GLakie

Hi Dennis,
 
You never cease to amaze me. I have one in progress with another year of work to go. You have a regular shipyard going, do you have a time machine or a box of extra hours stashed away. Keep it going.

thanks all and those who hit the like button........Mark filled in the gaps      the three frames are not in the works just yet.   the original hull sat in the closet for a while,  before I started to examine it further.   I'll tell you the story when I finally can bring them out.  for now though......it's the mad dash to get some of these builds finished.    I think it's neat that they take up the whole table........I was setting them out,  and the admiral was asking what I was doing   
 
more on them soon...........  thanks again.  

Henry,
 
As usual You are so knowledgeable. Thanks - Sold! will stay with the lower drift (also new vocab for my "memory" list).
 
Michael

Frank,
 
YES indeed enjoy your Name Day !!!!!
 
MIchael

For my third build I've decided to resurrect the kit I started about 3 years ago, but gave up on because I found the plan sheets so cluttered and confusing that frustration took the fun out of the build. So after completing the basic hull structure on the inverted skeleton I packed the entire boat up in the box and went on to do Chuck's 18th Longboat and the AL Marie Jeanne instead.  Now that I have several excellent Willie Bennett build logs to use as references, I've decided to give it another try.
 
I've wanted to build a Skipjack model after taking my granddaughter to the Chesapeake Maritime Musuem on St Michaels MD several years back and seeing several examples of these fine Chesapeake Bay work boats.
 
First the box with contents and ship's plans (if you enlarge the photos - last 3 photos below - you'll see what I mean by cluttered).
 

 
This is where I left the model when I decided to suspend the build
 

 
This is the status so far. Since the below decks structure will be completely covered I chose to not spend a lot of time detailing it and instead installed just enough to strengthen the model. This kit has a tendency to paint one into a corner if not careful. Installing the centerboard was a bit tricky and drilling the holes for the pivot was even more tricky given the side to side clearance and the length of the drill bit. I had to hold the bit in my fingers and rotate it slowing without the aid of a chuck.  And, yes, a few of the deck planks are skewed and not completely perpendicular. I cut the notches in the clamp plank off the model after bending to shape using Chuck's hairdryer heat method  and letting the planks sit clamped for about 36 hours. In some instances I am using butt joints and in others I'm notching the ends to fit into the pre-cut notches in the clamp plank. ("Clamp" is the term used in the plans)
 

 
So pull up a barrel, bench, chair, box or whatever and enjoy some popcorn from Sjors popcorn machine (Thanks Sjors ) and join the build.
 

Jack, signing in for more fun. I'll join Mark in the back row and sit on a pile of rope lying back there.
 
Yikes, those plans are most definitely cluttered. What a mess.

I can't even get started on one, and you've got a whole fleet going on. I can only bow to your "brassiness".  

Hey! They must have put me in the "front-row".   

Thomas -
 
Great job on the cannons.  I wish I had your skills and equipment.  They look very nice...what's the next level above "museum quality"?
 
<<Gary>>

Jesse, your carronades turned out great. Cap'n Steve's template will help keep those consistent.

Nice job on the carronade Jesse! Steve's got a good idea with using a template as a guide! 

Love those details Glenn! Nicely done! 

Looks great Dave!  Very nice! 

Thanks for all the feedback! No, I'm not set up for casting & have never done any before. Pondering my options. Operating on a shoestring budget & my hobbies usually rate last in priorities since I lost control of the budget after becoming sick. If I do have to turn them all I will be making a better metal template to keep everything the same. Oh, & welcome to my build log Keith!
 
Jesse

I finished the first long gun – the second one is about one week behind . I followed the long gun design in Chuck’s Syren plans (with a few small changes) as basis for the build. Images 1, 2 and 3 show how the wheels and the axles were made. I glued 4 roughly square pieces of pear wood on a beech dowel (img 1a and 1b), turned them on the lathe to the required diameter, drilled the holes for axels and bolts (img 1c and 2a), and cut them apart with a little saw (img 2b). The finished wheels are shown in img 3a. Images 3b, c and d present how the axels were made and how the axels’ bearings were built by turning a brass tube down to the correct size. For stabilization a second tube was inserted during the lathe work.
 

Image 01
 

Image 02
 

Image 03
 
 
Images 4 and 5 show the making of the carriage parts. I glued 6 correctly sized pieces of pear wood together with a piece of paper between each pear wood layer (img 4a). The paper insures that the pear wood pieces can be separated from each other later on (img 5). The resulting block of layered pear wood was processed with mill, drill, and sanding wheel to arrive at the desired shape (image 5a). After painting the finished pieces the gun carriage was assembled on a jig (img 6b). The result is presented in image 7.  The finished gun can be seen in images 8 and 9. Image 10 shows the long gun in its place on the Syren.
 
Thomas
 

Image 04
 

Image 05
 

Image 06
 

Image 07
 

Image 08
 

Image 09
 

Image 10
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I think there's a USS United States, a Half-Moon and a Gothenburg in there also....  I didn't get scorecard so I may be missing some myself.      

Just incredible, Dave.   I think it looks perfect.   

Thanks Pat.  I'm aiming for a canvas look.   I'm waiting for the color to dry on the latest bit of silkspan and then I'll fit and take a hard look.  Even though this is under the counter, I still want it looking "right" and nice.  

I seem to remember a reference that stated the drift between the upper and lower deadeyes should be 1.5 to 2 times the diameter of the deadeye.  I do not remember where I read this though.
 
Regards,

Hi Mates,
 
Getting the second set of foremast chainplate deadeyes strung. Then looked at the 1/1 for a reference. Then also looked at the 1/10th. The upper deadeyes on each are at diff. heights. 
 
The 1/1 has them rising to just above the second upper railings/ The 1/10th stay well below. So where do I loop the shrouds?
 
Looked at other builds here, as well as the Vasa profile plan sheet. They all seem to indicate the lower positions for the upper deadeyes seem correct. I also checked Clayton’s his are lower as well.
 
So, if I decide to follow the 1/1 photo I would have to restring them all (ropes would be too short). Hmmmm. Should I write Fred H. and tell him that HE made a mistake ha ha ..... 
 
Cheers,
 
Michael

 
 
 

Thanks Al and JS, I think I remember seeing that build log a while ago but I will go back and take a look.

Its your build Sjors, whatever you do will be perfect.
As far as the rope not rotating when you turn the crank, I am assuming you are anchoring it to the nails that go in the end of the diamond parts? Otherwise it sounds like your gears are not meshing. I had to epoxy mine to the brass twice as the first time I tested before the epoxy was fully cured and the bond broke. Perhaps you have the same situation?
Sam

Hi Nenad
 
I dont think so! Remember, at your small measure the wheel should not be thicker, as I believe. Looks good, I would use it  
 
Regards, and hav a happy easter time, as possible!
Gerhard

Love those details Glenn! Nicely done! 

Looks great Dave!  Very nice!