CharlieZardoz

Below is the carving process to remove the bulwarks. I mainly did this using basic woodcarving tools (though tried the dremel a bit but didn't really need it). The hull still needs a little work by the fore and quarter deck areas. Should I use a small saw to make them even?

I am finally back home and in my shipyard.  A larger work area along with the rest of my tools.  I put my model on my work table and started to look it over to see what damage was done to it.  
So far what I found can be redone but will take some time.  Here are the major problem areas and the one that gave me the most trouble to begin with.
The area marked is and area that has to be redone do to damage.



I already printed out a new sheet and am cutting out the parts. 
David B
 
 

You are making headway keep up the good work.
David B

Another step was to cut the deck diagram out of the copy of the plans and make templates like so.  I used the leftover cardboard from the template sheets and glued them using rubber cement making these deck templates thicker so they wouldn't bend. As you can see lined up on the model itself there is still a lot of wood that needs to be removed from the front stern and sides.

While on vacation I took a trip to The Book Scout in Greenport LI.  Any of you who might be familiar this is one of the few places I know that still has ship books and was the place I got my Chapelle books from as a kid. He still had a nice collection and was happy to see the old place was still around.  Here's what I picked up

Another step was to cut the deck diagram out of the copy of the plans and make templates like so.  I used the leftover cardboard from the template sheets and glued them using rubber cement making these deck templates thicker so they wouldn't bend. As you can see lined up on the model itself there is still a lot of wood that needs to be removed from the front stern and sides.

Continuing...
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
She will now take her place in the Dining Room to compliment the Naval cutter model that I bashed quite some time ago.
 

They are a good match I think, and more importantly have the full approval of Mrs W
 
Specific reference works I have used during this build I list here.
 
The Naval Cutter Alert -  Peter Goodwin  (Conway AotS series)
 
The Global schooner - KH Mardquardt
 
The Colonial Schooner - H. Hahn.
 
Rigging Fore and Aft Craft - Lennarth Petersson
 
News of Nelson John Lapenotiere's race from Trafalgar to London  - Derek Allen and Peter Hore
 
My thanks to all who have  made such supportive comments on this log which I hope will provide a useful reference to those contemplating the build.
 
Regards,
 
B.E.
 

The Ensign Staff and Ensign.
 
The Ensign was printed on Modelspan tissue.
 
The advantage of this method is that the exact required size of flag can be obtained with on the model trialling until a size that pleases the eye is found.
 
A disadvantage of the method more specifically to the White Ensign is that the white background which of course is the basic paper colour does not show to the same advantage as the Red and Blue Ensigns.
 
To address the problem I coated the modelspan with diluted white water based paint before printing the flag and then painted over the Union colours using again water based paints.
 
I find that Chisel edged brushes are the best type to use for this action.
 
The modelspan is only coated on one side prior to printing because I found that coating both sides didn’t allow the printer ink to penetrate sufficiently thro’ to the other side.
 

Fixed to the flagstaff the ensign was then subjected to a little steam and was teased into shape using rods of differing thicknesses to hold the flag in a drooping attitude.

Matt varnish was then sprayed onto the flag to hold it in position, very light coats are required lest the colours run.

 

 
The same method was used for the Union Flag at the Jackstaff; the staff itself was made from micro bore brass tubing with a styrene truck, thro’ which holes were drilled to take the Halyard.
 

When I set the Union flag on the jackstaff I hadn't noticed that it was upside down, but fortunately my friend Pete Coleman on his forum where this log was originally posted  pointed this out and saved me from further embarrassment. Flying the ensign upside down is a  distress signal.
The matter was rectified.

A brass fret strip was used to make the tabernacle and the assembly was fixed to the aft face of the bowsprit cap using ca.

 
B.E

A few odds and ends
 
Rudder coat and pendants.
 
