dcicero

I left the paneling off my model. Looked a little hokey to me....
 
 
Dan

Thanks or the input. I got the cut today.
 

I remember having trouble with those waterways too.  The pre-fab parts were thicker than the rest of the waterway material.  I stared at that for a while and then I remembered Alice's Restraurant, the part where they're trying to get rid of the half a ton of garbage they've piled in the back of the red VW microbus.
 
"...and off the side of the side road there was another fifteen foot cliff.  And at the bottom of the cliff there was another pile of garbage. We decided that one big pile was better than two little piles, and rather than bring that one up we decided to throw our's down."
 
Following Arlo Gurthrie's advice, I figured it was easier to build up the thin parts rather than grind down the thick parts.  I used the walnut planking material to build up the thin parts.  The color's the same and you can't tell where the surgery was done.  Worked out great.
 
You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant...
 
 
 
 
 
Dan

 

I remember having trouble with those waterways too.  The pre-fab parts were thicker than the rest of the waterway material.  I stared at that for a while and then I remembered Alice's Restraurant, the part where they're trying to get rid of the half a ton of garbage they've piled in the back of the red VW microbus.
 
"...and off the side of the side road there was another fifteen foot cliff.  And at the bottom of the cliff there was another pile of garbage. We decided that one big pile was better than two little piles, and rather than bring that one up we decided to throw our's down."
 
Following Arlo Gurthrie's advice, I figured it was easier to build up the thin parts rather than grind down the thick parts.  I used the walnut planking material to build up the thin parts.  The color's the same and you can't tell where the surgery was done.  Worked out great.
 
You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant...
 
 
 
 
 
Dan

 

First two friezes finished. Used Krylon Workable Fixatif 1306 to protect them and 3M Super 77 Spray Adhesive. If you happen to get some of the adhesive on the out side there is a great product called UnStik (see below) that will easily remove any excess without harming the frieze or the planking. I used it for many years when I was in the picture frame business. You can even use it on glossy photos.
 


 
 

Time for another update...
 
I took David's suggestion and cut the holes for the sheaves before turning the mast down to its final dimensions.  Here's a look at the mast with the holes drilled.
 

 
Then I turned the mast down the rest of the way.  Here's the mast laid on the plans.
 

 
Finally, I cut the grooves between the holes to simulate the sheaves.
 

 
The instructions say the leave tenons at the top and bottom of the mast.  I'm going to try to do that, but, at the top, there isn't a great deal of extra room.  I might just cut the mast a little long and fit the extra into the ball truck.  At the bottom, there's plenty of room and the tenon shouldn't be a problem.
 
Once the mast was done, I turned my attention to the wide thwart and the mast hoop.  I've found my new favorite modeling material:  Birchwood Casey Brass Black! 
 
I started by cutting and forming the brass strip.  I know that's a little out-of-order.  I should have annealed it first, but it seemed to work alright.
 
Then I passed the formed strip through a flame to get rid of any coating that might be on there.
 

 
Here's what the formed pieces looked like, pre-blackening.
 

 
I dunked the formed pieces in isopropyl alcohol, then rinsed them with water, then put them in the Birchwood Casey ... and watched the magic!
 
Here's the ironwork installed.
 

 
Looks good, right?
 
Right.
 
So now it's time for something tragic to happen.
 
I drilled the holes for the four belaying pins.  I painted the pins using Polly S acrylic Wood Tan.  (Just happened to have some of that around.)  There is not a lot of room for these four pins.  My thwart must be a little more narrow than Chuck's because his look like they have more room between them than mine.  I hope this doesn't make rigging too difficult.
 
Then it was time to install the completed assembly in the boat.  Measure, cut, fit, glue ... and here's the result.
 

 
Anyone notice anything odd?  How about a closer look?
 

 
That's right!  It's in BACKWARDS!
 
I was really impressed with how good this whole thing looked and then I looked in the instruction book again.  BACKWARDS!  I installed the stupid thing BACKWARDS!  Measure twice!  Cut once!  Arrrrrrgh!
 
Once again, I was glad I was using white glue on this model because removing the thwart was fast and easy.  Ken Quast, another model builder in our club, told me, when he messes up a part, it's usually faster to just make another one rather than try to fix a mistake.  I really considered that, but this assembly took me the better part of a week to do.  I thought I'd give fixing it a try before pitching it and doing it again.
 
