new bedford whaling bark 1841 - micro-mark · 2 charles w. morganwas built in 1841 at the hillman...
TRANSCRIPT
NEW BEDFORD WHALING BARK 1841
Technical CharacteristicsSCALE: 3/16" = 1'0" (1:64)
Overall length: 30-3/4 " (781 MM)Overall height (including baseboard): 27-7/8" (708 MM)
Overall width (main yard): 10-1/8" (257 MM)
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
MODEL SHIPWAYS KIT NO. 2140
2
Charles W. Morgan was built in 1841 at the Hillman Brothers’ Shipyard on the AcushnetRiver in New Bedford, Massachusetts. She cost $52,000 and was registered at 351 tons, 106’ 6” x 27’2-1/2” x 13’ 7-1/2”.
Her primary owner was Charles Waln Morgan, a Philadelphia-born Quaker. The first ofMorgan’s 37 successful worldwide expeditions began on September 6, 1841. During her 80years of service, she caught and processed more whales than any other whaler in history. Heractive days ended in 1921 with the decline of whale oil prices. From 1925 to 1941, she was ondisplay and struggling to survive at Round Hill, Massachusetts. Morgan was purchased forMystic Seaport Museum (Mystic, Connecticut) in 1941, restored, and is berthed there as amonument to the men who built and sailed her.
Morgan was originally ship rigged. However, shortly after the Civil War, her rig was reducedto a double topsail bark.
Refer to the bibliography for an in-depth history of the whaling industry and more details onCharles W. Morgan.
HISTHISTORORYY
Brief History 2 Introduction and Credits 4 Before You Begin 5Tools Needed to Start Construction 5How to Work With Plans & Parts 6,7Painting and Staining 7
Stage 1: Framing the Plank-on-Bulkhead Hull 81. Bending Wood 82. Center Keel Assembly 93. Installing the Keel, Stem and Sternpost 94. Cutting the Rabbet 95. Installing the Bulkheads 106. Installing the Transom Framing 117. Installing the Bow and Stern Filler Blocks 118. Covering the Mast Slots 119. Installing the Waterway, Planksheer
and Bulwark Stanchions 1110. Installing the Knightheads
and Forward Timberheads 1111. Installing the Main Rail and Lashing Rail 1112. Installing the Topgallent Rail 11
Stage 2: Planking the Hull 12 1. Getting Started 122. Planking Battens and Belts 123. Planking Butts 124. Spiling 135. Fastening the Planks 136. Planking the Outer Hull 13-157. Planking Inboard (Ceiling Planks) 168. Deck Planking 16
Stage 3: Completing the Basic Hull Structure 171. Correcting and Sanding 172. Coppering the Bottom 173. Natural Wood, Double Plank Option 17
Stage 4: Mounting the Hull 181. Baseboard with 2 Pedestals 18 2. Launching Ways 18
Stage 5: Adding Hull Details 181. Locating Deck Furniture 18 2. Deck Structures 183. Skylight 184. Hatches and Gratings 205. Tryworks and Workbench 206. Grindstone 207. Ladders 208. Galley Stack 209. Main Fife Rail and Bilge Pumps 21
10. Chain Pipes 2111. Windlass 2112. Catheads and Anchors 2113. Deck Bitts, Fluke Pipe and Belly Chain Chock 2214. Port Rail and Whaleboat Logger heads 2215. Mooring Chocks and Hawse Pipes 22
16. Open Chocks, Starboard Rail Chock,and Cleats 22
17. Eyebolts 2218. Rudder and Steering Wheel 2319. Cutting Stage 2320. Whaleboat Davits, Bearers
(Lashing Posts), Cranes and Slides 2321. Whaleboats 2422. Ship’s Name 2523. Miscellaneous Boxes 2524. Stern Eagle, Stars, and Billet head 2525. Sea Ladder and Portlights 2526. Channels 25
Stage 6: Mast and Spar Construction 261. Shaping and Tapering Masts and Spars 262. Building and Installing the Masts 263. Building and Installing the Bowsprit
and Jibboom 27,284. Building the Yards 285. Building the Spanker Gaff and Boom 28
Stage 7: General Rigging andSailmaking Information 29
1. Rigging Options 302. Using the Detail and Rigging Plans 313. Rigging Lines and Block Sizes 314. Treating the Lines 315. Belaying Pins and Their Lines 316. Rigging Tools 317. Blocks and Deadeyes 318. Sailmaking 319. Rigging the Model Without Sails 32
Stage 8: Standing Rigging 331. Shrouds 332. Backstays 343. Fore and Aft Stays 344. Bowsprit Rigging 355. Spanker Gaff and Boom Topping Lifts 356. Footropes, Furling Stops, and Fixed Lifts 357. Manropes and Bow Netting 358. Running Lights 35
Stage 9: Running Rigging 351. Head Sails 362. Staysails 363. Spanker and Gaff Topsail 364. Fore and Main Yards 37 5. Mizzen Crossjack Yard 376. Fore and Main Upper and Lower Topsail Yards 377. Fore and Main Topgallent Yards 388. Royal Yards 389. Braces 38
10. Miscellaneous Rigging 38
Final Touches 39Bibliography 39Scale Conversion Table 39
3
TTAABLE OFBLE OF CONTENTSCONTENTS
Instruction Manual
New Bedford Whaling Bark
CHARLES W. MORGAN1841
Plans and InstructionsBy Ben Lankford
Model by Bob Bruetsch
Model Shipways’ Charles W. Morgan kit was developed in 1994-’97. Plans are basedon drawings and other information provided by Mystic Seaport, and from pho-tographs taken by the author in 1994. The Model Shipways plans and instructionswere reviewed by Mystic Seaport for accuracy.
In 1983, Mystic restored Morgan as a double topsail bark. The museum relied onphotographs and other documentation to depict the whaler as she appearedbetween 1892 and 1908. Those wishing to build the model in another configurationshould consult the bibliography and the numerous photographs showing changesmade throughout Morgan’s career.
© 1997Model Shipways, Inc.,
Sold & Distributed by Model Expo • www.modelexpo-online.comHollywood, FL 33020
4
5
Charles W. Morgan is an interestingship and makes a splendid model.Assembling the plank-on-bulkheadhull develops an understanding ofhow real ships are built, whilelaser-cut parts assure an accurateshape. Although Britannia, brass,and wood fittings facilitate con-struction, many require final finish-ing prior to installation. This isespecially true for the Britanniacastings and is discussed later.
Various scratch-building techniquesappear throughout the manual toencourage less experience modelersto acquire these skills. As the modelprogresses, don’t be afraid to sub-stitute kit fittings with your owncreations. We encourage you to tryit. The experience gained will provevaluable for future projects.
If you are a beginner, take yourtime. Morgan, with her davits andwhaleboats, has a fair amount ofdetail and small parts. Always com-plete one stage before going on tothe next. When something goesawry, consider doing it over. A sec-ond attempt usually surpasses thefirst, since practice makes perfect.
A. Knives1. Hobby knife2. No. 11 blades
B. FilesSet of standard or diamond needle files
C. Clamps1. A few small C-clamps2. Wooden clothespins3. #16 and #33 rubber bands
D. Carving SetBuy gouges and chisels for carving center keel rabbets, counter block, stern and bow filler blocks,tapering the stem, and carving the whale boats.
E. Sharpening StoneKeeps tools razor sharp
F. Boring Tools1. Set of #60 to #80
miniature bits2. 1/16”, 3/32”, and 1/8” bits3. Pin vise
G. Miscellaneous1. Tack hammer2. Tweezers (a few)3. Small, fine pointed scissors4. Miniature pliers
a. round noseb. flat nose
5. Small bench vise
6. Soldering iron or torcha. solderb. flux
7. Sewing thread for seizing (other rigging in kit)
a. blackb. tan
8. Beeswax block(for treating rigging lines)
9. Masking tape10. Wire cutters (for cutting
fine wire and strip metal)
H. SandpaperFine and medium grit garnet or #100 to #220aluminum oxide
I. SailclothLight weave cotton or linen cloth for making sails. Model Expo sells a suitable cottoncloth
J. Finishing1. Paintbrushes
a. Fine point for detailsb. 1/4” to 1/2” flat square
for hull
K. Supplies1. Paints2. Primer3. Stains and varnish4. White (polyvinyl acetate
or PVA) or yellow woodworker’s glue (aliphatic resin)
5. Cyanoacrylates (generic name is Super glue)
6. Five-minute epoxy7. Wood filler
Note: White or woodworker’s gluein yellow or tan will suffice formost of the model. Five-minuteepoxy provides extra strength foraffixing fittings. Cyanoacrylates,such as Jet, Flash, or Zap, producequick adhesion. For most applica-tions, the medium viscosity, gap-filling variety is best. The waterytype is recommended for filling anarrow crack or tacking hull plank-ing to the bulkheads.
Before You Begin Tools Needed to Start Construction
The following items are recommended for building the model.Those who have modeled before may have their favorites.
How to Work With the Plans & Parts
6
Before starting the model, carefullyexamine the kit and study the plans.First, determine if all the listed parts arepresent. Handling them will quickly giveyou a better understanding of the kit’srequirements. Try to visualize how everypiece will look on the completed model.Also, determine ahead of time whatmust be done first. The instructions willhelp, but a thorough knowledge of theplans at the outset is essential.
To avoid losing small fittings and hard-ware, sort them into labeled boxes orcompartments. These should have lidsto keep out dirt.
1. The Plans
Six plan sheets are provided:
1. Laser-Cut Wood Patterns2. Plank-on-Bulkhead Hull
Construction3. Hull Plan and Profiles4. Hull and Spar Details5. Rigging and Sails6. Rigging Sections and Details
Sketches appear throughout the manual to illustrate various construc-tion techniques.
The Charles W. Morgan kit is manufac-tured to a scale of 3/16” = 1’ 0” (1:64).Each plan sheet is drawn to that scale,except areas enlarged to show detail.Most dimensions can be lifted directlyoff the plans by using draftsmandividers or a “tick” strip (piece of papersuch as an adding machine roll). Lay thepaper strip over the plan, carefully markthe item’s length with a sharp pencil,then transfer the marks to the wood.
A 3/16” architect’s scale or metric ruleris a handy tool. Measuring and cuttingparts using the scale gives a better feelfor real sizes. Because these are model-building plans, actual measurementshave been converted to the nearest1/64” (0.4mm) or 1” full scale. Sheet 5contains a table for converting imperialnumbers to metric.
2. Making Allowances Along the Way
Try to be exact when following theplans, but use common sense.Adjustments may be necessary to com-pensate for small differences in how
your model is shaping up; perhaps onemast has too much rake (the angle atwhich it sits). Lines should not drapeover fittings or conflict with other lineswhen belayed (secured). If necessary,move a belaying point or fairlead. Putyourself on the ship, imagine perform-ing the task, and use logic.
3. Understanding Hull Lines
Beginners may not be familiar with thefollowing hull lines. Buttock lines arevertical longitudinal planes that cutthrough the hull. Waterlines are horizon-tal planes, diagonals are diagonal planes,and sections are transverse verticalplanes. These lines define the hull’sshape and are used by the draftsman tofair it (create even curves).
A complete set of hull lines is not need-ed for this model, because laser-cutbulkheads and the center keel define thehull’s shape. Sheet 2 shows the bulkheadlines. They are similar to a ship’s bodyplan or sections, and illustrate how thehull curves from top to bottom. Consultthese lines when installing the bulwarks,since the bulwark stanchions are builtseparately from the lower bulkheads.
4. Using Basswood
Basswood comes in 1/32”, 3/64”, 1/16”,3/32”, 1/8”, 5/32”, 3/16”, 1/4”, and1/2” thick sheets and strips. Strip widthsare in the same increments, while sheetsmay be 1”, 2”, 3”, or 4” wide.
Note: Model Shipways occasionally sub-stitutes lime (Tilia vulgaris), a Europeanwood, for basswood (Tilia americana) inits kits. Both have a fine, uniform textureand straight grain. Lime, however, hassuperior steam-bending qualities. It isoften called basswood in Europe.
Based on Morgan’s 3/16” = 1’ 0” scale,1/64” equals 1” on the real ship, 1/32”equals 2”, and so on. Generally, bass-wood strips or sheets can be used as is.Occasionally, a strip must be thinnerthan the supplied size. To maintain scale,sand the strip to the required thicknessbefore making the part. One way is witha sanding block. Another is with a hobbysanding thickness planer (sold commer-cially). If you don’t own one, chuck asanding drum into your drill press, thenclamp a block alongside the drum to actas a fence. This makeshift tool worksquite well. Sorting the wood in the kit by
thickness will save time. After selectingand cutting what you need, return theremaining stock to the proper thicknesspile. Don’t worry about using a piece forone item intended for another. ModelShipways supplies enough extra wood tocomplete the model.
5. Britannia Metal Fittings
Britannia metal is a great improvementover the white metal castings found inolder kits. Unlike white metal andpewter, Britannia doesn’t contain lead(it’s a tin, copper, and antimony alloy)and won’t corrode. These fittings willrequire final finishing before mountingon the model. First, remove mold jointflash with a No. 11 hobby blade, thenfile or sand with fine sandpaper.Second, wash fittings in dishwashingliquid and warm water to remove tracesof mold release agent and the body oilsyour fingers have deposited. Allow todry thoroughly before applying primerand painting.
6. Soldering and Working with Brass
Charles W. Morgan sailed during a timewhen iron fittings were used. To accu-rately portray this, some soldering isnecessary. Although paper or brassstrips could be glued together as a sub-stitute, soldering will maintain themodel’s integrity. Here are a few tips onsoldering brass strips and wires, orscratch building with them:
Cut brass sheets and strips with a smallpair of tin snips or heavy scissors. Thickerbrass will require a jeweler’s saw. Aftercutting, smooth the edges with needlefiles followed by wet-or-dry fine sandpa-per used dry. Cutting slivers from brasssheet curls and bends it sideways. Tostraighten, grip the ends with a pair ofsmall pliers and pull in opposite direc-tions. Thin brass sheets can be scoredwith a utility knife and metal straight-edge, then snapped off. Use two or threelight passes, cutting against a maple chop-ping block, birch board, or glass backing.
