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russ

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Everything posted by russ

  1. Joel: Thanks. Good to see you around. J.Pett, I have not had time or need to use this machine in quite some time. It is hanging on the wall when I need it though. It was almost as much fun making it as using it. Russ
  2. This is a matter of taste. In reality, the planking would not be that uniform in color. This was a hard working aged merchant ship. It is up to you regarding how you want to see the finished model. Russ
  3. Model Machines makes a great thickness sander. Is that what you are looking for? Russ
  4. No stain is going to even out the color differences. That is why it is called stain. Russ
  5. Egor: Actually, the differences in the deck planks can be quite realistic. This ship would probably not have a uniform colored deck. Most ships would not in fact. However, if you choose to stain it, then use a pre stain conditioner to avoid a blotchy appearance. Basswood will likely soak up the stain differently in different areas resulting in an uneven finish with some areas darker than others. The pre stain conditioner will improve this situation causing the wood to take the stain more evenly. Russ
  6. Ask if your local library has interlibrary loan. Maybe they can get it for you. Russ
  7. The Fair American's cabin most likely had a lowered deck and raised platforms on either side for the guns in the cabin. That is how Clayton Feldman reasoned it in his articles on building his model of the Fair American back in the 1980s.He also showed the rigging for the steering under the cabin roof. Those articles were published collectively in a paper back booklet in 1986. It is titled 18th Century War Brig Fair American, building a plank on frame model, by Clayton Feldman. Russ
  8. Mahogany is not the best wood for scale modeling. It has a rather coarse, open grain with which it is often difficult to get a smooth finish. Walnut generally has the same problem. Russ
  9. Gary: I have read that their inboard ends bolted right into the knightheads. Others will know better, but that is how I have seen it in plans and models. Russ
  10. When you see a block attached to a spar, there are, broadly speaking, two ways to do it. One is to tie the block to the spar. Usually this means either using a simple overhand knot and trimming the hanging ends neatly. You can use diluted white to seal with the knot or CA if you are used to using super glue. I prefer the diluted white glue since it will be a tad more elastic. This is NOT the real way it was done on ships, but it will get the job done, especially at smaller scales. I prefer to see the block seized properly. Attaching block with rope is usually seen on older ships. The other way would be to have a metal band on the spar with a series of eyes that would hold hooks or shackles that are attached to the blocks. This method is used for more modern types of vessels where more metal work is seen. Russ
  11. I would use a knife point to get the hole centered and then use a twist drill while holding the dowel in your hand. Go slow and there should not be a problem. Russ
  12. Dave: Thanks. This is a really enjoyable, simple, short term build. This is a weekend project if you want. You can take as much or as little time with it as you please. Russ
  13. Cherry is a favorite of mine. It is good for framing and planking. I have even made belaying pins out of it at 1/48 scale. It cuts well, is workable with hand tools, holds a nice edge, sands well, and takes paint and stain well. It can be gotten from various online suppliers down to 1/32" sheet or strip. Or you can buy it from a local furniture shop and mill it yourself. Any fruit wood is going to have good characteristics for scale modeling. That said, while I used walnut in some projects, it has a coarse, open grain and requires a lot of work to get a smooth finish. I keep some around the shop, but it is not high on my list. I have also had good results with birch, western alder, and basswood. Birch is softer and lighter than cherry, but it is good for planking. Western Alder is nice for spars and decking. It is usually straight grained and is easy to work with hand tools. Basswood is a good wood, but it takes care in cutting and sanding. It is soft and soaks up stain unevenly so it needs some pretreatment if you are going to stain it. Maple is good too. I have some hard maple and it makes good decking, framing etc. So long as you take care in the selection, it should be fine. Russ
  14. You are looking at the rabbet from two different areas and from two different perspectives. The one with the sternpost is shown from above and the one with the plank at the keel is shown in cross section. In any event, you can just cut a groove in the profile former to let the plank in to the junction with the keel. However, what is shown in the cross section rendering is a typical rabbet for the keel, with the deep cut at the bearding line, and rabbet shallowing towards the keel. At the sternpost, the deadwood (in this case the profile former) is thinned back towards the stern post to allow the plank to butt against the inside edge of the sternpost and be flush with the sternpost. Russ
  15. Ryan: The rabbet shown in the plans is pretty normal looking. How have you seen it done otherwise? Russ
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