BobG

There are two different shapers and I got both of mine on eBay. Again, since they are metric, they didn't fit the imperial size strip that I was using but I was able to steady the scraper enough to get the job done.

Adding treenails to my Medway Longboat was the most tedious task of the entire build since there were around 650 or more. I used black monofilament and the method that Chuck recommended. I found it easiest to first cut off several hundred short pieces of monofilament into a container and then drill all the holes on one side of the hull. Next, using tweezers, I would pick up a piece of monofilament and just touch the end very lightly into some CA before carefully placing it into a hole while working under my lighted, magnifier lamp. It's tedious work. The boat looked like a porcupine once I had a piece of monofilament in every hole on one side. Then I snipped off the excess monofilament with my side cutters but, as you noted, they leave a small protrusion of monofilament. I tried using a razor at first to cut them flush but that didn't work for me. So, once all the treenails were in and snipped off, I sanded the entire hull lightly and then added a coat of Satin Wipe-on-Poly. It took me a couple of days to complete just because the repetition is so tiring. Believe me, after a couple hundred, you get better at it! It turned out well and I think it looks great so it was worth the effort.

Glenn, I had a tough time scraping the moulding for my Medway Longboat. I tried cutting patterns into brass, box cutter blades, and razor blades but I couldn't get a nice, smooth, scraped pattern from any of them. I eventually bought a set of Artesania Latina scrapers and, although they didn't fit perfectly because they are metric, I was able to finally scrape a nice pattern on the moulding.

Thanks, Glenn, appreciate you stopping by. I stumbled and fumbled my way with my new airbrush but I finally got a good result and learned a lot in the process. My build is on temporary hold at the moment with some other responsibilities to take care of but I'll be back in my boatyard soon. The rigging instructions and plans in this kit are essentially useless so I have some detective work to do to try and figure things out. I love this boat and its history and I'm determined to finish this build though. Cheers!

Wonderful craftsmanship, Glenn, and a gorgeous result! It's so beautiful you're making me want to build this ship!

Hi Tom, I'm in Sacramento also. Go to the MSW home page and scroll down to the Member's Build Logs area for Model Ship from Kits. This is where members can document their the building of their models, ask questions about the particular model they are building and get advice and feedback. It's easy to do and will provide you with great advice and motivation for experienced modelers.

Would the L130 or the B-01-130 be the most historically correct boat to have on the Le Coureur?

I have been using Titebond Thick & Quick when I know I will need more time to get a piece set correctly. It sets up much faster than regular Titebond and is not runny so it will stick to vertical surfaces and the squeeze out won't run down the piece.

Those are some very nice models, Tom. I hope you will make build logs of your projects. Good luck!

That's an amazing keel, Kevin. I've been using Titebond Thick & Quick a lot and I prefer it over regular Titebond since it sets up quicker and isn't runny.

You can use a good filler and then sand the hull to make a very nice base for your second layer of planking. Take following post is an excellent, brief tutorial regarding an great planking method:

Outstanding, bolin!

Does model space make their own, unique version of the Constitution or do they just repackage a kit from another company, with permission, and then upgrade the instructions also?

I would also like to know which Constitution kits have the best instructions also?

Nice idea to drill the holes for the sheaves while the stock was still square. I had a bit of a problem getting the holes exactly centered on both sides after I had sanded them to their final, rounded shapes.

Hmmm...I would have been grumpy too especially with a model that is so expensive. I would expect the parts to slot together with excellent precision like we are seeing with the Vanguard models that Chris Watton is making. I'm glad to see you found a way to overcome the problems but, I have to say, that it's a bit disappointing to see some problems crop up from the start.

Thanks, Don. I hope to be back in the boatyard pretty soon. The rigging instructions are useless and the plans are confusing so I have some detective work to do. My son is also home for a visit so I'm taking a break for a few days.

Is this boat meant to used on the Le Coureur?

Wonderful progress, Don, and such a beautiful model!

First of all, this has to be one of the best build logs of any model I have ever read. Great work and thanks for thoroughly documented the details. Regarding the locator pin: Is it necessary to melt the pin? Wouldn't the glue be enough to hold it strongly?

My first model was a little fishing dory. I bought lots of small clamps for the planking because that's what I had seen on most of the various build logs I had read here on MSW. I resorted to all sorts of complicated arrangements of clamps and rubber bands using PVA to plank the dory. It worked but it was tedious and slow and I hated waiting so long for the glue to dry before I could move on to another plank. On my second model, the Batelina by MarisStella, I discovered how to use medium viscosity CA for planking and have never looked back again. I spend a little more time getting the planks to fit well before gluing them and then I just add a very small dab of CA on the frames or bulkheads as I move along laying down the plank. I will occasionally add a tiny bit of CA to an edge to help a plank fit tighter also. The medium viscosity CA gives me enough time to do quick adjustments if necessary too. The planking goes along so much faster and the CA forms a strong bond as well. For me, it makes the planking process so much more enjoyable.

That would be a beauty and a very welcome model. Do it, Chris!

There's room for much improvement in these models and I would be all over them if Chris ever decided to offer any models of these beautiful boats.

This is a very interesting conversation and it's exciting to see you pondering the development of your next models. I'm sure I'm going to be an outlier in this discussion since my interests in ship modeling is very broad and eclectic. I'm only a couple of years into the hobby and so far I've built a New England dory, a small Croation fishing boat, the Medway Longboat and I'm currently working on a racing sailboat, the Pen Duick. My next build and first ship with guns will be the Flirt and I have the Lady Isabella in my queue. So, as you can see, I don't specialize in a certain era or history like many modelers do especially those who are deep into the great, warships of the Age of Sail. I enjoy exploring many different styles of ships and maritime history. That said, I'd be cautious of building too many ships that are very similar except for their history per se. At least for me, I would be less interested in another brig that, at least in appearance, was very similar to the Flirt even if it was importantly different in its naval history. Others, however, who are aficionados of the particular era of these ships, would probably love to add another brig to their fleet of models. Again, for me, I appreciate the variety that you currently offer including the fifi and zulu along with the Speedy and the Flirt and the upcoming Dutchess of Kingston. Another example of offering a variety of models that has been very successful is what Chuck has done with his Syren models: a longboat (Medway Longboat), a royal barge (Queen Anne Barge), a cutter (Cheerful) and a 32 gun frigate (the Winchelsea). He is also considering a cross section of the Winnie as a possible new model next in his lineup. I was pleasantly surprised and happy to see that you decided to add the Lady Eleanor and the Lady Isabella to your selection of models. They're not everyone's cup of tea but my guess is that they have been fairly popular and we are seeing quite a few build logs of them here of MSW. I would love to see you continue to venture outside of your primary interests in the great warships in the development of your models. I think there is a market for variety of high quality models with excellent materials and instructions in many categories of ship modeling. I also think that there is a place for simply making a better, high quality, more historically accurate model of some of the favorite, famous warships that are already offered by other companies. I have noticed that the builders of these popular models often encounter the same frustrating problems with some aspects of the kits including parts that do not fit right, errors in the instructions and plans, and historical inaccuracies that are rarely ever corrected by the ship modeling company. Experienced modelers generally find ways to overcome these problems but it would be nice to have kits of some of these classic models that are very much improved over what is currently offered. As I mentioned to Chuck in another post, I think that Syren and Vanguard are pushing the envelope of excellence in the development of model ship kits today and CAF Models seems to be up and coming also. This is a breath of fresh air to this hobby and wish you all much success. Just my rather inexperienced, "outlier" 2 cents worth....

Looking forward to all of these builds!