Ryland Craze

Thanks Marty, Bob and the "Likes".  I appreciate everyone checking out my build log.
 
Marty, I look forward to seeing the photo of your Longboat.  I like to study the photos of everyone's Longboat build.
 
Bob, I am flattered by your comment about my build.  I have studied your build log and have used your techniques throughout my build.  If my build comes out half as nice as yours, I will be really pleased.  Your build has set the standard for Longboat builds.
 
I have completed the rear platform and the forward wall of the locker.  I used BobF's method of making templates to cut out the platforms.  The templates really help to get a good fit.
 

 
Here is a picture of the overall look at the interior of my Longboat.

Thanks guys
 
Rusty it will be basically the same.  Except in this case the original planking expansion did show one drop plank at the bow.  I am basically replicating that draft exactly.  So I will include that drop plank and then divide the bottom of the hull into belts.   But only two this time.   Then I will line off the hull before moving forward with the planking.
 
Heres what the hull looks like after those two planks were added between the molding and the wales.  I only darkened the seams where it will eventually be noticed.  This helps if I need to tweak the placement of the second layer for the wales and molding.   Without the seams darker its easier to move the second layer without folks noticing.
 
You will notice the darker wales.  This was just a sheet of boxwood I had that was noticeable darker.  I figured what the heck,  I might as well use it for the wales.  Its going to be painted anyway.  It also helps me visualize the run of the wales as I plank above them.
 

I started the planking today.  This always begins with placing battens on the hull.  The top of the batten represents the bottom edge of the wales.  I really spent a lot of time on these because it will establish the run of all of the planks on the hull.
 

 
It was added to both sides so I can check it from every conceivable angle.  Once I was satisfied I planked the wales with two strips.  This will be the first layer.  After I plank the hull from here up to the sheer,  I will come back and add the final layer.  Its a hold over from my time building kits.  I like the idea of being able to make small adjustments with the run of the wales on the final layer.  Since it will be painted black and this isnt the final layer it laid down in one long strip rather than in 25 foot long pieces.
 
Now on most ships you can just start planking from the wales up...the run of the wales determines the run of the planking above it to the sheer.  Mostly anyway.
 
In this case however it isnt true.  It is again one of the reasons I chose the Cheerful.  Its not difficult work at all but requires careful planning.  If you examine the plan for the cheerful you will see the run of two moldings just under and through the gunports.   I was fortunate to have the original draft for teh planking expansion and my model will follow it exactly.  The same number of strakes and their run are precisely copied from it.  The space between this molding and the wales is not consistent.   So I decided to add the 1/16" strip first which for the most part runs right under the ports, leaving a 1/64" rabbet along the bottom of each port.
 

 
Then I divided up that space between the molding strip and the wales equally so I can taper these two strakes that will fit between them.  You may be able to see my tick marks defining the space and strakes on each bulkhead.
 

 
The molding strip is just the first layer also....Once its all done I will come back and add the final layer after scraping the fancy profile into it.    Once again, having a little wiggle room to adjust teh run of the molding later is a huge plus.
 
Then its just a matter of finishing the planking and other molding strip as I work my way up to the sheer.
 
Chuck

Hi all,
 
Well I'm back and glad to be back in the shop and it feels sooooooo good. The first thing I did was
to clean up a bit. Mind you it had nothing to do with running out of room to work.
 
One of the things I did was solve the issue I had with my vacuum hose being the same diameter as the
outlet for my Byrnes tools. I broke out my handy dandy lathe and took a 1 1/4" PVC coupling milled the
inside diameter to match the outside diameter of the hose and bingo I had a quick coupling.
 

 

 

 
 
The next thing I wanted to do was cut some sanding paper for my thickness sander. Normally there are
two 3" strips of sand paper on the drum. Sometimes though I sand wood that is 3" or wider. Now you can
put two strips of sandpaper side by side but that tends to leave a little grove in the wood from where they
meet. So I got some 6" wide sanding belts and cut strips  that cover the whole drum so now, if needed, I
can sand wood up to 6" wide now in one pass.
 

 

 
 
Ok back to actual modeling here. I have now completed planking the first two belts on both sides of the hull.
So far so good. Not stealers or drop planks. And as I said before it is slower but the planking is much easier. 
Everything has been sanded with 120 grit paper. Once the whole side is planked I'll finish sanding it
and apply a couple coats of wipe on poly. Now it's not a pristine as Chucks but I'm happy.
 

 

 
 

Thanks Marty, Bob and the "Likes".  I appreciate everyone checking out my build log.
 
