palmerit
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Everything posted by palmerit
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@DB789 or @James H (or others), I'm thinking about building a couple of the Vanguard fishing vessels before beginning the Duchess that I bought. Which two of them would you say are the most different from one another? I was thinking about getting the Erycina as one of them. What would be the most different in terms of look and (especially) model-building experience (hull, deck furniture, rigging) from the Erycina? What two would be the pair that was most different from one another? Thanks in advance.
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Best source for model ship stuff?
palmerit replied to Hal Newell's topic in New member Introductions
Some places I've ordered from (in addition to amazon.com, ageofsail.com, and vanguardmodels.co.uk) https://modelexpo-online.com for Model Shipways kits. https://www.ottofrei.com has some tools like nice files and optivisor. https://www.leevalley.com has some tools like nice chisels and planes for modeling. https://ultimation.ca for desktop sander and cutter. https://occre.com to order their models directly. -
Black Friday 15% off at AL: https://artesanialatina.net/us/en/
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If you've eyed any of the Hobby Zone (https://www.hobbyzone.pl) modular systems to organize craft tables, one of the couple of official re-sellers in the US, USAGS (https://www.usagundamstore.com/pages/search-results-page?q=hobby zone&page=2), has 20% off this week with code USAGSTG20.
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At ageofsail.com (which sells Vanguard Models in the US and lots more): "From Black Friday through Cyber Monday receive 10% off with coupon code CAPTAIN10 ... Shipping will be free on all orders over $100 during that time ..."
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I got mine shipped from the UK to the USA last summer (because the reseller in the US was out of stock at the time). (No idea if there are added complications going from the UK to the EU.)
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I never had any problems with the wood breaking (except when I smacked the stern end stupidly while sanding too aggressively) on the Sherbourne. The softer wood is pretty thick, and the thin wood is pretty strong. I’m also doing the Model Shipwright series of three boats, which is a different style (Dory, Pram, and Smack) - also fun, but very different. Those models have a lot of soft, thin basswood that can break if you’re not careful (and that gets fuzzy).
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Occre (https://occre.com/en-us) has 20-50% off Black Friday Deals (you get an additional 10% off if you subscribe to their newsletter). I've seen some hit-or-miss reviews of Occre kits, but I ended up buying the Endurance for my collection to build sometime in the future (it ended up being 30% off). It might get a companion Lego build. Model Expo (https://modelexpo-online.com) is advertising Black Friday Week with sales on Model Shipways kits, but many seem to be the same price they've been for a while. I'm monitoring to see if they have better deals later in the week since I have a credit from them for having completed my Dory. I'm leaning on getting the Bluenose. I know it causes frustration in places but I really like how it looks and I haven't seen a model like it anywhere. Age of Sails (https://www.agesofsail.com) had a 10% off Black Friday sale in 2023. I'm waiting to see if another one pops up. I was planning to buy one of Vanguard's fishing boats (Erycina or Ranger). Has anyone else seen any Black Friday deals? (Just the other day I had to explain to my international graduate students and postdoctoral fellows what "Black Friday" was and why it was called "Black").
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You might ask them if they have any on the way. I did get mine shipped from the UK because ageofsails was out of stock. They got a bunch in a month later. I don’t have a jig and I have tons of other (arguably unnecessary) tools. Something like the sherbourne is pretty small and you can just hold it in your hands. I also have it (now that it’s planked and painted) sitting on towels. Maybe when rigging it I might decide a jig is useful.
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Have you checked out Vanguard Models (https://vanguardmodels.co.uk). If you're in the US, you can order from https://www.agesofsail.com. The Sherbourne is probably the same price as the Titanic from Occre and has really clear instructions (though obviously very different ships). Vanguard also has less expensive fishing vessels. These models will keep you busy too. I've been working on the Sherbourne since summer. You can see the instructions on the Vanguard web site. You can see that they're a lot more detailed than the Occre instructions (just photos) and videos.
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Absolute beginner here - new to ship modeling
palmerit replied to AlanR's topic in New member Introductions
Consider a Vanguard Model after you do the Shipwright Series. I’m doing the Vanguard Sherbourne (it was what I started first) and will likely do one or two of the Vanguard fishing boats before starting the Vanguard Duchess I bought. (I started the Shipwright Series while doing the Sherbourne for a model to work on when waiting for paint or glue to dry and for something else to work on). While the Vanguard models are more expensive, the instructions and materials are top notch, and things really fit together. The Sherbourne will probably take me as long to finish as it’ll take me to do all three Shipwright kits, so you get a lot of model dollars out of the Vanguard kits, with less frustration and head scratching. -
Absolute beginner here - new to ship modeling
palmerit replied to AlanR's topic in New member Introductions
Make a copy of these instructions for "Free Dory": https://modelexpo-online.com/free-dory-promo.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqwmLrwPgSeQXL86b6R6YpMeUw_MBZ9VMjLAcP-eU_TtH8DMJMi If you complete it and send them a photo they'll give you a credit. I even got a credit for the Dory even though I bought the three-kit shipwright package. -
Please explain razor saws to me
palmerit replied to nheather's topic in Modeling tools and Workshop Equipment
Relatedly, I'm wondering if people have suggestions for thin keyhole saws. I saw them used by someone building the Norwegian Pram, which I'm doing now. You drill a pilot hole and then can saw out a slot with the keyhole saw (obviously, something a razor saw cannot be used for). -
Please explain razor saws to me
palmerit replied to nheather's topic in Modeling tools and Workshop Equipment
I saw these recommended here: -
First thing on these Model Shipways models (at least the Shipwright series ones), don't assume that the paper plans in the instruction book are 1:1 with the pieces. Often they're not. These models were developed a long time ago and I bet that photocopies were made of photocopies and the 1:1 correspondence may be lost. Sometimes they're right. Often they're not. I never checked them myself, but I read it enough times in other build logs that I don't trust the plans. Usually, you'd want to follow the plans. Not with these model kits. You'd think you should follow the plans. Not in with these. In these "older style" ship model kits, the pieces often don't fit together in ways described or illustrated (in contrast to more modern models by Vanguard Models). I certainly would not trim the cross piece, but just fiddle with the frames so that there they come together at the bottom they're parallel to each other (overlapping of course) and so that they can be glued into the side notches of the cross piece.
