Roger Pellett

Another idea for a boat- a Venetian Gondola. They are pretty creepy as is and are specifically designed to be rowed (not poled or paddled) with the gondolier standing up. Designs are readily available. The heavy figurehead at the bow balances the weight of the gondolier in the stern. The boats are made deliberately asymmetric to offset the turning effect of the gondolier always rowing on one side.
 
Roger Pellett

It seems that my Sherline mill gets used at least as often to build tools/fixtures as it does to make actual model parts. Examples are a fixture for holding propeller blades in the right orientation for soldering and a fixture to hold the very mall blades of my model makers spoke shaves in my honing guide. This means that I use it for materials that do not actually get incorporated into a model- often aluminum.
 
Roger

It seems that my Sherline mill gets used at least as often to build tools/fixtures as it does to make actual model parts. Examples are a fixture for holding propeller blades in the right orientation for soldering and a fixture to hold the very mall blades of my model makers spoke shaves in my honing guide. This means that I use it for materials that do not actually get incorporated into a model- often aluminum.
 
Roger

It seems that my Sherline mill gets used at least as often to build tools/fixtures as it does to make actual model parts. Examples are a fixture for holding propeller blades in the right orientation for soldering and a fixture to hold the very mall blades of my model makers spoke shaves in my honing guide. This means that I use it for materials that do not actually get incorporated into a model- often aluminum.
 
Roger

It seems that my Sherline mill gets used at least as often to build tools/fixtures as it does to make actual model parts. Examples are a fixture for holding propeller blades in the right orientation for soldering and a fixture to hold the very mall blades of my model makers spoke shaves in my honing guide. This means that I use it for materials that do not actually get incorporated into a model- often aluminum.
 
Roger

It seems that my Sherline mill gets used at least as often to build tools/fixtures as it does to make actual model parts. Examples are a fixture for holding propeller blades in the right orientation for soldering and a fixture to hold the very mall blades of my model makers spoke shaves in my honing guide. This means that I use it for materials that do not actually get incorporated into a model- often aluminum.
 
Roger

It seems that my Sherline mill gets used at least as often to build tools/fixtures as it does to make actual model parts. Examples are a fixture for holding propeller blades in the right orientation for soldering and a fixture to hold the very mall blades of my model makers spoke shaves in my honing guide. This means that I use it for materials that do not actually get incorporated into a model- often aluminum.
 
Roger

It seems that my Sherline mill gets used at least as often to build tools/fixtures as it does to make actual model parts. Examples are a fixture for holding propeller blades in the right orientation for soldering and a fixture to hold the very mall blades of my model makers spoke shaves in my honing guide. This means that I use it for materials that do not actually get incorporated into a model- often aluminum.
 
Roger

It seems that my Sherline mill gets used at least as often to build tools/fixtures as it does to make actual model parts. Examples are a fixture for holding propeller blades in the right orientation for soldering and a fixture to hold the very mall blades of my model makers spoke shaves in my honing guide. This means that I use it for materials that do not actually get incorporated into a model- often aluminum.
 
Roger

Thanks Roger just checked Amazon they have both will order.
 
John

I've several reports over the last week or so but this one is the latest...
 
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/03/23/navy-tug-lost-for-nearly-century-found-in-waters-off-california.html

I have built several models of warships boats with carved hulls. I am presently building a 1:32 model of a Royal Navy longboat. All of these models require the hulls to be thinned out on the inside until the hull becomes a hollow shell. Many years ago, I began building carved hulls by carving two half models to be joined after carving. This has several advantages.
 
1. There is always a defined centerline
 
2. As carving proceeds each half hull can be laid on a flat surface representing the keel plane for checking with templates resulting in a very accurate hull.
 
3. It is much easier to hollow out two half hulls than one full one.
 
4. With some pre-planning the keel can be sandwiched between the two hull halves.
 
For my last couple of models, I have been making three sub assemblies, two halves and a keel and incorporating as much work as possible in each before joining them together.
 
Roger

I have built several models of warships boats with carved hulls. I am presently building a 1:32 model of a Royal Navy longboat. All of these models require the hulls to be thinned out on the inside until the hull becomes a hollow shell. Many years ago, I began building carved hulls by carving two half models to be joined after carving. This has several advantages.
 
