Thistle17

Eric i have put this model aside for the time being. I call it a bad habit of mine i.e. easily distracted. i went back to my Cheerful model and just dove in and got inexcorably hooked. In my younger days it was over a pretty girl. Guess old habits die hard. I can't believe it is almost 3 years ago that i started this posting. i can't promise an immediate return but your query has given me a shove. Joe

Thank you both for your comments. Blackreed your comments suggest familiarity with this type configuration. Although, Jim our modeler, is ex Navy, his duty was with nuclear power systems. That has left us with many questions of just how these weapons were loaded/reloaded, where the casings ended up and as you point out the spot light was just asking for it to be shot out.

I know i have said this before but the gun tub is a project in itself making progress measured. Since the last posting, Jim, has made further advancement by assembly (albeit dry) of the gun carriage suspension components and has started some work of the gun locking system and other internal details. I think he is doing himself proud. Would you agree? Please note the guns are not mounted in their respective carriages but lay along side for perspective. Joe

How am to ever get my modeling done? Now I have to follow your fine works, watch Leo and his build and Acorn to Arrabella. Indeed i find your "gems" amussing and it keeps me on my toes. You have a sense of humor. Joe

Michael, just superb! You are such an artisan. You are an inspiration that i can only hope to follow. Joe

Joinery at any scale is a challenge. You have certainly 'nailed it' here! Just beautiful work. Joe

Now you have done it guys! You made me search further for the hobby bench I thought was a style that may work. It can be lowered and widened in the aperature and can be made wider in work surface area. The plan is simple and can be adapted for a wheel chair. I liked it as it was "handsome enough" to take residence in a living area as opposed to a shop environment. Here is what I would do: - The trestle framework can be redesigned to improve access in the knee hole area. - Remove it all together and make the rear panel the strong back. And while your add it remove the middle shelf. - Widen the top - Widen the drawer storage either side - Possibly add a bit of upper storage at the back of the top surface It was in Woodsmith not Shop Notes. Joe

Here is a style that intrigued me sometime back. For your needs a design such as this could be lowered and widened to accomadate your wheel chair. This particular one is quite pricey but my estimate for a DYI version is under $500. The DYI version of this was in Shop Notes or its companion sometime around 2010. Joe

Conditions have not improved much in the Finger Lakes Region as far as the infection rate goes. People just let their guard down and we still have an infection rate of 9%. Vaccinations for our 1B population has started but the supply chain is faltering. i suspect even with increased supply there will be a bow wave as first time recipients compete with 2nd round recipients. All part of the Covid Crazies! But I digress. I voluntered to turn the support system for the forward gun tub trays, as I have the lathe. I first tried making the system in one piece out of 1/2 delrin rod. It did not go well. In part because I am not a highly skilled turner and secondly when the turning got down to the 3/16 diameter the rod just did not have sufficient axial stiffness. So I turned to the old standby and made it out of brass. Actually the main body is 1/4" tubing with an ID that allowed yet another piece of tubing to slide neatly inside. That in turn very nicely accomadated a 3/16 inch rod which was end drilled to take the 1/16 rod. At present the 1/16 rod is quite long to aid in alignment of the whole assembly when it is installed on the gun tub support bracketry. The assembly is not soldered as I have to experiment with brass blackening and its interaction with solder flux. I suspect the answer will be "not well", in which case the assembly will be glued. Joe

When i was researching the ESSEX i ran across the plans on line here: bing.com/images. If you hunt around after you find page 1 the others can be found. Also i found AOS for Essex on Amazon books. It was a used copy in great condition. Joe

Making tools and jigs especially ones that live on past the immediate job rival the model work at times. What a nice tool you have come up with! Joe

Matt we seem to cast the most critical eye on our works. In our minds eye we hold unforgiving perfection but the execution, to us anyway, never seems to measure up. This pursuit demands so much of us especially with the incredible peers that post here. I'd say you are closing that distance quite well. Joe

Oh the time spent on making these diminuitive parts. Have we all lost our minds? Half kidding and half serious. I do think that such dedication and craftmanship does rival some of the best works of the time. I do hope they are appreciated long after we have "pushed off shore". Great work Rusty. Joe

I have been asked to restore a family's model of a fishing schooner modeled after a Maine vessel of the turn of the 20th century. I am told it was built by the builder of the original vessel. It has suffered the ravages of time and neglect. I need some recommendation of what to do with the sails. They were extremely well done perhaps the most notable execution of all elements. They do suffer from significant yellowing and environmental grime. They seem to be made of a very fine weave fabric and show no sign of rot. Can't tell if they are linen or a very fine weave cotton. Joe

You would think that with all the restrictictions placed upon us of late because of the pandemic that one would have copious amounts of time to work on our Syren models. Well, for me life still gets in the way so I sit and stare at your work like a dear caught in headlights. Incredible work that inspires and motivates us all! Joe

Because of the Covid restrictions ( we are approaching an Orange rating for our county, after having the best state infection rating pre Thanksgiving) our work has slowed dramactically. Yesterday just a bit more advancement with the final fit of the gun tub into the cavity forward of the pilot station. Lots of clean up and fairing left to do topsides as previously stated. Nearly the last thing to do on the gun tub is form and fit the gun carriage supports. A member of our group has volunteered to convert a tub side profile image to a measured drawing for that purpose. Joe

