Landlubber Mike

Update - the chainplates,channels & brackets,cannons,& gunport lids are now done on the starboard side.  Still need to finish up the port side.
 
Thanks for looking in & for all the "likes".
 

 

 
Mark

Hi everyone - a little more progress.  After finishing up the chainplates,I got to work on the hammock cranes. The kit did not provide them as ready made pieces,so I had to make them from the brass wire provided. They were made by bending with some round & needle nose pliers. Then a hole was drilled in the center for the mounting pins - that was fun trying to drill a hole in a .8mm wire! They were then painted flat black & mounted according to the plans. Finally,some Syren rope was added. They are pretty fragile,so I hope I don`t knock them askew while rigging. Finally, the mounts for the falconets were glued in place - they were provided as photo-etched pieces which I had to bend into shape.The falconets won`t be added until later - the rigging tends to snag them & knock them loose.
 

 

 

 

 
Mark

Thanks Michael - pre-made sails are provided in the kit,so it will have sails.
 

 
Mark

I  have some more work to get done before starting the copper bottom …I think.  I am not sure what is right. The top gallant rail is not too strong and they include all of this in the books as the first phase.  They are not too clear about when and how to do the bottom.  
 
 
·         My favorite adventure so far is getting these cheek knees installed.   We are slowly getting there…maybe. each time I look I want to make them smaller.
·         The top gallant rail and “rooster tails”.    I already  knocked them off once, so maybe this is out of sequence.  I decided so far not to so the knight heads and buffalo rail until after the bottom is on, as I like removing the bowsprit.   I made a little cut out piece that goes in after the knight heads that I will cut through the cap rail for strength.
·         The cutaway bulkhead is the first fun piece. 
·         Second boat cheeks
·         Top gallant on stern
·         Hawser pipe surrounds
·         Sanding of wales and cheeks ready for trial painting
·         Bulkhead installed for sailing
·         Bulkhead from inside boat two.  One of these brigs will have it open and stored….not sure where but that’s a plan at least. it would clearly block access to the pin rails if just to one side.  
 
 
I am going to do a first paint out to see what we have. I expect damage during copper so I will save touch of then.  
 
All for know

Off to the Downeast Shipmodelers Guild
 
 
Both models cleaned up ok but are still very rough and have a whaler on board in first the planned color schemes.
·         Here we are after lunch sitting around the table
·         I shared three of the 12 books I have for this build and a few tales of the amazing travels of little 75-80 foot brigs.
·         …Whales Ships and Whaling   by Church        is listed in several build logs as a great collection of visuals for anyone taking this venture.   Men and Whales by Ellis is simply amazing.  I plan on it being s great winter read. it is encyclopedic in its approach and scope. I also took the Pavilion book I mentioned in an earlier post. I will list all the books in my research as we go along. 
 
 After we got over the banter about how I was going to sail such small models [ my recent previous builds all were sailable] we got into painting skills for these static models and how to display in water.    I learned to keep working in artist acrylic paint but when ready, and before rigging, spray on clear coat to fill in and get a much smoother finish.  We talked about water display, but I’ll hold that for future discussion. 
 
Back in the shop
 
 
I needed to finish the basic work to get above becks done to be beyond any rough handling. Then  I can begin my first attempt at a copper bottom.   
·         First up is to get hawser pipes done. I went around a bit trying to select a chain size for this new scale to me of 1:64.   A settled on 15 per inch but want to know more.  This is not a three masted bark, but a under 80-foot brig. That choice gave me the pipe size.   I have also started my third attempt to build the cheek knees. They may be ugly, but we’ll get there I hope.
·         I decided to put on the wales.  I had hesitated because I am not sure how it works with ending the copper about 1/16th inch below.  I feel comfortable pinning to the solid hull, as I can fill the pin holes before painting.
·         I am guessing that the pads around the masts were the same oiled material as the normal deck and not the light pine sheathing.  
·          I temporarily strung some chain to check it out.   Also, I notice others have modeled with chains on both sides.   Considering the primitive windless I can not image sending out hundreds of feet of chain.   The choice of rope however would have lightened the load involved with hand cranking.  Anyway, I will continue with what is shown on plans and study to see if lines were used for deeper waters. perhaps they simply did not plan to anchor in anything very deep.
 