I usually make rudder coats out of micro-porus tape as it has a sort of canvas finish to it and has the added advantage of a sticky back.
Rudder coats are a sort of bell shape in plan but cutting a pattern for a particular ship is a matter of trial and error.
 
There should be an element of ‘bag’ in the coat to allow free movement of the rudder
 
This is difficult to achieve without padding out the interior, I use a little cotton wool off a cotton bud for this purpose.
After this it is just a matter of teasing it into shape around the transom and rudder.

The canvas was tarred to waterproof it as much as possible and I have represented this with a black grey finish.

 
The Rudder pendants
 
Evidence is that even smallish vessels like Pickle would have had some system for retaining the rudder after all loss of rudder was no small matter.
I could not find any detailed information exactly how the pendants and chains would have been fitted on Pickle; similar smallish vessels are shown with the pendants taken up over the transom and secured to cleats on the inside. This method would foul the stern gunports in the case of Pickle.

I fitted chains to eyebolts secured in the rudder and to eyebolts in the lower transom, and contented myself with this arrangement for the present.
 
Anchor buoys
 
These too are an essential part of a ships equipment, they need to be clearly seen on the water, and the standard size is 54”x 30” with something in excess of 100’ of line.(475mm)
 
Smaller vessels such as Pickle would have had a smaller version and I scaled mine down to 36” x 20”
I made an egg shaped core from the cone shaped tips of two cheap bic prop pencils and planked these with styrene strip.
 
With the addition of eyebolts either end and 0.25mm line to form the slings and hoops and the job’s done.

I don’t normally adhere to scale lengths of line but in this case I have measured out 18 fathoms of line (scale of course) to coil on the shrouds.

 

 

Nearly there
 
 

Launch cont'd
 
Jotika only provide two half chocks to support the boat, the inference being that the boat is supported on the starboard side by the Pickle’s bulwark.
 
This seemed odd to me so I fashioned a pair of full chocks on which to rest the Launch.

 

Having spent a fair bit of time making the bally boat, I’m now not sure I like it - hmmn I think I will have to ponder on that.
I certainly think I will only display one boat on the deck even if I decide to go ahead.
 

The kit arrangement.
 
How would they manhandle a boat of that size outboard given the rigging incumbrances.
 
I've a fair idea of how the boats were swung in and out, using a triatic stay slung between the two mast pendants, with tackles attached to ring bolts within the boat to raise it above the bulwarks, further tackles slung from the yardarm, and probably the Fore gaff, to swing it out.
 
Can you imagine how tricky that could be with an overlarge ships boat, keeping it steady to avoid crashing into the rigging, or worse the masts, she would have to hove to in any case to launch a boat, but in anything other than a millpond sea, she would still be rolling and pitching to varying degrees.
 
I really wanted to display a boat on the deck, maybe a replacement cutter of slightly less size, and some modifications learned from the building of the Launch.
 
The 14’ Cutter
 
This is not a bad shape and at least I know it will fit on the deck without giving the impression of trying to squeeze a quart into a pint pot.
 
I took a different approach with the Jolly boat.
 
Exterior planking was done clinker fashion using strips from computer label paper.
 

I decided that planking the inside of the hull was a waste of time as the planks were hardly visible on the larger boat when finished, and they just add to the thickness of the gunwales.
 
On this boat I used styrene strip of 0.5 x 1.5mm for the ribs and keelson, 0.5 x 2 mm for the rising plank.
The gunnels I made from 0.75mmx1.5mm styrene strip.

Small boats are tricky to hold whilst working, but a cut out in a block of balsa goes a long way to keep it steady.
To avoid unnecessary thickness I left the ribs long so that they would support the thin gunnels.

Basic internal structure completed, paper patterns for the foredeck and stern sheet gratings
 
Jotika suggest that there were no bottom boards or knees, but I have modified the interior to reflect the drawings in the McGowan Victory book, and other reference sources.

