The Built-Up Ship Model

DOVER BOOKS ON WOODWORKING AND CARVING

THE BEGINNER’S HANDBOOK OF WOODCARVING, Charles Beiderman and, William Johnston. (25687-1)

A TREASURY OF WOODCARVING DESIGNS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, Alan and Gill Bridgewater. (40480-3)

THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BIRDHOUSE CONSTRUCTION FOR WOODWORKERS, Scott D. Campbell. (24407-5)

EASY-TO-MAKE BIRD FEEDERS FOR WOODWORKERS, Scott D. Campbell. (25847-5)

THE BUILT-UP SHIP MODEL, Charles G. Davis. (26174-3)

THE SHIP MODEL BUILDER’S ASSISTANT, Charles G. Davis. (25584-0)

SHIP MODELS: HOW TO BUILD THEM, Charles G. Davis. (25170-5)

CARVING FIGURE CARICATURES IN THE OZARK STYLE, Harold L. Enlow. (23151-8)

HOW TO CARVE FOLK FIGURES AND A CIGAR STORE INDIAN, Harold L. Enlow. (23748-6)

CARVING REALISTIC BIRDS, H. D. Green. (23484-3)

PATTERNS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR CARVING AUTHENTIC BIRDS, H. D. Green. (24222-6)

MANUAL OF TRADITIONAL WOOD CARVING, Paul Hasluck (ed.). (23489-4)

CARVING COUNTRY CHARACTERS, Bill Higginbotham. (24135-1)

CARVING BIRDS OF PREY, Anthony Hillman. (27305-9)

CARVING CLASSIC SWAN AND GOOSE DECOYS, Anthony Hillman. (25522-0)

CARVING DECORATIVE EAGLES, Anthony Hillman. (25976-5)

CARVING FAMOUS ANTIQUE BIRD DECOYS. Anthony Hillman. (25799-1)

CARVING FAVORITE SONGBIRDS, Anthony Hillman. (25358-9)

CARVING POPULAR BIRDS, Anthony Hillman. (26136-0)

CARVING EARLY AMERICAN WEATHERVANES, Anthony Hillman. (25223-X)

CARVING MINIATURE DUCK DECOYS, Anthony Hillman. (24936-0)

PAINTING DUCK DECOYS: 24 FULL-COLOR PLATES AND COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS, Anthony Hillman. (24810-0)

PAINTING POPULAR DUCK DECOYS, Anthony Hillman. (26100-X)

PAINTING SHOREBIRD DECOYS: 16 FULL-COLOR PLATES AND COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS, Anthony Hillman. (25349-X)

PAINTING SONGBIRD CARVINGS: 16 FULL-COLOR PLATES AND COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS, Anthony Hillman. (25580-8)

EASY CARPENTRY PROJECTS FOR CHILDREN, Jerome Leavitt. (25057-1)

RESTORING ANTIQUE FURNITURE: A COMPLETE GUIDE, Richard A. Lyons. (40954-6)

HOW TO BUILD WOODEN BOATS: WITH 16 SMALL-BOAT DESIGNS, Edwin Monk. (27313-X)

MEASURED DRAWINGS OF EARLY AMERICAN FURNITURE, Burl N. Osburn and Bernice Osburn. (23057-0)

MISSION FURNITURE: HOW TO MAKE IT, Popular Mechanics Co. (23966-7)

BOOK OF WOODCARVING: Techniques, Designs AND PROJECTS, Charles Marshall Sayers. (23654-4)

MAKING Authentic PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH FURNITURE: WITH MEASURED DRAWINGS OF MUSEUM CLASSICS, John G. Shea. (27227-3)

MAKING AUTHENTIC SHAKER FURNITURE: WITH MEASURED DRAWINGS OF MUSEUM CLASSICS, John G. Shea. (27003-3)

CARVING DuCK DECOYS, Harry V. Shourds and Anthony Hillman. (24083-5)

CARVING SHOREBIRDS, Harry V. Shourds and.Anthony Hillman:-(24287-0)

EASY-TO-MAKE ARTICULATED WOODEN Toys, Ed Sfbbett, Jr. (24411-3)

MAKING ANIMAL PULLTOYS: PATTERNS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR 14 EASY PROJECTS, Ed Sibbett, Jr. (26249-9)

WOODEN PUZZLE Toys, Ed Sibbett, Jr. (23713-3)

