No, I don’t wear them, but SWMBO does 😆

Hi JB,

That rather depends on what your definition of 'better' is 😊 I have plenty of other things to do, but most of them are not so interesting 😴

Chain making isn't difficult, although it can be a bit tedious/repetitive. Here are a couple of practice chains I made before the anchor chain 😂🤣

Graham93

Thanks everyone for the 'likes' and the comments 👍

Rick, I struggle to see some of the fine details. I think being able to see what I'm trying to make is the limiting factor, that and the size of my fingers! The chain links were not too bad size wise, and dropping a few on the workshop floor didn't matter too much as I had plenty. The real challenge with the chain and anchor was making the shackle and the threaded fixing pin. I'll never find that if I drop it and it took a while to make 🙄

Graham93

I find it difficult to judge the scale of chain when looking to buy a length on-line so, continuing with the 'make it if you can' theme, I set out to make the anchor chain.

A length of copper wire, salvaged from scrap electrical cable, was wound round a metal dowel and then cut into rings using the piercing saw. The rings were squeezed to an oval shape using pliers and a metal spacer to set the internal width. The oval links were then linked together and the butt joints soldered to stop them spreading. A quick undercoat of etch primer and a top coat of silver completed the chain.

Using a photo of the anchor on a full sized Cutter, the main parts were sketched. These parts were then glued to thin card and tried in place on the model to judge the scale. Some adjustment was necessary until it looked about right. The revised sketch was then printed onto a self adhesive label which was stuck onto a piece of brass and cut out. Several parts were cut, formed and soldered together to complete the anchor with its hinged head.

A shackle was bent from brass strip and a small bolt machined on the lathe and threaded 12BA to fit. The shackle attaches the chain to the anchor.

The anchor and chain pass over a sheeve attached to the side of the stem. A brass bracket holds the sheeve in place and bolts to the stem on the opposite side to the Gammon Iron. A pair of hex bolts pass through the stem holding both the Gammon Iron and anchor sheeve in place.

The anchor was painted - seemed a shame to cover up the brass work, but it doesn't look right in it's natural colour.

Finally, a quick video to show that it works 😁

Winch

▶️

Hi Doug,

“ I think the latest version was by Graham”

I did post my solution recently, but that was for an angled tiller which is not attached to the rudder, so I was able to get away with elasticated cords running over a steel rod. The rudder shaft is vertical in my hull, so the servo connection is straightforward. That solution wouldn’t work well in this case. I think this needs pulley wheels and cords, either above or below deck.

Graham93

Nerys,

I think the site has been quieter than normal this past week since Martin’s departure.

Graham93

Very nice Rob 👍,

Your fingers don’t look too charred 🤣 Not easy thermo-forming plastic like that to get a repeatable shape. Easy to get a shape you don’t want 😉

Just shows what you can achieve with a bit of patience and perseverance.

Graham93

Hi Hammer,

Love the scale details on your boats 👍

Graham93

Mike,

Not much chance of me building a second, smaller version. This one is taking way too long as it is. 😉

With regard to teeth cutting, the method you describe may be simpler for you, but it is beyond my skills 🤔. Grinding tools to any shape that works, let alone to a specific tooth shape, is a black art to me. I'm also not sure that my 'cheap' Chinese mini lathe would be up to the accuracy and stiffness needed to cut that way.

Graham93

Thanks JB, I use Photoshop for editing photos etc but it isn't good for doing quick drawings/sketches. I'll have to take a look at Paint.

I usually find, when I have to make something twice, that it turns out better the second time - but not always !🙄

The first task for the revised windlass was to make another (larger) ratchet wheel. The same technique was used as with the first attempt, but this time the blank was 16mm diameter. The indexing attachment on the lathe was used to scribe the teeth positions on the blank. As the wheel is bigger this time, it was scribed for 16 teeth rather than 12.

The two wooden barrels are also larger and hence were easier to make. The plain barrel has square mortice holes added for the operating lever. The battens on the other barrel have small holes drilled in the ends and filled with black epoxy to represent bolt heads.

You can see the relative sizes of the two completed barrels in the photo. The Mk2 version is a much better proportion, and it still fits underneath the retracted bowsprit (just!)

