Dilbert55

Which one of these miniature plane works better?
Yesterday, I tried these 4 at Lee Valleys
I will divide  in  2 categories:
-the 2 top ones are about 2 inch long and are very nice to look. They made replicas of much larger tools which are made to be hold with 2 hands. At a small scale, it does not hold easily in the hand.
-the 2 at the bottom. Let's begin with the right one. About 3 inches long, it works very well and easy to handle. But I did prefer the last one, the left one, because of the size. It holds easily in the palm of the hand and it is easy to control. I wanted a small one, so I took this one.
 
This week, I also tried another tool, a camera... from the smartphone. So from now on, the photos will be from it. It is surprising to see the quality, but it is not as much versatile as a real camera.
Here are a few examples.

Hi,   Again thanks for the many likes and comments on my build, as I’ve said they are encouraging.
 
Here we go on to something that I’ve been looking forward to making, the wheelhouse. It’s one of the main detailed features on the deck and it gives me the chance to see how my brass and mahogany theme looks. 
 
Whilst the plans looked simple enough I found them hard to follow. All the detail and measurements were present but because they were spread out over three sheets like a mad woman’s diary and not shown to scale they were confusing, many of the small parts that were made up were not shown where they actually went.
 
In spite of that the wheelhouse turned out better looking than I had expected, I put quite a bit of work and thought into it and I’m rather pleased with myself. I’ve shown the process in pictures as I think that this explains better than words.
 
The glass canopy is another issue. A moulded acetate plastic one is supplied, with photo etch pieces meant to be stuck to the outside to look like the frame, that’s always going to end up messy. The moulded piece is misshapen, the wrong size with rounded and not defined edges, I’ve seen better jelly moulds.  I think that I will have to make my own so watch this space.
 
Ken
 

Hi,    The build continues at a good pace. Today’s post shows some of the smaller projects that I’ve made up whilst waiting for paint/glue to dry, they include some hatches, waist lockers, deck storage units, skylights etc.
 
I’ve shown my start on the wheelhouse, I’ll continue showing this soon, I’ve done more of it but I haven’t sorted the photos out yet, it’s coming out better than expected
 
Ken
 

Hi,
First thanks again to those of you who are following my build and for your likes and comments.
 
My build is progressing nicely and I have just completed the stern gallery, it went well with no issues. I kept the construction as simple as I could and have not kept to its proper colour scheme again choosing just black and varnished wood, some staining was applied.
 
The pre cut ply was too large to fit the hull properly so I added three planking strips to the inner edge, with the extra meat I was the able to sand it back to get an exact fit to the hull. I made up the several gratings then using the plans as a guide only, assembled it, painted and varnished then added the name. The only disappointment was that one of the cast supports was missing, I left the gap at the centre to keep it symmetrical and hope that the ships boat which will eventually  hang over the stern will hide the omission, apart from that it came out well.
 
Ken

.Hello All.
 
Just a small update, moving on with the build I have just completed the rudder assembly, no need for an explanation as the pictures tell all.
 
Ken


 

Hi,  Again thanks for your likes.
 
It was now time to decide how I was going to present the model with regards to its finished look. I’ve decided not to go with an authentic appearance, ie colour scheme and fittings, but go my own way for an aesthetic but none authentic display. I like the unpainted look of the brass plating and just the black and white hull, no anti foul bottom. I’ll also leave the rails and stations in brass and introduce as much mahogany as I can get away with, who doesn’t like brass and mahogany on a boat.
 
I have made quite some progress recently; I have finished painting the hull and fitted all the port holes, though not without issues.
 
I sprayed the hull with an acrylic undercoat then used Humbrol satin enamel for the white and Caldercraft dull black acrylic for the rest. I did two coats of white using a 1\2 in flat brush, I find that the enamel is self levelling and the finish looks perfect for this type of hull, I thin the black about 50-50 with water and put on about 7 coats, being this thin the coats dry quickly and leave no sign of brush strokes. I used Tamika masking tape, after putting the tape on I paint a watered down acrylic varnish along the edge, this seals it and there is no paint seep so the edge is perfect. I’m delighted with the finish that I achieved I don’t think that I could have improved on it.
 
Then came the portholes, I transferred their position from the plans. To start with the drilling out of these was a disaster, the side strips being only .5mm thick just tore at the edges and split, I tried small, large, blunt, sharp drills, I tried filing them out, all with the same result, it wasn’t until I tried using a cone shaped router then things improved, a perfect aperture with ease every time, it ground it’s way in rather than cut so no tares or splits thank goodness. I repaired the ruined strip and painted them again, after that things  went well which was a good job as there were well over 100 to be done. I fitted the brass portholes to finish off.
 
