DRW-FJ40

Well... this one sat for a while but I've picked it back up. I'm almost finished with the first layer of planks. The kit only calls for one layer of planks but I'm not real happy with my planking. I had intended to paint the entire hull and thought for a while I would use filler to correct my mistakes but there are some areas that would require a lot & I would have to do a polished paint surface since some of the plank lines would be completely covered with filler. So my plan now is to focus on getting a smooth correct hull shape and then double plank so that when I paint the final hull, I can do an old weathered paint scheme. 
 
How I got the point that I was so unhappy with my hull is due to a number of things. I won't pretend that the bulk of it is due to my own inexperience but I followed the directions to a tee for trimming the planks. In retrospect, I should have used their dimensions as a general guide line and adjusted my plank trimming as I went along. As a result, some of the planks weren't lying as flat as they should & my forcing them to fit made things worse. Also, the bulk heads are pretty far apart compared to some of my others and some of planks developed flat spot between bulkheads. By the time I realized this, I had to make a choice, to bow the next plank a bit and achieve the proper hull shape or line up with the previous plank so that the edges fit against each other smoothly.
 
At this point I think my best option is fix the flat spots and get a decent smooth shape and then double plank. 
 

 

 

Before I start, I'll have to say I left my camera at work and could wait to begin. So, the first few steps have been documented after the process rather than during. 
 
Inventory of parts & a little bit of sanding.
 

 
The keel is interesting. It's four pieces and then has additional 1/16" laminates on either side. The outer laminates are not the full depth of the keel and form the rabbet line. The core pieces go together first and then the outside laminates. 
 
I've complete that step but need to get some pictures. 

I found this interesting about the Indian Girl, that it was supposed to be canvas. If I'm not mistaken, the canvas coating was an inexpensive way to make mass produced wood strip canoes watertight. I made mine a regular wood strip canoe and finished it clear.
 
Nice job! Your planking isn't going to require too much sanding... mine was much sloppier which is easily fixed with sanding... lots of sanding. But these are excellent boat kits to learn from.... on my next, I paid a lot more attention to precise planking.

I used my template to mark the bulkhead locations. It all worked out well except the framing where it meets the deck didn't line up width wise in a few spots and I adjusted accordingly. F2 & F3 primarily and the transom is fitting wide. I plan to plank according the bulkheads and trim the deck to fit. Since the decking will be planked, these discrepancies should be fairly easy to correct.
 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for the kind words! I got the idea for the deck planking from the Dumas Continental kit. It was a great way to cover my mistakes from the initial hull construction! Here are some pictures of the finished hull from the bottom. I may have stated somewhere in the thread already but I use Zpoxy finishing resin which goes on thick & I used multiple coats with wet sanding down to 400 between coats to build up a thick even layer of finish and then the final finish, I wet sanded to 2500 & then went to micromesh polishing pads down to 12,000 grit and then fine polishing compound. 
 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for the kind words! I got the idea for the deck planking from the Dumas Continental kit. It was a great way to cover my mistakes from the initial hull construction! Here are some pictures of the finished hull from the bottom. I may have stated somewhere in the thread already but I use Zpoxy finishing resin which goes on thick & I used multiple coats with wet sanding down to 400 between coats to build up a thick even layer of finish and then the final finish, I wet sanded to 2500 & then went to micromesh polishing pads down to 12,000 grit and then fine polishing compound. 
 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for the kind words! I got the idea for the deck planking from the Dumas Continental kit. It was a great way to cover my mistakes from the initial hull construction! Here are some pictures of the finished hull from the bottom. I may have stated somewhere in the thread already but I use Zpoxy finishing resin which goes on thick & I used multiple coats with wet sanding down to 400 between coats to build up a thick even layer of finish and then the final finish, I wet sanded to 2500 & then went to micromesh polishing pads down to 12,000 grit and then fine polishing compound. 
 

