fnkershner

Like those above I just found your restart. Now you are a veteran. This should be easier. Good Luck!
 
PS there is no profession more important or valuable than Teaching! Thank you for your dedication.

We'll do a wave to cheer you on..     Hopefully these guys will stay away now. 

For those that were following my previous build of the Syren, here I go again. Had a bit of a snafu getting the replacement parts from ME this time, but as usual they came through and all is good.
 
The bulkhead former, bulkheads, and everything are not the nasty laser burnt ply of before. I am hoping this new wood will turn out to be more stable and not crumble to pieces as before. I haven't quite figured out what exactly the wood is they used for this...very light weight, large grained, and I swear it is balsa....but my mind seems to think no one would use balsa for the skeleton of a ship....but what do I know.
 
So first the obligatory box and contents pictures



 
 
My boxwood upgrade from Jeff at Hobby Mills

 
new former with bulkheads squared and glued!


 
So to my friends and followers, wish me luck that this third attempt truly is the charm!
 
AND WE ARE OFF!!!
 
 

finished longboat with sails

Hello Shipmates.
 
Started the planking to the sides of the main deck.
 
 
 
Completed deck without furniture on.
 

 
 
 
The Stain used to soak the treenails prior to installing them.
 

 
 
 
Thanks for looking in.
 
Regards Antony.
 

Thanks for stopping by, dear Sjors.
Today I took some better pics at daylight and now I am continuing with deadeyes on starboard.





 
Enjoy the pics, soon I will add new ones.
 
Best regards
Doris

Thank you Bob.
 
Dave,
 
You are right about the messenger being engaged on the capstan then the anchor cable attached to it. I did exactly the same on my model but maybe is not obvious from the pictures I posted.
 
In the first picture below you can see the anchor cable belayed to the riding bit (the thicker one and a bit darker in color) and the messenger passing next to it (the thinner, white one). Same messenger is coming back in the bottom of the picture. In the second picture you see the messenger (white one) engaged on the capstan. In the third picture (an older one) you can see the whole arrangement: anchor cable going down through the corner of the main hatch on the orlop deck where is coiled as you can see in the forth picture (an even older one), while messenger go around the capstan.
 
Regards,
Alexandru

I installed the chain plates for the front starboard shrouds today.  I used a rope from the temporarily placed mast to get the angles like I think they ought to me.  The angle of the shot plus the curvature of the ship hull makes it look funny, but its actually pretty close.
 
Note three things:
1) The small deadeye isn't in place yet, although the slot is bored for it.
2) I'm not sure how I would go about trying to set the chainplates flush with the hull.  I'm not going to try, I think this will make a nice model.
3) I SWEAR it doesn't look as bad in person as it does in this photo- although I have a lot of cleaning an touch up to do.  The brass and the deadeyes will be painted black.
 

 
I also calculated and then built a jig for the wire that goes around the small deadeyes.  The distance between centers of holes is 8.2mm.  This provides a nice wrap, but the brass strips used for the chainplates have to be filed down to give a nice looking fit.
 

The fun stuff.
Small details that were left unfinished earlier.  The chain from the spectacle plate acted to  secure the rudder when it was unshipped as well as provide another method for emergency steering.  The end was left free to avoid interference with the gun port lids.
 

 
A hook connecting the chain with the line (made from an eyelet).
 

 
Lashing the hook
 

 
28 G. dark annealed wire through a hole in the channel, to allow seizing the line at the eye formed in the wire, and to act as a messenger to pull the line up to the channel.
 

Thanks Greg, I think I started doing that on the Confederacy.
 
Glad to have you here Jim. Are you going to make it up to CT for the show?
 
Hi Dirk, I hope you do build her. I would love to see it.
 
Also thanks everyone for stopping by and all the likes.
 
I had a great weekend. The real world left me to my devices  and I had a lot of
shop time.  Bulkheads are all cut out and stacked as previously mentioned and I
then attacked the bulkhead former . It is laid out in two pieces and I thought of
just cutting it out as one whole piece. But as Chuck pointed out to me that getting
one piece of plywood that long that wouldn't twist would be extremely difficult.
So after an unsuccessful search I relented and cut it from two pieces. I knew  I
shouldn't have wasted my time but then again I'm not known for my better
judgment and decision making.  
 
Any way the former plans were cut out and glued up, then I cut it out on the scroll
saw and fine tuned it with the disk sander and a sanding block. Once satisfied I
applied glue to both pieces, put wax paper over and under the joint, placed a scrap
board on it and some heavy weights and allowed it to dry over night.
 

 

 

 

 
Now I will test fit all of the bulkheads and then start gluing them up.  

