Chuck

Because its not on the Model Expo site yet....After many requests here it is by chapter

 

Introduction 

 

Chapter 1 

 

Chapter 2 

 

Chapter 3 

 

Chapter 4 

 

Chapter 5 

 

Chapter 6

 

Chapter 7 

 

Chapter 8

 

Chapter 9

 

Chapter 10

 

Chapter 11

 

Chapter 12

 

Chapter 13

 

Chapter 14 

 

Chapter 15

 

Chapter 16

 

Chapter 17

 

Chapter 18

 

Chapter 19

 

   THE END    

Because its not on the Model Expo site yet....After many requests here it is by chapter

 

Introduction 

 

Chapter 1 

 

Chapter 2 

 

Chapter 3 

 

Chapter 4 

 

Chapter 5 

 

Chapter 6

 

Chapter 7 

 

Chapter 8

 

Chapter 9

 

Chapter 10

 

Chapter 11

 

Chapter 12

 

Chapter 13

 

Chapter 14 

 

Chapter 15

 

Chapter 16

 

Chapter 17

 

Chapter 18

 

Chapter 19

 

   THE END    

This is a reposting of my build a couple of years ago of Syren. As I'm sure that all who have done the model would agree, it is a beautifully designed kit with great plans and practicum by Chuck. I did choose, however, to make some changes. The principal change was to substitute boxwood for the kit wood for the upper hull, bulwarks and deck furniture and holly for the kit wood for the deck planking. Construction generally followed standard procedures and Chuck's instructions.
 
The reposting will be in a number of installments. I have my photos, but the original text is all gone. Brief summaries of each section of work will be added to the photos.
 
Framing, hull and bulwark planking, deck planking and coppering:   Framing was straight forward and followed the kit procedures, with the exception that, as I always do, I added extra bracing to the bulkhead-- center keel attachment for additional strength and stability. For the lower hull planking, I used the kit basswood, since it would all be covered by the coppering of the lower hull. For the same reason, I did not spend any effort on reproducing an exact reproduction of a correct planking pattern, but concentrated on getting a fair and smooth surface for the copper. Caulking of the upper hull and deck planks was simulated by using a pencil on one edge and one end of each plank. Treenailing of the upper hull and decking was simulated using the method shown by Chuck of filling drilled holes with golden oak filler. The unpainted boxwood was finished with Wipe-on poly and the painted portions were done with Pollyscale paints. The coppering was done using the kit supplied copper tape. 
 
Bob
 
 

A small update at last.  I've been having some computer problems (Windows died) but all seems well now - that's why this update is a bit late.
 
Last Wednesday at the museum I got a little done, but spent most of my time talking to visitors and discussing the museum with one of the staff, rsther than in modelling.  Never mind - there's always next time!
 
Most of the hardware in now fitted to the mast and I must say I'm rather pleased with the overall look.  Everything is just sitting the loose at the moment.  Hopefully I can get a bit of serious rigging done next time I'm in.
 
John
 

Thanks, Chuck.
 
I scribed the edges of the thwarts to match the risers.  The top edges were camphered but the bottom edges were left sharp.  The thwart at bulkhead B is wider because of the mast.  I took the scribing along the edge of the bump-out for the mast.  The holes for the belaying pins were marked, scribed and drilled with a #64 bit.  I will install them later.  The mast bracket and support strips were made with the provided brass strip.  I heated the strip in a gas flame to remove any laquer finish and temper the metal for easier bending.  Once shaped, they took a bath in isopropanol and a dive into Birchwood Casey.  The metal surfaces that would be glued were filed to remove the blackening and then installed with CA (one of the few times I have used it on this model).  The thwarts were installed and then a coat of finish was applied.
 
 
 
The cockpit seats and trunk lid were made using the provided basswood pieces.  Even though the thwarts and risers are boxwood, I decided to use the basswood as this area will be painted.  In the pictures they are press fit in place.  I have no paint with me this weekend so they will be permanently installed later.
 
 

I went back and took a picture of the painted stem.  Even though I painted over the dark blue/black at the bow, I left the dark color aft.
 

 
The floor boards were installed next.  The central one is wider than the two outer ones.  The instructions say to keep the distance between the floor boards the same.  I was uncertain whether that meant constant along the length (and as a consequence tapering the floor board towards the bow) or symmetric so I tried both ways.  Keeping the floor board a consistent width and gradually decreasing the distance between the boards looked better to me. 
 

 
Once they were installed, I made templates for the fore and aft platforms. The photos show the aft platform stopping at bulkhead 7 but the plans show that it goes aft to the sternpost. I followed the plan.  I used pencil on one edge of the planking to highlight the individual boards.
 
