Martin W
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X-Y Attachment for Dremel
Martin W replied to Martin W's topic in Modeling tools and Workshop Equipment
Ahh, milling, ehh? Did you use particular bits for that? -
Greetings folks -- this is an interesting thread, since I think we all want tools, need tools, AND advice on which tools to invest in and on how to make the most use out them. We have a similar discussion about drill presses at http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/1643-x-y-attachment-for-dremel/ JPett has invested in a Vanda lay drill press that uses the Dremel, so you might want to check out his picture. Meanwhile, as for "necessary" tools, I'll say that I started with a Dremel, which I have used for carving, following Bill Short's practicum, and found it absolutely wonderful (and those little tiny micro burrs). Then I have a scroll saw, which, after 3 years I'm still learning (ie, still ruining too much wood). And -- woohoo! the Byrnes saw, that I love and cherish. And now I'm debating between that drill press and a wood mill. My Dad gave me a grinder last year that I haven't taken out of the box yet. Cheers, Martin
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X-Y Attachment for Dremel
Martin W replied to Martin W's topic in Modeling tools and Workshop Equipment
JPett -- thanks for the photo. The combination drill press & X-Y looks very intriguing. What exactly was the upgrade that you had to make? It's especially nice that the base doesn't take up a whole lot of room -- I've already found out that with just one or two machines, the workspace gets crowded fast. And the next step is a trial run, eh? Take her through the paces and see what she can do. Cheers (and intrigued) Martin -
Let me add my voice to the general chorus and say it is HandSome! As someone currently tangled up in the rigging process, I'm studying your work. Best, Martin
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Hi Brian -- I like that rudder, it should look good when you get it on the stern. I found that my rudder gave me problems in the way and place it lined up on the quarter deck and passing through the captain's cabin. Small miscalculations (or inept alignment of parts) kept everything from lining up the way it was supposed to, and the way the plans showed it. I'll be interested to see how the planking on the bulwark works out, if it REALLY matters that you didn't bend the 1.5x5 pieces, since I would think that the metal ports already make for a straight surface for the planking to lie on. Eh? Cheers, Martin
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Hi Andy -- I've been checking out your log surreptitiously and now I have to weigh in and say that your work looks good. That gammoning is espcially nice. I'll also be really interested to see which way you go on the bunt dilemma. Cheers, Martin
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JPett -- Very, very nice. Both the bow & stern line up beautifully, and the variations in wood tone only add to the beauty and precision of your work. This is a Ratt that will set the standard. Bravo, Martin
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Hi Zev -- I'd second (or 3rd) what JPet & Russ say. Using a coping saw will almost inevitably end up leading you to have an uneven cut, no matter how well you think you're keeping the saw on a perfect vertical. But you do want to get that filler as close to the actual curve as you can, since it will be the shape your planks follow. --When I started this part on my Ratt I thought, oh, how easy -- then 3 weeks later I sang a different tune. And now that I think about it, that's been pretty much the pattern I've followed with every step since. And this goes back a few pages in your log, but I recall reading something about that extra stern window that some plans have it as a door, some a window. Since we're dealing with drawings of something that ended its existence over 200 years ago, we get to speculate about these little details. And I always think that unless you want to go for real historical accuracy, you can decide (and debate) how you want to handle those touches. Cheers, Martin
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Yup, I found em Russ. Thanks for the tip. I can't help but think that setting them alongside Hahn & Antscherl & Peterson & Lees will add to my "understanding" (such as it is) of the complexity of rigging, AND as a consequence will probably slow me down even more. Oh, and I might add that it will also lead to more clutter on the dining table (I'll be saying, "Sorry Darling, we'll have to cancel the dinner party so I can study these rigging plans, hope you understand"). Since I do only get about an hour each evening with the Ratt, I think I'll keep tying knots even while waiting for these new plans. Cheers, Martin
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Thanks Russ for that clarification, it explains a lot. I thought I had the Model Shipway plans, which is mostly a booklet explaining what goes where. I didn't realize they also had an actual riggin plan -- I'll look for that. Cheers, Martin
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Hey JPett -- those 8 comments you list should be reviewed by everyone getting ready to set plank to hull. It's good to read a slow and steady modeller's reflections. Cheers and bring on the cheesecake! Martin
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Yikes! I know I've been horribly remiss in keeping up this supposed "build log," but I guess I've been spending too much time reading through all the others I like keeping up with, and that's taken away from what I can do with my own. I don't have a post (sorry), but I do have a question that I hope people can help me with. Hahn's plans show no buntline blocks on either the fore or main yard. The Mamoli plans as well as the Model Shipway plans do. Antscherl also includes these. Ok, so here's my question (a couple, actually): would the buntline blocks have been there as a matter of course, even when the sails are not included? Why would Hahn, who is generally very detailed, leave them off? And that leads me to another question, which RiverRat & I have sort of broached: how much of a difference would there be in a American (Colonial) ship rigging and the British? There do seem to be some small differences in detail that I've noticed between the Rattlesnake & the Swan Class (even allowing for size & class) -- would these suggest actually different systems of rigging? And where did Hahn research his plans? Any ideas? Cheers, Martin
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Hold on -- have you confused your Ratt with your coat?
