Kevin Kenny

I have some cannons coming from Greg. I’ll compare and adjust the flare. Thanks for the feedback.

I decided to make a larger cannon and carriage to better understand the process and to decide on the jigs. I finally got a solution to accurately drill the trunnions using the Sherline mill..  

Its always such a relief and most times a disappointment when a model get completed. Perhaps the most interesting memory is looking back on those times when you could not figure our something, or when everything went wrong. Now you think back and wonder what the fuss was  all about. 
 

congratulations on a very fine model. Now for the case.

Whats a smokey black?

Now to figure out how to put the engraving on the cannon.

This is my first attempt at making a cannon on the Sherline  lath. Not a bad first attempt, used the Lignum Vitae. Fantastic for this fine work. 

Already done Maury. I have been collecting wood for. Long time now and have friends in the lumber business so have experienced the problem when the ends dry out before the center. I have had problems with the coffee wood and with Sea Grape that cracks so easily. Recently  i decided to keep the new stock of coffee wood in branch form and not cut it until it dries.  It splits terribly. Sea Grape is the worst.

Just back from Tobago and settling back down. I have been collecting modeling wood for a number of years and just got my first large piece of Lignum Vitae the most dense wood in the world. Not sure how long it needs to dry but will leave it for at least a year in the drying shelf. As would be expected the grain is very tight but i was disappointed that the   heart was not darker and more consistent in colour. Oh well, just glad to have it in my collection of tropical hardwoods. The woods grown in the caribbean and usually found in very thin trunks because it grows so slowly.  It should be excellent to cut on the lath to make cannons. 

If you read the history of this boat early in your build you will realize that no one knows for sure what she looked like when she won the race in 1851. I only found  this out close to the end of my kit build. There are a few photographs over time that show different deck layouts. All the early paintings were done without the artist even seeing her. This caused me to do two models, one is the Constructo kit and a second scratch built of what i think she would have looked like when she raced the British.

you might find this plan i purchase useful

Here is a sample of the drawings available. The frame layout is the only referenced document to the Thorn

Hi Phillip

as you must know having tracked me down, that the Thorn was a Swan class ship. There are lots of pictures of models of various Swan ships. I have only one written document that makes direct reference to the Thorn and that is the frame layout. I too am currently trying to access ship logs of the vessel but so far have not found anything.  I plan to keep looking so if by some chance you do come across any data i would be most interested. The National Maritime Museum has numerous plans of different sister ships. These are beautifully illustrated copies of which would make wonderful  wall decorations. Since there are no ships names written on the side, displaying these drawings would depict what she probably looked like. 
 

best regards

kevin

I am constantly taking breaks with my models, either for work, or because i am having a skill issue and get fed up. Walking away has always resulted in a better finish to the model when i start back. 

This is the fun part so enjoy it

Galley stove prototype 

Slow and steady.

Just looking at the video again and saw that the upright post on the side of the bowsprit step was installed the wrong way. Dam. Had to make the whole  thing over again. Interestingly thought, it only took a few hours rather than a few days. Knowledge and experience should never be underestimated. 

Greg just so you know our challenges today. if i purchase something in the US say for $100 by the time i get it to my home the actual cost can be as high as $200. We have US shipping to Miami, air freight to Trinidad, 20% import duty, 15% VAT, and 3% brokerage handling cost. Of course we live in a 3rd world country so the official exchange rate is $6.70 to the US dollar, however the country runs a deficit and it is difficult to get US dollars so the black market rate today is $8-8.5 to the US dollar. Then there are the airlines that carry air freight and are make a  bloody fortune during Covid. 
Today to get a cost to my shop i multiply using  a factor of 14. Pre Covid it was 10. But in the short term future i estimate it to be as high as 20. 

Of course if we could fly, i would usually send stuff to my daughter in New York and when i visit i bring it home for the  same price you pay for it. Who knows when that will be. 

the challenges of living in a small country.