MAKING WOODEN Toys: 12 EASY-To-Do PROJECTS WITH FULL-SIZE TEMPLATES, James T. Stasio. (25112-8)

MAKING AUTHENTIC CRAFTSMAN FURNITURE: INSTRUCTIONS AND PLANS FOR 62 PROJECTS, Gustav Stickley. (25000-8)

EASY-TO-MAKE WOODEN SUNDIALS, Milton Stoneman. (24141-6)

FLORAL WOOD CARVING: FULL-SIZE PATTERNS AND COMPLETE Instructions FOR 21 PROJECTS, Mack Sutter. (24866-6)

THE BIG BOOK OF WHITTLING AND WOODCARVING, E. J. Tangerman. (26171-9)

BUILD YouR OWN Inexpensive Dollhouse, E. J. Tangerman. (23493-2)

WHITTLING AND WOODCARVING, E. J. Tangerman. (20965-2)

CREATIVE BIRD CARVING, William I. Tawes. (41528-7)

A MANUAL OF VENEERING, Paul Villiard. (23217-4)

CARVING ANIMAL CARICATURES, Elma Waltner. (22813-4)

MODEL OF UNITED STATES REVENUE BRIG WASHINGTON’’

Photograph by M. Rosenfeld. Larchmont Yacht Club Collection

This Dover edition, first published in 1989,

is an unabridged republication of the work originally published as

Publication Number Twenty-five of the

Marine Research Society, Salem, Massachusetts, in 1933.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Dover Publications, Inc.,

31 East 2nd Street,

Mineola, N.Y. 11501

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Davis, Charles G. (Charles Gerard), 1870–1959.

The built-up ship model / Charles G. Davis.—Dover ed.

P. cm.

Reprint. Originally published: Salem, Mass. :

Marine Research Society, 1933.

(Publication number twenty-five of the Marine Research Society)

9780486156217

1. Ship models. 2. Lexington (Brig) I. Title. II. Series:

Publication . . . of the Marine Research Society ; no. 25.

VM298. D25 1989

623.8’201—dc20 89-37267

CIP

Table of Contents

DOVER BOOKS ON WOODWORKING AND CARVING

Title Page

Copyright Page

PREFACE

PLATES

THE BUILT-UP SHIP MODEL

FORM OF A CONTRACT

INDEX

A CATALOG OF SELECTED DOVER BOOKS IN ALL FIELDS OF INTEREST

PREFACE

MANY requests having been received from modelers of little ships fired with an ambition to build a regular built-up model, to be constructed in the same way that real ships were built, the author has essayed this work. He has not been deluded into thinking that it is going to be an easy job, either in the telling or the doing, and all amateurs are warned, here and now, not to tackle this job before attempting some simpler type of craft than a large ship, for there is nothing more complicated under the sun than the building of a large vessel. It is an inspiring sight, when completed, to one who understands the complications encountered, but there will be many headaches during the building.

Be wary of departing from the methods described in order to adopt alluring quick methods and time-saving cut-offs. It is wise to remember that the shipbuilding industry is many centuries old and many have tried what seemed like quicker methods. Hundreds of shipbuilders, however, have finally boiled down their methods to the manner of construction here described as being the simplest and best way to build a ship. I have always had better luck in building my miniature ships just as the real ships were put together, and if the proof of the pudding is in the eating, I have, I think, proved this point; for I built a ship model as I wrote this story so that when expediencies had to be resorted to, owing to the small size of the ship and my bulk preventing me from getting inside the hull, as a man would have done in the building of a real ship, I could the better describe the modus operandi and not overlook any vital point in the work.

Photographs were taken from time to time which are herewith reproduced. These will also help to prove the efficiency of this mode of construction.

In selecting a vessel after which to build a model, I picked out the United States brig Lexington, mounting sixteen 4-pounders, which was so renamed to commemorate the shedding of American blood in the battle at Lexington, on April 19, 1775.

The Lexington was one of the small fleet of fourteen merchant vessels that were hastily converted into war vessels, at Philadelphia, in 1775. Most of these vessels, under command of Commodore Esek Hopkins, sailed as a squadron to the West Indies and attacked the British base of supplies on the island of New Providence.