Bottom boards have been fitted, a grating in the stern sheets, and a small foredeck at the bow. The gratings which are nice features in small boats were left over from the main build but necessitated taking down to a fraction of their original thickness to suit.
 
Boxwood strip was used for the thwarts and ring bolts fitted at the bow and stern.

Modified chocks.
 

 

In keeping with the muted colours of the main model I decided to colour the oars in a natural wood finish, white looked too stark to my eye, and there is no white anywhere else on the vessel.
 
She certainly looks more in scale to the size of Pickle, so the 19’ launch will not be displayed on the model.
 
B.E.
 
 

Off to a great start, Charlie!

Below is the carving process to remove the bulwarks. I mainly did this using basic woodcarving tools (though tried the dremel a bit but didn't really need it). The hull still needs a little work by the fore and quarter deck areas. Should I use a small saw to make them even?

I guess, this topic is already old, yet I have found it only today, so just my two cents:
let's not be too strict about the naming conventions: "Baltimore clipper" is more nowadays term, they did not call them so in 1812. Now you can find them named as Baltimore clippers or Baltimore schooners, generally speaking of very fast and sharp built ships - originally built in Baltimore shipyards. But as said, many other vessels built on Eastern coast inherits their lines, among them also so called revenue cutters. Here just beware, the term "cutter" is more related to the ship's duties (comes probably from English, where they have used famous cutters - one masted vessels to protect Isles against smugglers and piracy). Strictly speaking, cutter is one masted vessel, american "revenue cutters" like for example Doughty's designt are also topsail schooners, just like Baltimore clippers. You will find their description also in Chapelle's book "Baltimore clipper - orifgin and development" . So it is all the same family
Regarding the scale question: not sure about Albatros, but I have finally got original full size plans of Lynx from Greenwich Maritime museum. The kit of Lynx, when compared to them is some 60x smaller in length and some 57x smaller in breight. Not speaking of other dimmensions. That means, Panart's kit is not 100% proportionally correct and for sure it is not in (anyway quite unusual) modelled in a given 1:62 scale

Hi everyone, here is a quick update of where I am now.  The spars and braces are up, and at this stage, all that I have left is some rigging at the bow and stern, the backstays, jib stay, tighten up some other lines, and add the remaining detail items (driver boom, some more coils, the anchors and non buoys, rudder chain and flag).  I was originally planning to have the ship completed by the end of last month, but came down with shingles of all things.  Thankfully I'm better after about three weeks of excruciating pain, and making some good progress.  I'm not in a rush at this point, as I'm not expecting the upgraded wood packages for my next two builds, the Corel Unicorn and MS Charles Morgan, until April or May.  So, that gives me time to enjoy the home stretch and finish the display case.
 
Enough rambling, here are some pictures.  Again, sorry for the poor quality, but this is the most neutral background I can find in my house   Thanks for looking in as always.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good day to all -
 
This segment will be a bit of a detour from where I left the hull construction last time.  The sheer size of the model means that I have to work on it in the basement of the family’s weekend house near Albany, NY.  There is no way that I can fit it into the shipyard in the Brooklyn apartment, which is a converted walk-in closet.  I haven’t been up to the house in several weeks, so I am working on smaller pieces here in the city that can be added later.  The first of these are the ship’s boats.  As always, there are half a dozen good ways to get the job done.  Here is mine.  The recitation is quite long, so I have broken it up into two parts.  The first will cover the shaping and planking of the hull, and the second will finish with the fitting out of the interior.
 
The Mercure drawings that I am working from include plans and schematics for two boats, a large launch (boat 7) and a sleek pinnace (boat 6).   Here I will be building the launch.  The drawings had been sent to me as .tif files, so it was easy to drop them into Photoshop and start manipulating them.
 
 
 
First I used the rule stick in the hand of the little gnome dancing on the page to scale the drawing to the size of the model.  I cropped and copied the forward and aft station lines portions of the plans and moved them to a new blank image.  Identical square outlines were superimposed around the two drawings to give them the same registration planes and centerlines. 
 
