Keith_W

Quite a few people here use Tung Oil. Wipe it on, then leave it for 10 minutes, then wipe off the excess. Leave it for 24 hours to "cure", then give it another coat. You will get a beautiful matt finish and it deepens the colour of the wood. 
 
Make sure you don't plan to glue anything on afterwards, because most glues have trouble sticking on to the oiled surface. 
 
As always, experiment on some scrap wood before applying it to your model!

Quite a few people here use Tung Oil. Wipe it on, then leave it for 10 minutes, then wipe off the excess. Leave it for 24 hours to "cure", then give it another coat. You will get a beautiful matt finish and it deepens the colour of the wood. 
 
Make sure you don't plan to glue anything on afterwards, because most glues have trouble sticking on to the oiled surface. 
 
As always, experiment on some scrap wood before applying it to your model!

I'm back from my trip, so I have continued some work with this boat. Over the weekend, I completed the standing rigging.
 
I have seized shrouds many times in the past, but I have never been satisfied with the results. This is the theory:
 

 
So how do you do that in miniature scale on a ship model? The answer is to use crocodile clips, like this:
 

 

 
If you can't see what's happening, I have created a series of diagrams that show how the seizing is accomplished. The text and pictures are self-explanatory.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
This is the result:
 

 
I also added an eye bolt for the mainmast stay. Mackay's plans indicate that this was present, but did not indicate where it was attached - so I took a guess.
 

 
The boat as of tonight:
 

 

 
Next I should tackle the spars and sails, but I am thinking of buying a cheap sewing machine to help me make the sails. The sails are therefore on hold until I do a bit of research and learn how to sew on spare cloth. Neither can I attempt making the oars, because I want to reserve that for when my new lathe arrives. I suppose i'll just make the toolbox and a few other little accessories while I wait.
 
It also appears that I have run out of rigging thread. Let's hope that my local hobby shop stocks the same thread used by Model Shipways.

Thanks for all the comments and likes, everyone!

Anyway, I did some work on the carpenter's chest. I modelled it in the open position. I took inspiration from Cap'n Rat Fink's chest here: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/849-hms-bounty-launch-by-teleman-116-bashed-completed/?p=12090 (copied the hollow lid idea), as well as Meredith's hinges here: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/2160-hms-bounty-launch-by-meredith-modelshipways/?p=143922
 
At the time I was wondering whether I could make metalwork as fine as hers, but as it turns out ... I can't. Try as I might, I am not able to make two "F" shapes in the supplied brass strip, so I made an "I" and a "C" instead. Still, I think the result looks OK. 
 
Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure or amusement. Probably the latter
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quite a few people here use Tung Oil. Wipe it on, then leave it for 10 minutes, then wipe off the excess. Leave it for 24 hours to "cure", then give it another coat. You will get a beautiful matt finish and it deepens the colour of the wood. 
 
Make sure you don't plan to glue anything on afterwards, because most glues have trouble sticking on to the oiled surface. 
 
As always, experiment on some scrap wood before applying it to your model!

You might get more replies here if you moved some posts from the other thread. 
 
I might be stirring the pot a little here by asking this question - but where does the money go with these kits?
 
I've been told that the quality of materials is very good. After reading the PDF's on Euromodel's website quite extensively, it appears that the frames are made of ply, the planks made of walnut, and the masts made of limewood. This is the same as most other kit manufacturers out there. 
 
I've also been told that the quality of fittings are excellent, but then we've seen the anchors appear to be oversized and awkwardly thick, and the lanterns and windows are made from cast metal instead of the photoetched parts we see on other kits. 
 
We have also been told that Euromodel offers you "scope to improve the model", but it looks to me as if this means that the quality of the offering is substandard. For example, the rigging of the gun carriage is really simple, and (if the build log is to be believed) they do not supply eye hooks and you have to supply your own. Caldercraft supply enough material to build a fully rigged gun carriage out of the box. Another example - the beakheads on the Wilhelm Friedrich kit are supplied as a block of wood from which you need to carve the beakhead. Some might see this as a challenge, but you could also ask if Euromodel couldn't be bothered to go through the trouble of laser cutting this for you. Yet another example - the boats on some of their kits are made from cast resin. Even Artesania Latina supply parts for a plank on frame model for a ship's boat. 
 
I suppose there is the quality of the instructions, but to me that does not justify spending close to A$2100 for Royal William when the competition offers much more detail out of the box for much less money. The Caldercraft Victory includes copper sheathing in the box (which adds substantially to the cost), is a much bigger boat than any of the Euromodels, and costs A$1400, i.e. it is 30% cheaper. 
 