The Lexington sailed later under Capt. John Barry, on April 7, 1776, and while cruising off the capes of Virginia fell in with the armed sloop Edward, a tender to the British man-of-war Liverpool, and after a sharp fight, in which the sloop was badly cut up and many of her crew killed, the Edward surrendered. Later in that year the Lexington, under Capt. James Hallock, sailed to the West Indies, and while returning, in October, was captured by the British thirty-two gun frigate Pearl. The weather, at the time of the capture, was so stormy that only five of the crew of the Lexington, were taken out of her and transfered to the frigate in the boat that brought the prize crew on board the brig. On the following night the brig’s men overpowered the prize crew and brought the Lexington safely into Baltimore.

In the spring of 1777 the Lexington sailed across the Atlantic to France, where she arrived in April. With the brig Reprisal, Capt. L. Wicks, that had taken Dr. Benjamin Franklin to France, the year before, and a ten-gun cutter named the Dolphan, under Lieut. S. Nicholson, the Lexington made a cruise from June to August in the Bay of Biscay, the English Channel, and around Ireland, capturing fourteen vessels in five days, and recapturing the ship Crawford with 110 prisoners, who thus regained their freedom.

Returning from France, in charge of Capt. H. Johnston, the Lexington was captured on September 20, 1777, by the British cutter Alert, after an engagement of three and one-half hours during which all the ammunition on board the Lexington was used and she was surrendered to save the lives of her crew. The armament of the Alert was ten guns and two swivels and she carried a crew of sixty men. The British account of the action relates that after two hours fighting the Lexington crippled the Alert’s rigging and then made off, but the Alert smartly repaired and renewing the chase soon came up with the Lexington which, through lack of ammunition passively endured the Alert’s broadside for an hour and a half, and then struck her colors, with seven killed and eleven wounded. The Alert lost two killed and three wounded. She was a 10 -gun cutter, launched at Dover in 1777, of 183 tons.

The dimensions of the Lexington were: length on gun deck, 90 feet 0 inches; length on keel, 76 feet 5 inches; beam, 22 feet 8 inches; depth, 9 feet 0 inches; tonnage, 166 tons.

