US Brig Syren by _SalD_ – FINISHED - 3/16" scale

[_SalD_]

Hello all.

This will be my second wooden ship, and build log, that I will be attempting.  The first ship I built was Model Shipways’ Phantom which I found to be most enjoyable, so much so that I thought I’d try it again.  For my second build I wanted to try a POB being that the Phantom was a solid hull kit.  I looked at a number of kits and finally decided on Model Shipways’ U.S. Brig Syren.  Although this kit may be a little advanced for me I chose it for a few reasons. First it’s a POB kit, second it comes with an excellent instruction manual by Chuck Passaro that pretty much gives me a step by step guide on how to build the ship and, last but not least, there are a number of excellent build logs here on MSW of the Syren that I can study.

 

I wasn't going to start this kit until next month in order to finish up some chores around the house but the kit came and it was just sitting on the work bench calling my name and having an addictive personality I couldn't resist.  So I opened the kit and took inventory.  Everything was there except for some of the belaying pins and the ships wheel was broken.  I sent a replacement parts form to Model Expo.

 

Mandatory photo of the box and inventory.

 

 

 

The Bulkhead Former was removed and checked for straightness.  Not bad.

 

 

 

Steam bend (used a little travel steamer) the rabbet strip around the BF and let it sit over night, then glued it into position.  First small faux pas was to use the clamp at the top of the stem to hold the rabbet.  With the basswood being wet and soft the clamp compressed the rabbet strip down to about half its thickness.

 

 

 

Carved the rabbet along the BF, tapered the stem knee for the figurehead and removed the bulkheads (very carefully) and filed down the slots.

 

 

 

Glued the stem knee and keel onto the BF and made up a keel clamp with a scrap piece of white particle board shelving and pine strips.

 

 

 

 

I also test fit the bulkhead onto the BF and found that Jenga blocks work very nicely to square up the bulkheads.

 

 

 

[augie]

Best of luck on this kit, Sal.  I'm sure you're going to enjoy the journey.

[_SalD_]

Best of luck on this kit, Sal.  I'm sure you're going to enjoy the journey.

 

Thanks Augie, I've looked through your build of the Syren and it's excellent.  I will be referring to it as I go.

[augie]

Plenty of help on here for this one.  Check out Rafine's and Dubz builds for real inspiration.  And Chuck is always available to lend encouragement.

[GuntherMT]

The Syren looks like a great kit.  I look forward to watching yet another one take form on here, and looks like you've made a great start.

 

Also, I have no idea what a Jenga block is other than a wooden block as pictured.  Guess I'll have to Google that.

[WackoWolf]

Glad to see that your doing a log Sal. This is Joe from the club. There are a lot of logs on this build so I am sure you will get all the help you need plus everyone from the club will help out if you have any questions.

[_SalD_]

The Syren looks like a great kit.  I look forward to watching yet another one take form on here, and looks like you've made a great start.

 

Also, I have no idea what a Jenga block is other than a wooden block as pictured.  Guess I'll have to Google that.

 

Hi Brian, thanks for looking in.  

 

Glad to see that your doing a log Sal. This is Joe from the club. There are a lot of logs on this build so I am sure you will get all the help you need plus everyone from the club will help out if you have any questions.

 

Hi Joe, I'm counting on you and the guys at the club to help me through this build.

[_SalD_]

Have fun with this nice little Ship

 

Dirk

 

Thanks Dirk, I have been through your build of the Syren a number of times.  What can I say that everyone hasn't said already, your talents are truly amazing.  

[Gahm]

Enjoy the Syren! It is a lot of fun building this model.

 

Thomas

[_SalD_]

Enjoy the Syren! It is a lot of fun building this model.

 

Thomas

 

Thomas, thanks for taking the time to look at my build.  I've read through your build log and will be referring to it often.  Your ship is beautiful. 

