Chuck Seiler

I went to see the HUNLEY several years ago.  It was still in a tank of water and they were still excavating the interior.  At the time, they had a "Confederate honor guard" posted at a location in the exhibit that talked about the crew.  I thought it was a touristy thing that they were doing...a novelty sort of thing.  I found out that it was an actual honor guard (I'm not sure of how official it was) to 'guard' the remains of the crew that were being kept at that location until they could be formally interred later that year.
 
   Very interesting site. Highly recommended if you are going.  Patriot's Point is also a good location. 

I think Grolz has an unstarted kit he is trying to get rid of.
 
Hey!!!  What do you mean you are in Japan?  Who is going to run the meeting Wednesday?

Bogey,
 
    I believe that is the method used by the folks in the Southern Hemisphere.     

Bogey,
 
    I believe that is the method used by the folks in the Southern Hemisphere.     

A little up front disclosure:  Me and paint don't get along real well.  I prefer to use natural wood and only paint when I have to.  I have experimented with (and used almost exclusively on my SULTANA) India ink.  I have also used colored wood dyes.
 
    That having been said, I like acrylic because it allows (in my experience) more color variations.  By using the artist acrylics thinned with water you can get more earth tones and toned down colors rather than the very bright colors you get with many enamels. 

Bob,
    Looking good!!  I'm feeling guilty about languishing on mine.   ....although I think I will start anew with the one I got from Brian, incorporating lessons learned.  I will then use the old one for a 'hand to the audience to look at' demo at the Fair.  It was pretty popular last year.
 
    Once I get this cyber inspection at work out of the way (and deal with this newsletter that somebody dumped in my lap), I will be off and running with the Longboat and the Philly.

Jason,
 
   Welcome to the build and welcome to woodmodeling.  You will find that wood has it's challenges and it's rewards.  The rewards far outway the challenges.  ...plus, when you REALLY get frustrated and throw the whole danged thing into the fireplace, it burns cleaner.
 
   Great work so far and great progress.  You might be new to wood models, but it is obvious you are a skilled modeler.

Richard,
 
    I would start off saying that the Longboat is NOT a good kit to start with.  It looks easy, but is actually complex.  (Planking issues).
 
    Randy is correct that Midwest makes good starter kits.  They are relatively simple and give a good opportunity to learn about planking and how the lines of the ship/boat come together.  If you want soemthing a little more complex, I recommend Model Shipways SULTANA.  It give you a nice model, a sailing ship versus a small boat and provides alot of 'learning opportunities'.  Much depends on your skill level and own wants.
 
    There are many good starter kits.  It should meet the following checks in the box:
 
1.  Expendable.  50/50 chance you will end up crapping it up beyond all hope of recovery and will have to trash it.  A good model on sale helps there.  Wood is a great medium.  It allows you to make mistakes and recover by tearing apart and redoing.   ...on the other hand, sometimes you cannot undo the banana shape your modl has become.
 
2.  Simple plank on frame or solid.  Both have their pros and cons.  Each gives an opportunity to have a relatively stable form which you can get a handle on how a hull curves, etc.  Both give you an opportunity to plank (solid hulls can be planked).
 
3.  Not too much frill and pieces-parts.  After you have learned how to build a model you can play around with 100 guns and 100 gunports and 200 pieces of deck furniture.  No need on the starter.  How to build a windlass, a grating and a few other items is enough.
 
4.  Simple/basic rigging.  The CONSTITUTION and SULTANA use the same rigging principles.  Learning about blocks and belaying lines and stuff follows the same principle as above.  A little is great at first.  Once you get that first model under your belt (and you are hooked on the hobby for all eternity) you can take on the big beasties that take time.  People who take on big projects too early have a tendancy to quite them and the hobby over frustration.
 
   Tools:  Dremel, exacto knife, clamps-lotsa clamps, basic wood glue, sand paper....nothing exotic.  (but exotic helps :-) as time goes by).
 