I put a couple of little patches on the notches I'd cut, then I cut new ones.  I sanded the whole assembly and, although you can see where the old notch was, it will probably be hidden when the knees are installed.
 

 

 
So there it is.  All the thwarts are installed.  I need to hit them with the Watco's Danish Wood Oil and then on to the inboard details.
 
 
 
 
Dan
 
 
 

Here are two photos of the completed floorboards.  I copied their shape off the kit plans, but some edge bending was needed so that uniform spacing could be achieved between each pair.  These pieces were made with boxwood.  The platforms are next.
 
BobF
 

Before I could start gluing the floor boards in place, I removed small amounts of paint where the glue would be applied.  A very handy tool for this purpose is a ground down Exacto chisel blade.  I use this tool for a lot of applications.  Remember to wear eye protection if you decide to make one of these.

Prior to gluing the first board in place, I drew a light line with a compass along each side of the board.  These two lines are where my simulated nail heads will be located.

I used black paint brush bristles to simulate the nails.  Although not perfectly round, they are so small it's hard to tell the difference.

The bristles are easily trimmed and sanded flush with the surface of the floor board, which produces a nice effect.
 
BobF

Clipper Schooner is how I would describe her.
 
The "Aberdeen Bow" was quite an innovation at the time.  I found this published in the the Aberdeen Journal in 1848:
 
'The Messrs. Hall commenced framing the schooner from aft, and continued the frames until they reached the fore end of the keel.  Thus far the work had proceeded when the builders suggested a deviation from the models, which they believed would prove to be a decided improvement.  They proposed to run the stem out so as to form the cutwater, the effect of which would be to draw the waterlines finer at the bow and, as a natural consequence, the vessel would divide the water easily, the more buoyant forward, and of less registered tonnnage than if she were built on the old plan.  The idea did not at first meet the views of the owners.  A skeleton bow was then erected, and not a few of the curious examined it and were skeptical of the uncommon design.  After due consideration, the owners gave consent to proceed with the vessel according to the skeleton model, and in that style she was finished and launched.  The look of the schooner in the water was encourageiing.  It was evident from the appearance of her waterlines that the idea of a perfect bow was realized, and some of those who were at first opposed to the project were now among the warmest commendators.'
 
 
 
 
Dan

Thank you! OK...nearly at the end of the rigging now. WHEW! All of the sails ( at least all it's getting...) are up now. There's a bit of fettling left and the main mast shrouds need rattling down... I think a couple of days off and then start on her boat and anchors. Now, before anyone says anything, I know that there are undoubtedly errors and omissions in my rigging. It's been a bit of a struggle finding out what where and when. Since this is my first scratchbuilt sailing ship, I'm reasonably pleased with how it's going.

Clipper Schooner is how I would describe her.
 
The "Aberdeen Bow" was quite an innovation at the time.  I found this published in the the Aberdeen Journal in 1848:
 
'The Messrs. Hall commenced framing the schooner from aft, and continued the frames until they reached the fore end of the keel.  Thus far the work had proceeded when the builders suggested a deviation from the models, which they believed would prove to be a decided improvement.  They proposed to run the stem out so as to form the cutwater, the effect of which would be to draw the waterlines finer at the bow and, as a natural consequence, the vessel would divide the water easily, the more buoyant forward, and of less registered tonnnage than if she were built on the old plan.  The idea did not at first meet the views of the owners.  A skeleton bow was then erected, and not a few of the curious examined it and were skeptical of the uncommon design.  After due consideration, the owners gave consent to proceed with the vessel according to the skeleton model, and in that style she was finished and launched.  The look of the schooner in the water was encourageiing.  It was evident from the appearance of her waterlines that the idea of a perfect bow was realized, and some of those who were at first opposed to the project were now among the warmest commendators.'
 
 
 
 
Dan

Here are some photos of the partially painted hull.  I decided to leave the white bottom until a little later.  I'm going to start on the floor boards and risers next.  I like to airbrush my models, but masking can, sometimes, be a real pain.  The interior probably took me a good three hours to mask, and only 30 seconds to paint!  Never the less, I feel that the results were worth it.  I'm using Floquil antique white, ATSF red, and depot buff.  I'm not very happy with that last color, but it's time to keep moving froward.
 