All for now
Cheers

So finally, after about 3750 hours, I got to the finish.
Thanks to everyone for watching my log and I would like to invite you to watch my next building log - Le Gros Ventre POF.

Professional Building Slip
Hobbyzone
Catalogue # HZ-PSM1
Available from Hobbyzone for £50.00
 

 
 
We recently took a look at Hobbyzone's Small Building Slip, catering to hull lengths of an average of 600mm to 800mm maximum, but if you want something for larger hulls and with even more flexibility, then today, we take a look at the Professional Building Slip. Hobbyzone has asked me to build this as an assembly guide for them, to help to negate any incorrect assembly which has found its way into some completed slips, and they also intend to link this guide for general reference. Some errors that customers have made pertain to parts orientation, so with this guide, we hope to show you how to successfully complete this mini-project.
 
First of all, the Professional Building Slip caters to hulls up to 100cm in length, so will obviously take in many of the larger kits in our hobby, plus those impressive POF scratch builds we aspire to. This product also varies from its smaller cousin by the ability to be able to rotate a fixed hull through 360°. Of course, the slip can be used for everything from laying the keel/false keel, through to erecting the formers/bulkheads, and then to simply hold and rotate a semi-assembled hull whilst you plank and even fit out the hull at advanced stages of assembly, as well as act as a simple cradle. The completed unit has a length of 100cm, a width of 25cm and will take a keel of out to 7mm in thickness.


Packed into a card box, this HEAVY box has all parts within protected by many layers of bubblewrap. Construction is from MDF, with some parts being faced in plastic and engraved with the CNC router for measurements etc. A hefty hardware bag is also included. All you will need to assemble the Professional Building Slip is:
 
Wood glue Craft knife Clamps  





Instructions are provided on a single sheet of paper, along with an amendment slip stating the use for some included nails. We'll mention this later in the build. 
 
 
 
 
CONSTRUCTING THE PROFESSIONAL BUILDING SLIP
 
1. Before we can start to assemble this project, all parts need to be released from the CNC-routed sheets. A couple of shallow tags are all that connect the parts to their sheets, and these can simply be cut through with a regular craft knife.



 
 
2. Once all parts are released, remove any traces of the MDF tags that held them onto the frames. A craft knife is all that is required for this.

 
 
 
3. I now construct the guide bars that sit either side of the slip, using Titebond III glue to secure. Please note the orientation of the vertical parts, and the hex nut head position. These items are mirrored. 


 
 
4. Each of these guide bars will hold a clamp that will grip the various formers/bulkheads of your model. To begin their construction, I glue the following items together.

 
 
 
5. When these had set, I sat them on top of each other. DO NOT GLUE!

 
 
6. NOW, I may glue the other halves of the clamps into place. Sitting the two sections together merely ensures that the clamp faces are parallel to each other...nothing more.

 
 
7. With everything fully dry, the clamps are fitted to the guide bars that I previously made, using the nuts, bolts and washers in the hardware pack. Again, not the orientation of the clamps in the guide bars, and that their positions are mirrored.


 
 
 
8. Now I will construct the keel clamp holders that secure to the vertical platforms at each side of the Professional Building Slip. Here, we just push the two nuts firmly into position on the backplates.

 
 
 
9. Using wood glue, attach the keel clamp holder faces to the backplates. Please note the orientation with regard to the hex-head positions, and ensure that everything is square.

 
 
 
10. Now we can construct the keel clamps, in exactly the same way that we made them for the guide bars in the earlier stages. Firstly, glue the parts you see together, using wood glue.

