Mike Dowling
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Everything posted by Mike Dowling
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Do you know I really do like you guys you are so kind. And yes, I am going to be a complete wimp and plank according to the pathetically negligent and utterly useless instructions! By the way, I will do oars and mast for the launch when I know how much wood I have left. Unlike Fifthace boat mine only gets 2 oars according to the instructions but I want the whole set!!!
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Hi all, I have just spent 3 days trying to make the Bounty launch with virtually no instructions. I have done my best by looking at other logs and plans so please don't be too judgemental. My filling balsa has arrived!! I have put some in and nearly finished the sanding so I am now running out of excuses for not starting the planking. I am just so scared I can see loads of lack of sleep worrying about it but, seeing as how we are supposed to admit to both our successes and mistakes I will keep you updated. Here is my work to date!!
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I agree with the other guys. I find CA very useful for a 'quick fix' but carpenters glue gives a much better bond. Don't be afraid to thin it down a bit, I find that helps avoid spread when joints are tight. The other beauty of white glue is that it dries translucent. Dom is right, the decks don't quite go to the edges of the bulkheads but I found I needed that space for the fairing. Your work looks really good to me AL. I had some warp problems but not as bad as yours.
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HI, no I don't use a little saw, just an exacto or Stanley knife. I checked the mast as well and agree with you completely not that I have any personal experience of sailing at all. I have sent you a PM as well as this post for the matters we have been discussing. Don't give up - together we can work wonders with these kits - whatever we decide to call them!!!
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Somehow I just know you are going to hate me but, I just cut my planks by hand using a cutting board with a grid. The first one I cut I use for the measure of all the rest to obtain consistency. I'll bet you wish like me that Dominic hadn't mentioned the slope on the masts. It could be HIS kit is wrong, but I rather doubt it. I am not quite sure what you mean about your mast twisting. As and when I get to actually putting mine in properly believe me, they wouldn't dare move or I would threaten them with the open fire!! Anyway, thank you very much for the compliments. At least your good lady has a polite name for your boat. I have a couple in mind for mine but certainly not for public viewing!! Onwards!!!
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Wow, a few questions to answer there. Firstly, I did find your message after all CA, it must have been here all the time so I apologise for my senility!! I haven't had a problem with the masts, they sit just right. Looking from the front they are straight except maybe for a wee bit of warp on the rear mast which does indeed slope very slightly backwards when viewing from the side. Can't say I notice much slope on the main though. The rear and mizzen (?) masts are indeed round pegs in square holes, the main required drilling the seating for if that makes sense. My technique for the fairing was just a longish sanding block and sandpaper for the main hull and a smaller block for the bow and transom. I did use a small file a bit on the transom end formers. I didn't use a dremel as I find it a bit vicious though I might with the planking. Once I had all the decks on the hull was quite rigid and stood up to my sanding abuse!! Bare in mind that the bow section on my kit is balsa blocks which are fitted and shaped after the first planking. I just hope my fairing so far is OK, time will tell. It does occur to me CA that looking at you photos the two halves of your deck do not appear to be square. Is that me or because of your warping problems? I can't believe that you drilled all those holes for imitation nails, I found it quite hard enough with a pencil. For the deck planking I just put white glue on the ply only and then the planks. Unfortunately I have found that the veneer wood for the planks does vary quite a bit in width so you can't always rely on the sitting just right beside each other. Still, it all adds to challenge I guess!
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Hi there, looking at your pictures I notice a number of differences. Yours has far more formers at the stern and bow ends than mine, the central portion of the internal hull is planked, I can't see a wheelhouse on yours etc. I know the differences are minor. Didn't you say yours was single planked as well? In case anyone was looking I did give the title to my build out wrong. It should have been Bounty by Mike Dowling Don't know if that made it difficult to find if so apologies.
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Thanks Bindy, nice to hear from you again and no shihawk I haven't started yet. I am waiting for some balsa to do a bit of bulkhead filling before I start!
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No we don't have a home bargains! Too far North I guess but I will keep an eye open for your magic glue.
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Thanks for that matey!! I wonder if the oozing PVA helps with the overall effect? I just get so fed up with sticking myself to the model with CA!!!
