Chazz

Hire a midget!! Chazz

If you look closely as the wood ratlines in the second picture from JHEARL above you can see a notch in the bar where the lashing is done. CHAZZ

Micromark sells a set of pin collars that I have found to work well in planking. It is a set of small knurled brass collars with set screws that fit t-pins so the collars can be set tight to whatever to hold it down, The pin goes in the substrate and can be used to hold the plank (one at a time) close to the last while the collar is set to hold that plank down. I have found that sharpening the pin with a file, to a rather long point, helps it to enter the wood better and hold better. T-pins often have a rounded point the eases out readily. A second thing I've found is that cutting the T-pins shorter, say about a half inch or so, then sharpening makes them easier to use than full length pins. I've also found that presetting the collars and hammering the pins tight works better than mere finger pressure. Takes a little experimenting to get the knack, but they work where other clamps don't. MICROMARK.COM Pin Collar Set #84419 16.95 (for about 25) Chazz

For those of you who are not familiar with woodworking tools, let me suggest scrapers for rounding and sizing the wood for masts and spars. Look to some catalogs such as LeeValley for sources; there are many many others as well. I have found the curvy type most useful...it looks like a SHMOO. (I'm showing my age). The curves help keep the rounded shape while the scraping action helps prevent nicks and digging in. For such a small surface as a dowel, the scraper need not be very sharp, though it helps. There are a multitude of these tools ranging from very cheap to ridiculous. You really don't need an expensive one for this use. Chazz

Just because some "stout" screws came with the pedestals doesn't mean you have to use them. I don't know what screws you have, but O have found that dry wall screws work well. They come in various sizes including some quite thin ones. The main thing of interest here is that they don't taper and have aggressive threads. You can drill a pilot hole almost the full size of the screw shank and the screw will still hold. The screws don't have to be a snug fit in the pedestals, only in the base and the hull Chazz

Several of these posts mention using the bitumin thinned with solvent, especially those of MITBOK and ARCHI. What is the (functional) difference between these mixtures and simple glaze used by painters and crafts folk. It is an acrylic mixture of gel consistency, comes in many colors such as VanDyke Brown and is generally available in paint departments. It is applied to a finished (usually painted) surface, allowed to dry just a little, then scrubbed off. It lodges in cracks and pores and darkens the surface a little depending on how much you let it dry.

All the power-assisted methods work well, but they're rather expensive if you're only making a few models or smaller spars. I've found that a curved scraper, one of those that looks sort of like a "schmoo" (I'm showing my age), works very well on stock that starts smaller than about an inch or so. The curved edges cut very fast with little danger of mis-cuts and don't make sawdust either, only shavings. I've also found for smaller sizes a hole-template is a big help. It checks the size and the roundness at the same time. Chazz

If you're only filling "hairline" or other minor holes, why worry about exact matches. Wood, especially after it is worked, has numerous variations in texture and color which will be emphasized by staining. The point of NOT painting is to show the natural character of the wood. You do want to fill nicely, but exact matches are really not required. Chazz

Hi guys, Has anyone had experience with Hubert Sicard's ZIP Seizings? They're prefabricated seizings you make yourself by wrapping thread closely around an armature like a drill bit of the size needed, gluing the thread with thin CA, and prying it off with a close fitting plate and a lever, then cutting the resulting coil into the needed lengths. They are then put on the rigging line where a seizing is needed. I've found them great for shrouds and deadeyes since the shroud can be adjusted for length while mounted to the deadeye, so all are even. Chazz

A good source of fine absolutely straight wire (if rather short pieces will work) is a wire brush. The wire is stiff but not so stiff as music wire and can be bent with needle nose pliers to a rather sharp bend. Good for railings, some jackstays, and other small fixtures. To get the wire out of the brush, you'll probably have to cut the brush; the wires are usually anchored in their holes with staples. Another source of straight wire, but softer and somewhat larger in diameter, is Christmas tree ornament hangers. They come in several diameters and colors. Chazz

Interesting...a very similar gadget is being offered on TV right now. It's said to be useful in chopping/slicing vegetables. Chazz

Chuck, I may have missed it, but what scale/size are your carvings? Chazz

Gentlemen: I'd like to suggest a different approach entirely, one that was touched on by a couple of replies, as regards scale, color and layout. Don't DRILL holes for the treenails...just prick holes for the nails with a compass point or the like. Push the point in as far as needed to leave the right size (small) impression. And don't fill them, just varnish over them. The same goes for the butt lines. Do the marking before you finish the deck the first time...when you varnish the holes and lines they will be darkened enough. If you need filling for other reasons, apply it before making the marks. Later sanding or scraping will not affect the treatment unless it is quite drastic. In such a case just re-varnish the area. I like to use Wipe-on Poly for this varnish. I use a small (1/8 ") chisel with a good edge just pressed into the planking for the butt lines. You have to have one about the same width or a little smaller than your planks. And never have plank butts closer than three planks apart. Remember that details like these are more suggestions of the real thing than explicit representations of them. Chazz Remember scale...it goes for (dark) colors as well as measurements. The size of the nails or caps was mentioned above. At 1/4" scale, one inch is 1/48th of an inch real size, and the nails were not black.

