Piet

She's trimming out nice Piet.  All you need now is satellite TV. 
 
Hope you and yours have a safe and Happy New Year Piet!

Progress report.  I have been messing around in the cabin and made two bunks with mattresses on the port side.  Then I made a fake cabinet on the starboard side with a little table.  The cabinet is just a plank with the cabinet doors and mouldings scribed into it.  
 
I am looking for some material for the blankets.  I may have to go to the fabric store and see if they can give me a a few square inches.  For the mattresses I used small pieces of styrofoam and wrapped pieces of an old handkerchief around it.  With the blankets over it it should look quite nice.
 
I made the helm from boxwood and soaked it in water overnight and bend it around my coffee cup and clamped it till it was dry.  I stained it in New England MapleI and used the same stain for the cockpit benches and the cabin furniture.
I painted the cabin walls white as the bulwarks.  I used Testors flat white, looks okay.   
 
I installed the rudder and helm.  It works 
 
I am ready to cement the deck to the hull but am rather apprehensive doing it.  The kit plans call for using slow acting CA but even with that I am afraid that I don't have enough time to position the deck properly. I have done a few dry runs and I do need more time positioning it properly then the CA gives me.  
I'm really leaning towards using Titebond glue and plenty of elastic bands to clamp it down.  Right now I'm not committed yet to which glue I'll be using.
 
Okay, here are a few pics of how the sloop looks like as of today.
 

This shows the finished benches and the helm.  The deck is just laying loose on top of the hull.  Thinking about the paint scheme, I may just paint the frames, bulwarks and bulkheads green.  I'll use the same green for the cabin coamings, toe rails, trail boards and wales.  I think to paint it red below the waterline and white above the waterline.  Just thinking ahead right now.
You may also see a pencil outline to where I thought in trimming some decking away.  This too is still up in the air.  It seems strange to me to have such a wide deck area where they man-handle lobster traps in and out.  But then again, why make extra work for me.
 

This hows the two bunks with the mattresses.  Yup, it's a fist class cabin, nothing but the best. 
 

This shows the starboard side of the cabin with the fake cupboard and table.  The cupboard is still  made to fit after the coaming and roof are being installed.  Thinking of adding a strip of wood around the top of the coaming for extra glue area for the cabin roof.
 

 
Cheers.

Hello everyone, I trust all y'all had a great holiday.
 
I finally finished the dinghy for my O19 submarine model and can spend more time on this little boat.
In between jobs I managed to finish the cockpit seat and installed it.  
I'm now moving forward and started on making the bunks for the little cabin.  The lower bunk is all glued in but the top bunk still needs to be finished.  I'm holding off with that one till I have scrounged up "stuff" for the mattress and bedding materials before I can glue the top bunk in for excess to the lower bunk.  I still need to stain the bulkhead planking before I can finalize the bunks.
I don't know yet about other furniture beside a table.  A stove would be nice but I need to think about that one.  It would pose a real fire hazzard and we need to put some asbestos heat shields in    OSHA and the EPA will not be happy with that idea   
 
I also made the gudgeons and pintles for the rudder today but need to wait with installing the rudder till the cabin interior is finished.  That'll be the last thing to do before I can put the deck on.
 
Here are a few picks of the work so far.
 

 

 

I made lockers under the benches to stow "stuff" in.  
 

Perhaps not standard equipment, having two bunks but I figured - why not.  I plan to add 2 mm to the cabin roof to give the top bunk a little more headroom 
 
Cheers,

Thank you George for your kind words and thanks to all for visiting and clicking the like button.
 
Did some work on this little sloop.  I made the bench seat for the cockpit out of a piece of 1.5 mm boxwood that I cut out of a previously made plank.  I made that plank for another project out of a larger timber on my 10 inch bench saw and smoothed it down with a belt sander.
 
Looking at the photo I think I'll have to make it a little narrower and also narrower planks.  I kinda followed the kit drawing but it just looks a little to big.  
There'll be (fake) storage lockers under the seats therefore the seat planking will have to be close together to keep most of the water out of the lockers
 
There is some more cleaning and tweeking to be done with other things as well but I'm progressing.
 

 

 
Cheers, 

Thanks everyone for dropping in and clicking the like button.
 
Well, I decided to make the additional "false" frames in the cockpit / work area and at the fish bin.  I figured it enhances the look somewhat and will give the deck some more points to glue to.    
 
I also installed the framing for the fish bin hatches.
 