Having secured the middle gun deck, the gunports are marked for cutting out. I decided to cut the gun deck in half again making 4 quarters just like the lower gun deck. It is much easier to manipulate being it was so long only cut down the middle. The cross sectional cut was made across the center of bulkhead "1". Also, since these gunports are smaller at 13.0mm square, I just shaved down the 14.0mm jig I made for the lower ports. 
 
Vince P.

Hi Floyd, if it will help you I can send you my diagrams of the lengths and diameters for my spars. I searched some books I have and settled on these as the best fit that I could find for a schooner of the BC size. The spars are mot straight tapers from end to end as shown in the kit drawings/instructions.

Wow this is a full time job! Great work. and Thanks!

...

Crossjack Yard Brace.  Braces arrise from the aft main shroud, pass through the opposite yard block and return to the block on the shroud before leading to the pinrail. Note the yards cross each other, seen better in the second photo.
 

 
This completes the braces. 
 
Cheers, Gil

Continuing with the braces.
 
We think of rigging as complicated, rather tedious and once done, to be left alone. However, I'm currently reading "The Life of Captain James Cook" by J.C. Beaglehole and I'm intimidated by the fact that in severe gales or storms, Cook strikes the topmasts and yards, only to send them aloft again  when the weather moderates.  Can any of us do that with our models?  Perhaps Grant is the most experienced among us, with his vast experience with broken masts. (Sorry Grant, I couldn't resist). Of course the point is that when one looks at real life experience, rigging takes on a dynamic role with every line serving the ship.
 
This will complete the braces for the mainmast yards and crossjack yard.  Then we can deal with the prodigious excess of line each generates.
 
Main Topgallant Yard Brace. Originates from the mizzen topmast stay collar, passing through the yard block and back to a block on the collar, then to a shroud cleat.
 
 
 
Main Topsail Yard Brace. Originates from the Mizzen stay collar and returns to a block on the mizzen just below the bibbs.
 

 
Main Course Yard Brace.
 

 
Lizzard off the after mizzen shroud.
 

 
The origin at an eyebolt, passing through a block at the rail and belaying to a large deck cleat.
 

 
 

Finished channels on port and first deadeyes on them:



 
 






 
Finished:


 
Kind regards
Doris

I don't know where the time goes though some travelling has slowed me down a bit. Progress shots are attached and I have now almost finished the main mast, main topmast, boom and gaff. I have also made the yards for the foremast but will not fit them until I have finished the ratlines. The rigging is not tightened until I rig the main mast as I have seen changes in rigging already set when I add other lines.The deck houses etc are completed but will be fitted after the masts and rigging.

So here is an update on my progress.
 
First a couple of comments -
 
1. I decided to dispense with the drop keel. It only detracts form the wonderful lines.
2. As discussed in Sailor's log the instructions are very unclear about the first row of planking. but it appears we both agree that it should be flush with the false deck. There is a double wide strip that lays on the edge of the deck that will cover the seam.
3. I had a slight wow in the keel. And thanks to a house call from Dr. Per I discovered the problem before it was difficult to fix.
4. I had to add material to both sides of 5 bulkheads so that the first plank was flush.
5. I should also mention I plan to paint all of the hull. and there will be no 2nd layer of planking. Easy Peasy.
 
So without further delay -

So let me share some of my first impressions of this kit. First off have I said this boat is a monster? She is very big! I am looking forward to a lot of nice detail.
 
The pictures below are the result of about 90 min of tinkering. All of the parts fit together vary nicely with almost no sanding. You will note that the laser burn marks are still evident. What you see in these pictures is also almost completely without glue. Everything is snug and tight. It to some force to get it together, but I am ready for sanding and fairing.
 
The plans are excellent. The instruction are good. They could be a bit more detailed, but they come in several pamphlets. One for each language. I forgot to mention that each bundle of planking is labeled! With dimensions and what it is to be used for. I have not seen this on any other model. The labels are in 4 languages.
 
PS you will note the mat it is laying on is 33 inches wide! This is a whale of a model. Not sure what the admiral will say when I try to display it in the living room.

Well another week has gone by. As some of you may know I started another discussion related to planking in the Planking forum. Previously all the planking I have done was either covered by paint or putty. This is the first time I have done the 2nd layer. I do want to learn how to spile. But in this case I had already milled the wood for this layer before I understood the need. So I am going to opt for the planking method described for using the material that comes with the kit. So I have decided to add 1 strake at the Bulwarks and 1 at the Keel to provide a straight line to work from. From there I will taper and fit as needed. I also noticed that others were posting more details. So I will add some of the intermediate pictures that I have not posted before from now on.
 
