A couple of days ago we had a regular storm out here. We had gusts of hurricane strength and waves that corresponded to the rest of the weather.
We ended up blowing out 3 of our stay sails, and we still did 12 knots on just two square sails. So apart from it being a bit difficult to sleep, it was great fun, and awe inspiring as always to see the full force of the sea.
When one of the stay sails had to be taken down, it hit the brass top of one of the old magnetic compasses. The sergeant quickly saved it and brought it inside. But the small top lid was missing.
We all take great pride in that the ship is looking its best when we go into port, and polished brass looks best if all the part are present. So I found our last piece of brass sheet metal, and set to work.
The first step was to determine more or less the size I wanted to lid to be, and then it was just a matter of cutting a disc out of the sheet and finding a hammer.
In a perfect world I would have had a nice little rounded anvil and a polished face hammer for working sheet metal, but a small ball peen hammer and a bit of pipe had to do the trick.
The perimeter of the disc was going to be furled back, so I'd gently knock on it with the hammer and the after two rounds, I would heat it all up to anneal it so the brass once again became reasonably pliable.
Before giving the outer edge the final hammering, I domed the disc a bit, and when it looked fair, I folded over the edge the rest of the way.
I tested the lid on the compass top, but I had made it a bit too small. I decided that I could fix it by machining the inner edge on the lathe. Which was not my original plan, but never the less it worked.
The lower rim was made up of a couple of strips of the brass sheet. I would have preferred a long continuous piece, but I didn't have enough brass to do that, so I had to improvise a bit.
Finally the lower rim was soft soldered to the domed disc. The completed lid was then cleaned up in the lathe and mounted on the compass top.
Truth be told, my lid is just a smidge too tight for my liking, but it will stay put even in rough weather and it looks OK.
“ it was great fun, and awe inspiring as always to see the full force of the sea.” As an individual who gets sea sick in a bathtub I find this horrifying 😂. I also find your metal work absolutely amazing. That is some awesome work my friend.
ReplyDeleteHi Ray
DeleteI guess that you wouldn't have liked it out here one bit :-)
The funny thing is that most of us would regularly go to the poop deck - just to look at the scenery. when the weather is that harsh, we close off the main deck and the forecastle, and even on the poop deck you need to wear a safety harness if you are out there for more than a cup of coffee..
I tried to take some pictures of the sea, but it just doesn't do it justice. We were regularly listing 45 degrees to port, and the phrase howling winds was an accurate description.
Thanks for the nice comment on the metal work :-) I have asked the ships chandler in Horta if they can supply a new sheet of brass, there is just once in a while where we need to get something like that done, and having the correct material on board is key.
Brgds
Jonas
Nice work Jonas.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ralph,
DeleteSomebody talked about submarines being quite calm in bad weather, at least if they were submerged, so that got me thinking of you :-)
Brgds
Jonas
Nice job Chief…
ReplyDeleteThanks for the nice comment.
DeleteI think that I'll see if I can find a spare sheet metal hammer at home, and perhaps a rounded hand anvil, and then I'll bring it with me for the next trip and leave it on the ship.
Every now and then these brass tops gets dented in one way or another, so it will most likely happen again some time.
Brgds
Jonas
Very cool - I have always been impressed by your ability to get things done aboard ship, where you're stuck with what you have "in the shop". I have a hard time getting anything done with fewer than three trips to the Home Center: one to get what I thought I needed, one to get what I actually needed, and one to return the stuff I realized I didn't need!
ReplyDeleteI have recently added metalworking to my arsenal of skills, and it is a fascinating material to work with. Wood has its own appeal of course, but things like, "I hammered it into shape" and "I got it red hot with a torch so I could bend it more easily" are definitely new experiences compared to saws and nails and glue. :)
Hi Craig
DeleteThanks for the nice comment. I am proud that I can impress :-)
At home I still struggle to get all the stuff needed for a project in one run to the lumberyard as well, but I am getting better all the time. I mostly find that to be a problem if I have to do some sort of new project. If I have to build a cabinet or something that I have done previously, I mostly nail it the first time, but bigger and more complex projects like building a new gable for the barn etc. they mostly require a few trips. Sometimes it is also due to the fact that when the project evolves, suddenly you discover something that is in a worse shape than imagined, and then you'll need another trip to get some more stuff.
Metal is really a fascinating material, there is a tiny little bit of movement if you heat it a lot, but unless you are welding up a huge construction or turning an axle with a precision fit for a ball bearing, they can more or less be forgotten.
I like to work in sheet metal, because it isn't too heavy, it is relatively easy to start out with (no need for costly tools), and you can make useful stuff.
Galvanized plate or zink plate are great for start projects, they are not that expensive, and you can soft solder (tin) easily. Stainless steel plate will either require silver soldering or welding.
Riveting is another good method of joining thin sheets of metal.
Happy hammering :-)
Brgds
Jonas
Wow, impressive work. You are just the kind of multi talented guy that are needed on a ship, or an improvised airstrip or a field unit in the middle of nowhere :-) Jokes asides I always had lots of respect for these guys and gals.
ReplyDeleteMy hat off to you Jonas
Bob
Thanks Bob
DeleteI am actually enjoying stuff like that out here.
On other ships it wouldn't be a theme at all since nothing would be made of brass and nothing would be so old that you couldn't just order a spare part for it. But out here we have to work our way around problems like these and I like that it is perfectly OK to spend a day or two to make one specific little part, if it looks good :-)
Brgds
Jonas