I’m sorry that I didn’t photograph the actual progress but I got too involved with the job in hand so all you have is the end result
 
Ken





 

Hi,   Another short update on my build. I was going to start painting the hull but again got sidetracked. I decided to make up the staircases, a small, not difficult project. I don’t think that any explanation is needed as the pictures show the whole process. I’ll add the handrails once they are fitted in place on the deck.
 
Ken
 
 

Hi,  Thanks for your likes and comments.
 
As a slight change to doing the hull I thought that I would try and do one of the many small parts that make up this boat, a skylight. I learned what could well be a valuable lesson. The plans are entirely in Italian with no translation but they seemed simple enough. I made the skylight over the plan, I thought that I had made a good job until I placed it on the deck, it looked too big. On checking I found that not all parts of the plans are to scale!! I had to make it again but this time using the measurements given. The picture shows on the left the skylight that I made over the plan and the one on the right shows it made using the given measurements, quite a size difference but a warning to be more aware during the rest of the build.
 
I've now finished the first of the many deck fittings, a couple of skylights, ( the correct size ) The hull has been prepared for painting and I'll do that soon. I feel that the model is starting to become interesting.
 
I have also been preparing the base for displaying the model for a few days, mainly waiting for the sealer and varnish to dry. I got a piece of sapele from my local wood yard, and routed the edge. After sanding I tried some dyes on the underside to get the shade that I wanted, light teak was my preferred, I sealed it then a couple of coats of poly finished it off. The columns are Amati which I got from Cornwall Model Boats, they were quite cheap, they are pre drilled, the rod is from one of my wife’s knitting needles, she doesn’t know yet!
 
Ken

Hi,   I’m making good progress on the hull at the moment and all is going along quite well. I’ve not been keeping the log exactly up to date but here is a catch up.
 
I’ve put the capping on the edge of the decks, the instructions suggested the fore and aft curves should be done in small sections from the strip provided, I didn’t think that this would look too good. I had a small piece of walnut in my stash, not enough to do all of capping but if careful, enough for the curves. I made up a cardboard template first as I only had enough for one shot at it. I put the curved sections on then added strips along the straight part.
 
The brass platings along the upper part of the hull were then cut to shape, drilled where the portholes were needed and glued into place. I drilled holes for the riveting and used brass nails for them, I then put the wooden 2x2 strip bellow.
Lastly I put the brass ports and scuttles in.  I gave the brass a good polish to finish it off.
 
 The two raised strips like wales were added next, these were made up of 4 x  .5x 3mm walnut strips. It was quite time consuming getting the curves at the stern to sit flat, the picture of the plan shows this. The newer kits supply these wales  as pre cut ply with the ports cut out, I believe that this version just does not work as they won’t curve and stay flat against the stern, most builders just leave them off and just paint the stripes on.
 
Ken   
 
Sorry about the order of the pictures, I'm not too good at doing it
 
 

`Hi,     Thanks again for the likes, it's good to know someone out there is watching.
 
 
More progress on the hull. I finished the second planking without encountering any difficulties except for the state of the wood which I have already mentioned. My first thoughts were that I would never get rid of the grain and achieve a smooth enough surface for a painted finish but I set about it and the end result was so good that it surprised me, although it took longer than the actual planking.
 
I first gave it a thorough sanding, taking away about half the planks depth.
I then spread a thinned water based filler over the entire hull and when dry sanded that right back.
I gave it a very light coat of spray primer, this highlight any imperfections and shows where the seams will show fine cracks. I worked in filler again to the imperfect areas, sanded and again sprayed, I did this twice.
I was then left with an acceptable surface but after spraying again I had to use a fine acrylic filler intended for hiding the seams on plastic models before getting a perfect surface. A fine sanding and another light spray completed the job.
A lot of work but in the end well worth the extra effort.
 
I’ve attached some pictures of each stage so that you can see the progress.
 
Ken 
 
 

 

Hi,  Continuing, I’ve made a start on the second planking. This planking is done using 1x6mm lime wood strips, in my opinion far from the best wood for a good finish. I unpacked the bundle of strips and found that unlike the first planks they were of quite poor quality, they were very course grain and the edges were roughly cut and looked prone to splintering. To tidy them up a bit I sanded the edges, I held about six at a time in a sort of simple jig and sanded them as a block. Photo.    It’s a big hull and there are rather a lot of planks to do so being able to do many at a time helped.
 
I started the planks from the top of the waist deck and continued down. My fears about the edges splintering happened, a lot of very fine ones occurred spoiling what I had hoped would be well butted seams. The very rough grain was even more noticeable seen with many of the planks fitted, I’ve shown a photo of this, it really is bad and as this will be a smooth painted hull I can see a lot of work will need to be done to make it acceptable. At the moment I think that it would have been better left as single planked, just another challenge.
 