BobF

Scottish Maid was purchased in 1839 by Alexander Nicol and George Munro of Aberdeen for the purpose of competing with the Aberdeen & London Steam Navigation Company.  She worked the Aberdeen - London trade for about 50 years.
 
At the time of her building, tonnage was used to calculate various taxes and harbor duties.  Tax changes in 1836 establsihed a ship's tonnage based on depth, breadth and length at half midship depth.  Extra length above half midship depth was tax free, which drove innovation in hull design and construction.
 
Looking for ways to improve speed and performance and take advantage of the tax benefits of a longer hull, Hall & Sons (her builder) tested various hull shapes in a water tank.  They found the clipper desing to be the most efficient.  The term clipper was relatively new in 1839.  Although the re is some evidence that the term was in common use in the late 18th century, there is no written reference to a clipper ship until 1830 and the term was loosely attributed to any fast-sailing ship.  Scottish Maid was very fast.  She regularly made the 450 mile run from Aberdeen to London in 49 hours, averaging 9 knots.
 
 
 
Dan

Scottish Maid was purchased in 1839 by Alexander Nicol and George Munro of Aberdeen for the purpose of competing with the Aberdeen & London Steam Navigation Company.  She worked the Aberdeen - London trade for about 50 years.
 
At the time of her building, tonnage was used to calculate various taxes and harbor duties.  Tax changes in 1836 establsihed a ship's tonnage based on depth, breadth and length at half midship depth.  Extra length above half midship depth was tax free, which drove innovation in hull design and construction.
 
Looking for ways to improve speed and performance and take advantage of the tax benefits of a longer hull, Hall & Sons (her builder) tested various hull shapes in a water tank.  They found the clipper desing to be the most efficient.  The term clipper was relatively new in 1839.  Although the re is some evidence that the term was in common use in the late 18th century, there is no written reference to a clipper ship until 1830 and the term was loosely attributed to any fast-sailing ship.  Scottish Maid was very fast.  She regularly made the 450 mile run from Aberdeen to London in 49 hours, averaging 9 knots.
 
 
 
Dan

Things have been slow lately. Not got much done but I do have one pic showing the lifeboat progress.
 
 

I've made some progress on the thwarts.  I just realized I neglected to take a picture of the boat with them narrow thwarts installed, but here's what I did manage to document.
 
My first attempt at getting the thwarts in didn't turn out all that well.  I scribed the grooves in the stock and cut it to the lengths needed, leaving plenty of extra for trimming.  I marked the locations on the risers based on their locations on the plans.  Then I looked at the pictures in the instruction book ... and they didn't match.  I started putting the thwarts in based on the pictures.  That was a mistake.  The distances between them were off.
 
I removed the ones that were clearly not in the right place.  (They were the ones not lined up with the marks on the risers.)  Then I made a simple template to help me get them installed and lined up properly.
 

 
Everything went fine after that and they look really good, if I do say so myself.  (Photo to follow.)
 
That was it for the narrow thwarts.  The wider one -- the one that accepts the mast -- is a little more complex.  The instructions say this thwart should be "made using a 3/16" wide strip."  Here's what a 3/16" wide strip looks like when placed on the plans.
 

 
See?  Too narrow.  I happened to have a piece of 1/4" stock laying around.  that dimension lines up with the plans better.
 

 
Using a ruler, I drew the correct width on the stock and then free-handed the aft profile.  I used the mast dowel to make sure I had a 5/32" semicircle for the cutout.
 

 
Then I just cut it all out.  My freehand drawing on the blank needed a little modification to get symetrical, but it worked out alright.
 

 

 

 
Here's another thing.  The dowel in the kit is warped.  You can see it in this photo.
 

 
I considered replacing it with a 5/32" walnut dowel I had, but then I thought I could make this one work.  The warp only affects the end of the dowel, so I can cut that part out and have a straight dowel of the proper length.  That's what's going to happen.
 
I've been told my mast-making technique is a extreme.  What's what I'm into:  extreme model building.  Grabbing a giant Mountain Dew, I donned my crash helmet, knee and shoulder pads and bungee jumped into it.
 
