Jack12477

I agree with Mark. Also the Pfeil brand (Swiss) of gouge is excellent as is Soligen (Germany) - I have several of each brand. Another brand which I have not tried but is reported to be very good is Two Cherries (Germany).  A source for carving tools is  Chipping Away Dedicated to Wood Carvers

CLEATS
 
Retrieved from my posts in Msw1…
Just photos …
Thanks
 

 
 
 

Anything to keep the admiral happy!!! Maybe an octagonal form might take her fancy, and give you another challenge ...  some ivory-ish inlay work ... some carving ... I can see you do it !
 
I admire your perseverance with the ebony. All the measures you take to keep your tools in shape, and you workspace, and model 'spic and span' ...recommendable at least!!!

The second planks went on beautifully after putting a bevel in the upper edge of the bottom planks.
The final planks were not cut straight as the other planks were. They had what I would describe as a wave cut, the center being much wider than either end. I had attached them and decided a day later to remove them and reposition. The planks were just visually unappealing as they were. Switching sides and flipping the ends around improved the look.
The photos showing where the third planks looked just off were great, but have gone missing.
 
As of now, she is planked and off the strong back.
 
Have a little damage to tend to from the pushpins.

Gluing supplied blocks onto strong back, no problem, everything lined up nicely. A clamp, sould have run out and purchased a proper clamp. I went with the pushpins as I had them on hand. The small block I pinned into split in half. Had another smal block of equal size, which also split. Finally got hull pinned to a block and did end up with one more pinhole than I wanted.
 
I will be using a toothpick to plug those holes and they should fill in nicely.
 
I then placed the gar board to check for fit. I had a LOT of sanding ahead of me. The transom hung over the bottom ny a hair, the first frame was short of the edge and frames 2 and 3 hung over.
 
I took my time sanding, fitting, more sanding, fitting and glued the plank on. Another lesson learned, pre plan the clamping! Slowly but surely, progress continues.

Thank you Mario, am having a good time with it. Spent a good amount of time shaping the stem today and quite happy with the way it turned out.
 
Won't have much time for a few days to make much more progress, unfortunately.

I placed the bottom on the supplied blocks to put a bend in, just to get an idea of what angle frame 1 and 3 needed. The bevel was as described slight...
 

 
Also placed the knee and transom.

WELCOME ABOARD,  MaryO.  Glad that you've decided to share your voyage with us.  You've chosen a good subject to model at this point in your 'career'.  I'll be looking forward to the lapstrake construction.
 
By all means, take your time.  Wooden shipbuilding is not a race.  Work at your own pace ......  and ENJOY!

I've planked the starboard side gun port strip and on both sides added the ebony chain wale and the ebony bow area planking.  There's two areas that are unplanked in the chain wale where the channels will fit.  Things look wet because of the first coat of wipe-on poly.
 
Footnote.. I'm more than a bit chuffed as the chain wales (port and starboard) are within 2 scale inches of each other.
 
I'll now go around to the other side, and sand the ebony bow planking.  It's there but really rough before the next update.
 

Nicely done ! I like the paint scheme ! Sails came out nice also.  Excellent model.

Well almost complete !  Have to get some primer and black paint for the grappling hook - paint it and install it and I think I am done.
 

Well, finally making progress.  Mast, boom & gaff installed and rigged. Took apart a scrap piece of rail molding and used the posts as supports, used an old wood plague for the base, put a coat of MinWax English Chestnut stain on everything.  Mounted the boat temporarily for picture purposes. 
 
Now on to the deadeyes and shrouds.
 

Steve and Jack, thanks much for your kind remarks, it did go pretty quick.  The stand is Chuck's idea he mentions keeping it simple in the build practicum.  This is a fun little kit, the sails proved to be more of a challenge then I had anticipated but all's well that ends well.  Thanks again guys
J

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 117 – Poop Deck/Fancy Rail
 
In the first picture, the aft section of the margin plank is pinned in place against the tops of the stern timbers.
 

 
This piece has a hook scarph on each end.  The rudder post will be cut off later.  This picture also shows the framing of the boomkins and aft mooring bits.  In the next picture the next section of margin plank is being fitted to the hook scarph on the aft section and around the mooring bits.
 

 
In the next picture the poop margin planks have been fitted forward to the breast beam and the aft sections of fancy rail are pinned in place.
 

 
The fancy rail forms a cap over the stern timbers, deck margin plank and the top strakes of planking around the stern.  The coamings for the two skylights are pinned in place for fitting the head ledges.  In the next picture, the poop deck has been planked – leaving open areas to view the cabins underneath – and the skylight coamings are in place.
 