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Hi JPett -- Filler? What Filler? It all looks tight and regular to me. As for the staining/painting, I'd add my vote to the tallow tone, which should just make the natural color of the wood richer. I just took a peek at Howard Chappelle's book, History of American Sailing Ships, and on the topic of painting he says it "was never standardized," but "From the time of the Revolution to 1820 the favorite scheme was yellow topsides set off with a black stripe which was usually the first strake above the wales." That's not much of a clue. And in his account of the Ratt he says this: "The Rattlesnake was very lightly built and was unusual in not having wales." Hmmm. I also took a look at Harold Hahn's book on the colonial navy (I have the CD of his photos of all the ships he built including the Ratt, but these are only black & white) -- the book doesn't have our ship in it, but the ones he includes, such as the Hannah, have an ochre color to their topside. That's all probably a bit much, but I think it adds to the fun. Cheers, Martin
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Bill -- like the others, I want to thank you heartily for this log. I have your book here beside me now, and I followed it closely in trying my own hand at carving (and found that I enjoyed it as much as anything else in this hobby). It's the reference I recommend to anyone thinking of taking the plunge to buy a bunch of micro burrs and an optivisor! Seeing your work here again reminds me of just how rewarding it can be to take care with details. Cheers, Martin
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Hi Brian -- I'd formally like to second your resolution to take on some carving. Go for it! The higher resolution photo shows the nice even lines of your planking, which in my book (poetic or otherwise) signals Success. And I also second your opinion of the Mamoli plans that are most often confusing. You might consider investing in the beautifully drafted plans by Harold Hahn, which show lots of details (including the carving) with clarity. As for the filler blocks, I'm not quite sure I get your concern -- do you mean that the shape of your bow looks off? I think it looks about right. Keep at it -- I'll be looking forward to your progress as one Ratt builder to another! Martin
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Those photos are an inspiration. Fantastic. Martin
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JPett -- My 2 Cents: the tapering at the bow looks mighty fine. Years, even months from now, when the anguish of planking has passed away a tiny bit, it'll be those nicely tapered planks that you'll want to look at most. As for the staining, I'm a complete ignoramus, so I ask this only to avoid saying, Huh? Once you put on the sanding sealer, won't sanding the treenails then lead to a lightening up of the yellowing around the treenails? I was quite surprised at how much sanding was involved in getting the treenails down level, even after I was sure I'd cut them as closely to the plank as possible. Cheers, Martin
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Bob -- this does look good! I think one of the finer qualities of this kind of build is showing the beauty of the wood fitting tightly together. Your photography brings out that wonderful quality very nicely. Fantastic! Martin
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I have both a pin vise and the spiral drill, as well as the mandrel for a Dremel. The problem that Tony points out can be annoying when you're working with tiny bits, like a #80, so I use the pin vise for one size bit and the spiral for another (usually smaller). And I've chosen bits that I use a lot, so that I don't have to change them. -- I also found, though, that it's important to have a good secure storage place for them, because when they fall with the bit in them, you break the bit. Cheers, Martin
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JPett -- Ah, those planks look better and better! Seeing the care you take with the planking makes me want to go back and start all over (but I guess that's why there are other models to build, right?) Really, though, your attention to detail is inspiring -- and the thing is, those details tend to show up more in photos than in reality. Cheers, Martin