 

 

 

Wish I had done a better job of documenting the final process of rigging the sails and making the tiller, etc. But I finished it. I missed a couple of eyes on the boom so it's not rigged correctly, I intend to go back and finish that but it was finished enough to take pictures. 
 

 

 

 

 

Wish I had done a better job of documenting the final process of rigging the sails and making the tiller, etc. But I finished it. I missed a couple of eyes on the boom so it's not rigged correctly, I intend to go back and finish that but it was finished enough to take pictures. 
 

 

 

 

 

We are our own worst critics, aren't we. I think I may make a fitting of some sort to cover it up. I thought about a light but it doesn't seem like a small sailboat like this would have lights.
 
Anyway, I finished sanding and trimmed out the cockpit area, applied natural stain & I must say I'm pleased with the basswood. You expect cherry to look nice with stain but I was pleasantly surprised with the grain in the basswood. after the stain dried, I start brushing on coats of finishing resin. 
 

 

 

Thank you Daniel. 
 
I finished the finish. So many things require this step being complete so I'm anticipating some progress. Got the floor boards in and began work on the mast, centerboard & rudder/tiller. 
 

 

 

Thank you Daniel. 
 
I finished the finish. So many things require this step being complete so I'm anticipating some progress. Got the floor boards in and began work on the mast, centerboard & rudder/tiller. 
 

 

 

Wish I had done a better job of documenting the final process of rigging the sails and making the tiller, etc. But I finished it. I missed a couple of eyes on the boom so it's not rigged correctly, I intend to go back and finish that but it was finished enough to take pictures. 
 

 

 

 

 

Wish I had done a better job of documenting the final process of rigging the sails and making the tiller, etc. But I finished it. I missed a couple of eyes on the boom so it's not rigged correctly, I intend to go back and finish that but it was finished enough to take pictures. 
 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Daniel. 
 
I finished the finish. So many things require this step being complete so I'm anticipating some progress. Got the floor boards in and began work on the mast, centerboard & rudder/tiller. 
 

 

 

We are our own worst critics, aren't we. I think I may make a fitting of some sort to cover it up. I thought about a light but it doesn't seem like a small sailboat like this would have lights.
 
Anyway, I finished sanding and trimmed out the cockpit area, applied natural stain & I must say I'm pleased with the basswood. You expect cherry to look nice with stain but I was pleasantly surprised with the grain in the basswood. after the stain dried, I start brushing on coats of finishing resin. 
 

 

 

I finished up the planking last night. Did a little rough sanding but still need to work on that & trim out the cockpit. 
 

 

Well, it took a couple of weeks to get my wood... in which time I got side tracked on other projects but last weekend, I got back on this one and cut my wood into 3/16" mahogany planks for the hull and 1/4" Cherry & basswood for the deck.
 
I wasn't exactly sure how to approach this since I'm deviating from the kit and while I've done plank on bulkhead, this is really plank on plywood? And it has a really sharp chine so I started at the keel, went up past the chine & then sanded that smooth and then came down from the top & went past the chine and sanded the joint smooth.
 
On the deck, I traced the outline of the deck & made a template and then cut curved sections of basswood to "trim the edge", put a racing stripe down the middle & cherry planking in between.
 
You can see a bit of my finger glued to the hull in the lower left but once I sanded off all my CA/skin it began to take shape.
 

 

 

 

I ordered some sheets of 1/32" Mahogany & cherry & maple and will cut planks from the sheet stock. I hope to do something fancy with the contrasting colors of the maple & mahogany but....  we'll see.
 
Anyway, that decision allowed me to slap some bondo glazing putting in there & fill in the joints real well and provide a nice smooth base to plank on top of.
 
So now... just waiting for my new wood.
 

 

Well, I've committed to planking it. Which is a good thing because some of my joints aren't as clean as I had wanted but I had already decided on the planking so I wasn't being as careful as I should have.
 
