thibaultron

Beautiful Frank.  Glad to hear that your wife is doing well.

Part 15 – Ceiling Planks
 
Hi Everyone.  Again, it has been a while since my last post.  At the end of April my wife went into hospital for some surgery, and we were expecting her to be home in a couple of days.  Unfortunately there were some serious complications that kept her hospitalized for about 10 days, followed by some convalescing at home.  Needless to say modeling activities were put aside during that time.  Fortunately she’s doing well and is getting back to feeling normal.  So, back to work on Kathryn.
 
The ceiling planks are next on the plate.  There’s a lot of interior detail to be worked on, and the ceiling planks need to be completed before any of the other details can be tackled.
 
According to the HAER documentation, ceiling planking runs from the third frame back to frame 20.  This is the area used for some below-deck storage and for forward berthing.  There’s a bulkhead that forms the forward wall of the cabin at frame 20, and the depth of the hull from frame 20 aft is very shallow, so it doesn’t make sense to install ceiling planks aft of frame 20.  However, the photos from the recent reconstruction appear to show ceiling being laid under the cabin.  This photo was taken looking forward – the vertical paneling is actually the forward wall of the cabin, and the bulkhead at the forward end of the cabin has not yet been installed.
 
            
 
Since this model is intended to depict Kathryn as she was originally built, the ceiling planks will end at frame 20.
 
Kathryn’s ceiling planks are approximately 9” wide x 1-3/4” thick.  Since the plan is for some of the ceiling to be visible, simulated bolts will be installed on the planks.  The process for installing these bolts is the same as used in my Dunbrody build.
 
First, the location of the bolts will be marked on a plank corresponding to the middle of the frame below the plank, except where planks meet in the middle of a frame.
 
            
 
A small square is then used to draw a perpendicular line across the plank.  (Where the plank was being installed on a cant frame, a line matching the angle of the frame was drawn instead.)
 
            
 
The Sensitive Drilling Attachment on the milling machine is used to drill the bolt holes.  This drilling setup allows for the holes to be drilled a consistent distance from both edges of the plank.  The plank is pressed against the wood strip, all the holes are drilled, the plank is reversed, and the holes for the other side are drilled.
 
            
 
After drilling, the pencil lines are all erased with an artist’s eraser.
 
            
 
The bolts are 24 gauge copper wire that has been work hardened and then cut into short ‘rods’.  The holes in the plank have been drilled using a #76 drill.  The rod is fed through the hole and then dipped into a puddle of medium viscosity CA glue.  By feeding the rod through the hole before applying glue, any CA smear is on the bottom of the plank and won’t detract from the finished look of the plank.
 
            
 
The plank is then gently pushed down to the surface of a plate glass sheet – this causes the bolt to be set right against the bottom of the plank, so little or no trimming or sanding is needed on the bottom of the plank.
 
            
 
After all of the rods have been glued to the plank, the rods are then clipped off on the top side of the plank and filed or sanded smooth – ready for blackening.  Since the bolts are copper rods, Liver of Sulfur is used for blackening.  The following photo shows a plank that is still wet from blackening. 
 
            
 
I have found that the blackening agent slightly discolors the wood, so a clear water wash is scrubbed onto the entire plank while it is still wet from the LOS solution.
 
            
 
Planking clamps as used by EdT were used to clamp the ceiling planks in place.
 
            
 
            
 
My existing supply of planking clamps consisted of clamps that were narrow enough to fit between the frames, so I made a few wider clamps for Kathryn. 
 
            
 
A combination of the old and new clamping planks was used for the ceiling planking.  In some cases I needed to use different types of clamps.  In the following photo a screw clamp is being used on the starboard side, and home-made miniature c-clamps are used for the forward ends of the planks.
 
            
 
In other cases the temporary ribbands interfered with the screw clamps, so some scrap wood was used to elevate the arm of the clamp.
 
            
 
            
 
When the outermost plank was installed an arrangement of the miniature c-clamps was used.
 
            
 
Since frames 3 through 11 are cant frames, the bolting pattern reflects these frames, and I thought it made for a pleasing effect.
 
            
 
The next step is the installation of the ceiling planks along Kathryn’s sides.
 
Thanks everyone!

I just found this log, very attractive build Mike, hope you don't mind me jumping aboard.
 