Drilling holes in brass with a pin vise is aslow process. The solution is to mount ahandpiece for flex-shaft machines in ahobby drill press. Several companiesmanufacturer this tool and it is worth thecost. When working with brass, use a1/4” or thicker piece of maple or birch
Painting and Staining the Model
7
for backing. (Avoid softwoods, as theseflare the exit hole.) To prevent the bitfrom wandering, mark the spot with asmall center punch. Lubricate the bit withlight oil and drill slowly to avoid break-age. The brass will become hot, so clampthe pieces to the drill press table or holdthem down with a wooden stick. Do nottouch the brass! If possible, keep thespeed of the drill under 2000 RPM. Anyhigher speed causes excessive heat andsmall bits will easily break.
Until recently, modelers used pure silversolder to avoid the corrosive qualities oflead in soft solder. Today, many soldersare lead free. They’re composed of tinand antimony, are strong, and melt atless than 450º F. Some brands are mixedwith 3% or 4% silver, but still melt easily.Consequently, no reason exists to usepure silver solder (melts at 1300º F).The key to soldering is keeping thebrass clean. Use a solvent, lightly sand,or both. Once the parts are cleaned,don’t touch them. Your fingers willleave greasy spots. Soldering is easy ifyour work is set up properly. First,immobilize the parts in a fixture orother holding device, then add justenough flux to the joint to do the job.Solder flows where flux is applied.Next, heat the joint with a small torch orpencil soldering iron. This sequence isimportant. The larger the parts, thelonger it takes to heat the brass and meltthe solder. Remove excess solder withneedle files. The joint should look likethe real thing, not a big glob of fillets.
Beginning this manual with directionson applying finishes may seem strange.Not so! Much time and effort can besaved and more professional resultsobtained if the finishing process is car-ried out during construction. Propertiming in applying finishes and usingmasking tape to define painted edgesshould eliminate unsightly glue marksand splotchy stained surfaces. Takeadvantage of these general suggestions:
Paint
Use flat finish model paints manufac-tured by Floquil, Polly-S, Testors,Humbrol, or Model Masters. Jo Sonjaartists’ paints (used by bird carvers) orHolbein Acryla Gouache are also accept-able. They are a combination acrylic-gouache. Sometimes the required color isavailable only in gloss. To subdue theshine, spray on a clear, flat finish. Do notapply a lacquer finish over acrylics. Itwill blister the paint. If you intend to air-brush the paint, always use the manufac-turer’s recommended thinner. Floquilmakes railroad, military, and marine col-ors, and each has its own thinner. Note:The latest thinners and paints are com-patible with plastics. Floquil’s Dio-Solthinner, however, was formulated forlacquers and attacks plastic.
Paint Scheme
The plans show Charles W. Morgan’s colorscheme currently used at Mystic Seaport.It consists primarily of black, white, andlight ochre.
To obtain light ochre, mix three parts Floquilyellow ochre with seven parts white.
Primer
Floquil’s gray primer will highlightscratches and other defects. Gray worksbetter than white for this. Prime all metalfittings and woodwork to be painted. Donot prime parts to be stained or var-nished. Lightly sand the primed items.Use a hobby spackling compound, suchas Pic-n-Patch, or DAP, to fill any scratch-es and defects, then re-prime.
Stains and Finishes
Tone wood with Floquil or Minwaxstains. After staining, protect naturalfinished wood with a low sheenpolyurethane varnish or Floquil finish-es. An oil-resin mix such as naturalMinwax is also acceptable.
Brushes and Procedures
Use quality soft sable or synthetic hairartist brushes. A small pointed brush isgood for details. For the hull, use a 1/4”to 1/2” flat brush.
Before painting, clean the model with atack rag. Thin paint to a consistency thateliminates brush strokes, but doesn’trun. Apply in smooth, even, overlap-ping strokes. Light colors will cover theprimer in four or five coats, and darkcolors in maybe two. Check the finishbetween applications, and sand or addspackle to eliminate blemishes.
Use masking tape wherever two colorsmeet. Electricians’ black plastic tape isideal. It leaves a crisp edge and is notoverly sticky. Do not use drafting tape.Its edge is wrinkled and paint may rununderneath. Office and art supply storessell Scotch Magic Plus RemovableTransparent Tape 811. It, too, is excellentfor masking, removes easily, and does-n’t chip off paint when peeled.However, don’t reuse it, for it doesn’tadhere well the second time around.
Airbrushing
Airbrushing with any of Floquil’s orModel Masters’ solvent-based paints iseasy, but the fumes are toxic. Spray onlyin a ventilated booth or do it outdoors.
While Floquil’s Polly S and ModelMasters’ acrylics are not toxic, they aredifficult to airbrush. Always use the rec-ommended thinner. Thinning withwater causes surface tension problems.Even when the recommended thinner isemployed, acrylics do not cover well,are spitty, and clog the airbrush.Experiment on your own. Some model-ers are successful spraying acrylics, oth-ers have poor results.
Framing the Plank-on-Bulkhead Hull
1. Bending Wood
Building a P-O-B hull requires bendingsome wood without distorting itsdesired position (doing so stresses gluejoints and fasteners). Although the termsteam-bent” is used to identify theprocess, there are three ways to do it.
Steam bending: Hold the piece over akettle of boiling water and bend. Holdthe wood in position until it cools. Itshould remain in that position, but mayspring back slightly.
Soaking: Submerge the piece in warmwater for several hours. Try adding a lit-tle household or pure ammonia. Thisspeeds up the soaking process andmakes the fibers slippery so the woodbends easier. After soaking, hold thepiece in position with a fixture and let itdry completely.
Soldering iron: Large soldering ironswith a tubular end are ideal. Clamp theiron upright in a vise. While the ironheats, soak the strip of wood in tapwater. Some modelers prefer bendingaround the tube near the handle (it’s notas hot), while other use the shank. Movethe strip back and forth against the iron.Its heat turns water into steam and dri-ves it into the wood. The trick is to waituntil you feel the wood wanting to yieldbefore starting the bend. Begin too soonor apply too much pressure and thestrip will break.
The wood dries rapidly, so care must betaken to avoid scorching. Resoak andreapply it to the iron until the desiredshape is achieved. Once the piece isformed, it can go directly on the model.Because the wood’s memory has beenpermanently altered, it will never springback to its former shape, meaning nostress on any timber or fasteners. Spendsome time acquainting yourself withthis method and you’ll never botherwith fixtures again.
STAGE 1
8
Fig. 1-1 Center Keel Assembly
Wax paper or plastic wrap
Weight
Glue joint let dry 24 hrs.
Building board 3/4" particleboard recommendedUse straight edge to
align reference lines
Fig. 1-2 Installing the Keel, Stem & Sternpost
Taper first
Pre-fit joint before gluing
Pins or dowels as needed for alignment
Wipe off glue squeeze-out
Fig. 1-3 Cutting the Rabbet into each side of Center Keel
Fit a scrap piece of plank as you carve
Plank
Amidships
Bearding line
Rabbet
Aft and bow
Chisel out
Bearding line
Cut 1/16" deep
Fig. 1-4 Cutting Bulkhead Bevels
Cut beveland sand
Inboard bevel
Mark bevel
Glue
2. Center Keel Assembly
The first step in constructing the hull isto assemble the two laser-cut center keelpieces. First, use a sharp pencil andmark the bulkhead locations below theslots and reference line (used to locateBulkheads A through O). Mark bothsides of the center keel piece. Be espe-cially critical in locating the referenceline, for it is a key to proper alignment.Take measurements from several pointson the plans to double check its position.
Cover a flat building board or tablewith a sheet of wax paper or plasticwrap, then place Parts 1 and 2 over it.Apply white or woodworker’s glue tothe joint. Align the reference line with asteel or aluminum straightedge. Place aweight on each piece to hold it downwhile the glue dries for 24 hours (Figure 1-1).
3. Installing the Keel, Stem, and Sternpost
Add the keel, stem, and sternpost. Taperthe stem as shown on the plans beforeinstalling. Use dowels to align and holdthe pieces (Figure 1-2).
Option: Some modelers prefer to cut therabbet before adding the keel. Thechoice is yours.
4. Cutting the Rabbet
If the keel is in place, the rabbet is theglue line between it and the center keel.The bearding line is the intersection ofthe center keel and the inside surface ofhull planks. Measure its position fromthe plans, then mark the bearding lineon both sides of the sternpost, keel, andstem. With a hobby knife, cut a 1/16”deep rabbet on both sides of the centerkeel and at the bow. This is so the 1/16”thick hull planking will fit flush. Cut onor slightly above the glue joint and takeyour time. For the long slope at thestern, switch to a straight chisel. Cutwith the grain to remove the woodbetween the bearding line and rabbet.The rabbet changes to follow the hull’sshape as it moves forward to the mid-ships area (Figure 1-3). Lastly, check-fitthe rabbet with a short length of 1/16”thick plank. Its outer edge should lieflush with the sides of the keel, stem,and sternpost.
9
Fig. 1-5 Gluing Bulkheads to Center Keel
Pin or tape
Glue
Square
Temporarywood strip
Align reference lines
Fig. 1-6 Temporary Battens for Hull Alignment
Tack temporarystrip both sides
Check keel withstraight edge
Check spacings
Check alignment visuallyin all directions
Fig. 1-7 Correcting Bulkheads at Bearding Line
Bearding line
Flush
Smooth flow into rabbet
Add shim
Trim if necessary
5. Installing the Bulkheads
Compare the laser-cut bulkheads with thepattern plan, determine which is which,and label them A through O. Test each tomake sure it will slide into the center keelslots. If the fit is too tight, sand the slotsuntil the bulkhead slips on. It should be asnug fit with a little tolerance for glue.
Using a pencil, mark the location of thereference line on each bulkhead. It mustalign with the reference line mark on thecenter keel. This assures an accurate hull,because each bulkhead is correctly relatedto the others.
Next, mark the bevels on the bulkheads.Use a tick strip to transfer the lines from theplans, or lay the pattern over the bulkheadand prick with a pin to locate the bevel. Cutthe bevels with a #11 hobby blade as shownin Figure 1-4. Deck bevels and the sidebevels amidships are not drawn, becausethey are hardly measurable. Sand these inafter the bulkheads are installed.
Glue the bulkheads in place. Make sureeach bulkhead’s reference line matches thecenter keel’s line. Use a small machinistsquare to set each bulkhead perpendicularto the center keel, then tack or tape a tem-porary strip to the top of the bulkhead tohold it in place while the glue dries (Figure 1-5).
Once the bulkheads are installed, tack or tapea temporary batten to each side of the hulljust below the deck (Figure 1-6). This is a crit-ical step. Measure the spacing between eachport and starboard bulkhead and retack thebattens until the hull is aligned. Although thecenter keel was assembled flat, it could warpand produce a banana-shaped hull. When itlooks correct, check it again.
Now examine the bottom of each bulkhead.It should feather out and lie precisely onthe bearding line. If not, trim until it does.Also check that the top of each bulkhead atthe centerline is flush with the top of thecenter keel. Since alignment is based on thereference marks, slight errors can occur.Sand or add shims until the bulkheads andcenter keel surfaces are flush (Figure 1-7).
Next, sand in the bevels that were not pre-cut. Check the hull’s fairness by laying a1/8” square basswood batten against thebulkhead edges (Figure 1-8). Correct bumpsand dips by sanding or adding shims. Thisis an important check. Hull planks must lieflat against the bulkheads. With Morgan’snumerous bulkheads, it’s possible for man-ufacturing or assembly errors to occur.
10
Fig. 1-8 Checking Hull Fairness with a Batten
Needs trim or shimdepending on fairness
with next bulkhead
Ok. Ok. Ok.
Needs trim Needs shim
Batten
Bulkhead
Fig. 1-9 Installing Stern Frames
This oneslopesinboard
Use temporary strips foralignment of frames
Cut slots
Bulkhead "O"
Counter block
Fig. 1-10 Installing the Bow Filler Block
Stanchion
Bow filler block
Bulkhead "A"
Rabbet
Carve to hull form
Slot for knighthead
6. Installing the Transom Framing
Follow the plans when carving thecounter block. Its bottom reflects thecounter curve, while its forward sidematches Bulkhead O. The aft side indi-cates the slope and curvature of the tran-som. At the center is a hole for the rud-der stock. Glue the counter block to thecenter keel and aft side of Bulkhead O.
Notch the counter block and add thetransom frame pieces. Later, the transomwill be planked on both sides. Figure 1-9illustrates the transom framing.
7. Installing the Bow and Stern Filler Blocks
Carve the blocks to the shape of the hull,then mount them forward of Bulkhead Aand aft of Bulkhead O. Their purpose isto add support where the planks make asevere curve. Although the planks stillneed steam bending, they are not as like-ly to break with the blocks in place. Inaddition, the bow block provides a solidbase for inserting timberheads andknightheads (Figure 1-10).
8. Covering the Mast Slots
Add the pieces shown on Sheet 2 to bothsides of the three mast slots in the centerkeel. Cut them from scrap wood. Gluesecurely, because access is impossibleonce the deck is planked. Since the slotsare larger than the actual timbers, mastscan be wedged in the hole when stepped.
9. Installing the Waterway, Planksheer, and Bulwark Stanchions
Add the waterway along the deck edge.Note that the waterway varies in thick-ness and shape from bow to stern. At thebow, it also goes from a thick piece into aheavy ceiling. Follow the plans.
The planksheer goes on top of the water-way. These laser-cut pieces have squareholes for the bulwark stanchions. Makesure the planksheer is properly located.At this point, it extends past the bulk-heads. After the hull planking is installed,the planksheer will protrude slightlybeyond that as well.
