becomes soft.  I just noticed though, when grabbing this photo, that it is tarnish resistant.  I wonder if that will cause a problem when I try to blacken it.  (And maybe that's why soldering didn't discolor it?)  Before I spend more time using it, I better try blackening!  [Edited to say no problem blackening]

 

They also sell soft, but in much larger quantities (therefore more cost) that I didn't need.

 

Ron

 

Edited April 30, 2020 by rlb

[rlb]

Part two of anchor casting.

 

After successfully casting the first anchor, it is full steam ahead for the other three.

 

This photo shows the three stages of working the clay around the wooden mold.  First the clay base is roughly leveled and smoothed, and a cutout made for the anchor.  Then clay bits are added and mushed up against the anchor form.  Then the clay is carefully smoothed against the anchor form (with a small screwdriver, and the point of some tweezers), trying roughly to put the surface of the clay at the halfway depth of the anchor, and make sure it is "tight" to every profile of the anchor.  It is important to avoid any stray bits of clay that may cling to the anchor form.  Then wire air vents, the pour head, and the registration dimples are added--

 

After painting all the surfaces with mold release, these will be ready for the silicone pour-

 

I find it difficult to guess the amount to mix up.  Too much and it will go to waste--it is fairly expensive material, and I hate wasting anything anyway!  Using the amount I used for the first anchor, adjusted for my slightly bigger box for these larger anchor molds, I mixed up a batch and started pouring--

 

 

As I got to the end, I realized I wasn't going to make it.  The pour caps remained uncovered--

 

It's the quick setting (5 minute) variety, so hoping I wasn't too late, I hastily mixed up a small amount of additional silicone, poured, and it was just enough to cover--

 

Unboxing the molds.  I had added two layers (one still sticking to the clay) of cardboard under the clay so I wouldn't need to use as much clay--without the spacers I wouldn't have had enough clay for all three molds--

 

Interesting that they peeled apart in three different versions.  One with the anchor and vents with the silicone, one with the anchor but NOT the vents, and one with the anchor and vents sticking with the clay--

 

Doesn't matter, the parts stuck in the clay are positioned back in the silicone.  I need to rebuild the boxes around these, fill in and add some more clay for the pour heads, and they will be ready for the second silicone pour--

 

 

Oh, I also made the twenty (plus some extra) toe link loops for the chain plates, and bent them into shape.  In the picture they look very irregular.  Some of the angle bends I can redo better, but the squiggle irregularities

 I'm not sure I can eliminate.  They were a pain to make--

.

 

Ron

 

 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by rlb

[rlb]

Carrying on with the anchor molding and casting:

 

The second RTV pour, completing the molds--

 

After separating, these were not quite as well done as my first mold.  Mostly, I had to clean up some of the air vents, but there were some other irregularities as well--

 

Then I talcum powdered the molds and taped them up--

 

I heated up the metal (and heated the molds in the oven, before taking them out for this picture)--

 

When the metal was ready, I poured.  At this point, the back end of beginner's luck reared it's ugly head--

 

On the third mold, the metal just ran completely through the mold!!--

 

Opening this third mold I was quite surprised to see there was nothing cast.  The metal had all run through the mold--

 

The second mold also didn't look good.  There was excessive "flash", indicating that the mold halves were not in close contact--

 

 

The third mold (first poured) seemed okay--

 

These two might be keepers, if I could trim the excess metal from the anchor on the right--

 

I couldn't.  The anchor snapped in two while I was trying to trim the metal.  Redo.  So, I figured my cardboard and tape hadn't pressed the two halves of the mold together well enough (even though I had done the same as I had done on that first successful small anchor).  I changed my tactic a bit, using two layers of cardboard, with the innermost matching the dimensions of the mold, and less tape holding the mold together--

 

These were poured--

 

And the results were much better--

 

Then, I re-poured the third mold from the first try which had seemed good.  I just wondered if with my new method it might be even better--

 

It was about the same as before.  But all-in-all I am done casting!--

These should clean up okay, I have a couple of spares, and I am very pleased to have learned a new skill (though far from mastered it!).  

 

Ron

Edited May 5, 2020 by rlb

[Dowmer]

Good perseverance. Once cleaned up I’m sure they will look much better and you will have the satisfaction of knowing you made them yourself. 

[rlb]

Thanks to all who have taken a look, and those who have hit the like button.  Thank you, Dowmer.  It is very satisfying to have learned something new, and cast the anchors out of real metal, instead of making them painted wood.    

 

The first, smallest one, actually came out the best!  There are some minor problems with the molds, especially on the middle two sizes, having to do (I think) with not having the anchor forms securely and fully bedded in the first half of the mold before pouring the second, which resulted in the anchors coming out a sliver too "deep".  I'm not positive that's why because I thought I was being very careful on that point.  It's also possible there was some flexing in the mold with the way I held the halves together.  In any event, the anchors look good, and I am almost out of mold material, so I'm not going to try redoing the molds at this time.   

 

I want to blacken the anchors with the chain plates and links, so I need to continue on with those.

 

I have the binding links, toe links, and chain plates made, so all that is left are the middle links.  With tweezers I held a test deadeye and binding link in the chain plate, and pinned a toe link to it's location on the wale--

 

Then I bent a piece of wire to bridge between them--

 

Using this piece I then put two pins in some wood, to bend a link around-

 

I only made one, as a trial, and after removing the deadeye from the binding link, assembled all three links together, and soldered the middle link closed--

 

The safe way would have been to use higher melting solder on the binding and toe links, to avoid them coming unsoldered when heating the middle link.  I only have one type (I think it's the lowest type, or maybe middle) but I had no problems with the other links.  