I really think I am missing something here. Can someone tell me what's so different about these kits? 

Guten tag, Herr Max. The PDF's prepared by PiratePete for the Friedrich Wilhelm can be found here: http://www.euromodel-ship.com/eng/friedrich-wilhelm-i-i.php#axzz2tUPv2o20
 
All the others are here. Click on the links on the left. http://www.euromodel-ship.com/eng/interpretive-info.php#axzz2tUPv2o20

Pete, I can tell you that I downloaded all your PDF's onto my tablet and I read them in bed every night before I go to sleep. When my alarm went off this morning I found myself dreaming about how i'm going to paint that little horseman on the Friedrich Wilhelm  
 
Re: the lanterns and windows - paint is no substitute for being able to see through it. I am not sure if I can fabricate wooden parts that small. If I were to tackle the kit, I would probably solder brass strips together and then sand them down to the required thickness. 

Hi Steve, I will be pulling up a chair to watch. Make sure your Launch is nice and watertight, I hear there are a lot of sharks over there in Perth  
 
As for scarphing for small boats like these, I too asked that question. However I have not been able to find any evidence for it. My build was heavily influenced by the Huon Pine boat builders of Tasmania. I have seen quite a few of these boats, and none of them have scarph joints. I took my inspiration for the honey coloured wood and treenails from them, but the two tone wood colours were my idea. Frankly, probably not authentic - but it does look good! 
 
You are right that the windlass (and the crane) were probably not on the ship when Bligh was cast away. Those things were used for retrieving the anchor or towing the Bounty out of tight spots or when there was not much wind. They were probably either thrown overboard or left on the ship. 
 
I note that your kit is a little different from mine - different box, and your instructions are in colour! I was a little baffled when my instructions referred to the "colour" of the wood several times ... when my instructions were in black and white. 
 
Good luck with your build, I can't wait to see what you come up with. 

That's fine esion, if you are almost finished i'll wait for your completed model
 
Before I went for my NYE party yesterday I managed to mask off the bottom of the boat and apply 3 layers of white paint. When I came home (blind drunk, at 3AM) I managed to add another layer, miraculously without spilling paint all over myself, the floor, or the boat. I left the paint to dry, had a shower, then went to sleep.
 
I woke up at close to noon with a nasty hangover but that didn't stop me from trudging down into my modelling room to do more work. Wasn't such a good idea, given how many mistakes I made today. The reason why I am going so slow is because I have gone treenail crazy and i'm treenailing everything:
 

 
The sheer clamps and windlass holder have been treenailed and installed. Note that the wood has been stained, yet the treenail sits flush and crisp against the plank. How to get a crisp finish - stain the wood and allow to thoroughly dry. Drill the hole for the treenail, then dip the treenail in slightly diluted PVA glue (I use 9:1 PVA to water). Push the treenail through and allow it to sit slightly proud, about 0.1mm. You will note that simply by pushing the wet treenail through stained wood, the surface of the treenail will be slightly stained! When the PVA glue is dry, chisel off the proud area, then lightly sand with 800 grit sandpaper - this will leave you a crisp treenail.
 

 
The center floorboard was likewise treenailed.
 

 

 
I made a little jig to help space the planks evenly. The pictures are self explanatory.
 

 

 
This is where I am up to right now. Note that I have moved the mainmast closer to the windlass.
 
Tomorrow after work - i'll complete the floorboards, sand back the painted area and give it another coat of paint.

Thanks for the comments guys. Esion, if you could post a build log of your boat that would be helpful.
 
The hull is now completed, and I am about to start installing the floorboards, etc. I have been poring over the other Bounty Launch build logs on MSW with a microscope, and I note that Mario (Cap'n Rat Fink) repositioned the masts on his boat (see here). Did he make the right decision?
 

 
Photo 1: Model Shipways. This is an image from the Bounty instructions (the plans are too big to fit in my scanner). I have numbered the frames 1-15 as per the convention in the manual, but if you count the tween frames there should be 26. However, as noted in an earlier post I added two frames, so I have 28. Note the position of the mainmast relative to the windlass holder.
 

 
Photo 2: National Maritime Museum. This is an image of the plans of the Bounty Launch from the National Maritime Museum. The positions of the foremast and mainmast are not indicated on these plans.
 

 
Photo 3: AOTS: Bounty. These are the plans from Mackay's AOTS: Bounty. I have numbered the frames for convenience.
 
 
Comparing the three plans, a number of observations can be made:
 
1. The number of frames in each set of plans is radically different. MS has 26, NMM has 16, and AOTS:Bounty has 18. Also, the frames on the bow are canted on the MS kit, whereas they are straight on NMM and AOTS:Bounty.
 