Next, add the bulwark stanchions. Gettheir correct angle from the hull plankinglayout on Sheet 2. Prior to gluing, clamp astrip on top of the stanchions for align-ment. When they are fair, secure the stan-chions with a touch of cyano (Figure 1-11).
10. Installing the Knightheads and Forward Timberheads
Make the knightheads and forward tim-berheads. Install the timberheads in theplanksheer notches and the knightheadsin the forward filler block notches.
11. Installing the Main Rail and Lashing Rail
Heavily curved main rail sections arelaser cut. Cut the other sections andinboard lashing rail from stripwood.Use pins or dowels to align and holdthem in place (Figure 1-12).
12. Installing the Topgallant Rail
The topgallant rail rests upon a log railthat sits on top of the main rail. The top-gallant rail’s curved sections are lasercut. Make the remaining sections fromstripwood. Use some pins or dowels tolocate and secure the rails (Figure 1-13).
Note: Knees at the stern connect themain and topgallant side rails to therails across the transom. Since theseknees will eventually be inside the hur-ricane house, they can be omitted.
11
Fig. 1-11 Using Batten to Align Bulwark Stanchions
Clamp temporary batten
Planksheer
Glue after all stanchions aligned
Waterway
Fig.1-12 Installing the Main Rail & Lashing Rail
Scarf joint
Main rail-stripwoodLaser cut section
Remove any glue squeeze-out
Lashing rail inboard
Pin and glue rail(cut off heads)
Future plank location
Make sure overhang is correct.must add planks later
Use one pin for both rails, orinstall separately using two
pins. Cut off heads
Fig. 1-13 Installing the Topgallent & Log Rail
Topgallent rail
Log rail
Remove glue squeeze-out
Planking the HullBefore starting, it’s a good idea to knowsome common shipbuilding terms thatapply to the planking process.
Plank: A single length of wood used toplank a hull or deck. A strake is a con-tinuous line of planks from wherever itbegins to where it ends.
Garboard strake: Planking adjacent tothe keel.
Sheer strake: Upper line of plankingon a hull.
Wale: A heavy layer of strakes below thesheer strake. On Charles W. Morgan, thewale’s top edge protrudes beyond thehull planking. However, no lower waleedge exists. The thicker wale planksgradually taper into the lower planking,so the hull is flush from the top edge ofthe wale down to the keel rabbet.
Belts: A group of planks along the hull.Belts are laid out using battens (tempo-rary strips of flexible wood). A ribbandis also a batten. It holds frames in posi-tion during planking. Ribbands areremoved as planking is completed.
Spiling: Process for marking and cuttinga plank to a given shape.
Edge-bending or springing: To bend aplank edgewise.
Fair: Refers to smooth, gradual curveswhen planking.
Nib or nibbing: To avoid a feather edgewhen a plank runs into another at a sharpangle, the plank is often cut off and insert-ed into a cut (nib) in the other plank.Nibbing generally applies to decks, butsometimes hull planks are nibbed.
Stealer: A plank inserted into anotherplank or between two adjacent planksto reduce their width. Or, when twoplanks taper toward a narrow end, itmay be necessary to cut off both planksand substitute a wider plank, therebyleaving enough wood for fastening.
Counter: Underside of the portion over-hanging the stern.
1. Getting Started
Mount the hull upside down in a vise orcradle. Whatever it is secured in shouldrotate. Planking is tedious and time-consuming. Think of each plank as aproject unto itself. Since hull sides areidentical, simultaneously cut one pair ofport and starboard planks to the shape.Fit the plank on one side, then the other.Don’t rush. Speed results in frustrationand a poor job.
2. Planking Battens and Belts
Hulls are easier to plank when dividedinto belts. Each is designed to lay theplanks against the bulkheads withoutexcessive edge bending. They sweep upat the ends like the deck sheer. Plankswithin a belt are usually evenly spaced,tapered, and fitted. Belts prevent errorsfrom accumulating.
When selecting a belt width and thenumber of planks it contains, considerhow the planks taper and lay againstthe bulkheads. Taper too much and notenough stock is left for fastening. Thena larger plank must be substituted fortwo planks to increase the width. Plankstoo wide won’t lay flat. In some areas,the distance between planks widensrather than tapers. If it becomes toowide, a stealer must be added. Whilethese alterations are acceptable andemployed on many ships, the best runof planking limits their number. (Figure2-1 illustrates some inserts.)
Sheet 2 shows the planking layout. Foreand aft views along with a profile viewprovide a complete picture.
3. Planking Butts
Planking butts are another thing to con-sider before starting. Few trees grow astall as ships are long. Consequently, realplanks were generally 20 or 30 feet long.Some builders think a plank as long asthe model is easier to use. They scribe infake butts or omit them. Although thiscan be done, working with shorterplanks has its advantages. For example,tapers mark quicker and only one handis needed to hold and fasten the plank.Should a mistake happen, just a smallpiece is affected. So, the following isbased on scale-length planks.
Because this is a plank-on-bulkheadmodel, butts must occur on bulkheadsand won’t simulate shipwright prac-tice. Use plank length to cover fourbulkhead spaces. However, to avoidstubby pieces at the bow and stern, alonger or shorter plank may be neces-sary to complete the run.
To emulate shipwright practice, staggerthe butts (Figure 2-2’s pattern is similar toa real ship). This also applies to deckplanking. Covering four bulkhead spacesfollows the rule; i.e., three full plankwidths between butts on a single frame.One plank covering three bulkheadspaces won’t work, because that leavesonly two full planks between butts.
12
STAGE 2
4. Spiling
Edge-bending planks on real ships isdone on a limited basis. Wood is rigid, somany planks must be cut to shape.Spiling (Figure 2-3) is simply a matter oftransferring curves to a straight plank,then sawing them out. The planking lay-out shows the required stealers. In mostcases, the basswood strips are flexibleenough to edge-bend in place.
5. Fastening the Planks
Some fancy, commercial plank clampsare more trouble than they are worth.Those that screw into the edge of bulk-heads leave a big hole to contend withwhen installing subsequent planks. It’sbest to hold or pin short planks inplace. Be careful not to split the plankwith the pins. If necessary, drill a pilothole first. Smear a light film of white orwoodworker’s glue along the edge ofthe plank with your finger, then toucheach bulkhead with thin cyano toquickly affix the plank. Be careful notto glue your fingers to the model.
While glue alone will secure theplanks, small brass brads or woodentreenails provide additional holdingpower and duplicate shipwright prac-tice. If using brads, cut off and discardthe heads, then hammer in. Treenailsare commercially available, but makingyour own is easy. Buy a package oflong bamboo skewers, strip off shortlengths, and pull through a drawplateto the desired diameter. Drill holesthrough the plank into the bulkhead,dip the treenail in white or yellowglue, and drive in place. Another alter-native is to whittle flat toothpicks(round ones don’t work as well) to apoint. Place the entire toothpick in thehole, rap sharply with a 10-inch bastardfile, and break off the remaining por-tion. A file works better than a hammer,because its serrated surface catches andfirmly holds the head of the toothpick,permitting it to be driven in tightly.Exterior stubble is dressed and sandedsmooth when treenailing is completed.
6. Planking the Outer Hull
Belt Layout: Now the fun begins! Thehull, bow to stern, is divided into evenspaces from the main rail down to thetop of the wale. Rails and wale line arepreset lines that cannot be modified.Notice on the plans that planks are nar-rower forward than they are amidshipsand aft. Although this is how theyappear on the real ship, wider plankscould be used forward on the model.
13
Fig. 2-1 Planking Shown Using Stealer Inserts
Stealer
A. Planks getting too wide
B. Planks getting too narrow
Single plank insert
Fig. 2-2 Staggering the Planking Butts
Real ship: Must have 3 strakesbetween butts on same frame(model meets rule with plank
length selected)
Bulkhead
Real ship must be 5' or more (model meets rule)
Fig. 2-3 Spiling the Planks When Edge Bending Cannot be Accomplished
1. Plank already in place2. Wood: lay along bulkheadswithout edge bending
3. Use compass–run steel point along plank in place andmark parallel line on new plank with pencil end
4. Measure width andmark, draw curve
Cut out plank
Planking will require tapering fore andaft from the top of the wale down tothe keel. Consequently, the hull belowthe wale is divided into Belts Athrough D.
Morgan had no lower edge to herwales. They gradually tapered into theplanks, eliminating the step along thehull found on other ships.
On Sheet 2, use a tick strip to mark thetop-of-wale location and belt seams oneach bulkhead. Transfer these pointswith pencil to the model. Now, tem-porarily tack 1/16” x 3/32” basswoodbattens along the marks with lil pins.Battens assure an accurate run of planksby correcting any errors in drafting, tickstrip marking, or transferring. However,remember that the wale line is a givenand must follow the plans.
When the battens are in place, visuallycheck their flow. Look at the modelfrom the side and from the bow andstern. Do the battens have a pleasing,smooth curve? Are they symmetrical?Adjust the lower battens if necessary.The plans show what they should looklike from the side and ends. Wheneverything seems fair, make sure thebelt seams are clearly visible. Remarkthose that aren’t. Now, either removethe temporary battens or leave them inplace until they interfere withinstalling a plank.
Tapering Plank Edges: As planking pro-ceeds, the edges of a particular plankmay require tapering to butt flushagainst the adjacent plank.
Properly machined planks have squareedges. Butting them together on a hullmay produce a small gap. Most aresealed with glue or wood filler, orcaulked on a real ship. Plank edges areoften deliberately sloped to ensure theybutt against each other, while provid-ing a sufficient gap for caulking. Howthe plank runs determines whether itstop or bottom edge is tapered. Sometimesboth are. To create a perfectly smoothhull without gaps, trim each plank edgeas it is fit. The decision to taper or rely onfiller is yours.
Planking the Counter and Transom: Coverthe counter with 1/16” planks and tran-som with 1/32” planks. How the counterplanks intersect with the hull planks canbe done several ways. On the real ship,the joint is mitered (Figure 2-4). Add themouldings to the transom after theplanking is completed.
14
Fig. 2-4 Transom-Hull Plank Intersection Options
Counter plank
Joint mitered, or as option taperonly the hull plank when installed
Future hull plank
Section looking inboard
Plan view at sidesHull plank
Miter joint
Counter or transom plank
Option
Fig. 2-5 Installing First 2 Strakes in Belt A
ABCDEFHJKLNO M I G
Fastener at each bulkhead
Butts staggered between 1stand 2nd strake
PlanksheerTop of wale
Plank BHD D to H
L-S
K-S H-L G-K G-C H-D D-S C-S
SS
Fig. 2-6 Installing the Fashion Piece at Stern
Fore and aft view Side viewThis lower section curves forward
and inboard–carve to shape
Side Planking Above the Wale: Planking is3/64” thick from the top of the wale tothe planksheer. From planksheer tomain rail, it is 1/32” thick. These planksare fairly uniform in width from bow tostern and can be easily fitted.
Laying the Planks in Belt A: Planksbelow the wale are 1/16” thick. Belt Ahas ten strakes below the wale. Themaximum plank width is at BulkheadH (roughly 9” on the real ship or 1/8”on the model). Planks taper forward toabout 3/32” and widen going aft. Use1/8” wide strips for the midships area,3/32” forward, and 3/16” aft.
Lift the plank widths from the hullplanking layout with a tick strip. If youchanged the locations of the battens,divide the space on each bulkhead intoten equal plank widths. Set the slide onyour proportional dividers to the num-ber of planks in Belt A. Span the widthof Belt A with the long legs. The dis-tance between the points on the shortlegs is the width of each plank in thebelt. Mark these lines on the bulkheadswith a pencil.
The next step is to cut planks to fitbetween the marks. Belt A doesn’trequire spiling, so make straight taperedplanks. Start at Bulkhead H. Use fourplanks; one from Bulkhead H toBulkhead L, another from Bulkhead Lto the stern, Bulkhead H to BulkheadD, and Bulkhead D to the stem. First,lay a piece of planking stock overBulkheads H through L. In pencil, marktheir overall length on the plank, thenthe position of each bulkhead. Next,using a set of dividers or tick strip, liftthe plank widths from the marks on thebulkheads and transfer to the stock.Draw a line through the points and cutthe plank. Trace this tapered plank toobtain another for the other side of thehull. Repeat for the remaining planksin Belt A.
Install these planks on the hull. Followthe same procedure for the next strake,but stagger the butts. Install a plankfrom Bulkhead G to Bulkhead C,Bulkhead C to the stem, Bulkhead Gto Bulkhead K, and Bulkhead K to thestern. The hull now has four plankscomprising each strake from bow tostern (Figure 2-5).
Move down to the next plankingstrake. Stagger the butts starting atBulkhead F. Continue until this strakeis finished, then complete the others inBelt A. Most planks have a severe bendat the stern and must be steam bent.
Laying the Planking in Belt B and Belt C:These belts have 10 strakes about thesame width as those in Belt A. If thetemporary batten is still in place, removeit. Lay the planks for Belt B and Belt C,but remember to stagger the butts.
Laying the Planking in Belt D: This beltcontains the garboard strake (next tothe keel) and has only eight strakes.Near the stern are two stealers fittedper the plans.
Sheet 2 shows a complete planking pro-file. Follow it to determine the plankwidths in Belt D aft. The hull plankinglayout doesn’t show all the planks aft,so the profile view is necessary.
Plank Variations within a Belt: Suppose abelt has nine planks the same width,but the tenth plank must be wider tocomplete the belt. Cause for worry?Certainly not. No planking job, even onreal ships, is that precise. After all,these are hand-cut planks and slightvariances will occur. The importantthing is to keep their flow smooth.
Fashion Piece: When planking is com-pleted, add the fashion piece at thestern (Figure 2-6).
15
Fig. 2-7 Installing Deck Hatch Coaming Supports
Bulkhead Coaming
Center keel
Wood supportunder coaming
7. Planking Inboard (Ceiling Planks)
The inboard transom is covered with1/32” ceiling planks, as is the forwardarea under the anchor deck above thewaterway.
