Chuck

Rusty...so nice to see you start on her. I am working on mine today and it will be nice to collaborate again on building. Should have more updates on the prototype real soon. Chuck

Jerry...you asked Once you have made three left-hand ropes, you then twist these to achieve the right-hand cable. Do you have to tension the laid-up left-hand rope in the opposite direction before you twist them into the right-hand cable? The answer is yes...Twist them even more to create a tight twist that will want to untwist when you are done. This "wanting to untwist" creates the tension when you wind all three in opposite direction afterwards. Its the same as when you started with the smaller ropes....You must twist the individual strands first...otherwise they have no tension.....which will soon be equalized when you twist all three together in the opposite direction. You see, when folks just place 9 strands on a rope walk (3 on each without having turned them into rope first) and just do the initial twist of the nine.....there was no tension to keep those initial twisted three threads together as rope. In fact, if this is what you have tried as Michael has.....try this experiment. Before you twist those nine strands into rope after completing the initial twists...just cut them free and see what happens to them. You will soon find that they quickly unwind. This doesnt create a good large cable because it will always want to unwind from its core... Yes it saves time, but it doesnt make the best rope. This will happen on any machine or ropewalk. It usually starts on the ends that were cut, even with a sharp blade. The three larger ropes untwist just a little bit......then the individual strands in each of those that were not laid up properly begin to untwist...then it just creeps along the whole length of rope in short order as you handle the ends with your hands. Hope that makes sense. Its much easier to show a person while they are in my shop than explain it in writing. Chuck

I just havent had time to take care of that topic lately folks. I am stretched too thin. Maybe soon or possibly I can find a volunteer.

Yes it did get smaller but its a much better rope. That will happen. If it still unravels its because your using multiple lines on each and twisting them first. Those wont stay twisted because you never twisted them individually first to create tension. That being said, it will still hold together well enough. For example, when I make a larger cable I first make three smaller cables with tension so they wont unwind. Then I take those three and make the larger rope. You end up with an opposite twist however so you have to remember to correct that by creating the first three strand with the opposite twist you will eventually require. I do understand what Gaetan is saying though. Standing while twisting is very awkward. Better if that end is on a table top as is mine. Then you are able to control the "walking" of that end better. You will also get a better "feel" for that tension. I am sure his more complex rope walk works great as well. But like I said....simple is just as good. I dont use any weights at all and I simply slide the end on a table and "feel the tension". I can adjust if needed. It will be difficult to achieve the same results over and over again without that sort of control. Standing up like that will make it very hard to replicate over and over again. Chuck

Looking at your rope I would recommend doubling your initial twists and then doing the same with the twisting of the three strands together. Chuck

Thanks I doubt the treenails would be seen under the paint. But either wau it couldnt help to seal the wood first before painting. The Wipe on Poly should be fine. No primer is needed. Chuck

Plans are only available with the kit. You can buy one at Modelexpo-online.com or on ebay. Chuck

Thats for the rigging. see the rigging plan for that....there should be another small drawing showing how that is used also... Chuck

Thats rather messy. I choose to place a few dozen on a some paper towels and then dip another in the stain. Then roll them around with it. It gets just the right amount on them without clogging the sheave holes. Chuck

No I built the longboat in boxwood and in bass. The pinnace in Boxwood and now in holly. Others from my club have built it in pear. Its just a personal decision based on teh color. Holly is super easy to work with. Especially with the planking. It bends so easily. I have not finished that version yet. I was curious what a fully white or "whitish" model would look like. Maybe like bone. So I gave it a shot for fun. Still have it but unfinished. Maybe I will offer it up to someone else to finish it. Dont know if i will ever get around to it. Chuck

i wouldnt try and bend it it...better to cut it from a wider sheet....but you are doing an outstanding job. Chuck

Good luck and i am eagerly awaiting some progress reports. Here are the answers to your questions..... The Basswood sheet that contains the bulkheads is 3/32 of an inch thick. Also on this sheet are the 2 lengths for the keel & 2 rudders. is this just extras or are we intended to glue then together to get a thickness of 3/16? The same occurs on the sheet with the Stem. I have 2 stems. Just extras...I had the room so why not add them just in case...shhhh dont let Expo know!!! Next question, On the 3/32 sheet with the stem there are 2 small pieces which I believe are the stern post. Again is the intent to glue them together to get more thickness. Finally there are 3 bow blocks on this sheet. I can figure out what to do with 2 bow blocks but is the 3rd one extra? All just extras.... A final comment, since Jeff is backed up supplying all of us builders with wood. This log may move a bit slow for the next couple of months. I started it now because this is a great opportunity to gather info from those who have gone before me. I also felt this was the best way to ask questions without cluttering someone else's build. Note: Just use some wipe on poly on all the basswood frames which will match the boxwood nicely. Sand both sides of the board with teh bulkheads with very fine sandpaper to get a smooth finish BEFORE you remove them each from the sheet and to also remove the laser char. Then give them several coats of wipe on poly.....leave the laser cut edges alone though.....dont sand those too much at all until you have to fair the hull. Hope that makes sense. Enjoy the project. Chuck

