ccoyle

Thanks Patrick,
 
Unfortunately I couldn't buy the hull! Haha there aren't any kits or plans available commercially for the Leeuwin on the market. Because of this I've seen a few models of the Leeuwin around with the completely wrong hull - especially the underwater sections. I'm an officer onboard so have access to the official ships plans. I don't have pics from the building of the hull unfortunately but the plug was built using a bread and butter method with pine planks and carved to shape. The molds are in two halves as the way the forepeak is made up, it would have been too hard to pull out of a single mold. A wooden template shaped around the keel profile is placed on the plug to form one half of the mold. Once this is set, the same is done for the other half. Both halves are clamped together to form one complete mold. This is what's used to produce the main model hull, once the fiberglass is set the two mold halves are unclamped and you're left with a one piece hull.
 
Below are photos for a hull mold and plug for the STS Young Endeavour to give you an idea of the process.

Hi everyone,
 
This is my first post after
a few years. I had been on the original forum though work as usual always got in the way. Anyway signing back up I've decided to post a new build log of what I'm building now. This will be a model of the STS Leeuwin II.
 
The STS (Sail Training Ship) Leeuwin II is a tall ship based in Fremantle, Western Australia.
The Leeuwin is a three-masted barquentine. It was built to a design by local naval architect Len Randell by Australian Shipbuilding Industries Pty Ltd (now BAE Systems Australia) and launched on 2 August 1986. It is currently operated by the Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation, a private not-for-profit organisation that runs youth training voyages along the West Australian coast.
 
The ship's overall length is 55 metres (180 ft) and its beam 9 metres (30 ft). The hull is welded steel with a teak deck. The main mast is 33 metres (108 ft) tall and, when fully rigged, the ship carries over 810 square metres (8,700 sq ft) of sails. A full crew consists of 55 people, consisting of 5 permanent crew, up to 10 volunteers (including four watch leaders, a bosun's mate, cook's mate and purser), and 40 trainees. The watch leaders take control of the four watch groups and lead the trainees through activities and ship duties on voyages of five days and more.
 
The model is based around a fiberglass hull and will be built using various media including fiberglass, plastic, wood and brass.

Completed the poop deck area. Left an open area to view interior details.

My first two wooden models were Midwest kits, first the lobster smack followed by the Chesapeake Bay flattie.  Midwest, IMO, makes the nearest thing to a foolproof beginner's kit.

You can throw them in my current ('current'? really??) build log, if you like.  Afterwards, I can add some commentary.

Thank you, friends.
 
Rudi: I´m using DC Fix or Patifix foils with wooden structure, mainly in cherry type of wood, and I patine it by aniline water colors ( and finally I coat the surface by matt uncoloured paint - I use revell paints )   
 
The hull is finished - just the rudder is missing ( I hope the result is nice to you ). It´s the time to start with the propulsion.
 
Jan

More detailing done to the conning tower. The venturis and splinter shield vertical reinforcing ribs have been roughed in. They still need some tweaking but look good so far.

Saratoga in 1944 had venturis on two levels of the conning tower. 1) The venturi on the flag bridge above the pilot house was rather plain. 2) The venturi forward of the pilot house was an elaborate design consisting of a simple venturi placed above a wind splitter of several compound curves.
 
Port side. Photos of the ship during its 1944 refit show that the vertical reinforcing ribs on the splinter shielding are uniformly spaced on the navigating bridge level (pilot house level) but not along the splinter shielding of the two levels above. The rectangular cutout in the flight deck is the bomb elevator opening. The cross-deck strip with two grooves appearing as a set of three wide planks replicates the crash barrier's metal strip with two parallel recesses for the crash barrier's cables. Looking into the open hatches under the twin 5-inch/38 mount, interior bulkheads, oriented radially from the interior barbette, and scuttles are visible.

 
The complex shape of the two-part venturi forward of the pilot house can be seen well in this photo. Notice that both venturis are open. The flight deck planking shows up well in this photo. Another crash barrier strip appears here, located at the base of the funnel, complete with parallel cable recesses, extending cross-deck.

