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Greetings Ken,

Good work - she looks great. Question: The bulwarks on you model seem to be higher than what is shown on the kit drawings, which I am generally following. On my ship, the gun ports finish out to be about a 1/16" lower than the bottom of the top rail, and yours appear to be about 3/16". If this is so, was there a reason to make the bulwarks higher?

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Greetings Scott,

Really like the paint job and precise work. Good job. If you like older power boats, take a look at BlueJacket's 1941 Chris Craft mahogany runabout. 

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Scoot,

Make that woodenboatrepair.com/articles/woodenboat0713.pdf

Greetings Scott,

I found an article online at www.woodenboatrepair.com. There is a picture of the Pilar replica showing the running gear. It is quite different from what the Constructo plans might show and truer to how she was built. You will note that the propeller shaft extends from the keel and is closer to horizontal, and that the shaft support is a casting. Further, the rudder is part of this skeg assembly, which is the way she would have been built. It looks as though Constructo was playing it by ear when they designed the running gear.

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Greetings Scott,

I seem to remember that the article said the bridge steering wheel was from a Model T Ford.

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Greetings Scott,

Relative to your message, the Wooden Boat issue in question could have been as far back as Sept.-Oct., Nov.-Dec. of '13. Yes, library will be a good option.

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Greetings Scott,

Nice model of Pilar. Wooden Boat magazine did an in depth article on her recently. I wish I had kept that issue. After seeing your build, I will be getting the kit soon. It will be good to get away from spars, guns, rigging, etc. for a while. She looks to be not much more than 24", so she is a good size too. I might try to model an engine for her as well. If remember the article, her main engine was a gasoline fueled flat head straight 6 cylinder, but she also had a smaller engine for trolling. Very interesting model and I give credit to Constructo for manufacturing the kit. Also, your work on her is top notch.

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Greetings UV,

At that scale, and given the amount of deck furniture, why bother with trying to do the decking to a pattern? Butt joints and simulated fasteners will look too "busy" and take away from the over all look of the deck. In other words the "tail wagging the dog".

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Greetings Ken,

Good move adding the companionway. I just finished planking the quarterdeck and am about ready to install the railing. I think I am going to use walnut or some other hardwood for these rails. The planking above the wales, and black strake, are walnut and the railings will continue the look.   

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Greetings JPett,

I built this kit a couple of years ago and it is a great kit. Yes, get some basswood strips for the decks instead of trying to score the deck pieces as recommended. In my opinion, the single layer of walnut planking is perfectly fine and you can build the kit without a first layer of basswood. You will note that the keel former is quite flexible after the bulkheads are installed. I am not a believer in routinely filling in between bulkheads, but you will need to install some simple struts between the bulkheads to maintain alignment on this kit. Once the planking is done, she will tighten right up. Don't forget to compensate for the increased deck thickness if you plank the decks.

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Greetings Chuck,

Did you see the reference to planking protocol in my post? Planking protocol means that the butts are properly spaced according to convention and not randomly placed. See the many articles that have been written on this subject. Since Vossy already has the first layer down, he won't have the concern of butts falling between two bulkheads and having to use butt blocks to support the plank ends. By all means, randomly placed butt ends should be avoided.

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Greetings,

Either way, but if you plank with scale plank lengths, make sure you follow the planking protocol regarding butt spacing. Since you will be planking over the first layer, you won't have to worry about butt blocks for butts that don't land on framing. Also, I never bother with trying to simulate trunnels in decks or hull planking, or dimpling copper sheathing because the scale never works and the end result is not worth the effort, in my opinion.

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Greetings Mike,

I like your approach to model building. Yes, by all means paint with wood and don't be afraid to change the kit when historical data and common sense dictate a different approach. You are wise to consult historical data because, in my opinion, it trumps the kit plans. Even subtle changes to make the model period correct will ensure that yours will stand out from the crowd. To me, being as period correct as possible is the essence of a ship model. I have built two Corel kits: Endeavor and the Berlin. I think Corel is a great product.

I built the Morgan several years ago. It may be more of a challenge than the Unicorn since it is single plank basswood and many of the components have to be built from from scratch. You will note that the Morgan plans call for several different strip widths for hull planking. 

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Greetings Salty,

Brian C. is absolutely correct. Step by step instructions are not usually required by an experienced builder. I think the folks who make higher end kits expect this and provide only basic instructions because they know experienced folks don't need step by step instructions. Euromodel kits I am familiar with take the same approach. How are the actual construction materials?

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Folks,

The original question related to guns jumping when hot. The jumping may not be due to excessive recoil at all - just that the force from the fired gun is not directed straight back.  Of course any gun will recoil more if the projectile weight is increased. Go to a gun range with rounds of the same caliber and powder charge but with different bullet weights and you can feel it in your hand or shoulder. All the peripheral stuff that has been discussed here does not relate to the original question. The laws of physics govern. There are (were) so many variables that it is silly, but fun, to speculate on the tension of the breech rope, double shot, etc. I believe that the all things being equal, it is possible for guns to jump violently when hot if changes in the barrel alignment, caused by excessive heat, affect the blast such that it is not directed along the centerline of the gun. If the recoil does not go straight back, a y axis force (vertical) will result instead of just the horizontal x axis force. This y axis force would cause the jumping.

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Greetings Folks,

Excellent topic and discussion. - many good guesses. Physics are physics. Hot barrel with ambient temperature shot equals more clearance around shot resulting in more blow by. Accordingly, there would be less power applied to the shot and, therefore, less recoil force. Think of your first BB gun. When the piston dried out its diameter reduced and there was less force to drive the BB.