Everything is still in the rough and awaits dressing-up.
 
Here are the pics of today's activities.
 

 

 
Cheers,

Thanks everyone for visiting and your like votes.
 
Hello Russ and thank you for your kind words, appreciate it.
 
 
I'm not in the least thrilled with the balsa side planking and have caused some damage to the top sides in handling.  But I guess that's the price i am paying for batching it to this extend.  If the boat is build according to the build guidance this won't happen though because the deck'll be on first.
 
Okay, I managed to complete the planking of the cockpit / work area and the fish bin deck.  I also made and installed planking to the fish bin aft bulkhead.
 
Next job?  that'll be a toss-up right now.  I think I need to make a few false ribs for the cockpit / work area to strengthen the side planking.  I did glue a strip of heavy paper to the outside at the sheer.  I was even contemplating of a sheer nylon cloth over the hull with poly urethane like I did on the O19 sub hull. 
 
Well, in any case I'll play it by ear right now and keep plugging along.  At least I'm in the building-up stage and not tearing things down 
 

 
Cheers, 

Very Cool Piet, I just discovered your build log ( I have been away for a while ) Looks Good, They are very fun to build
Here is a Scratch build I did with a retractable centerboard
 
Best Regards,
Pete

Progress report.  I have been messing around in the cabin and made two bunks with mattresses on the port side.  Then I made a fake cabinet on the starboard side with a little table.  The cabinet is just a plank with the cabinet doors and mouldings scribed into it.  
 
I am looking for some material for the blankets.  I may have to go to the fabric store and see if they can give me a a few square inches.  For the mattresses I used small pieces of styrofoam and wrapped pieces of an old handkerchief around it.  With the blankets over it it should look quite nice.
 
I made the helm from boxwood and soaked it in water overnight and bend it around my coffee cup and clamped it till it was dry.  I stained it in New England MapleI and used the same stain for the cockpit benches and the cabin furniture.
I painted the cabin walls white as the bulwarks.  I used Testors flat white, looks okay.   
 
I installed the rudder and helm.  It works 
 
I am ready to cement the deck to the hull but am rather apprehensive doing it.  The kit plans call for using slow acting CA but even with that I am afraid that I don't have enough time to position the deck properly. I have done a few dry runs and I do need more time positioning it properly then the CA gives me.  
I'm really leaning towards using Titebond glue and plenty of elastic bands to clamp it down.  Right now I'm not committed yet to which glue I'll be using.
 
Okay, here are a few pics of how the sloop looks like as of today.
 

This shows the finished benches and the helm.  The deck is just laying loose on top of the hull.  Thinking about the paint scheme, I may just paint the frames, bulwarks and bulkheads green.  I'll use the same green for the cabin coamings, toe rails, trail boards and wales.  I think to paint it red below the waterline and white above the waterline.  Just thinking ahead right now.
You may also see a pencil outline to where I thought in trimming some decking away.  This too is still up in the air.  It seems strange to me to have such a wide deck area where they man-handle lobster traps in and out.  But then again, why make extra work for me.
 

This hows the two bunks with the mattresses.  Yup, it's a fist class cabin, nothing but the best. 
 

This shows the starboard side of the cabin with the fake cupboard and table.  The cupboard is still  made to fit after the coaming and roof are being installed.  Thinking of adding a strip of wood around the top of the coaming for extra glue area for the cabin roof.
 

 
Cheers.

The pilot house and console look jim dandy Popeye and so do the barrels. Oh, I'm sure you'll add the details to the barrels to make them look real, or close to real - - - knowing you  
 
Cheers, 

Hello everyone, I trust all y'all had a great holiday.
 
I finally finished the dinghy for my O19 submarine model and can spend more time on this little boat.
In between jobs I managed to finish the cockpit seat and installed it.  
I'm now moving forward and started on making the bunks for the little cabin.  The lower bunk is all glued in but the top bunk still needs to be finished.  I'm holding off with that one till I have scrounged up "stuff" for the mattress and bedding materials before I can glue the top bunk in for excess to the lower bunk.  I still need to stain the bulkhead planking before I can finalize the bunks.
I don't know yet about other furniture beside a table.  A stove would be nice but I need to think about that one.  It would pose a real fire hazzard and we need to put some asbestos heat shields in    OSHA and the EPA will not be happy with that idea   
 
I also made the gudgeons and pintles for the rudder today but need to wait with installing the rudder till the cabin interior is finished.  That'll be the last thing to do before I can put the deck on.
 