 
The fancy rail has again been pinned in place.  To keep water out of the cabin deck this had to be caulked inside and out.  To have sufficient overlap of the poop margin plank, it was made 15" wide – as on the forecastle.  I stepped these rails down to 12" along the main deck.
 
The next picture shows the painted parts of the fancy rail being installed.
 

 
The step down in breadth on the forward piece can just be seen at the break of the poop in this picture.  I spent quite a bit of time deciding how to handle this fancy rail width issue.  Most midship sections show a narrow rail – about 12" – but I finally decided this would not provide sufficient overlap of the poop and forecastle margin planks.  So, another one of those judgment decisions.
 
The next picture shows the fancy rail fully installed aft of midship. 
 

 
After painting, the sections were glued and pinned.  As the pins were removed, copper wired epoxied bolts were installed down into each toptimber to reinforce the attachment.  The bolts were filed off and the top of the rail received more finish painting.  And the next picture shows it at the bow. 
 

 
The last picture shows the model with the completed fancy rail. 
 

 
I have been looking forward for a long time to the capping off of those toptimbers.
 
Ed

Update.
 
Cheers
Gimo
 
 

More pics

Hello everyone,
  Well she is finished!  All the rigging was completed per the kit practicum, with the exception of adding a second flag halyard on the port side. Rope  coils were added in the appropriate places and 4 or the supplied oars placed aboard. I'd originally intended to show two full sails and one either furled or stowed on-board some where, I abandoned that idea as the third sail really blocked a lot of the interior details I'd spent so much time on...So she's running with a main and stay sail and no jib, I think at some time in the history of these little vessels they would have sailed this way.
  This was really an enjoyable little kit to build, alot of detail in a small package.  Thanks to all that followed along and offered support along the way.  Pics follow.
THX
J

This morning I received a great photo from Roger so then spent most of the rest of the morning learning how to make even tighter loops in the tubing.
 

 
After a while I got a couple of parts which looked like a good match, I also used a slightly larger diameter tube that was brass so I also needed another pair of flanges (I'm getting faster at making them at least).
 

 
Soldered them up the same way as the first two times.
 

 
Drilled a larger hole in the new loop
 

 
I wanted to ensure that it was all lined up so soldered the bottom piece while it was on the engine.
 
.
 

 
After lunch I did some more tight loops and get a better bend on the lower part so un-soldered the bottom piece and added the new one with a 5 x 64 threaded coupling
 
Here is the new tap I made it the same way as the other taps.  
 

 
and the final configuration. now I can make the carb
 

 

 
Michael

Rock on, Popeye.   I guess I'm surprised by the concept of a green net but then, I'm not a fisherman in the ship sense.  Or any sense now that I think about it....

the reels that I had placed at her stern,  were becoming a bother.   dry fitting parts and things.....I'd hit them with my arm of sleeve.......and it would push them out of alignment.   in the box was the netting I was going to use,  along with some tulle,  which I didn't need any longer.  what was salvageable,  I put it away........the rest I tossed {I have plenty,  and I know where to get more}.   I chose the green netting over the brown,  since that's what the kit would supply.   cutting it was a question for me also.......I though that a triangle would be best,  since I was to fold it into itself,  so it would fit the frame.  I made up the first one and cemented it in place.
 

 

 
I had thought of Kees,  and what he did with the bath netting sponge.   I had already bought a yard of this netting material,  so I went with it.  the piling kinda hides the scale of the mesh,  so it looks good.  I made up the other two.
 

 

 
the fore deck reel was put in place on the deck........I'm thinking what what I would use to rig it.   black thread......perhaps done with the silver and copper........or even the small size hemp thread.  I still need to plot out the rest of the fittings to do it.
 

 
the control; panel still need to be made for it.   sad that errands had to be run,  or I could have gone further.   the aft lights were the last aspect I tinkered with....besides painting that frame piece.   I added some tiny bars inside,  to simulate the florescent tubes,  and the insides  were painted silver.   they are not finished yet....still more to paint and add to them,  before they are cemented in place.
 

 
two more days.........and I will be on vacation.    I can't wait! 

Hello. If this is what you are looking for, it is done by painting your base color, and then dry-brushing a lighter version of the color where you want wear, and a darker color where you want dirt. Bear in mind that when weathering "less is best".
On the guns, I painted the base color and then using a brush with sepia india ink, start brushing until the brush start to dry and starts leaving streak marks.
I am trying to describe in a paragraph what took me years of experimentation. Start with the basics above, and you will start seeing results soon.
 
