Re: Mast maker, mast maker, make me a mast... Took off the string and rubber bands and the wooden tube I made last night was just right. Planed off the ridges and made it 8-sided. Then I plugged the heel and the head to make them solid for about 6" at the bottom, and 8" at the top. A 1/2" square tenon was cut in the heel for the mast step. The head is the same as the fore mast head except for a slightly increased rake angle. The head tenon was cut and the fit of the cap checked. The doubling was squared and the taper for the hounds cut in. Then I rounded the mast between the base that stays 8 sided up to about 2" above the deck; to the trestle-trees; and attached the hounds just like the fore mast - glued and pinned with two 1/16" brass rods. I assembled the cross-trees and trestle-trees, glued and pinned; checked for fit Finally, the bottom of the mast was painted cream and the head flat black. I found a nice old piece of pine with a good straight grain and decided to make the bowsprit from it. The bowsprit is pretty straight forward. It's square from the heel to just outside the bulwark, 8-sided to the end of the knee, and round out to the end. It's 3/4" square but the bottom tapers up to 1/2" so it sits level with the deck, though not on it. The whole thing is 18-3/4" long. I cut a hole in the bow for the sprit, worked it to size with files. The bowsprit was made 8-sided from just outside the hull to the tip. Then from just past the end of the head-knee to the tip, it was made round. Cut the tenon in the end Installed the shear-pin through the forward bitts - just like the real one had. Put a coat of paint on everything and made a cap. Finished up the pump hardware Then I tried to figure out what the bees should look like. Couldn't find anything in the plans or the books, but I knew I had a photo of the bowsprit from aloft somewhere, so I went digging. I actually found the negatives on 110 film, so I scanned them and put them up on a page HERE Unfortunately, the pictures didn't solve my problem.
Bowsprit, holes, and a tiller My best guess at the knees after staring at enough photos through a magnifying glass to go blind. Two of the main topmast stays pass through holes in the fore cap - I sleeved them with brass tube so the stays wouldn't saw through the wood. note stays passing through cap at bottom of pic The holes in the stem for the bobstays got the same treatment, but these are set in epoxy because of practically being in the water. Made the dolphin striker and spreaders. The collars came in the mail, so I went ahead and made the tiller. There's no room back aft for linkages or cables, so the scale tiller will have to function. The boat was usually sailed with reliving tackles on the tiller, so I'll rig the control lines to the servo to look like that. tiller parts tiller assembled; collar soldered to the copper tiller, wood tiller screwed and epoxied to copper tiller I finally found a spot outside to take pictures without quite so much background clutter. It's hard to get the masts to stay put, especially outside in the breeze, so I temporarily installed the mast steps. When I'm sure I won't have to move them again, I'll epoxy them in place.
Re: Bowsprit, holes, and a tiller That final picture really does show how well your 'invisible' rudder area increase works! Also utilising the tiller relieving lines to link to the servo is genius - I've only come across it once before on a scale model of the french pilot cutter 'Jolie Brise'. http://www.joliebrisemodels.co.uk/tenth/deck.html 3rd picture from bottom of page shows deck/tiller/lines and some additional pictures further up the page give a little more detail. Fantastic progress, Regards, Row
Tiller lines and a fore topmast Thanks Row, for that link - I'd seen his project before, but lost the link. Did you notice he doesn't have a single good image of the completed 1/20 scale model anywhere besides the video? Anyway, I don't know about "genius," it was simply the only non-ugly option available to handle the steering. Several folks were suggesting crank arms on the side of the rudder under the counter with a push-rod going through the hull. If the real boat had been done that way, I would have gone that route, but, thank goodness, she wasn't. All I've managed to do since the 24th is shape the fore topmast - I've had to help someone move, go visit people, and get visited by people that suddenly appeared after something like 30 years!
