mrshanks

Hey Dave, I am now using the Gutermann 100% cotton thread and am having good results. I would be more than happy to share my results with you give me  a  pm anytime
Hello Zoran, Thanks for stopping in, this means a lot, it will be finished

Wonderful work, Don ! ''The fun shots'' are telling much more... the art altogether ! ...
 
Zoran

Great work, Don!  I just picked up a Domonoff ropewalk myself.  I'll be very interested in your experiences with it.  Have you decided what color to dye the running rigging?

Hello all, here is a quick update on the Trabaccolo not much has happened but I'll show what little there is:
 


 
Making chainplates, these were soldered afterwords. Then holes punched using a broken 1mm end mill bit
 

 
Brackets were made for channels, plans did not ask for them but I thought they would be a nice addition these and the channels are made from rosewood
 


 
Making of the oars
 

 
Brackets for the back stays
 


 
A couple of shots showing channels with dead eyes installed and also the back stay brackets. Brackets and chain plates still need to be touched up with some paint, I 'm waiting until all metal work is done to do it all at once.
 


 
Just a couple of fun shots
 

 
Made these yesterday not fancy or pretty but they will soon be filled with rope made on my new Domanoff ropewalk The one on the right in the front row is the one I copied from
 

Thanks for that link Dave. I took a look and it seems like a good approach. His results were quite nice. I'll give it a go next time.
David

Hello again! It's been a few weeks since I've updated my log and thought it time to do so again. First, I added the cockpit flooring. That was just glueing the supports and short planks in place.

Then was figuring out and adding the mounting system. Kurt recommended using t-nuts for that. 
I then located and drilled a hole on either side of the keel, one below the fore deck and one below the aft. I then aligned that hole and drilled it in to the filler block. Taking into account the thickness of the base of the t-nuts, I layered the wood so that when the t-nuts were installed they would sit flush with the base.

I then glued them on to their respective places and used a screw to keep them aligned.
 
After that, I lined off the hull and started planking. I have thinned the ends of the planks that for into the rabbet and beveled the underside of the planks for a tight fit. I also used a number 2 pencil to add 'caulk' to the underside of each plank. I first soaked the planks and clamped them to the hull to dry. I noticed that the field made small debts in the planks that way. A lake water and a bit of sanding makes it not noticeable, but since then I've used little balsa tabs as spacers to take the dent. So far I have finished the sheerstrake on both sides. I have noticed that although the planks above the Wales aren't spiled, they do vary in width. Thanks for looking in!

 
 

Hello again everybody! In the past two weeks or so I have gotten most of the steps before planking done.
 
I glued the parts that form the base together on the flattest surface available. I then glued the keel to the base.

I then proceeded to the framing. It was a simple process of beveling the bulkheads where it was needed. The process did not take long because the bulkheads included laser etched guides. I used Legos as squares to glue the frames straight. 

Next up are the cockpit floors and the lining off of the hull for planking. You might have noticed that the lines on the frames in the photo above are to help with that process. This kit has proved so far to be very well designed! Thanks for looking in!
 

Very nice, David!  I like the look.  Here's another way to handle those metal castings on ship models.  The explanation starts at 2:30:    
 

I needed deadeyes in an odd size because of the scale of the ship.  I also wanted them black.  6mm would be 9" in scale diameter.  That would work.  Mike Shanks, using his CNC, cut a bunch of them out of swiss pear that are 6.5mm in diameter.  The only problem is that there was no way to cut the grooves along the circumference.  I did that by hand, and sanded the deadeyes smooth.  Then I dyed them black.   The photo shows the raw deadeyes and the finished product.  they still need to be coated with tung oil.  The second photo shows the remade deadeyes compared to the stock ones supplied with the kit.  They are a bit bigger.  Perfect!

Hello Everyone,
A little progress to report.
Last time, I had made a failed attempt at painting the decorative molding for the transom. I think my second attempt has worked well enough. I read about the technique in a Blue Jacket newsletter; it was a new idea to me, but probably old hat to most of you. I first soaked the piece in vinegar, which was a good thing as it removed the cheesy looking gold finish on the cast metal, which might have interfered with a decent paint finish. I then primed the piece with white primer and then applied several coats of a bronze colour. As as rule I seldom like using metalic paints, but I have to admit that this Model Master bronze worked really well. Then I painted it with polyurethane to seal it - (one which requires mineral spirits to clean up, not water.) Then lastly two coats of the blue, not worrying too much about getting it on the bronze, and just wiping it off the high spots with a dampened rag. I'm sorry the pictures aren't better, but my camera doesn't focus well at such short distances.
 