2. The position of the windlass (expressed as a ratio to the length of the ship - larger number means the windlass is closer to the bow) is 0.55:1 on the MS kit, 0.56:1 on the NMM plans, and 0.55:1 on Mackay - all three sources agree.
 
3. The position on the mainmast, again using the same convention, is 0.38:1 on the MS kit, and 0.49:1 on Mackay. You can see the difference just eyeballing the photos.
 
4. Mackay depicts a bowsprit - this is not included in the MS kit. I have to decide whether or not to create one. Mario decided that the Launch is too small to include a bowsprit, but I will probably go with Mackay's plans.
 
5. The MS kit does not include a crane, or a windlass (but they do include plans, but not material for fabricating one if you wish). The booklet says that the crane and windlass were probably left on the Bounty when Bligh was set adrift - so these items were not included. Do I make my own? Decisions, decisions ...
 
6. Mackay depicts six thwarts and six oars per side. The oarlocks on Mackay are simply cutouts on the sheer plank. The NMM plans do not depict any oars or oarlocks, but does depict six thwarts. However - MS includes five thwarts and five pairs of oars. The oarlocks on Mackay are dowels insert in the gunwale. Interesting decision by MS - it is not too late in my build to severely kitbash and try to get my Launch to look more like Mackay's, but the very thought of fabricating a new gunwale takes the wind out of my sails. I will probably stick with MS - the gunwale they included looks nice.
 
I now have to decide whether to paint the inside of the Launch or not. My original idea was to stain the planks and floorboards, thwarts, etc. different coloured stains to make them stand out, but I am not sure if I should introduce another colour (perhaps red). Nobody knows how the interior of the Launch was painted, so I suppose that gives me considerable artistic license! It will probably end up as an aesthetic decision, more than anything else!
 
Now after all that, did Mario make the correct decision? Take a look at his boat:
 

 
Now take a look at what it would look like if built to the instructions provided by MS:
 

 
I think there is no question that the mast should be closer to the windlass. It even looks more correct. Unfortunately, repositioning the mainmast means that all sorts of things have to be fabricated or shifted - new thwarts have to be made, holes filled and moved, etc. My homework for tonight is to study the plans and see if I have enough material to do it.

Quite a few people here use Tung Oil. Wipe it on, then leave it for 10 minutes, then wipe off the excess. Leave it for 24 hours to "cure", then give it another coat. You will get a beautiful matt finish and it deepens the colour of the wood. 
 
Make sure you don't plan to glue anything on afterwards, because most glues have trouble sticking on to the oiled surface. 
 
As always, experiment on some scrap wood before applying it to your model!

Quite a few people here use Tung Oil. Wipe it on, then leave it for 10 minutes, then wipe off the excess. Leave it for 24 hours to "cure", then give it another coat. You will get a beautiful matt finish and it deepens the colour of the wood. 
 
Make sure you don't plan to glue anything on afterwards, because most glues have trouble sticking on to the oiled surface. 
 
As always, experiment on some scrap wood before applying it to your model!

First up, Welcome One and All !!!
 
For now, my USS Constitution is currently on-hold - although some may (perhaps rightfully) argue that it hasn't even begun.
(At this point, my Connie's boats are almost complete, bulkheads have been faired, keel pieces cut, but that's about it !!)
 
I really must commence this log by stating that, to start with, I wasn't planning on doing another kit along the way.
However, a number of circumstances changed my mind.
 
First and foremost was that my expectations for my own work have grown exponentially since I joined MSW, and this is due purely to all of the amazing builds I have viewed here.
 
Secondly, I feel there are a number of modelling skills which I need to work on before I could possibly hope to do justice to a proper rendition of Ol' Ironsides.
(Especially with the number of Americans here on MSW, I well run the risk of irreparably damaging US-Australian diplomatic relations !!)
 
Third, recently myself and a good friend were discussing a number of matters over a few beers (OK lots of beers !! It was Australia Day !!). At any rate, the topic came, somehow, to the Bounty mutiny. At some point, I brashly stated that "One day, I'll build you a model of the Bounty."
 
To this, my friend replied that he would instead prefer to have a replica of the Mutiny longboat.
(I should mention that this friend is aware of my modelling, and has seen - first-hand - how many years it takes me to do them.)
 
It dawned on me that I could "kill two birds". And so I started to see what was around, read through a number of stunning builds of the same kit, saw some of the pitfalls that have been experienced, and also some of the "bashes" which others have taken to improve their own kits.
(I am a kit-basher !!)
 
