HIGH HOPES, WILD MEN AND THE DEVIL’S JAW - Willem Barentsz Kolderstok 1:50

[GAStan]

Exactly my theory. Some clamps can exert a LOT of pressure and that seems to create a problem on soaked wood... It's not really a stain (as in transfer of something from the clamp to the wood) - it seems to be something within the wood itself that is changing.

Is the stain deep into the wood or can it be easily sanded off? I experienced a similar problem with my Compestela build with the binder clamps but I was able to easily sand off the discoloration. I figured it was due to wet planks & glue and black paint on my binder clips. This was on the light colored basswood provided in the kit.


Glenn

 

[dockattner]

In my case it looked more like a bruise than what you are showing here Glenn. I never took a picture. It sanded off but I had to remove more wood than I liked.

 

[GAStan]

Bruise would be a good word for what you describe.

Looking closely at my pics mine looks more like discolored glue than wood. Likely a reaction of the PVA I used with the black paint on the clips.

 

[Maarten]

Hi heinrich,

Great progress if you continue at this speed you can really freeze your model in ice this winter like the real one.
I feel you will start building the fluit after this one

 

[Heinrich]

Perhaps it is just the clamp crushing the cell walls in the wood. Any space in the cells being filled with air and slightly transparent might provide internal reflections that would lighten the appearance of the wood. Crushing the cells would make them more opaque and less reflective yielding a darker surface.

Just a guess.

Fair winds..... Ed.

Hallo Ed and a big welcome to the Willem Barentsz build. I think you have probably given us the most "scientific" explanation of what has happened. I think that is exactly what happened. Obviously the pressure of the clamps combined with the wood which is relatively soft being dam, both result in the "crushed", cells. Thank you very much for your contribution!

 

[Heinrich]

Bruise would be a good word for what you describe.

Looking closely at my pics mine looks more like discolored glue than wood. Likely a reaction of the PVA I used with the black paint on the clips.

Thank you for posting the picture Glenn. Mine looked a lot darker, but that is obviously because of the color of the walnut that is much darker than the basswood. In essence, that is exactly what my stains looked like, except mine was not limited to the joints between planks but also in the middle of a plank. However, either way, it would correspond to the exact place where the clamps gripped.

 

[Heinrich]

In my case it looked more like a bruise than what you are showing here Glenn. I never took a picture. It sanded off but I had to remove more wood than I liked.

Hi Paul - exactly. Some marks sanded away easily, but others proved more of a challenge.

 

[Heinrich]

Hi heinrich,

Great progress if you continue at this speed you can really freeze your model in ice this winter like the real one.
I feel you will start building the fluit after this one

Thank you for the kind words, Maarten. I am very happy with the progress, but I have just a few days left of devoting all my time to her. The Fluit is very tempting, but - believe me - there is still a long way to go on the WB!

 

[Heinrich]

Hello Everyone. The deck planking has been done, the inner rails on port side have gone in and I have started the inner planking of the bulwarks on the Port side. I will post pictures a little later, but for now, it is time for the next Historical update:

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE EXPEDITION - PART 3

As the pack-ice gradually thickened and closed in, the ever-increasing pressure understandably started to cause damage to the ship and on the 27th of August the expedition finally ground to a halt as the ship was shoved metres high into the air by the increasing pressure from the icebergs. Thus starts the notorious overwintering on Nova Zembla.


Painting: Arnold de Lange Maritiem

The gigantic icebergs – compared in his journal by Gerrit de Veer (one of the expedition members) to the Salt Mountains of Spain instilled fear in the hearts of the men who described the landscape as “colorless, ominous and eerily silent.” Protection against the severe cold was nowhere to be found while the relatively thin Dutch clothing did nothing to alleviate the situation.


Source: Rijksmuseum

Against this seemingly hopeless background though, nature did provide the men with an unexpected lucky break. The crew discovered – close to a nearby river - piles and piles of driftwood, deposited there by the annual Siberian ice-flood season. To Barentsz, who had already concluded that a building a “house” as a means of protection against the severe oncoming winter, would be the men’s only hope of survival, this was a godsend.


Source: Rijksmuseum


Source: Rijksmuseum

Immediately, the men set about cutting and gathering as much wood as possible during the fast-diminishing light that daytime offered. In addition to the driftwood, the Barentsz also becomes a wood donor. In November – just in the nick of time and only days before the start of winter, the men finished the house – suitably christened, Het Behouden Huys – the “Safe House”.

The word “house” should be interpreted in the broadest possible sense as it consisted of a single room, a chimney and just enough space for all 17 men.