Ken
 

 

Hi,
As you know I was unhappy with the decking and was in the process of having another go at it. I had made the same mistake on my Royal William build so why I didn’t learn from my mistake I don’t know, anyway it’s now completed and I’m delighted with the result, it was well worth the extra effort.
 
I used a mouse type sander and sanded off all the walnut planking, the waist deck proved quite difficult and I only managed a slight reduction here, I also removed the skirting from around the cabins in preparation for the re planking.
 
Like most of you I have a small stash of wood left over from other builds but I didn’t have enough of the same type to complete the decks, I didn’t want to have to buy any so I used what I had. I had enough light coloured wood but it was of different types in different widths and thickness, four in all. I used my small Proxxon table saw and cut them to the same width 3mm. I was quite surprised at how clean it cut lengths of planks, the edges didn’t even need sanding. I didn’t mind the different thickness as once laid I could sand them down to a uniform height. I cut them into 8cm lengths for a four butt pattern. I tried some dyes on test pieces to see if I could get their colour and texture similar, I ended up choosing a light oak.
 
I had no problem laying the planks although it was now awkward working around the cabins with the upper decks in place, I used white PVA to fix them. I sanded them back, rubbed some walnut filler into the seams then rubbed in the oak dye. I find that the filler soaks up the dye like end grain, slightly darker and gives a very slight appearance of corking, enough to take the plainness off. I re fitted the skirting then finished off with a coat of sanding sealer.
 
I am now much happier with the look of the deck, I think it was well worth the effort.
 
Ken

Hi, The Next task was to plank the waist deck. The planks supplied were 3x.5mm dark walnut, the wood was ok but I really don’t like the colour. I don’t understand any kit manufacturer thinking that this colour would be ok for decking as it looks so obviously wrong. I was stuck with it as the shops can’t supply an alternative at the moment.. I laid these planks, I didn’t darken the edge as pencil wouldn’t show up against that dark colour, I sealed, sanded and varnished with a satin poly.
 
I then started on the cabins. The instructions would have you put in place the upper decks first but this would make would make the placing and finishing off the deck planking quite difficult.
 
The cabins are made up from ply and were supposed to be covered with the 3x.5 strips. Rather than do this and then try and get a smooth finish for painting I decided to face them with very thin styrene sheet and then trim them to shape, it worked well. The doors and vent covers were also made from styrene, they painted up well, the windows, vents axes and rails were the added.
 
Ken
 
 

Ken

Hi, I managed to get a good sanding session done and I'm very pleased with the result. No filler was needed at all to get this to what I think is a very good first layer.
 
Ken
 

Hi,   I have recently started the Amerigo Vespucci, 1:84 scale from a Panart kit. I quite enjoyed the interaction I got from members on my Royal William log so I’ll again share my build with you.
 
 
 I bought the kit off Ebay for a good price, it is an early version about 20 – 25 years old and differs quite a bit from their current version, I think for the better. Lime for first planking, not balsa, etched sheet brass for the plating not ply, planked deck instead of printed ply and 12 sheets of plans many 1:1, but poor badly translated instructions instead of the step by step guide.
 
 
Although old everything was in very good condition, straight keel and bulwarks, which were very well laser cut, matching the plans perfectly, the strip wood is very nice, straight cleanly cut and still flexible enough although has hardened quite a bit. There are hundreds of castings and machined brass fittings all nicely bagged, these will need a serious cleaning as they have become badly tarnished. A very comprehensive and well presented kit.
 
 
I admire many of the builders on this site for their skill, painstaking dedication to detail and accuracy but I’m afraid that’s not me. My build will be as simple as I can make it, mostly straight from the box with just enough detail to make it a nice looking well made model that will not take me years, with the chance of getting fed up and quitting.  
 
 
I wanted to start the build by first preparing the mounting. I want to mount it on brass pedestals on a large mahogany plinth so needed to do the preparation for this prior to planking rather than risk damaging the model at a later stage by turning it upside down. My first problem is that due to the lack of availability of stuff due to the Covid restrictions I can’t get anything, the wood yards are closed and even popular online modelling suppliers have run out of anything I want, glues, sealers wood strip and my columns.
 
 
I started by joining together the three sections of keel, I reinforced the joins then beefed up the area where the pedestals will be fixed with rods, I drilled them out and hope that they line up later.
 
 
I dry fitted the bulkheads, they only needed the lightest of sanding before becoming a perfect fit. I made up a keel support out of scrap, not very neat looking but works well enough.. I glued all the bulkheads into place, I added extra support on the outer edge of the front three and stern bulkheads. I usually infill these areas with balsa but the lines of the hull are so friendly that I didn’t think that it would be needed. I spent quite a bit of time fairing the frames making sure that they were as perfect as I could make them. I have now started the first layer with the 6 x 1.5 lime planks provided, so far so good.
 
