TBlack

Another thing you can do is buy your dowels from a woodworking store that caters to furniture makers (in the USA I'm thinking of Woodcrafters or Rockler). Furniture makers typically make plugs from dowels to cover screw heads. Consequently, cherry, mahogany, etc dowels are readily available in these stores. Tom

Well there you are! You understand about the left brain and the right brain? One side is artistic and verbal; the other side is math and science. According to your wife, you've got an abundance of one side and according to your accomplishments, you've got an abundance of the other side as well. Yah, I'm corny, but I love to look at talent! Tom

Bob, Damn, you're either smart or very experienced, and you explain it well. Thanks for the tips. Tom

Bob, Beautiful ladder! And interesting technique to get it all uniform. But I've got a couple of questions: I understand that the treads are slipped into the slots of the fixture, but how do you put the angled side pieces on where you can do the soldering? Also, is that a picture of your soldering gun, or is it a pen? Finally, the clean-up of excess solder in the angle of the side pieces must have taken some time? Tom

Frank, Not only is your workmanship superb, as our colleagues have attested, but also your step-by-step explanation and photography are so easy to follow. I ALMOST think I could do it myself! Tom

Grant, I just finished my first fiber glassing on a model, and the advice I got from the "pros" was to use thin glass and keep the epoxy really thin. I'm wondering if that magnificent planking job will show up through the glass? You might seek out some advice about using just the epoxy over the mahogany after you've varnished. I've got to admit I'm a little at sea on this; I've only done it once and I had a painted hull. Tom

Grant, Nice work on the deck planking and the hull. If you're going to put the boat in the water, do you have to fiberglass the hull? Tom

Grant, I was thinking about Mobbsie's comment on the exposed prop. Can the rudder post be made longer so that the rudder hangs down below the prop?

Tom, You and I have previously communicated at my log entitled "Sphynx". It seems like we've both had to start over, albeit, in my case, not due from an accident. Rather than my recounting the story in your log; I'll reactivate my log and post an explanation shortly. BTW, that's a fabulous looking shop you've created. Tom

I was just over at the Lowe's store, and they sell it, dimensioned as 0.19 inches. I assume Home Depot would have the same thing, but dimensioned as 3/16". You have to pick through the pile to find the straight piece, but it's doable. Tom

Bob, You're moving right along! Looks good. Tom

Garth, I'm finishing up a kit of the Midwest bass boat (kit not made anymore) for a friend. I also chucked the balsa in favor of bass wood. I'll be interested to see how your plans match up with the model. I found several glaring errors in dimensions between the plans and the supplied cut pieces. Tom

Bob, Wonderful subject to model. I'm with everyone else; 1:96 is a good choice, and 20" isn't terribly long. I'm gathering that you're pretty good with the computer. Not only in finding your source site, but also in maneuvering autocad. I love it when us older guys can manipulate the new technology! Tom

Why not secure the lower deadeye so that it doesn't swivel?

Actually, Frankie, I think it's a ketch. A yawl has the mizzen aft of the rudder post and a ketch steps the mizzen forward of the post. Looks like fun. Enjoy. Tom

How about a couple of golf tees, hollowed out, for horns?

Keith, I might take exception to Allan's comment above. I think he's thinking of sailing vessels. I just completed a model of a 19th century steamboat and there was plenty of repetition, especially around the windows: Perhaps you can see the green insert in each opening? To accomplish that I used a Micro-mark product with good results. First I made the master: Then I built the mold and poured in the resin: And you can make them quite thin: Tom

BTW, I'm changing my avatar from this: to what you see on the left. Annie is now 4 years old and her twin brother needs some recognition, so there it is.

Thanks, Tom. I, too, will be following your lift construction with great interest. It's a technique I've never been able to master. My POB approach has a lot more parts to hull construction, and the alignment is a slow process, but it's in small bites and easy to see. I've stiffened the framework and almost got the outer shape refined. I'll present pictures when that phase is done. Tom

Thanks for all the "likes" and, Alex maybe I should stop right now. I know that I can't achieve the level of finish that you produce. And, Alex, your plans are superb! Thank you for all your excellent work in producing them. Professor Mott, Michael, thanks for your support in the past; I hope I don't disappoint you on this one. Tom

On my last attempt, I printed the flags on paper and then mounted them on thin sheet brass which could then be molded to a rippled shape.

Ryan, You're off to a good start. RE: bulkhead alignment: if you move the batten down toward the bilge, is the gap consistent? Tom

This next project of mine is going to be a gift to my son who has been pestering me for a display of my modelling talents. I had 2 considerations in my approach: That the model fit in his house somewhere and that it be interesting to look at. While perusing the various logs on this site, I discovered Alex M's HMS Sphynx, a small frigate (the hull is a little over 100 feet long) and that he sells, through Chuck P., a set of building plans that he had drawn up from the NMM original draughts. At 1:64 the model should come in at around two feet long which took care of the first consideration, and being a frigate with several decks and full rig, my second consideration was met. I've titled this log the Sphynx, but in reality what I really want to model is her sistership, HMS Ariel. We'll see if the NMM can come up with any information on her, but she was quickly captured by the French in the Carribean, so she didn't fly a British flag for long. The French took her back to France and just left her in the harbor. Meanwhile, Ben Franklin was in Paris begging for support for the American Revolution. The French were willing to provide supplies, but told Ben he'd have to provide his own transport. Franklin pointed out that Ariel was just sitting in the harbor and could he borrow it to transport the supplies. That was fine with the French, so Franklin asked John Paul Jones to captain the vessel. To cut to the punch line, Jones got the Ariel to Philadelphia, but not before fighting his last naval battle in Ariel. And, once the supplies were off-loaded, he sailed the ship back to France to return it to her owners. Consequently, we have a British ship owned by the French, but flying an American flag! I've started construction, but just barely. This is going to be a long, slow project.

This is fun to watch. I think it takes several disciplines to pull this off: First, you have to know how to do it; second, you have to know how to explain it; third, you have to know how to photograph it. I think there are several left brain/right brain things going on here. Most inspiring. Tom

Sam, Why does it have to be a castable product? Can't you just use a sheet of clear plastic or even microscope slides to do the job? Tom