 
Some of the supporting structure under the decks can be seen here. Looking under the SM Radar Platform extending forward from the funnel cap, the platform's supporting structure is visible, all consistent with photos.

 
Starboard side. Photos and plans of the conning tower show that features such as porthole placement, hatch locations, and splinter shield ribbing are not the same from port to starboard. The conning tower is generally symmetrical in shape but not in detail.

 
The SM radar dish is a Gold Medal Models SP radar dish that perfectly matches photos of Saratoga's SM dish. The dish is composed of four PE parts. The GMM part comes from GMM's Essex set. An SC-3 radar screen is needed to install on a mount at the aft end of the top of the funnel cap. I'll need to procure one as I used the GMM SC screen on a model of USS Yorktown CV-10. Hoping to find a spare SC in the stash somewhere...

I knew you were from Jersey, Chuck, but it was novel nonetheless to hear the accent for the first time.     (Notice that's a smiley face, not a laugh-y face.)

I knew you were from Jersey, Chuck, but it was novel nonetheless to hear the accent for the first time.     (Notice that's a smiley face, not a laugh-y face.)

I would be leery of one.  First of all, for me personally, I would hate the pistol grip.  That just seems like it would be a much less precise way of maneuvering the tool versus either a grip-less version or something like a Dremel Flex-Shaft.  Second, the reason why it probably gets mixed reviews is because it's made in China, and unfortunately Chinese-made rotary tools have a long record of mixed-bag performance.  There's a reason why rotary tools are almost universally referred to as 'Dremel tools' - because Dremel set the standard by which such tools are judged.

I would be leery of one.  First of all, for me personally, I would hate the pistol grip.  That just seems like it would be a much less precise way of maneuvering the tool versus either a grip-less version or something like a Dremel Flex-Shaft.  Second, the reason why it probably gets mixed reviews is because it's made in China, and unfortunately Chinese-made rotary tools have a long record of mixed-bag performance.  There's a reason why rotary tools are almost universally referred to as 'Dremel tools' - because Dremel set the standard by which such tools are judged.

I would be leery of one.  First of all, for me personally, I would hate the pistol grip.  That just seems like it would be a much less precise way of maneuvering the tool versus either a grip-less version or something like a Dremel Flex-Shaft.  Second, the reason why it probably gets mixed reviews is because it's made in China, and unfortunately Chinese-made rotary tools have a long record of mixed-bag performance.  There's a reason why rotary tools are almost universally referred to as 'Dremel tools' - because Dremel set the standard by which such tools are judged.

I would be leery of one.  First of all, for me personally, I would hate the pistol grip.  That just seems like it would be a much less precise way of maneuvering the tool versus either a grip-less version or something like a Dremel Flex-Shaft.  Second, the reason why it probably gets mixed reviews is because it's made in China, and unfortunately Chinese-made rotary tools have a long record of mixed-bag performance.  There's a reason why rotary tools are almost universally referred to as 'Dremel tools' - because Dremel set the standard by which such tools are judged.

Funny you should mention those.  I didnt want to start treenailing the other side today.  I wanted to wait until after  Tuesday which is when I will get a chance to finish that planking.  So I added some of the fancy molding.  Those thin 1/16" wide strips were the first layer of what would become the fancy molding.  It was important to add them below the ports in a special order before the other planking above the wales could be done.  This would ensure a proper run of the planks and what would become the second layer of fancy molding.
 
I actually added that today.  They were made as you usually see them,  with a scraper.   I was very careful to make sure they were very thin.  One thing I notice is that folks tend to place molding on their models that is too thick.   The molding on the Cheerful is 1/16" wide but less than 1/32" thick.   I started with strips that were 1/32" thick and after scraping,  I thinned them down even more.  It makes for a more delicate look.   In hindsight,  I could have gone even thinner.
 
 
At the bow,   the lower molding will carry over onto the stem.  But it wont be as I show it in the fourth photo.  It should be thicker in the corner between the two so the transition is smooth.  But I have only lightly tacked it in this area to show you how it may actually look.   I will try and finish that up tomorrow and I will take more pictures.   My transition onto the stem with the molding was only a test to check the run of the molding and see how it looks.  I will do it for real maybe tomorrow.
 
