Chuck

Chapter four materials list has been uploaded in the first post of this topic. I am working on finishing up the Chapter 4 of the monograph now and should have the parts ready as well. Maybe a few days more. Take a look at the materials list though because when you buy the package for the laser cut parts for chapter four.....you may need to get more 2" planking sheets to rip planks/strips for your gun deck and bulwarks. It depends on how many you have left.....I added how many I used four chapter 4 to the list....as well as two 4" wide sheets of 3/64" cedar so you guys can make your margin planks. Rather than laser cut these it is better if you make them to fit your model perfectly. I uploaded the template for them as they will absolutely need to be tweaked to fit your model well. I uploaded it to the Winnie plans download forum.....where you downloaded the plans. Chuck

Nicely done!

That planking is looking good. Well done.

Those flags look really good. Very realistic and to scale. You shaped them pretty darn good too. If you alternate the blades of the sweeps on the left and right sides of each stack, it looks much better and more balanced.

No but that is easy enough to add on your own. Those look weird to me because you cant fit all the shrouds and no backstays so a mast looks like a big stick. One that detracts from the cross section itself. Not a big fan of that on a cross section.

Maybe .....I will see how my interest in This subject continues but I do want a traditional mid cross section. chuck

Funny. You guys should go to shapeways and search through the thousands of 1:48 scale figures they offer. Buy the top grade print available. I am positive that any person can find a figure that resembles themselves and then you paint it to make it look even more like you. Its kind of creepy but makes for an interesting picture. That figure cost me $8. But I am fortunate to have a close friend who enjoys painting them. And he did an excellent job. They zero naval figures that are any good at this scale so this was the next best thing. Give it a try!!!

You could try it. I have not heard of that. But there is no way to tell until you try it. It could work well.

Jorge, the break at the forecastle you see is very much typical and correct. Later they continued it to the forecastle but early on this was indeed the way it done. Just have a look at the many contemporary sources available. Too many to list but here are some contemporary examples.

A fully framed cross section of Winnie will be next if I am not pulled in another direction by inspiration elsewhere. Plans are already in development. But i have been seriously contemplating the US Sloop Hornet of 1812 also. Gathering info on that one as I write this.

Thank You. The key for me ....and what is always in the front of my mind when developing a kit...is this mantra "Any kit I make straight out of the box should never look kit-like. If it cant stand side by side with the most accurate scratch built models then I have failed. If any one buying my kits has to discard any part at all, I have failed. Once completed, all of my kits built straight out of the box should hold their own alongside the most experienced scratch builders and accurate contemporary models of the same subject matter. If it doesnt then I have failed. Historical accuracy and detail is of the utmost importance. No compromises." I believe this is the standard that all kit MFGs should strive for and be judged by. Chuck

Only an hour since I announced. Only have two left now!!! I guess I will have to mill more Cherry sheets and start making more of them......😄 I was hoping to make more Longboat kits first. I am almost done making a dozen sets of the new Chapter four parts for Winnie. The factory is back in full production mode....as long as my new wood guy can keep up that is. The Winnie is basically a large kit. With 90% of all the parts for this model being laser cut. Too many to put in one box, Again, straight out of the box. The only thing different from a traditional kit is you have to mill your own planking strips. But you wont be throwing any parts away and replacing them. I am quite proud of that....all while maintaining the utmost historical accuracy. Should have Chapter 4 parts in cedar in about a week ready to ship!!! Now that my supply chain issues are clearing up I am energetic to get things moving along. The last month has sucked and was very stressful to say the least. Good to be back at 100% capacity.....or at least around 80% currently.

At this stage I would prefer not to run out of stuff a day after I finish making them. Much rather get caught up first. It never ends.....but yes I am a horrible businessman. LOL....My wife reminds me constantly. 😀 Chuck

As I start catching up with my milled lumber supply I will start notifying you guys when I have stuff back in stock that has been absent for a while. For example.....I just finished up 6 Queen Anne Barge kits. They are in stock and ready for immediate shipment. Hopefully they wont go as quickly as they usually do!!! Here are some wonderful photos of Jean-Paul's model he just completed. He did a superb job on it!!! He built it straight out of the box!!! With these results. To my knowledge I am about the only MFG where folks dont seem to throw anything away and replace it. You can get results like this straight out of the box. How many other MFGs can also claim that? A historically accurate and wonderful model that Jean-Paul built. The best marketing a company can have for his products....Thank You Jean Paul.

Your model looks fantastic. Quite well done and it was a pleasure to follow along as you built it.

Awesome!!!

Wonderful planking. Once youve planked a hull after lining it off, you will never plank one without doing so again. The results speak for themselves.

That looks pretty darned good. Well done.