1. There is always a defined centerline
 
2. As carving proceeds each half hull can be laid on a flat surface representing the keel plane for checking with templates resulting in a very accurate hull.
 
3. It is much easier to hollow out two half hulls than one full one.
 
4. With some pre-planning the keel can be sandwiched between the two hull halves.
 
For my last couple of models, I have been making three sub assemblies, two halves and a keel and incorporating as much work as possible in each before joining them together.
 
Roger

I have built several models of warships boats with carved hulls. I am presently building a 1:32 model of a Royal Navy longboat. All of these models require the hulls to be thinned out on the inside until the hull becomes a hollow shell. Many years ago, I began building carved hulls by carving two half models to be joined after carving. This has several advantages.
 
1. There is always a defined centerline
 
2. As carving proceeds each half hull can be laid on a flat surface representing the keel plane for checking with templates resulting in a very accurate hull.
 
3. It is much easier to hollow out two half hulls than one full one.
 
4. With some pre-planning the keel can be sandwiched between the two hull halves.
 
For my last couple of models, I have been making three sub assemblies, two halves and a keel and incorporating as much work as possible in each before joining them together.
 
Roger

The time has come for me to buy a jewelers saw. I used to own one and never was able to use it properly. I either had trouble tightening the blade in the grips or tightening the frame properly. As a result I broke blades and was never able to properly control cuts. It finally broke trying to tighten the blade grips and I never replaced.
 
In shopping on line for a new one, it is hard to see what I am getting, and I don't live near where I can see and try one. Any suggestions? I am particularly interested in the system to tighten and to hold the blade. Are there differences between different saws?
 
Roger

A number of wrecks from the Penobscot expedition have been investigated. There is an interesting article published a number of years ago in the Nautical Research Journal discussing variations in framing systems discovered on the several wrecks investigated. Without digging through my pile of NRJ's I am guessing that the article was mid 1990's and might have been written by Clayton Feldman.
 
There are several posts discussing essential modelling books. In my opinion, the best and most cost effective collection of research material available are the CD's of past Nautical Research Journals available from the NRG office.
 
Roger

The boat that I am thinking about would also be called a "punt."
 
Roger

It would look like what your neighbors here to the south call a "Jon Boat" except that both the bow and stern would be curved up unlike the Jon boat where just the bow is curved. If you look up Jon boat on the web you'll find lots of examples. The top sides should flare outwards to gain buoyancy and stability when heavily loaded.
 
Roger

If I were designing this boat for Charon, my design would feature rectangular mid ships section and full stern. In the movie clip, Charon stands up in the stern and propels the boat by poling. Even though he is a skeleton, displacement in the stern is necessary to support his weight. The creepy nature of the whole thing means that the boat moves very slowly so full hull lines do not effect resistance. Operating in protected waters he is unlikely to encounter heavy cross seas so range of stability is not much of a consideration. High initial stability is a desirable feature because he operates the boat standing up and passengers are always getting off and on, so a flat bottom design (rectangular mid ships section) is called for. Last but not least, the activities of the four horsemen of the Apocolypse- Disease, War, Famine, and Pestilance? Require the ability to carry large passenger loads- high cubic capacity.
 
The most rational design is therefore a rectangular barge with raking ends.
 
Roger Pellett

The boat that I am thinking about would also be called a "punt."
 
Roger

It would look like what your neighbors here to the south call a "Jon Boat" except that both the bow and stern would be curved up unlike the Jon boat where just the bow is curved. If you look up Jon boat on the web you'll find lots of examples. The top sides should flare outwards to gain buoyancy and stability when heavily loaded.
 
Roger

A number of wrecks from the Penobscot expedition have been investigated. There is an interesting article published a number of years ago in the Nautical Research Journal discussing variations in framing systems discovered on the several wrecks investigated. Without digging through my pile of NRJ's I am guessing that the article was mid 1990's and might have been written by Clayton Feldman.
 
There are several posts discussing essential modelling books. In my opinion, the best and most cost effective collection of research material available are the CD's of past Nautical Research Journals available from the NRG office.
 