Here are a few picks of the work so far.
 

 

 

I made lockers under the benches to stow "stuff" in.  
 

Perhaps not standard equipment, having two bunks but I figured - why not.  I plan to add 2 mm to the cabin roof to give the top bunk a little more headroom 
 
Cheers,

Thanks everyone for dropping in and clicking the like button.
 
Well, I decided to make the additional "false" frames in the cockpit / work area and at the fish bin.  I figured it enhances the look somewhat and will give the deck some more points to glue to.    
 
I also installed the framing for the fish bin hatches.
 
Everything is still in the rough and awaits dressing-up.
 
Here are the pics of today's activities.
 

 

 
Cheers,

Hello all, it;s been a few days since my last post but I have not been sitting on my hands.  Been busy with other projects, one of which is version 2.0 of the O19 dinghy.
Also thinking about modding the cockpit area by cutting down the last bulkhead so I can extend the deck / floor of the work area into the cockpit.  Dee Dee and Hexnut mentioned it and I saw it on Dee Dee's build.
 
Most things are still in the rough state but tidying-up  and adjusting all of the modded stuff should go rather quick.  
 
I installed the planking on the cabin bulkheads, or made a start with it.  I don't know yet how far I'll go with the cabin furniture, it'll most likely be sparse.  Thinking now to put two bunks in on the starboard side, a shelf like thingy for a table and Hexnut mentioned a stove.  Hmmmm, yes, a stove - - - but - but -
 
The fish / lobster well is now also almost ready to plank but I need to think about framing for the hatches.  Also making a bunch fake frames for the cockpit and work area.
 
I laid the "king" plank already in the work and cockpit area. I'm close to ready for planking that section.
 
Well, here are a few pics of where we stand right now.  
 

I started paneling the forward bulkhead and used 0.65 mm birch plywood.  I put some moulding on the sides to make it look more finished - - - hmmm - actually to hide a few rough edges   I think I'll leave it in thi color and put some clear poly on it.   The rest will be done when the sides are installed.
 

Same procedure with the cockpit aft bulkhead.  This too is not finished yet.
 

Here is the aft bulkhead cut down with some additional stringers for the deck / floor planking.  I am also adding a partition just aft of the cockpit and you see it here loosely put in place.  There is still some trimming to be done.  I left the space open for the helm.  You can also see the "king" plank in place.
 

An overall view looking forward.
 
Cheers,

Hello all and thanks to all who dropped by and visited and also your likes.
 
In found that this Minwax wood hardener really works like a charm.  I finished shaping the bow filler blocks and really like the way the bow came out.  
I did some more light fairing with a sanding stick and then proceeded by smearing a light coat of water based wood putty over it, which has a nice buttery consistency.  It dries real fast when using thin coats so I can sand away the high spots.  There was not much filling in needed but it is hiding the balsa grain nicely.
 
The only way to tell if the hull is nice and smooth is to spray a coat of white primer on the hull.  I'll wait with that till after I have completed everything inside the hull, which is next on the agenda.  
 
Here are a few pics of the progress so far.
 

A bow shot with most of the shaping done.  A shame you can't see the slight concave entrance of the  bow.  That raggedy stuff you see at the top of the bow will be covered by the shearwater that'll be cemented to the keel / bow.  
 

Stern view
 

This is the area of the small cabin.  Yup, this cabin will be small but it's a working boat and not a weekend sailer.
 

This is the area of the cockpit.  More changes are in the works.
 

A general view from above.  I put a small stump on the mast hole when I used the deck to run of the side planking and now also as an added handhold.  
 
 
Cheers,

Hello boys and girls and my thanks to all who dropped in and left a like vote, much appreciated.
 
I managed to install the keel strip and side battens.  I had to make a few adjustments in the notches and also added a few reinforcements to the now weekend frame ends.  I started with the fairing and according the instructions I can expect areas that may not fair out quite right.  Well, they are right and I'll have to add strips of basswood to the battens and bulkhead sides in several locations as wel as the transom.  
At least the kit producer has added this note, which is appropriate and expected.  
 
I'll try to do just that tomorrow between working on the O19 dinghy.  I am now soaking the planks for that project and plan to start planking that little dinghy.  While the glue cures on that project I can devote some time on the lobster smack.
 
Here are a few pics of the work done so far.
 

 

 

 
Cheers,

Hello everyone and thanks to all for visiting and your likes.
 
