JPZ66

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The Square tuck....Thank goodness this isnt a real POF project.  Here is the simplified version.
 
The photo below shows the first beam added which to create teh base for the stern post.  It runs down the center of the square tuck so I can glue the stern post on later.  It is 1/8" thick and 7/32" wide.  The same width as the stern post
 
The same photo below shows the second timber....how I took a wider piece that was 1/8" thick.  I shaped it so the seam between the lower counter and this timber was very tight.   Then I measured and marked it so it would be 1/8" wide as well.  This will of course be repeated on the other side once it is planked.
 

 
The finished timber below.
 

 
Then it was time to create the side piece which will finish the square tuck frame....this was the hardest piece but not that difficult at all.   I just took a larger 1/8" thick piece of boxwood and shaped it to fit tightly against the two timbers I just just completed.  I tried to get real tight seams. At the same time,  it hangs off the side of the hull.  Then I traced the shape of the hull against the back of this piece.
 

 
Heres what the tracing looks like.  The piece was cut to shape on the scroll saw.
 

 
Then,  this piece was temporarily glued back in position with just a small dot of CA.   This was done because it will need to be removed after it is faired with the hull planking.  See below.  And as done before,  I drew another line to establish a 1/8" wide finished timber.  This was cut out and glued into position finishing the frame for the square tuck on this side of the hull.
 

 
Here is what it looks like.
 

 

 
Finally....it was planked inside with vertical planks the same width as the hull planking.  Tarred seams were simulated.   I was very careful to get very tight seams.   In actual practice these planks would be normal thickness and the ends resting in a rabbet along the edges of the square tuck frame.
 
In my case though,  I just faked it using planking that was actually 1/8" thick which is the same thickness as the frame.   It all worked out in the end.  I am quite pleased with the results as this is normally a really tough detail to model convincingly.   Now to touch up the red paint on the counter or maybe its just best to wait till the planking is all done.
 

 

 

 
I can now start planking the last belt  on the starboard side.

The following pics show tghe substantial completion of the sterncastle.
 

 

I believe the sides of the castle would have contained removable blinds. These would have been removed to reduce windage and would have provided protection for archers if attacked
 

 

 

 
Dick

The gentlemans seats of ease in the poop!!

 
The poop decking completed

 

 

 
The supports for the sterncastle are started
Dick
 
 

The quarterdeck beams also project through the side planking
 

 
Progress on the poop and quarterdeck


note the characteristic vertical timbers on the ships hull to give extra rigidity and protection to the hull

tail frames are positioned at each end of the keel
 
Calculation of the narrowing of the frames between the master frame and the tail frames used the geometric "mezza lune" technique. rising of floors can also be calculated by a geometric technique
 

using these techniques, a half hull block model of the central hull was made and  faired
 

As was done by the original shipwrights of the venetian Arsenale, ribbands were then used to make the bow and stern frames.

]
 
lines were taken off at each station

I am starting to attach the cannons to the deck!
The first two cannons in place!
The first cannon took around two hours to be placed, due to the difficoulty to glue the small rings to the bulwark.
The second cannon took... 1 hour and half.
So I must consider a lot of time for complete that operation (still 14 cannon, that means 21 hour of duty around those).
I forgot to say that I have not yet finished to prepare the rigging of all cannons.
Definetly a small nightmare....
In anycase I will place only some cannons for the moment, just to have the deck prepared for the rigging of the foremast.
I like the result, all that loose ropes that surround each cannon give me a good overall impression.
I am preparing the gunports, too, as can be seen in another photo.
The gunports are made by many pieces, so that process too, is long and boring.
I prepared other yard for the mizzen mast, as it can be seen in another photo (I must use the "noisy days" wisely).
I think that the "noisy operations" that remains are very few:
-some customised block for the main mast and mizzen mast;
-the mizzen mast;
-support for the service boat.

I am not sure what you mean....wood list or materials list???   Since its a scratch project more or less there are no parts to inventory.  Except for those few I mentioned so far.
 
As far as a wood list goes...I do have a preliminary.  I wont know for certain until after I build her.  Its impossible to know before its built with 100% certainty.
 
The wood list I have used and stocked up on are as follows.  It should be very close. Remember that this is not a kit.
 
1/4" Ply 4' x 4'
 
All boxwood sheets are 24" long......and 3" wide
 
7/32" Boxwood sheet  2
1/4" ........1
1/8" ........2
5/32" .......2
3/16 .........5
1/16" .......3
1/32" .......3
.025 ........1
3/32" ........1 but maybe 2 sheets depending.
 
One 3/8" x 3/8"  strip for the lower mast 24" long
 
Basswood sheets....
 
