Cap'n Rat Fink

HI EVERYONE, AS MENTIONED A FEW WEEKS BACK I MISSED PLACE MY FLASH DRIVE WITH THE PROGRESS I OVER THE PAST EXTENTED TIME I WAS AWAY FROM POSTING. SO I FINALLY HAVE GIVEN UP LOOKING FOR IT. SO I AM JUST GOING TO UPDATE WHERE I AM AT PRESENT. WHEN I DECIDED TO ADD DETAIL TO A LOWER DECK, I ALSO DECIDED NOT TO FULLY PLANK THE HULL. SO WHEN DONE GUEST AT MY HOME COULD STILL SEE BELOW DECK. I DECIDED TO PLANK BELOW THE WALES IN FRESHLY MILLED BOXWOOD AT THE TIME I DID THE PLANKING WHICH WAS ABOUT 3 MONTHS BACK. FROM THERE I COMPLETED THE WINDLASS AND I ALSO WENT WITH PLANKING BELOW THE CAPRAIL WHERE OTHERS LEFT THE STANCHIONS. THEN I REALIZED A GREAT MISTAKE OR SOMETHING I OVER LOOKED. I TOTALLY FORGOT THE SCUBBERS. OH WELL THEY ARE OUT. I PAINTED ABOVE THE WALES AS YOU NOTICED, BUT LEAVING BELOW THE WALES UNPAINTED. I MILLED HOLLY FOR THE DECK PLANKING. I AM STILL UP IN THE AIR ABOUT TRUNNELS AS OF YET. I LEFT OPENINGS IN THE DECK TO AGAIN ALLOW ACCESS TO SEE THE LOWER DECK DETAILS. THE COAMINGS WERE MADE OF PEAR WOOD. I THOUGHT IT GAVE A NICE CONTRAST TO THE SWISS PEAR, HOLLY, AND YELLOWHEART. AS FOR THE GRATINGS WHICH ARE NEXT IN LINE TO WORK ON. I'M THINKING HOLLY, BUT DON'T KNOW. FIRST I AM NOT SURE I CAN MAKE THEM GOOD ENOUGH TO USE. HAHA! SO THERE YOU HAVE IT I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING THE DECK DETAILS ON THE HANNAH. PLUS WORKING ON ALL THE DETAIL OF MY WHALEBOAT. TWO SCRATCH BUILDS AT THE SAME IS NO BIGGIE. I GET A LITTLE TIRED OF ONE I SWITCH. PLUS I AM A WOODWORKING. BEEN MAKING SOME NICE PICTURES LEDGES FOR MY WIFE, PLUS A MAPLE AND WALNUT CUTTING BOARD SHE LOVES BUT WON'T USE A KNIFE ON IT, SO NOW IT'S HER WINE TRAY. LOL! MY SON WANTED TO WORK WITH ON AKING HIS OWN SKIMBOARD FOR OUR BEACH TRIPS. SO I AM DOING THAT ALSO. I RE-ORGANIZED MY MODELING WORK AREA SINCE RETIREMENT. AND MADE MYSELF WORKBENCH TABLE TOP FOR MY BIGGER PROJECT. SO STAYING BUSY YOU MIGHT SAY. I HOPE MY MODELING SKILLS WILL IMPROVE NOW THAT I HAVE MORE TIME TO PUT INTO. GOD WILLING AND QUITE A FEW YEARS DOING SO.

THANK YOU JOHN. HOWS THE LAND DOWN UNDER THESE DAYS? AT THIS TIME I AM WORKING ON THE CUDDY AT THE STERN AND NEXT THE THIGH BOARD AT THE BOW. RONNBERG INSTRUCTED TO ADD THE PANELS A PIECE AT A TIME. I DECIDED TO INSTALL IT AS A COMPLETE PANEL. IT JUST SEEMED EASIER FOR ME. BEFORE I WENT INTO DOING THE CUDDY, HE ALSO INSTRUCTED TO GLUE IN PLACE THE TWARTS. I DECIDED TO LEAVE UNGLUED AND GLUE THEM IN PLACE WHEN I WAS DONE IN THE AREA THEY WERE GOING TO BE PLACED. IT JUST LEFT ME MORE ROOM TO GET MY FINGERS IN AND OUT OF THERE.