I trust that all had a great Thanksgiving and a great Thursday for the non-Yanks.
 
I finished modding the bulkheads, at least to the point of gluing them to the keel frame, which I then did do.  It turned out that the most aft bulkhead, #4, sat too high on the keel frame by roughly 4 mm.  This is the location assigned to it per the drawing and instruction manual.  
I should have checked all the bulkheads for proper positioning before gluing them to the keel frame an not trust the kit maker for accuracy.  
Turned out that kit provided location for that bulkhead is in error, they should have slotted the keel frame a little.  Lesson learned, check positions of all parts before permanently cementing to whatever they are supposed to go.  I found this out when I tried to fit the "Keel Strip" per step 18 of the instruction manual.  At this #4 bulkhead the strip actually bowed upwards instead of making a nice positive bow down.
 
So, I removed #4 bulkhead and cut a notch into the keel frame to lower the bulkhead to the desired position and checked it again before gluing the bulkhead back on.  
 
I also found that the 1/16 notches in the bulkheads for these strips are not deep enough, at least not to my liking.  I had to enlarge then just a smidgen.  
The instructions have you used slow setting CA and only to apply the CA to the notches in the bulkheads.  To me that would make it too springy for the hul planking plates.  I think that I'll glue them on with PVA and clamp them, along the entire length of these strips and them fairing them following the rounded contours of the bulkheads.
 
I also found that the notches in frame 1 needed to be shaped in order for the 1/16 X 1/8 center battan to fit properly.  There is also an error in step 23 of the manual calling this battan 1/16 X 1/18 instead of 1/16 X 1/8 inch.  Yeah, okay, I'm picky but I keep thinking about the novice builder.
 
Just wondering here.  If this kit is supposed to be a Novice level 2 kit, who will these novices be?  Young people in their early teens?  Totally inexperienced adults who have nu clue about terms, tools and how to solve some of these annoying little inconsistencies?  Would they have experienced help nearby?  This could very well be very discouraging for them and ready to give up.
 
The error with bulkhead #4 may not be noticeable by a true novice and he or she would happily forge ahead with the result of an odd looking hull at the stern end.
 
I mention all this in case some inexperienced novice builder want to build this lovely little boat.  It's my humble opinion that the instructions lack extra notes and warnings to help the novice along.  
 
Okay, let me add two pics to show the progress with a few notes attached.
 

This shows the modified bulkheads numbered 4 at left bottom, # 2 at left top and # 3 at the right.  The keel frame sits nicely in it's dock.  I have annotated a few areas of interest.  At the keel, I have indicated where I cut a 4 mm slot to lower bulkhead 4 to it's proper position in the keel for a nice flowing bottom hull planking.  It's now also obvious that I will also lower that section of the keel frame aft of bulkhead 4.  There may be other changes in that area but I'll get to that later when I put the benches in.    It also shows the added blocks to give the bulkheads something to glue to after the keel frame was cut down for work area.
On bulkhead 3 I'll remove the two small horizontal pieces where the deck is supposed to be glued to and just make the leftover parts look more like frames. 
On bulkhead 2 I added a few curved pieces of wood to simulate frames.  Now I'm thinking of adding a bunch more fake frames between bulkheads #4 and #2. That means that the supplied deck plate will also be changed to just a cap rail over these frames.
 

Here I have glued all four bulkheads and the transom to the keel frame.  I'll most likely treenail the transom to the keel.  It's in my opinion not strong enough, it already popped off when trying to fit the 1/16 X 1/16 lower keel strip.
 
Cheers,

Hello every one.  I made a start with cutting away the parts I don't want in my mod.
 
First order of business was to make a working dock.  I didn't like the idea of using the box.  I'm cheep but that is below my standards.  I like a small and maneuvering dock where I can also check vertical and square, not that it seems to be needed but hey, I'm used to it.
 
I started with removing that part of the center keel where the little cabin will be and the center [art of the working deck.  There won't be much of a deck (floor) in the cabin but enough to get around in for the crew.  If I'm not mistaken there were only men working these small boats.  I also glued a few extra blocks to the keel for the modded bulkheads .  
 
As mentioned before, I will make the rudder workable and made a new rudder from poplar.  I used one of the extra stanchions for the O19 deck railing for the rudder pivot shaft.  Waste not want not    The tiller will have a brass pin at the end that'll slide into the horizontal brass tube part on top of the stanchion (see pic 3 below).  I need to figure out how to secure that so it won't pull out by some eager sailor.
 
