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Hi all, the deck planking is supposed to run length ways like I am doing it. I cut scale 10ft and 20ft lengths and just place them randomly. I also mix the lengths of different lengths they are cut from up so as to get different shades in a random manner. It really shows up well once it has a few clear coats applied. As for the figures, they came from Walthers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Just visit walthers.com. These particular guys are O gauge steam era people. They are actually meant for model railway but I figure you can use them just as well on this vessel. They are just the right scale for this vessel. It is nigh on impossible to find the right scale figures of the period for 1;50 scale. These are the only 6 I have been able to find. I intend to buy at least 1 more packet and paint the ladies, especially, a different color so to have more people on the boat. Chris

So here is where I am at currently. have done the underside of the second deck. This is a bit tricky as you have to mark it out from underneath when you place the deck on top of the boiler and engine room structures. As you can see over the horse bay, one went a bit wonky, but you cant see this when the deck is fitted. Made a novice mistake here of actually gluing the battens into place before painting the underside white! A lot of careful painting the result! After all had dried a test fitting revealed a really good fit of battens against all upper wall structures. Only real problem I encountered was that my deck in this particular kit was pretty warped. Really had to make sure the outline was correct before cutting and placing the battens. At this stage I could glue the second deck on I guess, but I have chosen to plank it first. Plus I want to add more to the horse bays, and it will be easier to access that area without the deck attached.

Possibly a bit late to start a log, but what the heck! Being an old steel boat sailor myself I never thought I could fall in love with any other type of craft. I was wrong! When I saw Charles's build log of this vessel I literally fell in love with this type of craft. Since then I have tried to learn as much about them as I possibly can. Kurt and Cathead have provided a wealth of information, and for that I am truly grateful. Previous to starting this model my main understanding of this type of vessel came from multiple viewings of the Jodie Foster ( best actress ever) film, Maverick. Obviously I had a lot to learn! The thing I learnt very quickly was that this particular model was not a very true, or accurate depiction of the type of craft of the day. Spewing, as Jodie would look fine on mine! Anyway, so given it is a bit of a fantasy boat, I intend to try to glam mine up a bit (as would befit Jodie). There are a few gaps between pic updates, but since Santa deemed I had been extra good this past year I was presented with a cool new digital camera! So once I get to master it a bit better I hope the updates will be more frequent. Anyway here is where I am at the moment.

Hey Oliver, amid ships simply means the middle of the ship. If you look through numerous build logs here you will probably notice that more people than not tend to plank either side as they go. I certainly do, but you can do one side at a time if you wish. I also tend to start at the top and at the keel at the same time and just fill in the gap so to speak. This way also gives you a good guide as to how much you will need to taper each plank. Tapering simply means that you remove a small amount of wood from the plank at either end (sometimes this is not required), so that the plank is wider in the middle than it is on the ends. Never taper more than 50% of the plank width though. This is where steelers come in if needed. cheers Chris

Oliver, also look through heaps of build logs for planking progress pics, especially try to find vessels with the same hull shape as Santa Maria. The vessel doesn't have to be Santa Maria, but it will give you an idea of how to go about planking a hull of the type you have. This model was the first wooden ship I ever built, and I found the planking process to be a lot easier once I had a thorough understanding of the general principles of planking. Don't take short cuts. Ship modelling is a slow process. cheers Chris

Looking at your pics it seems you have maybe gone wrong from the beginning. The planking should have begun from the top of the bulkheads amid ships then continue downward one plank at a time on either side to get a uniform planking over both sides of the vessel. Remember that you absolutely must taper each plank fore and aft and only along the bottom edge. As you progress you may find it is necessary to add steeler planks to fill any large gaps that may arise. This is not uncommon. I don't know if you are gluing these planks or just nailing them on. If its the latter I would probably advise you to maybe rip them off and start again. Carefully read any planking tutorials you can get your hands on. Do not just simply nail the plank onto the bulkhead. It must be glued into place. The nails are simply driven in about halfway to hold it in place whilst the glue dries, then the nails are removed. It is a good idea to soak the planks in water for a period of time before attaching them to the model. I usually leave thicker first planks soaking overnight in my plank soaker then roughly shape them to the contour of the hull using a hot soldering iron. At this point I apply a small amount of glue to each bulkhead where the plank will meet it and gently drive in small nails to hold it secure until the glue has set. Once sufficient bond has been established remove the nails and repeat the process until the hull is covered. Any small gaps can then be filled with an appropriate filler. Larger gaps will require steeler planks. cheers Chris

Hey Oliver, looking at your planking so far it seems to me you need to taper your planks more. Also only taper them on one edge, not both edges. Another thing I notice is your nailing. Don't hammer/push them right in. They have to come out. They are only used to hold the planks against the false bulkheads as the glue dries. Once the glue is dry you will need to remove them. I typically use a small pair of hobby round nose pliers for this. Do not leave them in as you wont be able to fill and sand the first planking layer prior to final planking. cheers Chris