Well done sir!!! Those are just some stands for the hull. If you glue them to a scrap board it will keep your hull upright so you can work on the interior details. I found myself just holding the hull in my hands most of the time but I figured what the heck....why not throw them in there anyway. You did a really nice job sanding down the interior frames. There area few details I omitted from the kit but if you are up to the challenge I can explain what they are. Under each seat in the cockpit there should be a panelled support...but that is a really experienced little doo-dad on each side to build. they couldnt be laser cut because there are too many variables depending on how well the inside was sanded down and where the risers were placed. So I just left them out of the kit for simplicity. But if you are up to it...give it a shot. see this image for an example. But not all small pinnaces had them. In fact the small pinnace the kit was based on did not have one as you can see by the second photo below. This first photo is a larger more impressive Admirals Barge. But some smaller pinnaces did have the panels under those seats as well. In addition...On the fore side of the seat back there should be a panel as well. Again this would be quite a challenge to make the fancy molding for and keep it thin so it doesnt look bulky. I decided to leave the feature off the pinnace kit for simplicity as well. Once again it could not be laser cut because there are too many variables. The depth of the seatback and the width would change for every model built depending on how well the interior was sanded and where the risers were placed. It is also difficult to bend the top of the panel if it wasnt laser cut. This is another challenge I have yet to see anyone add to the model. Note that the panel outline is let-into the seatback. See below. The last detail I omitted was the long boards down the center of the hull between the thwarts. They only appear between the two aft-most thwarts. They are also let-in to each thwart which could get tricky for some folks. Also note how thin and elegant the cap rail is. If you can get the tops of the frames inboard sanded down even thinner you may be able to achieve the same results. Most often they are left too thick and it begins to look very clunky and heavy. But yes....the hull is very light but surprisingly strong at this point so dont be afraid to try it. Once the panels and thwarts are in position the whole thing gets really rigid and strong. Just be careful with it until then. Thats it for the stuff I omitted but they remain optional at any rate. Chuck

You need to remove all of that laser char before you glue them together. That is important to get a good bond. Once done....it will fit together well if you are careful. Dont forget to darken the edges with a pencil. Too many people dont remove the laser char and they wont get a good fit at all. The laser does not produce a perfect right angle when cutting. The the joints will be larger on one side than the other because of the slight angle the laser cuts at. Once again this is important for all parts to make the edges a right angle and get a tight fit on both sides. Enjoy the project and dont hesitate to ask me any questions. Chuck

Lovely...well done.

That looks just fantastic. Well done. The finish is excellent. Chuck

Personally I prefer the bottom fill method to avoid bubbles and empty cavities. Here are some pics with off-the-shelf resin/mold kit...there are plenty of techniques to learn and a tutorial would be welcome. You can send it to me and I will post it in the database of articles. The part you are looking at is only about 3/4" long if I remember correctly. Chuck

Thanks... Thats what I am hoping....I know there will always be folks who just dont want to bother spending the time to make rope. Regardless of what tool you use it still takes time to learn and test. If you dont plan on selling it as a business then making rope once a year for a project isnt all that appealing. I hope...

Trial and error same as always. Just keep it lubricated...I spray some WD-40 on it every day before I use it. No real tricks...no real mystery. Rope making is a simple principle. You just have to get the timing correct and tension on each side after twister. You must establish an equilibrium after twisting that gives you a nice looking rope. This will be different depending on teh size of teh rope and the material you use and the amount of threads on each eye. Yes it looks cheasy but I wouldnt trade it for anything else. I do wish the diameter of the circular parts were larger. This would allow a forth eye on them for four stranded rope. But it works a treat. Now you know my secret...so much for my rope business now, LOl !!! I am no engineer either...look at that high tech piece of equipment... and stylish as well. A 21' length of rope in 8 minutes....try and beat that. See the pics of my rope-a-dashery below. I will be making 500 feet of brown rope today...joy!! Chuck

Not much to share...I removed the handles and put in a screw with a Phillips head slot on it. Thats it. Then I use a power drill at 2500 rpm's to lay up the rope. It just takes some practice. I also added some metal washers to reduce friction. Th efirst time I didnt use them the rope walk started smoking. Thats it. Easy-peasy

Dont be so quick to say its crap....I basically use it to produce all of my rope for Syren Ship Model company. With a modification or two....you can lay up a 21 foot length of rope in about 8 minutes. I have demonstrated this at my local club. I make approximately 5-6000 feet of rope on that so-called piece of crap every month. You can buy them for 20 bucks and when it gets used up...throw it away and get another. The average builder will never need to make 70,000 feet of rope per year so it will last a lifetime. In my case...I used one for three years....so I recommend them highly. I use a variable speed drill to power each end. The principle of making rope is very simple...I subscribe to the KISS philosophy. Why over complicate things. It does the job nicely. But if you want to spend a lot more.....on ...other machines...thats OK too. I just decided yesterday to retire my current ropewalk and built another in 30 minutes. I am good to go for another 100,000 feet of rope at least. The one I use is the Model shipways version but they are identical in every respect. The exact same design and parts. I think my rope is the best on the market today so if its any indication.....

Looking great Ryland. Glad to see you having fun with it. Chuck

Drillbitsunlimited.com

#70 or #69

Its an optical illusion actually. The trick is to make the line slightly off and upward towards the stern to compensate. Its a common thing. It depends on the hull shape how bad the illusion will be. It will most likely only become evident after you finish and you will always have to make adjustments. Chuck