Steam Launch: USS New Jersey Steam Cutter #873 NJ1

09/23/2019

Adding some pictures to the STEAM CUTTER album

10/07/2018

Precision Metal, Inc is about 60% finished the polishing and Lacquer Coating of all the brass and bronze hardware, fitting, lights and gauges on our 1906 US Navy Steam Cutter USS New Jersey #873 NJ1.

The Steam Cutter’s Hardware was all hand built with museum like quality by Stuward Marshall owner and  operator of Marshal Machine and Engineer Works of López Island Washington.  The process of building the hardware called for it being all hand carved of wood, called patterns, then they cast in bronze in his own foundry and then Machined by him in his own Machine Shop. Mr Marshal also built the sailing Hardware, built the 1 Pound Turret Mounted Revolving Canon, Missing Engine parts, Built her Two 5 gallon drinking water barrels, two 8 gallon drinking water barrels and their mounting stands, built and found the historic tools for the Sea Chest, and Medicine Chest. Built her Elaborate Steering Wheel of teak and bronze parts, built all her mounting hardware for her gas lamps, used as running lights, bronze canopy fittings parts and more. Simply put without the help of Stuart Marshall this project would never have been completed

01/20/2018

USS NEW JERSEY STEAM CUTTER
#873 NJ1 work up date.

One Ash and Cherry wood drinking water barrel and one Ash and Cherry wood general service bucket finished and reassembled. He’s drinking water barrels in general service buckets were built by Stuart Marshall Marshall machine works on Lopez Island Washington. We ended up applying 24 coats of varnish in order to get them to look like they were encased in glass. The brass polishing and coating was done by Zitos Plate and Polishing shop. I still need the rest of the brass hoops polished and coated and reassemble the other 3 of each to complete this massive project that I started in October.

12/12/2017

The Boat Chest was a required peace of equipment on all US Navy Steam Cutter’s of the 1900 series. It was a fancy tool box and it also had a medicine box inside it.

The Second box was called a Flagstaff Chest. It held four different Flagstaff ornaments, the Flat Truck for Officers below the rank of Captain. the Ball for Captains , the Star for Commanders, the Lance head, for Admirals

I put 12 coats of Epifanes high Gloss varnish on these Chest and they are just starting to look like they have a sheet of glass over the wood.

09/02/2017

We hired William Czaska after an extensive search to fine a true professional Shipwright ( a highly skilled carpenter in wood boatbuilding) William was the perfect man for this historical restoration project. A man who was an absolute perfectionist that had the patience to work on this project for over 9 years. We all truly believe this historical vessel would never have been restored to the museum like quality it is now had we not found William.

Thank you William Czaska.

08/30/2017

This page was created to tell the story of the restoration of a the last known example of a United States Navy 40ft Steam Cutter #873 NJ 1. She was built in Maine by the US Navy in 1906, made of Cedar planks over oak saw cut frames with copper rivets. She was assigned to the Battleships USS NEW JERSEY BB 16 from 1907 to 1919.
We acquired her in June of 2009 in Maine and had her placed on a special trailer and trucked to our Belle Chasse La warehouse to start the long process of returning her to her original condition, as a US Navy Steam Cutter. Of course, we had no idea at the time we bought her that our Steam Cutter was such an historically important or special Steam Cutter because the US Navy made hundreds of these vessel. However, only about 20 of the 1900 series 40 ft Steam Cutters were assigned to Battleships and these vessels were made very special. All the hardware was bronze instead of galvanized steel, bump rails,cap rail, rudders were made of teak. All the hardware was first carved out of wood them it was cast bronze and machined by Stuart Marshal, Marshall machine works Lopez Island Washington Some Admirals even had their entire Steam Cutter varnished. Almost All the bronze and brass hardware on the vessel including the ceiling catch rig were built by Stuart Marshall of Lopez Island Washington

08/20/2017

Historical steam vessel

This 40ft US Navy STEAM CUTTER #873 was aboard the USS NEW JERSEY BB16 as part of the Great White Fleet a popular nickname for the powerful United States Navy battle fleet that completed a journey around the globe from 16 December 1907, to 22 February 1909, by order of United States President Theodore Roosevelt. She is the only remaining US Navy Steam Cutter known to exist, which is why we chose to restore her and eventually she'll be donated to Annapolis Maritime Museum.

08/19/2017