 
That’s me starting my journey please feel free to join me.
 
 
Ken
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thank you Allen,
 
Karl, the rudder was made with 3 big trees like the 3 paper bands to the right. Big nails hold the parts together (The forth part would be fragile to these nails). The number 1 shows a 45 degrees bevel which also is drawing as if there was a fourth part. If you look the drawing from Boudriot, you will see that the hinges are at 45 degrees too.
 
Jaager, I do not have the journal, if you could show us a picture, it could be nice.

For the last month, I turned and milled adaptors for photography. If I show my hands, you could not guess what I did for the last month. I do not have hands of  somebody working with metals.
For those who worked metals by turning and milling by example, you know that it is the best way to get dirty hands and sometime it is very difficult to clean. In fact, there is an easy way to keep clean hands.
You need to wear gloves. In 2020, this the best solution. But not any gloves, you need gloves that fits... "like a glove". Nitrile gloves are a solution but not very durable. There is another kind:https://www.lequipeur.com/en/dakota-paquet-de-2-paires-de-gants-lite-enduits-de-pu-53768.html#53768=ASSORT
This kind fits perfectly to the hand. These kinds of gloves have been on the market for the last 20 and are an industry standard used in many areas related to metal.
 
To handle big peace of wood,I wear another kind of gloves:
https://www.lequipeur.com/en/dakota-deerskin-gloves-32238.html?_br_psugg_q=gloves#32238=LEATHR
I like these gloves because I can feel the wood grain. These gloves, in comparison with the other pair is more like a loose fit. This kind of glove would not be safe to use to work metal especially on the lathe.
 
And again, some photos.

Ekis and Allan, thank you
 
Allan, if I dare, This week was only to explore, again 1 aspect of photography: trying to match the color. To do this, I transform the workshop in a photo studio. Here is my easy way to transform a workshop into a photo studio: the big heavy are all around the walls so that the rest is in the middle. Everything being on wheels, it is easy to store when not needed. Also, I can make with this room a theater or a listening room where the sound does not sound too bad for 2 main reasons: concrete walls and a rubber mat. Over the years, I tried different floors and this one is my favorite. It acts as a anti fatigue mat and when I drop a tool especially those with a cutting edge, it does ruin the edge.
 

Thank you very much Mark. You know, the best thing about trying to explain in writing a fact, is that it also helps you to understand.
 
There is a groove on the back of the rudder. It is supposed to improve the efficiency of its control by maintaining the current of water in its extension.
The rudder is controlled by the tiller. If the tiller breaks, a hand controlled tiller can be installed.
 
The wood parts of the rudder are almost complete. The metal parts will be next.
 

When I saw Thomas's build I knew it was the way to go. The kit parts looked to much like sticking plywood onto the transom.   
The Admiral and I have escaped to Newfoundland for a couple of weeks R&R. I won't be working in the dockyard but watching out for moose. 
A couple pics from the rock!

 

Thank you all for the comments and likes helps keep the build juices flowing. Took the Admiral to Lunenburg for her bday. Of coarse we went down to the wharf and saw the Bluenose II, had a great chat with some of the crew and grabbed a few pics. No one is allowed on board as the crew are all self isolating together. They are in the process of getting her ship shape to head out around the Maritimes for the season. The plan is to sail around most of Nova Scotia from Yarmouth to Meat Cove, as well as parts of New Brunswick and PEI. 
Season schedule: Here

Actually,I am experimenting macro photography with a ring light around the lens.The 65mm and the 100 are useful for this. It is not every lens which are compatible. For the 74, the 100mm was used.
By example, we can take photos of flowers outside. With the same set up, we can also take photos inside the 74.
 
In a parallel project, I continue to explore ways to take photos inside the 74 in multiple levels at the same time. It is particularly difficult especially with the lighting. It is the kind of project which could be done  easily with a 3D model, but this is not the road I want to travel.

The midlle third of the miling cutter was  grinded  with a wheel for carbide. This way,  the cutter  has a smaller diameter than the diameter of the cutters. Before the diameter on the top of the cutting part was larger. This meant that the cutter could not go deeper than the area which is sharpened as a cutter. This also means that I could not mill through the wood part completely. Now, the cutter can go through completely.

Varnish applied 

Thank you Richard
 
Are these complicated curves, I do not know. I think that what is complicated is that you need to constantly refer to what is on the construction site. I also think that plans for this section are almost impossible to follow at exactly 100% because for every part that a slight variation it does affect many other parts.
 
For now, it is enough with this part, I think I will come back on decks.