Re: Tiller lines and a fore topmast Makes you wonder if he ever finished it........ In terms of 'all I've managed to do since the 24th.....' it's only the 28th now!! Cheers, Row
Topmasts and Hoops and now, up to the 30th... I finished both topmasts including stain and paint. I started the next day by making false rudder head on the tiller to hide the collar that attaches it to the brass-rod rudder post. I need a hot-knife to cut my sail cloth with, so I opted to make one. The tips for my soldering iron have a 1/4"-20 thread, which is easy enough to come by in my bucket of loose fasteners. I ground a screw to a blade tip and gave it a try. It was hot enough, but probably too narrow and would snag on the wood under the scrap of cloth I was cutting. I saw something online about cutting on glass, but the only glass I have is a shelf from my refrigerator. I'm going to slot a screw and fix a portion of a utility knife blade in it, then try it on the glass and see if I get a smoother cut. The scrap I was cutting was a pennant which I colored with permanent markers. It's a bit ratty on the edges, but it's nice up there at the main truck waving in the breeze of the ceiling fan. Moving on, I rummaged all through the shop to find something to make the mast hoops from. The real ones were oak, as these things typically are, but shaving whatever I found down to 1/16" thick and 1/8" wide just seemed like a pain. I have several sheets of 1/16" bass, including some 4" x 7" sheets from an assortment bag, so I figured I'd give that a try; if it works, I get off cheap, if not I'm not out anything. The real ones are sometimes glued but are often just steam bent and riveted. Mine would only be glued. I cut a few strips from my sheet, soaked them in water, and wrapped one around a 1" dowel, which failed immediately. So I soaked them longer, better but still failed. Next I tried hot water and that worked, well enough at least. Once I had a system that worked, I cut enough strips to make all my hoops, plus a few extras. The ends get feathered with a couple of swipes of the block plane; this is important when wrapping them without the taper, the hump on the inside is enough to crack the strip. Then they all get soaked in hot water and wrapped around a spray can to pre-curl them. Then they go back in the water and wrapped around a 1" pipe to get them to the final curl. Each one gets glued up with wood glue, curled around a 1" dowel, and clamped. After they set-up a bit I slide them off and clamp them at the outside end. Even if they cracked, being glued in layers should keep them strong enough, I squirt a little glue in any gaps and clamp them at any cracks or kinks. I managed to make about half of the 26 I need, the rest are wrapped around the 1" pipe waiting their turn.
So hoop production continued, 26 in all, glued up, sanded, stained golden-oak, marked with rivets, and put on their masts. That done, I could install the 4 cleats at the base of the fore mast. The steering cables will anchor on the tiller and run to blocks in the waterways at either quarter, then forward to another set of blocks, then straight into fair-lead tubes in the lazarette hatch coaming. Those tubes were installed with a cedar block under the sub-deck to brace them. I made a hot-knife blade using a 1/4-20 screw and part of a #19 x-acto blade. It took a little fiddling, but it works fine. First experiment was making a new pennant, which came out much much cleaner that the first one. Next I cut the fore-sail which came out well, each side of the sail better than the one cut before as I got the hang of using it. Go to My Site to see more about how I made the hot-knife blade. In short order I had all the sails cut out. I marked the sail panel seams with a .01 permanent marker. I also cut and colored the Lord Baltimore emblem for the fore-topgallant - which I've dubbed "The Eye of Sauron." My fabric glue hardened in the bottle since I used it last, so I had to get more, as well as some brass tubing, stain, and other stuff. I was also looking for a copper screw to make an improve hot-knife blade with, but couldn't find any. The fabric glue I found I liked better than Liquid Stitch. It's also permanent, but it dries clear, is washable and dry-cleanable. It seems a little thinner and easier to spread, it's flexible, and it sets up quick with a touch of the clothes iron. I installed the magnets to hold the cabin lid on, and divided the sub-deck into three sections so I could work on the fair-leads for sheets and such easier. I also stained the spar with red-oak stain which made them a better color match for the real boat's spars. Using the fabric glue. I applied reef bands, corner patches, and hemmed the head sails and the squares. I hung them on the model to see how they looked. Everything looks correct, where they fall, proportion, etc. Then I brought them in and made holes in them with the pointed soldering iron tip. These are for reef points hanks, and other things that need to go through each sail. These five sails now only need their bolt-ropes sewn on. Before that, there's three more sails to get to this point; main, fore, and main topsail.
