Chuck

Greg must have a sixth sense. I started building a mini Speedwell just for fun alongside the big one. How could I not after seeing Phillip Reed’s 1/16” scale Speedwell. its not 1/16” scale. Mine will be 3/32” scale. I had no intention of selling it as a kit but as I just mentioned in my log…I will if there is enough interest. Here are some pics of the stem and figurehead. I havent started the framing yet because I am waiting to finish the framing on the full size version. The hull will be 7 7/8” long and 1.75” wide unrigged. All the parts on that are laser cut including the figurehead. If there is enough interest I will start another log and detail my journey with it. Working this tiny certainly has its challenges. Its not easy. But it is fun.

Originally I was gonna make just ten of those mini speedwell kits for a limited edition for joint clubs…if there is enough interest i will not do that. I will choose this other model I have had on the drawing boards. A limited run never to be be made beyond the ten kits for joint clubs. I need to start work on this asap….so this is how I am leaning.

If I do this keep in mind that building a miniature is not easy. These scales are harsh on the eyes and the parts are super delicate. The hair brackets are .015thick boxwood. The trailboard carvings are laserboard. This will be a super advanced kit just for the dexterity and light hand you will need. The framing will be very similar to the longboat kit...just much smaller. Frames will have a break-away center. But the mid-ship frames will be only 1 3/4"wide. The hull will be 7 7/8" long and the breath will be 1.75". mid ship frame below… My original intent was to just build this mini for fun...and then it morphed into making a limited run of ten kits to give away at next years joint clubs. Our New Jersey club is hosting next year. I may still do that. But if I do make them for joint clubs I will have switch gears and just work on the mini for a while. One year isnt exactly a huge amount of time. But if there is broader interest I will just work both together and think of something else for next year's joint clubs show. so if there s any interest please let me know so I can plan ahead.

Thanks Ben... No progress on the 3/8" scale model. But hopefully this weekend. There was another topic started elsewhere on the forum about interest in building models like those by Phillip Reed. I always thought considering such sorcery was beyond comprehension. But I must admit that anyone who has built Speedwell or is thinking about it, probably has come across the photos of her as built by Phillip Reed. It is just a superb model. Its 1/16" scale. Madness indeed. I thought building her at 1/4" scale like Greg was crazy. But you always wonder if you can do something like that. When I started on the 3/8" scale version I couldnt help myself. So I have been clandestine and also drafting plans for a mini Speedwell. I am not crazy enough to build it at 1/16" scale like Mr. Reed. That model has a hull about 6" long. But I did reduce my Speedwell drafts and framing plans to 25% of the the 3/8" scale version. This makes a 3/32" scale Speedwell which is still absurd. The hull is about 8". I havent started cutting parts yet but I have been working on a fun side project. Just to see how viable it is. Keep in mind I dont have a 3d printed set of carvings. Chris is going to try and print them at this tiny scale but I doubt it will be possible. The carvings are tiny at 3/8" and reduced to this fun Phil Reed scale the figurehead is just 7/16" tall. But this is what I have been playing around with....all parts including the figurehead are laser cut. Most from Boxwood except the trailboard carvings which are laserboard. You can see it in comparison to the regular sized model. The plan in the back is also at 3/32"scale. I am not sure I will continue but I may do so and Chris is going to run some tests on the 3d prints. But the laser cut parts for the trailboard came out great with just the laser cutter. The figurehead is laser cut in five layers...the first center layer is integrated into the stem. Then you build up layers on either side to make the figure fully rounded. You just round off the edges of each layer and do a bit a shaping. It doesnt have to be precise. At this scale all you need is a suggestion of detail. The staff is a length of 30 gauge wire with some paper wings glued on top. Really tiny paper wings. Anyway...if there is interest in such a thing let me know and I will continue working the small one as well. Chuck

Yes the remaining parts look good....keep going.

I just imported your photo into Corel Draw and drew a smooth curved line over it. Any drawing program will work. I am pretty sure you could do this in Microsoft word as well.

I believe you have a slight bend or dip upward towards. See the red line for a tweak. But its not bad at all. Try this exercise with an image to help you see the dips as well if you have a program that would work.

Nice to see you back at it. Its looking really nice.

Yes there will be one more cant frame and then one small filler frame which will sit against the forward edge of the fashion piece. Those should be easy enough to make and install. The fashion pieces were quite easy as well and after tweaking the laser cut file for them they fit perfectly. It was literally just a matter of sanding to the laser etched reference lines. Then gluing them in. I think the all of the remaining framing should be uneventful. In fact it will be very similar to the way the square tuck was handled on Cheerful. I am looking forward to planking very soon in the next chapter... For the last cant frame and filler the most difficult thing will be sanding the correct angle onto the frame that sits against the fashion pieces. But that angle is shown on the plans and can be transferred. I am hoping to make to those over the next couple of days. That detail is shown below...cant frame 28 and the filler. Chuck

Thanks....I would love to see your progress Dave. You should start a build log. Or at least post some pics of your progress. Chuck