Take a look at the contemporary model (last photo) and you will see a standard at the bow (not a molding strip)  that will look similar to how I will eventually do it.  That is the kind of transition onto the stem I am looking for.
 

 

 

 

 

 

I was able to get the display case construction completed today as well as the sanding and staining. I know there is debate among woodworkers about the efficacy of sanding beyond 220 before finishing, but the Sam Maloof finish called for sanding through 400 and burnishing with steel wool prior to applying the Poly/Oil. Since I had them, I chose to sand through 600 grit using my random orbital sander. I also think it is wood dependent. If this were soft woods, trying to sand beyond 200 would prove useless. However, the walnut seems to do well with it.
 
Then I applied the stain. Tomorrow I will start applying the rub on finish.
 
The photos below show the case dry assembled. I will not glue the case together until all the finish is applied. Then I need to move it out of the workshop and upstairs before I put it together. I think it would be too heavy and cumbersome to move much once the glass is in it. I will do the final assemble a few feet from where it will be set.
 
This shows the construction of the case bottom. The cross supports were primarily to hold the sides in square before the top of the platform was installed. They are white pine so they do not add much weight but a lot of strength to the construction.
 

 
The plywood being glued here is the hidden shelf that will contain the plans and build log - that way they stay together with the ship. I wrote on the plywood in big letters that it contains the plans and log so it will not be missed.
 

 
Here is the dry assembled case. You can see how the glass will be inset now. The front of the case is facing outward. I am beginning to see the Connie's new home taking shape.
 

 
You can also see that the colors are now even. The lighter colored sapwood is no longer evident. 
 

 

 
You can see the groove for the access door in the back. There is a matching and a bit deeper groove in the top. 
 

 

 
This will probably be the last post for the case for a week or so. I think ti would be really boring to post pictures of paint drying! I also have to create the new walnut base for the ship. Once I get that done and the ship mounted on it, I will post that. I will also post the assembly of the LED lighting. Since it is custom it will require a bit of soldering and fitting.

Billboard
 
With the standing rigging completed I can now finish off the Billboard. As you can see from the pics below it covers the first three chains on the foremast. The billboard protects these from damage when the anchor is stowed.
 
The first thing to fit is the previously made Bolster :
 

 
Next come two stanchions to which are bolted the planks :
 

 

 
Finally the planks are fitted and "bolted" with 0.7mm headed round head rivets :
 

 
 Danny

Spent this last week on the try works. I was really stuck on the brick facing. I figured I could just use some HO or N scale brick wall, but nope - wrong look and feel. Wrong scale. I decided to make bricks with 1/32" square pieces. Slow going, but a really nice turn out.   Here's the construction series below,
~john
 









 
 

This week's work:
 
I've now got the conning tower assembly mated to the bridge assembly (03/04/05 Levels) and am currently working on the 02 Level superstructure assembly (modifying as necessary, adding PE parts, vents, ladders, etc) and will finish with the wood decking. Scrutinized by fellow IOWA Class modelers on The Ship Model Forum (LOTS of Battleship nuts over there , as well as bonafide BB volunteers on board the WISCONSIN/IOWA museums) I will need to check on a couple vert. ladders that may need modifying on the 03/04 Level Nav. bridge. Here are a couple shots of the work:
 
I would add more, but I can't see where the photos location is in the edit box (is something screwed up here?) so I don't know where any further commentary will end up.
 

 

Discussing instructions can be a bit of a quagmire, because with few exceptions, the instructions from any one manufacturer are not all up to the same standard.  The one exception I know of is Midwest; their instructions are extremely thorough, but their kits are not traditional POB kits.  Some manufacturers, like AL and OcCre, rely heavily on photo-illustrated guides.  We have mentioned many times on MSW how Caldercraft instructions evolved over time, from spartan to more detailed.  And, as mentioned, MS instructions, are sort of cookie-cutter in style - plus, they usually assume a considerable degree of prior knowledge on the part of the builder.  The exception to the MS instructions are, of course, those written by Chuck, which are very detailed.  By all means, if instructions are important, avoid the big Italian boys (Corel, Amati, Panart, etc.) like the plague - their translated instructions are usually laughable.  The exception to that rule is Amati's Victory Models line, whose instructions are written by their in-house designer, Chris Watton, a native English-speaker.
 