 
 
 
11. Glue the opposite side to the two clamps, and use a bolt to ensure that the holes are aligned. Remember, these two keel clamps in the photo are only sat on top of each other to ensure that the jaws are equidistant. Do not glue them together, of course!

 
 
 
12. When all parts are set, fit the keel clamps to the clamp holders, using the nuts, bolts and washers. Please note that the positions of the bolts can be changed to suit the model you are building.

 
 
 
 
13. Each of the keel clamps we have just built, is secured to a moveable guide that sit at either side of the Professional Building Slip. To build the guides, I first glue the two supports in position on each of the guide faces.

 
 
 
14. Now, NOTING ORIENTATION of the baseplate, each in turn is glued to the vertical face and left to thoroughly set. 



 
 
 
15. Glue the feet to the underside of each of the moveable guides.

 
 
 
16.  Using the supplied nuts and bolts, fasten the keep clamps to the moveable guides.




 
 
 
 
17. We can now build the vertical face which helps us to ensure the model's bulkheads and frames are vertical and even in height on both sides. Firstly, glue the supports to the vertical face.

 
 
 
18. Now glue the feet.

 
 
 
19. At this point, I decide to glue the parts together for the guide which slides up and down this vertical plate.

 
 
 
20. Now I can bring this guide together with the main assembly and fit it with the nut and bolt, so it may be adjusted. I also glue the main white face to the vertical guide plate.


 
 
 
21. You need to clear some workbench space now as we start to assemble the baseboard. Start by pushing the nuts into the hex-head shaped holes.


 
 
 
22. Turn over the baseboard so the nuts are UNDERNEATH, and then apply glue to the top side. Fit the white plastic-faced panel onto this and clamp together until FULLY SET!

 
 
 
23. Un-clamp the glued boards and flip it over so the white face in on the bottom. Now, sit the remaining board on top of this, with the screw head indents facing upwards. Using the supplied screws, fit the board into position.

 
 
 
24.Using the supplied bolts and washers, fit the various assemblies to the baseboard, as thus. REMEMBER that the small edge clamps  that you see fastened to the horizontal keel clamp halves are only PRESSED into position and they are NOT glued. This allows them to be repositioned to accommodate the positions of the frames/bulkheads of your model.
 





 
*******NOTE*******
A small number of nails are in included in the pack and there is an amendment sheet to indicate their use. These can be driven through the back end of the various clamps to strengthen them. Remember that these parts will bend as you tighten them, but for me, I would prefer to mostly use thin strips of packing if the keel and bulkheads are significantly thinner than the clamps, as this will remove most of the stress from them.
 
That's it...your Professional Building Slip is COMPLETE! 
Here are some photos showing its use.
 





 
 
My sincere thanks to Hobbyzone for sending this out for review on Model Ship World. To purchase, click the link at the top of the article.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

Planet Working Bench
Amati
Catalogue # 7396
Available from Cornwall Model Boats for £10.58
 
 

 
 
Having worked in plastic modelling for a while now, where I’m having to remove casting blocks from larger components but doing that either on my cutting mat or between my fingers, a tool like this appears to be very useful. When it comes to ship modelling too, the ability to be able to lay some small timber sheet flat whilst you use a fine saw on smaller components, without sawing tracts into your worktop (ask me how I know!), definitely helps. Amati’s Planet Working Bench is a tool that is designed for work on small components and materials, helping you hold items whilst you saw, file and drill. Let’s take a closer look.

Amati’s Planet tool is packed into an attractive, sturdy and glossy box with an image of the tool clamped to a desktop. The back of the box is a little more illustrative, with examples of how this tool can be used with your work. All writing is in Italian, but we can grasp what’s happening fairly easily. Although Amati are generally known for their wooden model ships etc. this tool can of course be used for other areas of modelling where basic tools such as saws, files, and drills, are used. Inside the box, two thick plastic sleeves contain the components. In the largest is the Planet Working Bench itself, complete with two small aluminium bollards plugged into it. These bollards have a rubber O-ring fitted to them to prevent the metal scuffing any delicate work that you will use with the tool. The main part is moulded from a very tough plastic that still does have a little give in it, but it certainly rigid enough for the tasks that it’s designed for. It also has various channels moulded within in as well as holes to reposition the bollards, and a series of small, numbered holes which I’ll come back to very soon. The front slot is there to help you cut into materials, without a risk of cutting into your actual workbench. Just be careful not to start sawing into the Planet itself.