8. Deck Planking
Hatch and Companionway Coamings:Before planking the deck, decide howto treat the hatch and companionwaycoamings. We recommend shipwrightpractice. Glue all coamings on top ofthe appropriate bulkheads, then plankaround them to save work and materi-als. Be sure to glue and pin scrap woodunderneath the coaming’s three freesides prior to installation. This takesthe place of deck beams and provides apermanent landing for the planks(Figure 2-7). The alternative approachis to glue completed hatches and com-panionways on top of the deck, butthat affects their scale height.
Deck Planks: Main deck planks are1/16” thick. Anchor deck planks are1/32” thick. Planking runs parallel tothe centerline.
Prepare the strips by painting one edgeblack or dark brown to simulate deckcaulking. Or, attach the planks withbrown woodworker’s glue. It’s darkenough to pass for caulking.
Thick Pads: Laser-cut thick pads gounder the windlass knees and aroundthe mainmast. Fit these before plank-ing, then plank around them.
Procedure: Start deck planking at thecenterline and work outboard. Scrapeoff any glue that squeezes out beforeadding the next plank. Butts can beincluded or omitted. On the real ship,they don’t show up as readily as theseams. Butts can also be scribed in afterthe plank is laid. Since deck plankingdoesn’t curve like hull planking, usingstrips the length of the deck is okay. Ifdesired, fasten planks with brads ortreenails. See hull plank discussion.
Anchor Deck: Before planking theanchor deck, paint the areas under-neath it, then add the bowsprit bittsand edge beams. After planking theanchor deck, mount the forwardbreasthook.
Caution: Read the segment on StandingRigging - Fore and Aft Stays -Mainstay.Decide whether to temporarily omitsome anchor deck planking and thebreasthook to facilitate rigging themainstay. Also, the exact location forthe mainstay holes in the anchor deckmay not be known at this point.
16
Completing the Basic Hull Structure
1. Correcting and Sanding
Once all the planks are installed, exam-ine the hull. Rub wood glue in cracks oradd filler. When seams are filled, smoothhull and deck planks with sandpaper.
2. Coppering the Bottom
During the 1983 restoration, Morgan’scopper line was lowered to permitwork on her topside planking. ModelShipways’ plans show the original,higher line and as it appears now.
It’s time to decide whether to paint orcopper the underwater hull. While itmay seem a difficult task, coppering isfairly easy. It just takes patience.
The kit includes plain or adhesive-backed copper strips. Secure plain stripswith contact cement. Either apply a longstrip and scribe in overlapping butts, orcut the strips into plates and overlapthem following shipwright practice. Thelatter looks best.
The first step is to lay out the seams inpencil. No plan exists showing Morgan’sexact layout, so design your own or fol-low the author’s. It’s based on photos ofMorgan and other whalers.
With the model upside down, start lay-ing the copper plates at the keel andstern. Forward plates overlap aftplates, and upper plates overlap lowerones (Figure 3-1). To keep seamsstraight, line up the plates precisely onthe layout lines. If they are wavy, theeffect is awful. Add the basic side plat-ing first, then the plates capping thestem, sternpost, keel, and rudder.
Gore Ends: On the plans are belts withgore ends; i.e., where plates go underothers (Figure 3-2). If the plates are leftsquare on the ends, their outline mayshow through the upper belt plates.
Nailing: Some modelers like to simulatethe nails in plating by indenting thecopper with a sharp point. This is easi-ly overdone, especially when too big anail is used. If it doesn’t look scalelike,forget it.
Coloring: Copper plates will tarnishnaturally or can be chemically treatedwith Patina-It. This turns them a blue-green. A solution of sal-ammoniac(available from a drugstore) and vine-gar will do the same, or simply use awash coat of paint over the copper.There are different schools of thoughtregarding plate coloring. Copper weath-ers only when exposed to air, such aswhen a ship is in drydock for an extend-ed period. Some say the patina wearsaway once the ship is back in water. Thechoice is yours, but weathered copperdoes give the model a salty look.
3. Natural Wood, Double Plank Option
Most wooden ships had one layer ofexternal planking. However, manybuilders are familiar with double-planked European kits or want a naturalwood finish typical of Navy Board mod-els. Even though Morgan should bepainted, its hull can be double planked.Purchase 80 strips of 0.5mm x 5mm x 20”mahogany, walnut, or some other hard-wood from Model Expo for the task.
Double planking will cover the existingbasswood, but leave the rails exposed.Solve this by substituting your wood ofchoice when adding the rails, cappingthem with the new strips, or stainingthem a similar color.
Follow the basswood planking process.You may want to work with longerstrips, since the basswood alreadydefines the plank shapes. Simply liftdimensions from the hull and cut thewood. When completed, sand and finishthe hull with Floquil oil or glaze, or tungoil. Finally, add a coat of wax and polish.
17
Fig. 3-2 Gore Ends of Copper Belts
Lower belt
Upper belt
Gore ends-cut plates to just lapunder the upper belt
Fig. 3-1 Installing Copper Sheathing
Cap plates fitted over keel,stem, sternpost and rudderKeel
Sternpost
STAGE 3
Mounting the Hull
Before proceeding farther, mount the hullto prevent damaging fittings when han-dling the model. Proper mounting isimportant, because future alignments willrequire a true waterline. This kit containstwo brass pedestals and a baseboard fordisplaying the model. A second option,called the launching ways, can be made byhand or purchased. Feel free to deviseyour own approach. To avoid damagingthe base, mount the model to a flat, truework board until finished. The method ofmounting remains the same.
Models should be cased to protect themfrom dirt and damage. Furthermore, mostcompetitions require entries to be cased. Acase is a cheap insurance policy. However,the kit’s baseboard may be too small to serveas the base for the case. A case’s outsidediameter should be 4” longer than the model(2” fore and aft), 4” wider (2” port and star-board) and 2” higher. If the baseboard does-n’t measure 34-3/4” long by 14-1/8” wide,make a new one to accept a case.
1. Baseboard with 2 Pedestals
Round the top edges of the baseboard orcut a simple chamfer. Those with access toa router can cut mouldings along theedges. Paint or stain the baseboard.Alternatives: Prefinished baseboards areavailable or make your own from cherry,walnut, bubinga, or rosewood.
Mount the model so the copper line is par-allel to the baseboard. Drill pilot holes inthe keel and baseboard for the pedestalscrews. If something goes awry and thebalance is off, add a brass shim under onepedestal to correct it.
2. Launching Ways
Launching or building ways, available asa kit from Model Expo, is another methodof mounting. It is most suitable for modelswithout sails. Drill the keel to accept therods anchoring the model to the ways.Launching ways are easily adapted tomounting on the baseboard and permitthe builder to create a mini-diorama basedon a shipyard activity. Follow directions inthe launching ways kit to achieve theproper waterline level.
Note: Stain or paint the baseboard orlaunching ways before mounting the hull.
Adding Hull Details
1. Locating Deck Furniture
If hatch and companionway coamingswere not installed when planking thedeck, it’s time to locate them along withthe hurricane house, deckhouse, veg-etable bin, skylight, amidships shelter(boat bearer), crew’s head, bilge pumps,bitts, catheads, windlass, chocks, cleats,eyebolts and ringbolts, chain pipes,hawse pipes, stern eagle, tryworks,workbench, scrap hopper, cooling tank,boat davits, and fife rail.
To locate items, measure from a knownbenchmark such as the centerline or centerof a mast. Mark positions lightly in pencil.While eyebolts, cleats, and other fittingsassociated with rigging can wait, installingthem while working on the deck is a goodidea. Once they’re mounted, varnish thedeck. Then, when rigging commences, thefittings are ready and waiting.
2. Deck Structures
The crew’s head, aft hurricane house,amidships shelter, deckhouse, and berthduplicate planked structures. Tick offdimensions from the plans (Figure 5-1gives some ideas). The amidships sheltercomes with laser-cut knees. After 1906,
Morgan had a tryworks shelter, but itwasn’t included during the 1983restoration.
Notice the tool racks hanging under theamidships shelter. For added detail,place harpoons or other gear in the racks.
Most planked structures have pro-nounced seams. Sand their edges a littleto emphasize those joints when glued.Check the plans for other fittings thatmay be easier to install before the furni-ture is added. Think about paintingbefore mounting. Don’t back yourselfinto a corner.
Option: Those who prefer not to plankthe structures can substitute the sheetbasswood. Leave it plain or scribe plankseams with a sharp pointed instrument.Commercially scribed planking sheetsare also available. Although the scoresare a little wide for Morgan’s scale, theyare visually effective.
3. Skylight
The aft skylight is an interesting, buttedious structure to construct (Figure5-2 ). For the panes, use sheet plasticor microscope slide covers with theback painted light blue. Panes can beleft clear, but paint the area under theskylight black if not detailed. Cut mul-lions and stringers from brass rod orwire; or, fake it and paint on the divid-ing bars. Eliminate some if too tedious.Even with less than the correct num-ber, the visual effect will be good.
STAGE 4
STAGE 5
18
19
Fig. 5-1 Building Deck Structures
1/32" thick vertical or horizontal planking
3/32"-1/8" sq. corneror mid-house post
Option-use solid or scribed sheet
Plank backing strip
Dowel foralignmentCoaming
Overhead planking
MoldingsBeam and post
space about 1" oncenters
A. Typical construction
C. Panel doors
B. Corners and tops
D. Companionway
Glue together
Scribed lineOption
1/64"-1/32" thick
Sliding top
Slide
TopCut out if top tobe left open
1/16" Sq.
Plank
Fig. 5-2 Skylight ConstructionHinged top 3 sections
9 rods
Drill holes for rod in woodstrip, or slot bottom of strip
with saw
Coaming
FWD.
Option for rods
Glue
Clear orpaint light
blue
Plastic sheet or glass inside frame
5 brass rods
Wood panel painted lightblue with light yellow ochre
painted bars
4. Hatches and Gratings
If the coamings are installed, make thehatch covers or gratings. Precedenceexists for displaying the model withhatches covered. Gratings on the hatch,and companion doors are to provideventilation at Mystic Seaport. They arenot historical, so use only solid coversand doors to represent the original ship.Making gratings is no longer a lot ofwork. The laser-cut material can beassembled two ways (Figure 5-3). Edge-to-edge gluing produces a thinner, morerealistic grating. It seats in the hatch bet-ter and the ledges need not be so deep.
5. Tryworks and Workbench
The tryworks is interesting, but tricky tomake (Figure 5-4 ). Chimneys, pots, sideknees, and sliding fire doors are Britanniafittings. Make the tryworks structure fromwood strips or sheets. Paint the brickareas to look like bricks. It may be possi-ble to find printed brick paper sheets inhobby catalogs. Hang the sliding firedoors by drilling a hole in each hinge tab,then inserting a brass rod. Don’t forget toadd the ring to the side knees.
Make the workbench and chicken coopfrom stripwood (Figure 5-5). The plansshow where to glue the Britanniabench vise.
6. Grindstone
Although a cover hides the round stone,add a brass wire to represent its crankhandle. (Scratch build the grindstone ifthe stone is to be visible.) Because thegrindstone is portable, position it any-where on the deck near the workbench.The plan location need not be followed.
7. Ladders
Each side of the anchor deck has a ladder(actually steps); another leads to the hur-ricane house, and the other is on the rail.Fabricate them from 1/64” thick wood.Delicate ladders enhance a model, so donot make them too thick. Use the fixtureshown in Figure 5-6 to align the partswhile gluing.
8. Galley Stack
The galley stack has a pad at its base.Notice that the Britannia fitting is basedon Mystic’s plans. However, a recent photo reveals a taller stack. If desired,duplicate it from brass tubing.
20
Fig. 5-3 Assembly of Grating Strips
A. Egg crate fashion
B. Edge to edge (preferred)
Fig. 5-4 Building the Tryworks
Chimney casting
Painted bricks
Sheath with copper or paint copper color
Top
Backpanel
Hinged duck pen lid
Basic water tank frameBrass or paper strip corner straps
Painted brick hearth area
Curve to fitdeck camber
Fill (floor of tryworks-paint black or ash
color)
Front panel(painted bricks)
Fire door casting
Side panel
Add ring
Kneecasting
Rod
Eyebolt
Fig. 5-5 WorkbenchTop-leave gap between boards
Bench vise goes here
Fake drawer
Slats-front and back
Bottom of chicken coop
Trim
Door
9. Main Fife Rail and Bilge Pumps
Make the bitts and fife rail from wood.Stanchions are Britannia. Britannia bilgepumps secure to the rail, so drill holesin the deck to accept them. Peg the fiferail bitts to the deck with a dowel, orcut a square hole in the deck per Figure5-7. In any case, make the attachment asecure one, for belayed lines will putstress on the rail.
The foremast and mizzenmast have aspider band, but no fife rail. This will bediscussed later.
10. Chain Pipes
Right next to the main fife rail are twochain pipes. Drill a hole in the deck foreach one. To display the pipes withsome chain going down them, bore ahole in the Britannia fittings.
11. Windlass
Windlass barrel, purchase quadrants,pawl, and brake crosshead are Britan-nia. Make the pawl bitt from strip-wood. Carrick bitts, knees, and thedeck insert pad are laser-cut woodpieces. Fashion brake handles and thequadrants’ connecting links from brass(Figure 5-8).
The symmetrical windlass barrel isbased on Mystic’s drawings. However,in 1990 the windlass was modified toreflect Morgan in her 1885-1905 config-uration, and this is presented as anoption. In 1886, a ring gear was addedto the starboard end of the windlassand covered with a wooden box. Asteam donkey engine and bailer wereinstalled below deck to operate thewindlass. If following this modifica-tion, add the wooden box.