I have also just found someone local again who will be starting tomorrow and just doing milling for me. So things should be getting back to normal soon I hope.....But I just wanted to give you guys a heads up and ask for a bit of patience as I work through the training process and get mybacklog squared away. Chuck

She looks fantastic. You should be quite pleased with that. Very nice and clean model you have. I will note that you will need to turn the model upside down one more time to drill and file out the rudder opening hole in the lower counter. You might want to remove the Lantern for that. I also have a newer design coming for the lantern that is made entirely out of Boxwood so no painting is needed. It is slightly different than the one you used. Just in case that one might get damaged. I was going to leave that until much later in the project. It makes me nervous just looking at it. Here is the prototype for the improved "all boxwood" lantern. The windows are just .015 thick.

I have actually found a few places that will do it. But it will take a lot of time to get things rolling. In the meanwhile I am doing it myself. As I write this actually. One company I have found makes architectural moldings. They can load a 13 foot board two inches thick and out of the other end comes ten milled pieces 1/8" thick or more. From here they are passed through industrial sanders to be finished down to 1/16" thick. Thats the thinnest most will do. So I would take them down more for boards thinner than that. Pricing is good but of course the bad part is I have to order 7,500 bucks at a time as a minimum. They will mill anything.....If they dont have it I can supply it. This is just one company I am talking to. But 7 large for each order is a bit much for me. But the price per sheet is very good. I am making progress however. Chuck

That looks very good. Its a difficult hull to plank and you did an exceptional job.

Not something that was done in reality. It would not be historically accurate in the least. But it is your model. As long as you like it. Chuck

My capstan kit.....no not really. I actually have a dozen already made and ready to go. I just havent had time to write the instructions so I can offer them yet. I am spending all my time milling wood and making parts and rope. I will get there. But its gonna take time. If I stop work in the factory to write for a few days then I would fall too far behind making stuff so its a delicate balance. So if someone who has the tools wants to make a few extra bucks milling wood let me know. It just takes so much time to do and also make kits and parts. The tools needed to do milling of this kind of wood is expensive so start up costs are high. For someone getting into the business of milling wood it is cost prohibitive. To buy enough wood billets to mill is also very expensive. For example I just received about $2000 worth of excellent quality Boxwood billets. 8/4 stock. For anyone wanting to do this as a side business.....if you needed to also buy a bunch of Swiss Pear, Holly, Cherry and Cedar and Maple of good quality would cost around 12-15,000 to get started with a decent quantity. Not to mention the cost of machines......and dust control. And the space needed!!! So I get it. Its not for everyone. For me its just 3 species so its not bad. I can personally mill about 50 sheets per day finished accurately. Its hard work. So it will take a few weeks to restock with material to have enough around to make kits. I have next to nothing left right now because my wood guy didnt want to tell me and kind of strung me along until I had nothing left........ so it sucks right now, but once I get a decent stash it just needs to be maintained. I would rather have someone else do this however. But nobody wants to do this kind of work anymore. Younger folks just dont have the desire or skills. So the search continues. Otherwise I have to switch to readily available wood to make my stuff which I dont want to do. Its why Model Shipways and Bluejacket only use Basswood. You can get it pre milled easily. The only stuff you can get pre milled easily is basswood, poplar, and maple. Not really good wood for ship modelling. I can get Boxwood from Europe pre milled but it would be twice my current cost. So thats out as it would be too costly. Nobody does this work in the states any more. I am the only source for pre milled Cedar and places like Ocooch refuse to mill woods other than the typical stuff you see available not appropriate for ship modelling. Its a real issue so I dont blame MS and Bluejacket for only using Basswood....its really the only option at these quantities needed. Chuck

It was a nice break. Unfortunately you guys will be waiting longer for restocking. I had a not so pleasant development with my supply chain. I have lost my guy who mills all my Boxwood, Cherry and Cedar. This is why you only see Basswood being used by MFGs in The USA. Its impossible to get the quantities of better wood sheets from any place and must develop your own supply chain here for anything unusual. So I am now forced to personally mill and thickness my own sheets as well as make parts. With the hundreds of sheets needed it will be a good while before kits are restocked. I need around 250 sheets of Cedar and Boxwood for example in various thicknesses to make just 6 longboat kits. So i am busy milling sheets as we speak. Anyone know anybody who wants to make a few bucks milling sheets who has a good bandsaw? On average I typically burn through about 200 - 400 sheets every month. It depends on what needs to be made. I will supply all the wood billets (Boxwood, Cherry and Cedar) and pay for milling and thicknessing services per board. Contact me if you are interested via PM. Northeast coast location is preferred. I really wish somebody would jump into this space and really miss Hobbymill!!!!