Once I was happy that everything was square and aligned correctly they were copied repeatedly to fill a page sized image and printed out several times to get one image for each of the 21 stations shown on the profile and cross section plans.  These were cut apart and glued with spray mount to squares of 1/8” wood sheet.
 

 
The outline at each station was cut out with a notch for the keel and shoulders at the sheer.  The three in the upper right are standing up because they have already had spacers glued to their back sides like the one in the upper left.  These are used with the building board, which is marked out for the centerline and each numbered station.
 

 
The station formers are glued to the board and to each other one at a time with a top spacer used to keep them at the proper distance and an engineer’s square to see that they are perfectly vertical.  
 


 
While the glue was drying on the developing stack of formers the two strongbacks (stem-keel-sternpost) were cut out.  It is somewhat weaker to do it this way, as you end up with cross-grain on the stem and sternpost, but it is faster, and this boat is something of a test bed for techniques.  For the same reason, the wood used is almost exclusively basswood.  It is easy to work, glues well, and when stained correctly is almost impossible to distinguish from a close-grained hardwood. 
 
The portion of the plans showing the longitudinal cross section was mounted on an 1/8” wood sheet which was then glued to a second sheet, with the glue placed only where the wood would be chucked.  The outline of the strongback was cut out on the band saw, leaving a glued central piece to be cut last.  This yielded two identical pieces that came apart as soon as the last cut was completed. 
 



 
Here is the completed stack of formers on the building board with one of the strongbacks temporarily set up in the notch for the keel.  It goes without saying that once the stack was fully glued it was shaped and faired with sanding rods to get smooth curves from bow to stern.
The strongback is held vertically with small blocks at the bow and stern that sandwich the tops at the centerline.  Two transom pieces were taken from the plans, laid out and cut as before, and each was test fit into the notch cut for it at the base of the sternpost.  The location of the forward edge of the plank rabbet was determined and marked out on the strongback, then the small extensions that had been left above the stem and sternpost were trimmed until it snuggled down into the keel notch at the proper level. 
 

 
The strongback was removed and the rabbet was carved along the line with rotary bitts, then finished with files and rifflers.   The transom was planked on the outside and glued in place against the sternpost.
 


 
Now I fit the ribs to the station formers.  It was a happy fact that Budriot drew the boat with a rib at each station line and a station line at each rib.  To make room for them I had cut out the station formers a little inside the line, and the sanding and fairing had further reduced the breadth of the stack.  The ribs were fairly thin in any case, made from wood strips milled to 1mm x 2mm (about 1.5” x 3” in scale”).  These were soaked in water to soften, then bent around each former and wired in place.  No glue was used.
 

 
All of the ribs were wired in place except the aftmost one at Station 21.  Leaving it off gave me a little more flexibility in fairing the planks to the transom.  The strongback was replaced in the keel notch of the formers and the initial two planks were shaped.   
 
The first was the sheer strake.  From the plans it measured out to exactly ¼” in width and was left full width its entire length.  A strip of basswood that width and 1/16” thick was soaked for a few minutes, then shaped first at the bow, where the tip was cut and angled to fit into the rabbet.  The forward few inches were steam bent using an Amati plank bender (the one that looks like a soldering iron with a nautiloid shaped head).  It is 25 years old and still works a treat.  Using the shoulders cut into the formers at the sheer the plank was edge bent to match the curve before being clamped and glued to each rib and the transom.
 
The garboard strake against the keel was similarly fitted and glued.  However, when I tried to impose the required twists into a basswood plank it repeatedly splintered.  I therefore used pau marfim, a California hardwood.  It is also ¼” wide for most of its length but flares to about twice that at the sternpost.  To accommodate this, a tapered plank was pieced in from Station 15 to the sternpost.  When I was happy with the look of the shape it was clamped and glued to the ribs.  Here is what they looked like with most of the clamps removed.
 