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Just for length. Better than a scalpel.
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I ended up redoing that first plank too - for the same reason. I ended up buying some more basswood sheets so that I could redo planks as often as I needed. I found that after redoing a few, I would have used all the basswood that came with the kit. I always made by planks too large and then just sanded them down to shape them. Probably a hack. But when I tried to precisely mark out the shape and cut them they were always off, and if they're too small or there's a gap you need to start over. Making them wider and longer made it easier to iterate. I definitely used the ultimation slicer a lot. One challenge I found is that you need to wet down to shape. But when wet, you can't sand or cut.
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I also have a ton of the plastic spring clamps (in three different sizes) and little metal clamps.
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I've made a ton of those binder clips and they are useful. I'll often put a piece of scrap wood down between the "clamp" piece of the jury-rigged clip and the piece of plank or other wood (especially if it's a softer wood that will be dented). I've just found that the binder clips don't work well if there a lot to curve and they don't work if there isn't room (e.g., if you're getting to the last few planks).
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Right. I've learned a bit to do the shaping of the planks. I suppose if I use a quicker setting glue (like the Tightbond Speedset) I can get by without lots of clamping. I've just seen a lot of various posts about the importance of applying pressure - some way the chemistry of the glue requires pressure, some say it's not needed. I suppose building a model - as opposed to a real ship (or a piece of furniture) - you don't need to worry so much about the pressure dimension of wood chemistry. It just need to stick and stay, hopefully for the long term.,
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Doing these bevels at the ends means that the two planks are flush (without a gap) at the bow and stern ends - if they were just overlapping and full thickness, there would be a small gap (and being a boat, you wouldn't want that gap). Along the length of the boat, yeah they overlap (clinker appearance) but there is no gap between them. It's only at the end (where they run up to the bow and stern pieces) that there would be a gap if they were left unbeveled. If you next do the Norwegian Pram, which I'm working on now, you do a rabbet cut at either end of the plank for a similar reason - not doing so would leave a small gap. I don't think I fully understood why I was doing the bevel when I built the Dory. I didn't fully understand the reason for the rabbet either when building the Pram, but then as I thought about it and played with the pieces a bit, it made sense. And then when I did the rabbet on one plank and compared it to the one without (holding them to the stern end) I could see that the one with the rabbet fit snug without much gap and the one without the rabbet had a gap. I wonder if they just had a rolling bevel on the Dory because it is a little bit more challenging to make a rabbet, so they included that in the second model, the Pram.
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- Lowell Grand Banks Dory
- Model Shipways
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Cool. Thanks. I'll need to try that glue out. Someone also suggested Super PHATIC ALIPHATIC Glue Fast Drying. I think that's more like a superglue but not as fiddly. I bought some to try to use with PE parts; it was suggested in the context of asking for an alternative to CA when using photo etch parts). Don't know how well it works with wood (it says it does, don't know how it'd compare to Titebond). I've also seen folks make their own pins that have a piece of wood through them (that can act as a clamp on the plank above or below) and that these work especially well when doing a second planking. I'd love a "how to" for making those (e.g., what kind of pins, what kind of wood). I'm not especially handy.
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After building my Sherbourne, I've realized that I do not like using CA glue. Maybe someday I'll gain the ability to put just enough glue, the confidence of putting it in the right place, and the speed to do it quickly. But that day is not today. I like using PVA glue. I can easily move and remove the plank. The question is how best to clamp it down. I know some people say you don't need pressure, but I've read that PVA glue binds better with some pressure. I've created some out of blinder clips (https://shipmodeler.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/simple-planking-clamp-from-binder-clips/). I've learned (from logs and playing around) ways to use rubber bands (and using clips to exert more pressure from the band. I have some plastic zip ties that I saw some people use, but haven't tried them yet. The blinder clips work well on a relatively flat area, but don't work as well on a curve or when there are other planks in the way. And of course they don't work if you're doing a double planked hull. I've seen people just use pins, but that looks like it would put a divot on the side of the wood if you apply any pressure, especially if the wood is softer. Can anyone point me to any good solutions I could buy or I could make?
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Planking is complete. A little off on the bow end.
- 63 replies
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- Norwegian Sailing Pram
- Model Shipways
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So even though I bought the three-model "MODEL SHIPWAYS SHIPWRIGHT 3 KIT COMBO SERIES", I was able to submit my receipt and a photo of me and my completed Dory to take advantage of their "Build the Dory for Free" offer (https://modelexpo-online.com/free-dory-promo.html). So now I have a $69.49 credit at Model Expo. Can someone recommend a good Model Shipways kit to buy and build? Here are the ones I've looked at: Bluenose 18th Century Longboat Virginia Armed Sloop HMS Bounty Launch I've checked out some build logs (more for some than others) but I didn't know if anyone had experience with these that could make a recommendation (whether they'd recommend one or another based on their experience building one or more of these or based on research they did in making a purchasing decision themselves).
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