As an afterthought, you really don't need a roller. Just crumple a wad of masking tape into a ball, and dab at the dust where you need it. If the tape is too sticky, rub the wad in your hands before use. Chazz

Maybe try one of those sticky-roller tools used to get lint off of clothes. They're not too sticky. Chazz

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned a draw plate. Micromark sells one for $27.95. I got another version for less, but it was really a lot cheaper, not only less expensive. I have found that the draw plate is the easiest way to make very small round dowels, but don't just take their instructions for use at face value. I don't have any experience with larger sizes, but I made a whole lot of 1/32" or so for the railings on a model of a Chinese Pirate junk, perhaps 75 or 100 useable ones. The way I worked was first to take a 1/16" walnut, or sometimes basswood, strip and round off the edges, either by running it through a larger hole to cut off just the square corners or by sanding off the corners. Then with repeated passes using sandpaper and the draw plate worked the material down to the size I wanted. It did take a lot of passes, but the result was good. Things to watch out for are cross grain and splinters that will break the workpiece. The best thing about this method it that it produces very round dowels of regular size from end to end, though you might want to taper the yards later. Instructions in some old books suggest using pine...after all a lot the masts and yards in the old days probably were pine... and splitting off your work pieces to get straight grain. Chazz Don't expect just to use the catalog procedure of running the work through smaller and smaller holes. This might work on 1'8" or larger dowels (I haven't worked with this size), but sanding the work some between passes does a good job, and is buch easier with less breakage. Chazz

Or try plain Clorox or other bleach. It,s cheaper and handier to use. It's not much more trouble to handle either. Chazz

I have found that using Wipe-on Poly (from Minwax) instead of regular wax gives a good no-frizz result. Its a little tedious for long lengths of thread but good for shorter lengths like a yard or so. Dip the thread in the poly, run it through your fingers to remove the excess and let it dry for five or ten minutes. When it's tacky, take it and work it with your fingers, rubbing lengthwise and also twirling it around to stick down the fuzz...easier done than said once you get the knack. It will dry to a usable state within an hour or so. I've had some thread treated this way around for a long time (years). It gets nicely stiff but remains flexible enough to tie knots after that time. Stain the thread before treatment. Chazz

I have had good luck "waxing" lines with Wipe-on Poly (just a very thin version of polyurethane varnish). Drop the lines into the poly, then squeeze out the excess in a paper towel or just your fingers. This penetrates all kinds of thread. As the poly dries -- just a few minutes -- you can stick down all the fuzz with your fingers, and when the poly is fully dries, it stiffens the lines somewhat, but it remains flexible enough to tie and run through any blocks or eyes you have. Granted this is not too practical for large amounts of line, but if you have a special need for really fuzz-less line, it works quite well. I've never felt good about running line over a flame. Another twist I have found is to use shoe polish, the wax kind like Kiwi, not shoe cream. It is easy to apply as it is quite soft right from the can, but it dries quite stiff. It comes in the right colors to maybe save the dying step. I like to use tan on the running rigging, and dark brown on BLACK line for the standing rigging...it gives a better color than the stark blue-black of mush black thread. Chazz

I'd like to add, though, small scrapers and tiny chisels come in handy very often. Some sets of dentists' picks are sold too. Good for cleaning up and smoothing those hard to reach spots where bigger gouges and chisels won't fit. Chazz

Gravers are specialized small cutting tools used in metal work, engraving, jewelry, and such. They are usually small, hard, difficult to sharpen without diamond files. That said, they can be quite useful in doing fine or small work. The major difference from gouges and chisels would be size and hardness. Unless you're doing metal work or stone work, I would think that actual gravers would be overkill. I have found that small chisels and scrapers offered by Model Expo and Micromark are very useful in doing any scratch work, but must be sharpened properly...to the correct angle as well as sharpness...if they are to work well. As they come, they may seem sharp, but they really need a good sharpening job to work right. A number of woodworking tool and hardware suppliers have tutorials online about sharpening. Highland Woodworking is one. Chazz

This discussion is right on, but I'd like to emphasize the thinking ahead part...to the extent of drilling the pilot holes just about as soon as the frames are mounted to the keel. This way its easier to turn the hull to the angle needed to drill, you can add any reinforcement needed, and you can repair any damage at a convenient time. I also feel that sheet rock screws are better and less likely to cause damage than regular wood screws. After all, you don't really need much to hold the hull to the baseboard. In a little extension of the mounting idea, I've always found it convenient to mount the hull to a dummy baseboard early as I said. It then acts as a handy stand to hold the model upright, and as a handle as well. I've even mounted a similar piece topside using the holes to be used for the masts, for a handle and to stand the model upside down, though I have found less use for this. Further, instead of a keel clamper, I put two battens down the sides of the dummy baseboard, sized to fit my Panavise mounted on a base large enough to support the model when it is tilted on its side. While I have done this mostly with solid models, POB to be mounted on pedestals work fine too. Even if the model is to be mounted in a cradle rather than on pedestals, the holes for the dummy baseboard mounting are easily fixed. Chazz

It's not a stain but it works the same way. I have had good results using SHOE WAX (not cream) shoe polish - the kind with carnauba wax - instead of stain and beeswax. It comes in many colors of brown and black, and lays down the fuzz like beeswax and dries hard. I don't particularly like the stark blue-black of the usual black thread supplied in kits; applying brown wax to the black thread gives a more realistic (to my mind) look. Chazz

Stergios, Shellac is an old wood finish used for fine finishes that has been largely superseded by lacquer and varnishes. Its a resin secreted by a beetle that is dissolved in alcohol and dries very quickly. It comes in colors from white (clear) to dark orange (garnet) and is fairly transparent. It can be removed easily and entirely with more alcohol, but is quite durable when dry. It comes as a powder, or premixed. Use the translator in Google if you can get it up. I don't have any way to print the Greek characters. Chazz

Hi, In regard to these comments about copper bottoms, I don't particularly like very bright copper, but I don't like the mottled blue and bright finish seen in many pictures. I have done one or two bottoms using copper tape, not individual tiles, and did not have trouble with discoloration. Tape doesn't need cleaning either. What I did was use garnet shellac, somewhat darker than the usual orange shellac, immediately after finishing the application, both to protect the copper and to tone down the color. Chazz