Mike Dowling

You may find in quite a few cases that some of your best work will be covered up at a later stage ,remember this when rigging the cannons ?Only consolation is you know it,s there . Still lookin great !!!!!

If it is of interest, OcCre do a cross section of the Santisima Trinidad (which I am building at the moment) and also a full size model at the same scale of the same boat. I am a big fan of OcCre kits as their quality and instructions seem better than most. Hope this is helpful.

If it is of interest, OcCre do a cross section of the Santisima Trinidad (which I am building at the moment) and also a full size model at the same scale of the same boat. I am a big fan of OcCre kits as their quality and instructions seem better than most. Hope this is helpful.

If it is of interest, OcCre do a cross section of the Santisima Trinidad (which I am building at the moment) and also a full size model at the same scale of the same boat. I am a big fan of OcCre kits as their quality and instructions seem better than most. Hope this is helpful.

Sorry. It seems I missed the balsa part. Both Boyd and Keith are right about its strength, or lack of it. 
It sounds strange to me that you say plywood is not available in your town, when it is a product so widely used in an enormous amount of projects. 
 
Anyway, if you are going the double plank method, my I suggest you put the planks underneath running from port to starboard, running the width of the ship. This will increase the strength when you put the upper planks perpendicular to them, running the length of the ship.
Am I clear? 

Hello GG. I think this will do. Remember that all the imperfections can be covered with the planking. 
Believe me... I know what I'm talking about. 
 
Best regards
 
Ulises

Hello. You can glue all the frames you want, as long as you have enough tools to keep all of them properly aligned.
 
Wait at least overnight BEFORE removing the alignment tools, though.
 
Hope this helps.
 
Ulises

Welcome GG to the A.L. Bounty club.  I'll be watching your build and maybe from time to time can offer some good advice.  At this point all I can add is that you've gotten great advice from the others and I agree with it all.

Good to see you started a build log.
 
This is a critical step in the build as others have said, so take your time making sure the frames are square to the keel as well as checking the vertical alignment.  Then check the top of the frames for being level across the width of each frame (use a level).  
 
Unlike the stronger bulkhead type, these frames are very flexible as Keith mentions prior to laying all the decks so special care must be taken. 
 
Once I had the whole frame dry fitted (all the frames prior to gluing) I set both the lower and middle decks in place to help check alignment of the frames.
 
As I was gluing each frame up I continued to check the tops of each frame with my level.  This is important to be sure your main deck will flow evenly over the top of all the frames.   I also laid the main/top deck across all the frames to see how it looked to my eye. 
 
I totally agree with Keith that you can use the lower deck to help align the frames (and use the middle deck as well).
 
Good luck with the build   
 
 
 
Here is are a couple of pictures of my frames as I glued them up (using squares and blocks, as well as a level across the tops of each frame as they were glued up.  

Hello.
This was my third wooden ship. Unfortunately the old log was lost. 
As mentioned before, get a metal square like in these photos (of another ship, but the procedure is the same), so you make sure all your frames are exactly at 90' deg. against the keel.

It was a long time since I built this kit, but I seem to remember that the frames were very flexible until the lower deck was installed. I suggest you dry fit the lower deck and see if it pulls the frames into alignment. Use it as a guide for further frames. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that the frames are aligned, all sorts of trouble awaits you further down the build if they are not! 

Thank you for your Interest Antony!
 
Well, due to usual summer activities not much happend in the shipyard since the last update, but now the Bounty is back on the work bench.
I'am still busy with hull fairing and sanding, although the Frames were preshaped it is a lot left to sand.
A few Frames are undersized, don't know why, might be paper distortion from the copys or carelessness from my side. Anyway, got to fix those spots  with adding woodstrips and sanding.
 
Hopefully it will be done in a few days.....

Hi Udo.
Any updates on this amazing build.
I am getting withdrawal symptoms
 
Regards Antony.

Well, she doesn't look much different at first, but some detailed work has been done.
 

 
After a fair amount of consulting and cogitation, I settled on a design for the engines. As we have no idea what Bertrand's machinery actually looked like, I went for a representative approach; something that would capture the spirit of typical steamboat engines for the period. Something like this:
 

 
 
Experts will recognize some missing details; some will be added as I progress, some I didn't think I could replicate well enough to include. For example, I haven't yet added any of the overhead piping that brings steam to the cylinders from the boilers (forward), or the chimneys for cylinder exhaust, both of which will be easier to do later as I progress on the superstructure. But the overall effect is good enough for me.
 
Also completed are the tiller arms, and one side of the bulkheads that separate them from the engineer's main work area. The starboard side won't be built to keep the view lines open from that direction. Note the scratchbuilt workbench forward of the bulkhead. That was a fun little side project.
 

 
Photos from the museum model were useful in getting drivers reasonably right. I also built the aft bulkhead, painted red as on most steamboats of this era. The wheel really turns, though the drivers don't (I wasn't up for making working pistons). Later I'll be adding the various bracing that supports the weight of the wheel, but not yet.
 