 
A word here about stains and glues.  Before any piece was installed it was given a staining with a mixture of ½  clear Minwax wood stain which they call Natural, ¼ Early American and ¼ Cherry.  I find this combination the best to reduce any splotchiness in the basswood and makes basswood resemble boxwood or one of the lighter cherry varieties, a look that I like a lot.  However, the stain is a bit oily, so the wood has to be well wiped and has to dry for a while before normal PVA glues will hold well. 
 
As for glue, I use a pH neutral white glue made by Lineco which I used to get from an art conservation supply house.  It sets up fast and holds well, yet is still flexible for an extended time, which will come in handy later.  Now I get it through Amazon where it is competitively priced with carpenters’ wood glues.
 
This process was repeated for the second sheer plank and the first broad strake against the garboard, but these had to be tapered to fit at the bow.  I knew from test fittings with strips of paper that there was almost exactly half the space between the garboard and sheer strake at the bow than there was between these planks amidships.  Therefore the next two planks were tapered for their forward three inches to that dimension.  Holding the plank to the formers and letting it find its own best fit, it was evident that the tapering on the second sheer strake should come off the edge that mated with the sheer strake, while the broad strake should taper on the garboard side. 
 
After the bulk of the wood was removed the edge was sanded to a fair curve.  This spiling was all done by eye, with the curve examined from every angle and refined as needed on this and every successive plank.
 
Once acceptably shaped the planks were stained, then caulking was indicated by coloring the uncut edge of the plank with an indelible black marker.  The planks were bent to final shape, fitted, glued and clamped in place.
 

 
With two strakes at the keel and two at the sheer, the cage of ribs had a good deal of strength and rigidity.  Now all of the wires were pulled out and the developing hull was removed from the formers.  I must have done a clean job with the glue because I didn’t have to pry it loose at any point.
 

 
Subsequent strakes were processed in a similar way.  For clamps I used bulldog clips that had a handle piece from a second clip fitted into the top of the clip.  A modified clip was used on every other former to hold the plank to the ribs as the glue dried. 
 

 
Here is what the hull looked like with 8 of the 11 strakes in place.  At this point the remaining space was divided into thirds as you can see from the pencil marks on the ribs.  This would be filled with two standard width planks and one custom fit ‘shutter plank’ that closed in the hull.
 

 
Here is one completed side.  The shutter plank location was selected to lie just under the curve of the chine of the hull, making it less visible than any other spot.  It is the fourth from the keel.  It is slightly wider than the other planks and flares at the stern to fill the larger space.
 

 
While it was on the formers the location of each rib was penciled onto the planks in preparation for the ‘nails’ holding the planks to the ribs.
 

 
Once the other side was closed up the hull was removed from the formers.  I think the method worked quite well and resulted in a hull that is strong, symmetric, and gives a convincing appearance of an actual boat structure.  The white plastic figure in the corner is useful to judge scale appearance and will appear again.
 

 
Spiling the planking by eye in this way is an acquired skill, but not difficult if each plank is critically examined and adjusted as needed.  The final hull has a nice run of planking that tapers smoothly to the stem and matches, port to starboard, and even has the little variations in width that a real boat does.
 


 
In the next installment I use the penciled lines to drill the nail holes for the more than 1100 fasteners used for the hull planks.  Then I fit out the interior and finish the boat.
 
As always, critical review by the eyes of my peers is requested.  This is even more so in this case since the boat is the first generation attempt and, despite the work and time invested, may not make the final cut.
 
Looking forward to hearing from all.
 
Dan
 

Hello again -
 
Just back from the doctor, who says that a 'trigger finger' problem that I am having with my right thumb is related to the repetitive nature of the carving work.  He told me to lay off for a while, and gave me a cortisone shot into the base of the thumb.  Ouch !    And then it didn't work!  I don't have much more to do on the first figurehead, so I am going to finish it in easy stages, then work on some larger pieces before going back to the second lion.
 
