Don Quixote

Te first thing I run across is a huge discrepancy in the lines on the centre keel vs. the lines on the bulkheads. If I use the lines that I traced from the plans, my little sailors would break their necks running up and down the deck. Then, most of the slots for the bulkheads are too thin to accommodate the bulkheads, so I open them up, but a fraction of an inch too much is a problem for squareness.

Also, the bulkheads at the bottom for the bearding line need to be adjusted, and the timber heads are all over the place. I guess I'll spend the next few days adding and reducing. Gosh this is fun! Why I don't know, but I can't WAIT 'till the admiral goes to bed so I can play in the man cave some more!!!

First build. I chose this model because it was described as intermediate AND we are from Michigan. I.E. the great lakes where she was afloat. Also fond of any time we kicked British butt!

Since I'd built untold plastic models from cars, to submarines, beginning at the age of 10, I thought I could handle an intermediate. I do believe I was wrong. But, I'm having fun and amazed at how much I've already learned. What not to do that is... So, take a back seat and see what else I do wrong. Learn from my mistakes. Do not as I say, nor as I do.

Lol! I only get the blues every 2 years.

I thought the president was... JustBlowinInTheWind. I have a great picture - or should I say apropos - of Sarah Palin I'll change it to soon too. 

Hey, now we're talking. Alligator clip to hold it in place and pull the knife out. In other cases I can use those bent pins. Put them in, and rotate them onto the part when the part is where I want it.

THANKS!

Brian

REAL small amounts! I have some scrap wood and I took a small strip of 1/32 and tried my watered down glue idea. It doesn't leave leave any residue from glue squeezing out but I'm hesitant to trust it to be as strong. Whataya think? Think it'll be as strong? I'll try your idea but sometimes my hands shake just a little too much.

Brian

Happy Easter,

I'm working on the 1/32 Sq strips around the cannon and sweep ports. Wondering if you use ca glue, or what? Thin out wood glue with a little water and brush it on? Inquiring minds need to know.

Brian

I'd invite myself down to watch you for a while, but I suspect I'd just get jealous!

I notice the planks on the back of the ship are curved? How did you do that without edge bending?

After another 50 builds I hope to be 1/10th as good as you!!!

Brian

Oh, and they gotta have cannons

With all the builds you have under your belt, I figure you have a pretty solid idea on some more intermediate ships I might be interested in. I'm not ready to be as picky about history as I am gaining experience. I aim to get 3 new ships with my tax refund. Wondering if you could name a few I should look at. Like I say, intermediate level. No solid hulls, please.

Brian

Hate to tell you, but even though some of the thumbnails are available, nothing shows up when you click on them. I'm just FULL of good news these days, eh? Wife says I'm full of something all right...

Brian

Thanks! Relying heavily on your log:)

Brian

Good news big guy, see: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/6082-server-seems-to-have-lost-uploaded-photos/

Hello again. At what point in your log did you install the cock rail on top of the railing? A lot of your pictures are missing.

Brian

Still a little confused. Page 3, you indicate that the gun ports on the plan are larger than allowed for on the build. If I measure directly off the plan I come up with a gun port 5/8" tall, which is the average of the bulwark height, and 1/16" too short to accommodate the 5/8" cannon port. But the plan showing the gun ports says except for bulwark and lower stern planks, the view is primarily pictorial and to use the planking layout for actual plank widths. If I add the 6 - 3/32" planks from the plank layout I come up with .5625" or 9/16" as the size of the gun ports. Add to that the 3/64" plank above the gun ports and I'm at 1/64" more than what I need on the height of the bulwarks, indicating I can file a little off the top of the bulwarks. Am I missing something, or did I finally catch a break?

Do recall what size you made your jig?

Brian

Ah, thanks. How do you know a man has been married for a while? His wife let's him retire. - Me. Just now.

Brian Adams

That's my question. 1/32" X what? It doesn't look like they're 1/32 X 1/32 square in your pictures.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope you're a heck of a lot older that me... I'm 52 and so far my hands are in good shape. Left knee, left ear, right eye, hips... and belly, not so much.

