Cabbie

Pen Duick is now complete....
Just have to build the Cabinet now.
 

Before you give up, which would be a real shame why not try a method I have used in the past. 
Spray your copper plating with matt varnish with a drop of matt green paint added to it and it will tone everything down. It doesn't look too bad and certainly won't draw your attention the problem that only you can see.
 

Don't worry guys. Im still building.  Slowly getting it done.  I've gone down the path of the planks termination at the stem. Actualy working out great. Mapping each plank for fitting and the lie of it. Checking and re checking. 

Thank you very much.  Glad you like it.

Looking very neat , Scott, keep it up

But it looks fine! Don't beat yourself up!

Hi Mark,
Exactly the same happened to me a couple of weeks ago - I coppered the entire starboard side of my HMS Pegasus, didn't like what I had spent 2 days doing, and pulled the lot off again in  half an hour (used a pair of thin nose pliers).  I found that removing the glue residue was possible, though quite hard work, but for the time being I put on 2 coats of acrylic paint (matt white plus yellow ochre), which before long can come off again when I get round to completing the sanding down of the rough parts of the surface (in the meantime, the roughness gives it quite a convincingly worn & weathered look, I thought!) Have a look at the pics in my Pegasus build log. But don't give up!!!
Best wishes,
Tom.

Well, I understand completely about not having one's heart in a model, but still I would lean toward stripping off the copper and going for the white stuff, which was known back in the day as "white stuff." Like Glenn said, you could easily sand down that hull. After a nice paint job, no one would have a clue about its thrice-done history.
 
Cheers!

I’m sorry to hear about this; I had been enjoying your build a lot. I’ve never done any coppering and while I can understand your reasoning I think that you were doing a good job. I’ll keep an eye out for your next build!

go on then, another one...
The ominous torpedo ballast keel is visible when in the pool, unlike local lakes etc. I'm interested to see whether Enterprise's greater hull capacity and bouyancy will allow a bit more internal ballast and something that will be less yacht-like underneath her. 

I’ve looked at wooden ship kits for many years now, and I always seemed to come away unimpressed. I’ve built Dumas R/C kits in the past and usually had a blast with them, but I never once thought about wood display models, other than one long forgotten half scratchbuilt wannabe take on a Boston Whaler a few decades back.
 
I had seen some of Jim’s reviews of Vanguard’s kits on LSM, and made an offhand comment about how far ship models have come in 30 years.  Well, game on. At Jim’s continuous urging, I bought the most upgraded version of Speedy still available and all I can say is he gives good advice. Never again will I doubt. 
The Speedy kit is literally everything that all those other old boxes of sawdust and warped plywood could never be, a  builder’s kit of a stunningly gorgeous little brig that screams “BUILD ME”.
 I had the kit shipped to my office and literally had it unpacked and spread out on my desk. My employees thought it was hilarious, a 54 year old big kid drooling over sticks of wood. 
That evening I joined MSW and am ready to jump in as soon as I clear my build backlog. 
 
Chris Watton, your Service is second to none. It arrived a week after I ordered it, undamaged despite the craziness of the pandemic stressed post. 
The kit looks absolutely straightforward to me, which is saying something, because I’ve never built a tall ship past the ancient 1:96 Constitution.
Now I just hope I can make Speedy shine like she deserves to. Because if I do, I guarantee you she’ll sell man more copies to the local Texas model builders.  I do tend to show what I build. 
Hats off, Sir!

I'd like to bring to your attention a few marvelous mahogany boats built by GPR (aka Greg R.). The build threads are on R/C Groups (links below), and indeed the models are operating, and built in the large scale of 1:8.
But they also stand as examples of the research that can go into such models, and the high standard of detail, which is NOT exclusive to a model being operable.
In each case, few or no plans exist for the subjects. Greg needed to visit the originals, work with current or previous owners, and then work out his own plans.
 
Folks who visited the Manitowoc show a couple years ago will have seen two of these models; Evangeline is new.
 
Evangeline, Henry Ford's Hacker
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?2592838-Evangeline-Scratch-build-of-Henry-Ford-s-Custom-Hacker-Runabout
 
Lockpat II
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?1875686-Lockpat-II-Scratch-build-of-a-custom-Hacker-Streamliner
 
Thunderbird
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?1025991-Thunderbird
 

Hi Lads
I'm starting this build log of a conversion from the scientific Kit, the Dos Amigos, into another Baltimore Clipper, the Dapper Tom. I've got this kit from eBay and I also go the Model Shipways Kit in a much larger Scale from the same source. I like more cannons, and since the solid hull of the Scientific Kit is balsa wood, I'm going to make the conversion.
I hope you enjoy this adventure.
 