Here is a short report on where I am now -
 
This next phase of the carving is mostly a process of refining the shapes that were defined last time.  For this I mostly use a series of diamond abrasive burrs of various shapes.  Here is the set, purchased from Micro-Mark some time ago when Chinese tool makers hadn't started taking short cuts with quality.  They have held up very well for more than a decade.  The long cone in the Dremel is very useful.  I use the point for lining out and small details, while the larger diameter of the base of the burr smooths and shapes larger surfaces.
 

 
The carving process with these burrs is the same as for the larger bitts - I first define the edges and planes, then refine them by rounding the corners and adjusting the angles of the planes.  Raised body parts like the tail and upper arm are given some dimensionality by undercutting them slightly to create a shadow line.  
 
All of the carving is all done by eye at this stage - the Michelangelo method - I just remove whatever doesn't look like the image in my head.  Here are a series of shots with the work rotating starboard to port.
 





 
The major issue right now is the shape of the head.  It is still too broad.  In some photos it looks more like a lizard than a lion.  You can see that quite clearly in the first enlarged photo below.  This was taken with the macro setting on the camera, and some of the problem is exaggerated, but you can see what I mean.  In the lower photo I used Photoshop to narrow the image about 15%, and now it looks much more leonine.  I will carve it down to get that general shape.
 


 
If you haven't figured it out, the teeth are created by simply drilling a series of small holes which define the negative space between the teeth.  I may use a small triangular file to refine them, or just leave them as is, since they are all but invisible uness a camera is used to magnify them. 
 
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
 
Dan

I cut out the little paper frames as so and as confirmed by Chuck in the practicum they don't match the actual plans.  Based on this I'm wondering if what I need to do is cut the plans up and make templates from the decks etc to better shape hull as well as the paper frames. 

Port side aft bulwark planked...   I'm cleaning up the shop a bit and I'll start on the hull planking.
 
Critiques, laughing out loud, pretty much anything you want to say about it is allowed, as always.   
 
I do notice that there's a couple of place that need a touch more sanding, but those places are on hold until after the rest of the hull is planked.  Might as well get everything at once....
 

After reading all the theories and "how-to's" where the rubber meets the road....  I'd like some feedback on my batten.  I'm planking from the wales down to the batten first.  The batten represents where the wide wale planks will end... or should end.
 

Hi again, and thanks for the likes and compliments.  
 
It is going well, I think.  I am trying to create the look of a working ship, rather than one fresh off the building ways.  
 
Now that the foredeck is installed, I turned to the waist.  With the cannon rigged out they can be covered by the gangways.  But first I decided to put in the ropes that go through the hull and belay below the gangways.  It would have been much harder to do them with the gangways in place.  These are the main course tack that goes through the chesstree, and the two sheets that go through the sheaves in the hull.
 
These lines will be some of the larger running rigging ropes and, because of their locations, some of the more visually prominent ones.  They have to be good quality and look like miniature rope.  I could have laid them up on my ropewalk, but I have a few spools of treasured Cuttyhunk Irish linen line (which is no longer available for any price).   The Zane Grey and Natural colors are too white, but a quick run through Minwax wood stain in Ipswitch Pine color makes them look the right shade.
 
1
 
Even examined closely this gives them the look of miniature rope.
 
2
 
I fed the line through the hull openings.  The larger line (C-21) was used for the tacks which belayed to cleats, while the smaller one (C-12) was for the sheets.which belayed to the staghorn kevil.
 
3
 
Although each line is tied off properly, they were all further secured with dilute white glue.  When dry the ends were nipped off and hidden by separate rope coils.  I make these on a simple jig.  A block of soft wood - basswood in this case, but it could be balsa - has several holes drilled in the top face and one or two holes in the front face in the same line.  Removable brass pegs fit into the holes and everything is given several coats of clear finish to keep glue from sticking to it.  Then matching lines are wrapped around the pegs with the ends friction fit into notches in the jig.
 