So for today, In the attached picture you will see that I have installed the first 4 strakes of planking. I wanted to make sure the first strake below the bulwarks was complete so that I had something for the wales to attach to. I soaked the planks and used spot welding with CA to get these planks to hold. I will let them and the PVA glue dry and then continue. Hopefully I will get 4 more strakes tonight.

So let me stray just a bit from the discussion above. As mentioned we now live in a new house. My old shop was in the SE corner of our lot and up against the forest. It was mostly shaded by big trees. In our new house my shop is in the garage or the upstairs office. You may have heard that in Seattle we are coming up on 1 month without measurable rain! In short it has been quite hot. Which makes modeling difficult.
 
Let me show you the solution I have crafted. and the front porch for the Sun Goddess (alias Admiral). I now have a great planking station in the shade with a mild breeze.

I can't believe it is November and it has been 2 months since I updated this log. In those 2 months as most of you know there was a 2 week side trip to the America's Cup.
 
So let me bring you up to date.
 
As mentioned above I am doing 2 layers of hull planking, and there will be no cooper or paint. So I am using this as a learning experience to get the 2nd layer looking very good. At this point it has been mostly a frustrating experience. I have tried several approaches. I have also planked about 1/2 of the hull before I ripped it all off and started over. I am now on my 3rd attempt. I have also come to the conclusion that there is no other way for this to turn out right except for Spiling.
 
This has led to much experimentation and lots of wasted planking. I now have quite a collection of Walnut planks of various sizes and widths. I finally decided to adopt Chuck's approach. I want to offer a big thanks to Chuck for my endless questions on the smallest detail.
 
So let me lead you thru the steps and add some observations/comments
 
1. As recommended from many different sources I divided the hull into 3 bands. Each band was approx. 7 planks.
2. I started planking from the keel with the Garboard strake. I found that the first 5 planks would lay quite straight with no tapering on either end. This almost filled the first band.
3. I continued planking from the keel tapering at the bow and inserting a stealer at the stern. About this point the planking is 1/2 done on each side. It has been a long hard road but each try has been an improvement over the previous attempt.
4. Now as you can see from the pictures I have reached a critical spot. If you just layed a full width plank with no taper or bend you can see how far off it is from laying correctly. I could not see how a stealer or drop plank would solve this. I will not bore you with all the different things I tried and how much lumber was wasted. It may not look like it but those planks held by pins are at the widest park and completely straight.
5. Finally I succumbed to the Spiling demons. I will pick up this narrative in the next post.

Ok, It has been a long time since I have made an update here. I have received several 3 inch wide sheets of Walnut from Jeff at Hobby Mill. They are amazingly beautiful with very tight grain. I should have started here sooner. Now that all my holiday shopping is done and all the house guests have come and gone. I am committed to getting these last 16 planks on the hull before the end of the holidays. I will carefully document each step for those who find planking as challenging as I do.
 
By the way I have sworn I will never again do a double planked hull. In fact all the kits on my shelf require copper or paint. Yeah!
 
The fact that Nirvana is about to catch me with a kit that I sold him is also a motivation. So here we go!
 
I should also mention that I have not been completely away from model building. A friend from work has purchased 2 T37 R/C sailboats and we are very close to completion on the first one. Tomorrow we will complete the rigging. That should leave the installation of the R/C electronics, which I think he can handle.
 
Step 1. Lay clear Packing tape the length of the hull so that it covers the area that needs to be planked. In this cast I have take that 1.8 inches wide so I needed 2 rows of tape overlapped. See first picture below. You will note the packing tape in the photo.
 
Step 2. Using a sharp pointed marker mark the top and bottom of each bulkhead on the tape. This has proved a bit frustrating since I have not found a marker that does not wipe off the clear tape.
 
Step 3. I have cut a legal size manila file folder into 3 inch wide strips to simulate the walnut provided by Jeff. I should also mention that I ran Jeff's wood thru the thickness sander to get it down to .5MM thick.
 
Step 4. Now I took my proportional dividers and marked off all of the planks. The last 2 photos show the result.

Can you believe it? It was a week ago that I was going to cut out the spiled planks for the Port side hull. I wish real life would get out of the way of my modeling. Well as mentioned above. I had had my fill of mistakes so I was going to use heavy paper instead of wood until I was satisfied. Well obviously I had plenty of time to think about it while going out to dinner with friends and entertaining house guests. (don't tell them what I was really thinking about). anyway I decided that since the lines came out so nice on the paper. I would just this as a guide and cut both paper & wood at the same time. I carefully clamped everything down along with a metal ruler and French curve. I put a new #11 in the knife, and off I went. Here are the first 2 planks. I am pretty happy.
 
Now time to cut the remaining 6 planks and get them on the hull. Hopefully today!