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I have a Porter-Cable scroll saw that I like well, though it has the same problems that others have mentioned and corrected. I haven't made the zero-clearance top, but after looking at what folks here have done I'm going to try it out. It's also interesting to hear from Jay about the blade curving -- golly, I thought I was just using too much pressure and pushing the stock too fast and hard. So I'm going to have to try that piece of wood as well in the clamp down -- though I might have thrown that away since it always got in my way. Wouter -- don't know if you can get a Porter Cable where you are. It seems that Proxxon might be a good bet. Oh, and I might also mention that I use my jeweller's saw quite a bit to cut pieces by hand. I got it AFTER the scroll saw, and have since wondered if I needed that big piece of machinery for things others than bulkheads (and I even used the jeweller's saw to cut a replacement bulkhead for one that was broken in the kit). Seems like I always end up having to sand whichever one I use. Cheers, Martin
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X-Y Attachment for Dremel
Martin W replied to Martin W's topic in Modeling tools and Workshop Equipment
Wow -- I've just gotten back from a weekend of yard & barn work and found a good bit of information. For now, it looks like either the Proxxon or the Vanda-lay set up would be the most affordable and sensible options for someone like me who's just finishing up his second and a half model. Like others, I'll be looking forward to JPett's review. Bob -- Thanks for the pictures of the way you attached the x-y table to your drill press -- and that looks kinda like the Vanda Lay set up, yes? I mean, it's got a rotary tool in it, but it looks like a drill press. Thanks to everyone for their comments. Obviously there's a need in modelling for something like either a drill press or a mill. Precision always matters -- and when I look back over what I cut by hand, well then I pine for either sharper eyes & steadier hands or a good precise machine. Cheers, Martin -
X-Y Attachment for Dremel
Martin W replied to Martin W's topic in Modeling tools and Workshop Equipment
JPett -- Speaking from ignorance, I've seen that the Proxxon comes with step blocks & clamp bars (the Micro Mark table lists these as add-ons at $33.95). I can't quite tell from the Vanda lay pictures if the Accu Mill comes with these or not, though you do have to buy the Y table, since the mill originally comes only with the x. I also noticed in the Vanda lay instructions that there's a warning that applies to your 2nd point up above: they warn against tightening the clamp around the plastic Dremel housing too tightly. That might suggest that the Dremel would still move ever so slightly in the clamp. As you say, though, you & I are both just putting a toe (or even a toenail) in the milling pool, so slight inaccuracies might not matter at this point. And thanks David for pointing out that those beautiful blocks can be made with a Proxxon or Micro Mark. It's just that the Sherline is SO gorgeous. Cheers, Martin -
X-Y Attachment for Dremel
Martin W replied to Martin W's topic in Modeling tools and Workshop Equipment
David -- I'm jealous that you have the Sherline, it's a good looking tool. And I welcome your distinction between the mill and the lathe -- I started pining for a lathe long before the mill, and am only now just starting to understand what a mill would do (thanks to this conversation). Wacko -- good point about modifications. As I think I understand, the Vanda-lay contraption that JPett is waiting for would effectively enable you to use the Dremel with enough accuracay to make the x-y table (which would come with the Accu-mill package, I believe) worthwhile. Since JPett has volunteered to be the front man on this, I think I'm going to wait to see his assessment -- and the wait will also give me time to think rationally (ahem) about how many more new tools I'll need for this particular build. Though the Vanda-lay site does show the tool being used to fine tune a keel, which makes me WANT it on hand when I start my next build. I think Chuck's description of making those blocks has us all licking our chops and saying, Wow, I could do that if only!! Cheers, Martin
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