ChrisLBren

Wow - nice work !!!!

Hi Michael, This is very helpful - I too have wondered about Thickness Sanders vs a Planer. I have an operation near where I live that mills my flitch of Pear to billets of standard dimensions - 1/4 or 3/8 thick by 2 inches wide by 24 inches long - I have no desire to do the heavy lifting here. I do want the best tool for precision work for final dimensions. It sounds like if I can get a hang of it - the Byrnes tool is the right one for my purposes. Best, Chris

Hey Group, I too am wondering how to use this tool - I've only used it a few times - but soon I will need to reduce some 1/4 inch thick blanks to 7/32nds thick and I want consistent results. I hope Kurt doesn't mind me jumping on this thread - but I think his question is similar to mine. What is the step by step way to carry out this operation ? A tutorial for using this sander if you will - that will address amongst other things - how much do you take off per pass to get to close to final dimension before using the finishing side of the drum. Also I read somewhere on this site the sander feeds better if you rest the front of the machine on a 2x4 so the table is more horizontal. Thanks Chris

Thanks Dave - Ill probably just end up mounting it 2/3rd's up the stem unless any other concrete info comes to light. Chris

Hey Group, I am about to mount the boomkins to the stem of my Confederacy and have been trying to find some information as to how high on the stem they would have been mounted. I have seen photos showing them mounted anywhere from resting on the beakhead deck to almost the top of the stem itself. These are spars curve downward so changing the height they at which they are mounted on the stem changes their appearance. I don't own Lees Masting and Rigging - maybe there is some info there ? Any info is appreciated. Chris

These guys are the best - I bought a flitch of Pearwood from them this past spring - I had it milled here in Chicago into 70 planks 24 x 2 x 1/4 and 6 planks 24 x 2 x 3/8. And thats only half of my supply - the rest is on pallets. All in for wood/shipping and milling it cost me 700 dollars. http://www.rarewoodsusa.com/

Beautiful cabinet Mike ! Id personally go dark - your ship is swiss pear - that color will "pop" against a dark base. Then again I am biased - I'm using a black base with my Confederacy

Hey Karl, Sorry to hear about the damage in your workshop - the new version is sure to be better than the original. Im a huge fan of your work. Best,

Wow....

Thanks Steve ! Good morning group - bit of an update without pictures this AM. My brass pedestals arrived and look great - however after testing them out on my recently painted display base after some slight adjustment - they marred the finish. Im using General Finishes Lamp Black Milk paint - which I found out in hindsight needs 30-45 days to fully cure - so after re coating the top - I've set it aside and am finishing the final assemblies. The knightheads are proving trickier than I thought to get right. Being so close to the finish line I was tempted to use the second set - but I know the third will be better - so why compromise now ? Especially now that Ive got some time on my hands while the display base cures....

Thanks for the comments everyone - its been a long journey that started back in 2009. At the time I was thinking of kit bashing a newly issued Model Expo licensed version of the Vanguard right when Chuck was making his initials prototype of the Confederacy. Thanks to his encouragement I decided to go for a scratch build. At the time I only owned a Preac Table Saw and a newly purchased crappy Delta Scroll Saw. I was dating my now wife and had more time to work on the model than the past 4 years after the twins arrived. Thanks to Jeff, and the now closed Hobby Mill, I had nice timber to work with at perfect dimensions. And along with Rusty and Knightyo - we built along with Chuck - of course Rusty finished his beautiful model first.... As many who read my original log which was lost in the crash of MSW Version 1 - I wanted to quit so many times out of frustration and being a "perfectionist" which I've learned is in the eye of the beholder more than anyone else. Seasoned pros such as Keith Harrison (Jack Nastyface), Greg Hebert, Druxey, Gaetan, and of course Chuck kept me in the game. And I have learned a ton.... I love this hobby, this forum, the exchange of ideas and most of all encouragement it offers all of us. As to my next project - I have vacillated so many times, Ive considered Le Gros Ventre in 1/36th, Swan Class Model in 1/48 and Le Commerce de Marseille in 1/48. If it were up to the twins I would be finishing Wappen Von Hamburg - because it looks like a pirate ship and has "bad guy sculptures on it" That model is sentimental to me and I will finish it maybe sooner or later - who knows. For me the dream project has always been a 74 in 1/48 - I possess the most documentation on that vessel thanks to the books authored by Boudriot. Many of you may have seen the pearwood I purchased earlier this year. According to the wood dealer it may be from the Versailles region of France - whether is is or isn't - the wood milled really well and is standing by. I'm fortunate enough now to have a dream workshop with some pretty nice tools - of course nowhere near as nice as Gaetan's....And yes hopefully inside of two weeks Confederacy will be mounted on something else other than MDF ! To be continued....

Thanks for the likes and comments everyone.... After almost 8 years of construction this should be my last update before finished pictures. The first shot shows the hull with the dummy masts temporarily placed.They still need gammoning and cleats. The black board will be her display base - Im waiting for the pedestals Im having machined for me here locally. The second shot shows the bowsprit - which still needs to be mounted, rigged and small parts added. The third shot are the toilets - for some reason the ones by the roundhouse proved very tricky and took me the better part of a week to get right - there are many angles here to take into account. And finally the last parts - the anchors in very rough shape, the knightsheads and the boomkins which still need to be shaped. I also am making some repairs to the rudder.

Looking good Toni ! I just got thru this on Confederacy and was dreading it - after completion I have to say - most satisfying part of my build. Im sure your headrails will be as beautiful as the rest of your ship in the end.

Welcome Tiz ! Ive been admiring your model on the Ancre site for years - great to have you onboard here. Along with Gaetan's build - yours is also an inspiration. My wood has been milled and sits in wait to start this build in 1/48 after completing Confederacy. Best, Chris

Really nice work Ken !

Wow - she looks amazing !!!!

I bought mine - WoodRiver - for 169.00 from Woodcraft - I use it all of the time. Just make sure to get the finest sleeves available - most of them will fit any of the machines mentioned in this thread.

My workshop is just barely big enough Ben ! LOL. Again terrific save - most might have trashed the entire build after your setback. Look forward to your progress in the Fall....

Hey G Ive seen some build fully framed this way - just curious as to your thoughts as to its advantages vs mounting fully assembled frames. Does large scale have something to do with it ?

Thanks everyone - I just took the pics with my iphone - hoping to get back in the shop this week for some more progress - literally I am probably 30 hours or less to the finish line - kids and "honey dos" get in the way of my ship time !

Beautiful build !

Thanks for the compliments and likes everyone. Update - the head gratings are completed - they took me longer than I expected to get all of the spacing accurate. I should have the seats of ease and the false rails mounted soon.

Nice save Ben and killer workshop !

Hey Ken Your first planking looks great - question are you painting the hull white below the waterline or leaving it natural ? Reason I ask - your method of first planking is fine for the structure but not historically accurate. If you paint no issues - but if you want second planking natural finish you may want the consult some of the planking guides here on MSW. I love the Royal William - look forward to your progress Chris

I recently purchased my Swiss Pear from Bob Putnam at this website - I am very happy with his service, pricing and the product ! http://www.rarewoodsusa.com/