 
 
The riser strake was installed next.  I scribed the top and bottom with an 11 blade using a straight-edge as a guidel  It turned out that the correct distance from the rail was exactly where the paint-natural wood transition occurred.  Another template was used to get the correct shape for the trunk, located aft of bulkhead 7.  Once this was installed I applied a coat of Watco's Danish Wood Oil to the entire hull except for the painted rail.  I am still planning on painting the hull below the water line white.  I don't think I will have any problem with paint adhesion.
 
   
 
 
 
 

Thanks Chuck - a bit of prodding tells me that the Blandford was ordered at the same time as Greyhound....hard to say how similar they might have been but hopefully this will give some indication - I have the AOS Bellona and it's a very useful resource. Just ordered the Blandford from ebay anyhow...Thanks again
hamilton

Try the The 20-Gun Ship Blandford Peter Goodwin....
 
See this link
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-20-Gun-Ship-Blandford-Peter-Goodwin-1988-Royal-Navy-Model-Ships-Frigates-/200812419882?pt=US_Nonfiction_Book&hash=item2ec15a5b2a
 
Chuck

To the best of my knowledge this law already exists in the U.S. The U.S. Supreme Court said in their decision that U.S. copyright owners may not stop imports and re-selling of copyrighted content lawfully sold abroad.
 
In the U.S. the law known as first-sale doctrine says something to the effect of:
 
The first sale doctrine, codified at 17 U.S.C. § 109, provides that an individual who knowingly purchases a copy of a copyrighted work from the copyright holder receives the right to sell, display or otherwise dispose of that particular copy, notwithstanding the interests of the copyright owner. The right to distribute ends, however, once the owner has sold that particular copy. See 17 U.S.C. § 109(a) & ©. Since the first sale doctrine never protects a defendant who makes unauthorized reproductions of a copyrighted work, the first sale doctrine cannot be a successful defense in cases that allege infringing reproduction.

I don't disagree with you, just because you say something is software to get around the law doesn't necessarily make it so.

That is the thinnest argument I ever read ....a pdf saved on a CD is not software.   Its a document on CD.  No programming what-so-ever.  My 12 year old can save a PDF to a flash drive.  That doesnt mean she is a programmer and the flash drive magically becomes a software package.     To anyone with a little common sense,  the argument was fabricated to drive up sales and nothing else.  From what I understand...he is now offering a print version of the practicums...I guess that should be considered a new type of software as he is trying to make the same restrictions apply.  Its just not right.  Just my opinion.
 
Chuck

Time again to take a short break from Atalanta (and resurrecting build logs).  I used the second to smallest freize downloaded from MSW for the transom.  The kit supplied ones were too large.  I used very dilute yellow glue to apply the freize and then painted over it with Testor reflectance reducer.
 

 
The rail, inner bulwarks, etc. were painted with Polly S Soo Line Red paint.  The rub rail and edge of the top rail were painted with flat white enamel.  The kit instructions suggest using black paint on the stem adjacent to the freize.  I had some blue paint (Testors Blue Angel enamel) which matched the color of the freize and used that on the stem.  I then feathered the paint onto the freize where the blue darkened to near-black.  I will try to remember to take a picture of that and post it next time.
 
   

And yet some more!

Added the friezes.  Still have the trim piece to install below the frieze and the hull will be complete.  I used the friezes downloaded from this forum.  The smallest one fit my hull perfectly.  The ones supplied in the kit were way too large.
 
   Bob R.

You guys are starting to embarrass me.  But if you want to give credit where credit is really due you should be talking about my wife Donna who is actually the owner of the company. 
 
 For those of you that don't know we started Model Machines about 10 years ago on a part time basis.  Just the two of us,  no other employees to worry about. At that time we were both working another full time job at a design and manufacturing firm in Orlando that I was part owner of.  I was head of the machine shop with 3 other partners and Donna was hired as the controller.  The company was in bad shape finantially when we hired Donna and in a year or so she brought the company back from the edge and made it a profitable business again.  Donna has a 4 year business degree from the University of Indiana and there isn't a lot she doesn't know about the business world.  What she doesn't know she makes it her business to find out.  When we started Model Machines she did all the research to get the company up and running and also thought up the name of the company.  She does all the taxes,  pays all the bills,  does all the paper work and keeps everything running smoothly.   I design all the machines and make all the parts,  do the assembly and ship them out. 
 
When you call us with a problem or an order more than likely you talked to her and 99% of the time she can take care of your needs whether it's replacement parts,  lost screws, diagnosing an electrical problem, delivery times or just how things work.  She is on the ball and has you covered.  She is the one who emails you when your stuff ships,  calls you when your address has changed and generally makes sure you get what you need when you need it.  If it was my job to do all that no doubt we would be out of business a long time ago.    She is the boss.  
 
