Cap'n Rat Fink

I have made some progress off and on during the last couple of days.   the starboard side window is in place now.
 




 
then ........I did it.   I'm not totally pleased with what I did....I fear that I made the boat look like crap.  I started out by adding some weathering to the sorting table.
 

 
....and then it sort of fanned out over the entire boat........
 




 
the extra trap was added,  along with a couple more rope coils.   what I'm using here is the hemp rope, that I have used on earlier builds.   I like the looks of this rope.
 

 
here is a comparison of the original buoy plugs that came with the kit,  and the buoys I made.....I did size them down some.
 


 
the relation of the buoy and the trap isn't too far out,  so .....the heck with it,  I'll use them.   I also started to make the front doors for the other traps.
 

 
I bought this senery material for my B&M snow plow diorama......that's been in the closet for a while now.   I only need a little of it for what I want to do.
 

 

 
after the doors were bent to fit,  a bit more will be done to the traps,  before they are cemented on.  
 
more progress soon
 

Here is the deadeye jig. I made mine out of a piece of thin plywood and a strip of boxwood. I drew a stick of boxwood down to 3/32" diameter and then stuck it in the large hole in the front of the jig and drilled through the holes in the back of the jig to get the holes in the face of the deadeye.
 
Questions and comments welcomed.
 
Russ
 
 
 

Augie:
I agree that they were incredible craftsmen. I will add one other item about Martin Fountain. He could not read or write, but according to the family, he could do any math in his head. The story goes that he could look at a table of offsets and tell you whether or not the resulting design would work. That is incredible, especially for people like me who struggle with anything beyond simple math.
 
Russ

Hi Guys,
 
As promised an update.
 
I cant believe whats happening here at the moment, I've had to draw my workroom curtains because the sun ( yes the sun ) is blinding me, this must be our summer.
 
Right, the gunports have been lined, filled and rubbed down, painted and the holes for the guns drilled.
 
14 of the 26 18lb guns have been made.
 
I've started making the Breach Ropes for the guns that will be seen on the lower gundeck, thats 12, so far I've made 6 so far, I made a sort of gunport so that I can check them and all seems ok so far.
 
I am going to have to get some 2mm single blocks because the guns are only shown with the breach ropes on, I'm not too sure if I want to get hooks for the train tackle, still I have all Easter to think that one through.
 
Enough blurb, some pics
 
Port side gun ports before trimming

 
Same with the Starboard side

 
 Starboard side gunports and port side bulworks

 

 
4 of the 18Lb guns with breach ropes

 
4 of the breach ropes

 
Made up gun port for testing the breach rope length

 
Breach rope attached, note the flintlock fireing mechanism on the gun

 
So thats it for now, hope you like them.
 
mobbsie

Hi Guys,
 
Here's my latest update for what it's worth.
 
I have filled the dip and just have to finish the sanding down, should be ok when it's done.
 
I thought I would plank the stern transom whilst waiting for the filler to harden, it calls for 1 x 3mm walnut, so searching for the right wood ( took ages ) I find that I dont have any, been left out the kit, a quick call to Jotika and they are sending it to me, should'nt be long in getting here.
 
I thought I'll line the gunports, somewhere in the old forum I saw a tube that was made up and the linings cut from that so I thought I would give that a try, I made a jig so that I could just cut the tube, set for 9mm this would give about 1mm to sand down, made my box tube, let the glue dry and tried cutting a piece, what a mess, the tube just kept shattering, and the inside dimensions are wrong, it was giving me a measurement of 10 x 8 when it should be 10 x 10mm, so for me there is no shortcut, I'm going to have to cut the linings individually and do it the long way.
 
I know where I've gone wrong with the tube, I put it together wrong by just butting the sides but I cant do anything about the splitting of the timber, it's just very dry and quite rough.
 
So all in all I've not made much progress but I have learned a lessen.
 
Anyway a few useless pics.
 
Making adjustments to the size of the gunports and my way of holding the wood in place

 
The filler just needs to be sanded down

 
Quite a lot of filler has been used on both sides

 
Here is my jig for cutting the many lengths of gunport linings !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
Jig and tube

 
The tube fits tight into the jig

 
Cutting the tube

 
The end result, too small, all it's cost me is a bit of time, but lessen learned.