Hello again, my good man. I'm looking and planning ahead and I see on the plans for transom planking and counter planks are 1/32" but I don't see where the other dimension is listed. 1/32" X what? They sure don't look square.

Brian

I've been building plastic models since I was about 8 years old, but I've done so many that I could complete the most difficult in a couple days, detailed painting and all. I built the US constitution (I love the history of that ship) but of course plastic is an easy build, the deadeyes are all prefabbed.... Then a couple years ago the wife got me the wooden Constitution from Constructo for my birthday. Took me a year, a little here and there, but I'm hooked now! Great challenge. It looks "okay", I did a lot of cheating with the rigging, it took a bit to figure out I had to use stealers... etc on the planking. Never did do any ropes for the cannons:( my friends and neighbors don't know the difference though, so I'm happy with it.

Bought an "entry level" solid hull that I tossed because I followed the instructions and used a chisel. Should have bought a dremel. The Niagara was described as intermediate skill, and I do like the detailed instructions compared to the Constructo. English is definitely not their first language. - but I'm disappointed in the discrepancies in the way parts of this ship fit together. The Contructo kit parts were all but perfect.

I've loved tall ships since I was a kid and read Hornblower by C.S. Forrester. Just gotta find a place to put these things. I'm building these things in my garage, and no place to display them there. Too crowded with the '69 GTO I'm restoring. Next year I'm adding on to the garage and making a craft room. I'm designing it specifically for ship building and display cases.

Just looked at the Wasa. I think I'll wait until I have 40 or 50 build under my belt before I try that one:)

Ah, now I get it. Wasn't sure what you meant on page three. That makes sense. THANKS!

Brian, AKA clewless. But loving it!

I see what you mean. AND, you gotta connect the dots to the rest of the build. You get fixated on a problem and forget to see what the impact might really be. I forgot it gets a simple rail on top of the bulkwark. See my challenge!

Thanks for the fast response. This is getting wild! I'm double checking the bulkheads against the plans and they are almost perfect. Only discrepancies is a 1/16" difference in length, on 2 of them. Other than that they are dead on. My concern is that when installed on the center keel, - I don't know what to call them so I'll call them "ribs". On the outer edge of the bulkhead the skinny parts that rise like ribs are all over the place. Some are too tall, some are too short. I understand the center keel has a contour wherein the center is lower that the stem and stern. Before I started, when I was tracing the reference lines...etc., other than a slight variation in length, the contour of the center keel was fine, everywhere. How in the world, can I be seeing so much problems during assembly?

So, I can either build up the shorter ribs, or shorten the taller. Seem the better idea would be to build up the short? Otherwise the planking will be off from the get go. Can you do me a favor and figure out what the height from the bulkhead that hold the deck to the top of the ribs should be? Say the center three, and the 2nd to the last of the stem and stern bulkheads? Looks like it's way to late in your build to do that.

Ideas?

Brian

Wow! My kit is not nearly so good as yours. Like yours, my center keel is one piece, but I'm having a devil of a time with the bulkheads. I traced the reference lines on the keel and the bulkheads, but if I use them, some of the bulkheads are up to 3/16" above the center keel, and the deck would kill my little sailors for all the cracks in the side walk. If I tap them down so it's all smooth and follows the contour, the bulkheads go well beyond my bearding line. I'm guessing that would be preferable, and I should file down the bulkheads so they line up with the bearding line as well?

I've had to open some "slots" for the bulkheads up to 3/64" and of course I'm not that good with the file so I have to be very careful with keeping them square.

Brian

trying to figure out a way to make it work. Mount it to the workbench, but I need some decent weights to push against the... Whatever the **** you call the piece that's supposed to slide against the bulkheads. The base is perfectly square, so in theory it could work. My daddy never raised any quitters. Damn it. I'm also thinking on rails that can be mounted about 2/3 from the stem of the ship onto the base that I can adjust the length of, to push against the whatever the *** you call the part that's supposed to push against the bulkhead to keep them square. Whataya call that thing? I call it the square®. Or in this case, the squareless.

If it works, I'll keep y'all up to date. If you don't hear anything assume I'm, I'm I'm a failure...