But, to be truthful, it is really not as essential these days to have exhaustive instructions as it might have been in days past.  The two biggest challenges to a new POB builder are 1) fairing and planking a hull and 2) rigging.  You completed the Jolly Roger, so you probably already have experience with rigging.  That leaves building the hull - and there are considerable resources for the novice here at MSW in the form of planking tutorials (available on the NRG main page) and build logs.
 
To me, a larger issue to consider when choosing a first POB kit is not necessarily the instructions, though those are nice, but rather choosing a subject that is likely to ensure success.  The KISS principle really applies here - a less complex hull, less planking, less rigging, and less guns will all make a first POB project more readily achievable.  And nothing will breed success like success.  So take a look at some of the kits of smaller vessels with relatively simple rigs, e.g. cutters, schooners, et al.  And then have fun with it!
 
EDIT:  Don't be a hard-sell on small kits!  For an extra, and rewarding challenge, try super-detailing one of the smaller kits.  Take a look at what some of our members have done with Caldercraft's Sherbourne, for example.

Reg: Thank you. Wales ( and futtock riders ) are made from carton. 
 
Wales and Futtock riders are finished. I took pictures of the whole process of making of futtock riders, is better to see more than write a lot.
Now I will continue in production of some smaller pieces ( windlass, ladders, handrails, etc. )
 
Jan

Now, after completing of the basic hull, the progress is the same as with any other ship ( maybe ).
I made and glued the keel, then painted the bottom part under waterline with matt dark brown colour,  and start with wales.
See photos below:)
 
Jan

Here are promised photos of patinated hull.
I used aniline water colors and spread it simply by finger ( so it was very hard for me to make some photos of progress )
It took me 15 minutes. Ten I coated hull by colorless matt paint.
 
 
Jan

Reg: I use normal drawing paper, thickness 0,2 mm. 1 st layer is from two papers glued toether = 0,4 mm + 2nd layer 0,2 mm + 3rd layer 0,2 mm = 0,8 mm.
4 th - final layer is made from strips of cartoon thickness 0,5 mm.
Tickness together after completing is cca 1,5 mm.
At first I sand and then coat the hull. I sand just the final layer after coating. My aim is to make extremely strong hull ( and now it is ) and extremely smooth because of using foils. I pratcilally made sometin like plywood
I use the same glue as for gluin other parts - glue for paper or wood produced in our country( Herkules, Duvilax )
 
I start with imitation of planking - as always by strips of foil.  After gluing strips of foil I use hairdryer to heat foil for better adherence.
I glued prepared forecastle, made and glue missin parts of the hull under the forecastle.
Today I´ll finish the planking and improve the surface by patination - now it looks too artificially.
 
Jan

The next step was all the ceiling planking in the cockpit. I planked the floor, then I had to make a curved framework to hold the sides.

The first corrections were (rather timidly) made. I will not completely change the schooner but try to keep alterations to a minimum – just within the limits a shipwright probably had when interpreting the plans with his adze.
The keel was sanded in order to stretch the bow a bit. Further corrections will be made step by step during the build.
A template for a new transom was constructed with the help of the plans of the Adonis class. Also the last 4 sections were sanded to change the strange form of the rear hull to a more conventional one.
The stern construction with that jutting nose near the waterline was in fact used for some schooners. As far as I found however mostly earlier (it resembles a more 17th century style of ship) and when the schooner was built with a small aft cabin with windows. I found no indication of a Bermuda schooner built that way.
I hope to find the final form of the stern as I go.
 
 

Slight correction on the bow
 
 

One side of the aft hull sections sanded and upper part doubled up on 8 and 9
 
 

Real size of an Adonis transom constructed. Template of a possible new transom below the kit part.