The second wallet contains the two clamps which will secure the Planet to the desk. These are formed from two angled, threaded rods onto which a locking nut and the part which forms the lower side of the clamping jaw. To fit these to the Planet, you insert them from the underside and lay the angled part of the metal rod in the moulded channels. Slacken the nut off and then fit to the edge of your workbench, securely tightening the nuts to lock everything in place. 


Now, those small numbered holes. These refer to a moulded sleeve in the underside of the Planet, into which you will fit a wooden dowel or metal rod into which you wish to drill a hole centrally within the diameter. The hole of course aligns with the dead centre of the sleeve into which you will plug the wood or metal rod. 


 
Conclusion
This is a very handy little gadget for working on those small model parts, but sold as it is, the full potential of the tool isn’t realised. To really get your money’s worth from it, I really do advise that you also purchase the small clamps which are designed to plug into it. These is called the ‘hand vice’ on Amati’s catalogue page and contains one single unit. Better still, a couple of these would be immensely useful. The Planet itself is very reasonably prices, nicely constructed and is a cinch to fit to your bench. I’ve already started to use it whilst building my Amati Orient Express Sleeping Car. 

 
My sincere thanks to Amati for sending this tool out for review. To purchase directly, click the link at the top of this article.
 
 

Hi All,
 
Finally a post!
 
As if my work wasn't coming along slowly enough, a car accident and heavier work load managed to bring my ship modeling of all types to a standstill.
 
After nearly two months of making no progress on anything, I finally found myself in a position to move forward again on the Umibune. I didn't managed to figure out too much regarding the making of scale figures for the model, but I did finish tying the bindings on the rails. I also decided on how I wanted to finish the aft deckhouse, or yakata.
 
I basically returned to the idea of installing only lower panels on the sides of the structure. There seem to be a multitude of ways that artists and model makers have interpreted this design, so I just went with something I recall seeing in a painting. Is it accurate? There really doesn't appear to be any way to know for sure. But, it seems reasonable. In the photos below, you can see the panels before installation, as well as how they look in place on the model. I originally built these slightly oversized, allowing me to adjust them to fit.
 

 

 
As you can see from the photos, I also attached the rudder. The rudder on larger Japanese boats are fit through a hole in the back edge of a heavy beam at the stern. The Japanese did not use gudgeon straps and pintles to hold the rudder in place, but instead, rudders were held up by a rope lifting system, like Chinese boats, which allowed the rudder to be raised or lowered as needed. The hole in the large beam provided the necessary lateral support.
 
The lifting rope is attached to a hole in the top of the rudder blade and runs through a block, which is attached to the aft-most roof beam. The design of the block was not described anywhere, so I based it on a block that appeared in Woody Joe's Higakikaisen kit. This is a teardrop shaped block that apparently contains no wheel, unlike a modern-style block.
I was motivated to use this based on a comment that was made to me while visiting the Hacchoro fishing boats of Yaizu in 2016. While showing me some of the features of the Hacchoro,
 
Mr. Hiroyuki Kobayashi, one of the people who are responsible for the Hacchoro boats, told me that while the Hacchoro replicas use a standard wooden blocks in their sail gear, the Japanese didn't originally have such blocks.
 

Modern blocks on the modern Hacchoro replica.
 
He didn't elaborate, but seeing the wheel-less blocks on the Higakikaisen model suggested to me that this was the design that the Japanese originally used and is what Mr. Kobayashi was referring to. Unfortunately, I can't find any photos of that type of block, but here's the one that I made.
 