1/32" ....two sheets
1/16" ...2 sheets

And finally, after the hull was painted I finished the interior details in the wheel house and added the glazing. I chose clear polystyrene because it was available in a thin enough sheet to work as scale thickness glass. What I hadn't bargained for was how easily it scratched and marked. I ended up replacing a lot of it several times due to inadvertent dings and scratches.
 
On to the fixtures and fittings. Pretty much all were scratch built from wood. I had hoped I could get at least some aftermarket parts like anchors or cleats and other deck fittings but almost everything on the boat was unique and converting a commercially available part would have been more trouble than it was worth. I did manage to find a pair of left and right propellers that were a perfect match and the stern flag. That was it, the rest were scratch built.
 
I asked the client to have a  good look at all the photos I'd taken to see if there was anything I'd missed or something else he wanted added before I finished it. He asked for his personal pennant to be added to the top mast and the New York Yacht Club pennant added to flag post forward. Also he had a tiny NYYC pennant pained on a storage locker on deck and he wanted that painted on. That was one of the most awkward parts of the entire project..! Finally he wanted a fender shown on the deck to indicate the boat was still a working vessel. So I obliged, and then packed it into it's large case. I set off for Greenwich Conn. to hand it over, not wanting to see another 'Dollhouse' project for a long time only to be handed the drawings of a Gar Wood speedboat to be built in 1/12 scale and told to "get to work"
 
Thanks for your kind comments everyone. I'm glad you like it.
 
Dan.
 

Part 3.
 
As the superstructure grew it was time to paint the hull before anything was fixed permanently. Several rub downs with wet and dry, a wipe over with a tack cloth, and then I painted the waterline area satin black. I marked out the waterline with the usual 'block at the right hight with a pencil stuck to the top of it' method and then masked off the waterline with masking tape of the correct thickness.  I sprayed below the waterline the same shade of blue as the anti fouling paint on the original vessel matched from a paint catalog. The topside hull was then sprayed white in several coats using Valspar acrylic spray cans. 
 
When the hull was dry, I peeled off the waterline tape leaving a nice neat black waterline. (Much later in the build when all the superstructure was on, I got a call from the client telling me they had repainted below the waterline with a green anti fouling paint and would I mind repainting the model to match.?   
I almost fainted at the news, but it actually went pretty smoothly and I was a lot more worried than I needed to be. Things that seem impossible often go smoothly. It's the simplest things that can sometimes give the most trouble!
I moved on to the stern which was varnished teak on the original and had a set of name decals for the various areas of the boat made up. Josh Mumia at Bedlam creations is the guy I use and he is amazing.
I just have to give him a photo of what I want and the sizes, and he can match any kind of lettering in any color.
 
After that, I added some more details to the wheel house and built the roof and the prop shafts and rudders. Finally I built the Dinghy.  As this was going to have a canvas cover over it like the original, there was no point in building an interior. I carved the hull from a laminated block of Basswood and shaped it by hand. I added the keel and then marked out the positions of the clinkered planks. The planking went smoothly and started on the rear deck and roof structure.
(continued) 

Part 2.
After I got the decks fitted, I installed the port holes in the sides of the boat. I drilled the openings with progressively larger drill bits and finally lined the hole with brass tube of the correct diameter. I did this because the glass on the boat is recessed and not flush to the hull sides. As the lower deck interior wouldn't be visible, I used acrylic rods about an inch long for the porthole glass and painted the ends black. This allowed a certain amount of light to bleed into the porthole through the sides of the rod but the black paint on the end didn't allow the viewer to see into the cabin.  Finally, I sprayed the hull with primer
 
Next, I started work on the deck  structures. The wheel house windows are very large and every detail of the interior is visible. There are a couple of fold-up bunks, chests of drawers, chart table instrument panel and throttles etc. even some 1920's light fittings that had to be copied from photographs. This came as a welcome break from all the planking and sanding and I soon had all four sides laid out and framed then joined together at the corners. The superstructure wood was Basswood, carefully selected for grain that looked like scale Teak. I spent quite a long time mixing oil paint and penetrating wood dyes together to get a good match for the existing teak on the actual vessel. Then I stained all the basswood sheets in one session before I cut them so I could mix the sheets together as I used them ensuring the different grain patterns were evenly distributed and I didn't wind up with one wall of the deckhouse darker than all the other three.
I built all the furniture separately and added it to the interior walls of the wheel house bit by bit. The drawer handles being particularly difficult to turn due to their tiny size. I built the rear deck house and then began dry fitting all the pieces in order to see if I was at least somewhere near the mark..! It all seemed to fit so I began building the instrument panel the throttles and planked the interior deck of the wheel house.
 
