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bigcreekdad

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Everything posted by bigcreekdad

  1. After a year or so hiatus from building, I purchased and started Jotika's HMS Brig Supply. The kit suggests using hull painting over the supplied walnut. However, I like clean wood. Also, it has always puzzled me why you paint a hull when you take so much time to get the planking right. In any case, I'm not going to paint. On a few of my previous builds I have used cherry, and quite like it. I was wondering if anyone has some other wood suggestions I might try...both hull and deck. I am fortunate to have both Byrnes saw and thickness sander, so making your own planks isn't arduous. Any thoughts?
  2. Excellent build!! I haven't worked on a ship in well over a year. However, I bought this kit for when I decided to build another. I will refer often to your log I'm sure. I see you chose not to paint the hull. I'm in the crowd myself. I love the natural look of a nicely built hull. What I do that is a bit different is to use different wood for some of the planking. I cut the planks using a Brynes Saw. I love Swiss pear, but can be hard to get, but cherry looks great and I can get plenty of it at Woodcrafters. When complete, I apply rubbed in gun oil. In any case, very nice work!
  3. Blacklab.....I've using cherry for most of my builds as second planking. I get mine at Woodcrafters and cut and thin it myself on Byrnes equipment. You can likely find strips at The Lumberyard. When complete I apply few coats of gun oil. Really looks nice (IMO of course). I attached a pic of one cherry planking after one coat. Show us your progress. Have fun!
  4. I'm going give it a go, but I don't think I'll be doing the multi step process, other than washing before blacking. Any simple washing tips? I really appreciate all the posters, and I will admit up front that my brass end result may not be the best.
  5. Good God! Too much time for something seemingly simple. Guess I am moving on the the Supply build.
  6. Maybe I've confused the respondents. "Speedy" refers to the Vanguard ship model. Vanguard uses many tiny brass fittings. I have the model complete as far as hull and deck, and the basics of the two masts. Now is time when all those minute fittings will start being used. Honestly, the build has sat at this stage for 6 months. Trying to deal with the fittings has brought me to a standstill. I'm honestly thinking of just starting a new build (HMS Supply) that doesn't require so many tiny brass fittings. I wish Vanguard had made this model larger. Too bad...it's really a nice ship, and Vanguard's illustrated instructions are the best I've encountered.
  7. There are a lot of tiny brass fittings on this build. I'm debating whether to spray paint them black, or go through the blackening process. If you blacken, tell me how you did it. Thanks
  8. When I built Ochhre's Dos Amigos, I used cherry for the outer planking. I bought the cherry at Woodcrafters, and cut and thinned the planks on Byrnes equipment. I did not paint the hull, but used gun oil...several coats, sandpapering between each. Looked great (to me), and cherry is not as expensive as pear.
  9. You might consider Caldercraft's Pickle. Great instructions! My only regret was copper plating it. Just doesn't look right for me.
  10. Darn Jeff I just went through your log. Wonderful job! I asked for a new kit for Christmas. If I had been through your log a month ago, I would have put the Lively on my list instead of another kit. Maybe a future Christmas list item. Very well done lad! John
  11. Looking forward to my next build. Decided on a non warship, and settled on the schooner America. There are several kit choices out there, and I'm curious as to what others who have built her think. I'm kinda leaning to Model Expo's reintroduced America kit. Thoughts please?
  12. Decided to try a tugboat, or other working vessel for my next build. Would prefer plank on frame, or other non solid hull kits. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.
  13. JimByr....can you expand on your question re: "width side to Thickness side"? Thanks/John
  14. I was at the point of adding the first drop plank below the wale, when I put the whole thing....ship, wood, and fittings back in a box and started something else. That was over a year ago. It was like having writers block. Every time I tried approaching how to make this I just put it aside. IMO, I was really having a nice build up to this point, and I was afraid (still am) of coming up with something that I would just accept and move on. Any Cheerful builders out there experience this particular stumbling point? Is so, how did you move beyond it?
  15. Thanks Bob..I'll give it a go. BTW Jim...I planked first because I wanted the gunport paint color to include the plank edges around the port. However, before my next build I'll be touching base with you for some other important tips. John
  16. One of my more recent activities this Covid crap has spawned is paint by number. Surprisingly relaxing, inexpensive, and they actually look fairly (IMO) good. You'd think that after doing a few of the above, with many minute shapes, that painting the inside of the gunport would be a breeze. Well, not for this cowboy anyway. I still end up with traces of the paint (red) on my lovely pear outer planking. Before I make it worse, any suggestions for removing it? Thanks
  17. Wow....thanks for all the feedback. I've got a bit of homework to do.
  18. I used to at least rip decent planks. Now, I van't get the width so be continuous through the whole cut. After 6 or so inches, it starts decreasing. Frustrated. Thoughts?
  19. I may have misled....I only use clamps for planking above the wales, and for bending and drying a plank to fit the curve of the bow.....these are the times that I get the dents from bad clamps. I also use clamps on wood for many other tasks when ship building. I'm really just wondering if anyone has a source for good quality small and medium clamps. Thanks
  20. I'm sure everyone has seen, and maybe used, those red handled and tipped clamps. I'm sure many will agree they are junk. The protective tips eventually will either come off or west through. They also have varying degrees of tipping power....some much tighter than others . AS such, they become useless for things like planking as they end up leaving dents. Are there any really good small clamps out there. I would pay for quality, but haven't seen any. such thing. Any thoughts?
  21. Not sure how, but I lost one of the two. Does anyone know if there are replacement clamps?
  22. Ditto on the folding table. I use two of them and they work fine. Don't go too cheap....sturdier the better.
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