I have also finished the second layer of planking and I guess now it's time to paint the hull. I know that sounds like sacrilege to some but I tend to like painted hulls.
 
This year we are having the rainiest spring I can remember, so more time in my basement than I expected.
 
David

Happy Thursday Everyone,
 
I have a bit of progress to report. All three decks are planked, the bulwarks are finished and the base for the forecastle railing is installed.
 
I am now started the second layer of planking which is going along well enough. You'll notice several different colours in the wood, none of which is intentional; it's just the different woods that the kit supplies.
 
At the same time, I'm painting the cast metal "carving" that goes on the transom. I read what sounded like a fool-proof method to apply two or more different colours with very crisp differentiation. As a result of my skillful application of that method, the piece is currently soaking a a shallow tray of paint stripper. I'm taking pictures at various stages of the process which I will upload once I have an acceptable result.
 
David

Good Evening Everyone,
It was a rainy day all day today, so perfect opportunity to work in the shop. A little progress to report. Thanks for the vote of confidence Dave, but I think I'm going to paint this model nevertheless, probably similar to the MS version.
I've finished planking the bulwarks and they're in the process of being painted. (I planked the main deck earlier and have put down some tape over it to protect it from paint, glue and coffee while I'm working on the rest of the model. I installed the bulkhead and I've planked the upper hull with the finish layer, have it sanded and the gunports cut out. 
 
We'll see what the weatherman brings tomorrow - if it's sunny I'll be edging gardens. I hate to hope for rain, but sometimes it's hard not to.
 
David

Nice job, David.  Don't sell yourself short.  You have all the skills necessary to keep the model natural and not paint .  All you need is an assortment of woods.  I have used yellowheart in the past for the ochre effect, but it's falling out of my favor.  I plan to use boxwood for the outer bulwarks of my 1/24 Triton cross section - to substitute what would have been painted ochre.  Bob Hunt's practicum for "Rattlesnake uses boxwood also.  Crown timber can supply in in the dimensions you would need.

Good Morning All,
I've been doing some deck work as you can see in the pictures below.
 
Choosing paint colours for this model has been harder than I expected. I know many have built this ship leaving it for the most part natural, with only minor painting and this is the way it's shown on the Mamoli box cover. However, I do not yet have the woodworking skills to produce a natural model that I will be happy with and I'm afraid I will again be resorting to paint (and lots of it!)
 
But discovering the "right" colours is easier said than done. The MS version shows a black hull, off white below the waterline and with a pale yellow strip along the gun ports, which looks quite pleasing to me, but does that shade of yellow seem right? In the MS instructions they talk about yellow ochre, but that certainly isn't yellow ochre in their photo. They also suggest gray for the bulwarks. I don't recall having seen that colour used before. Does that sound right? It's moot in any case anyway, as I've settled on red for the bulwarks and gun carriages.
 
I also recall seeing photographs of a reproduction of the Rattlesnake with a largely yellow ochre hull (as opposed to a black hull) with some black and lots of blue accents.
 
Is this one of those cases where nobody really knows what colours it might have been, so it doesn't matter too much what I choose, or are there indicators out there somewhere that I am missing that would strongly suggest one scheme over another, or am I overthinking it altogether? Any thoughts would be most welcome. 
 
David
 

Thanks Doug and thanks for the tips on the Rattlesnake instructions Doug. I did something similar. I didn't transcribe them, but I made enlarged photocopies of the English part of the instructions, the parts lists and rigging sections and am working from them along with the plans. I agree, as printed, they are very difficult to read.
David
 

The Mamoli Rattlesnake, my first build; and I jumped in with both feet doing the complete Hunt kit-bash. Now I'm doing the USS Constitution. What I have learned from the Hunt's practicums, is first, I could not have done the Rattlesnake without his guidance. The second thing I learned was that I relied too heavily on his instructions rather than read the kit instructions on the plans and make my own judgement calls.
 
I would also make a suggestion as to the kit's plans - transcribe them to notebook paper. I found they were very difficult to read (for me at least) due to the small print and inconsistent contrast. In a notebook, it's much easier to make notations. I did the same thing with the rigging charts, and parts list. The parts list to have to translate yourself.
 
I look forward to following you on this endeavor.
 
Jonathan

So, spurred on by my return to the forum with my Constitution, I'm starting a build lot for my Mamoli Rattlesnake. I bought this kit through Cast Your Anchor in Toronto who were able to track one down for me.
 