On a copy of the plans, I recorded the width of the mast at 1/2" intervals, using a digital caliper to make the measurements.
 

 
Next, I'll chuck the stock into my lathe and turn it down to the final dimensions.  This isn't a big mast and that taper isn't that severe, so this should be fairly straightforward.
 
More to follow.
 
 
 
Dan

I've made some progress on the thwarts.  I just realized I neglected to take a picture of the boat with them narrow thwarts installed, but here's what I did manage to document.
 
My first attempt at getting the thwarts in didn't turn out all that well.  I scribed the grooves in the stock and cut it to the lengths needed, leaving plenty of extra for trimming.  I marked the locations on the risers based on their locations on the plans.  Then I looked at the pictures in the instruction book ... and they didn't match.  I started putting the thwarts in based on the pictures.  That was a mistake.  The distances between them were off.
 
I removed the ones that were clearly not in the right place.  (They were the ones not lined up with the marks on the risers.)  Then I made a simple template to help me get them installed and lined up properly.
 

 
Everything went fine after that and they look really good, if I do say so myself.  (Photo to follow.)
 
That was it for the narrow thwarts.  The wider one -- the one that accepts the mast -- is a little more complex.  The instructions say this thwart should be "made using a 3/16" wide strip."  Here's what a 3/16" wide strip looks like when placed on the plans.
 

 
See?  Too narrow.  I happened to have a piece of 1/4" stock laying around.  that dimension lines up with the plans better.
 

 
Using a ruler, I drew the correct width on the stock and then free-handed the aft profile.  I used the mast dowel to make sure I had a 5/32" semicircle for the cutout.
 

 
Then I just cut it all out.  My freehand drawing on the blank needed a little modification to get symetrical, but it worked out alright.
 

 

 

 
Here's another thing.  The dowel in the kit is warped.  You can see it in this photo.
 

 
I considered replacing it with a 5/32" walnut dowel I had, but then I thought I could make this one work.  The warp only affects the end of the dowel, so I can cut that part out and have a straight dowel of the proper length.  That's what's going to happen.
 
I've been told my mast-making technique is a extreme.  What's what I'm into:  extreme model building.  Grabbing a giant Mountain Dew, I donned my crash helmet, knee and shoulder pads and bungee jumped into it.
 
On a copy of the plans, I recorded the width of the mast at 1/2" intervals, using a digital caliper to make the measurements.
 

 
Next, I'll chuck the stock into my lathe and turn it down to the final dimensions.  This isn't a big mast and that taper isn't that severe, so this should be fairly straightforward.
 
More to follow.
 
 
 
Dan

finished longboat with sails

Hello all,
I just wanted to share an unpleasant experience that I had the other day.  I was soldering some metal fittings for my longboat.  I was using Stay-Brite solder and the flux that comes with this product.  While dispensing a drop of flux on to an applicator, the bottle shattered in my hand.  (See attached photo.) The liquid splashed on my nylon vest, my hands, my throat, and my face.  I immediately started experiencing a slight burning sensation where the flux had landed on my skin, which I immediately started rinsing with cold water.  The nylon vest was ruined.  It wasn’t until afterward that I noticed that some droplets had landed on the lenses of my Opti-Visor.  I consider myself very lucky.

The bottle of flux which I was using was very old.  I’m guessing that I may have purchased it as much as 20 years ago.  The fact that the bottle shattered would lead me to believe that the plastic material had become brittle with age.  It just so happens that I had a second newer bottle, which I carefully squeezed.  The bottle appeared to be quite pliable.  Anyway, if you use this product, please be careful with it.  Eye protection is a definite must!
 
BobF

I'm at the point on the model where having an accurately built cradle can be beneficial.  It occurred to me that the scrap wood that held the frames might be of some use in building one.  After some experimentation, I found that the areas that housed frames 4 and E would work.

Because of the added planking on the hull, some trimming was required, but it worked out well.  Using scrap wood, I was able to build the cradle.

The extension and stop at the back of the cradle will insure that the model always sits in the exact same orientation, which will help with laying out the waterline.  I do this for all of my models.

When I checked the plans, I noticed that the hull had a little drag to it.  (The stern sat lower in the water than the bow.)  At first, I thought this might be a printing error, but checking some references, I found another longboat that also had this characteristic.  So, the craddle was adjusted accordingly.
 