Just a small update on the progress. Getting into the stern framing now. But first I needed to add 3 more aft cant frames under the quarter piece. The cant frames are self explanatory and the same as the others. Just sand off the char and add them. But before I added them under the quarter piece I had to glue a small block on the inside of the quarter piece on both sides. The block is laser cut and matches the shape of the bottom of the quarter piece. This makes the area thicker which we will need when we fair the inboard side. This will all be covered up on the inboard side so it wont show. It will be planked over on the inboard side. The small blocks will be faired along with the inboard frames when we do that much later. But it is probably a good idea to start that now and do a little preliminary removal of material. Its just easier to do at this point. I did it after gluing them in but they could just as easily be shaped before you glue them in. Now the stern framing starts. First up are the fashion pieces. These are very very complex. This hull has a square tuck much like the Cheerful. So to simplify things it will be made in two layers. Only the first layer will be added at this time. They are laser cut for you and 5/32" thick. There are laser etched lines on both sides. You can see how I faired the shape into it following the etched reference line. The two ends also need to be tapered slightly. I am talking very slight tapering to sit against the deadwood and under the wing transom. The other side of the piece has those etched reference lines. Just sand in the bevel to match on both ends. Then give it a test fit. I found it easier to test fit these while the hull was upside down. They will need to be 1/8" away from the stern post as mentioned. This was easy enough to do. I just drew a reference line in pencil. I used a 1/8" wide strip and held it against the stern post and just drew the line on the deadwood. When test fitting these the bottom will sit along the curved edge on the deadwood. Right along the bearding line. Try and get a nice clean and tight fit there. The top end will fit under the bottom of the wing transom. The aft edge is flush with the same on the wing transom. Then I faired them along with those last three cant frames I added. Its all coming together now. Just a bit more framing to go. Next up will be that last aft cant frame. It actually sits against the fashion piece we just added. This is why that needed to be added first. Then a small cant filler will be added which essentially finishes up all the hull framing. After that there are the stern frames and a few odds and ends to finish it all up.

No you are good to go as is....Just keep following the monograph chapters. Its coming along very well. You will be taking care of the inboard side of those outer stern frames in Chapter 3.....

I think your care in building her is what achieved that. Great work!!!

Solid hull projects are fantastic. There are reasons why you dont see any new kits being developed this way. First it is very expensive. The machinery alone and tooling required for each new kit is problematic. There are few people with that lost knowledge and expertise as well. In addition...the restriction on the size you can make a hull. This is why those old kits were so tiny. They were all so much smaller than folks like to build these days and the subjects were smaller vessels. Any frigates and such were restricted to 1/8" scale. You would need a huge machine and a whole lot of wood to make them larger. In addition, new builders just hate taking the time to properly shape the solid hulls. Using templates and chisels etc. They dont have the patience for it. So they are not very popular. In this world of instant gratification, they want a kit to be as close to a lego set as possible. Just assemble and do a mediocre job of fairing and got on with it. Unfortunately this is the case. Its a shame because there is a lot to be learned when you are presented with more "hand-work" on a kit. Like those old MS yellow box kits. There was so much "scratch building" required that by todays standards those kits would hardly be called kits. They just dont sell. It is much more cost effective to use plywood or MDF for a POB project. Yes the typical MFG should at least double the amount of bulkheads. But either way...as you said, it is very easy to fill the spaces between the bulkheads. That is if you are willing to take the time to fair the hull properly. It will take a lot of effort and elbow grease. Chuck

Looking great Mike...

Lovely results

Outstanding!!!

Excellent rope. And on your first try. You will never buy another package of rope again. The model is looking very good indeed. I am enjoying your progress.

Its looking great....Dont over think it. That can be paralyzing to a project. Just go slow and steady and it will all work out in the end. Chuck

Outstanding!!! Such a beautiful display.

Nope.. not at all

Only have brown mara 120 at the moment. But I could have laid this up tighter. sorry its upside down but that the only way the calipers would stay upright. I think the thread you are using is not actually the correct dia…for mara 120. Because I didnt even lay this up that tightly. The calipers are barely open at all. but either way….you are making beautiful rope. Glad you are enjoying the process.

It does look beautiful...If you need something thinner try and experiment with other threads. I dont know what to tell you about the size issue but it sure is fine looking rope that you are making.

Head to toe size comparison with the Winnie… Greg you are a madman to build her at 1/4” scale. You have my utmost respect at that size. I couldnt even imagine it.

Yes it will be sold just like the Winnie in Chapter sets. There are far too many parts to make a complete kit all at once. The framing that you see below (once its completed) will comprise the first two chapters. Although its a lot of parts still and I may break that into three chapter sets. Then others will follow. Keep in mind that because of its size and complexity this will not be a cheap project. Its almost the exact same size as the Vanguard Indy kit. She is a big girl. But this has so many more parts so you can get an idea of where this project may end up cost-wise. Figure in the range of "2 large". I wont know how much until its all done so its impossible for me to put a number on it....but just figure what it costs for the Indy and add a little bit more. I say this because I dont want anyone to start this project and be surprised by the cost as it continues. I am quite the terrible salesperson...but I am just being up front with you guys. This isnt being made in China so its going to be expensive to manufacture. Its not a project that can be rushed. So buying chapter sets over time is the best way to go.