palmerit

Agreed. It’ll probably take me another couple of models before I completely “get it”. You know you’ve really gotten the right bending in both directions (as well as chamfering the edge) when the piece of plank fits into place as if you were putting together a plastic or LEGO model.

I'm in the middle of assembling the Syren Servo-Matic, so I haven't had a chance to try it. I can say that the materials are great and the instructions are clear - you need to download the instructions online since they're (understandably) not included in the actual kit. There is a video on the Syren site for using it: https://syrenshipmodelcompany.com/serving-machine.php I've seen the shipworkshop.com one recommended on here a few times. It's twice as much as the Syren one, but is metal and I think has a motor. They also have a combo serving / rope walking machine for nearly $500.

Everything’s a small learning experience. When assembling the Syren Servo-Matic I needed to keep the main pieces square to the base when gluing them. I only have one medium and one small square (and a bunch in my cellar far too large). I was going to use LEGO pieces, which work well and are easily configurable. But then I thought I’d use my 1-2-3 blocks. They’re heavy and perfectly square. Well, I forgot that they had arrived with machine oil on them. While I had wiped them off, some remained in the holes and ended up staining the wood pretty deeply. 1-2-3 blocks have their uses (they make for nice weights and arms from a Quad Hands can magnetically attach to them) I’ll not let them sit on exposed wood again. Glad I discovered this on the Servo-Matic rather than on a model.

I decided to get the Syren Servo-Matic Serving Machine. It needs to be built. First step is sanding all the cherry wood pieces (except for the gears).

I cut out pieces by tracing out how much the part was too small compared to the correctly-sized piece on the other side (following what Olha did). I don’t think I would have thought to do it this way on my own.

I’m planning to use Olha’s approach to fixing the fact that one of the pieces of the bottom was misprinted at the wrong scale, leaving gaps. I realized that even though I can fix this problem, the other parts on that sheet are also going to be the wrong scale. So I ordered a free replacement from Model Expo / Model Shipways. While their QA isn’t the best, they do have a reasonable replacement policy. https://modelexpo-online.com/parts

I haven’t had much time to work on models recently because in my spare time I’ve been remodeling my younger son’s bedroom before he finishes his sophomore year at college next week. Painting, adding shelving, redoing his closet. I had been using his room for modeling. I just put up a folding table in the middle of his room for modeling and another for my airbrush booth, covering up some stuff with a drop cloth. I just had stuff piled around, usually piled on his bed or on the floor. Now I’ve permanently taken a corner of his room and everything is organized. We used Elfa (Decor+) closet systems from the Container Store (it’s a Swedish brand I think and is certainly sold in other stores outside the US). I have shelves for models in progress and in the queue. Elfa has a garage+ system that works great for organizing tools and such. There are hooks for various tools and clamps and small shelves for glues and filler and things. I also bought a nice couple of work tables to replace the folding tables (a large one for work, a small one for my airbrushing) from a company called Desky; they sell adjustable standing desks but also fixed height work desks. Recommend both. Not cheap, not crazy expensive. It’ll probably be a month before I make steady progress again. We’re picking up our son next week and visiting family. Then we’re off to Europe for three weeks: Italy, France, and Scotland. I have a conference in the French Alps near Chamonix for a week and my wife has one in Glasgow after. We’re adding some vacationing in Italy (Milan and Aosta) (1st time for both, been in other parts of Italy a few times) before my conference and in Edinburgh (3rd time) and up on the Isle of Skye (2nd time) after my wife’s.

It takes a few models, a bunch of patience, rereading some build logs and write-ups, and re-viewing some videos, to really "get" planking. I'm definitely still a novice at it. Even if you're going to fully paint the hull - which means you can use filler liberally and sand the heck out of it to shape - use each model as an opportunity to figure out planking a little more. My Sherbourne hull ended up okay even though both first and second plankings were garbage and I ended up using a ton of filler and a bunch of sanding - jokingly I say that I might as well have carved the hull from a solid piece of wood. My Ranger was a lot better. I know what I'm going to do different on my next planked hull. I did the NRG Half Hull to get more of a handle on planking and it did help. But to be clear that tutorial gives you a sense of what the shapes of pieces should look like - you really get a sense of what you're trying to accomplish with edge bending in 3D for example - but in that model you're cutting planks from full sheets of thin wood, not doing strip planking. I'd love to see someone do something like a Half Hull project with a full write up and tutorial - maybe even videos - for doing strip planking.

First Build. I'm very impressed. The planking looks like it's from someone who's done some models before. And that model is so small, it would seem to be a far harder job.

My first plankings (first and second) on my Vanguard Sherbourne were absolutely terrible. It took watching several videos, reading a bunch of build logs, and reading some instructions to kind of get it. As @BurgundyModels said, you need to get the 3D right in your head and it’s not intuitive. I ended up buying some more easy Vanguard fishers (working on the Ranger now) and this second strip planked model was better, incrementally. The model you’re working on seems small and has quite a pronounced bow, both of which I’d imagine would make planking even more challenging. Doing more faring of the bulkheads probably needs to be done, but I imagine part of the challenge is that you need to edge bend, taper, and add a curvature bend.