And to this day it remains,  just the two of us.
 
regards
Jim Byrnes
Model Machines

I think I should delete everyones logs every three or four years.  This way I can see them all again like this one.   It is so enjoyable to watch them take shape as if for the first time again.   That looks fantastic Rusty.
 
Chuck

Thank you all for visiting and your kind words.
 
Chuck it’s kind of strange seeing two and a half years of
work completed in a couple of month huh?

I think I should delete everyones logs every three or four years.  This way I can see them all again like this one.   It is so enjoyable to watch them take shape as if for the first time again.   That looks fantastic Rusty.
 
Chuck

Beautiful job, Rusty!

The frames are now set to be erected.  A temporary cross member is glued across the top edge of the frame with marks lined up with the edge of the rising wood.  Several squares are used to align with the building board and my Incra rule provides a plumb line from the rising wood to the mark on the cross member.  Once the first (DF) frame is in place and the glue dry, I can procede with DF1, 1Fore and 1aft. I cut the notches for the sweep ports on DF1 and after it was in place, I dry-fitted 1fore and marked the tops and bottoms of the notches.  THe frame was then removed, notches cut and replaced on the keel.  Specially-sized spacers are inserted between frames while the glue dries.
Greg, on the framing plan, there is a horizontal line above the scupper-support "boxes".  Does this define the inboard top of the scupper support?  It's a pretty big angle so I want to be sure before I notch the next frame.
Maury

Well, the time has finally come for me to start on my Syren and get a log started.  I have worked on one other ship to date: The Swift by AL.  That one took me a few years of working on it off and on.  I am hopeful that I can make a little more consistent work on this lady. 
 
Last night I finally opened the box.  The Admiral, bought this kit for me as a birthday present last July and it has patiently sat on the shelf waiting for me to finish the swift.  I have read the manual that Chuck provided many times since I got the kit.
 
Last night, i performed the standard inventory of parts and came up complete.  Though I honestly did not count out the 320 nails that the kit specified or measure the lengths of rigging line.  But everything else was counted and measured.  I then labled each of the bundles of wood with the dimensions.  I have to say, that 3/64" dowel is TINY and took me a little time to find. 
 
I would like to figure out a way fo building a simple organizer for the wood so that I dont end up with a big pile of assorted strips.   I am thinking something as simple as a bunch of PVC pipes capped at one end that I can lable and store the various sizes of wood in. 
 
Thanks to the members of this site, I have a few ideas for a keel holder and just need to get to the store to get some supplies.
 
Here are some obligitory opening the box pictures:




 
And a final one of my shipmate, Eva, that "works" with me all day and then hangs out with me when its time to work on my model.  She's an 11 month old pup that we rescued... But I am really wondering who rescued who. 

 
Thanks for looking in on my Syren Log.  I hope that I can keep at this and provide consistent updates.  The Admiral is working all next week and traveling with her students, so it will be quiet around here for me and Eva to try to get some work done...We'll see how that goes.
 
Ken

Just wanted to make a comment on the service I've received from Jim Byrnes:
 
A few months ago I purchased Jim's table saw - I see why this is the most sought-after saw for modelers.  Being new to the use of table saws in general, I've been proceeding slowly.  I've been using the standard blade, and wanted to start using a slitting blade, but wasn't sure how to cut a zero-tolerance insert for the blade.  I also had a few questions on the process for cutting very thin planks (1/32).
 
I sent Jim an email via the Model Machines website, and received a personal email from Jim within a couple of hours.  Jim answered all of my questions and was very supportive.  Contrast this to some other sites where it took days for any answer, if one was received at all.
 
Jim's quality machines and workmanship are matched by his commitment to customer service, and he's a pleasure to deal with.
 
Thank you Jim!!
 
Frank
 
 
 
 

Thanks Augie.
 
Ben after that monster planking job you'll soon get to enjoy making
the deck pieces. It was one of my favorite times.
 


 
Oops a little too much pressure.









 
And here is the correction of the above error.


 

Time for just a quick update.
 
I've begun on Chapter 19, Yard Construction and Running Rigging, by fabricating the boom and gaff for the mainmast.  I've decided to use the yards with a natural finish rather than painting them black.  I'll be using the usual 40/60 mix of Minwax Golden Oak and Natural stain (overcoated with Floquil Clear Glaze) throughout.  The 'poor man's lathe' ---- electric drill was used for shaping.
 
All required blocks have been attached and the parrels blackened using Blacken-it. The simulated iron bands around these pieces was done with 1/16" black tape painted with Testors Dullcoat. 
 
