nal pile of planking material, cutting one piece, and discarding the balance into the “second go-round” pile, start using the pieces from that pile, discarding the leftovers into a “third go-round” pile, etc., until you are done.
When you get the second row fin-
ished, measure from the advancing edge of the planking across to the far edge of the deck at three points. These three measurements should all be identical. If not, adjust the spacing as needed in the next row or two so as to get back on track. You need to wind up on the far edge of the barge with the last run of planks still parallel to that edge. Check this every two or three rows, as it’s important to the look of the finished deck.
Now drop the deckhouse into its re- cess and make sure it’s seated correct- ly. You may find it necessary to tem- porarily shim it into its exact position. It should not be able to shift while you are fitting the planks on the deck around it. You will now find that you need to start the planking around the deckhouse. Trim each plank, or piece of plank, to get a nice snug fit to the deck- house wall. Remember not to get glue on the deckhouse; it needs to be remov- able for a while longer. Also remember to keep laying the planks tight to the ones already down, and use plenty of pins to hold them that way until the glue dries.
When you reach the far side of the
deck and remove the pins you should be able to gently slide the deckhouse out of its well, leaving a nice clean, neatly trimmed hole
in the planking into
which you will be able to drop the deck- house when it’s all finished. Set the deckhouse aside for the time being. We will finish it up later. Once all of the pins are removed you should be able to admire a beautifully curved (in two di- rections) deck, made of individual planks.
Whether or not you lay the deck in
one, two, or three sessions, when you quit for the evening, place the barge on a flat surface (it doesn’t need to be level, just flat) and carefully pile some weight on it until the glue is fully dry. Once the struc- ture is finished it is very strong, but if it’s not flat, no amount of forcing, cajoling, or cursing and threats will straighten it out. After the glue is completely cured, carefully trim the overhanging planks flush at both ends of the barge. I next took some scale 9″ square
stock and added the rail around the edge of the deck. This rail extends com- pletely around the barge at the edge of the deck planking. It will form a step with the top of the uppermost wale. Cut two pieces the same length as the planked area of the deck. Find the cen-
RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN
Marine architecture and some of its terminology explained
U
ntil the last 35 or 40 years marine architects had little use for straight edges and right angles. In the days of wood construction, and for many years after the advent of iron and steel construction, virtually anything that was made to float and move
across the surface of the water was full of beautiful, curved lines. Why this was so I have no idea, but it wasn’t until the appearance of very large naval ships, especially aircraft carriers, that you began to see straight lines. Now it is rare to see curved lines anywhere in a ship. It didn’t use to be that way. I will attempt to list here some of the terms that ap- ply to this model, with a brief description. For those retired (or still working) marine archi- tects out there, I apologize in advance for any errors.
Sheer This is the long sweeping, concave curve that the deck follows on its run from the bow to the stern. Camber This is the convex curve that the deck makes athwart ships, that is from side to side.
Chain Plate The metal plate bolted to the framing of the hull that serves to anchor the lower end of the stays. Standing Rigging This is the part of the rigging that does not move. Its purpose is to brace and support the masts of the vessel. In a large ship, some of the stays would also support the ‘ratlines’ which the crew used to climb higher into the rigging. These are usu- ally black, being traditionally covered with tar as a preservative. Running Rigging This is the part of a vessel’s rigging that moves and is used to posi- tion booms or lift loads. This is usually a “natural” color, depending on the material. These lines were not treated to allow them the greatest amount of flexibility. Stays The ropes or cables that brace the mast. These generally will appear on either side of, and/or to the rear of the mast. They almost always have some means of being adjusted (turnbuckles in the case of this model). They form part of the standing rigging (see above). Blocks Pulleys. They may have one, two, or three sheaves in them, very occasionally, more. Vangs* This is a form of tackle that is used in pairs to slew the end of the boom from one side of the barge to the other. While one is taken up, the other must be let out, so that the boom will slew in the desired direction. Each vang has its own drum on the hoist, but they must work together. Lift Tackle These are used to lift some kind of load. There are two on this model, and they would frequently be used together, though operated independently, unlike the vangs.
Main Lift This is the tackle that ends in the hook used to lift cargo. It has its
own drum on the hoist. Boom Lift This tackle is used to lift the boom up or down and also has its
own drum on the hoist Wales These are large cross-section timbers that may run the full length of the side of a vessel, or occasionally for only part of the length. It protects the actual hull sheathing from damage from other vessels, such as tugs, and from impact with piers, etc. They also appear on iron and steel hull work vessels, in which case they might still have been timber in the earlier days, or, as later, were hollow iron or steel sections affixed to the side of the hull. Fall Generally, that part of a tackle that gets pulled on or is let out to lift or move what the tackle is attached to, such as a piece of cargo or perhaps the end of a boom.
* I have been unable to track down the origin of this term. Even my Oxford English Dic-
tionary is mum on the subject. As mentioned above, they are used together, one being let out as the other is taken up. As the boom is raised higher, or needed to be swung fur- ther outboard, the vangs must have their purchase moved further aft to have any useable effect on slewing the boom to either port or starboard. In any event, the reach outboard of the lighters boom was quite limited. If a load were being shifted any distance outboard, a second dockside (or shipboard) crane would be needed, and the two would work to- gether to move the load.–TOM GRIFFITHS
ter of one face, and, working towards each end, make a mark at 3′-0″ from the center. Make a second mark 9″ from the first. Now mark out 9″ spaces every 6′-0″ to the ends. These are the loca- tions for the scuppers, or holes that al- low water to drain freely from the deck. When they are all laid out, use a razor saw to make a 3″ deep cut at each pair
of marks. Then carefully chip out the 3″×9″ block, leaving you with the com- pleted scuppers. Note that there were no scuppers in the rails across the bow and stern of the barge.
Clean up any rough or splintered
edges, touch up the cut areas with stain, and glue the two pieces in place on each side of the deck. Cut two more
75
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