 
This type of block would most certainly have too much friction with the rope passing through it to be very efficient. But, it's very possible that its function is more to help support the rudder than to lift it up. Possibly, a few strong sailors would physically haul up on the rudder and tiller as someone hauled on the rope to take up slack and to help support the rudder's weight until the rope was tied off to beam at the stern.
 

 
In any case, I glued the stropping rope around the block and siezed it into place. The ends of the rope were simply run over the top of the beam and tied off underneath a crossbeam. I have no idea how the original was attached. Probably just passed around the beam, the way a block is fastened around the yard arm on a Western sailing ship.
 
The rudder was put into place with a rope seized through the hole in the rudder blade and rigged. To help hold the rudder in place, as it's too light to simply hang from the support rope, a hole was drilled through the rudder post and into the great beam and a pin pass through. This allowed me to keep the lifting rope taught, while keeping the rudder nicely in position.
 
More on oars and the very unusual anchors next time.
 
Clare

Thanks Druxey, Dave.
 
Dave, thanks for the contact suggestion. It's always good to have more contacts! 
 
The biggest problem with obtaining information is that there are very few who actually have very specific information. I've been able to locate a lot of details of things that I'm not building right now. And, for the things I AM building, my information isn't as complete as I'd like. 
 
Not only do I not know who to turn to for information, there are very few people who would actually have answers. And you can't just contact people out of the blue like you can here. It's mostly that it's just not done – they'll be puzzled and who you are and why you're contact them and, probably, how you got their contact info. You really need to be introduced by someone they know.
 
Working with Douglas Brooks has helped a lot. Also, a couple friends of mine are members of The Rope, Tokyo. And I was introduced to one of them by ship modeler Don Dressel of the SMA. I met with the Japanese gentleman on my last trip to Tokyo and he brought his ship modeler friend, who has become a great help to me. So, it's possible to get info and contacts, but it takes some effort.
 
Fortunately, Facebook has also made outreach easier, because it's a pretty informal way to connect to people. So, I've met a couple people there who have provided information. Still, it's mostly information on things I wasn't originally looking for.
 
But, I'm compiling just about every piece of information I can on Japanese traditional watercraft. Sooner or later, I'll need something and I'll find it in my archives!
 
Clare

Thank you Pat. 
 
Well, I'm getting closer to the part I've been dreading somewhat. No, not the sails, though I've been considering the possibilities for that too. But, the hard part on this model, I think, are the oars. Part of this is the construction, and part is the mounting. But, a big issue is about the type of oars.
 
Now, I've been thinking about this since the start of this whole project, and I've mentioned it in more than one post, I believe. Japanese boats mostly use long sculling oars. Some use paddles. And then, of course, there are river boats which often use poles. Some boats use some combination of these, since different methods of propulsion work better in some situations than others.
 
Most of the models I've seen of Kamakura period sea boats have sculling oars, but they are of a straight variety, not the kind with an offset head, which often appear on traditional Japanese boats. But, the key artwork I'm using, shows the rowers facing backwards and pulling the oars. They are not sculling.
 
If these oars aren't used for sculling, then the rope used to help scull probably shouldn't exist. And, the peg used to help scull and to which the rope is attacked probably shouldn't exist either. That's my feeling, but going against tradition has certain risks. The model itself may be dismissed as inauthentic, or the builder risks being considered a know-nothing outsider, which to a great degree, I am, even though I've spent more time and effort researching Japanese watercraft than most Japanese.
 
Why should I care? To start with, I need access to information, which can be difficult to obtain, so I need the help of some folks in Japan. I've already recently hit a wall after writing to someone who I believe could answer some questions for me. I'm beginning to think I'm stepping on some toes by venturing into something that is culturally very Japanese. It's happened before, and I'm sure it will happen again. But, avoiding barriers is important.
 
In any case, I did manage to make the straight oars without pins.

 
They sure look a lot thicker here than they do when I'm working on them and trying not to break any. I made these from hinoki, like the rest of the model.
 