Roger

If I were designing this boat for Charon, my design would feature rectangular mid ships section and full stern. In the movie clip, Charon stands up in the stern and propels the boat by poling. Even though he is a skeleton, displacement in the stern is necessary to support his weight. The creepy nature of the whole thing means that the boat moves very slowly so full hull lines do not effect resistance. Operating in protected waters he is unlikely to encounter heavy cross seas so range of stability is not much of a consideration. High initial stability is a desirable feature because he operates the boat standing up and passengers are always getting off and on, so a flat bottom design (rectangular mid ships section) is called for. Last but not least, the activities of the four horsemen of the Apocolypse- Disease, War, Famine, and Pestilance? Require the ability to carry large passenger loads- high cubic capacity.
 
The most rational design is therefore a rectangular barge with raking ends.
 
Roger Pellett

Well, my beloved Royals have won the baseball World Series, and I'm back to work on the Bertrand. 
 

 
The main deck structures are complete, and I've mostly finished framing up the boiler deck. This was surprisingly difficult, as there's no flat frame of reference (the main deck curves in every direction). Getting the support posts vertical in both directions was quite interesting. I've been very bad about taking "process" photos during this stage, so you'll just have to imagine things. The only consistently flat frame of reference is, oddly enough, the bottom of the hull. So I made a complicated jig of solid wood strips clamped to the hull, from which I could extend vertical squares, onto which I clamped cross-ways strips, to which I could clamp the vertical posts. Fiddly, but effective. I also made strong use of the eyeball; I'd rather a line of posts LOOK straight relative to each other, even if they're slightly out of line relative to true vertical.
 
Once the posts were in place, I began adding cross-pieces. Technically the boiler deck should have a slight bit of camber to it, but I decided that would be too difficult and would be barely visible at this scale, as most of the deck will be covered by the cabins. The more significant camber of the main deck shows up nicely, and is sufficient for my taste. Thus the deck is flat athwartships, but curves gently fore and aft to follow the rise of the main deck in both directions. 
 

 
I finished planking the main deck as far I as intend to; this extent will allow the model to look complete from a port 45-degree angle fore or aft, but still leaves plenty of internal view from the starboard side. It's a little rough in places, but will have to do. I'll put a crate or something over a few plank ends that stick up more than I'd like.
 

 
View from the open starboard side. I've also finished installing the hog chain braces; these angled posts support metal rods running fore-and-aft, with turnbuckles on them, which keep the long, narrow hull from sagging/hogging. I won't install the actual rods until near the end of the project, as they'll be in the way, but needed to do the braces now as they extend through multiple decks. They're intentionally a bit longer than necessary, so I can cut them off just as I like them once I finish the superstructure. 
 
Currently I'm building the boiler assembly, which sits just forward of the cargo shed on the main deck. I intentionally haven't installed the vertical support posts at the front of the boiler deck, to allow me to slide the boiler in there. Once it's in place, I'll finish that area and install the staircases (already built) just in front of the boilers.
 
I think things will go rapidly for a little while, now. Install the boilers, connect them to the engines with steam lines, plank in the entire boiler deck, and then move on to building the cabin area. I still have to decide whether to order a bunch of styrene windows and doors, or try to make my own out of strip wood. The former would be far faster and more consistently detailed, but more expensive and hard to make look just like the surrounding wood. The latter would take a long time, but be a lot cheaper and fit in better if I can make them realistically enough. I'll decide once the next deck is done.
 
I'm holding out hope of reaching my goal to complete this model by the end of the year. Luckily the approach of winter means nice long evenings for quiet model work. She's certainly starting to look something like a steamboat. In the meantime, here's a fine Ozark fiddler playing "Jefferson City", one of Bertrand's ports of call on her way upriver.
 

 
 

Unfortunately, I don't have access to my library at the moment but I believe that there is quite a bit of information on the first Constellation You might want to obtain a copy of "The Constellation Question" by Howard Chapelle and Len Pollard. This book has quite a bit of original source material for both vessels. Used copies are available cheap on the Internet. A second source would be Naval Ducuments of the Barbary Wars published by the Navy Department. This book contains drawings reprinted from the National Archives in a pocket. There was also an article in the Nautical Research Journal I believe about 1980 on this warship. Last, there was a book published 10 years ago or so about sailing warships of the U.S. Navy. I believe that the author is Donald Canney.
 
Roger