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Hey CF, did you like my repair? I have balsa on order already but what on earth is a bull head, and don't tell me it's something on the end of a male cow!!!
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Hi again, my kit is certainly quite large and actually very different in construction from Ulises Victoria kit. Mine, unfortunately for me with the planking skills of a turkey (!!!) is double planked as well.
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I should have said that I have done several OcCre kits, non boat, and found their products pretty good. I did complete their Mississippi paddle steamer which was great and turned out to be a really impessive model.
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Hello there, I am actually building the OcCre Bounty at the moment and have a build log in progress. No sure how to a link but I listed it as OcCre Bounty by Mike Dowling. Hope this helps.
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Hi and thanks so much for post and the compliments. Re the planking, when I have cut the little beasts to length I run down both sides with pencil holding 10 - 12 at a time. I have always stuck them on with white (PVA) glue literally one at a time. I know it's a bit lengthy and boring but I like the result. Again I just use pencil to simulate the nailing and when done I give the whole lot 2 coats of good old dope!! Re the fairing. Can you have another look at my pics for me as my concern is that at the transom end particularly I think I still have it far too thick on the false keel especially by the time it is planked. I am also not sure that there should be gaps between the deck and the planking. I realise that normally this wouldn't show but with the monster having one 'open' side to the hull it might. Maybe I am just being too fussy? Yes the bulwark was ghastly ply, hence the snap but I did manage to bend it very carefully with the help of some tape to hold the break. Once I had bent the lining strips the glue for them solved my problem. Yes the outside will be veneered in the end and I don't think it will show at all.
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HELP!!! I thought that I was OK with my fairing but before I get in a right state can I please have some expert opinion on these photos. I think maybe I should remove quite a bit more wood to sharpen the back more and I wonder if I should take enough off the last bulkhead for it to meet the second deck. I have done my best to show you what I mean in the pics. Also for the pleasure of Cannon fodder there are a couple of pics of my bulwark that snapped. Now I have repaired it I think it will pass muster?
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Seriously though, I have found that this plywood rubbish only seems to warp on one side at a time. I have managed a couple of times to unwarp (is that a word?) by letting it dry completely, damp the opposite side and then weight it until dry. I have found that wetting it too much can cause delamination of the ply and them you do have to start again. I am guessing but it has happened to me that if you use white glue (PVA) for the planking on decks it can make the ply a lot wetter than you think so, I have used dope (or cellulose sealer if you prefer) to seal the ply first. I realise that is absolutely no help if you have already done the planks but it might be handy in the future.
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I am trying very, very hard to verify this already. By the way, good old dope, apart from use on model aircraft is an excellent sanding sealer and a matt finish laquer for all sorts of models. You just need to keep a window open when using it or it works like the other kind of dope as well!!! Hey, keep the windows shut and enjoy!!!
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I tell you , procrastinate is rather a long word even for a Thursday!!! However, no one has said that tissue and dope isn't a good idea. The other sort of dope I may well need if I give in to planking the beast!!!
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By the way - I seem to have been promoted!!! Can't think why!
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OK, I'll keep watching and learning!
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CF, I am so very sorry not to have taken pictures of my mistake. I am pretty darn certain there are going to be a few more before I finish and I will make a special effort to preserve them on camera for your amusement. If I can, just because we are mates I will try to take a pic of my repair for you! To S.Coleman (sorry to be so formal) it is indeed a monster and, whilst I do feel I have bitten off a good deal more than I can chew, I am going to enjoy doing it if it kills me!!!
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Yes, it is supposed to be double planked so I guess I can do what I like for the first one. I don't realistically think that there is the tiniest chance of my doing 'accurate' planking, I shall just be pleased if I get the hull covered. Re the banana boat bit, that could be tricky because most of the hull on one side doesn't get planked much because of the open view. I am thinking (not too seriously!!) about covering the hull with tissue paper and dope like I used to do with model aircraft. How's that for a bit of lateral thinking?!!!
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Thanks both very much. I know I will just have to bite the bullet and start. One thought though - the instructions show full length planks, at least as long as the wood supplied. From what I have read is it not better/easier to use shorter lengths and if so how long?
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