As such, this build will be heavily influenced by the works of: UsedToSail, Cap'n Rat Fink, Amfibius, Meredith and others.
Comments, tips and hints graciously accepted.
 
EDIT: For ease of access, here is the link to the Bounty Launch "database" which I created during this build.

CF, you need scotch tape which can be marked. Apply the tape to the gap, then use a pencil to trace the outline of the gap. Remove the tape and place it on a plank. Use a sharp knife to trim the tape up to the mark, then cut the plank to fit the tape. Make sure that you do not cut exactly to the outline of the tape - leave yourself some excess, then sand the rest of the plank until it fits the gap. 

Thanks Brian. Had another productive day modelling.
 
The gap in planking noted yesterday:
 

 
... has now been fixed. Once it is nicely sanded the damage shouldn't be too bad:
 

 
Now that I have finished planking, time to pop the glue joints and see if I stuck the boat to the jig. To my immense relief, it came off the jig with no drama!
 

 

 
The above two pictures show the port and starboard side. As mentioned earlier, it was my intention to build an "admiralty" style model. Yes, I know that admiralty style models usually leave the planking off on the port side instead of the starboard side, but Artesania's HMAV Bounty has the planking left off on the starboard side. Since it is my intention to display this model next to that one, I copied the planking. I left off planks 5, 6, 7 to achieve this effect.
 

 
I popped off the guide tags and mounted the hull back on the jig to provide a nice sturdy surface for sanding.
 
After reading several build logs on MSW, I decided I would try scraping the hull with a Stanley knife blade instead of sandpaper. It works really well! I did switch to sandpaper later to achieve a smoother finish though.
 

 
After successively finer grits of sandpaper (down to 1200 grit) ... the hull was as smooth as a baby's bottom! Note the stealer frame, it seems to blend in pretty well. I managed to do all this without having to resort to a single drop of wood filler.
 
I didn't take a picture, but I veneered over the transom to hide those exposed planks.
 

 

 
Right now I am installing the tween and cant frames. After this, drill holes for treenails and then stain the hull again.

Thanks Cap'n Bob, Dan, Tom, Jeff, and Scott. I have had the whole week off for Christmas, Boxing day, and New Years - no prizes for guessing what I have been doing
 

 
I pre-stained the planks prior to installation. As you can see from the photo, the wood is porous enough to let the stain seep through from the other side. I deliberately stained some planks more aggressively than others to give some variation in colour between the planks when it is assembled. I am very happy with the colour of the stain - it is exactly what I wanted.
 

 
After 24 hours to allow the stain to dry, I soaked the planks and steam bent them, again using the frame as a jig. It took me a whole day to bend all the planks, and then I waited 24 hours for the planks to dry. In previous models I have attempted to install planks which have not been thoroughly dried. Bad mistake to make - wet planks expand. When they dry, they contract - leaving unsightly gaps in the planking. Given this is a single planked boat, I did not want this to happen.
 

 
Planking begins! The picture shows the garboard plank fitting snugly in the rabbet.
 

 

 

 

 
Since I am planning to treenail this boat, I thought I would make a treenail marking jig. I used some spare grating material from another kit. The pictures are self explanatory.
 

 
Planking continues. I was have read the other Bounty Launch build logs thoroughly and was very careful to follow the planking marks. The instructions suggest you can either alternate between planking from the garboard up and sheer down, or plank from the sheer down. I decided to alternate - so: 1, 10, 2, 9, 3, 8 ... etc.
 

 

 
I note that usedtosail had a problem with his shutter plank (see here). Well, I encountered the same problem. It appears as if the shutter plank is not the same size as depicted on the plans. Unlike Tom, I do not have any spare basswood in order to cut myself a new plank.
 
I will have to install a stealer. I am quite annoyed that I have to install a stealer on a kit which features laser cut strakes, but then none of the other modellers reported a problem - so perhaps it is my own fault. I'm not quite sure where I went wrong, but a word of warning for anybody planning to build this launch. Watch out for this - if it appears that you need to trim wood at the stern, DON'T. At least not until you get to test fit the shutter plank.
 
I am also annoyed that the stealer will be above the waterline. I was planning to paint the kit at the waterline, and stain everything above it. The stealer will unfortunately be quite visible!
 
In any case, I don't want to deal with it tonight. That will have to be a job for tomorrow. I'm off to bed now.