DISMANTLED BRITISH 10-GUN BRIG-OF-WAR

PLATES

PLATE I

PLATE II

PLATE III

PLATE IV

PLATE V

PLATE VI

VII. BEGINNING TO PUT UP THE FRAMES

VIII. THE HULL FRAMED WITH CLAMPS, BILGE STRAKES, ETC., IN PLACE

IX. SQUARE FRAMES AND FORWARD CANT FRAMES IN POSITION

X. RAIL STRINGERS AND RAIL IN PLACE

XI. SPILING BEING TAKEN TO DETERMINE THE SHAPE THE

UPPER EDGE OF THE SHEER STRAKE WILL TAKE TO

FIT IT ON THE MODEL. SPILING STAFF SHOWN

XII. FRAMED COMPLETE, WITH DECK CLAMPS IN

XIII SHOWING ONE TIMBERHEAD CARRIED UP FOR BULWARKS

XIV. HATCH COAMINGS AND FITTING-BLOCKS BETWEEN BEAMS FOR MASTS IN PLACE

XV. SHOWING HOW THE DECK WAS FRAMED

XVI CENTER STRIP OF DECKING AND HATCH COAMINGS IN PLACE

XVII SIDE VIEW SHOWING THE MODEL PARTLY PLANKED AND FIGUREHEAD IN PLACE

XVIII QUARTERING STERN VIEW SHOWING TRANSOM CONSTRUCTION

XIX. SHOWING HOW THE HEADRAILS SUPPORT THE FIGUREHEAD

XX. SIDE VIEW SHOWING THE DECK FITTINGS COMPLETED

XXI. QUARTERING BOW VIEW OF COMPLETED MODEL

XXII QUARTERING STERN VIEW OF COMPLETED MODEL

XXIII. MOULD LOFT FLOOR SHOWING PATTERNS FOR FRAMES

XXIV. CHOPPING OUT A HOOK-SCARPH

XXV. ADZING OFF THE FACE OF A SCARPH AFTER IT HAS BEEN SAWED AND HEWED

XXVI. BEVEL CUTTING JIG SAW FOR CUTTING FUTTOCKS OF FRAMES

XXVII. HOW FRAME FUTTOCKS ARE ASSEMBLED ON THE FRAMING PLATFORM

XXVIII. LIFTING A MIDSHIP FRAME WITH STEAM TRAVELING GANTRY CRANES

XXIX. BOW FRAMES SET UP IN PLACE ON THE KEEL

XXX. THE AFTER FRAMES SET UP AND THE RUDDER AT THE SIDE

XXXI. BRITISH BRIG-OF-WAR OF 1765

XXXII. UNITED STATES BRIG-OF-WAR, I800

XXXIII. BRITISH 16-GUN BRIG SNAKE ’’

XXXIV. BRITISH BRIG-OF-WAR WOLF’’

XXXV. BRITISH BRIG-OF-WAR LIBERTY’’

XXXVI. UNITED STATES BRIG-OF-WAR

XXXVII. TRAINING BRIG MARTIN’’, 1850

THE BUILT-UP SHIP MODEL

THE language of the sea and the men who have to do with the building of ships, is so full of strange names and technicalities, totally unintelligible to the layman, that many writers on nautical matters pass up all such as so much Chinese or Arabic; and the result has been misleading statements such as that it is only we, of this twentieth century, who have gone carefully into calculating and planning out our ships before building them. The public at large has been led to believe that the best they ever did in the eighteenth century was to whittle out a block model and saw it into sections to get the shape of enough frames to determine the ship’s shape, or, to unscrew the horizontal lifts, or layers, of wood, the model was made of, and so plot the shape of the frames.

If one will but take the time to investigate this subject, and educate himself sufficiently in the study of naval architecture to comprehend what is written in some of the really wonderful books that have been published in the 1700’s, he will find that the old shipbuilders made as many calculations and plans then as they do now. In those days the nation’s greatest scientists were ordered by the king to study the subject, in order to make every test of the ships that could be made. They even went to sea on the ships to study their subject at first hand and all sorts of experiments were made not only in England but in France, Holland and Sweden.

There were, of course, men at that time, just as there are now, who built by rule of thumb methods. Men who built from crude models and even from no model at all. They simply framed the ship to suit the eye. Such men left no records by which their work might, in later years, be reproduced; but the men who planned their work have fortunately left us much information, both on big ships and sometimes on small craft.

This makes it possible for us to now build up small replicas of their ships from the shape of those ships which have been printed in books of plans, or whose measurements are given in tables of offsets. Where the man of today gets confused is when he tries to figure out, piece by piece, how these ships were built, as this phase of the subject, except in a few cases, has not been preserved in its entirety. Some few plans, such as the framing plan, or a deck plan, are shown, but the hundred and one knotty points that come up are not explained. It is like having bricks to build a house, but no mortar. In this work we will try to supply the mortar so that the bricks will not fall down for want of something to hold them together.

No one historian has given us all the data and it is only by reading the works of many of them and compiling the rules of old-time shipbuilding, that we have found the required information. Take the subject of fastenings, as an example, a most vital part of ship construction, and try to find any definite rule to go by. It was part of the shipwright’s education to know how many iron spikes and how many treenails were to be put into each piece of wood; how many drift bolts and how many clinched bolts each different joint required and of what size. What then was common knowledge among all associated with shipping matters, was not considered worth treating on. The sizes of the various timbers and the more intricate problems of how to lay out and cut the shape of cant timbers, wing transoms, hair bracket rails, harpin moulds, etc., we find treated at great length, as they were problems in geometric projection on which authors loved to air their knowledge.

In my youth I had a peculiar position where I had a chance to observe this. I was apprenticed to study naval architecture under a man fresh from a naval college, just staring in business, where everything was higher mathematics. I listened to him all day and then went home at night to where my future father-in-law, a practical shipbuilder, was doing the actual wood cutting and fastening. This was a combination of theory and practice that would be hard to beat. I once spent a Sunday morning in a City Island mould loft, at a shipyard whose proprietor was demonstrating to my naval architect employer that the moulded edge of a transom took on the curve he said it did, in contradiction to the way the architects’ plans had it drawn in,—and the practical man proved his point.

Now let us build a model of a ship, a real model, one that we and our descendants can look at with pride. Anyone who thinks such a model undeserving of this esteem has but to try his hand at it once and he will soon admit it is an undertaking. It is not like whittling a boat out of a block of wood. There you have something rigid, solid, something that will hold its shape, but in putting up a frame of a ship, piece by piece, you have the problem of keeping the whole structure straight and true. On a real ship a chalk line down the center, from stem to sternpost, gives you a line to drop plumb-bobs from and see that each frame is set up true, the frames being held by shores to the ground and set up by wedges. On a model, a straight edge over the top is the best means, as it leaves the frames all free and clear so you can get at them and gives something to which the frames can be temporarily braced, until most of the frames are in when it may be removed.