THANKS MOAB AND MARK. MARK I LIKE SCRATCH, KIT BASHING, AND RE-BUILDING MODELS. THE ONE THING I HATE IS MILLING WOOD. THAT REALLY SUCKS. BUT OH WELL. HI EVERYONE. WORKING ON THE BITS, TWARTS, AND PAINTING THE HULL A LITTLE MORE.

THANKS JOHN!!! I HOPE YOUR SAFE FROM ALL THIS VIRUS. HI EVERYONE, TO BREAK UP THE BUILD A LITTLE I WORKING ON THE HULL AND ALL THE BITS THAT GO WITH THE BOAT. THESE BOATS WERE PAINTED IN DIVERSE COLORS. SOME DISPLAYING FOUR/FIVE DIFFERENT COLORS JUST ON ONE BOAT. SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME I WENT WITH GREEN AND YELLOW SO FAR. RONNBERG STATES THAT GREEN AND YELLOW WAS A NICE COMBO FOR THESE BOATS. IT WOULD MAKE IT POP!!! SURE DOES BUT I AM ALSO FROM SOUTHERN CALIF. THE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD FOR THE AVOCADO. SO WHEN I'M DONE I WILL BLESS HER THE USS AVOCADO!!!

ONCE DONE I GLUED IN TO PLACE TO THE WALES AND THE STEM POST. I TRIM DOWN THE POST LEVEL AND PER INSTRUCTION FILE THE STEM TO FIT THE BOW ROLLER. NEVER HAVE TURNED METAL BEFORE SO THIS WAS GOING TO BE NEW AND A VERY SMALL PIECE TOO. THAT'S IT FOR RIGHT NOW. JUST HAVING A HARD TIME MODELING THESE DAYS BECAUSE OF THE VIRUS SITUATION AND NOW ALL THIS DAMN CIVIL UNREST GOING ON IN MY COUNTRY AND STATE. I FELL ASHAMED AND SAD ABOUT THE SITUATION AND BEING VERY CONCERNED OF PROTECTING MY FAMILY. SO ALL YOU IN MY COUNTRY PLEASE BE SAFE AND HAVE HOPE AND PRAY THAT THINGS WILL END SOON AND WE WILL BE BETTER OFF FROM ALL OF THIS SOON! GOD BLESS!!!

I WENT BACK TO THE HULL AND STARTED WORK ON THE CHEEK PIECES LOCATED AT THE BOW. THESE WILL HOLD THE BOW ROLLER IN PLACE. PLUS THE FORWARD ENDS OF THE INWALES AND GUNWALES WILL BE SECURED TO THE CHEEKS. I WANTED THIS MADE FROM BOXWOOD, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE THE CORRECT SIZE ON HAND. SO I WOULD HAVE TO MILL MORE STOCK. TOO MUCH WORK FOR 2 SMALL PIECES. I ENDED UP AGAIN USING BASSWOOD FOR THESE PIECES. I HATE MILLING WOOD WAS THE OTHER REASON.

I DECIDED TO START MAKING THE BITS HERE AND THERE THRU OUT THE BUILD SINCE THERE WAS SO MUCH TO DO. THOUGHT IT WOULD BREAK UP AND GIVE A BREAK FROM BUILDING THE BOAT. I MARKED THE LOCATIONS OF THE STAVE LINES FROM THE PLANS AND USE MY TINY FILE TO SCRIBE THEM ON THE BASSWOOD BLANK. I DIPPED MY FINGER TIP INTO SOME WATER AND WET THE BACKSIDE. LET IT SOAK FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND THE BLANK BENT VERY EASY FOR THE FORM. I ALSO DECIDED JUST VARNISHING THE STERN TUB AND THE REST OF THE BUCKETS AND SUCH. IT JUST LOOKED NICER TO ME. cheers Mario.......