Chuck

Richard,
 
    I would start off saying that the Longboat is NOT a good kit to start with.  It looks easy, but is actually complex.  (Planking issues).
 
    Randy is correct that Midwest makes good starter kits.  They are relatively simple and give a good opportunity to learn about planking and how the lines of the ship/boat come together.  If you want soemthing a little more complex, I recommend Model Shipways SULTANA.  It give you a nice model, a sailing ship versus a small boat and provides alot of 'learning opportunities'.  Much depends on your skill level and own wants.
 
    There are many good starter kits.  It should meet the following checks in the box:
 
1.  Expendable.  50/50 chance you will end up crapping it up beyond all hope of recovery and will have to trash it.  A good model on sale helps there.  Wood is a great medium.  It allows you to make mistakes and recover by tearing apart and redoing.   ...on the other hand, sometimes you cannot undo the banana shape your modl has become.
 
2.  Simple plank on frame or solid.  Both have their pros and cons.  Each gives an opportunity to have a relatively stable form which you can get a handle on how a hull curves, etc.  Both give you an opportunity to plank (solid hulls can be planked).
 
3.  Not too much frill and pieces-parts.  After you have learned how to build a model you can play around with 100 guns and 100 gunports and 200 pieces of deck furniture.  No need on the starter.  How to build a windlass, a grating and a few other items is enough.
 
4.  Simple/basic rigging.  The CONSTITUTION and SULTANA use the same rigging principles.  Learning about blocks and belaying lines and stuff follows the same principle as above.  A little is great at first.  Once you get that first model under your belt (and you are hooked on the hobby for all eternity) you can take on the big beasties that take time.  People who take on big projects too early have a tendancy to quite them and the hobby over frustration.
 
   Tools:  Dremel, exacto knife, clamps-lotsa clamps, basic wood glue, sand paper....nothing exotic.  (but exotic helps :-) as time goes by).
 
Chuck

Juan,
 
    The reason for 2-3-2 or 7-10-7 is geometry, specifically triangles.
 

 
   A squared + B squared = C squared.  In the above diagram you want to shave off the corners (A and so that the remaining side © is equal to D.   (2x2)+(2x2)= 4+4=8
                                                                   D=3 so 3x3=9
                                                                   Close
 
                                                                   (7x7) + (7x7) = 49 + 49 = 98
                                                                   10 x 10 = 100
                                                                   closer
 
Then there are hexes.  :-|

Juan,
 
    The reason for 2-3-2 or 7-10-7 is geometry, specifically triangles.
 

 
   A squared + B squared = C squared.  In the above diagram you want to shave off the corners (A and so that the remaining side © is equal to D.   (2x2)+(2x2)= 4+4=8
                                                                   D=3 so 3x3=9
                                                                   Close
 
                                                                   (7x7) + (7x7) = 49 + 49 = 98
                                                                   10 x 10 = 100
                                                                   closer
 
Then there are hexes.  :-|

Juan,
 
    The reason for 2-3-2 or 7-10-7 is geometry, specifically triangles.
 

 
   A squared + B squared = C squared.  In the above diagram you want to shave off the corners (A and so that the remaining side © is equal to D.   (2x2)+(2x2)= 4+4=8
                                                                   D=3 so 3x3=9
                                                                   Close
 
                                                                   (7x7) + (7x7) = 49 + 49 = 98
                                                                   10 x 10 = 100
                                                                   closer
 
Then there are hexes.  :-|

I went to see the HUNLEY several years ago.  It was still in a tank of water and they were still excavating the interior.  At the time, they had a "Confederate honor guard" posted at a location in the exhibit that talked about the crew.  I thought it was a touristy thing that they were doing...a novelty sort of thing.  I found out that it was an actual honor guard (I'm not sure of how official it was) to 'guard' the remains of the crew that were being kept at that location until they could be formally interred later that year.
 