The location for the supporting posts were marked on the deck and then drilled and opened up to be square. The two posts extend down through these holes and are braced on the underside of the deck. Finally a pawl for the ratchet was made from brass and fitted to a third support post.

I'm now happy with the appearance of the Mk 2 windlass. "If it looks right, it probably is right" to quote Martin 😊

Hi JB,

I did wonder if it would look OK with the anchor chain wound on the drum, but after a couple of days trying to convince myself I decided to scrap it and do it right the second time (hopefully 🤞). It still needs the pawl for the ratchet, but I have to make a bigger ratchet wheel first. A bit of a pain having to do another one, but it should be worth the effort, and easier than a step-up gear arrangement.

I’ve been meaning to ask, what do you use to produce your sketches?

Graham93

Hi Rob,

Reassuring to hear that from a Master in the craft. I could have left this failure out of the blog, but “anyone who never made a mistake, never made anything” 😆

Mk2 should be a lot easier, the parts will be bigger and easier to handle.

Graham93

Another prominent feature in photos of Pilot Cutters is the windlass. There are several different designs, but the one I decided to model is the barrel windlass.

The first, and perhaps most difficult part was to make the ratchet wheel. The largest diameter brass I had available was 12mm so a short piece was drilled with a 4mm and then cut from the bar. I didn't have any means to accurately scribe the ratchet teeth positions on the circumference of the blank, so I had to set to and make an indexing attachment for the lathe. This turned the job into a bigger task, but the indexer will come in useful for future jobs.

I had previously made a winding handle for the lathe spindle which I use for threading workpieces using a tailstock mounted die holder. A plastic gear wheel salvaged from an old printer was bored out and glued to the winding handle shaft. This gear has 48 teeth so provides a range of indexing options 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24. A spring loaded detent, attached to the headstock holds the spindle in the required positions.

The ratchet blank was inked with a black marker pen, mounted on lathe spindle and scribed around the circumference with 12 equally spaced lines. Twelve radial cuts were then made 1mm deep with a piercing saw and the surplus material filed away to produce the ratchet wheel.

Using a similar approach, a wooden barrel was marked radially with 8 equi-spaced lines (I knew the indexing attachment would come in useful 😀)Flats were planed on the barrel using the lines as a guide. Timber battens were then added to produce a completed barrel similar to the ones seen on full sized Cutters.

A couple of temporary support posts were made so that the completed Windlass could be tried in position on the deck. It is important that the height of the windlass is low enough that the bowsprit can be retracted over it. Fortunately it does, however...... as Martin (☹️) said a few weeks ago "If it looks right, it probably is". Looking at the completed windlass, it just doesn't look right. The barrels and ratchet wheel are just too small a diameter. Two reasons I got it wrong, 1) I only had 12mm diameter brass and 2) I had to be sure it would fit below the bowsprit.

Oh well, back to the drawing board..

Stephen,

Thank you for passing on Martin’s message. A sad day for us all.

Martin, I hope you do get to read all the messages from your friends on this site. We will all miss you, you made such a valuable contribution with all your posts.

I will miss your comments, humour, suggestions and encouragement. Take care my friend, I hope we may be in contact again one day.

Graham93

Hi Jim,

There are so many options it is difficult to know where to start.

From what you said, I’m assuming something that can give you up to 15v at a couple of amps would be suitable. That won’t power a big brushless motor, but would cover any servo, lighting, etc testing. Having a voltage readout is very useful so you can easily set the output voltage.

Here’s one I found earlier..

I have a bench supply I built from a salvaged desktop PC power unit and a Chinese voltage adjuster. Made a plywood box to house it all. Not sure it was worth the effort when you can buy a complete unit for £30

Graham93

https://cpc.farnell.com/duratool/d03232/power-supply-1ch-15v-2a-adjustable/dp/IN07999

🔗

Hi hammer,

Just love your westerman 😍👍 Maybe I need to think about adding someone similar 🤔 Models definitely look better when they aren’t ‘ghost ships’

Graham93

Thanks Peter,

I think we are all amateurs on here, and all trying to learn how to build better models. 🤔 I like a challenge, so I’m just pushing the limits of what I can do to see how far I can get.

Graham93

Thanks everyone for the 'likes' and the comments.

I think I'm going to let the binnacle tarnish and then protect it with either lacquer or wax.