 
So there we are, pretty boring really but it's still fun and it's good to try new ideas even if they dont work out, isnt it ?
 
Be Good
 
mobbsie

Hi Guys,
 
Here goes, as a newbie I dont have a clue as to what I'm doing so please bear with me !!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I dont intend to rewrite the entire log and I dont have it saved so if anybody has any questions please dont be afraid to ask.
 
Aggy arrived on the 16th January this year so I have been working on her for about a month now, progress has been steady but a little on the slow side compared to my usual build rate.
 
The kit I find is very good in that everything fits as it should do if a little tight, theres a lot of sanding and rubbing down which is better than having a sloppy fit.
 
The main problems I have had with her so far is a warped and twisted keel, These were resolved by putting a length of dowel down each side and glueing into position, this took out the warp, for the twist, that was taken care of when the lower gun deck was fitted so all in all I'm quite happy with the way that went.
 
I have so far planked the lower gundeck beneath the companionway and hatches so that I dont see a bare deck, the upper gundeck has been planked useing 4 inch planks, a mistake I made here was to split the deck in two and plank seperately, I didnt put a master plank down the centre. The only thing in my favour is that there is very little seen of the upper gundeck so I think I will get away with that.
 
The Top deck and Poop deck have been pinned on but as yet are not planked.
 
I am in the middle of the first planking and am about half way, I am useing pushpins as opposed to 0.5mm pins to hold the planks in place so there is a lot of drilling, mind you there would still be the same amount of drilling if I used pins. I have now got to wait for the shops to open on Monday so that I can buy some more 1mm drill bits cos I busted the ones I did have, I tried 1.2mm but the hole is too big and the pins arn't gripped tight enough.
 
Another problem useing that amount of pushpins is that your thumb hurts like hell, I'm gonna have to make some kind of padding.
 
OK I'm gonna post some pics.
 
Mobbsie
I have placed Cant Frames in the stem as I was going to have trouble with the planking in that area, hopefully this will sort that out.
 
 

Ahoy Brian
 
The extra effort you have made to document sources in your posts has become a wealth of information for me on my build and I am sure others. Thank you
 
I do not see why you could not go with the water. Worst case the glue fails and the problematic wood comes off. Best case, it softens up both the wood and the glue and they dry in the proper shape.
 
On my side build, I used paper towels soaked in warm water to correct planks that did not conform. I use the original Titebond, which is not waterproof. I had no issues with them ungluing completely or coming apart. On my Ratt, I have used water to remove planks but also had to apply heat. It is my belief that it was the heat gun, which actually allowed me to remove the planks, not the water. I think that water alone might have worked, but only after a considerable amount of time soaking. Something measured in days.
 
PS: Consider distilled water. I use filtered water but have noticed some staining.
 
Looking forward to seeing the planking stage

Here are the final photos of the build. I would like to thank the draftsmen and organizers of this online build for all of your efforts to make this cross section a reality. I'd also like to thank all of you who wrote encouraging comments along the way It's been a lot of fun to build her and I've learned quite a bit that I can incorporate into future projects.
 

 

Damn Denis How do you it???? All these builds going on at once. Your fast too. She is looking really cool buddy!!!

Damn Denis How do you it???? All these builds going on at once. Your fast too. She is looking really cool buddy!!!

HMMMMM!!!
 
   WE'RE TALKING PIECES OF WOOD HERE JOHN, MAYBE YOU GOT THIS PROBLEM HERE
 
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck
If a woodchuck could chuck wood?
He would chuck, he would, as much as he could,
And chuck as much as a woodchuck would
If a woodchuck could chuck wood.
Kids' Funny Tongue Twisters
 
 
also known as groundhogs.....don't get them mad because some are armed and dangerous my friend!!!

Hi Bob,
     Minor setback. I just completed the scores on frame 3aft, you know the one with the real fancy toptimber. Had it in my hand, did not notice I left the drawer open on my workbench, swung around and snap!!! Ahh! is all that came out of me, and then OH WELL, Doris Day"que sera sera"(whatever will be will be). remember that song? well back to the building of a frame tonight....
  can't take this hobby serious. If I did then I would be stressed and that is the reason i took up my modeling building hobby again. to get away from stress!!!