A different option might be the Model Shipways Gunboat Philadelphia. It's large scale 1:24 and does not have a ton of small rigging. Olha Batchvarov just starting a group build on her YouTube channel:

I’m guessing the practicum is more detailed than his instructions. Would love a copy since I have that kit on my shelf.

First thing I'd do is try a different web browser (and/or reboot the computer).

I've used Gorilla CA glue - gel for come applications, micro precise for others - and never had them dry up. I've also used Zap thin CA glue and haven't had a problem. I did have that happen to me "pre-modeling" with other brands of CA glue; I ended up just buying the small single use superglue tubes, which looked kind of like what you have. I treated them as single use and just tossed them after using them because they'd dry up.

I’ve seen people use CA glue or shellac. My understanding is shellac can be undone with alcohol and dries clear, so I think (?) it’s preferred. CA dries faster I think.

I got the rack turned around with some surgery. I had to paint it black because I needed to add some wood filler around the wounds. I also added the belay pins and a few other pieces.

I'd probably do another Vanguard Model. I actually bought the Duchess of Kingston and that's now in my stash because I decided to build some of the smaller Vanguard fishing boats - currently working on the Ranger. I wanted more practice on hull planking and want to make my mistakes - like I did yesterday - on a model that isn't as expensive and doesn't take a couple of years to build. I have the US Brig Syren in my stash - my sons bought it for me. The instructions are great and complete but it's certainly an "old school" kind of model as @ccoyle noted, where you need to build lots of things from scratch. I'm trying to add a few "scratch" things - or at least deviations from the instructions - on the models I'm building now. When I do the Syren, I'll probably buy a bunch of material and parts from https://syrenshipmodelcompany.com since the materials (and QA) in Model Expo / Model Shipways kits is kind of middling (certainly compared to Vanguard Models).

Oh, man, you're right. Thanks for pointing that out. That'll be an interesting fix. I guess I have a project tonight.

Added some more deck fixtures.

Added some of the deck pieces. Still some more to add. I added some trim to the companionway (and painted and stained) because I did not like the jig saw puzzle piece look without doing so.

The Philadelphia is apparently undergoing preservation (it's closed to public since January): https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/projects/gunboat-philadelphia

Note that the instructions include some steps that aren’t needed. For example, cutting out a notch out of the cabin roof for the door and rounding the corners of the roof. Those are done in the laser cut piece now.

Yeah, I certainly don't blame these things on the designers. The folks at Model Shipways are always trying to put another challenge in front of you. I'm working on the Philadelphia, following Olha's build, and her kit and my kit (and lots of others) had this fun one (see photo) to try to figure out. Instead of asking them to send me a new part - assuming they have new parts that fix this - I'm going to follow along trying to see how Olha fixes hers. Figure I'll learn something from that experience. I don't quite understand the business model that doesn't do a better job of quality control, especially for what are supposed to be model kits aimed at relatively beginning modelers. I'm sure there are people who buy these kits and don't find a web site like this and get frustrated or think they made a mistake and just move on to another hobby. So they sell one kit rather than possibly dozens of kits to someone. I can see advanced models just giving you the supplies and having you figure things out for yourself, but beginning/intermediate models should show a little bit of care and oversight. This model lists at nearly $300 - though I got it for half that. You'd think they monitor these websites. I'm sure they weren't exactly pleased to see that in Olga's first video of the group build that Model Expo / Model Shipways has been advertising just about every day that their biggest parts don't fit together at all. They literally have a Creed Bratten running their QA department.owin

I think you’re right wrt paddle wheel boats. The Philadelphia is a very similar flat shallow hull, for the same reason as the hulls on paddle wheelers. You can often check the instructions online, at least for some kits, to see what kind of hull construction it has. The Philadelphia makes it hard to see what I’m describing because the illustrations are all on plan sheets, not in the instruction book. You can check Olha’s build when she gets to planking. I bet some paddle wheel kits have the pre-spilled planks, and the planks are probably wide and there aren’t that many. I understand your frustration with the strip planking. My Sherbourne was garbage - both layers. The hull ended fine, but that’s because of filler, sanding, and tons of layers of paint. The only thing the Half Hull really did for me was visualizing what edge bending is trying to accomplish with strip planking. My Vanguard Ranger was certainly better. But it was supposed to have some bare wood up top that was to be oiled/stained. No way on mine, so I painted the entire hull. I’m kind of surprised I stuck with trying to understand planking. It was pretty frustrating. I kind of “get it” now, and least to some extent. We’ll see if I ever get to the point of having a bare wood hull. I’m going Olha does a group build someday with a strip planked hull. Maybe she’ll pick a Vanguard model, but she seems to have some agreement with Model Expo.

If you haven’t done a model that requires faring the bulkheads, I recommend having the “printed” sides of the bulkheads pointed towards their respective ends of the ship (they can be put in either direction). These markings then show approximately (don’t take them as exact) how much of the bulkheads (at an angle) will need to be sanded off; a lot near the front and back, none at all (except to remove the char) in the middle.