(The Santa Maria is Heller's 1/75 kit)

Hi Kevin
 
I think you're may be being too hard on yourself!  The Skipjack is a working boat, whose hull would never have been perfect.  Most likely, the hull would've been full of imperfections, dings and scrapes.  At your scale, a few planks slightly thicker than the next would, in my opinion, mirror full sized reality.  Thus, in many respects, your hull has realism and character, just like the real thing.
 
Having saying that, I still find the structure of your hull beautiful and interesting.  I guess I always prefer to see the framework exposed rather than hiding the construction details with planks...but that's just me, hence why I like building my hulls with exposed frames and deck beams.
 
All the best with your boat.  Keep up the fabulous work!
 
Cheers
 
Patrick

Patrick,
Thank you for stopping by and for your kind works. This being my first scratch build I am happy with how the planking has turned out. But the pictures do not show everything, there are gaps at the edges and some of the planks did not lay as flat as they should. The plank thicknesses are not uniform, so I have had to soften the edges of some with a chisel blade or else they would be trip hazard.
 
I am also working at 1:24 scale, not the small scale you work at. Patrick, your planking on that scale is amazing. 1:24 scale has some advantages. I believe the gaps are not as obvious as they are in smaller scales. The drawback I am finding, is that a lot of the detail that can be omitted at the smaller scale, would be noticed if missing at 1:24 scale. When I started I figured I could get this done in about a year. I have been working on this for 7 months (I did take 2 months off over the summer, so say 5 months actual working). I think I will be doing good to have started the deck planking when 1 year rolls around.
 
I am trying to plan out long term, so I will not have to rush to get supplies when I need them. There are several items that will need to scratch built.
Windlass Stove Coffee Pot ( You can't go to sea without Coffee) Winder (Dredging Winch) Dredge Rollers Oyster Dredge Dredge A-Frame Steering Mechanism 2 Lanterns Running Lights I have been on the look out for Items that would be useful in building those parts. I believe my best find was some decorative gears at the local Michaels Craft Store. I have picked up 2 sizes of wooden barrels, fish hooks with straight shanks and some assorted brass.

Hopefully I can use some of the gears in the winder and the windlass.

The main railings, along with the hances, volutes and beaded moldings have been completed:
 

 

 

 
 
With the bulwarks (finally) sealed off, it's almost time to start on the planking of the quarterdeck.  But first we'll be adding some hatches, coamings and companionways.  
 
Hope everyone is feeling shipshape and being productive!
 
 
 

Arrr ...
CaptainSteve, blushing a deep colouration somewhere a-twixt red and pink, doth indeed-eth and most verily, wish to express-eth his gratitude to one and all for the platitudes above !!!
 
“Truly,” were Our Hero to sigh most gratefully, “you guys (and gals) have been of incalculable assistance and have kept me going throughout this build."
 
“Whatsomore,” he didst continue, “there be NO WAY that me Launch could have ended up a-looking the way she does wi'out the Horde and MSW !!”
 
Now, as he were-eth to mention above, CaptainSteve didst have a couple o’ final touches in mind ...
 
“I be a-wanting,” he were to announce-eth, “a couple o’ extra tools.”
 
To that end, today Our Hero didst mock-eth up a pair o’ extra chisels and a cross-cut saw to be placed “lazily” ‘pon one o’ the thwarts.
“Me idea a-bein’,” he were to explain-eth, “to display the tool-box that little bit betterer.”
 
And so, without further waffling, here be pictures …
 

The chisels are just a pair of cast-metal belaying pins which hath been salvaged from the remains of kits gone-by. They has been shaped using the Dremel with a grinding bit, and given a touch o’ paint.
 
The cross-cut saw was made wi’ some scrap timber. The blade was, once 'pon a time, an Exacto saw-blade which hath been cut, trimmed and grinded to shape. And the tension wire at the top be the wire middle trimmed from an ordinary twist-tie, folded o’er, twisted into shape and chemically blackened.
 
"Here they be a-fixed into position."

("Arrr-geth," were Our Hero to roll-eth his eyes, "I be a-maintainin' that the yellow on them bread-fruits be not-eth a-lookin' SOOO YELLOW in reality !!")
 

("Dang it !! Why cant-eth me camera be taking pictures like this all the time ?!?!?")
 
“Tomorrow,” CaptainSteve were to blather on, “be the big launching o’ me Launch.”
 
Our Hero plans to be adding some final photos from the Launch party, but then this build-log can be considered, most verily, to be-eth finalized !!
 
“I be a-hopin’ to see each an’ e’ery one o’ ye over at the continuation o’ me USS Constitution build !!”