At this point I was nearly ready to fit the wheel house permanently and I decided to include my customary greeting card to any model maker in the future that finds himself below decks in the forward cabin! I usually write a little about myself and family, what day it is, what's happening in the world and a wish for them to have as pleasant a time fixing it as I had building it..!

Before I start my build log some information about the real La Créole and
the data from which my model will build.
 
The La Créole was a 24-gun corvette of the French Navy. The corvette
carried 4 x 18 pdr guns and 20 x 30 pdr carronades.
Her plans were drawn by P. M. Leroux in 1827. She was launched in Cherbourg in
May 1829. The ship took part in the French invasion of Mexico in 1838, and most
notably in the Bombardment of San Juan de Ulloa before French troops disembarked and captured the city of Veracruz.

There is a fine shipyard model on display at the Musée national de la Marine in Paris which is shown by many photos in the book of Jean Boudriot (in French). 
 
I use the following sources for building my model of the corvette:
Jean Boudriot - Historique de la corvette 1650-1850: La
Créole, 1827
 
 
Now the images of beginning:
 
 
 
To be continued...
 
Best regards
Johann
 
 
 
 
 
 

Once again, I will post one of Paul Budzig videos on primer.....it covers some of the airbrush issues. Also, if you got to his website, you can get more info on airbrushes. Joe
 

Once again, I will post one of Paul Budzig videos on primer.....it covers some of the airbrush issues. Also, if you got to his website, you can get more info on airbrushes. Joe
 

Ken,
 
Yes, it works. I have used this technique on 1:1 scale kayak building AND on model ship building. A couple of things to consider for scale models.....
 
1. I have an industrial heat gun, not a cheap copy....as is, I found the smallest tip to be too wide for modeling so I created a new tip with a much smaller opening to focus the heat better. Used on the low blower setting it seems to work well.
 
2. The small area that we need the heat in required some additional things....a really good pair of gloves, and sometimes some shielding for the parts of the strip that dont need the heat. I took a piece of 16" long x 8" wide sheet metal and made an elongated slot in it...about 1" wide and 2" long.....then bent the metal into a sort of "C" shape.....the window on the top. It can be clamped to the workbench at the bottom.
 
When I have needed to do so, I pencil mark the location of the bend, then put that plank under the shield and line up the area of pencil marks to the slot or "window".. Aim the heat gun at the opening and heat up the plank....bend / heat / bend / twist...until you are satisfied. The shield help keep heat off the rest of the plank and protect the hand a bit.
 
All my stuff is packed up or would show you a picture, but I think you get the idea...it's really simple.
 
Joe

Once again, I will post one of Paul Budzig videos on primer.....it covers some of the airbrush issues. Also, if you got to his website, you can get more info on airbrushes. Joe
 

So much has been written and suggested by so many..... My first advice is do a search on the forums and read everything you can find....
 
That being said, in many ways, airbrushes and airbrushing style is very much a personal thing. Some people suggest buying the best and learn to use it....Over the years, I have purchased several airbrushes, starting with a basic Paasche H, single action and moving later onto finer more complex rigs. I still use that H a lot, it has it's place. But, like many tools, it can only do so much...just as it was designed for. Whichever airbrush you decide on, learn it inside and out. Take it apart, assemble it, and take the time to clean and lubricate it properly after using it.
 
I would not be using my double action, very fine spraying Iwata for laying down primer or other broad coverage uses, but the H works pretty well for that....it depends on the size of the piece needing the coverage too. For very large projects I use a binks automotive touch up gun. Of course that will not be a useful tool if I want to lay down tight fine lines for a free hand camouflage finish !
 
In addition to using the right airbrush for the job, the medium being sprayed is a hugely important consideration. Enamel, lacquer, acrylic.....gloss, semi-gloss, satin, flat....each has distinct properties and carrier solvents. Different manufacturers use different formulas and so all cannot be treated the same.
 
There are many variables to understand when painting in general and when airbrushing in particular. Develop good working habits right from the start and you will eliminate some of the variables. Clean, well ventilated work area, spotlessly clean airbrush, clean subject to be painted, properly mixed and filtered paint and so on. Be sure to have a dust free place to place the model after the paint is applied while it is drying. Allow the paint to dry appropriately before handling further. All of these things will make the job easier and the final finish as flawless as possible. Of course, boo boos are inevitable, so learning how to identify and correct mistakes is also a skill or skills to be learned.
 
It's not all as complicated as I make it sound though, and getting it right brings a great deal of satisfaction !
 
Best bet is to search the web, the forums and the many youtube videos out there and then get some nice card stock to practice on. You'll be airbrushing like a pro in no time !
 