Next up, framing up the rest of the main deck superstructure and walling it in. Then the various angled hog chain braces and their iron rods, then finishing the decking, then building the boiler and remaining machinery and running the necessary steam lines. 
 
No idea when the next update will be. Baseball playoffs will be a major time sink for the next month until the Royals' season is over.
 
EDIT: upon re-reading, I fixed an embarrassing error. I referred to the main and boiler decks as the same thing, which they're not. The boiler deck is one level above the main, despite the boilers themselves being on the main. I knew this, but it's easy to confuse if you're not paying attention. I've never seen a convincing explanation of why the boiler deck is called that, but it has always been so on steamboats to the extent of my knowledge.

Thanks Ian for your helpful reply. When I built my Bounty (the first large ship I had ever tried) I made use of fillers at the bow and stern and found them to be invaluable for all the reasons you have stated. I would certainly recommend it as a technique to both new and experienced builders alike

Well folks, here she is warts and all !! I can't say I am sorry that she is finished but I do think she looks better than I expected her to. I am very glad I put on the extra railings as I think they make a big difference. The rigging such as it is, is rather minimal but there has been a lot about this kit which has been like that from the start.
 
Despite my best efforts the decks have continued to warp even after gluing and even managed to break some of the glue joints. Without doing a complete rebuild there is absolutely nothing I could do about it so I just have to live with it.
 
I really love the wood finish because of the colours and it does make it very different from the other Robert E Lee builds I have seen. Apart from the lovely pre warped decks etc the biggest challenge of this build for me has been the really tight bending of various kinds of wood and I have learnt a few lessons from it. The only painted bits on her are the windows, doors, railings and funnels,  otherwise it is all varnish.
 
It will not surprise any of you to know that I couldn't recommend Constructo kits to anyone. Having done two now I share others opinions about the poor quality of supplied wood. I had to raid my 'stores' on several occasions. I know Constructo kits are at the cheaper end of the market and now I know why. I shall not be doing another kit from that stable !!
 
My next effort will be another kit from my tried and tested OcCre manufacturer.
 
 

Ron, thank you so much for your post and for the flattery !!! There is noting like a good boost to the ego now and then !! Sorry for not replying to you sooner but have been enjoying some of those rare Scottish summer days away before Winter sets in and serious modelling time is available.
 
I value your comments about the Caldercraft kit and do take on board the comments you make about the plans, quality etc but the price tag still hurts !!
I may have to simply wait until my piggy bank has a lot more in it. Loads of others also think your comments useful so maybe I just have to be patient. Problem then is, what do I build while I am saving up ?

Love the way your Endeavour is coming together Dave, very nice indeed.  The walnut doesn't seem to have tripped you up at all with split/flaky edges.

Many thanks for that Ron. I am really not sure that I have the skills needed to complete any Victory kit satisfactorily and whilst I can see that the CC kit is amazing, so is it's price tag !!
 
I am so envious of Shihawks build which is what has caused me to think seriously about having a go at my own. but I am not sure that I can justify spending so much money on a dream plus the fact I am pretty sure I would need some more tools as well !!!
 
Whatever, I thank you and value your comments and suggestions.
Mike.
 
PS. Maybe you could have a look at my Bounty gallery and see if you think I am up to taking on the Victory.

Not sure I understand your post dafi even if Canute likes it !
 
The CC kit looks wonderful but it sure is pricey !!!

Back on deck SMs.
One left hand coming along slowly after the cut(Carpal T). Just takes time to heal, otherwise raring to go.
 
Had to do something though:
Installed the Airing Ports I had made some time ago.
Very fiddly work being so small.
 
 
Dave R

Many thanks for that Ron. I am really not sure that I have the skills needed to complete any Victory kit satisfactorily and whilst I can see that the CC kit is amazing, so is it's price tag !!
 
I am so envious of Shihawks build which is what has caused me to think seriously about having a go at my own. but I am not sure that I can justify spending so much money on a dream plus the fact I am pretty sure I would need some more tools as well !!!
 
Whatever, I thank you and value your comments and suggestions.
Mike.
 
PS. Maybe you could have a look at my Bounty gallery and see if you think I am up to taking on the Victory.

Thanks for that hornet, it is good to get several opinions.

Many thanks for that Ron. I am really not sure that I have the skills needed to complete any Victory kit satisfactorily and whilst I can see that the CC kit is amazing, so is it's price tag !!
 
I am so envious of Shihawks build which is what has caused me to think seriously about having a go at my own. but I am not sure that I can justify spending so much money on a dream plus the fact I am pretty sure I would need some more tools as well !!!
 
Whatever, I thank you and value your comments and suggestions.
Mike.
 
PS. Maybe you could have a look at my Bounty gallery and see if you think I am up to taking on the Victory.

Not sure I understand your post dafi even if Canute likes it !
 
The CC kit looks wonderful but it sure is pricey !!!