Marty, I look forward to seeing the photo of your Longboat.  I like to study the photos of everyone's Longboat build.
 
Bob, I am flattered by your comment about my build.  I have studied your build log and have used your techniques throughout my build.  If my build comes out half as nice as yours, I will be really pleased.  Your build has set the standard for Longboat builds.
 
I have completed the rear platform and the forward wall of the locker.  I used BobF's method of making templates to cut out the platforms.  The templates really help to get a good fit.
 

 
Here is a picture of the overall look at the interior of my Longboat.

Thanks Marty, Bob and the "Likes".  I appreciate everyone checking out my build log.
 
Marty, I look forward to seeing the photo of your Longboat.  I like to study the photos of everyone's Longboat build.
 
Bob, I am flattered by your comment about my build.  I have studied your build log and have used your techniques throughout my build.  If my build comes out half as nice as yours, I will be really pleased.  Your build has set the standard for Longboat builds.
 
I have completed the rear platform and the forward wall of the locker.  I used BobF's method of making templates to cut out the platforms.  The templates really help to get a good fit.
 

 
Here is a picture of the overall look at the interior of my Longboat.

Thanks Marty, Bob and the "Likes".  I appreciate everyone checking out my build log.
 
Marty, I look forward to seeing the photo of your Longboat.  I like to study the photos of everyone's Longboat build.
 
Bob, I am flattered by your comment about my build.  I have studied your build log and have used your techniques throughout my build.  If my build comes out half as nice as yours, I will be really pleased.  Your build has set the standard for Longboat builds.
 
I have completed the rear platform and the forward wall of the locker.  I used BobF's method of making templates to cut out the platforms.  The templates really help to get a good fit.
 

 
Here is a picture of the overall look at the interior of my Longboat.

Thanks Marty, Bob and the "Likes".  I appreciate everyone checking out my build log.
 
Marty, I look forward to seeing the photo of your Longboat.  I like to study the photos of everyone's Longboat build.
 
Bob, I am flattered by your comment about my build.  I have studied your build log and have used your techniques throughout my build.  If my build comes out half as nice as yours, I will be really pleased.  Your build has set the standard for Longboat builds.
 
I have completed the rear platform and the forward wall of the locker.  I used BobF's method of making templates to cut out the platforms.  The templates really help to get a good fit.
 

 
Here is a picture of the overall look at the interior of my Longboat.

Thanks Marty, Bob and the "Likes".  I appreciate everyone checking out my build log.
 
Marty, I look forward to seeing the photo of your Longboat.  I like to study the photos of everyone's Longboat build.
 
Bob, I am flattered by your comment about my build.  I have studied your build log and have used your techniques throughout my build.  If my build comes out half as nice as yours, I will be really pleased.  Your build has set the standard for Longboat builds.
 
I have completed the rear platform and the forward wall of the locker.  I used BobF's method of making templates to cut out the platforms.  The templates really help to get a good fit.
 

 
Here is a picture of the overall look at the interior of my Longboat.

Thanks Tom for looking at my Longboat.  I would like to see a picture of your Pinnance with the stand.
 
I completed the forward platform using the method that BobF used on his Longboat and here is a picture of what I have completed.
 

 
The forward platform is made of boxwood that I purchased from Jeff Hayes at HobbyMill.  I am going to miss Jeff when he retires and closes his business as his wood makes my work look much better than if I had used the kit supplied wood.  Here is a closer look of the forward platform.
 

 
I am working on the rear platform and will post pictures when I finish that part.

OK, last night I was able to get a shot from the front of the Mk. 56 platform that was IN FOCUS!!!
 

 
The center bulkheads (fore/aft) are completely scratchbuilt as are the director foundations/bases.
 
Hank

Hey Ryland,
 
Your model is looking great!  When I zoom in on one of your photos, I'm so impressed with how clean and precise.your work is.  Thanks for sharing it with us.
 
BobF

Thanks Tom for looking at my Longboat.  I would like to see a picture of your Pinnance with the stand.
 
I completed the forward platform using the method that BobF used on his Longboat and here is a picture of what I have completed.
 

 
The forward platform is made of boxwood that I purchased from Jeff Hayes at HobbyMill.  I am going to miss Jeff when he retires and closes his business as his wood makes my work look much better than if I had used the kit supplied wood.  Here is a closer look of the forward platform.
 

 
I am working on the rear platform and will post pictures when I finish that part.