 
I'm not sure what type of wood was used for real oars. I read it somewhere at one time, but I don't recall where. Douglas Brooks's book probably mentions it. Anyway, I wanted a little color change, so I used a Dark Vintage Maple wood dye on these oars. Twelve oars are needed for this boat.
 
Next, I finally started to tackle the issue of finishing the aft deck house. At minimum, I need low partitions on the port and starboard sides. Some variations of this boat have the sides closed up with wicker walls. Others are pretty open air, which is what I'm thinking of doing.
 

 
I made these wall sections, but I have yet to complete the fit. The ends need a little sanding and adjusting before I can glue them into place. Fitting these is a bit of a challenge, since the deck house, or yakata, is already in place on deck. I know I should have added these before I put the framework into place on the deck, but I really have been figuring things out as I went.
 
Next time, I should have these in place. Then, I either need to make the anchors or deal with the sail.
 
 
 
 

Mark, this boat, in particular, probably has more in common with the Japanese carpentry/architecture you like. I realized recently that it's a bit like a simplified Japanese temple on a hull.
 
It may have something to do with the fact that the basis for this model goes back to the scroll painting that followed the life of Sugarawa no Michizane (yes, I had to look that up), who was a very famous high ranking scholar, poet and politician. The Fujiwara clan plotted to have him discredited and exhiled to western Kyūshu island, where he eventually died. Some time later, a lightning storm struck the capital and many of the leading Fujiwara clan were killed and their residences were destroyed. The Imperial court decided this was due to the angry spirit of Sugawara no Michizane, so they deified him as Tenjin, which means sky god, and built a temple to him in Kyōto called Kitano Tenman-gu. 
 
The scroll painting was made after he was deified, so it may very well contain certain religious embellishments in the appearance of the boat. That's only my theory. I haven't heard or read anything that might suggest it's true.
 
Anyway, I wonder if there was more of a religious influence in the watercraft like this. They weren't day-to-day workboats used by fishermen. There wasn't much cargo transport at this time (1200s), I believe, as consumerism and the merchant class didn't appear until after the 1600s. So, these were used for high value trade and transport of important passengers. 

Thanks for the comments Mike, Pat. I'm glad you're enjoying the build.
 
Here's an update...
 
The next step was to add what I believe we call fascia under the ends of the roofs. This was relatively easy to do, and they give a fancier appearance to the boat.
 

 
I also made a couple decorations that fit under the peak of the roof. I think this was originally a representation of a fish. It is called a gegyo. Note that this is not something I remember. I had to look up an email that someone in Japan sent me, explaining this feature to me. I have to add them to the aft yakata, still.
 

 

 
Anyway, this often appears on temples and castles and such, and it appears on one of the museum models of the umibune.
 

 
More later...
 

Mike
thanks for sharing a liking for whalers.  I am having so much fun reading about them and the people and the historical impact on our new England maritime life.
 
I look forward to seeing your Charles Morgan.  My coming up build could be the Morgan, I couldn't resist the recent sail and I have it on the shelf.
 
I will do an update tomorrow as I have made some more progress
 
cheers

Some more progress, a few more issues and yes more fun.
 
·         I worked more to get the rough sanding of the outside of the first whale boat done. 
Now for the production.  My newest shop tool is a great addition.  This is a combination spindle and belt oscillating sander. One can order several grits and I did get finer for more critical future work as I am determined to enter the world of building frames.
·         Here we see the set up using the belt
·         For these little boats in just a few minutes of figure tip control I can roughly shape them
·         We then turn them over to the wireless Dremel small diameter sander for better control.
Back to the two ships.  We need to identify the water line and get a coat of black above and light poly below to support the eventual copper tape
·         I thought I was ingenious as I rigged up a POF frame from a schooner project of the past. A few calcs off the drawings and we are ready to go
·         Here we are where eventually we found a problem.    On all past models I set them upside down and rigid.  Here they are loose and swing on the string……let's see what happens
·         We have learned over the years that it’s all about the prep.  Here we have used the glazing putty to fill in all the scratches and dimples inherent in the carved hull.  After sanding with about 600 grit we are ready to prime
·         He we use the body filler primer from a local auto parts store.  I love the flat gray.My friend uses it on his WWI navy boats with just clear coat
Back to the whalers....It is time to start boats 5-8 while we read more about the full whaler in Ronnberg's book
·        
Yes, the first steps go faster on boats 5-8 because it is only a few days ago that we learned how and not last year.  I have learned the hard way that forgetfulness is a trait of our generation.
 
