TBlack

I've always thought there are 3 tests: 10 foot test, 3 foot test, 3 inch test. It looks to me as though you've passed all of them. Good at the math; sharp tools; steady hands. Where are your weaknesses?

Tom

Mighty nice. Wish you had shown us how you had built that hull.
Tom

I'd second wefalck's question and further ask what sizes are we talking about.

Tom

Keith,

Thanks, I think.

TB

I got the 1/4" cherry dowel and proceeded to make the main topmast:

Huge color difference. That's not going to work, damn! If I were Chuck Passaro, no problem getting the right stain to get a match; for me, it's a challenge. Clearly, I'm going to have this issue with the rest of the spars. Deal with it later. On to making the fore topmast. Apparently not so easy. I'm on my 4th try which is only 95% correct. Think I'll make a bowsprit instead.

Is that a bubble sextant there on the right?

Amazing detail elegantly executed. Why is it that British model makers seem to have a common skill at detail? Reminds me of Nevil Shute's novel The Trustee From the Toolroom.

Tricky business well executed. If you will provide us with your wife’s email, I’ll bet there are a bunch of us that would provide counterpoints.

2 hours ago, AON said:

as being a novice I am finding it quite the challenge.

 

You’re not a novice from my perspective!

21 hours ago, GrandpaPhil said:

Looking good!

 

I like the idea of the alignment rods!  I will have to remember that!

Yes, Keith has a lot of tricks that we all could remember. That doesn't mean that we get to be like Keith, but it does mean we get to act like Keith.

Tom

I'm working on the fore top. I won't take up your time with that; it's the same as the main top. Also, I've been working on making top masts. The first two were duds. I started with 3/8" (9mm) cherry dowel and made the square parts first on the mill. Then trying to reduce the round parts down to 5 mm on the lathe, too much stress on the thinner square parts...disaster (firewood?). OK, do the round parts first. Second try.... screwed up the square parts. 3rd try will involve a purchase of 1/4" dowel (from where else but Amazon!). Be here next week. 

Thank God for slow setting glue.

13 minutes ago, kgstakes said:

I was just wondering on utube and came across this little gismo.  Don't know if it would really work for a mini lathe but I thought it was interesting enough to share with you all.

 

I didn't look at the whole video, but a couple of thoughts: will that base plate fit on your lathe bed and is there a way to lock it down, and is the tool height compatible with your lathe?

Tom

I'm impressed with folks like Keith and davec who can turn out product using, basically their hands. I have to use my mill to do the square parts and my lathe to do the round parts. And, actually, the mill with rotary table works pretty good on the round parts as well.

Tom

Keith,

You're progressing nicely, and I'm impressed with your camera work. What are you using to get such good close-ups? And why can't I?

Tom

Did you see that? I got a like from Chris Watton! I feel like I've arrived! You have to understand that I'm taking his wonderfully made kit; pieces that fit with zero tolerance, impeccable instructions. And I'm butchering up his transom; not following his paint scheme; not always using his wood supplies; yet I still get a like! YES!

Tom

I've overlaid and cemented the rim piece and pierced the top for the crows feet. As I mentioned, I'm not doing the battens justice. To see how it should be done, please visit Theodosius' log of Speedy, his post #99 and subsequent back in September

Now I'll taper the battens according to Lees.

According to Lees, the rim plank is 1.5" thick. The kit supplied rim is 1 mm, which is approximately 2", close enough. So I'm faced with this:

My top in the center, the kit supplied rim/batten assembly on the left, and a template for the crows feet holes on the right. The battens aren't strictly correct, and they need to be tapered, but it all gets painted black where detail will be lost. In other words, I'm going with the kit piece. As to crows feet, it's not clear to me whether Sophie qualifies; she's right on the cusp of not having them, but it's extra detail and not too hard to do at this scale (I did a euphroe block at 1:96 for my Sphynx class). So, I'll overlay that template to position the holes.

Tom

Once I've flipped the top it looks like this on the bottom:

I fill in the spaces like before:

Then I can take it off the former to work on the outboard shape. Blessedly, I have a template for that exercise:

And then it's on to the rim.

Tom

Here I've filled in the athwartship planks. What I've done is simulate the scarfed joints that make up the top. 

Next is flip the top over and do the same on the underside.

Finish the long planks, which are 1/4" wide, BTW.:

The next thing is to fill in between the longitudinal planks.

As to the planking, I'm using 1/32" thick planks. I can't find anything in Lees that suggests width. Longridge uses 1/32" as his thickness and 3/16" as his width at 1:96 scale. Druxey's tops are a 3 layered sandwich of 1/32" stuff, while mine are 2 layers of 1/32". Anyway, the first steps are like this:

Those planks are just laying there. They are not glued. I'm not worried about the precise length at this point.

The next phase is this:

That cross piece is glued and locks everything in place, and I will now proceed to put the rest of the athwart planks in place maybe after dinner or maybe tomorrow, but not now. Keith will hate me for this, but it's cocktail time!

Tom

Tom,

Nice set to the sails!

Tom

As to the tops, we are blessed that there are templates to start from:

We punch out the center squares and use those to make identical squares, except 1/8" thick and glue them to a backboard:

Next comes the planking, but for later, because it's my bedtime now!

Tom

Got the trees assembled. A little black paint next, but my focus is on the tops. I'm going to depart from the kit here. I followed Longridge, page 171, in building tops for my 1:96 scale version of Sphynx which turned out great. They are built up from individual planks, and not too difficult especially now at 1:64. I'll document it.