Kingfisher a gaff rig pilot cutter

[Ray Dunakin]

I don't know if it's available in your part of the world, but here's a product that works well for blackening stainless steel:  InstaBlak SS370, from Electrochemical Products, Inc.

http://www.epi.com/c/black-oxide/stainless-steel/room-temperature-black-oxide

[michael mott]

Ray thanks for the link I will check out and see if anyone up here carries this product.

Michael

[Gordon Ferguson]

Not made any comments on this build for a while now Michael as I am still highly embarrassed over offering you some help way back at the beginning of this thread! .......... Boy was I was shooting way out of my league

I have to say that this type of modelling is exactly right for you , as you are able combine all your woodworking and metal working skills along with an artists eye ......... Whilst everything you have created is entirely practical and to scale each piece is a work of art in its own right

I am looking forward to seeing this boat in its natural element on completion

[michael mott]

Gordon good to hear form you, Hope all is well in your world.

The work continues on the shrouds, a few tests to find the best way to make them not only functional but to look half decent as well.



The hardest part of this area is to get the shrouds close in to the dead eye without kinking the wire



A few different ways of setting them up.



The bottom one is looking not too scruffy the serving thread is coats button and carpet thread. wrapped over some clear drinking straws



I will continue with the tests because I would like to get the wire a bit tighter next to the deadeye. I did try using some round nosed pliers to creat a tighter curve but I was not happy with the way the pliers bit into the heat shrink.

Michael

[finescalerr]

They all look perfect. You are striving for "perfecter". -- Russ

[Gordon Ferguson]

Would it be possible to anneal the loop of wire and bend it around a slightly smaller former than the deadeye and then  slide the heat shrink tube on before final fitting ?

Agreed they would look even better if you could close that gap a bit

[michael mott]

Russ Thanks, I'm getting there.

Gordon that is and interesting Idea I have never tried to anneal stainless, didn't even know it was possible.... is it?

today was a good one I think I have got the right sequence.



back to copper clamps and cut lengths of shrink. once all assembled they were shrunk. the crimping of the copper was achieved with a pair of pincers I acquired some years back that were well worn and did not cut well they were perfect for crimping.



next I needed a marlin spike I would not lose among the other pins and assorted sharp metal bits, so added an ebony handle.





The Marlin spike worked nicely and allowed the nylon thread to move between the wires easily.



I am pleased with the final outcome and will continue with making them this way and I hope that practice will make the seizings look a little tidier.

Michael

PS I know the dead eye is flawed, I will have to make another one.

[Gordon Ferguson]

Anneal stainless steel? No point asking me , you know what I am like with metal 

Nice work on the revised deadeye, make your own marlin spike ......... That's why you are the craftsman and I am a bodger , that old bent and twisted screwdriver is  what I would have used and therein lies the difference between us !

[finescalerr]

Ain't nothin' wrong with that'n. I thought the others were good but now I can tell the difference. Adequate. -- Russ

[Andi Little]

Adequate be buggered ......... bloody marvellous more like!

What a great job: spent a few years sea sailing off the East coast, Orfordness and that sort of area. And spent many a time swinging around shrouds like that - last time was in a force eight squalling ten and staring up at the bows of the Hook to Harwich ferry.
Only reason I didn't fill my nappy was I was puckered up so tight. ... ain't been to sea since.

[Used to race Gentlemen's gaff rigged yachts]

[michael mott]

Gordon, Russ, Andi thanks for your comments.
yesterday I finished seizing the other three shrouds, and I realized that I did not want the forestay to lay on top of the shrouds. there are some great drawings in the book "The Gaff Rig" by John Leather ISBN 0 229 97489 9 published by Adlard Coles Limited. That show some different variations on Cranes for raising the Gaff, some with a seat for the forestay. so this was today's project after finishing up all the seizings on the shrouds.

I needed to make the crane so that I could determine the new length of the forestay.

I did a scribble on some 1/8th inch thick brass sheet and drilled a few holes.
Then I used the jewelers saw to fret out the shape
The long section was then turned in the lathe while held in the four jaw chuck and threaded 5x40 I will drill and add a 1/16th pin in the lower end to prevent it from rotating and also file a seat for the forestay before it is locked onto the mast.









Today I put the boat on the floor so I could work at the top of the shrouds I chose to fix them in a similar manner to the lower ends. by dropping the model to the floor I could stand and the bolster was at 65 inches above the floor which is a lot easier to work on than 65 inches above the bench and the top of the topmast was 84 inches.




I set all the deadeyes first then wrapped the shrouds around the mast and added some tension as I threaded the crimps and shrink I began with the forward starboard the forward port then hooked on the forestay which I made from 3/32 it was a lot tougher to work with than the 1/16th, then continued with the rear starboard then rear port shrouds.



I will do the seizing tomorrow to give my fingers a rest. Time for the new boom, first the jaws were glued on then given a rough shaping. I will add some leather when the fixings are completed on the jaws. the wood is clear fir.
The brass goose neck will be removed and a platform fitted for the gaff boom



then a smaller mast started with a square section of clear fir and shaped down so that it could be slid up through the yoke, now I need to make the Fid and metal plate.





I am quite pleased with the rigidity of the mast now, the steel shrouds made a huge difference.

Michael

[finescalerr]

Gosharootie. -- Russ

[lab-dad]

Spectacular!
I remember doing all that mast stuff when I built my International One Meter.

I can not wait to see her under sail!

-marty

[Scratchman]

Very nice modeling, Michael.

Gordon Birrell

http://www.flickr.com/photos/77318580@N00/

[michael mott]

Russ I had to look that one up in the Crardbord Diconary

Marty thanks.

Gordon thank you.

I have done a few more bits on the rigging first i made a thimble for the Jib stay.









Next I did a little work on preparing the Gaff by planing down a bit of fine grained spruce.



today I worked on the double blocks for the Gaff, they are made from some Degarme (lemon-wood) The sheaves are 3/8ths diameter the brass strip is 1/8th x 1/32nd.







I set the blocks up with a weight to see how they would hang, now I need to finish the Gaff.



Michael