AS FOR THE COOPERAGE I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE HOW I WAS GOING TO HANDLE BUILDING ALL THESE BITS. SINCE MY BUDDY HAD BUILT THE KIT. AS IT TURNED OUT ANOTHER FRIEND HAS A SON YOU WAS ENJOYING AND GETTING TO KNOW HIS NEW TOY. A LASER PRINTER/CUTTER WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT. HE SAID HIS SON WAS NEEDING A PROJECT OR TWO TO HELP LEARN HIS NEW TOY. SO I GAVE HIM ONE. THE KID WAS GRATEFUL AND AS YOU CAN SEE SO WAS I.

I HAVE BEEN APPROACHED ABOUT UPPER CASE. YES I DO KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TYPING ALL IN UPPER CASE. I MEAN NOTHING BY IT BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER LEARNED TO TYPE. SO IF IT BOTHERS PEOPLE I WILL CEASE N DESIST. JUST A FRIENDLY FYI. THE PEOPLE THAT KNOW ME HERE. KNOW HOW I AM. BUT JUST LET ME KNOW. THIS WHY I AM CONSIDERING MAKING THESE MY LAST BUILD LOGS AND MAYBE CREATING MY OWN SITE/BLOG. HELLO, I DECIDED TO PAINT THE BOAT. THE INBOARD WOULD BE YELLOW AND THE HULL GREEN. THE FRAMES WERE DONE IN SWISS PEAR. I PAINTED IN HIGH GLOSS BECAUSE THE SHINE HELP BRING OUT ANY PERFECTIONS TO DEAL WITH AND CLEAR UP. AFTER THAT I WILL BE ADDING A DULL CLEAR COAT SO IT WILL LOOK A LOT BETTER.

AND HERE IS THE RESULTS OF ALL THE WORK DONE AT THE STERN FOR MY LITTLE MODEL. AND ON WAY WE GO!

NOW THE STERN SIDE DETAILS FOR THE PORT N STARBOARD SIDES WAS A BIT FINICKY. BUT WAS FUN TO DEAL WITH. BUT RIGHT FROM THE START I RAN INTO A DISCREPANCY. I LET THE PICTURES EXPLAIN THE ISSUE.

NEVER HAVE DONE SUCH A COMPLICATED POF MODEL BEFORE, IT TURNS OUT THAT SO FAR THRU THE BUILD THE STERN DETAIL PIECE AT THIS POINT IN THE BUILD WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE MODEL FOR ME TO COMPLETE. IT TOOK ME 5 TRIES TO GET IT RIGHT, AND I WAS FINALLY SATISFIED.

NOW THE TRIM PIECE I THOUGH WAS GOING TO BE A JOB AND A HALF. BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE A PRETTY EASY PROCESS. I CHOSE SWISS PEAR FOR THE HARDNESS AND IT WOULD HOLD THE PATTERN WELL, ONCE SCRAPED IN. AGAIN I HAD TO BE VERY CAREFUL THE THE CAP-RAILS BECAUSE THEY WERE ONE PIECE WHICH MADE THEM VERY DELICATE AND EASY TO BREAK. BUT IT WENT WELL.

NO W PER THE PRACTICUM HUNT DECIDED TO DO THE CAPRAILS IN SEVERAL PIECES. I DECIDED TO DO THE RAIL IN ONE PIECE. SINCE IT WAS ONE PIECE I STOOD A CHANCE OF BREAKING IT BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO GO AGAINST THE GRAIN ON A PORTION OF THE PIECE.

THANKS GUYS FOR STOPPING BY AND YOUR NICE COMMENTS! HEY EVERYONE! WITH SPRING IN THE AIR THE FAMILY AND I ARE VERY BUSY IN THE YARD. BUT I HAD TIME TO ADD SOME PICS TO FURTHER ALONG MY BUILD LOG. SO CATCHING UP WITH MY BUILD IS AROUND THE CORNER. LOSING THE FLASH DRIVE I HAD NO PICS OF THE BEGINNING PLANKING. I DECIDED ABOVE THE WALES WOULD BE PAINTED. THE FINAL PAINTING OF THE MODEL WOULD BE AFTER THE HULL BELOW THE WALES IS COMPLETED. YOU MIGHT NOTICE THE POOP DECK FRAMING IS COMPLETED. I SAW NO REASON TO SHOW THIS PORTION BECAUSE IT WAS BASICLLY THE SAME AS THE Q.DECK

