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Fashion piece

T

tonyvou13

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Jan 1, 2023
Messages
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I’m building an old model shipways Benjamin Latham fishing schooner. In the instructions it shows something called a fashion piece on the upper stern quarter. It’s a piece that is added, but I’m confused as to what it looks like and how it fits. Anyone have any ideas and or pictures?
Thanks
Tony
 
This is a good question, had to look this up. I believe these are small pieces, to define the corner of the wale and the transom. One placed at the end of the wale, the other on the transom, with a butt joint. Keep the edges sharp, not rounded.

The shape looks like a quarter moon, The transom piece shaped to fit the curve of the wale. Fit the piece on the wale first, shape the aft end to the transom, then the piece on the transom, over lapping the end of the wale.

Look like bumpers to me.

From:

image.jpg
 
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Yes Figure 9.

As I see it.

The top picture shows the starboard side with a piece on the wale, extending aft past the piece on the transom. The dotted line and solid lines represent the shape of the piece.

The bottom picture port side, shows two arrows pointing to the wale and transom fashion pieces. Seems like and arrow is omitted on the starboard side pointing to the transom piece.

Did you ever see the movie “Captains Courageous”, it has extensive footage showing these types of boats in action. May get a glimpse.

Good luck,

-Rich
 
This may show the sort of fitting you are referring to, although in this case this does not wrap around onto the transom. I assume this is a sort of rubbing strip for protection for the side/transom interface.

https://archives.novascotia.ca/bluenose/archives/?ID=202&Language=

Sheet 3 of 4 of the Benjamin W Latham drawings (just above where it says "scale of trucks" near the left of the sheet) also seems to indicate something similar based on the hatching and the termination of the longitudinal rubbing strip just above the quarterdeck freeing ports.


Ken
 
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ERSRich said:
Yes Figure 9.

As I see it.

The top picture shows the starboard side with a piece on the wale, extending aft past the piece on the transom. The dotted line and solid lines represent the shape of the piece.

The bottom picture port side, shows two arrows pointing to the wale and transom fashion pieces. Seems like and arrow is omitted on the starboard side pointing to the transom piece.

Did you ever see the movie “Captains Courageous”, it has extensive footage showing these types of boats in action. May get a glimpse.

Good luck,

-Rich
Click to expand...
 
ERSRich said:
Yes Figure 9.

As I see it.

The top picture shows the starboard side with a piece on the wale, extending aft past the piece on the transom. The dotted line is a hidden line, under the wale piece, representing the piece on the transom.

The bottom picture port side, shows two arrows pointing to the wale and transom fashion pieces. Seems like and arrow is omitted on the starboard side pointing to the transom piece.

Did you ever see the movie “Captains Courageous”, it has extensive footage showing these types of boats in action. May get a glimpse.

Good luck,

-Rich
Click to expand...

tonyvou13 said:
Thanks I think I understand this now.
Click to expand...
Unsatisfied with my answer so asked Alexa. From her:

The fashion piece, also called a fashion timber, is the final frame—or timber—right before the stern on a wooden sailing ship. It shapes the corner where the wale meets the transom and supports the beams that form the stern.

I was wrong about the piece on the wale.

This is a solid hull kit, so would it be visible?
 
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woodbutcher said:
This may show the sort of fitting you are referring to, although in this case this does not wrap around onto the transom. I assume this is a sort of rubbing strip for protection for the side/transom interface.

https://archives.novascotia.ca/bluenose/archives/?ID=202&Language=

Sheet 3 of 4 of the Benjamin W Latham drawings (just above where it says "scale of trucks" near the left of the sheet) also seems to indicate something similar based on the hatching and the termination of the longitudinal rubbing strip just above the quarterdeck freeing ports.


Ken
Click to expand...
Yes, thought it was a bumper.
 
The fashion piece is possibly best defined as a partial frame. The below are obviously from different vessels, but might help picture it.,

1785073016347.png

1785073096359.jpeg1785073137751.jpeg
The aft most frame below is the fashion piece.
1785073164762.jpeg


1785073333337.jpeg
 
i think the kit instructions are using the term "fashion piece" loosely by true definition a fashion timber is more like a frame.
In the kit the fashion piece is just a filler piece, so the ends of the hull planking have something to attach to.
bulkhead kits are far from how a real ship is built so using ship building terms sometimes gets lost in translation. I knew what a fashion timber was but looking at the instructions threw me because what they were showing has nothing to do with a fashion timber.

Benjamin Latham 056a.jpg
 
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In short: the fashion timber is a partial frame to which both transom and hull planks are fastened. Mechanic fasteners dont hold well in end grain, so it helps reinforcing that problem area (weakness, leakage) by giving a good grip to nails/screws/rivets.
 
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