[RevKB]

Wow love the Jenga blocks Idea, I looked hard at this ship along with the Niagara and settled on the Rattle snake. I hope you enjoy this build as much and if not more than your first. God bless

 

In His dust Kenny

[_SalD_]

Wow love the Jenga blocks Idea, I looked hard at this ship along with the Niagara and settled on the Rattle snake. I hope you enjoy this build as much and if not more than your first. God bless

 

In His dust Kenny

 

Hi Rev. Kenny, It's one of the benefits of having kids, you get to raid all their toys after they leave the house.

[CaptMorgan]

Hello Sal:

Thanks for adding your build log. Like you I am just getting ready to start a Syren build. This will also be my second wood model, just finishing up an AL Constellation. Wish I would have found this forum during that build. It sure would have helped.

A lot of very clean and inspiring Syren builds here. They should also provide a lot of help and inspiration. 

I still have a few things to get done before I get started but I won't be far behind.

Take care. 

RR

[_SalD_]

Hello Sal:

Thanks for adding your build log. Like you I am just getting ready to start a Syren build. This will also be my second wood model, just finishing up an AL Constellation. Wish I would have found this forum during that build. It sure would have helped.

A lot of very clean and inspiring Syren builds here. They should also provide a lot of help and inspiration.  

 

 

RR, I think you have a leg up on me with your Constellation.    You should post some pictures of her.  This should be an interesting build and I'm sure we'll be helping each other out along the way.  

[_SalD_]

It seemed like I worked all weekend on the ship but didn't get much accomplished.  First I beveled the bulkheads slightly just shy of the guide lines.  Then I glued all the bulkheads to the BF being careful to align each one 90 degrees and vertical to it.  I did one at a time and waited three to four hours for the glue to set before gluing the next one in place.  One thing I discovered while dry fitting the bulkheads in place was that Jenga blocks suck for lining up the bulkheads (scratch that idea).  I used a modified version of Floyd Kershner’s aluminum angles and a drafting triangle.  I also attached the bow fillers and filler material to bulkhead ‘P’ prior the gluing it in place.  I just thought it might be easier to get the basic shape down before gluing it in place.

 

 

 

Bulkhead 'P' with fillers attached

 

 

 

Finished product

[_SalD_]

I glued in all the bulkhead fillers using balsa wood and now my ship looks like a tanker.  Next I sanded down the blocks along the hull while fairing the bulkheads.  One thing I didn’t notice until I was reviewing the pictures was that I broke off the port side number 20 bulwark while sanding down the top of the balsa.  Fortunately I found it on the floor and glued it back in place.

 

 

 

 

For the lower deck I decided to assemble the planks together and then install it in one piece between bulkheads 16 and 20.  I cut all the planks to length and glued them together.  Prior to cutting the pieces I stained the wooden strip with Min Wax golden oak stain.  I also shaded one edge of the planks with a pencil to simulate the caulking before gluing them together.  I know treenailing the lower deck wasn't required but since I've never done this before I thought that I would give it a try.  I figured if I screwed it up no one would see it.  I just arbitrarily assumed a place for the joint in the planks and drew a pencil line.  I then used a 0.5mm bit to drill the holes in the planks and then cleaned them up by inserting a compass point into each hole.  I filled the holes using a dark colored blend stick.  Please let me know what you think because I was going to use this method on the hull and upper decking.

 

 

 

 

Next I laid out the batten for the gun port sill, cut and fit all the pieces and glued them in place.  I need to sand them all down next.   Is there an easy way to sand the inboard side of the sill?  It appears to be an awkward place to reach.

 

 

[_SalD_]

After sanding the gun port sills and lintels my next step was to cut out the templates provided on the heavy card stock for laying out the vertical sides of the gun ports.   I cut the starboard side templates out, taped them together at the matchline and positioned it on the side of the ship lining up the end bulkhead of the template to the #26 bulkhead of the ship.  After comparing the positions of the bulkheads on the template to those of my ship’s I thought to myself… “Well, either I totally screwed this up or, as others have written in their logs, these templates are way off.”