Right now I'm thinking of glueing the side planking on first so I can mount the rudder hardware and rudder to the keel and have access to that helm stick attachment.  I can then cement a small ball on the aft end.  Also, with all these alterations inside the hull it's better to have the side planking on and the top open.
 
Okay, enough of my banter and a few pics to show the progress.  I am dividing my time between the dinghy for the O19 model and this model.  I'm switching days between the two. 
 

Here we see my build dock with the slightly modded keel frame.  Here i have removed the cabin and the center portion of the work area from the keel frame.  Granted that this whole are should be lower but for my purposes this'll have to suffice.  In the background you'll see the deck plate with my proposed section for removal. 
 

This shows the keel frame outside the dock with the portions of the keel removed and added mounting blocks for the bulkheads.  If you squint real hard you can see the rudder pivot pin in the slot made for the helm. As mentioned before I had to reinforce that are for the pin hole.  I also added a few strips for the deck plate.  Perhaps not needed but I had to back-drill through the top to make the rudder pivot pin hole and it really needed some extra beef there.
 

This is the new rudder and I have placed the pivot pin next to it so yuns can see how it's made.
 
Cheers,

This is really a belated post because the pics I'll be showing is work I did last Minday when it was raining here in Palm Coast, Florida.
 
I started to mark the drawing where I wanted to make the immediate areas for the mods.  There are of course a few more as I start thinking about te different sections.
To help yuns in following along I have annotated the drawing with numbers that'll be explained on each picture.  I can't add all the things I think I should change right now but we'll get to tem in due time.
 
As I mentioned before I wanted to make the actual work area as it should be.  The kit has part of this area closed off with the deck.  Then I want to make the small cabin visible through the entry way with possible bunk beds and a table.  I don't know yet how far I will go with dolling this baby up 
 
Okay then here are the pics I took last Monday.
 

#1 is a little involved. I have to drill a hole through the keel frame for the rudder pivot shaft and cut the helm slot a little further back.  I reinforced the keel frame with 2 mm blocks of poplar.  That hole doesn't leave much meat in the keel frame
# 2, I had to make a new rudder because the kit rudder is too skinny to allow me to drill a 1.2 mm hole in it for the pivot pin. I made the new rudder from the same material as the keel frame.  This way the gudgeons and pintels for the rudder hinges will flow naturally together.  It also gives me the thickness for the helm pivot pin, which will be made from 1.2 mm brass tube.  The helm will have a 0.8 mm brass rod at the end that'll slide in a small piece of 1.2 mm brass tube that'll be soldered on top of the rudder pivot pin.  I'll show a pic when I have made that.
#3, That's bulkhead #4 and the plan is to cut some away on the sides to make it look more like a frame.  That area will be reinforced with 1 mm plywood to prevent it from breaking off.
#4, is bulkhead 3 and the center part will be removed so I can extend the deck to the next bulkhead.
#5, is the position of the new deck piece.
#6, is bulkhead 2 and will have the an entry way opening cut into it for getting into the cabin. 
#7, is the cabin deck (floor for the non maritime oriented folks).
#8, is a reinforcement piece for the mast.  I found this area a little weak.  
#9, is what I'll cut away from the kit supplied deck plate to open up the work area.  Thoughts of planking the work area deck and cabin deck are floating through my mind or just scribe them in and blacken them with pencil.
#10, are the two lobster holding bins.  I'll move them aft a little so we have access to the cabin.  Originally this boat had a movable centerboard that is housed in a pocket inside the keel.  I won't that far but do as the plans call for, cement the centerboard to the keel.  Too much work and would be  a good project for a scratch build, then the engineering can be thought-out beforehand.
 

This shows just a hint of the changes I'll make to these two bulkheads. There'll be more, like reenforcing and added upright blocks to secure the bulkheads.  The numbers follow the ones on the drawing pic above.
 

This shows just a few of the changes to these bulkheads. We'll show more of them when I have made them.
 

This shows the area on the kit supplied deck plate with the planned change.   
 

Here I have temporarily installed all the bulkheads on the keel frame.
 
If anyone has batched this kit and want to add suggestions please feel free to do so.  I have certain ideas and don't want to go too far overboard with details (pun intended   ) 
 
Cheers, 

Hello all you marvelous ship builders.  I am new to the kit build section of MSW but not new to building models.  My name is Petrus W. van Warmerdam and live in Palm Coast Florida.  I retired in 20o9 from Federal service with the Federal Aviation Administration as an Airworthiness safety Inspector.  My wife and I moved from the Pittsburgh, PA area to get out of the cold.
 