Hey Oliver, I would definitely follow OC's advice. Then you never bend the planks upwards or downwards. You taper them accordingly and they will take on the bent appearance on their own. Bending, or trying to bend, the planks upwards will result in snapping and skewing of the plank so they don't lie flat on the false bulkheads. I would recommend not relying too much on the pictures provided in the instructions. Use them as a rough guide only. Good to see you have read Mastini's excellent book. I regard it as the bible of ship modelling, but I would also advise to read the many tutorials on planking that are available on this forum. Just remember that first planking on this, and any other double planked model, doesn't have to/need to be perfect. You will find with some filler and a lot of sanding it is not too hard to get a really good canvas to apply the second (final) planking layer on this model. Also the second layer of planking is far thinner and more pliable wood to use than the first layer on this model. You are doing well mate. Chris

Have only half built one Mamoli kit (Golden Hind). Only half built her because that was all that came in the kit! Would never, ever buy another kit from them! Chris

Hello Oliver, I have built this kit and can say it is a really fantastic model (but I am a Columbus freak!). I found it had ample wood and pretty good instructions. The rigging I found to be pretty straight forward. Just take your time and ask questions when you come to any parts of the build you are unsure of. I can certainly answer many questions about this, or any of Columbus' ships and voyages, and I am certain I will not be alone here on that count. I will definitely follow your log with interest, and who knows, it may even inspire me to build this model again as I gave the last one to my mother. Chris

well done dave, super job, she looks really good! any plans to put her in a case? chris

hey mike, 99% of the time I just use nails for the first planking. of course they are not driven in all the way and are easy to remove once the plank has dried and taken on its shape. at this stage it is pretty rare you will need any clamps to glue it into place, but if I find I do I mainly just use rubber bands. I also only ever put one plank on each side whilst waiting for it to dry. ok, so it does take a long time this way, but as I am doing this I just begin other aspects of the build. here you can begin deck furniture, guns, masts etc. so you are not really losing any time on the overall build. chris

place and clamp the plank in as near to exact position as possible whilst it is wet/damp. allow to dry (I usually leave overnight), then glue in place. some extremely minor movement maybe required prior to final dry gluing, but not too much as to break the plank. Never glue damp or wet planks. it results in the glue being diluted, and thus not creating as strong a bond as you would desire and expect. also, wood expands and contracts when it is damp. once it is dry, it will hold its shape better. chris

Well Pat she is a fair way down. 300 meters I believe. It would take some serious equipment to get anywhere near her at that sort of depth given most conventional subs have a crush depth of about 400 meters. Of course increasing the penalty for looting such wrecks to maybe include being locked in a small room with a dozen or so very angry ex-pussers might also work! Chris

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-21/hmas-ae1-submarine-found-after-century-long-search/9278782 RIP to all those brave souls who perished with her. Chris

cool jig dave, but love the card! as a half dane/half aussie, this is gold to me! where on earth did she find that? chris

hey dave, I have been away for a few days but I can now see you have made great progress. really like the railings, they really clean up the model I reckon. it seems this particular kit comes with very scant instructions going by some of the problems you have encountered. it does look to finish into a really nice vessel though. pretty much up to putting on the second deck on mine now too. I can only get pics when I take it around to my sisters place though. its really the reason I haven't began a build log. maybe after xmas I might get a camera if finances permit. chris

hey dave, 100% agree with antony about the smoke stacks. they really set her off. colors are great and vibrant. did you have to paint the actual stack? was it metal tube? still searching the known universe for 1:50 scale figures of people of the period and some horses for my boat. also need some fake straw for the horse box's, but I reckon that wont be too hard to find. chris

another cool update dave. is the different color deck pattern just a photo trick thing? or did you actually use different types of timber? I am referring to the deck that your removable structure sits upon. do really like the staircase and lead up to the wheel house. find it a bit strange, and rather annoying really, specially for newer builders, that the instructions end at this point. there appears to be a fair bit to go, and to expect less experienced builders to merely follow pics is a bit lazy on the manufacturers part I reckon. anyway, no doubt you will nail it. chris

hey dave, after this week I will try to put one up. even though I am a bit into the build. some people may be interested if guess. just need to get the last day of school out of the way. what vessel is the grand banks? chris

really like the boats wheel dave. I reckon with this model I would employ the skirting board method on all levels. seems to just clean it up that much more. you cant have too much more to go? any news on what you may tackle next? chris

Hi Derek, if you are talking about acrylic, (water based paints) I tend to just use good old tap water to thin them if needed. You can certainly buy special acrylic thinners, and some of these might be of use if your drying time is too short or long. Mostly though if the atmospheric conditions are pretty stable in the environment you paint in, tap water will do the trick just fine. Its more about experimenting with the level of thinning down required and the needle size you are painting with. As for cleaning, again with acrylic paints I use a product we get here called Windex. It is a mild window cleaning solution. If I spray through 1 small cup gun amount it cleans my set-up like brand new. Then I flush again with 1 cup of tap water. I have never had blockages in the needle assembly cleaning this way. Chris

please pm me as I would be interested in some of these. chris

hey mate, where in oz are you located? if we are interested in any of these how can we pay and receive them? chris