12. Catheads and Anchors
Make the catheads from wood. Anchorsare Britannia. If desired, substitute awood stock for the Britannia one; other-wise, paint it to resemble wood. Stowthe anchors per Figure 5-9. Each catheadhas a thumb cleat. These are forstowage and the anchor release chain.
21
Stile
Tread
Snug fit
Stile holder
Fig. 5-6 Building Ladders
Relocate for various widths
Length stop
Tread holder (angle slots)
Ladder jig
Fig. 5-7 Main Fife Rail
Pump casting
Stanchion Casting
Thumb cleat Dowel
Bitt
Fig. 5-8 Windlass
Brass
Solder
Pump handle
Wood
Wood block Support rod
Crosshead casting
Connecting rodbrass wire
Connecting linkbrass wire
Quadrant casting on windlass
Note: Handle iron isrectangular, but
brass rod can beused on model
13. Deck Bitts, Fluke Pipe, and Belly Chain Chock
A whaler has three important bitts andcorresponding chocks on its starboardside. Forward is the fluke chain bitt towhich a chain is attached. It feedsthrough the fluke pipe in the hull. Thechain is tied to the whale’s tail whencutting-in. At midships is the bellychain bitt. A chain feeds through thebelly chain fairlead chock at the rail. Aftis the head bitt. Its chain feeds throughone of the oblong chocks along the rail.
Make the bitts from wood and a brasspin (Figure 5-10 ). Chocks and flukepipe are Britannia. Drill and file thecorrect diameter hole in the deck forthe fluke pipe, then glue it in place.Unless the model will be displayedwith a whale alongside, omit the chain.Or, tie the chain to the bitts and pilesome on deck beside them.
14. Port Rail and Whaleboat Loggerheads
Loggerheads are Britannia. Drill andglue them to the port rail and in eachwhaleboat as shown on the plans.
15. Mooring Chocks and Hawse Pipes
The forward round mooring chock,oblong chocks along the rail, andanchor hawse pipes are Britannia.Mount them per the plans. Make cavilsfrom stripwood and install along theinside of the bulwarks.
16. Open Chocks, Starboard Rail Chock, and Cleats
Along the rails are small cleats andopen chocks in addition to a largeropen chock on the starboard rail. Theseare Britannia. Install according to theplans. Glue and peg if a rigging linewill put strain on them.
17. Eyebolts
Eyebolt locations are shown on the hulland rigging plans. The kit has a suffi-cient number of them. Drill a hole toaccept each one. Using a toothpick orMicrobrush, spread a thin film ofcyano on the bolt, then insert. Don’toverdo the glue. Tug on the eyebolt tocheck that it will not come out.
22
Fig. 5-9 Anchor Stowage
Anchor deckAnchorlashingrings
Inboard
Outboard
Toggle thru chain
ChainChain
23
Eyebolts are simply wire bent into aloop. To close the loop, touch with a lit-tle solder or epoxy. Figure 5-11 showsan easy way to produce scale eyebolts.
18. Rudder and Steering Wheel
Although the rudder is laser-cut, itmust be shaped according to the plans.Create pintles and gudgeons from paperor brass sheet (Figure 5-12). Afterinstalling the rudder, make the tillerfrom wood and strap it to the rudderstock. The steering wheel, posts, and linedrum are Britannia. Fit these to the tiller.Rig the wheel per the plans.
19. Cutting Stage
Make the cutting stage and its post fromwood, then rig as shown on the plans.The stage can be presented in its low-ered or stowed position (Figure 5-13 ).Don’t forget to leave gaps between theplanks. This platform had to drain fastto prevent the mates from slipping whilecutting blubber from the whale.
20. Whaleboat Davits, Bearers (Lashing Posts), Cranes, and Slides
Davits are laser cut. Make the lashingposts, cranes, and slides from strip-wood. They look like metal in photos,but are actually oak. Longhorn cleatsand snatch blocks are britannia. Note:Cleats are higher on the aft port andstarboard davits to clear the hurricanehouse. Make the davit stays from brasswire fitted into eyebolts (Figure 5-14).
No two davit pairs have the same spac-ing, so double check the plans whenlocating them. Since every whaleboat isidentical, their lifting eyes may not lineup with every davit set. This is no prob-lem, because the tackle is either slightlyin or out. To achieve vertical, paralleltackle, adjust the lifting eyes on eachboat to correspond with its davit set.
Morgan has a pair of straight davits at thestern. Mystic Seaport installed them basedon photographic records, but has no ideawhat their function was. They may be foranother whaleboat or workboat.
21. Whaleboats
Five whaleboats hang from davits andtwo are stowed upside down on theamidships shelter. Inboard detail canbe omitted for the stowed boats.
These whaleboat models areunique. Instead of the usualBritannia casting or solid hull, ModelShipways has laser-cut lifts forbread-and-butter construction(Figure 5-15). When hollowing thesehulls, the challenge is to carve them asthin as possible without breakingthrough the wood.
End tabs on each lift will assist withalignment. The wide tab is the sternand the narrow one the bow. Each
lift from tab end to tab end is the samelength. When assembling the lifts,keep the tabs in line. Use only a thincoat of white or woodworker’s glue.Too thick a layer willaffect the hull’s over-
all height. You can also use cyano.
Hollow the boat with chiselsand sandpaper. Carve or
sand the insidecorners to the
intersection of two lifts. When all issmooth, the shape should be correct.Next, cut off the tabs and carve or sand
Fig. 5-10 Deck Bitts
Fluke chain,belly, and headbitts all similar
Chamfer
Brass pin
Dowel
Fig. 5-11 Easy Eyebolts
Drill bit to suiteye diameter
desired
Touch of super glue
Twist wire-size tosuit scale
Drill hole
Fig. 5-12 Installing the Rudder
Brass or paper
strap
Tiller
Brass or paper strip
Pin (solder, epoxy, or omit)
Pin or Glue pintle andgudgeon
Rudder should already havecopper sheathing
Glue or solder cut off ends
Blocks on shrouds
Fig. 5-13 Cutting in Stage
Position stowed
Wood rail
Wire
Solder Secure inside rail
Post
the exterior hull to its correct profile. Becareful; the hull is becoming thin. Maketemplates from the body lines to finetune the hull’s shape. Add the keel andrudder and the basic hull is done.
Carving a small boat hull is difficult.One way to check its thickness is shownin Figure 5-16. This is a homemade dou-ble-ended caliper. Commercial metalones are too big for model work.
Carving Option: Temporarily omittingthe bottom lift might make hollowingthe hull easier. Carve the inside close towhat is required, then glue on the bot-tom lift and complete the carving. Or,carve the hull to the inside of the ceilingplanks, add those planks, then installframes above the ceiling as shown onthe plans. This is a good approach,because the hull is thin and fragile.
How much detailing to include is anindividual choice. Soles, frames,thwart knees, moulding, and otheritems shown on the plan add to themodel, but might be a little difficult tomake. Don’t be afraid to try. Just keepthe scale in mind.
Whaleboat Gear: The kit provides a Bri-tannia loggerhead plus small and largeline buckets. Fabricate the oars, har-poons, and small buckets from woodand brass wire. These are fun to makeand really add to the look of themodel. Everything is on the plans.
Colors: Whaleboat colors are based onthose at Mystic Seaport.
22. Ship’s Name
The stern and forward hull sides carrythe ship’s name. The best way to addthis detail is to buy dry transfer letters(available at art and office supply storesor model railroad shops). After applying,give the letters a coat of flat varnish.
23. Miscellaneous Boxes
Make the cooling tank, scrap hopper bythe tryworks, and vegetable bin aftfrom stripwood (Figure 5-17). Becausethe real cooling tank is copper, brasssheet can be used if desired.
24. Stern Eagle, Stars,and Billethead
24
Fig. 5-14 Whaleboat Davit Stowage
Davit
Varies for each davit
Stay brass
Eyebolt
Lash
Thimble
Lashing lineBearer
Coil
Channels
Slidewood
Copper rubstrake
Boat slide Crane under boat
Eyebolt
Pad under boat keel
Lashing line
Eyebolt
BearerStaybrass
Pintle
Eyeboltgudgeon
Fig. 5-15 Building the Whaleboats
1
2
3
Laser cut lifts
1. Align tabs on all lifts asyou glue up lifts
Stern Bow
2. Cut off tabs to correct hullprofile after lift glue is dry
Centerboard caseOar locks
Thwarts and knees
Rails
Molding
Frames
Ceiling andfloor
3. Carve/sand interior/exteriorto hull lines
4. Add keelafter carving
Cuddy boardand bow box
5. Complete the details(follow plans)
The stern eagle and billethead are Bri-tannia. Paint on the stars at the stern.
25. Sea Ladder and Portlights
Morgan has sea ladders (wooden steps)on either side of the hull. Round port-lights and the rectangular one can besimulated by drilling a shallow hole inthe hull, then painting it black.
26. Channels
Either fashion the channels from strip-wood and install them now, or waituntil it’s time to make the chainplates.Consult Stage 9 for chainplates andchannel details.
At this point, the model has a consider-able amount of fittings on board. Takeanother look, correct mistakes, andtouch up paint blemishes. Go over theplans again. Has anything beenmissed? When all is satisfactory, getready for the masts and spars.
Mast and Spar Construction
1. Shaping and Tapering Masts and Spars
Masts and spars are drawn to scale onthe plans. Dowels for provided, butrequire final tapering. A dowel, becauseit is round, is difficult to taper. The bestapproach is to taper the dowel from itsmaximum diameter to square at theends, then eight-sided. Sand to achievefinal rounding. This prevents a dowelfrom becoming an oval (Figure 6-1).
Although a little tricky, dowels can betapered by chucking them into an elec-tric drill or lathe. As the dowel turns,taper with sandpaper.
Experienced modelers file masts andspars from square stock, because mark-ing tapers is easier. Applewood isexcellent here, because its dense, twist-ed grain is strong and resilient.
2. Building and Installing the Masts
25
Fig. 5-16 Homemade Double-Ended Caliper
"A" "B"
Pin or bolt at center
Gap "A" must equal gap "B" if ends donot touch, sand one end until both
ends touch (zero gap)
Model hull
1/16" plywood
Gap is hull thickness
Fig. 5-17 Miscellaneous Boxes
Wood or brass
Tie downring
Bottomof tank
Rivetedcorners
Open top scrap hopper
Corner post
Slats
Edge moldingcover slat ends
Vegetable binCopper cooling tank (open top)
After squaring mast heads to theirproper width, cut the tenon or tongueat the top (Figure 6-2).
On most ships, the heel of the topmastsand topgallant masts has a rectangularor square section. Although therestored Morgan’s heels are round likethe rest of the mast, they do have a fidslot. Drill this hole, then shape it with afile. The fid, a rectangular or squarepin, prevents the mast from fallingthrough the top (Figure 6-3).
After completing the basic masts, drillholes for the required sheaves (pulleys).A sheave is used for yard halliard tyes.Once a line runs through a hole, it’simpossible to tell if a sheave is present,so don’t install real ones.
Mast Bands: Use brass or paper strips forthe mast bands. Figure 6-4 shows someoptions. Fit the bands on the spars assoon as they are tapered. Do not installeyebolts or other fittings that could pre-vent attaching the mast bands, or tubsfor the upper topsail yards.
Mast Caps, Tops, Trestletrees, Crosstrees, andSpreaders: Although mast caps are laser-cut, some filing may be necessary if theholes don’t fit the masts. Glue eyebolts inthe mast caps per the plans.
The basic platform for the fore and maintops and the curved supports are laser-cut. Make the other straight parts fromstripwood (Figure 6-5). Tops are simpleand fun to do.
Fashion trestletrees, crosstrees, and top-mast spreaders from stripwood. Curvedcrosstrees are laser cut. Figure F-6 illus-trates the mizzen crosstree assembly.
Eyebolts, Jackstay, Boom and Gaff Fittings,and Spider Bands: The mizzenmast andyards have wooden jackstays for securingthe spanker. Jackstays are laser-cut andabout the right size for the mizzenmastand lower yards, but a little large for thetopgallant and royal yards. Slightly sandthe strips or make new jackstays from1/32” square stock (Figure 6-7). Pin andglue them to the spars.
Cyano a large eyebolt to the spankerboom and gaff. The masts have smallereyebolts for rigging. Check the plans fortheir locations, drill a hole, and cyano the
26
STAGE 6 Fig. 6-1 Shaping & Tapering the Masts and Spars
Straight line - No!
Desired curve. Mathematically aparabola, but very close to arcof a circle. Simply taper spar
gradually toward the end.
Bottom of mast, max. dia. ofgaff / boom, or Cl. of yard
round
1st cut to square 2nd cut to octagon 3rd sand round
Fig. 6-2 Squaring the Mast
1. Slot with razor saw
2. Slice square
3. Cut tenon
Fig. 6-3 Fid in Topmast Heel
Fid
Rectangular hole in mast
eyebolt in place.
Britannia spider bands may need theirholes filed before they will slip on themasts. It may also be necessary to reamtheir belaying pin holes. Option: Addthe belaying pins before installing thespider bands.
Note: The mainmast spider band is highabove the deck, probably so it won’tinterfere with the fife rail. This is unusu-al, but that’s how it is on the real ship.Sailors belayed lines by climbing on thefife rail.
Fairleads, and Stay Leads: The fore andmainmasts have wooden fairleads forrunning lines, in addition to cleats and achock for the main and mizzenstays.Add these per the rigging plans.
Mast Assembly: With parts made and pre-fitted, assemble tops, caps, crosstrees, andtrestletrees on the lower masts, topmasts,and topgallant masts. Before gluing, checkto make sure the lower mast, topmast,and topgallant mast align. Check the pro-file and fore and aft views. Adjust theupper mast heel holes if necessary.
Option: Some modelers like to build mastassemblies as they rig; install lowermasts, do the shrouds and lower stays,then add the topmasts, etc. Just keepchecking the alignment at each level.