There are plenty to choose from out there. They range in price from under $200 to $1000 or more. Most all are table top. You will want variable speed, good hold down function and chip relief so you can see where the blade is going. Most are slow start so you need to be aware of that. Then it comes to the all important blade types. There are so many that it is too much to include here but you will want to invest in good quality blades for the works you plan. These are not for thick stock cutting and do their best on thin stock. If they have a surface light that is a plus. Joe

I guess I should have mentioned that the DAP product seems to sand easier and leaves no trace when one has to overcoat with either paint or finish. The manufacturer does stress that a minimal amount of adhesive is all that is necessary. I use the small but effective loop adhesive applicators that fit in an Xacto holder and that minimizes most all application problems. There are always caveats aren't there? Joe

I would just add another alternative. I have become quite fond of DAP Rapid Fuse Adhesive. I would characterize it as a CA adhesive but it has one useful capability that others do not have. A plank can be lifted within 30 seconds of application and relaid once again w/o more CA. I found this useful if I didn't get quite the plank to plank abutting that was needed. I have even pulled planks off completely, sanded the CA side and bulkheads (once dry) and reapplied them without incident. The adhesive bonds wood to ABS or similar "plastics". It sets after 30 seconds and cures in about 30 minutes. Joe

Jim your work around for the tilt table to me is one of "why didn't I think of that?" comments! This certainly addresses the work piece falling into the blade if all things being equal and the table saw was sitting upright. I rescind my only criticism of the attachement. Thank you. Joe

We were gifted with a record setting streak of warm weather here along Lake Ontario these past 7 days. And so were able to complete some last minute details prior to priming. To start with I finally decided to wet sand the hull to fair the Nitro Stan glazing compound. I had hesitated earlier as there was still a good deal of bare wood showing and it is a messy process as you auto body folk well know. It was left to dry for 2 days. Once that was done the rub rails were added up to the bow area. That was truncated because I have yet to master the "fair in" of the bow and the rub rail and the bow rub rail has to be specialy cut to fit the bow area as segmented rub rail was not going to traverse the bow. You may also see that a hull detail was added up to that point. It is an artifact, I believe, of the original hull layup as these hulls were intended for both pleasure and fishing craft. It is a simple 1/32" relief under the rub rail that follows closely to the waterline. One last detail was added and that was the trail board attached to the transom. On Mark II versions of the hull this was built directly into the transom. The day this was painted the air was relatively still but the relative humidity was quite low. As a result we were unable to get a full wet coat application on the primed hull. I chose automotive primer for the task so that has added to post priming tasks of a light wet sanding with 400 paper. The topside area is still to be worked to simulate the gullets of a fiberglass molded topsides so that is yet to be treated. Otherwise I am happy to report, in spite of all the applications of fill and glazing compound, the hull ia quite presentable from a fairness standpoint. I am sure the wet sanding will reveal some 'holidays' but for the moment we are go to press on. Joe PS: That sheet behind the model is a weakly veiled attempt to hide a messy counter area more than a backdrop cloth. Who said I had to be neat!

I am pushing to get the hull primed this weekend as the weather is going to be in the mid 60s and I can't spray in the basement. As a result I could not let this setback prevent me from that goal. The rub rail I have found is about 3/8 inch wide in scale (1:6 maybe slightly less). It has a slight taper across the width inboard to outboard. Using bass wood I built a shooting board and tried to add the taper but I quickly found that I was having trouble getting a uniform tapered edge not to mention tearout. I then thought of a more obvious way. On the Byrnes saw I taped a 1/32 inch strip to the base of the saw fence. At this point the rub rail has been purposedly ripped to 1 inch width. Using my shop built ripping guide to keep the stock snug to the fence base and the top edge snug against the fence top (with my push stick) I managed to get a consistent taper These will be ripped to width and given some final detail sanding and attached to the hull/ I anticipate soaking, maybe steaming these strips at the bow to form to the bulbous bow shape. I may even have to segment the rail to get the desired conformance. I now think I have a fair chance of making the milestone. Jim if you are listening I wish there was a tilting arbor retro for this saw. Joe

&*%#! I found a photo of the hull that didn't pixelate too much that displays the rub rail. That is the good news. The bad news is that my interpretation was wrong. I had assumed a more modern style but the picture that is shown in page 1 of this build log exhibits a much different rail that is proud at the stern and through midship but then intergrates itself into a splayed upper bow. I picked up some tapered balsa made for model airplane struts but in experimenting with it I have my doubts that it will suffice. Back to the drawing board! Joe

Thanks Mark, we move on. The hull fairing is nearly complete but still remains tedious. I hated automotive body work in my younger years and this project is no different. Embarrassement of a poor result is all that drives me on. Took a break from that work and made the elements of the rub strib for the hull at deck level yesterday. After finding nothing at the hobby shop of suitable form I decided to make them. Using my 3/8 inch beading bit for my router I machined 3/8 basswood stock with the bit raised to just the bead height. (A smaller radius one is shown). I machined both edges to a bead on the stock and then ripped them at the Byrnes saw. Working with 24 inch stock I will have to join elements. A scarf joint should hide the junction. I haven't got a good close up picture of the rub rail so it may be after some searching the profile will need further hand work to comply. Joe