(JB, no plans for a sextant!! 😂)

Graham93

Thanks Martin, the ‘oil lamp’ is a yellow led. Haven’t decided about lacquering it. Might just let it tarnish.

Graham93

Michael,

That is so true.😀 I was determined it wouldn’t beat me. It nearly did. Now I’ve done it, I know I could do it better next time, but trying to make another one probably would kill me. 😉

Graham93

Hi Stephen,

The formed top was made from a disc of copper which was annealed and then domed using a wooden doming punch and hollow block. The disc was made by splitting and flattening a short length of copper pipe.

Once formed, the dome was soldered onto a short section cut from an end feed plumbing fitting. The completed top then slides onto the 15mm copper pipe body.

Graham93

Thanks Hammer,

I didn’t realise that Pilot Cutters would not have a compass. All the photos I’ve seen have a compass of some sort, but based on your comment I guess that’s because they have been converted to private use. Glad I right about leaving the iron balls off. I thought that was right but wasn’t certain.

Graham93

Having added the helm to the deck, I decided any competent helmsman would need a binnacle to help with navigation.

Several offcuts of 15mm copper water pipe were cut to size to form the body of the binnacle. The compass disk was turned from brass and pivots on a needle. The needle is fixed in a holder, also turned from brass. The holder pivots in a brass gimbal ring on two 1mm dia brass pivots. The gimbal ring is pivoted to the outer body using two similar pivots. Two tiny magnets, 2mm dia and 3mm long fit into holes in the underside of the compass disk. I found that the magnets were attracted to the needle pivot, which prevented the disk from turning. Replacing the needle with the shaft from a map pin solved this problem. I guess the map pin is a non-magnetic stainless steel.

The oil lamp housing was built up from pieces of brass sheet, soldered together. A compass dial was printed and glued to the compass disk. The disk is 9mm in diameter.

I didn't have any large enough brass rod to make the binnacle plinth, but I did have a brass nut from a plumbing fitting. The end of the nut was turned down and parted off to provide the plinth.

The angled photo shows the gimbal in use.

A window was turned from acrylic rod to fit in a brass bezel. Both faces of the acrylic were smoothed with 1200 grit wet and dry and then 'fire polished' to make the window transparent.

The last two photos are to give an idea of the scale. In the last photo, the oil lamp is lit 😉.

Thanks Hammer,

I might need to change the shape of the arm to bring it up higher like yours. Will wait until it is all together so I can see how it looks.

Graham93

Nicely thought out solution. 👍 I like the chain tensioners/shock absorbers. Might try something similar for the helm on my Cutter build.

Graham93

JB,

"I'll have a sandpit with a bucket and spade next😂"

I've already succumbed to that temptation! I'll send you the plans if you like 😂🤣

Graham93

JB,

Hadn’t thought about the elastic perishing 🤔

The problem with using a rigid link like a wire is the difference in shaft angles between the servo and the helm. That’s why I went for a flexible cord running (bending) over the steel rod to change the direction of pull.

Dismantling the helm and removing the shaft to replace the elastic, possibly with cord as suggested by Doug, or wire as you suggested, will be possible when the deck is fixed in place. I’ve tried that out already as I didn’t want to end up with something which couldn’t be fixed.

Graham93

Hi JB,

Really like the launch off the trailer. Looks really good. You just need a bit more practice on the recovery 🙄 and perhaps a few modifications 🤔
Graham93

Hi Ed,

Thanks for the comments and the photos. The hull shape on this model is not representative of the real cutters hence the challenge of installing the helm at an angle, when the rudder is vertical. I couldn’t just attach the tiller directly to the rudder shaft.

I do plan to add as much detail as I reasonably can above the waterline so that it looks representative. What goes on below the waterline can’t be seen 😉

One of the winch servos is installed as you describe with all sheets for the foresails connected so that they are loose in the centre position. The other winch has the main sail sheet attached, loose at one end of its travel, and close hauled at the other. I’m a novice when it comes to boats like this, so I don’t know what, or if, there is an advantage to do it this way but I’m sticking to the plan as I know it has been tried and tested this way. I don’t have enough experience to change it and be confident it will work OK. With two servos it will allow independent control of the sails, but I don’t know if that is a real advantage or an unnecessary complexity.

Graham93