Much like screwdrivers......one size does not fit all. ( I have 3 different airbrushes I use, and the touch up gun )
 
Good Luck !
Joe

Once again, I will post one of Paul Budzig videos on primer.....it covers some of the airbrush issues. Also, if you got to his website, you can get more info on airbrushes. Joe
 

Ken,
 
Yes, it works. I have used this technique on 1:1 scale kayak building AND on model ship building. A couple of things to consider for scale models.....
 
1. I have an industrial heat gun, not a cheap copy....as is, I found the smallest tip to be too wide for modeling so I created a new tip with a much smaller opening to focus the heat better. Used on the low blower setting it seems to work well.
 
2. The small area that we need the heat in required some additional things....a really good pair of gloves, and sometimes some shielding for the parts of the strip that dont need the heat. I took a piece of 16" long x 8" wide sheet metal and made an elongated slot in it...about 1" wide and 2" long.....then bent the metal into a sort of "C" shape.....the window on the top. It can be clamped to the workbench at the bottom.
 
When I have needed to do so, I pencil mark the location of the bend, then put that plank under the shield and line up the area of pencil marks to the slot or "window".. Aim the heat gun at the opening and heat up the plank....bend / heat / bend / twist...until you are satisfied. The shield help keep heat off the rest of the plank and protect the hand a bit.
 
All my stuff is packed up or would show you a picture, but I think you get the idea...it's really simple.
 
Joe

After you get used to a little more fussiness in preparing (such as fitting the faces of the pieces to be joined to each other) you will be amazed at the strength of a silver soldered joint vs a soft soldered one. It is well worth learning to silver solder.

Ken,
 
Yes, it works. I have used this technique on 1:1 scale kayak building AND on model ship building. A couple of things to consider for scale models.....
 
1. I have an industrial heat gun, not a cheap copy....as is, I found the smallest tip to be too wide for modeling so I created a new tip with a much smaller opening to focus the heat better. Used on the low blower setting it seems to work well.
 
2. The small area that we need the heat in required some additional things....a really good pair of gloves, and sometimes some shielding for the parts of the strip that dont need the heat. I took a piece of 16" long x 8" wide sheet metal and made an elongated slot in it...about 1" wide and 2" long.....then bent the metal into a sort of "C" shape.....the window on the top. It can be clamped to the workbench at the bottom.
 
When I have needed to do so, I pencil mark the location of the bend, then put that plank under the shield and line up the area of pencil marks to the slot or "window".. Aim the heat gun at the opening and heat up the plank....bend / heat / bend / twist...until you are satisfied. The shield help keep heat off the rest of the plank and protect the hand a bit.
 
All my stuff is packed up or would show you a picture, but I think you get the idea...it's really simple.
 
Joe

Chuck, what an amazing project you have going ! Simply beautiful !
 
A note on heat... I have used only heat when bending strips for kayak building.... Rather than me trying to describe it, Here is a link ( source that I learned from ).....
It is midway down the "shop tips" page.
 
http://www.laughingloon.com/shop.tips.html
 
 
Maybe others will find some of this info useful !
 
 
Cheers,
 
Joe

Chuck, what an amazing project you have going ! Simply beautiful !
 
A note on heat... I have used only heat when bending strips for kayak building.... Rather than me trying to describe it, Here is a link ( source that I learned from ).....
It is midway down the "shop tips" page.
 
http://www.laughingloon.com/shop.tips.html
 
 
Maybe others will find some of this info useful !
 
 
Cheers,
 
Joe

Thanks...Yes indeed I do
 
But it all gets done eventually.   I really like coffee.
 
Chuck

Today I laser cut the bulkheads and false keel from 1/4' thick ply.  It was comforting that the laser cutter will have no problem cutting through this thickness of ply.  That is really good.  Normally you will see 3/16" thick bulkheads.  I have started to use the thicker stuff in my latest designs.  I think it really helps with the stability and strength of the hull.  Its just a better thickness to go with in my opinion if you choose POB.    When you no longer have to worry about mass production and kit MFG profit vs. loss,  you are free to do these things.  Its a great feeling and in the end make the modeling experience so much better.
 
The parts fit really well.  You can see how large in comparison to the Winnie in the background.  I made the bulkhead former in two pieces as you can see.  I think its important to make these in shorter lengths.  If they are too long they have a tendency to warp and bend.  The slots cut for the bulkheads makes this even more of a problem.  It helps the warping become even worse.  You will also notice the many, many bulkheads.  I have added a picture of the Sherbourne cutter by Caldercraft for comparison of design.  With bulkheads that far apart the planking is going to be tough.  
 
Chuck