BobF

Now for the bridege components.  I cut and folded them like before but I made some errors that I did not catch in time. The lower cabin was made first







The upper part went next





The two side by side

Instead of double checking the overal fit I glued them together and then to the gundeck from these angle it is okay


But here is where I screwed bad


I have to do it over a sharp knife and little drops of water to remove the bridge

The removal was a success

I am not happy about the mistakes but they taught me a valuable lesson.  always doublecheck your fit before you do any glueing,
David B
 
 
 
 
 

As stated earlier, I'm trying to duplicate some of the features that are shown on the NMM models.  Although my model won't have an anchor davit off the stern, I still want to show the features that would be required if one were used.  I realized that my transom wasn't high enough, and if a davit were mounted, the horse would be in the way.  So, I sanded down the top of the transom, flush with the cap rail, and mounted a slightly higher piece.  In the photos, the notch that the davit would sit in has been started, and will probably be cut a little deeper.
 
BobF

Anyone got a good source for #69 and #70 drill bits?  I have a drill bit set that has those two sizes and I use them all the time.  I've broken a couple of them and would like to replace them, but I don't want to buy an entire set of drill bits to just get the two I use all the time.
 
 
 
Dan

Last week was full of distractions and I got very little done on the longboat ... but what I did get done looks pretty good.
 
The forward platform went in just fine.
 
Making the risers was also pretty straightforward.  I didn't complicate the scribing of the grooves.  I just ran an awl against the edge of a ruler and scribed them in.  A couple of passes was all it took to get some good looking grooves in them.  (I did have one riser look a little more "fuzzy" than the other one.  Don't know why, but it'll all sand out.)
 
The amount of edge bending needed was a little more than I had initially anticipated.  It took two trips to the glass plate to get enough bend in the plank to get it to sit correctly against the frames with a consistent measurement from the top of the cap rail.
 
When I went to install the risers, I found that the forward platform was a little too high.  When it was just the template sitting there it looked fine, of course.  That operation wasn't that tough.  I just made it a little smaller and sanded the frames a little bit more.
 
Once the platform was back in, the risers went in without a problem.
 

 

 

 
Then it was time to put in the locker bulkhead.  Following the instructions, I made a template.  The nice thing about using templates is the ability to alter them quickly and easily.  I started out tracing the frame from the plans and then gluing that outline to a piece of cardstock.  I cut out the template and found it was far too large to fit in the space behind the frame, so I cut it down ... too much.  That was no problem because I just added another layer of cardstock and added in what needed to be replaced.  That worked great.
 

 
Then I cut a piece of basswood to size and fitted it in place.
 

 
Now on to making the thwarts!
 
 
 
Dan
 
 
 
 

Last week was full of distractions and I got very little done on the longboat ... but what I did get done looks pretty good.
 
The forward platform went in just fine.
 
Making the risers was also pretty straightforward.  I didn't complicate the scribing of the grooves.  I just ran an awl against the edge of a ruler and scribed them in.  A couple of passes was all it took to get some good looking grooves in them.  (I did have one riser look a little more "fuzzy" than the other one.  Don't know why, but it'll all sand out.)
 
The amount of edge bending needed was a little more than I had initially anticipated.  It took two trips to the glass plate to get enough bend in the plank to get it to sit correctly against the frames with a consistent measurement from the top of the cap rail.
 
When I went to install the risers, I found that the forward platform was a little too high.  When it was just the template sitting there it looked fine, of course.  That operation wasn't that tough.  I just made it a little smaller and sanded the frames a little bit more.
 
Once the platform was back in, the risers went in without a problem.
 

 

 

 
Then it was time to put in the locker bulkhead.  Following the instructions, I made a template.  The nice thing about using templates is the ability to alter them quickly and easily.  I started out tracing the frame from the plans and then gluing that outline to a piece of cardstock.  I cut out the template and found it was far too large to fit in the space behind the frame, so I cut it down ... too much.  That was no problem because I just added another layer of cardstock and added in what needed to be replaced.  That worked great.
 

 
Then I cut a piece of basswood to size and fitted it in place.
 

 
Now on to making the thwarts!
 
 
 
Dan