At this stage, I have the first layer of planking on the hull, the false decks in place and some of the planing on the bulwarks done. This is my first non-Model Shipways kit and so far it seems to be ok and so far so good. I needed to shim a number of the bulkheads, but that doesn't seem to be out of the ordinary. I had a bit of trouble getting the transom set correctly. The tabs in the rear deck didn't seem to want to line up with the slots in the transom. If I forced it, things didn't look quite right, so I cut them off and measured carefully against the plan and I think things are ok.
 
I have the Bob Hunt practicum for this kit, but have to admit I'm not actually using it. For this particular kit, his practicum involves much kit-bashing. I chose not to go that route, because it involved ordering Hahn plans, changing their scale, ordering special wood etc. all of which I didn't want to get into. While the practicum claims to be helpful if just building the kit out of the box, it really isn't as all of the pictures only show the kit-bashed version. The kit instructions (which appear to have been translated out of the Italian by machinery) are actually quite good, once decoded as are the plans and I think I'll do just fine with them alone.
 
Despite essentially building the kit out of the box, I am making a few minor "kit-bashing" choices nevertheless. There are cast metal parts representing the windows in the transom, the doors under the quarter deck, the head rails and the crosstrees, all of which are pretty crumby. I'll be making all of these from scratch. I have started the doors in the picture below, but they are not completed yet. I think I'll use the cast metal part for the curving scroll work around the transom, as it will look ok once painted and for sure a whole lot better than any carving attempt I might make. I read about a painting technique in a Blue Jacket newsletter that looks like it might work well. One picture below shows the cast metal windows which I'm discarding and the start of my alternative windows in the transom.
 
I'll try to do better than with my Constitution build log and post another update before a year has passed.
David

Full ship, Don.  She'll be big!  Fully masted and rigged, about 50" long.  Built admiralty style with stub masts and sprit, about 33" long!

Is that going to be a cross section or the full ship? She'll be a biggy .

Thanks Don and Clare!  Mike is experimenting with his laser and CNC router.  Our plan is to build a 1/24 scale "Hannah" with CNC cut frame parts.  Interesting stuff!

Hi Dave,
 
I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately. But, I show up and see that your Colonial Schooner is looking terrific! Nice job on that hull planking! That lower hull looks slick.
 
I like the contrasting color of the timberheads against the bulwarks too.
 
Very fine job. I'm sorry I haven't been paying closer attention!
 
Clare

Windows look great Dave. The ebony trim really sets them off

After a lot of thought I decided to include quarter badge windows.  This is a small, simple ship so I opted out of all the elaborate carving and went with a simple 4 pane light that Mike Shanks cut out for me in boxwood.  I took a cue from Dr. Clayton Feldman in his "Lexington" build and added a curved rain diverter and sill, both of which stand proud of the window.  Simple molding strips form the sides of the framing.  All these parts are of ebony.

Greetings Shipmates, thanks for the views and likes.  It certainly helps a beginner like me to stay focused and not get discouraged knowing that someone took the time to read my posts, seeing there are so many other better, completed or whatever Bluenose builds on here or to get lost amongst the other great builds.   Chapter 4 the planking of the quarter deck is now complete.   I had a few problems with the plank tapering but I think overall it went well. After the mast pieces had dried i installed the great beam and once the two centre planks had been laid down the centre of the keel I decided to add two ply offcuts level with the deck so the installed beams would be flush with the great beam as I was concerned about no support being there for the decking and that it would sag over time or would make it difficult to keep level especially when sanding the deck.   Again I had problems with the nibbing. Maybe I am not meant to be a nibber! Once the whole deck had been installed it was sanded through the grits starting with 80 grit and finishing with 320 grit. I will putty with tinted filler both decks and re-sand, then stain them both to hopefully blend everything in.   I still have a little bit of work to do (as stated above) before starting chapter 5, however I have to shut the shipyard down for 5 weeks whilst I go on family holidays to Hawaii, New York, Washington, Orlando Disneyland, a Disney Caribbean cruise and San Francisco then back to Australia and work to pay off the credit cards! Hopefully I will get to a few hobby shops whilst there to sample the wares. Any suggestions guys and gals?   Onto the pictures. Great beam added. Mast supports added 2 ply ledges added so that the decking will be level with the great beam and not sag Tapered decking installed Nibbing deck installed Sanded through the grits to 320

Jonathan, yes that was the one with the drawing, it provided clues on how it should be done. 
 
Making rope....so easy a 4 year old can do it!
 
Here is my granddaughter learning how to make rope. She saw my setup and asked what it was for and then we were off making rope. She was not so interested in the first step, but the second step really peaked her interest once she could see the rope twisting. Who knows perhaps a future model builder in the making.