Mast Wedges and Mast Installation: Alaser-cut ring represents the mast coat(Figure 6-8). Shape these parts by filingthe edge. Slip a mast coat over the mastbefore stepping it. Add slivers of woodas necessary to jam the mast in the hole.Check the alignment forward, aft, andathwartships, so it matches the plans.Finally, slide the mast coat down andglue to the deck.
The foremast coat is shaped differentlyfrom the main and mizzen coats. Thiswas observed from photographs.
3. Building and Installing the Bowsprit and Jibboom
Make the bowsprit from square strip-wood. It has an unusual shape with aflat top. Taper the wood, then cut thetenon for the cap (Figure 6-9). Althoughthe bowsprit cap is laser-cut, enlargeand angle its holes and taper the topand bottom edges. The jibboom is a sim-ple tapered spar. Drill holes to representsheaves for the stays.
Add the bees and various eyebolts for
rigging. Assemble the cap and jibboomon the bowsprit. Be careful and align itcorrectly before gluing. Mortise the aftend of the jibboom into the block at thebow as shown on the plans.
Insert the bowsprit through the opening inthe bow, seat it between the bitts. Checkthe side angle and make sure it lines upwith the centerline.
Dolphin Striker: Hook the dolphin strikerinto the proper eyebolt on the bowspritcap. It can hang loose until rigging begins.
4. Building the Yards
The yards are made now, but installedas rigging progresses. Footropes areincluded at this point, because they areeasier to do with yards in hand. Theyand spar details are shown on the plans(Figure 6-10). Paint the yards as they arefinished. Then they will be ready tomount when rigging starts.
5. Building the SpankerGaff and Boom
Complete these spars in hand as much
27
Fig. 6-4 Making Mast Iron BandsTo form wrap arounddrill rod or dowelsame diameter asspar it fits
Option glue paperstrip on spar
Solder - this canrepresent the bolted
flange
Install band, then drill holes inspar for eyebolts - glue
Eyebolt
Brass strips
Wire link
Pin and solder
Pin hole for securingband to spar
Pin to holdparts whilesoldering
Solder
Cut off and shape withfile - drill hole first
Band for yard slingsand halliard tyes Optional method
Fig. 6-5 Building the Tops
Drill fairlead and shroud holes
Crosstree
Laser cut parts
Cross frame
Taper lower edge
Trestle trees
Cheek knee
Fig. 6-6 Mizzen Crosstree Assembly
Crosstree
Fairlead block
Hole for shroud
Metal cover plateTrestle tree
as possible. They will be installed later.
Note: The maximum diameter of thegaff and boom is not at the center, butabout one-third out from the forwardend. This is not clearly seen on theplans. Gaff and boom are tapered justlike a yard, only the taper begins at adifferent place.
The spanker boom and gaff have a hookgooseneck (Figure 6-11).
General Rigging andSailmaking InformationNewcomers to the nautical worldshould learn the following riggingterms. Old salts can skip this part andgrab a mug of grog.
1. Each edge and corner of a sail has aname. On a square sail, the top is thehead, the bottom the foot, and the sidesthe leech. Lower corners are the clews.On a fore-and-aft sail, the top is thehead, bottom the foot, aft side the leech,and forward side the luff. The lower for-ward corner is the tack, aft lower cornerthe clew, upper forward corner thethroat, and the aft upper corner the peak.A triangular sail is similar, except theupper corner is called the head. It hasno throat or peak.
2. Standing rigging: Fixed lines support-ing masts and spars. Standing rigging isgenerally tarred; hence, it is black ordark brown.
3. Shrouds: Transverse lines supportingmasts. Deadeyes are wood and havethree holes for reeving the lanyard.
28
Fig. 6-7 Making a Wooden Jackstay
Wood strip
Pin to spar
Cut between file indents
Use round hand file or rotary power drill
Fig. 6-8 Mast Coats
Fore mast shape Main and mizzen mast shape
Laser cut ring
Fig. 6-9 Making the Bowsprit
SquareFlat on Top
Round
Tenon for cap
Groove forForestay
Bee
Fig. 6-10 Yard Details
Cleats on mizcrossjack yard
Jackstay
Sling or halliard tye bandTruss / sheetblock band
Iron bandHole represents sheave for sheets
Stirrup and footropes
Truss(varies)casting
Yoke on top-gallent androyal yards
(wood)
Fig. 6-11 Boom & Gaff Gooseneck
Eyeball in mast
Brass band
Wire hook
Lanyards are lines used to tightenshrouds, stays, or other lines. On mod-ern ships, metal turnbuckles havereplaced deadeyes. A heart or bullseye issimilar to a deadeye, except it has onelarge hole. They are used for more per-manent installations.
4. Chainplates: Iron bars or rods holdingthe deadeyes. Topmast shrouds have nochainplates. Instead, rods or lines runfrom the deadeye or bullseye to themast band. These are called futtockshrouds. If they go just to the lowershrouds, they generally tie to a woodenor metal rod called a futtock stave.However, this is not the case on Morgan.
5. Footropes: Lines seamen stand on whenworking and furling sails. Stirrups holdthe footropes.
6. Stays and backstays: Lines supportingthe masts from fore and aft forces. Arunning backstay has a movable tackle ondeck. Morgan has no running backstays.
7. Bobstays: Support the bowsprit fromupward loads. Guys support the jib-boom and bowsprit from side forces.Bowsprit guys are sometimes called
bowsprit shrouds. Bowsprits occasionallyhave a vertical strut below the jibboomcap to increase the stays’ downwardpulling force back to the hull. This strutis the martingale or dolphin striker, andMorgan has one. Head stays runthrough the jibboom, down to the dol-phin striker, and back to the bow.Martingale stays are separate, and startat the jibboom rather than continuingfrom the head stays.
8. Running rigging: Lines that move,reeve through blocks, or operate sailsand spars.
9. Blocks: Wooden or metal shells withsheaves (pulleys) for handling lines. Apurchase (tackle) consists of severalblocks and a line to provide a mechanicaladvantage for handling sails and spars.
10. Halliards or halyards: Lines for raisingand lowering a sail, yard, boom, gaff, orflag. The part of a halliard attached to ayard is called a tye. For gaffs, the outerhalliard is the peak halliard. At the gaffjaws is a throat halliard, named for thepart of the sail it operates. Downhauls,outhauls, and inhauls drag a sail along aboom or up and down a stay.
Sheets: hold the lower corners of a sail or
29
Constricter knot(will not loosen)
Clove hitch 1. Begin theknot
2. Wrap 3. Tuck and glue
Starter knots
Regular procedure
– Glue – Eye splice
2. Wrap1. or 1.
Fig. 7-1 Seizing the Lines
Fig. 7-2 Homemade Rigging Tools
Brass rod
Wooden handle
Push
Pull
File out head of a steele orplastic crochet needle
Make severallengths
Flatten end of a rod,then file to shape
STAGE 7
boom. When not in use, sails are furled(bundled on the yard, boom, or mast).Clew lines pull up the corners of asquare sail, leechlines pull up the sides,and buntlines pull up the belly for furlingthe sail. Brails are like buntlines, exceptthey pull loose-footed fore-and-aft sailstoward the mast for furling. Bowlines,attached to the sides of a square sail, pullit forward. These are used primarily on18th century and older ships.
11. Reef bands: Horizontal reinforcingbands on the sail. They have shortlengths of rope called reef points. Inheavy weather, sailors tie the reef pointsto a yard or boom to shorten the sail.
12. Parrels or parrals: Lines or devices forholding yards, booms, and gaffs to theirrespective masts and spars. A truss, jeer,and sling are similar to a parrel. Theseare lines or iron fittings holding a yardup and against the mast. They are mostcommon on the stationary lower yards.
13. Braces: Lines attached to the ends ofyards for directing their angles and hold-ing them taut. Lifts are standing or run-ning lines for holding yards when low-ered. A topping lift is a line holding up theend of a boom when the gaff is down orabsent. Vangs, port and starboard lines,prevent a gaff from swinging sideways.
1. Rigging Options
Like the real ship, the model can berigged four ways. The plans cover thedetails. It’s your choice, but considerthese comments.
Full set of sails including fore-and-aft andsquare sails: Not many modelers go tothis extreme. It’s a good approach, ifthe objective is to own one model likethat. However, the mass of sailsobscures most spar and deck details.Sails look better on a ship at sea.
Sails furled, yards lowered on their lifts:Here is a pleasing compromise. Realityis maintained without sacrificing detail.
Sails furled and hoisted: This creates the illusion of a ship in port with somesails still drying after a day’s run. Mixfurled sails with full open ones, or sailswith yards partially down. Use bunt-lines and clewlines to partially pull upsquare sails. Possibilities abound, solook for a pleasing effect. Study paint-ings for ideas. Marine artist JohnStobart’s work is an ideal reference.
No sails, yards lowered on their lifts: Nowthe ship is in port with her sailsremoved for repairs. Most modelers
choose this approach, and beginnersshould definitely opt for it.
2. Using the Detail and Rigging Plans
Sheets 5 and 6 show the masts andspars with attendant rigging. They aredrawn so every line is clear and itsbelaying point known. Study them andhave a complete picture of each rigbefore starting. Do this and rigging willproceed smoothly.
3. Rigging Line and Block Sizes
Because more line diameters are shownon the plans then provided in the kit,use the following guide:
Use every diameter available to enhancethe model’s scalelike appearance.Additional diameter lines are commer-cially available. Some modelers substi-tute the kit’s nylon cordage with linen
30
Fig. 7-3 Stropping Model Blocks
Twist
With hook
Wire strop
Line strop
Slip knot then glueGlue then cut off
Seize
Sail cloth
Tuck corner andsew by hand
Pencil linesthen sewseams
Mark with pencil
Iron before sewing
Fig. 7-4 Sailmaking
Hem (tabling)
Sew
"A"(cut)
"B"(Fold)
"C"(Final shape)
"B"
"A"
"C"
Weave in same direction as seams
or cotton lines.
4. Treating the Lines
Worming, Parceling, and Serving: Lines onships were wormed, parceled, andserved wherever chafing might occur.Shrouds are a prime example. Worminginserts thin pieces of line (worms)between the strands. Parceling windscanvas strips saturated with tar aroundthe wormed part. Happily, that isn’tnecessary for the model. Only considerserving (binding the wormed andparceled area in the opposite directionwith spun yarn). Use fine silk or linenthread. Avoid cotton. It’s too fuzzy.
Although serving adds authenticity andelevates the model’s quality, many mod-elers elect to not to do it. They simplygive the line a heavy coating ofbeeswax. Don’t be afraid to try serving.All it takes is practice. Serve only theheaviest shrouds and stays.
Seizings: Seize lines with cotton, nylon,or silk thread. Do not secure lines withknots. Knots are for shoelaces. Touchseizings with diluted white glue (Figure7-1).
Beeswax: Beeswax protects lines againstmoisture and lays down fuzz. To softenbeeswax, hold it to a light bulb. Runthe line across the beeswax, thenthrough your fingers to soften andsmooth it out. Do this several times tothoroughly coat the line.
5. Belaying Pins and Their Lines
Sheet 6 includes a complete belayingpin plan. Each belaying point and itsappropriate line have the same num-ber. Some lines run through fairleadsbefore they belay. Sketches on the plansshow which lines have fairleads.
6. Rigging Tools
Some homemade tools are essential forthe rigging process (Figure 7-2). Similarshapes are commercially available.
7. Blocks and Deadeyes
The kit may or may not includebullseyes. If not, take a deadeye andream its center. Wooden bullseyes andhearts are sometimes not available in therequired sizes.
Stropping 3/16” scale blocks is diffi-cult. Some alternatives are shown inFigure 7-3.
8. Sailmaking
Choosing the proper material is critical.Sailcloth must be lightweight, yet fairlyopaque. Tightly woven cotton isacceptable and available from ModelExpo. Although linen is ideal, most istoo heavy for 3/16” scale models.
Wash sailcloth several times topreshrink it. When dry, iron the cloth,but be careful not to scorch it. Next,lightly draw the seams and hem(tabling) lines in pencil, then sew theseams using light tan cotton thread. Asewing machine makes fast work ofthe project. Practice on scrap cloth andset the stitch so it doesn’t pucker thematerial. (Figure 7-4).
When done, iron the sails. Be careful notto burn them. Next, cut the sail’s shapeusing Line A in Figure 7-4. Fold over thehem, iron it flat, and sew as close toLine B as possible. Tuck the ends andhand stitch the corners. The sail is nowready for stretching.
Stretching the Sails: This step assures thesail’s proper shape, since sewing mayhave altered it. Using the original pat-tern, trace the sail’s outline onto a pieceof paper. Place the paper on a solid, butporous backing, such as a wood or corkboard. Now wash the sail again and layit over the outline. Stretch the wet mate-rial to the sail’s outline, then securewith stick pins through its outer edges.When dry, the sail will have resumed itsproper shape. Iron it one more time.
Boltropes and Reef Points: Boltropes canbe omitted, since they are nearly invisi-ble at 3/16” scale. However, to includethem, follow the tedious method inFigure 7-5.
For the restored period, Morgan had noreef bands and reef points on any sail.
Furled Sails: Don’t furl sails made fromsailcloth and cut to the original’s scalesize. The material is usually too heavy,resulting in a bulky furled sail. To solvethis problem, either proportionallyreduce the size of a sail by one-thirdwhen using sailcloth (Figure 7-6), orbuy a lighter material such as Silkspan(model airplane covering tissue).Depending on their size, even Silkspan
31
Fig.7-5 Boltropes
Boltrope
Boltrope
Form acringle
Sew by hand throughthe boltrope, not
around it
Fig. 7-6 Shapes for Furled Sails
Cut to this size toreduce bulk for furling
Full sail
Less than .016" .009".016" - .020" .017".024" - .032" .030"Greater than .032" .048"
Range of linesshown on plan
Kit supplied linediameter to use
sails may require being reduced by one-third. Test first to see how much materi-al is required for a neat, tight furl.
Even furled sails need some seams andhems, as these details are visible.