Once again, excellent progress..... Couple of questions for you: 1) What wattage is your soldering iron? And 2) Where the foresails appeared panelled have you 'encouraged' any additional shape into them using very large diameter radii for the seam cut or are they flat? Cheers, Row
My iron's probably 40 years old. Just an old pencil type. I don't know the wattage, or even the brand. It was my mothers when she made crafts in the 70's and 80's. All the sails, like the originals, are flat cut. The panels are drawn on. Patches, tabling, bunt cloths, and reef bands are another layer of cloth glued on. All holes are melted in with the iron. The only sewing will be the bolt ropes which are also glued. I don't trust glue alone to hold bolt ropes on, so they're sewn on in an abbreviated version of the original. I'll show that in detail when I start sewing them on.
It really isn't until the sails are bent on that the true beauty of these 'old' sailing ships come through. She really is looking stunning despite the clothes pegs!! I guess with the soldering iron question I'll just have to do some experimentation (when the time comes) and see how I get on. If memory serves, I think my iron is 25 watt, so we'll see if it's going to be powerful enough. Row
Most of the irons I've seen in this style are 25 or 33 watt - I just don't know which mine is - or how to tell as the lettering is all worn off the label. Pride's sails are all made except for bolt-ropes; and the rest of the spars are roughed out and will start getting shaped tomorrow. Then it's back to the hull to get the fair-leads through the deck, now that I have sails to make sure of sheets leads and measurements with.
Spars Boom, gaffs, yards, and jack-yard rough cut square and to length. Spars 8-sided and coarse yard (at bottom) made round. Boom and gaffs slotted for aircraft ply jaws. Boom table installed on main Yards laid across foredeck. Boom and gaffs hung up to check fit. Hoops, boom jaws, and table on main mast. Main gaff and jack-yard. Sail hung up on the wall. Paper patterns are put away.
Re: Spars Yet again, impressive progress...... I'm beginning to think you must do nothing but plan, construct & assemble these fantastic scale models - embarrassingly I haven't touched my J 'Enterprise' for months. Every time I walk into or through my workshop I get pangs of guilt...... Only one question, what's a boom table? (Although I have just over 35 years of sailing experience (professional & pleasure), I've never been on a squaresail rigged ship/boat) Regards, Row
Re: Spars The fellow that fired me after 18 years would have voted me "most likely to wind up in a tower with a high-powdered rifle" Little did he know, I wound up in a shop working on a model boat. Just cause I look like a bear, doesn't make me a bear. So I spend my mornings looking for work, and then I do stuff that I can get money for, or house stuff, like cutting the grass, and then I give the model 2-3 hours. Week-ends are tougher; the lady wants her attention and summer means friends come over, or want me to come over. Any way, I was looking at something that referred to that part as a boom table, but it more correctly it's called a boom-saddle or boom-rest. T'gallant yard stained; sling cleats, yokes, etc on other yards. Stuns'l boom "irons" after blackening. Ringtail boom iron and some sort of wedge to lift the mains'l out-haul off the boom, compared with a photo of the real thing. I'd have more done but my black paint went dry and I have to get some more. Here's a YouTube video about this boat, and her replacement, that just came out: http://youtu.be/baz9Xwg2AOU
Re: Spars So, nearly all the spars made and a preliminary coat of paint, or not, as the case may be... "at the dock" configuration Boom saddle made thicker. The portion of the mast where the boom is and the top of the saddle get covered with leather. Now I just have to find some. Maybe Moleskin? Stuns'l booms made. Stuns'l boom irons blackened as a base for painting. Jackstays installed on the coarse and tops'l yards. Everything got painted after this. All the spars, save the boom, got painted, oiled, or varnished according to what the original spars got. This includes the masts, jib-boom, topmasts, etc. T'gallant got it's bolt rope and is lashed to it's yard. Mains'l getting it's bolt rope. Luff is done, just starting the foot. Insets show reenforcing stitching at eyes and where mast hoops will attach.