Having finished one scratch build of my own design and then started a self design of a Dutch VOC ship, also scratch build and currently in the finishing stage of a scratch build Dutch submarine, I thought trying my hand at a wooden boat kit.  This is not the first wooden ship kit I have tackled and a few plastic models but those are all a long time ago.
 
I chose a  mid 19th century fishing boat, the Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack.  It's an apprentice level 2 kit and I think that it won't be too difficult for me to tackle.  I'm also going to be daring and bash it some.  
 
There are few things I like to be able to show like the cabin, the actual working area and make the rudder movable.  There'll be some other changes I think in making but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
I just hope that I can do as well as PiperJoe!   Did all y'all see his little sloop?
 
When we lived in Bangor, Maine from 1979 to 1987, we had a friend who was a lobster fisherman but he worked with powerboats though.
 
I like the looks of this little boat, much like the Friendship sloop I designed and scratch build but smaller.  This boat will be donated to the "Injured Warrior" program.  A bunch of folks from MSW will attend in April, 2015.  If you are not familiar with this event then check with SawdustDave.  It'll be in North Carolina right off I-95 and anyone willing and capable to attend, please contact Dave.  We can also bring our builds to show (off  )  He has a beautiful model going himself.
 
This is my first page of the build log and will tweak it in the next few days.  I'll need some help from Administrator Mark T with name, avatar and the signature.  Hey, I'm an aircraft guy not a computer wiz like many of you.
 
Here are a few pics of the kit box.  I bought it from Model Expo, it was on sale for a very handsome price and being a frugal Dutchman (my kids used to call me cheap    ) I could not refuse it and it's for a good purpose.  I'll add my impressions and comments with each picture, in case someone else would like build this very nice looking boat.
 

This is the box with the kit inside.  Love the picture.
 

First impression when I opened the box was that everything was packed very neatly with the two-sided drawing rolled up, instead of folded.   
 

The wood used is primarily bass wood.  Im not a fan of bass wood and would exchange it in a heartbeat for a better quality wood, if I had more time.  However, I'll work with te bass wood so I can learn how to manage it and give my impressions in case someone else wants to buy this nice kit.  Overall though I am rather impressed with the quality of the packing and lazer and die cuts.  They use balsa for for the hull planking, ugh.  But I have some stuff that will harden it up.  I'll have some comments I'm sure when we get to actually working with all this stuff.
I'll most likely use some of my own wood for different applications.
 

As mentioned, I really appreciate them rolling up the drawing. I don't have to worry about the folds tearing.  The sail and rigging plans are on the reversed side.  The build instruction booklet is also very nicely laid out and in simple steps even I can understand it.  As a scratch builder I have the tendency to do things my way but I try to follow their process.  This will be difficult to do because I am bashing it.  
 

The hardware is also very nice and plenty of it.  
 
Cheers,
 
Piet, the Flying Dutchman.

Thanks for dropping in Russ and BD, and for your kind words and info, it's much appreciated.
 
Yeah, I remember the stories from my friend up in Maine, he was / is a professional lobster fisherman.  Of course he used a power boat and always came back to shore in the evening.  However, there were times he went out further north and stayed overnight.  He would anchor in a sheltered cove and overnight there.  He had one of them Coleman thingies and cooked a simple one pot meal.
 
I already decided not to put a wood-burning stove in the cabin for exactly he reasons mentioned.  I did embellish on it though but only for the fun of it.
 
The same things could have happened way back in the mid 1850's so I just wanted to play with this idea with this little boat.  This model is also to be donated for auction where the proceeds go to the "Wounded warrior" funds and deviate enough from the kit plans to make it unique.   I wanted to have some fun with this build and deviate a little from making it a replica of how a real 1850's lobster smack looks like.  It kinda, sorta does but with some added "artistic license."
 
If I wanted to build one for me then I would scratch-build it using the plans from Howard Chapelle's book.  Do the research on it to find exactly how they looked like, how the were equipped, etc.  But I have already build a Friendship sloop model for my wife and am now finishing my father's submarine and am half way through a VOC ship.
 
Okay, up for a progress report in the next post.
 