   Very interesting site. Highly recommended if you are going.  Patriot's Point is also a good location. 

Is that FLY balsa wood?

Robbyn,
 
I had the same issues with the painted waterline as you did. I disagree that it is a horizontal line. Due to the fact that it is on a surface that is a compound curve, it is ONLY a straight line when you look at it with your eyes at the waterline level. Otherwise, it appears non-straight.
 
I was able to mark my waterline with a super high-tech waterline marker (see my build log). Once it was marked, but before painted, I sank the model up to the waterline in a tin of sugar. The waterline was correct. I did the same after it was painted. Waterline correct. Sure didn't LOOK correct. I think this is why I like the SULTANA where the whites tuff is not painted below the waterline, rather it is below the wale. It is visually pleasing.
 
The other option is to NOT paint below the waterline. I would think that this would unbalance the visual of the model, with a lot of plain on the bottom and a lot of fancy on top. However, one of the San Diego fleet was not painted below the waterline...and it looked fine.

I think the Longboat would look GREAT coppered. 

I originally started my build log on 21 December 2012.  I know this because I started it with “Thankfully
the world did not end today, so I can proceed. I would hate to get halfway into it only to go “POOF””  Well, apparently
it took a little longer but ‘the world’ ended and we now get to put it back together.  Thank heaven for notes!!!!  If
anybody is taking a gander here before taking on this project I hope to provide
some helpful thoughts and observations. 
 
    This project involves the Model Shipways ‘18th Century Longboat”.   It’s a great project.  It appears to be simple and somewhat straight forward but the planking makes it a challenge.  This is a single layer planking with both interior and exterior exposed to view.  The planking is quite thin, leaving very little room for error.  This is an excellent model to hone your planking skills.  Plans are excellent.
 
    Once your ‘basic shell’ (more on that later) is set up I find that I can easily remove a plank/strake that does not work out and try again.  (I have done a bit of work on the model since I originally wrote this.  I DID have to remove a strake or two and try again.  It is very forgiving.)  Here goes!!

Don't forget the Harold Hahn plans still sold by his family.

This pic shows me inserting the peg in the stem piece. I had originally wanted to use 2 pegs, but it did not work out.
 
My comic-sans font seems not to be working. :-(

Ensure the work surface is thoroughly clean.  Also, ensure the two surfaces to be soldered MUST be touching.  Unlike low temp soldering, silver solder does not bridge the gap. 

We could use it for signal flags.  "England expects.....".  We could utilize the whole SDSMG fleet for that one.

Planking is done.  If I want to pull the planks off and fix the planking, now is the time.  Otherwise, it's time to remove the bulkhead centers.
 


 
    I decided to use a Dremel with cutoff wheel for this.  Caution is important to avoid any damage to exterior planking.
 
    As indicated by others, even though the model is very delicate at this point, it is surprisingly sturdy.  Extra care must be taken here.  As I sand down the insides of the frames, the structure becomes weaker.  Once you start adding things to the interior, it becomes stronger again.

Completed planking and a low tech waterline marker.
 

 
   Another view of the exterior planking and waterline marker.  The trunnels are easier to see in this pic.  I originally planned to use bamboo trunnels, but later decided just to fill the holes using wood filler (based on other peoples experiences).  Rather than the prescribed 2 trunnels per frame, I went with alternating 1-2-1-2 pattern.

For many years my only power tool was a dremel.  I did get the Dremel drill press.  As somebody mentioned, it is not that great, but it does most of what Iwant it to do.  If I had to do over...
 
    A couple years ago I got the Byrnes Saw (Jim hates when you call it that).  It is great, I LOVE it.  It allows me to do some things more precisely than if done by hand...and other things I could never do before.  I am mor einto kit bashing and scratch building now, but I think that was due to the addition of the tool.  Note:  Any mini table saw with the same properties would be equally helpful, but I really like the precision the B-Saw gives with the micrometer function.