9. Rigging the Model Without Sails
Even though sails are omitted, includemost of the lines attached to them; i.e.,clewlines and sheets, buntlines andleechlines, and fore-and-aft sail hal-liards and downhauls. These linesremain when sails are removed. Theyare shackled together, tied off, orsecured to some other stowage point.The sketches here and on the plansshow some details.
When rigging a model without sails,most builders do not install bunt andleechlines or their blocks. Furthermore,most of the fore-and-aft sail sheets areomitted. The choice is yours. However,more lines mean more fun and, in theend, more realism. Try to visualizewhich lines to remove with the sail andwhich ones are easily left in place afterbeing unhooked or untied from the sail.
Standing RiggingBefore starting, sort lines by size, coat withbeeswax, and keep them handy. Use cot-ton, silk, or nylon sewing thread for seiz-ings. Treat this with beeswax. Keep whiteglue at the ready for dabbing on a seizingif necessary. Usually sewing through theshrouds followed by a half hitch will pre-vent a seizing from unraveling.
Caution: Before rigging the mizzen top-mast, install the gaff topsail mast hoops.
1. Shrouds
Note: These directions assume the shroudswill be installed first, then fore and aftstays. However, as an option one couldinstall lower shrouds, then lower stays,followed by upper shrouds and upperstays. Just remember that at each mast-head the stays go on top of the shrouds.
Begin the standing rigging with the lower
shrouds. Morgan’s lower deadeyes havesteel rod chainplates. Make these from
brass wire (Figure 8-1).
32
Fig. 8-1 Chain Plates
Brass wire
Solder orepoxy wire
Twist
Twist
Simplified model option
The rigging plan shows the propersequence for installing the shrouds. To setup the shrouds, make a temporary brasswire fixture to space the deadeyes as seiz-ing progresses (Figure 8-2). The fixtureshould be longer than the final spacing ofdeadeyes. Reeving the lanyards willtighten the shrouds to their final properspacing. Make a test shroud first to seehow much it stretches. Figure 8-2 alsoshows the sequence for reeving lanyards.When looking outboard at any deadeye,always start with a knot in the upper left-hand deadeye hole. Consequently, portdeadeyes have the knot aft and starboarddeadeyes have it forward. Keep an eyeon the masts. Rigging the shrouds canpull them out of alignment.
Note: In her later years, Morgan carriediron wire shrouds on the main andmizzenmasts and hemp ones on theforemast. By the time she came toMystic Seaport, all her rigging was ironwire. Consequently, Morgan’s shroudsare spliced around the deadeyes, thenserved. Because this is not a convention-al method for older ships with hempshrouds, use a triple seizing. It’s easiest.
Instead of chainplates, the topmastshave deadeyes and futtock shrouds(Figure 8-3). Make the futtock shroudsfrom brass wire.Note: Topgallant shroudshave bullseyes, but the royal mast has noiron futtock shrouds, deadeyes, orbullseyes. Its shrouds pass through thecrosstrees and set up with a lanyard at thefuttock band.
After the shrouds are in place, add theratlines (Figure 8-4). Lower shrouds havewood battens instead of ratlines. Stainthe battens, then seize them to theshrouds. Make the sheer pole from brasswire, then paint.
Before installing the upper ratlines, givethem a generous coating of beeswax. Thiswill help hold them in a slight downwardcurve. If the ratlines tend to bow upward,tug them gently into position. Touchingthe loops with white glue will help freezethem. Ratlines are difficult to do if tiedwith clove hitches. Use half hitches andavoid pulling the ratlines too tight, there-by altering the spacing between shrouds.The step or space between ratlines shouldbe a scale 14 to 15 inches.
2. Backstays
33
Fig. 8-2 Deadeye Spacing & Seizing Details
Old timeoption
Morgannow
1. Pull tight
2. Seize
Startknothere
Tie
Lanyard(looking outboard)
Longer than finalspacing. Let lan-yards stretchshroud to obtain spacing
Twistedwire jig
Fig. 8-3 Futtock Shrouds
Brass wire
Pin to eyes inmast band
Twist
Twist
STAGE 8
Topmast, topgallant, and royal back-stays are similar to shrouds, except noratlines connect them. Install them afterthe shrouds are up. Note: The royalbackstays use bullseyes rather thendeadeyes and set to an eyebolt insteadof a chainplate.
Cleats on the topmast spreaders pull thefore and main topgallant and royalbackstays outward. Careful! Don’tapply too much tension or the spreaderscould break.
3. Fore and Aft Stays
Install the fore and aft stays once theshrouds and backstays are up (Figure 8-5).Be careful! Don’t pull the masts out of linewhen installing the stays. Begin with the for-ward lower stays and work aft and upward.
The mainstay is double and goes on eachside of the foremast, through the holes inthe anchor deck, and seizes to thebullseyes in the bow planksheer. Thosewho read the caution and didn’t install allthe anchor deck planking will have noproblem with this step. Others will find itmore difficult.
The mizzen and forestay are set up by alanyard at the head.
Most forestays go through the bowspritand jibboom, down to the dolphin strik-er, and back to the hull. These runs areshown in the sketch along with otherbowsprit rigging. Rigging the bowspritis probably easier prior to completingthe forestays.
4. Bowsprit Rigging
Figure 8-6 shows the standing riggingat the bowsprit. When rigging, keep thedolphin striker in position. Adjust themartingale stays and backstays toaccomplish this.
The plans show 60-link-per-inch chain forthe martingale stays. The smallest chainmanufactured is 32 to 40 links per inch,and 40-link chain is becoming scarce.Simply use the smallest chain provided.While not to scale, it still looks satisfactory.
5. Spanker Gaff and Boom Topping Lifts
Although these lines are standing rig-ging, they are installed after mountingthe gaff and boom and are discussedunder running rigging. The gaff toppinglift is like the martingale stays. Use the
34
Fig. 8-4 Ratlines
Model options
Real ship
Rope ratlines
Wood battens onlower shrouds
Lash
Eye spliceand seizing
at lastshroud
Clovehitch on
innershrouds Model option
glue only
Thread withneedle-glueand cut off
All clovehitches-glueand cut off
Single shroud orbackstay each side
Lanyard
Mizzen & Forestay
Fig. 8-5 Shroud & Stay Details
Shrouds in pairs
Stay over top ofshrouds
Seizing at upper mast
Fig. 8-6 Bowsprit Rigging
Jibboom shrouds
Chainbowspritshrouds
P/S
Forestay
Fore topmaststay P/S
Jib stay
Jibboomshrouds(inner)
Jibboomshrouds(outer)
Fore topgallent stay
Fore royal stay
Footropes P/S
Chain martingale stays
Chain bob-stays
Martingalebackstays
P
S
SP
35
smallest chain provided.
6. Footropes, Furling Stopsand Fixed Lifts
As noted earlier footropes, and even theends of fixed lifts, are easier to installwith the spars in hand. Like the ratlines,footropes may require some workbefore they hang naturally.
Add the footropes on the jibboom.Furling stops (tan lines) should beadded before seating the jibboom.
7. Manropes and Bow Netting
When the standing rigging is completed,add the netting over the bowsprit. Therigging plan shows the net. Use finethread and tie knots, or just glue thethreads to form a net. Or, look for nettingin a craft or florist shop.
8. Running Lights
Add the Britannia running lights on themizzen shrouds. Make the box fromstripwood. File the casting flush on oneside to fit against the box. This is actual-ly a bow light and, consequently, notthe correct shape.
Examine the model before moving tothe next stage. Is a mast or the bowspritand jibboom out of alignment? Now isthe time to correct these mistakes.
Running RiggingDecide whether or not to rig with sails.The following discusses both choicesand how to rig them. Each sail, alongwith its spars, is presented separately soone group can be finished before mov-ing to the next. Although the sequenceisn’t critical, we recommended startingat the bow with the fore-and-aft sails,then adding the square sails.
1. Head Sails
For simplicity, the forestay sail, fore top-mast staysail, jib, and flying jib can becalled head sails. Add the halliard,downhauls, and sheets to the sailsbefore installing on the model. Leaveenough extra line for belaying afterreeving through the various blocks.
Morgan has metal hanks for bendingthe head sails to the stays. A detail ison the plans. For the model, use a sim-ple brass ring.
If sails are not installed, attach the hal-liard to the downhaul and run it to theend of the bowsprit (Figure 9-1).
Halliard runs are identical to a ship withsails, except for the head block’s loca-tion. Sheets are removed with the sails.
2. Staysails
Staysails between the fore and main-masts and main and mizzenmasts aretreated like head sails. If rigging withsails, notice on the plans that themizzen topmast staysail sheets passthrough a fairlead block, or thimble, ontheir way down to the deck. Lowerstaysail sheets go directly to their
STAGE 9
belaying points.
Note: Some belaying points for thelower staysail sheets were not identi-fied on Mystic’s drawings.Consequently, Model Shipways’ plansreflect an educated guess.
3. Spanker and Gaff Topsail
Set up the gaff and boom topping lifts,then hook the gaff and boom to themast eyebolts. Rig the spanker first. If asail is installed, rig the brails. If no sailsare used, knot the brails at their blockson the mizzenmast, or omit them.
If showing a furled spanker, furl itagainst the mast and partway on thegaff with brails pulled tight.
Boom sheets will pull everything tight.If they pull the boom too low, adjust thelength of the gaff topping lift chain orboom topping lift.
The gaff topsail is furled against themast doublings almost in a bundle. Usea small piece of cloth for the furled sail.On a real ship, the bundled sail is notthat bulky. With no sail, the mast hoopssimply stack on the mast. Figure 9-2illustrates some rigging possibilitieswith sails removed.4. Fore and Main Yards
Secure the yard truss and add the chainsling. Add the yard lifts next. The plansillustrate the lower yards with a coursein place. If no sails are used, here aresome options. Knot leechlines and bunt-lines at the thimble fairleads, or omit-ted. With the sheet, pull the clew garnetblock at the tack up to the block on themast, then remove the tack. Or, hookthe sheet and tack to the clew garnet,then hoist the yard (Figure 9-3). In thiscase, sheet and tack drape along thehull over the shrouds.
Although the braces can be added now,waiting until last is better, since they mayget in the way when rigging other yards.
5. Mizzen Crossjack Yard
The mizzen crossjack yard has no sail. Itsimply provides a place for the mainyard braces. Set the yard with its parrel,sling, and lift. The lift is a fixed one,secured at the masthead by a lanyard(Figure 9-4). Steady the yard by addingthe port and starboard guys.
6. Fore and Main Upper and Lower Topsail Yards
36
Fig. 9-1 Jib Rigging Without Sail
Fig. 9-2 Spanker & Gaff Topsail Rig with Sails Removed
Halliard
Downhaul
Halliard
Gaff topsail and downhaulremoved. Hook halliard andouthaul at cap could alsoinclude tack line going tobelay point
OuthaulTopping lift
Topping lift
Wood hoopsstacked
Sheets
Outhaul and inhaul hooked together,or omit inhaul and secure outhaul on
top of boom
Spanker head outhaul anddownhaul hooked together
Brails stoppedoff at block oromitted
The lower topsail yard is fixed. Secure itto the truss, then add the chain sling.Set the upper topsail to the tub parrel.The plans show these yards rigged withfurled sails and with no sails.
The lower topsail yard does not have alift. The upper topsail yard lift is fixed toeyebolts at the cap. Note: The upper top-sail has no clewlines or buntlines, butdoes have a downhaul at the yardarms.Its sail is furled by lowering the yard.
The upper topsail sheets are an unusualrig (Sheet 6). Port and starboard sheetsare interconnected, and only one linebelays on deck (Figure 9-5).
The upper topsail yard has a tye andhalliard. Rig the tye through the mastsheave, then add the remaining lines.The tye and halliard are mostly chain.Use the smallest chain provided, orobtain it from some other source.
7. Fore and Main Topgallant Yards
These yards are fitted with parrels andhave fixed lifts, a buntline combined witha leechline. For model without sails, tiethese at the fairlead thimbles on the yard,or omit. Hook sheets and clewlinestogether similar to the lower yards. Theplans show the position of the yards whenlowered for furling and without sails.
Halliard tackle blocks set up on the foreand main tops instead of at the deck. Thishelps keep the deck free of clutter.
8. Royal Yards
The fore and mainmasts have royal yards,but the fore royal yard is sent down whilethe ship is on the whaling grounds. Thisis how Morgan is displayed. The mainroyal yard is rigged similar to the topgal-lant. It has no bunt or leechlines, but itdoes have running lifts. Blocks are seizedto the mast.
Like the topgallant, the royal halliards settopside. The royal tackle belays to an eye-bolt in the topmast trestletrees.
9. Braces
37
Fig 9-3 Lower Course Rig Without Sail
Fig 9-4 Mizzen Crossjack Yard Rig
Fig 9-5 Upper Topsail Sheets
Sheet
Clew garnet
Bunt and leech lines knotted off at thimbles, or omit
Lift
Option - remove sheet and tack
Tack
Guy
Lanyard
Thimble
Lift
Sling
Lash to truss
Upper topsailsheet
To belay
Lower topsailyard
Braces can be installed taut, or allowedto droop a bit. If not taut, beeswax themthoroughly and shape with your fingersuntil they hang in a realistic curve. Somebrace runs are shown in Figure 9-6.
10. Miscellaneous Rigging
Flags and Flag Halliards:
Flag halliards are located at the fore,main, and mizzenmasts, and at the endof the spanker gaff. Halliards are a sin-gle line reeved through a small blockor thimble. An eyebolt will suffice forthis model.
Fashion flags from lightweight cottoncloth and paint with acrylics. Acrylicpaint is flexible. If flags are cut frompaper, shape the paper before installingso the flags hang naturally.
Fish Tackle:
A fish tackle is used to hoist the anchor.For stowage, it hooks to the cathead pin.The hook at the end is britannia.