 

A Monday night update, just more planking done, but getting close
to finishing the hull. Then I will do the top wale trim strip, anchor stock planking on
the wales. And then re-do the keel and stern post and plank the stem, and add the bulwark capping and paint
it and the wales black. Hooroo Chris

Yo yes I'm back, Again, hope to keep at it this time.
I decided to re-plank the deck, didn't like the last version
and have been trying to make deck fittings which are no fun at all.
Planking straight over the existing deck, stuck too well to get off.

Yo yes I'm back, Again, hope to keep at it this time.
I decided to re-plank the deck, didn't like the last version
and have been trying to make deck fittings which are no fun at all.
Planking straight over the existing deck, stuck too well to get off.

Yo yes I'm back, Again, hope to keep at it this time.
I decided to re-plank the deck, didn't like the last version
and have been trying to make deck fittings which are no fun at all.
Planking straight over the existing deck, stuck too well to get off.

Today I completed the manual and box label art (no small thanks to Jim Hatch), and here is the box label art.
 
I shall have this ready for release a week Friday (8th May), with the Zulu being ready to go this Friday!
 
Right, back to the larger stuff....

Beautifully presented box art, Chris. I think these models will become very popular with increased exposure over time especially since they offer novices two very handsome models that they can successfully complete while learning a lot about ship modeling skills at the same time. Good quality materials coupled with excellent instructions are not all that commonplace in models suitable for beginners and experienced modelers will appreciate these qualities as well. Great job!

Cheers guys,
 
I know that some do not invest too much in manuals, but I know just how important a good step-by-step guide is, more so for beginners, who I fear have been more put off by cheap 'beginner' kits than enticed into buying more elaborate kits in the past - and/or inappropriate materials and assuming too much of the modeller, requiring them to bend, carve, shape parts that would have seasoned modellers struggling with! That is why for these kits, the instructions were as long as they needed to be, with no limit on page numbers or plan sets. More expensive, for sure, but I think a small price to pay if they entice more people into the hobby by being very happy with their end result, rather than giving up half way through and putting them off for good.
 
I do feel Tanganyika may have been better for a complete novice, though, as pear wood is damned hard!

The first few planks laid down. The slightest curve and the top edge wants to kick out. Using drawing pins to clamp planks down so I have no holes.
It’s tedious work but I think I’m winning. What do you think? Look ok?

It is 2020 and my last post was 6 years ago....since then, I would like to report that I have finally finished the second planking of the hull! 

Hi Chris. No doubt the replica was built as necessary. The choice of timber has a lot to do with it. The method of terminating planks on the wale is typical of dutch vessels.
The issue with most kits is the double planking technique. The outer layer is so thin that bending the planks sideways as is necessary is impossible.
Even with single planks it is not possible without using steelers or drop strakes. Oak and Fir is a much more workable timbers than Jarrah and that is probably why the replica is planked as such. No problems.
I was just pointing out that English ships of the era would have been planked as Kipping describes.
I think that Karl almost had it right but in practice it would need more steelers/dropstrakes to achieve the desired result.
Another interesting read is about ribbands. They used these to divide the planking into sections so they could work out where to put the steelers.
Kind regards
Allan

Sorry to chime in here as basically a know-nothing about proper planking, but I feel compelled to mention I was doing some research a few months ago on planking and encountered an article which I can't find now. But I recall I was specifically interested in the shape of the garboard plank, and the article I was reading included a few photographs of a real hull under construction. I am not certain, but it may well have been the Endeavour replica. Interestingly, the article showed a picture of the ship's bow as an example of what to avoid, that the garboard strake had not been done optimally and as a result the planks were upswept at the bow to a greater degree than they should, and as a result many more drop strakes were used. 
 
If indeed this was the Endeavour, this may explain why the plans for your model show the strakes meeting the stem at more of a right angle than you see in the replica photographs. Perhaps the replica is actually not entirely accurate. 
 
I hope this isn't heresy. I suppose my point is that you can probably plank your hull however you feel like, because there's a full-sized example of it however it turns out!
 

Evening Scott
I unashamedly planked mine as a copy oy what the replica builders did, probably not textbook pc, but i am
happy with it. have a look here. Have a look on page 4.
I dropped plans under the wales using hooked planks, the timber used is Jarrah as per replica.
Cheers Chris