Re: Spars So far the four lowers and the squares have their bolt-ropes. The main tops'l and the flying jib have yet to get theirs. The spars are all made except for the ring-tail boom. I don't recall where it was stowed when not in use, but if it was against the rail like the tops'l jack-yard - then it'll be seen and I need to make one. The clew of the main attaches to a double ring that holds it to the boom while allowing it to be hauled out by a line that passes through a sheave in the end of the boom. On my Constellation I need line up to 1/8" diameter (3mm?) which requires a lot of polyester sewing thread to make up on the rope-walk and is hard to get consistent. So, I've put that problem off for some time now, but I need line for Pride in various sizes and couldn't put it off any longer. A fellow at the Naval Academy Museum had some fishing line that was twisted Dacron (polyester) in various sizes that was perfect, but the company won't respond to my inquiries. Then I had a "duh!" moment. I used to work for a sail-maker. Most of what I did involved shears, double stick tape, awls, push-pins, and battens. I did no sewing except for helping with some handwork. But there was sewing and Dacron sails are sewn with Dacron thread. It didn't take long to find a supplier of Dacron sewing threads for sails, sun umbrellas, etc, and I ordered a spool each of V-92 4oz black, and "oyster" which is a light grayish color. With thread ordered, I needed to motorized my rope-walk because I needed to make line up to 8 feet long and hand cranking that would get very old very fast. To that end, I had gotten an old 6 volt cordless drill with an unusable battery (I used the motor from an identical drill for Pride's drive motor). I also got a model railroad power-pack to drive it as that would give me variable speed forward and reverse. I cut the grip off the drill, but kept the upper case to hold it all together. The head of my rope-walk used dowel pins as axles, and the center one goes into the drill's chuck. I opened the drills case and screwed in down to a base board. I removed the trigger and other wiring leading the motor's positive and negative leads out of the back of it's case. The I replaced all the gears and closed it up. The base board was lined up with the rope-walk head and attached with a pair of knees to keep it at right angles. I hooked up the train transformer and nothing. It didn't have enough amperage to move the motor. So, until I figure that out, I used Pride's 6 volt battery to run the rope-walk. I made about a 3 foot length of line with a different number of threads per strand. The easiest to set up is 2 threads per strand as it's just running the thread back and forth on the hooks. 1 thread per strand is the most tedious as it involves tying the thread off at every point. Most of Pride's standing rigging was wire-rope, so it was of a smaller diameter than comparable rope rigging would need to be. 1 thread = .0312" diameter: flag halyards, reef-points, ratlines 2 thread = .05" diameter: topmast shrouds, back-stays, foot-ropes, and most of the running rigging 4 thread = .0625" diameter: shrouds, fore-stays, bob-stays 8 thread = .1" diameter: Anchor rode, dock lines The sail thread spins into rope very nicely, although I need to motorize the other end of my rope-walk as well to speed up the process and make for a nice tight rope. Now I have something of a deadline. I've been invited to publicly display the model at the Fells Point Visitors center in Baltimore on July 22nd. July 22nd, 1812 is the day the first 7 letter of marque privateers sailed from Baltimore. The model won't be completed by then, but it'll be presentable.
The model will basically have three diameters of line, and three sizes of blocks. Some of the blocks will be doubles. Most of them will not require functional sheaves - about a dozen will. In total there will be about 80 blocks on the model. The three basic block sizes will be 1/2" long, 3/8" long, and 1/4" long. There'll be a couple of smaller blocks for flag halyards and such. 3/8" single block. throat halyard 1/2" double blocks. Peak halyard 1/2" single blocks. A while back I got some brass belaying pins for my Constellation model, but they were too large. It turns out they're the perfect size for Pride All the sails have their bolt-ropes sewn on and are complete.