 

I replaced the deadeye, and the assembly was then test fit.  On my first try the link was too long, so I shortened it by snipping it, trimming it, and re-soldering it.  This time I soldered it with the deadeye still in the binding link, as an experiment, and there was no damage (meaning I didn't burn it up), so if I have to make adjustments on the rest of the middle links after the fact, I should be able to do so without too much fear.  Here is the test chain link assembly--

 

And here it is test fit--

 

I made 20 or so more middle link loops, assembled them with the other links, and prepared to solder them--

 

I had a relatively large number of failed solder joints (six or seven).  Not the already soldered joints, but the new ones.   One link actually melted, and I had to replace it with one of the extra loops I had bent.  One link I had to re-solder three times before I got it right!  Eventually they were all solid joints.

 

I will temporarily put all the deadeyes in, and test fit them all before blackening.  Technically many of those middle links should be different lengths to account for the increasing angle of the shrouds.  Actually, I'm sure many of my toe links and middle links vary slightly, so I'm hoping I can match all the assemblies to the place they fit best.  And if I have to snip and redo some links, so be it.

 

On the left is the first test assembly that is pretty much bent "to spec".   The second is not finished; its binding link is only roughly to shape, and the middle link hasn't been "stretched" and straightened.  And of course the third hasn't even had the deadeye bent into place--

 

In the course of fitting the deadeyes (so far), I crushed one.   Its remnants are in the middle of the photo below.  To the left of it is my one remaining extra.  In the container to the left are the matching upper deadeyes that the shrouds will be attached to, and in the lid are the smaller topmast deadeyes and their binding loops.  Those may wait for a later time, though it would probably make more sense to do them now also--

 

I'll finish putting these together, then test fit and adjust them.  Somewhere in there I'll fabricate the iron stock on the larger of the two round arm anchors.  Then I can blacken everything.

 

Ron 

 

Edited May 9, 2020 by rlb

[rlb]

Heh, heh,

 

Well, only a small update.  I didn't do much on the ship today.  Just work on fine tuning the shape of the binding links, and the middle links.  When stretching out the middle link of the last assembly, the joint gave way.  No problem, I'll just solder it back, better than ever.  I laid it out with the dab of silver paste, fired up the torch and applied heat.  I watched as the flux melted, the link turned red, and the silver melted across the joint.  Then I smelled it--burning wood.  As I moved the torch away, I could see the little deadeye glowing red around it's circumference where it was held by its binding link.  I licked my fingers and gingerly pinched the deadeye, hoping to cool it and stop any damage.  It was hot and still glowing as I released it.  I pinched it again but dropped it on the floor.  When I picked it up, it was no longer burning, but the damage was done, the perimeter had burnt away and it fell out of the binding link!  In the center of the photo, one burnt deadeye, and one crushed--

 

 

 

I replaced it with my one remaining spare, and now I have my 20 chain link assemblies, ready to test fit.  And if I have to re-solder any of them, I will remove the deadeye first!!

 

Ron

 

 

[rlb]

In between gluing the channels to the hull in preparation for test fitting the chain plate assemblies, I worked on the second iron-stock anchor.

 

In the first anchor, I made the right angle bend and spread the end after soldering the stopper flange in place.  It was not easy to make the bend and detail the end after it was part of the anchor, so I decided to do it the other way round, and make the bend and flatten the end first, while I had better access--

 

Then, I can slip the anchor on, and then fashion and solder the flange ring--

 

Instead of simple wire, this time I drilled a hole in a piece of brass bar stock, cut it out, and filed the flange round--

 

It test fit nicely on the iron stock, and I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing--

 

Here it is ready to solder--

 

I held the torch to the ring, and waited for it to glow and the solder to run.  It never happened, but what did happen is this--

 

After it was cool enough to touch, I discovered that the ring had been soldered.  Maybe before the anchor melted, I don't know.  I'm not used to soldering larger pieces of brass like this.

 

First the deadeye burning, then melting the anchor.  Both through mistakes that could have easily been avoided.  It's easy enough to cast another anchor.  The stock is more work.  This one can't be used because it can't be fit with both the flange soldered and the flattened end already done!   Additionally, this was one of the anchors that would benefit from a better mold, so do I take it back that far and redo the mold?

 

My battery of mental energy is depleted.   I may take a few days to recharge.

 

Ron

 

Edited May 12, 2020 by rlb

[Dowmer]

Ron, Just a lesson learned.  We all make these mistakes. Hang in there.
Is the anchor a size one you may use for other models in the future?

If so, it’s a good investment to re-make the mold so you can make another one later for a future project.......or when I need one...LOL.
 

Besides, with this lockdown, there should be plenty of time.  😆 

[smotyka]

Ron, your persistence is amazing. Publishing your setbacks will be of help to the rest of us when we try to tackle the same.

[BETAQDAVE]

    While I am hardly an expert at soldering, I think some kind of heat sink may have prevented all of the heat being transferred to the anchor.  The melting point of the anchor was probably lower than that of the solder so isolating the heat from your anchor may have prevented the mishap.