HI JOHN, THEY ARE FOR FIBER TROUGH'S. IT'S WHERE YOU LAY THE FIBERS AS YOU BUILD HI SPEED CIRCUITS, SUCH AS 1 GIG TO 100 GIG SPEED CKTS. WE HAVE THEM BY THE 1000'S SO A LOT OF THEM END UP IN THE TRASH. SO I GO DUMPSTER DIVING PER-SAY. HI MARK, YEAH I'M BACK. I RETIRED AT 59YRS OLD. DOING FINE NOWADAYS. I WHILE BACK I DECIDED TO TAKE A BREAK FROM BUILDING THE HULL. I KNEW THE WINDLASS WOULD BE PROJECT IN ITSELF. SO HERE IS WHAT I WENT THROUGH ON CREATING THE WINDLASS AND THE BRACKETS. FYI. I AM ACTUALLY PLANKING THE HULL BELOW THE WALES AT THIS TIME. BUT I AM TRYING TO GET MY BUILD LOG CAUGHT UP.

JOHN, DAVE THANK YOU STOPPING BY! HI ALL, I HOPE YOU ALL ARE DOING OK WITH THE VIRUS SITUATION GOING ON. GOD BLESS. WELL I'M GOING TO ADD A FEW MORE PICS, NOT IN THE CORRECT ORDER. BUT JUST TO CATCH UP ON UPDATING MY BUILD LOG. THIS WAS DONE OVER THE PAST ALMOST 2 YEARS I HAVE BEEN GONE. BUT NOW THAT WE ARE BEING TOLD TO ISOLATE AT HOME AND A LOT OF BUSINESSES ARE CLOSED UP, SCHOOLS, YOU NAME IT. HAS ALLOWED ME TO SPEND MORE TIME ON MY AT HOME HOBBIES. I USED MY MAKE SHIFT CLAMPS FOR INSTALLING THE FLOOR PLANKS UNTIL THE GLUE SET. I DID NOT MAKE THEM. YOU JUST HAVE TO BE A FIBER OPTIC TECH TO HAVE ACCESS TO THESE LITTLE CREATIONS. ONE MANS TRASH IS ANOTHER MANS TREASURE AS THEY SAY. I HAD TO BUILD THE BOW LOWER LEVEL SECTION OUTSIDE THE MODEL BECAUSE THE QUARTER DECK WAS IN. MEASUREMENTS WERE DONE BY USING A SMALL RULER AND STICKING IT THROUGH THE DECK TIMBERS. PLUS I HAD TO MAKE SURE THE WINDLASS BRACKETS WOULD SIT ON THE CORRECT FRAME PER THE PLANS. THE STERN AREA WAS PARTIALLY COMPLETED. I GAVE IT THAT APPEARANCE BECAUSE I WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE BOW AREA. AND OF COURSE A PIC OF HOW I MADE THE ROOMS. I INSTALLED THE POOP DECK BEAMS AND WENT AHEAD ADDING THE WALLS.