Mark is giving good advice Pete. I scratch built a crabbing skiff and used water/white glue mix. it worked well. to also stop the fraying you can use two way tape along the perimeter which works well. heres a picture of my KRUSTY CRABB

WELL HAD THE DAY-OFF TODAY TO DO A FEW THINGS, BUT ALSO MADE A LITTLE PROGRESS ON THE CROSS SECTION TO. THIS IS A REALLY FUN SCRATCH KIT THAT ADMIRALITY MODELS OFFERS. THANKS DAVID AND GREG... I AM LEARNING A LOT FROM IT....

















 

WELL HAD THE DAY-OFF TODAY TO DO A FEW THINGS, BUT ALSO MADE A LITTLE PROGRESS ON THE CROSS SECTION TO. THIS IS A REALLY FUN SCRATCH KIT THAT ADMIRALITY MODELS OFFERS. THANKS DAVID AND GREG... I AM LEARNING A LOT FROM IT....

















 

Once upon a time, this build log contained a lot of high quality photos showing lots of detail.  
But many photos have gone repeatedly missing - The photos in this first post have gone missing / been replaced three times.  It's more than just a glitch.  I try to keep up with restoring the photos......  There are lots of photos on pages 3 and 5!  
Most of the build photos, I also posted on Picasa, so if you have a specific question, please send me an IM and I will send you the link to Picasa.  
 
Midwest models are amazingly close to the drawings in Chappelle’s book, they’re fun to build and learning.  Following Mario’s lead, I’m adding lots of detail to my Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack build and having fun!
 
I’ve added the fish wells, a cabin with floor and centerboard trunk.  The rudder will also be a working rudder.  At this point, I checked the instruction book to see just how far along I was – It was a shock when I realized I was only on step 17.  
These fish wells are too deep and the cabin floor should have been lower.  This would have given the space to add the bunk on the port side.   

 
I added a second layer of decking and fish well covers.   The original deck consisted of three pieces of wood:  the deck and two well covers.  This deck consists of 68 pieces of wood. 

 
There will be full access to the cabin.  You can just barely see the centerboard hinge pin at the base of the trunk.  Also added a ‘step’ for access.  If the floor was lower, I could have added the bunk on the port side.

 
It was fun adding the fish wells, centerboard trunk access and the covers.  The covers will be held secure with a piece of chain.  These wells are much too deep.  I painted the wells with silver paint to simulate tin lining.  For the centerboard trunk, I carved away some of the keel, then added some sides and painted it black.  I attached an eye hook for the rope and I’ll attach the handle. 

 

 
In almost all Midwest sailboats, the cockpit floor is too small.  First I added planking to the kit floor, then added width to the kit floor, but had to sand a lot off when fairing the frame.  Now this cockpit floor will fit tight against the sides of the hull. 

 
This brings me current.
At this point in the build, the kit calls for ~20 individual pieces of wood.  So far, I think I am close to 180 individual pieces of wood used in this build.   
I need to install the rudder and tiller before finishing the hull.  I think I should have done this before I added the deck.  

As for the hull, I’m thinking about doing the hull in lap-strake planks. Any suggestions would be appreciated.. 
 
Thanks for looking, your thoughts, suggestions are always appreciated
 
Dee Dee
 
(Edited on 5/27/13 to add photos again)
(Edited on 9/07/13 to add 'SMALL' to title)
(Edited on 11/26/14 to add back photos - again!)
(Edited on 4/09/15 to add back photos for the third time)
.

Thanks Keith, no, I don't think it ever stops...  The canoe looks brilliant! (even before Al got in the act... )
Thanks, Dee Dee, I am very glad that you mentioned the fish wells, as those have been puzzling me.  The ergonomics of putting in and removing fiesty lobsters from the kit hatch locations seems a bit sketchy, as they are very narrow and far forward of the workspace.  They also seem like they would impede headroom for the bunk in the cuddy.  I have heard the wells referred to as "pyramid-shaped", and the single well in Chapelle's Friendship sloop drawing seems to bear that out.  It seems that Midwest may have taken that hatch real estate and simply bisected it with the centerboard trunk...
I have attached a rough sketch calling out some of my detail questions, I am very much looking forward to your build pictures!