cheers

Except for the gun port lids all the parts have been fabricated.  Obviously the upper bulwark planking is not yet installed.  Now the model has to be assembled.  The gun deck must be completed before the upper deck is installed because of the tight quarters below.  Rigging the guns would be impossible.  Here's a preview of the model

After a lot of prep work getting the plans into a form CNC and laser could utilize, a prototype was built of basswood and poplar.  The point here wasn't to have a perfect model, but rather to proof the plans and our dimensions and make sure the pieces all fit!  We will obviously clean up the laser char on the finished models.  The hull frames were CNC cut from 3/4" stock.  The treenails are surface etched, but deep enough to allow finish sanding and still be visible.  We plan to leave the laser char in between planks to simulate tar.

I finished up the build board.  I had some beautiful curly bird'seye maple so I cut off a piece and framed it with some rounded over 1/2" X 1/2" east Indian rosewood.  It turned out pretty nice!

Glad you stopped by, Svein!
 
I started planking the bulwarks by forming the waterway  The thick spirketing plank is actually the first plank glued in place but I wanted to get the waterway out of the way.  It needs to be tapered 15 degrees across is back wide dimension.  I set up my Byrnes sander and it made fast work of the job.  The last photo shows the rough blank for the upper deck waterway and the finished lower deck waterway.

I went with the RB guns for my Pegasus as well.  I think I pretty much piggybacked off of BE's research and decision to do so.  The Chuck guns seem a bit too skinny for my taste.

Thank you guys.
Mike Y: I's tempting, but two shows in September are enough, maybe next time.
Little progress - anchor´s installation.

Rest of pictures:

Thank you to all for very nice and kind comments🙂.
Last week I took part in the C-class World Championship and here is the result:
 

Giving your question some thought, I don't think any species will
scale the grain,  going down usually at a minimum of a factor of 50.
The species with no obvious grain would work best even with White Oak.
I am thinking that it is the color that you are focusing on.  I am no artist and
I do not know their rules, but I bet there is a scale effect on col;or - I just do not
know what it is.
I scored some Beech from Yukon Lumber last week, and it is a shade darker than
Hard Maple-  My Maple tends to vary a bit in color but Beech is a fudge darker.
I find American Sycamore to be generally awful.  What I have has a busy grain, is brittle, can get fuzzy, and
splits easily.  The only really satisfactory use I have had with it is using it to duplicate a 1 x 1 x 6 inch
Xacto sanding block - round at one end, wedge at the other. 
If the rule on scaling is things get lighter, Hard Maple may work for you,  If you want even lighter,
Soft Maple.  I found Silver Maple to be too soft, too fuzzy for my taste.
If you want aged and weather beaten,  Poplar - 

I’ve got three formats of AOS books. Some are hardcover with Silver background on dust jacket and these solver dust jacket editions conceal a large format ship schematic on its inner jacket surface! So cool! Imagine my surprise then, when I purchased some other AOSbooks, these with white backgrounds on their dust jackets and these jackets had NO hidden drawings on their reverse side. Then I purchased a softcover HMS Victory AOS edition and these had gatefold covers, covers on front and back are folded in half and reveal larger hull drawings. So my advice is to try to get a silver background AOS book. My silver ones are from the year 2001 and, REMARKABLY, I could find no publication date on my two white background AOS books.