The deck pieces were tricky. For one, you can access the back side of the bottoms & sides but by the time you get to the deck, it's hard or impossible in some areas to get to the back side. Also, the instructions reccomend soaking all these pieces in warm water & forming them to the frames, wrap in ace bandage (that was a good little trick I learned on this build) but I had no problems fitting the sides & bottoms. My deck pieces however had some odd twists to them so I followed the directions here. But I still have a few "waves" I'm not happy with but should be able to hide these flaws with the planks.
 
I thought I had more veneer sheet stock in my scrap pile than I did. I did find a nice piece of 1/16" maple which gave me an idea and I may try and do a fancy little edge plank on the deck in maple & the rest in mahogany which will make for some pretty contrast on the deck. We'll see.
 
Here is where I left it last night. I'll fill the gaps & sand and that should make for a nice smooth base to plank on.
 

Thanks, not too busy... I built those over an extended period.
 
Thanks Kevin, Yes, the Dumas kit looks like it has the potential to turn into a fine model if I don't botch it but not as clear as Midwest & the mahogany is pretty grainy.... and there were a few steps in the instructions that had I not done the Midwest series, I wouldn't have been able to interpret but... good practice.
 
 Thank you Keith, that is Z-poxy finishing resin. It really fills in the low spots well and can make my hull planking skills apear better than they really are.
 
Oh, and the other key to the finish is a few years back I purchased the micro-mesh polishing pads... I use them on all sorts of projects & put a mirror like finish on my son's pinewood derby car which consisted of a $4 can of Krylon from walmart.
 
very little progress this weekend. I faired the hull & prepared for planks and then we lost power at the house.

Here are the three builds I've done so far to prime myself for planking
 
Midwest large skiff: basics of ship modeling concepts: plank on frame, CA glue & how not to glue your fingers to your boat, reading instructions, basic tools, etc.
 

 
Midwest Large Rowing Dinghy, basics 102, introduces multiple planks, yes there are only three per side but technically, that is multiple. If you go by the book, it's also finished natural so you are much more aware of the things you painted over in the skiff.
 

 
Midwest Canadian Canoe, This gets into planking more as it pertains to real ship modeling. The first two midwest kits, the planking is pretty much just glued on before any frames are put in (there is a jig). There are 17, 18 per side on this kit and you must bevel, bend and fit each one. Not quite finished but to far along to start a build thread.

 

 

I'm sort of new here but this topic caught my eye. As someone mentioned, material is key for detail. I recently designed a 1950's gas pump and had it printed via shapeways. My conclusions were that you can get that CNC detail with frosted ultra detail plastic and a little elbow grease but... it's plastic and it's expensive. Ultimately it's good for a prototype to "sell" the idea to someone with access to less expensive manufacturing methods. But that cannon would look real good in a material with better detail quality like the "frosted ultra detail" 
 
This is the finished pump model which is 10 scale so about 7.5" tall. The larger pieces are made of "strong white flexible" plastic because it's cheaper and they didn't require the detail. But the pump nozzle & engraved lettering on the face plate are FUD. I experimented with different materials and just couldn't get the detail. 
 

I'm sort of new here but this topic caught my eye. As someone mentioned, material is key for detail. I recently designed a 1950's gas pump and had it printed via shapeways. My conclusions were that you can get that CNC detail with frosted ultra detail plastic and a little elbow grease but... it's plastic and it's expensive. Ultimately it's good for a prototype to "sell" the idea to someone with access to less expensive manufacturing methods. But that cannon would look real good in a material with better detail quality like the "frosted ultra detail" 
 
This is the finished pump model which is 10 scale so about 7.5" tall. The larger pieces are made of "strong white flexible" plastic because it's cheaper and they didn't require the detail. But the pump nozzle & engraved lettering on the face plate are FUD. I experimented with different materials and just couldn't get the detail. 
 

I used my template to mark the bulkhead locations. It all worked out well except the framing where it meets the deck didn't line up width wise in a few spots and I adjusted accordingly. F2 & F3 primarily and the transom is fitting wide. I plan to plank according the bulkheads and trim the deck to fit. Since the decking will be planked, these discrepancies should be fairly easy to correct.