We used the original Chopper in a production setting 8 hours a day - the groove can be filled with epoxy to level the surface.  We would spread the glue at the end of the day and it was good to go in the AM - usually for a week or two.  The secret to good square cuts is a sharp blade and use it for think strips - nothing over 1/8" thick.  Use a miter box for the thicker stuff.  Also, it will not work well with real hard wood like boxwood unless it's real thin.  It's a RR modelers tool and they use basswood 99% of the time.
Kurt

Bob,
 
I have learned so much from your excellent pictures and descriptions of how you planked your Longboat starting with the garboard strake.  I had installed my garboard strake on both sides of my keel, but have since carefully removed one side and will use your method.  I left the other side intact for strength until I reinstall the garboard strake that I removed.  You have saved me a lot of issues with planking my hull and I thank you for that.

● First planking layer (part 1): 6 Planks are now in place and the gun ports are shaped.
 
The individual planks were made from one continuous length. I used scrap laser cut sheet to create the shape for the sharp curve of the bow. I also added a balsa filler block to help when bending the plank around the bow.
 

 
Before shaping the gun ports I sanded the planking with 180 grit, being very careful not to sand too close to the top edge of the initial plank or too close to the bottom edge of the last plank. My reasoning was that since additional planks would be added above and below I would leave these 2 planks at full thickness to be sanded later after all the planks are in.
 

First - thanks to all who have commented recently - I haven't been AWOL, just busy
 
So, for a current update - I've been working on the modification of the center 40mm tubs between the stacks and have the basic mods in place. This area is now the Mk. 56 FC Director Platform. As with the rest of the model, it is in place but not adhered at this point. Work to be done on the other 40mm tubs (4) ahead and abaft of this platform. They will become Zuni Rocket Launcher tubs (to be built) and will require minor modifications. As a comparision to the orig. configuration, look at a couple of the photos from earlier posts of this area.

 
I hope to have another photo from the front of the platform later - the one I took last night was out of focus. The Mk. 56 directors are as yet to be built - I need 6 of these, so I am planning on making a master and molding the other 5 - that will be a project in itself. The remaining hole in the decking is for location of the antenna post (each side) to which antenna wires are turnbuckled and attach to the foremast yard.
 
I'm still doing research on the Zuni Launchers so those are not started yet. Photos that I have access to are not close up and details are sparce.
 
Len - do you recall the interior of the nav. bridge? I may have asked before - I was thinking it was pea green on the bulkheads, but perhaps simply haze gray. If you've any ideas, let me know.
 
Hank

I just reached a major milestone on my Vanguard build, i.e., completing the ship's boats as shown in the picture below. Those little guys took a considerable amount of time. Next will be the front of the ship. I have most of the parts and pieces dry fitted and painted for that area but it's still a pretty complicated portion of the ship and will also take a lot of time. I've also included a couple of pictures of the deck to show progress there. Until next time...
 

 

 

 
 

The stern and quarter gallery decorations are now installed, as well as the capping piece. No real issues here. The trim was made from boxwood strip, similar to the sheer rail. 
 
I guess I have to venture around to the bow now. I've been putting it off...
 
 

Today I started my work with the rear platform, after yesterdays mistake of the crooked eye I paid extra attention when gluing the planks that they were going to come in straight.  It worked!
 

 
I did notice that in the instructions the rear platform is cut so that it curves into a much smaller space as it moves toward the aft, after I finished I decided I was ok with the shape and size of mine.
 
I then proceeded to the risers, I was careful to use a spacer underneath the cap rail to ensure that I had consistent distances along the entire run as well as ensuring that both sides were mirrors.
 

 
I put in the front of the storage locker after completing the risers
 

 
In this picture you can see the run of the boat inside, I used a slightly different stain on the floorboards, risers, platforms and thwarts.  The planking and structure of the boat is MinWax Fruitwood 241 while the internal structures I went a hair lighter on and used Ipswitch Pine 221.  The Ipswitch pine has a nice light reddish hue that I felt matched up nicely with the red on the cap rail and knees (hard to tell from the photos)
 

 
I started playing around with the thwarts, I just have them dry fit and not accurately at this point
 

 
And then I pulled them out, scribed and stained them.  
 

 
That will be the beginning of next weekends time in the shipyard, finishing the thwarts, cockpit and figuring out how to make the all important thwart where the mast comes through.  I'll be poring over all the finished build logs to see how other folks have done that portion.

Thanks all.  Was a pretty good weekend, even though I had to work about 9 hours today on a Sunday.
 
I finished the replacement spirketing plank, and it came out pretty good, and I think I got the scupper shaping even better on this one, so all's well that ends well.

 
I got sidetracked (shocking, I know) and played with the holly planking sample again.  I drilled out one of the lines of tree nail locations to .031" and made some bamboo tree nails and placed them.
 
