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On Tuesday we had a big storm in Germany in y neighbourhood a walnuttree was knocked down - today I can get some wood for helping to saw. So I'm going to help. For the work I'll be able to pick some of the wood. Due to the price of wood the do want to get for sawed wood in the internet I'm willing to invest a bit of time and sweat.

 

But my question is how to handle the wood. I know it must lager for a timeof about two years to get dry. So that I can't use the wood imediatly.

 

So I have to peel off the bark? Or shall I try to cut the branch in to quater or eightedge bar. They will be around 5-20cm / 2-9' diameter abd 30-50cm / 12'' - 18'' long. With a bit of good luck I'll get a bit thicker parts. I have only got a little table saw by Proxxon and an old scroll saw to cut.

 

Hope you don't say after all this work: “Sorry fot you but just walnut has the wrong grain for 1/64 shipbuilding.“;)

 

Thanks for your intrest und help.

Edited by Heinrich der Seefahrer

"Let's add every day 1/2 hour of

modelship building to our

projects' progress..."

 

 

Take care!

Christian Heinrich

OverTheWaves.jpg.534bd9a459123becf821c603b550c99e.jpg

simple, true and inpretentious motto of ROYAL LOUIS, 1668

Sunking's mediter. flagship most decorated ocean-going ship 

 

Ships on build:

SAINT PHILIPPE, 1693: 

1st rang French 90-gun ship - Lavente flagship (based on Heller SR - 1/92 & scratch in 1/64) 

TONNANT, 1693: 

1st rang French 90-gun ship - sister of SAINT PHILIPPE (mock-up/test-object for S.P. - scratch in 1/64) 

 

Projects in planing:

L'AURORE, 1766:

French Pleasure Corvette (after Ancre plans - scatch in 1/64)

Some Spantaneous Short Term Projects

 

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Since the source is in Europe, my guess is that the wood is

English Walnut - Juglans regia  rather than Black Walnut - Juglans nigra

For full size use Black Walnut is and has been highly prized.  English

Walnut is slightly less dark and rich in color, but still excellent.

The grain is not real high contrast, it is hard, has tight grain,

and holds a sharp edge.  It has one negative factor for model use =

open pores.  To get a smooth finish, they will need to be filled.

For really sweet wood, you should seek out Pear, Plum, or Apple.

 

But back to your question:

Seasoning ( air drying ) 1 year per inch of thickness.

I would remove the bark - a wide straight chisel or draw knife does this job quickly.

Seal the cut ends and any side branch ends.  The open pores

will loose water more quickly and there will be dimensional stress.

This can produce checking and splitting.

You have a lot of options for a sealant.  Hot paraffin, varnish,

shellac, left over house paint, latex or spirit will work.  Add additional

coats over time if any checking starts.  Sticker the pieces so that there is

good air flow at all surfaces.

 

What with your power tools' capacity, try to get the wood into 1 inch billets.  At 1:64 you should only need

pieces wider than 1 inch for floors at the ends of a large frigate or larger warship

or a large merchant vessel if you avoid cant framing and stay perpendicular until

you get to hawse timbers and stern framing.

NRG member 45 years

 

Current:  

HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - Navall Timber framing

HMS Beagle 1831 refiit  10-gun brig with a small mizzen - Navall (ish) Timber framing

The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842
Flying Fish 1838  pilot schooner -  framed - ready for stern timbers
Porpose II  1836  brigantine/brig - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers
Vincennes  1825  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers assembled, need shaping
Peacock  1828  Sloop-of -War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Sea Gull  1838  pilot schooner -  timbers ready for assembly
Relief  1835  ship - timbers ready for assembly

Other

Portsmouth  1843  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Le Commerce de Marseilles  1788   118 cannons - framed

La Renommee 1744 Frigate - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers

 

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Thanks Jaager for these helpfull informations. The walnut seems to be juglas regia or Persian/English Walnut.

If I understood right I should so peel the wood and let it dry. So only AFTER that several years of drying I should saw it in billets, shouldn't I?

"Let's add every day 1/2 hour of

modelship building to our

projects' progress..."

 

 

Take care!

Christian Heinrich

OverTheWaves.jpg.534bd9a459123becf821c603b550c99e.jpg

simple, true and inpretentious motto of ROYAL LOUIS, 1668

Sunking's mediter. flagship most decorated ocean-going ship 

 

Ships on build:

SAINT PHILIPPE, 1693: 

1st rang French 90-gun ship - Lavente flagship (based on Heller SR - 1/92 & scratch in 1/64) 

TONNANT, 1693: 

1st rang French 90-gun ship - sister of SAINT PHILIPPE (mock-up/test-object for S.P. - scratch in 1/64) 

 

Projects in planing:

L'AURORE, 1766:

French Pleasure Corvette (after Ancre plans - scatch in 1/64)

Some Spantaneous Short Term Projects

 

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Hi Heinrich;

 

Jaager is completely right in all he says. 

 

To answer your question,  cut it as soon as possible;  it dries more quickly and the smaller thickness is able to release the stresses much more easily.  Left as a round section of trunk  it will quickly split up at least one side.

 

Cut the planks thicker than the finish size you want.  There is always some degree of twisting etc.

 

Season it somewhere with a roof to keep the rain off,  but which allows the wind to blow through. 

 

All the best,

 

Mark P

Previously built models (long ago, aged 18-25ish) POB construction. 32 gun frigate, scratch-built sailing model, Underhill plans.

2 masted topsail schooner, Underhill plans.

 

Started at around that time, but unfinished: 74 gun ship 'Bellona' NMM plans. POB 

 

On the drawing board: POF model of Royal Caroline 1749, part-planked with interior details. My own plans, based on Admiralty draughts and archival research.

 

Always on the go: Research into Royal Navy sailing warship design, construction and use, from Tudor times to 1790. 

 

Member of NRG, SNR, NRS, SMS

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If you have some way to cut the log into to boards it will speed up drying.  Remove the bark, cut the slabs 1 or 2 inches thick and seal the ends with a thick coat of paint or wax (anchor seal works very well).  Stack the boards with short pieces of wood between them to let the air circulate around the wood freely.  If you cannot get the log sawn this way it will also work to quarter it or simply split it in two.  Anything you do to increase the surface area will help speed up the drying.

My advice and comments are always worth what you paid for them.

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