OK HERE WE GO, THE FIRST 2 PICS SHOW ME WORKING ON THE PLAN ON HOW TO DO THIS LOWER LEVEL. THE 2ND PHOTO IS ME JUST LAYING THE BEAMS AT EVERY AREA OF THE POOP DECK. IT HELPED ME FIGURE OUT WHERE TO PLACE THE LOWER LEVEL BEAMS, WALLS, FLOORING, LADDERS, AND SUCH. I HAD TO MAKE SURE MY LAYOUT OF THE LOWER LEVEL WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE MAST, BILGE PUMPS, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WAS COMING FROM THE ABOVE DECK. I HAD ALREADY COMPLETED THE QUARTER DECK FRAMING SO I HAD TO DO MY BEST WITH MEASURING AND RE-MEASURING THROUGH THE BEAMS TO MAKE SURE I DID NOT PUT ANYTHING IN THE WAY OF THE WINDLASS. I WAS ABLE TO EVEN ADD THE 2 BREAST HOOKS AT THE BOW. THE ONLY WAY TO INSTALL THEM WAS TO FIT THEM THROUGH THE Q.DECK FRAMING, USE MY GLUE STICK, AND TWEEZER THEM INTO POSITION. I JUST GOT PLAIN LUCKY THEY WENT IN PRETTY GOOD. I ALREADY HAVE THE POOP DECK FRAMED AND EVERYTHING PLANKED ABOVE THE WALES. THE CAP-RAILS ARE IN PLACE. THE STERN IS COMPLETED WITH THE FASHION PIECES COMPLETED AND INSTALLED. PLUS I PAINTED WHERE I WANTED TO PAINT BUT I 'LL GET YOU CAUGHT UP AS SOON AS I CAN. NOW BECAUSE I DECIDED WAY TOO LATE TO ADD THIS FEATURE TO MY MODEL, THE LOOK I CHOSE WAS TO MAKE THE BOAT LOOK LIKE IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF CONSTRUCTION AT DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE MODEL. BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS GOING TO COMPLETE THE BELOW AREA WITH THE Q. DECK ALREADY IN PLACE. SORRY FOR THE PHOTOS NOT BEING VERY GOOD. BECAUSE I STILL CAN'T FIND MY FLASH DRIVE WITH THE REALLY GOOD PHOTOS I TOOK. I HAD THESE PHOTOS ON ANOTHER DRIVE. SO I'M GOING WITH THEM BECAUSE THIS IS THE CLOSEST PHOTOS I HAVE RIGHT NOW FROM WHERE I LEFT OFF.

HI EVERYBODY, RIGHT NOW I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF INSTALLING THE FRAMES TO THE MODEL. BUT WHERE I HAD LEFT OFF WAS PLANKING THE HULL. I USED BASS WOOD BECAUSE I DO PLAN ON PAINTING THE MODEL. NOW FOR THE INTERIOR I AM CONTEMPLATING NOT PAINTING. THE PLANKING WAS ACTUALLY VERY EASY TO DO EVEN WHEN YOU HAD TO PLACE THE SEAM BATTENS FIRST AND THEN THE PLANK. PLUS I MADE SURE I SANDED THE BEVELS NEEDED ON EACH PLANK TO SIT PROPERLY. WHICH IS OUTLINED IN THE BOOK. I TRACED THE PATTERNS FROM THE PLANS, MADE MY PLANK AND CONTINUED ON FROM THERE. I WOULD PLACE TWO PLANKS ON ONE SIDE THEN I WOULD SWITCH TO THE OTHER SIDE. THIS KEPT ME AWARE THAT I WAS INSTALLING THE PLANKING EVENLY ON THE PORT N STARBOARD SIDES CORRECTLY. ONCE DONE I SANDED WHAT I COULD WHILE ON THE JIG, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR AREAS. ONCE I INSTALL SOME OF THE FRAMES I WILL REMOVE THE REST OF THE BUILD JIG TO SAND AND CLEAN UP AS BEST AS POSSIBLE. MAINLY TO REMOVE BITS OF GLUE. SO HERE IS A FEW PICTURES FOR TO SEE WHAT HAS BEEN DONE. APOLOGIES FOR TAKING SO LONG TO POST PICS. OOOOPS JUST NOTICE I HAD "CAPS LOCKED"! OH WELL.

NOW THE PROGRESS

Well its been a little will. just have been very busy with other things lately. Finding spare time has been a challenge. So what i"m going to show is parts of the plans and book. Because I thought it would be easier to understand what I am trying to accomplish here. This model ain't for the young. Practicums are practicums, I'm saying this because I treat them like the Pirates Code, they are more like guide lines to me. If it works well for the writer of the practicum then all is well, but if something works better for me I will go that route. It's gets a little complicated here so if I do not explain it right please ask or tell me and maybe I can clarify a little better. So the plans and book pics first... Now the pic above shows how the stem n stern post will come together with the keel. But also shows how i mush creat the bevels for the garboard strake.

So now after contemplating what wood. I decided to build two boats. I have so much basswood probably make one from that. Then go with Intarsia for the other. The book says if your using planks 3/64's thick or 1/32. Does not explain wht two different thicknesses. I have milled that thin with basswood. But not with the hardwoods. Plus using a slitting blade for me anyway is a big pain in the butt. but I'll see how it goes.

FINAL STEPS TO THE BUILD BOARD!