Cutting Tackle:
Whaleboats and cutting or cutting-in tack-le give whalers their uniqueness. Drillsheave holes in the large, laser-cut blocks,and make brass strops for the lowerblocks. Large and small blubber hooks areBritannia. Shape some large shackles forthe chain at the top (Figure 9-7).
Whaleboat Rigging, Cutting-StageTackle, and Steering Gear Tackle:
Rigging for these items was discussedin Stage 5.
FINAL TOUCHESWhen all the rigging is up, recheck everyseizing. If necessary, add another touchof white glue. Check for shiny places onthe rig. If necessary, touch up standingrigging with Floquil’s Dark StockholmTar stain or black liquid shoe polish. Forrunning rigging, use Floquil’s WeatheredManila stain or brown liquid shoe polish.Check if any painted wooden parts havefouled during the rigging process andmake repairs.
Congratulations38
Fig 9-6 Brace Runs
Fig 9-7 Cutting Tackle
Main upper topsail brace
Thimblesand lanyard
Pendant
Pendant
Main lowertopsail yard
Main yard
Mizzencrossjack
Shackle
Shackle
Trip lineBlubber hook
To windlass
Thimble
To foretop
Identical to other oneexcept for lower blockhook (small hook)
0
Charles W. Morgan is finished! Take amoment to revel in your accomplish-ment. You have done what others onlywish they could do. You’ve perseveredwhen the going became rough and youreffort has produced results. You’vedeveloped skills you never knew youhad, increased your vocabulary, andbecome a time traveler. We hope you’veenjoyed your voyage on this remarkablewhaler and look forward to sailing withyou on your next shipmodeling project.
Bibliography
1. The Charles W. Morgan, by John F.Leavitt. 1973, Mystic Seaport Publication.
A complete history on the Morgan. Everyvoyage is logged, and the crews identified.
2. Whale Ships and Whaling - A PictorialHistory, by George Francis Dow. 1925(Dover Reprint).
Very good account of whaling andwhaleships. Many excellent photos ofCharles W. Morgan.
3. The Yankee Whaler, by Clifford W.Ashley. 1926 (Dover Reprint)
History of whaling and many photos ofClifford W. Ashleys oil paintings, many ofwhich are now in the New BedfordWhaling Museum.
4. Whale Ships and Whaling, by AlbertCook Church. 1938. (Reprinted)
Excellent photo record of all kinds of whale-ships, Morgan included. Great for detail.
5. Birth of a Whaleship, by Reginald B.Hegarty. 1964 (Out-of-print)
This book describes the construction andrigging of a whaleship in detail by a manwho was there. Wonderful text, worth find-
ing from out-of-print source. Most of thedata was taken from the Charles W. Morgan.
6. The Story of Yankee Whaling, AmericanHeritage. 1959.
Good account and pictures of the whalingindustry. Availability unknown.
7. Sperm Whaling from New Bedford, byElton W. Hall. 1982, New Bedford WhalingMuseum Publication
Superb photos, taken by Clifford W.Ashley, of the Bark Sunbeam in 1904. Greataction photos.
8. To Build a Whaleboat, by ErikA.R.Ronnberg, Jr., Model Shipways
This is a Model Shipways publication whichaccompanies the Model Shipways whale-boat kit. Wonderful for a close-up view ofthe small whaleboats carried by the whalers.
9. The Ashley Book of Knots, by CliffordW. Ashley.
By far, the best book on knots ever written.This book is a modeler's dream because itdetails the rope work done on old sailingships. Every type of knot, basic and fancy, isshown, along with hundreds of rigging pro-cedures. An excellent drawing of a whale-ship cutting-in tackle is included.
10. The Whaleboat; A Study of Design,Construction, and Use from 1850 to 1970,by Willits D. Ansel, 1978, Mystic SeaportPublication.
Everything you ever wanted to know abouta whaleboat.
39
Diameters Converted to 3/16" Scale
S C A L E C O N V E R S I O N T A B L ER I G G I N G
5/16" .3125"3/8" .375"1/2" .5"5/8" .625"3/4" .75"7/8" .875"1" 1"1-1/4" 1.25"
Inches in 10ths ÷ 64=
4" .06" (1.52mm or 1/16")5" .08" (2.03mm or 5/64")6" .09" (2.28mm or 3/32")7" .10"(2.54mm or 7/64")8" .13" (3.18mm or 1/8")10" .16" (4.06mm or 5/32")12” .19” (4.83mm or 3/16”)
Lengths for Lifesize Vessel Lengths Converted to 3/16” Scale
B L O C K S
Diameters for Lifesize Vessel Diameters in Tenths of an Inch
Inches in 10ths ÷ 64=.005" (.12mm).006" (.15mm).008" (.20mm).009" (.25mm).012" (.30mm).014" (.35mm).016" (.40mm).020" (.50mm)
MODEL SHIPWAYS, INC.Sold & distributed by Mode Expo • www.modelexpo-online.com
Hollywood, FL 33020
MODELER'S LOG
Date Time Notes
1
3/14/2013
CHARLES W. MORGAN PARTS LIST MS2140
PART # ITEM QUANTITY DESCRIPTION/NOTES BRITANNIA CASTINGS 9 pk WP5701 Windlass Barrel 1 WP5702 Windlass Quadrants 2 WP5703 Windlass Brake Crosshead 1 WP5704 Windlass Double Pawl 1 WP5705 Billet Head 1 WP5706 Stern Eagle 1 WP5707 Anchor Shanks 2 WP5708 Anchor Stocks 2 WP5709 Bilge Pumps 2 WP5710 Bench Vise 1 WP5711 Grindstone (covered) 1 WP5712 Tryworks Knees 4 WP5713 Tryworks Chimneys 2 WP5714 Tryworks Fire Doors 2 WP5715 Port Midships Loggerheads &
Whaleboat Loggerheads 6 WP5716 Hawse & Fluke Chain Pipes 3 WP5717 Forward Round Mooring Chock 2 WP5718 Oblong Mooring Chocks 6 WP5719 Belly Chain Fairlead Chock 1 WP5720 Starboard Midships Rail Chock 1 WP5721 Standard Open Chocks 8 WP5722 Standard Cleats 8 WP5723 Longhorn Cleats for Davits 10 WP5724 Snatch Blocks for Davits 10 WP5725 Large Cutting-In Tackle Hook 1 WP5726 Small Cutting-In Tackle Hook
& Fish Tackle Hook 2 WP5727 Steering Wheel 1 WP5728 Steering Wheel Aft Post
& Drum 1 WP5729 Steering Wheel Forward Post 1 WP5730 Galley Stack 1 WP5731 Chain Pipes (covered) 2
2
WP5732 Mainmast Fife Rail Stanchions 3 WP5733 Fore & Main Lower Yard Truss 2 WP5734 Fore & Main Topsail Iron
Sheet Blocks 2 WP5735 Fore & Main Upper Topsail
Fixed Truss & Bands 2 WP5736 Fore & Main Lower Topsail
Parrel Tub & Truss 2 WP5737 Fore & Main Spider Bands 2 WP5738 Mizzen Spider Band 1 WP5739 Large Whaleboat Line Tubs 5 WP5740 Small Whaleboat Line Tubs 5 WP5741 Tryworks Pots Male (half) 2 WP5742 Tryworks Pots Female (half) 2 WP5743 Running Lights 2 BRASS AND MISCELLANEOUS FITTINGS AND MATERIAL WP0411 Belaying Pins 150 WP0429 Small Eyebolts 200 WP0428 Large Eyebolts 30 WP0955 1/8" Split Rings 40 WP0888 1/64" x 1/16" Strip 4 ft WP40285SEC 0.010" Dia. Wire 10 ft WP40244SEC 0.020" Dia. Wire 20 ft WP0516 42 Link/Inch Chain 6 ft Small gauge WP0480 21 Link/Inch Chain 6 ft Bobstays, Mainstays WP0993 Nails 50 WP0976 1/4" Copper Tape 108 ft Bottom sheathing WP0426 Ship’s bell 1 DEADEYES, BLOCKS, AND OTHER WOOD FITTINGS Note: All deadeyes and blocks are Walnut unless otherwise noted. WP0390 3/32" Dia. Deadeyes 35 WP0339 9/64" Dia. Deadeyes 60 WP0340 3/16" Dia. Deadeyes 45 WP0301 3/32" Single blocks 40 WP0302 1/8" Single blocks 75 WP0304 3/16" Single blocks 25 WP0308 1/8" Double blocks 40 WP0310 3/16" Double blocks 15 WP0311 1/4" Double blocks 2 RIGGING LINE Note: Rigging line is Cotton/Poly mix. Black is for standing rigging. Manila Hemp is for running rigging. Stain line for other desired coloring. WP1218 0.008" Dia. Black 15 yds WP1210 0.021" Dia. Black 15 yds WP1211 0.028" Dia. Black 15 yds WP1215 0.040" Dia. Black 10 yds
3
WP1241 0.008" Dia. Manila Hemp 50 yds WP1242 0.021" Dia. Manila Hemp 25 yds WOOD DOWELS Note: All dowels are Beech unless otherwise noted. Dowels are supplied in lengths as noted. Cut to length as required. WP5105-24 5/16" x 24" 1 Foremast & mainmast WP5104-24 1/4" x 18" 1 Mizzenmast WP5103-24 3/16" x 24" 3 Fore & main topmast, jibboom
Fore & main lower topsail yards WP5102-24 5/32" x 10" 1 Mizzen topmast WP5101-18 1/8" x 18" 4 Fore & main topgallant masts
Mizzen crossjack Spanker boom & gaff Fore & main topsail yards
WP5100-12 5/64" x 12" 3 Fore & main topgallant yard Main royal yard
WOOD STRIPS, SHEETS, AND BLOCKS Note: All wood is Basswood or Limewood (European Basswood) unless otherwise noted. Wood strips, sheets, and blocks are supplied in lengths as noted. Cut to length as required. STRIPS WP3600-24 1/32" x 1/32" x 24” 4 WP3602-24 1/32" x 1/16" x 24” 20 WP3603-24 1/32" x 3/32" x 24” 25 WP3604-24 1/32" x 1/8" x 24” 4 WP3661-24 3/64" x 3/32" x 24” 25 WP3660-24 3/64" x 1/8" x 24” 3 WP3687-24 3/64" x 3/16" x 24” 2 WP3618-24 1/16" x 1/16" x 24” 2 WP3619-24 1/16" x 3/32" x 24” 60 WP3620-24 1/16" x 1/8" x 24” 80 WP3622-24 1/16" x 3/16" x 24” 15 WP3623-24 1/16" x 1/4" x 24” 2 WP3625-24 3/32" x 3/32" x 24” 3 WP3626-24 3/32" x 1/8" x 24” 1 WP3628 -24 3/32" x 3/16" x 24” 1 WP3629-24 3/32" x 1/4" x 24” 1 WP3631-24 1/8" x 1/8" x 24” 2 WP3633-24 1/8" x 3/16" x 24” 2 WP3640-24 3/16" x 3/16" x 24” 1 WP3643-24 1/4" x 1/4" x 24” 1 WP3651-24 5/16" x 5/16" x 24” 1 For Bowsprit SHEETS WP4601-24 1/32" x 2" x 24” 1 WP4606-24 1/16" x 2" x 24” 1 BLOCKS Note: Block sizes shown on plans must be cut from the piece supplied below.
4
WP3609-24 3/4" x 2" x 12" 1 Stern blocks LASER-CUT WOOD PARTS Note: All Laser-Cut wood is Basswood or Limewood (European Basswood) unless otherwise noted. WP4620-A 3/16" Thick Set 1
Center Keel 2 parts Keel 2 parts Sternpost 1 part Cutting Tackle Block (special) 2 parts Rudder 1 part Stem 1 part
WP4620-B 3/16" Thick Set 1
Bulkheads J-O 6 parts WP4620-C 3/16" Thick Set 1
Bulkheads D-I 6 parts WP4620-D 3/16" Thick Set 1
Bulkheads A-C 3 parts WP4607-E 1/16" Thick Set 1
Planksheer Set 2 sets (2 parts each) Forward Main Rail Section 2 parts Fore Top Forward Cross Frame 1 part Main Top Forward Cross Frame 1 part Fore Topmast Crosstrees 2 parts
WP4634 -F 1/32" Thick Set 1
Fore Top Platform 1 part Main Top Platform 1 part Mizzenmast & Gaff Hoops 20 parts
Grating Strips, 12" Long 2 parts 1/32" sq. holes after assemble Jackstay Strips (12” long) 5 parts WP4613-G 1/8" Thick Set 1
Fore and Mainmast Caps 2 parts Bowsprit Cap 1 part Cutting Tackle Block (typical) 4 parts Whaleboat Davits 10 parts
WP4610-H 3/32" Thick Set 1
Forward Breasthook 1 part Fore & Main Topmast Caps 2 parts Mizzenmast Cap 1 part Windlass Carrick Bitt/Knee Set 2 sets (2 parts each) Carrick Bitt Deck Insert Pad 2 parts Amidships Shelter Knee 6 parts Foremast Coat 1 part Mainmast Coat 1 part
Mizzenmast Coat 1 part
5
WP4636-I 3/64" Thick Set 1
Forward Topgallant Rail Section 2 parts
WP4611-J 3/32" Thick Set 7 Whaleboat Lift Sets 7 parts each PLANS AND INSTRUCTIONS Note: Plans are printed on both sides of a single sheet. WP2140MB Instruction manual 1 WPPL2140-A Plan, Sheet 1 & 2 1 1. Laser patterns 2. P-O-B hull WPPL2140-B Plan, Sheet 3 & 4 1 3. Hull plan 4. Hull & spar details WPPL2140-C Plan, Sheet 5 & 6 1 5. Rigging profile 6. Rigging sections WPPL2140 Parts List 1 Note: Page 16 of instructions refers to laser cut thick pads, this is an error. There are no laser cuts pads. Those are to be made by builder. Baseboard and pedestals not included in this kit