Wow----that took longer to say than it did to do!!!!  Anyhow, I'm ready to install these on board so that will be the next update.
 

 
PS-  Flying season has begun in earnest.  So I'm putting you-know-who on notice that pictures shall not be falling from the sky like confetti   

I have seen several topics about this, mostly on the old MSW, but also a couple here about the difficulties of staining basswood without splotching. It got me wondering just how tough basswood was to stain. So this weekend I went out and purchased some basswood strips and set about to staining them. 
 
One of the things I learned building and finishing cabinets and furniture over the years is that sanding plays a huge role in how your stain comes out. The stains available at most hardware and building stores are a pigment based product in an oil or water based carrier. The pigments lodge in the pores of the wood and in the scratches left by the sandpaper. The finer you sand the less nooks and crannies there are available for the pigments to lodge in. A lot of woods, Cherry, Maple and evidently basswood have inconsistencies in their structures and evidently some woods have variations in their sap content. This causes them to take stain unevenly or "splotch". 
 
One of the most common methods of combating this is to use a pre-stain conditioner. Its really nothing more than linseed oil thinned way down in mineral spirits. You can make your own by taking one part boiled linseed oil to 9 or 10 parts mineral spirits. Saturate the wood with it, let it set for 5-10 minutes and wipe up the excess. Apply you stain in the next hour, before it dries and you get a more even stain.
 
Another method and  my preferred method is a washcoat of thinned down finish. I usually use  1 pound cut of shellac. A one pound cut is simply 1 pound of shellac flake to one gallon of denatured alcohol. depending on the size of a project I may only make a quart at a time. 4oz of flakes to one quart of alcohol. brush it on, let it dry 30 minutes and scuff sand with 320, wipe off the residue with a tack rag and stain. You get a very even stain, although quite a bit lighter than if you stained on unsealed wood. 
 
Another method I have used is to glaze. Seal your wood make your glaze and work it in. I have my doubts as to its applications in model ship building, its messy and all the details in a build make me think glazing is a recipe for disaster.
 
I started by simulating a deck or hull. I didnt bother cleaning off the glue since I wanted to see if it was possable to sand out a glue smudge.
 

 
I clamped them down overnight  

 
then removed the clamps

 
Next I started sanding, I sanded the entire board to 150, then 3/4 of the board to 220, half of the board to 320 and finally the last quarter to 400. Normally on a piece of furniture I would only go to 220, but with all the directional changes on a hull I felt 400 would be better. At that point you are getting to where the scratches are becoming close to the same size as the stain particles. 
I applied my washcoat to the center horizontal 1/3 of the board and minwax stain conditioner to the bottom 1/3. I left the upper 1/3 untreated. My stain was Varathane Golden Mahogany, just something I had in the garage. On the untreated portion the stain splotched pretty severely. On the conditioned side you can see an improvement, especially in the 320 and 400 bands. The wash coat is the most even, but considerably lighter.

 
Next I applied a couple of coats of Varathane Poly clear satin. 

 
After looking at my results I got curious. Dye stains can also be a great tool for splotch prone woods. Dyes color the wood on a molecular level so you get a very even color. You wont find dyes at your local home depot or hardware store. You need to go to a specialty wood working store like Rockler, Woodcraft, or my favorite, Homestead finishing. An internet search will turn all of these places up here in the USA. I am sure there are places in Europe and Australia, but I dont  know the names. One of my favorite brands is the transtint dyes. They will break down in any carrier; water, alcohol, lacquer, alkyd, oil, whatever. Thy are a bit pricey. $20 if I recall for 2 oz but the last a long time depending on how you use them.

 
I had some brown mahogany water based dye here so I mixed up a very small batch; 1/8 tsp in 4 oz of water. I sanded the entire board to 400, then applied the dye to the left side of another board and the same golden mahogany to the right side with both conditioner and washcoat.  The dyed side came out very even. although I dont know if this is a good color for basswood.

 
Then I applied 4 coats of blond shelac to the top half and 4 coats of linseed oil to the bottom half. Something really unexpected happened when I applied the shellac, the brown dye turned greenish brown. Also if you look closely at the bottom of the board you will see a small green blob that is a small spot of the clear poly I used on the other sample. Prompting  my use of the  linseed oil. This is a great example of why you should always do a test board when staining and finishing. I think a garnet shellac would offset the green but I would need to get some flakes and see. Also a light red dye would shift the green to a brown. 
 
[
 
After all of this I am starting to think that maybe the best solution is to either wash coat or not stain at all. One of the furniture makers I worked with years ago swore if you wanted a dark finish go with a dark wood. If you want a light finish go with a light wood and clear coat. 
 
I hope all this helps somebody, it seems like this question comes up frequently
 
Sam