Blighty

Wow!  I watched the video.  If the beams didn't have differences in grain patterns, you wouldn't be able to see where the joint is.
 
Another video came up after that.  What the Japanese do with hand tools!

Thanks Dave, I got it. And I agree, after the explanations here, Amati kinda went in their own direction. Nah, that never happens.
 
Henry, you go right on being nautical. Just bare with me if I have to ask you for clarification. I want to learn the proper terms for things. This kit was no help for that. None of the rigging shown has any sort of name or description. Heck, I had to go look up brail and cringles

I seal my hull/decking once I've finished that section, I find it easier to clean grubby marks due to handling after sealing than trying to work round deck fittings later. Only catch is that when fixing furnishings etc. you do have to scrape back any sealant for the glue to take but that's only a minor problem.
 

Hello Les here. When building ship models or other models, I build some major components separately as  a finished piece so I can add this component to the kit. You could go ahead and finish things such as masts, spars and other ship board items separately. Pre finish the hull and decking etc so you don't have to go back and try to finish around added fixtures. Touch up later to cover boo boos. So finish the hull then add finished components later if possible. Hope this helps.

As the subject says - at what point to folks generally start to seal [paint stain varnish or whatever is to used etc] their models?
 
To be clearer, at which point in the construction/build?
 
Input appreciated

Thanks Dave.  I do sometimes fall into using the actual terminology to describe things nautical.  I find that nothing else is more concise or better descriptive than the old ways.  And, I also think it raises the level of knowledge of the maritime arts.
 
Regards,

Seems like I am hi-jacking my own thread.
Some progress on CS.

Good ideas above.
 
On one of my builds, I found it best to put the hand drill in reverse because the standard drill bits were too aggressive - the bit wanted to rip into the wood and tear it up.
 
Duff 

Looking good Mike. My guess would be it's tied off at the eyelet. I don't see any other ropes tied to the spar in the diagram. (edit) I just had a look at the picture on the box and it looks like they are tied off there also.

Mike.  Middling means if 50ft of  brail rope is req'd on one side you use a 100ft rope fold it in two and sieze it to the cringle at the fold. Yes there is a block on each side of the yard and both sides would be hauled on simultaneously. Methinks the eyelets are a kit invention,nothing about eyelets for brails in any of the books I have. Boltropes and cringles are much stronger than sail canvas.
 
Dave

Henry - There is a bolt rope (albeit glued) on the sail. No cringles. I'm not familiar with the term "middled" nor can I find the appropriate definition. The pic of the plans that I posted show 3 blocks that the brails pass thru before going to the leech. Are you saying there would be 3 blocks on the back side as well? So a brail starts at one side of the deck, goes up thru a block, back to the eyehole (cringle), up to a block on the back side and down to the deck?
 
Just curious, if the sail is to be brailed, is that done on one side or the other? Both sides simultaneously?

The sail would have a bolt rope sewn around the entire perimeter.  It would have cringles (loops) spliced into the bolt rope to take the brails.  The brails were middled and seized to the cringles before leading up on both sides of the sail to the blocks on the yard.  The blocks on the yard shared a strop that was long enough to go around the yard and the blocks and then seizings were put on between the blocks and the yard to hold them in place on the yard.
 
Regards,

Ebay has the Horico dental sanding strips

Lazyjacks on a modern vessel, run on both sides of the sail, so the rgging would be mirrored on the other side. They are used to shorten the sail, and keep it contained while you do.

Does he live in Sweden? Cause I also have a friend who did that... My friend glued the pieces wrong (right) broke them lose. Had to scratch built new pieces and glued them in place, incorrectly again... But being stubborn made yet another pair of landing gear struts and added them correctly but  the left piece where the right should have been and vice versa... After that the model (I mean his model) went into the closet until the local exorcist can cleanse it... My friend finished by saying, "and we shall never speak of it again"...

I had a question to post so I also took a few pix. She's not at any particular milestone right now. Just working on the standing rigging. Instructions are difficult as they just show one side of the fore/aft rigging. I'm assuming all rigging to be symmetrical? If there's something on one side a similar something should be on the other?
 
I will say I'm pleased with my sail so far. It has proven to be very durable as I laced it to the yard and am working with the mast/yard. All the strips I glued on have held up and the sail has held it's shape nicely. So my question is regarding the last pic.