Cheers,
 
 
 
 
 

Thanks very much Aldo,
 
due to the small boat fabrication there has been a Little pause in the rigging sequence, but now ist time to get the Yards and the square sails under process.....
Wish you all the best for your heath for 2015 and happy modeling with your "Triton"
 
Cheers,
 
Nils
 

Jud this is what surprised me the most as well, I am following the same practice as many of the model engines that have been built by the model engine builders and the most important thing is to make sure that the cylinder liner is well polished when using the O rings which is opposite to using cast iron rings. There are a number of tutorials for making cast iron rings down to 3/8th diameter but it takes a bit of practice and some really good cast iron bar stock to be able to make them successfully.  
 
JKLee and Omega
Yes it is a different area of modelwork but basically one only needs to focus on the task at hand and break it down into incremental chunks small chunks I admit. The way I see it is that each time we change materials or scales we encounter new challenges and have to consider using different tools for some tasks.
 
Remco the short answer is no, that said I think that the basic issue with drilling small holes is one of sequences.
 
1)  When drilling into wood with very small drills 1/32 and down to the small #'s 60-80 the wood is not a consistent homogenous material, it is organic and full of subtly different hardness's and textures and this is I believe the main reason for breaking the bits when using a drill press or milling machine, the other issue is the speed of rotation of the bit, the smaller the bit the higher the speed the machine needs to run, this is counter intuitive to the way we use them by hand in pin vices which is technically a snails pace by comparison. I think the difference is that when using a hand held pin vise we use much less pressure and can "feel" the drill cutting, remember our fingertips are one of the most sensitive parts of our bodies with the possibly the most nerve endings. 
 
2) When drilling metal the key is to ensure that the start is exactly centered, and I mean exactly, this can only be accomplished by using a centre drill to spot the centre first my centre drill for the small drills cost me $27 for a tiny 1/8 shank centre drill this means the for every hole I have to do a number of things first decide on where the hole is going to be, this entails laying out the position on the material and fixing the material solidly to the drill press or mill, I tend to use the numbers and not a centre punched divot, by that I mean indexing from two or more sides depending on the shape, the centre drill takes the place of the punched divot.
 
3) The way I index is to use an  edge finder or centre finder to set the datum on at least two edges then I can simply set the dials on the table to 0 and them index them to the two coordinates x and y that is the centre of the hole, I do this regardless of the size of the piece I am drilling, it is a habit. The quill of the mill also has a dial so that I can set the tip of the drill to 0 at the surface that way I know how deep my hole will be if I am not going all the way through. if I am going all the way through I sometime use some wast material as a support so that the drill does not catch and snag on exit one of the biggest causes of broken drills in the smaller sizes, the other is the drill bending because the start was off centre from the centre axis of the rotation of the drill as it gets deeper the bending forces increase often snapping the drill.
 
4) The next important thing regarding wood or metal is ensuring that the drill flutes do not get clogged with the material what you are removing out of the hole, it has to go somewhere so raising the drill out of the hole frequently allows it to escape (this is usually centrifugal force that throws it off the drill) sometime the material is "gummy" some brass and some aluminum can be this way and so a lubricant (Varsol or Paraffin works well) is needed to keep the bit slippery, a cutting oil for steel. Obviously one doesn't need the lubricant on wood but it can clog the bit even more quickly than metal, so small "pecks" (frequent raising of the drill to clear the wood off the drill) a small fine stiff brush can be very helpful to clear this debris out of the flutes.
 
The last thing to remember is the depth to diameter ration of the hole deep holes are more difficult to drill for all the above reasons
Finally use the best quality drills you can afford and I always use a centre drill to spot the hole, this means that if I am drilling a number of holes I can drill all the centre spots first (following all the numbers on the index map drawing) then go back and follow all the numbers again with the drill this is the fastest way when I an drilling multiple holes to the same depth. Or I can change the drill from the centre drill to the hole size drill with each cut, it depends on what I am drilling and for what purpose I choose which way to go.
 
I hope this answers your question.
 
All of what I just said applies to using a drill press mainly, and also ensuring that the work is rigid (clamped in some way is also very important) when working freehand or using a hand held drilling devise drill or Dremel type tool similar conditions apply but they are not quite the same, and I take my hat off to all the steady hands out there, drilling treenail holes. I cringe when I read of using a # 70+ drill bit by hand.
 
 
Omega actually this really applies to your Ingomar yacht model 
 
 
Michael

Steve and Bob thanks for your nice comments, and to all who have added likes.
 