I can honestly say that if I was not a member of MSW, it would not have occurred to me to build this boat. After admiring usedtosail's build, I did a search and found a wealth of other builds on MSW. I have pored over them in detail, and I managed to gain an appreciation of the kit's idiosyncrasies even before I started. These are the other build logs on MSW:
 
Cap'n Rat Fink
Meredith
Tom Bombadillo
usedtosail
 
Many years ago, when I built the Artesania Bounty, I built a Launch as well. Here it is:
 

 

 
What I wish to do is build a larger model of this launch, with missing planking on the starboard side, showing off the frames, admiralty style. I also plan to ignore the paint scheme as suggested by the kit (which I find to be rather ugly) and finish the boat to my liking.
 
Along the way I will hopefully be guided by some reading material:
 

 
Anyway, on to the model and unboxing photos.
 

 
Photograph of the box.
 

 
Instruction manual and plans. The manual can be downloaded from MS' website here. Up to now, I have been building kits by Artesania, Amati, etc. and have come to expect poor quality instructions in poor English. I was blown away by the detail in these instructions for such a simple boat. They even specify what type of blade you should use to carve the rabbet! Unfortunately, everything is in Imperial units, so I have been keeping my metric converter busy.
 

 
The model is built on a jig. Pre-cut planking strakes are supplied.
 

 
Bulkheads for the construction jig. Note the planking guide and fairing guide. The instructions tell you to fair the bulkheads to the dotted line. Easy enough to do.
 

 
More parts. Note that the all builders of the Launch on the other logs complained about the laser lettering on the Transom, and here it is! Awful decision by the kit designer. I tried to sand the lettering off, but it goes down way too deep. Short of painting the transom (I wish to leave it stained and unpainted), some solution has to be found.
 

 
More pre-cut planks.
 

 
Finally, the sailcloth and various little accessories.
 

 
... and my pristine (for now) workplace with my new modelling lamp We're all ready, let's get started.

Beautiful little boat. If I were you, I would stiffen the sails and put some wind in them. Another advantage of stiffened sails is that it holds your running rigging tight and with less slack.

Mike, stains are meant to be wiped on, not brushed on. You can try this: fold a piece of gauze over itself several times until it is quite compact, then clamp it with a hemostat. Then use a syringe or pipette and drop some stain on the gauze. Wipe the gauze on your boat, then reload. 

Its been awhile since my last post but i'm back. I made the mast and started on the rigging.


 
 
Lextin.

Dan..... all i can say is that you a braver man than me,                                                                                                                                                                                                           
 
I think MSW should create an honours system, whereby anybody showing bravery beyond the call of duty would be suitably rewarded.....maybe (The MSW order for Gallantry) , I for one would put your name forward for this very Galllant and kind act.
   I cant help feeling sorry that the old gentleman in Question will not see the finished ship though.
 
   Cheers
      Jack

Thanks for all the comments and likes, everyone!

Anyway, I did some work on the carpenter's chest. I modelled it in the open position. I took inspiration from Cap'n Rat Fink's chest here: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/849-hms-bounty-launch-by-teleman-116-bashed-completed/?p=12090 (copied the hollow lid idea), as well as Meredith's hinges here: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/2160-hms-bounty-launch-by-meredith-modelshipways/?p=143922
 
At the time I was wondering whether I could make metalwork as fine as hers, but as it turns out ... I can't. Try as I might, I am not able to make two "F" shapes in the supplied brass strip, so I made an "I" and a "C" instead. Still, I think the result looks OK. 
 
Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure or amusement. Probably the latter
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for all the comments and likes, everyone!

Anyway, I did some work on the carpenter's chest. I modelled it in the open position. I took inspiration from Cap'n Rat Fink's chest here: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/849-hms-bounty-launch-by-teleman-116-bashed-completed/?p=12090 (copied the hollow lid idea), as well as Meredith's hinges here: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/2160-hms-bounty-launch-by-meredith-modelshipways/?p=143922
 
At the time I was wondering whether I could make metalwork as fine as hers, but as it turns out ... I can't. Try as I might, I am not able to make two "F" shapes in the supplied brass strip, so I made an "I" and a "C" instead. Still, I think the result looks OK. 
 
Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure or amusement. Probably the latter
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for all the comments and likes, everyone!

Anyway, I did some work on the carpenter's chest. I modelled it in the open position. I took inspiration from Cap'n Rat Fink's chest here: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/849-hms-bounty-launch-by-teleman-116-bashed-completed/?p=12090 (copied the hollow lid idea), as well as Meredith's hinges here: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/2160-hms-bounty-launch-by-meredith-modelshipways/?p=143922
 
At the time I was wondering whether I could make metalwork as fine as hers, but as it turns out ... I can't. Try as I might, I am not able to make two "F" shapes in the supplied brass strip, so I made an "I" and a "C" instead. Still, I think the result looks OK. 
 
Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure or amusement. Probably the latter