 

 

 
The ropes that come from the yard to eyelets on the leech, do those terminate at the eyelets? Maybe a big granny knot on the other side? Or do they go thru the eyelet and back up to the yard on the other side?
 

Some important general considerations for people thinking about this -
 
There are two main classes of modeling programs, one is the CAD type the others are generically known as 3D modeling programs, and they are very different in their conception and functioning even though there is considerable overlap of visual appearance of the building process and some modeling tools.
 
CAD programs are used to create plans and drawings that will be used to make tangible, real-world objects. Therefore absolute precision is at the core of their design, and you generally end up doing lots of typing while modeling because all sizes must be set exactly to the intended/required values. Their main strength is this precision that's built into every aspect of these programs; if you're making something like a house plan or a replacement part for your minibike engine, CAD is the right way to go.
 
3D modeling programs are used to build digital models where that digital model is the final product. And these are the programs that take those digital objects and turn them into the amazingly-realistic looking objects and textures and surfaces that you see in games and movie CGI. And it's gotten pretty amazingly easy (speaking as someone who started working with 3D modeling programs back in the stone knives and bearskins era) these days to generate beautiful and realistic images. There's a new Pandora build log and everyone is oohing and ahhing at his renderings, and I'm sure the guy is giggling to himself because all he's done is apply a default aged wood material and is rendering with a dirt-simple GI (Global Illumination) test scene. Different rendering engines do GI in various ways but they're all getting pretty accurate where there is an accurate simulation of the light energy emitted by the various lights (sun and sky count as lights) and how that energy is distributed through the scene through a series of bounces or by using what are called radiosity calculations. Whatever way they do it, they're all getting real accurate and you can set up a scene like his in five minutes with a default clear blue sky and a noon sun.
 
Now in general since most people here using some modeling program is making something they want to be a real part you'd say they should use CAD, right? Not so simple. Reason I say this is I think that in general, 3D modeling programs like Blender and 3DS MAX are generally considerably more intuitive in their modeling flows, and the rendering systems are very powerful in helping you visualize what you've made- trust me it's very easy to get to a point of complexity where you're having a hard time understanding what you've made.
 
Also modeling programs can work at the same level of precision of CAD and output the same files, just by default you don't usually type specific sizes. And finally, for something like Ron just made, CAD precision just isn't necessary - I could make the same thing in MAX that would be +/- a couple thousandths of an inch of his when printed, and I think in general that I could do so considerably faster.
 
So if anyone wants to try printing objects, I recommend you try both Sketchup and Blender. Blender is a full-featured free 3D modeling program that's only somewhat less capable than MAX which costs $1000/year for a license.
 
One or the other is likely to be easier for you to understand depending on how your brain works.

I'm working on rigging for Arrow. This is a 2 masted lateen rig. Instructions are difficult as they just show one side of the fore/aft rigging. I'm assuming all rigging to be symmetrical? If there's something on one side a similar something should be on the other?
 
The ropes that come from the yard to eyelets on the leech, do those terminate at the eyelets? Maybe a big granny knot on the other side? Or do they go thru the eyelet and back up to the yard on the other side?
 

That might have been me...
 
By trial and error, I tried setting up my drill press so as to drill the holes in the deck to accept the masts. I should point out that the masts on my model are not stepped to the keel as a proper ship. There are simply small blocks of wood glued to the underside of the deck. A Billing design that works and they were installed when I acquired this second hand model.
 
In a nut shell, I set up the table of the drill press at the correct angle which was taken from Nepean's book concerning the Cutty Sark. I used a digital adjustable square to do so which I picked up at the hardware store for about $35. Then I gingerly clamped the model to the table and positioned it using the laser guide. Then I crossed my fingers, turned on the drill and, you guessed it, drilled.
 
Here are some pic's of the process. It turned our fairly well, although foremast hole did not go to plan. Hence the toothpick for you eagle eyed observers...

Ebay has the Horico dental sanding strips

CT if you're in North America, they can be had at Lee Valley. I think they may be under their Veritas brand. You could also check your local Amazon. 

That is an Incra ruler, made by the same Incra company that started with miter gauges. I have a 6", a 12", a T-rule and protractor. So yes I like them too