4
 
As I wrap I randomly make larger and smaller loops and even the occasional figure eight.  When I have the look that I want, the coils are painted with dilute white glue.  Actually, they are first wet down with water, which helps the dilute glue to penetrate the line rather than having it sit on the surface.  When the glue is dry the top peg is removed and the coil peeled up from the jig and trimmed.  Using dilute glue means that the coils are flexible while still holding their shape.
 
5
 
The coils are hung over the belaying points, teased into position where they look like they are hanging with the force of gravity, and secured with white glue.
 
6
 
7
 
In the photos you can see the supporting knees for the gangways.  These were made as before by cutting and shaping a stick and then parting off individual ones.  After locating and installing the forward and aft ones, the gangways were glued in, then the middle two knees for each gangway were installed.  In the photo you can see the ropes that feed through the hull.  I left what I hope is more than enough to reach to the sails, but we will see when the rigging is installed.
 
8
 
The final fittings in the waist were the four ladders from the gun deck up to the gangways.  They were wider at the base than at the top, and were built up as has been detailed before as a stack, then parted off.
 
9
 
After individual ladders were parted off they were cleaned up, stained and installed.
 
10
 
Now that the waist was complete, I turned to the quarterdeck.  The railing that was built up last time was installed, then the whipstaff.  For those not familiar, this is an obsolete steering device that predated the wheel.  It consisted of a rotating fitting called a rowel set into the deck through which a staff passed before it hooked into the end of the tiller arm.  Moving the staff port or starboard turned the rudder.  It was not very efficient, but then most steering was done with the sails during this time.
 
10a
 
A hole was drilled in the deck and a piece of pear cut and sanded to fit.  The fore/aft slot for the rowel was carved into the pear piece, as were indentations for the staff clearance athwartships.  The rowel was turned from maple, and the hole drilled to allow the staff to have a sliding fit.  I set the staff at an offset angle and glued it in place.
 
11
 
You can also see the ladders from the quarterdeck to the poop deck on the roof of the captain's cabin.  These were made up as before, just a little taller than the gangway ladders.  Similarly, the post with sheaves for the lateen halyard was made like the fore and mainyard halyard fittings.  Along the bulwarks are staghorns and pinrails as drawn by Budriot.  I am not completely sold on the pinrails, which do not appear anywhere else on the ship, but they are certainly needed for belaying points.
 
The four 4-pounder cannon were rigged and installed like the 6-pounders on the gun deck.
 
12
 
 Now the deck fittings that were made up almost a year ago could be installed.  These were the companionway house, the officers' bench in front of it, and the two small binnacles.
 
13
 
The ship is now ready for rigging, which will start next month.
 
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Until then, happy Thanksgiving to all and to your families.
 
Dan
 
 
 
 

I used Bob's practicum on my AVS and it was very helpful.  Obviously it's designed for someone who's not had a ton of experience (me)!  The Practicum for the Rattlesnake is manditory for the kitbashed version I'm planning.You can buy all the various Practica as a package for $200.  This will allow you to use them for multiple vessels, including a scratch built "Hannah".  Here's a link:  http://www.lauckstreetshipyard.com/
 
Here are some shots of the model under construction from the Practicum:
 
 
 
Dave

To make things easier make up a building board.  This will help you tremendously down the road.  The PDF should explain some of this.
David B
BUILDING BOARDS.pdf

Next step is to carve the hull.  Am I up to the task? Stay tuned folks....

I cut out the little paper frames as so and as confirmed by Chuck in the practicum they don't match the actual plans.  Based on this I'm wondering if what I need to do is cut the plans up and make templates from the decks etc to better shape hull as well as the paper frames. 

Next step is to carve the hull.  Am I up to the task? Stay tuned folks....