 

 

 

Trying to determine if the templates were off or if I should retire from ship building, I decided to cut out the gun port layout shown on Sheet #2 of the drawings.  I taped it to the ship and, phew, much better.  Just to confirm that I could use this template instead of the ones supplied on the card stock I PM’ed Chuck Passaro and he in fact confirmed that it was acceptable to use the template on Sheet #2.

 

 

 

For a side by side comparison of the two templates see photo below.  The template cut from the card stock is at the bottom.

 

 

 

So much for the starboard side, how about the port side you might ask.  Fortunately I have access to a large scanner at work where I can scan the drawing and then import it into AutoCAD.  From there I was able to make a mirror image of Sheet #2 and then printed it out to use as the port side template.

 

 

[augie]

Good thinking Sal.  This template thing has caused consternation for more than a few folks.

[WackoWolf]

Nice thinking about the gun ports. You are your way to becoming a great shipbuilder.

[_SalD_]

Good thinking Sal.  This template thing has caused consternation for more than a few folks.

 

Augie, It helps a lot reading other peoples logs and learning from their experiences.  At least I was aware of the problems with the templates so it wasn't TOO much of a shock when they didn't fit.

 

 

Nice thinking about the gun ports. You are your way to becoming a great shipbuilder.

 

Joe, the word ‘great’ is a long ways off for describing my ship building abilities but thank you.  I’m going to miss the club meeting this Saturday, going to visit my daughter at college, see you next month.

[WackoWolf]

I am glad you said this Saturday, I forgot and thought it was next week. Thanks. Getting old makes you forget.

[_SalD_]

The templates that I cut from Sheet #2 of the drawings worked out very well.  I marked the locations of all the gun ports and sweeps and then proceeded to cut and assemble all the pieces.  After installing each group of pieces making up the gun ports and sweeps I sanded them down to their rough shape.

 

 

 

After the sweeps were glued and dried I sanded everything down to their final shape.   This was a lot of sanding.

 

 

 

For sanding I used my dermal to take off a majority of the material, for the final sanding I used the sanding blocks shown below.  I had seen the red blocks in Marsares's Syren build and liked their shape so I purchased two.  The 20mm wide sander was very handy for doing the inboard side of the bulwarks, the 40mm wide one was good for doing the outboard side with its rounded surface.  The one I made from a cardboard tube with sandpaper taped to it also worked very well for the outboard side.  The emery boards and pencil sander I used to clean up the inside of the gun ports.

 

[WackoWolf]

Nice work. Looking forward to more updates and seeing it at the club next month. I also didn't go to the meeting this month, knee is really acting up.

[_SalD_]

Stern framing

I pretty much followed the instructions for assembling the stern framing.  Inserted the spacers along bulkhead #26 and glued the frames in between.  One thing I did different was to add a temporary support below the counter to give the spacers and frames something to sit on to help support them.

 

 

 

After all the frames were set and the glue dried I cut and inserted the gun port sills.   For this I used a temporary batten to establish the top of the sill.  I also checked their position with the cannon template to make sure the sills were not too high.

 

 

 

After the sills were set and dried I did the gun port lintels and added the rest of the filler material.  I still need to mark the outside frames to get the proper shape of the stern so I painted the frames white so I'll be able to see the pencil marks to trim along a little better.  Old eyes ain't what they use to be.

 

 

 

Before I start sanding all this framing down I have a question as to what the final profile should look like.  I’ve looked at a few of the current logs here but I’m still unsure.  I guess what I’m not sure about is how does the stern planking match up to the hull planking?  The filler pieces added below the counter in the directions shows a smooth transition from the filler to the stern framing.  If I add the filler called for in the manual I have a little lip between the filler and the framing.  Do I use a wider filler or do I sand the stern frames down to eliminate the lip?  I think I should use a wider filler.  I hope this makes sense.

 

 

 

Duh.....Well after rereading the instructions again I think I found my answer.  and I quote..."The strip under the counter should be set flush to the edge of the counter".  Unless I am misinterpreting this I need to use a wider strip.