I'm glad I tried this, but they stand out way too much, so I won't be using them on this deck.  For a darker deck, like boxwood, these might work ok, but I'm not sure I like the dark 'spots' they seem to have, so I'll try using some regular wood of some kind next.

 
Next up was gun port sills.  When I got to the point of doing this, I realized that at some point in the build I've managed to screw up, probably way back at the deck fairing, as the spirketing plank is not at an even height along all the gunports.  In one case it's very far off and I'm not really sure what I'm going to do about it.  The starboard side wasn't nearly as bad as the port, so I started on the sills there.  I decided that I could use the sills themselves to 'fix' the problem with the spirketing plank not matching up to the gunports correctly, by installing the sills to the outside of the outer planking instead of just installing them between the outer planks and the spirketing plank like you are supposed to.
I began by taking a 1/8" x 3/32" piece of basswood and cutting it to the proper width for each gunport, and then using small files, shaping the piece into an "L" shape to fit into the gap between the two layers of planking while also extending outside of the outer layer of planking.

 
Once placed, the sill is both too high, extending above the spirketing plank, and too wide, extending outside of the outer plank layer.

 
I then filed/sanded the outside down to match the outside planking layer, so that it's the right width, but still too high.

 
Then, I filed the sill down to match the top of the spirketing plank, leaving it fit to the port, and making the top of the spirketing plank even with the outside planking.

 
Did this for all 4 ports on the starboard side.

 
As none of the ports on the starboard side are terribly out of alignment with the top of the spirketing plank, this worked out quite well, but the port side is worse, so I'm going to have to think about what is going to happen on that side to even things out.  One port in particular is low (or the plank is high) by 1/2 the height of the spirketing plank (so about 1/16").  I may be able to lower the spirketing plank a little bit by sanding it down to take up part of this discrepancy, and sort of blend it in well enough that it won't be noticed later.
 

Thanks very much for looking in again Brian, Allan, Arch, Nils, Grant, and a welcome to George .
 
Work has been continuing on the Bowsprit Rigging.
 
Bobstays
 
These are the equivalent of the Forestays on the other masts. Like all the Bowsprit rigging they are served all over. The inboard ends pass through the foremost holes in the Knee of the Head, and are spliced together :
 

 
Bowsprit Shrouds
 
The equivalent of the Shrouds on the other masts. These are hooked through eyebolts at their inner ends :
 

 

 

 
The outer ends of both the Bobstays and Shrouds finish in a heart block, and are lashed to their respective Collars :
 

 
  Danny

Thats the plan Druxey.  We shall see how it goes.  I think it will work out OK.  
 
Bill,
 
All laser cutters cut on an angle.  You can minimize it a lot but never get rid of it entirely.  Basically the laser is cone shaped as it travels through the lense that focus' it.  Much like how you would focus the sun through a magnifying glass.   So it gradually comes to a point.  If you focus that beam so the point ends in the center of the thickness of wood you can minimize the angle of cut but its hard to do.
 
So its just a matter of focusing well and the,
 
choosing the proper laser power for that thickness along with the most appropriate speed.  If you pick the slowest setting possible along with the least power possible to just cut through the wood,  then the Kerf will be as thin as possible......thus reducing the angle.
 
The angle is always more noticeable on thicker pieces which are few on a model.  So I enlarge them by 1% or 2% to compensate.  Once the laser char is removed with a sanding stick while you at the same time make a true 90 degree angle the part will be the appropriate size.  Its just a fact of life for laser cutters and all kit cut pieces.  But you can minimize it quite a bit with practice,  trial and error.
 
Chuck

Thanks everyone.  I created a Flickr album of all the ships that were entered into the contest, and you can look at them if you are interested here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/128316399@N05/sets/72157649024073426/
 
All of these are plastic (except for the Carmen).  The other sailing ship was made by someone who actually reads this forum, although I don't remember his handle here as I'm terrible with names.  His ship took 2nd place in the non-out of box ships.  The little tiny ship took first place, which befuddles me.

Thanks Tom for looking at my Longboat.  I would like to see a picture of your Pinnance with the stand.
 
I completed the forward platform using the method that BobF used on his Longboat and here is a picture of what I have completed.
 

 
The forward platform is made of boxwood that I purchased from Jeff Hayes at HobbyMill.  I am going to miss Jeff when he retires and closes his business as his wood makes my work look much better than if I had used the kit supplied wood.  Here is a closer look of the forward platform.
 

 
I am working on the rear platform and will post pictures when I finish that part.