Relative to brass guns producing more recoil (or violent jumping) than iron, you have to consider the facts. For a given shot size, what was the relative weight of the respective guns? Of course, gun weight has a bearing on recoil. I am a gun enthusiast, and my .357 revolver kicks much more than my .357 rifle using the same cartridge because the rifle weighs more. As far as the guns changing physical properties when hot, this is plausible up to a point. If you fire a gun long enough, the barrel will distort causing the center line of the barrel to deviate up, down, left or right, resulting in the thrust of the shot (or round) not being directed straight back. I think this could cause a jump instead of a linear push back. I expect that the guns could have been fired to the point of distortion. Although, the barrels would probably have been ruined because they would taken a set after cooling and would not be able to fire straight again. Early machine guns were water cooled to prevent overheating. However, the barrels still needed replacement after a time.

I expect that increased gun recoil when hot is a fact, but I think it would relate to barrel center line distortion. The fact that this problem still exists today is a good indicator that it could be responsible for the old accounts of jumping guns.

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Greetings Ponto,

I built their Ajax. Really nice kit. The only issues were that not nearly enough rigging line had been provided, or blocks to rig the guns properly. The plans were very detailed, which included some items that were located below decks, shot racks, etc. I assume you are an experienced builder, so the the plans should be all you need. The instructions were minimal for my kit, but adequate. Euromodel kits are for experienced builders, so buyers should not expect a step by step instruction manual with pictures or many preformed parts. I expect you will have to scratch build many components, but the plans show these items in detail.

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Greetings Andy,

See Jefferson Davis kit by BlueJacket Ship Crafters, Item #K1051. This kit is a true plank on frame model. All of the frames are pre cut, requiring only sanding and filing to finish them to final shape and size. Go to website www.bluejacketinc.com. This company is based in Seaport, Maine in the USA. I know you are looking for a UK kit, but am unaware if similar kits are available in UK. The advantage to this plank on frame kit is that you will not have to purchase power tools to build.

The model is of a Baltimore Clipper, which is a square topsail schooner. You can leave the planking off some, or all, of the hull to show frames Admiralty style. I built this exact model a few years ago and was extremely please with it. BlueJacket is an excellent model manufacturer. I have built several of their kits. Note that they also make a plank on frame model of the Yacht America, Item #K1050.

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Greetings Andy,

In my opinion, forget the jigs and other stuff they sell in hobby stores to bend planks. I use steam. You probably have a tea kettle, so just bring some water to a boil, hold the plank near the spout when it begins to steam and gently form the plank to the desired shape by hand. You may even be able to slide the plank down the spout as it softens from the steam. Of course, the steam is hot so use caution. I came across an electric heating iron used to glue seams for carpeting. It is shaped similar to a flat iron, but is much smaller. It is far better than the electric plank benders sold in hobby stores and is not made in China. 

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Greetings Per,

Shards derived from a broken pane of glass make very good scrapers and don't need sharpening.  Plus, the shapes are infinite - just break a larger shard into smaller pieces until you get the right shape.

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Greetings Ferit,

I built this model a few years ago, and it is one of my favorites. In my opinion, Corel is one of the better European models on the market, which explains their higher cost. You are doing a fine job. I like the way you formed the whip staff. I am sure you know that the whip staff was used to steer ships prior to the wheeled helm. Many opportunities to scratch build sub assemblies on this model. I did some carving on the prow since it is quite large.

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Greetings Wally,

You are correct in your reasoning that the door is too short for actual use. I believe that the original model copied by Model Shipways to make its kit is probably lacking in detail. Another item that I think is missing is a skylight on the quarter deck. Skylights were provided to introduce natural light into the great cabin. In my opinion, it makes more sense to build a model that is accurate rather than to blindly follow someone else's build. I have this kit and will be adding the companionway, skylight, smoke stack in the main deck for the oven that would have been located below the main deck, an elevated cradle for a longboat, among other things. Yes, see KenW's build log for his solution for a companionway. Also, see the build logs for the Constructo Enterprise elsewhere on this site for other options. My companionway will be centered on the cabin wall and will have a door about 4' scale height. This makes far more sense than to think a captain would crawl through a door that is 2'-3' high.

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Greetings Bob,

Reference is made to C. Nepean Longridge's book on the building of the definitive model of Victory. On page 57, he references making the P&Gs out of sheet copper for his model, so you are in good company. However, he painted them black as seen in the pictures of the model, apparently to simulate cast iron. Further, pictures of the actual ship in the book show that the P&Gs were were probably cast iron. If you see the pictures, note that the components have sharp corners and angles typical of a purpose built casting. I doubt that copper was used for P&Gs on large ships simply because it lacks sufficient strength. On the other hand, cast bronze would work and we know that it was used to cast bells, guns, etc. during that time period, and is still used today for many marine applications. Bronze is a copper alloy containing tin, and would not promote galvanic action as would the iron. I wonder if it was ever used for P&Gs? Essex is a later ship than Victory, but I expect the same construction methods would apply. Nice work, by the way.

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Greetings Allan,

Eggcellent! Yes, I have enjoyed the discussion, and thanks for your input.

1. For witness protection program reasons, I can't reveal my real name.

2. Bond, James Bond.

3. Paul

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Greetings Allan,

Thank you for your comment. Please be assured that I know the difference between stealers and spiling, and I meant spiling. I am amazed that you drew your conclusion from my rather general statement relating to mitigating the difficulties of edge bending by other methods. I was attempting to answer a good question, not get into a dissertation on spiling. As you point out, there are tutorials available for in depth discussions of this topic.

Sorry for the slight push back.

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