I did come across another picture of a finished build....this is from the box itself.
 

 
the first one
 

 
box art
 

Hello Alex,
 
Thanks for the pictures and for thinking with me.
It is appreciated.
 
Take care,
 
Anja

Hello Mikki,
 
Welcome back, it's good to hear from you
Thank you so much for the good word and the compliments. It is most appreciated.
 
I will keep an eye out for your next build, I'm looking forward to your second build.
Please reserve me a seat on the front row.
 
Thanks for stopping by and take care,
 
Anja

Greetings,
 
My next step was to prepare the 1/32" x 1/16" Sheer Clamps.  After fitting and rounding the forward ends they are glued to the hull and the bottom of the Deck Edge Guards.
 
Cheers,
 
Tim
 







 

Nice work Patrick!  The rigging looks great.  And she certainly is a tall old gal isn't she!
 
What size case will you need to put her on display?
 
Robert
 
 

nd a few more pic's........









 

cheers Mario.......

 

Well I downloaded and printed the pdf and now starting this build thread. I need to review a few things before I go too much farther and get more info.
 
1st major question is reviewing ratio's and scales and printing. When I see the ratio of 1:48 this means to me, one scale 1/4 inch is equal to 1 foot. Therefore when I print out any plan that has a set of foot measurement like the Triton pdf has on it,
I want to print such that 5 feet on the plans is equal to 1.25 inches. Right??
If I wanted to print the plans in 1:24 then I would want the same 5 feet to measure 2.5 inches. Right?
Someone else is working in 1:36 scale therefore he would have made the 5 feet measure 1.67 inches Right?
 
I guess that the next thing is to try to obtain the overall measurements off a set of plans. That way one would have an idea of the final size of the project that they would want to finish. Then after review you can pick the scale that you want to work in.
 
In reviewing the first step pdf looks like the ship area that is being modeled is about 19.7 feet long. That what I got off the pdf.
Therefore in 1:48 looking at something about 4.925 inches long?
                 in 1:32 about 6.566 inches long
and           in 1:24 about 9.85 inches long
That sound about right?
 
Some help please??
 
Later Tim

10 -22 - 2012
here is the saga of the Midwest Maine Lobster Boat.  I call it that because of what this build became at mid-build.   the plans for this kit are very good......so good in fact,  that I planned to do a scratch build of this vessel, with a new subject.   remember what they say.......be careful what you wish for?  well,  that's exactly what happened.......all the daydreaming I was doing about the scratch build,  while I was building this one,  manafested themselves into the build.....and began to stretch it like a giant rubber band.  the point where the band snapped......was when someone said those immortal words......"it don't look like a lobster boat to me".   we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  please excuse the grammar and spelling.... you know us "Popeyes' "......we don't spell to good.
 
   I will try and put as much in here as I can.  we'll start with the hull frame construction.....that's always a good place to start......I used the Billing's build slip to assemble it.

the keel is made from multiple parts.  at this time,  I thought to cement the sheer together....I'll have need of it soon.

the floor platforms for the cockpit deck is a bit too much for me.  the instructions say to draw the plank lines on the platforms......I plan to plank it,  so I was able to do away with one of the pairs and go with a single layer platform.


the ribs were set up with their various location tabs and set aside to dry.  the keel was ready to go.


#1  rib in place........I'm  well on my way.
 
10 - 23 - 2012
 
the inner deck platform is goinmg to play a role in the frame construction.  #3 rib was cemented in place.


the breasthooks were also cemented in place as well.


these are the chine border strips......there are to be two per side.   I don't know why they just didn't supply thicker strips.



the inner deck platform comes out a bit too far,  so i had to notch the inner chine strips.  in making sure I made enough of a notch,  there was a gap.   this will not be seen,  because I intend to close up the sides of the inner cockpit.



the aft deck wall will be closed in as well