Source: Rijksmuseum

Even with the house, conditions on the island were brutal. It became so cold that Barentsz and his men had long since broken out their merchant goods to fashion extra clothes and blankets and had to sleep with warmed cannonballs underneath their bedding in an attempt to stay warm.

That is all for this historical update. I try not to make each one too long so that it remains an easy-to-read and cohesive unit. I hope that you found it interesting and meaningful and enjoyed reading it. Until next time.

 

[RDN1954]

I do so appreciate the historical context you're providing. Something else entirely from the year and the shortest possible description of the event in our Dutch history books at school.

 

[rtibbs]

I love the history Heinrich although tragic. I’ve tried to find an English translation but have not had much success in doing so.

Ron

 

[Heinrich]

I do so appreciate the historical context you're providing. Something else entirely from the year and the shortest possible description of the event in our Dutch history books at school.

Thank you Johan. I do want to provide the historical context because I think it is very important - but at the same time - I don't want to bog everyone down with countless facts and details. I do want to keep it short and simple and within the context of the build log. I notice that your IP address shows Portugal - are you visiting?

 

[Heinrich]

I love the history Heinrich although tragic. I’ve tried to find an English translation but have not had much success in doing so.

Ron

Thank you Ron - I am so glad you enjoy the history. There are, of course, many articles available in English (most of what I publish here comes from them), but I do not know whether there is actually a book in English available on the subject. I dearly want to get Ab Hoving and Cor Emke's book (in collaboration with Gerald de Weerdt - the master shipwright of the replica build), but that will just have to wait until I have an income again.

 

[RDN1954]

Thank you Johan. I do want to provide the historical context because I think it is very important - but at the same time - I don't want to bog everyone down with countless facts and details. I do want to keep it short and simple and within the context of the build log.

The funny thing is that the more I get involved with modeling of historical ships, the more I'm getting interested in the contextual history of those ships.

 

[Heinrich]

The funny thing is that the more I get involved with modeling of historical ships, the more I'm getting interested in the contextual history of those ships.

But that is wonderful, Johan! I notice that in your Bluenose log, you mention that Bluenose might have had Dutch origins dating from the Speeljacht days! That will make @rtibbs Ron happy to hear just how esteemed the Speeljacht is.

 

[tedboat]

A superb build log - I will be watching avidly!
Love the history lessons!

Ted

 

[Heinrich]

Okiedokie

I promised an update on today's proceedings (not yet finished - there is still time for one plank to be glued ) and here it is.

One thing I neglected to mention is how ingeniously the inner planking strengthens the bulwarks from midships to stern. Just to recap, the inner planking is indicated by the area marked in red.



Now if we look from the outside, this is the picture.



First off, notice the sequence of how the upper bulwarks are planked: A 6mm strip, then a 2mm strip and finally two 6mm planks again. But ... because the bulwark runs in a curve and because the inner planking is done with 4mm strips, it means that two of the planks overlap the joints of the previously planked strakes, adding great rigidity. The two solid, red lines indicate where the overlaps occur. However, this is not the end of the bracing - not even close. Hopefully I will be able to show you more bracing tomorrow night.

So, before I could do anything today, I had to complete the deck planking as that had to be done before the inner planking could take place and before the inner rails could be installed.



Deck planking has been completed and the inner rails on the port side have been installed.



And @RDN1954 Johan, just for you - note that the bowsprit opening has been "opened". Looking at the deck I have immediately decided against any staining or any type of finish that would change the color of the deck. That means that I will follow @Dean62 Dean's advice and apply a Polyurethane Varnish only to the deck.

Of course, finding a suitable product that I can trust is a different story altogether. In the end it seemed that my best bet would be Dulux Polyurethane Varnish with a Matte finish (obviously I don't want anything shiny on the deck). The added advantage of the poly is also that I will be able to glue the various deck items later without hassle. But - seeing that it is almost Spring Festival in China, all online shopping networks like Taobao and Jidong, have suspended their delivery services until after the 10th of February. Nothing is ever straightforward.



With the deck planking thus completed, I could start the inner planking of the port side bulwarks.



Happy shipbuilding until tomorrow everyone!

 

[RDN1954]

And @RDN1954 Johan, just for you - note that the bowsprit opening has been "opened".

You made me a happy man!

 

[Heinrich]

A superb build log - I will be watching avidly!
Love the history lessons!

Ted

Thank you very much Ted and a big welcome to the build log. I hold your superb work in very high esteem so I will greatly value the input that you will bring! I am very happy if you also enjoy the historical context of the build. As things progress, I will also include the reconstruction of the ship which is currently taking place in the Netherlands.

 

[rtibbs]

That overhead photo really shows how broad a beam and how very narrow the stern. Interesting

Ron