Edited November 11, 2014 by DrWatson

[_SalD_]

I decided to make two solid filler pieces for below the counter rather than using the two strips as shown in the manual.  For me, I find that I can better visualize the shape of the hull with the solid pieces instead of the two strips.  I also decided that to shape the fillers more easily I would make them up separate from the hull.  I formed the fillers from some scrap pieces of basswood and glued them together.  After drying overnight I traced the profile of bulkhead #26 on the back of the filler pieces to give me its basic shape.  Using a jig saw I cut the excess material away from the filler.  Then using my dremel I formed the rough shape of the filler.

 

 

 

 

Next I glued the roughly shaped fillers into place below the counter and finished sanding them.

 

 

 

 

I am finished with chapter 4 as per the instruction but I am debating whether or not to cut in the sheaves near bulkheads ‘D’ & 4.  I like how they look on Dirk’s Syren build, but then who wouldn't.  It’s not so much cutting the openings, that’s the easy part; it’s making the sheaves that concerns me.   Maybe I’ll try making the sheaves first.

 

  

[_SalD_]

Fellow Syren builders, I have a dilemma .  I think I know what I need to do but I would just like some verification.

 

Using the laser inscribed marks on the bulkheads I’ve positioned the temporary batten on the side of the ship marking the location of the top most wale. Now if I measure up from the top of the batten 7/8”, corresponding to the width of the seven planks that are placed above the first wale, the bottom of my top plank will not clear the top of the gun ports at around mid-ship. From the photos in the instructions it’s clear that the top most plank is a full plank and not cut around the ports.

 

 

Also at the bow from where my batten is positioned the top of the seventh plank is flush with the top of the bow filler where as in Chuck’s model (see picture below) the top plank is well above the bow filler.

 

My question is; should I move the first wale up so that the topmost plank clears all the gun ports?  If I do then this plank will now be above the bow filler also. I think I should but I don't know what impact it will have on things down the line.

 

What I’m not sure about either is the amount of creep that will occur in placing seven planks.  In theory the seven planks at 1/8”/plank should be 7/8”, but what is it in actuality?  Maybe I’m fine where the batten is now.

 

 

Maybe I'll do some more painting while I think about this.

 

On another note, I did cut out for the sheaves and made up a dummy sheave out of basswood for fit.  I want to use a harder wood for the real sheaves.

 

 

 

 

 

Also finished painting the gun ports And sweeps.

 

 

[augie]

Looking good Sal.

 

I just checked my Syren and Chuck's practicum.  At midships, the 7th plank sits dead on the line at the top of the gunport.  As you move forward that 7th plank has a natural rise to it so that it's the 6th plank that starts to run into the gunports and needs to be notched.  If you look at pg. 20 on the full profile shot of Chuck's I believe you'll see the same thing.  I don't have the photos from back then as that part of my log was lost in the MSW 1.0 crash.

 

Hope this helps.

[SgtSki in MI]

Jenga blocks and a trigger clamp! I had those around the house. I guess I didn't have to buy that Fair-A-Frame! Oh well...I'm a newbie. Nice work so far.

[_SalD_]

Thanks Augie,  I ended up removing the battens and repositioned them a little higher.  I like the way they look now.

 

 

Thanks SgtSki,  I do some of my best work using my kids old toys.

 

And thanks everyone for all the ‘likes’

[_SalD_]

After pre-forming the port wale to the curve of the bow in a jig similar to what Chuck described in his instructions I ... (takes deep breath) glued and clamped it to the hull.  After that side dried I glued the starboard side.  Note to self; buy more clothespins in order to do both sides at the same time.  I like using the clothespins because they seem to be gentler on the wood surface.

 

 

Still working on the sheaves.  The prototype I made from basswood doesn’t appear to be that bad however the first attempt at the final sheave….not so good.  I tried using pear wood for the sheave but I don’t have a proper tool to carve out a small enough slot in the hard wood.   Oh well, back to the drawings board or maybe I’ll just use the prototype.