I ended up making a new holder and some new pistons (it would be nice to only have to make something once for a change)
The new collet really does help a great deal being able to see clearly what I am doing. the new holder also is a bit stronger, the firdt pic show drilling the 1/16th hole for the wrist pin.
 

 
the finished pistons with the rectangular cavity and the wrist pins temporarily in place.
 

 
I have turned down the blanks for the con rods,
 

 

 
The next operation on the con rods will be to machine the large diameters into flats, then bore the hole for the crank , and drill and tap the crank end before splitting it with the slitting saw. then the big end will be re assembled and rebored for the big end bearings
 

 
piston and con rod.pdf
 
Michael

Thanks Denis.
 
Not a great deal of progress over the Christmas, too much food intake and family visiting all very enjoyable of course.
 
I spent a little time today mostly building a special collet for the 1/8th shaft mills and drills which I would normally use in a drill chuck, but using a drill chuck for milling is to court disaster. I used some free machining 3/8 mild steel for the collet, this tool will only be used for light work.
First I turned it down to 1/4 and threaded the locking end 1/4 x20 to fit into the 1/4 collet in the Clarkson collet holder for the mill then it was drilled with a #31 drill and reamed 1/8th for the 1/8 diameter shank drills and mills.
 
the end was threaded 5/16 x 24 and the end 1/2 inch was cross slotted with a .014 slitting saw and a 41 degree taper was turned to match the 82 degree 1/4 diameter countersink that I have. A locking nut was machined out of a scrap of 1/2 inch diameter mild steel and a couple of flats filed onto it for a wrench
 
All this was done so that I could actually see what I am doing because with the small diameter end mills the Clarkson collet holder is too big a diameter and really restricts the view when using the small diameter mills.
 

 

 
Tomorrow I will do some work on the inside of the piston.
 
Michael
 
 
 
 

these are just a few of the drums........the book idea didn't do as well as I hoped.  it was abandoned and the vise became the method used.   those that weren't too bad,  I just cemented the tops and bottoms on and left it at that.    I'll make a few extra at any rate 
 

 
the blank was framed in and later trimmed.  it was fitted in place to check how it will look.
 

 

 
now that the junk has been removed from the pilot house,  I can do a bit of work in there.  the Billings plans shows a top and front......not much else.   I don't have any pictures that show the interior either....bummer!
 

 
I've already resigned myself,  that the small windows are not going to allow much to be seen.   I could simply blank out the windows,  but that's not me.  ....no reason to short change the build on such a small technicality   so it begins with this top blank.........yea.......looks kinda big,  but I think we can make good use of the space.    cut out a little here........put on a backing there..........
 

 
.......do a little sanding to shape and round the edges............add extra material for where the ship's wheel goes.......drill a hole.......
 

 
.......and it turns into a dandy of a dash
 

 

I was going to do the second coat on the ice maker........but I saw a couple of spots I missed with the flat black.....so I touched them up.  I'll add the louvers and then I can do the second coat   while I was thinking about this.......I remembered about the louvered blank that will fit in the hole of the pilot house.
 
darn thing........now where is it.......
 

 
so......this is where the guys have been stowing all the junk!   they gotta get this crap out of here......we gotta work in here soon!
 

 
watching them haul all that crap out,  I didn't see the blank.   they didn't know where it was either,  but there was a hint,  that it may have been thrown in 'the pile'.   NO.........not the PILE!!!
 

 
I will never find it now!  I keep all the larger pieces of flat stock in this bag...if it fits,  it's in here.   I have a bin as well,  that I keep wood in.......but it's looking so picked over,  only small bits and pieces are left.
    there's even wood that dates all the way back to the Nordkap.   with a sigh,  I just took a suitable piece and cut it to size.   there was more cutting done with the 5/8 dowel too........I need at least 13 fuel drums.
 

 
I don't have a way to cut them square,  so some of them are a bit off.   when I cement on the top and bottoms,  I'll try to do something creative to compensate.  taking some of the larger pieces of cast off,  more circles were traced
 

 
they were trimmed to the smaller component and separated.  they will be trimmed to shape with a razor blade.
 

 

 

 
the ends of the dowel pieces were sanded to counter some of the unevenness.   the first idea I had was to use the vise.......capturing them in the center to level them up
 

 
the others that didn't look too bad were done in another way.......bent more towards mass production.
 

 
there are four under there........I may make some extra ones in the event that I find any rejects......but I may be able to use the slants of the decks to counter the ill effect.  we shall see