jml1083

Jig for drilling treenail holes
 
At the last SMS-NJ Echo Cross Section workshop the topic of treenails came up. Specifically, how to drill the holes without breaking the drill bits. I use solid carbide drill bits from Drill Bits Unlimited. Carbide bits are very sharp but they are also extremely brittle and the slightest sideways pressure will snap them. I always use a drill press with these bits.
 
A number of people asked how I manage to drill out frames in a drill press without something getting in the way. My answer is that I built a little jig that my drill press sits on that has an arm sticking out beyond the edge of the workbench and that's what holds my frames when I am drilling. This first photo is of the jig itself. The back section is the exact same size as the footprint of my MicroMark drill press.
 

 
The next photo shows my drill press sitting on the jig. With the MircoMark drill press I can rotate the head 360 degrees and in this case it is rotated 180 degrees. For safety sake I use two heavy steel alignment squares as counterweights on the drill press platform. The things circled in red are bits of wood that are shaped in such a way that they make alignment easier. In my shop I always paint little things like this red so at the end of the day they don't get swept into the trash. In this photo I have a piece clamped to the arm. This piece is a half round piece of dowel. It's used so that curved pieces can sit on it and touch nothing else.
 

 
In the next photo I have a piece of wood that is the exact width of the keel. I clamp this to the arm when I am drilling the holes through cross chocks and 1st futtocks.
 

 
Here is a floor sitting on the keel sized piece ready for drilling.
 

 
The next photo shows how I drill through the futtocks and chocks. I brace the back with a block of wood, position the piece to be drilled, and then slide another small piece of wood up against the piece to be drilled. With everything clamped in place the assembly is rock steady and I don't need to worry that it will rock while being drilled and snap the drill bit.
 

 
I find one of the easiest things to do that adds to accuracy is having good lighting. This next photo shows my light setup. I use small but very bright LED lights that attach to my tools using strong rare earth magnets. They have a goose neck so I can reposition the light as needed. Here is the link to the light on Lee Valley's website.
 

 
The last photo shows another view of a frame ready to be drilled. You can see how the arm extends beyond the base of the drill press and how the frame is positioned on the arm and is held in alignment by 2 pieces of wood clamped to the arm. You can also see how well lit the field is and you can also see my heavy counterweights. It is important to make sure you have adequate weight on the back of the drill press to make sure when you pull the handle down you don't pull the entire drill press into your lap.
 

 
I have two frames complete (Deadflat 0 and 1) and I hope to get two more done this weekend. Time will tell. In the meantime I hope this explanation of how I drill holes for treenails will be helpful.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hi Greg, yep if you have to refer to those directions for each frame you would be in a world of hurt. My hope is that when people read them they will understand the simplicity of the process (despite the number of words needed to describe it) and then they will only have to refer to it if they run into a snag. As you know I write software test plans for a living and so I spend many happy hours documenting processes with hundreds if not thousands of steps. The process contained in the PDF was written while drinking a cup of coffee 
 
As promised here are some photos of my progress so far. The first photo is of the surface gauge I use to take points off the Disposition of Frames which I mounted on a plexiglass backing. This plexi backing keeps everything in proper relation height wise. After a while I realized that it would be easier if I replaced the hardened steel pin with a sharp pencil which I have now done.
 

 
This next photo is of all the frames sitting on top of a scrap of wood the same width as the keel. The frames are all bunched up against one another so they don't fall over. Some of them are a very tight but others have a bit of wiggle room in them consequentially some of the tops of the frames look a bit out of kilter.
 
  
 
These next 2 shots show a side view of the frames. An observant reader will notice that the frames are not stood up in the proper order. You can see where I have started to create the notches for the scupper opening as well as the gun port sills. You can be sure I'll have them all in the correct order when I glue them into place.
 
 
 
The last photo is a different angle and shows how well everything fits together. You'll notice marks on each frame directly above the keel. These are little arrows pointing towards the bow. They are there to keep me from gluing a frame into place backwards. I learn from my mistakes.
 

 
Next up is drilling holes for the treenails. That will keep me busy for a little while.
 

Jim, Thanks for the mini-practicum.So many things to learn here.

Hi Greg, yep if you have to refer to those directions for each frame you would be in a world of hurt. My hope is that when people read them they will understand the simplicity of the process (despite the number of words needed to describe it) and then they will only have to refer to it if they run into a snag. As you know I write software test plans for a living and so I spend many happy hours documenting processes with hundreds if not thousands of steps. The process contained in the PDF was written while drinking a cup of coffee 
 
As promised here are some photos of my progress so far. The first photo is of the surface gauge I use to take points off the Disposition of Frames which I mounted on a plexiglass backing. This plexi backing keeps everything in proper relation height wise. After a while I realized that it would be easier if I replaced the hardened steel pin with a sharp pencil which I have now done.
 

 
This next photo is of all the frames sitting on top of a scrap of wood the same width as the keel. The frames are all bunched up against one another so they don't fall over. Some of them are a very tight but others have a bit of wiggle room in them consequentially some of the tops of the frames look a bit out of kilter.
 
  
 
These next 2 shots show a side view of the frames. An observant reader will notice that the frames are not stood up in the proper order. You can see where I have started to create the notches for the scupper opening as well as the gun port sills. You can be sure I'll have them all in the correct order when I glue them into place.
 
 
 
The last photo is a different angle and shows how well everything fits together. You'll notice marks on each frame directly above the keel. These are little arrows pointing towards the bow. They are there to keep me from gluing a frame into place backwards. I learn from my mistakes.
 

 
Next up is drilling holes for the treenails. That will keep me busy for a little while.
 

Hi Greg, yep if you have to refer to those directions for each frame you would be in a world of hurt. My hope is that when people read them they will understand the simplicity of the process (despite the number of words needed to describe it) and then they will only have to refer to it if they run into a snag. As you know I write software test plans for a living and so I spend many happy hours documenting processes with hundreds if not thousands of steps. The process contained in the PDF was written while drinking a cup of coffee 
 
As promised here are some photos of my progress so far. The first photo is of the surface gauge I use to take points off the Disposition of Frames which I mounted on a plexiglass backing. This plexi backing keeps everything in proper relation height wise. After a while I realized that it would be easier if I replaced the hardened steel pin with a sharp pencil which I have now done.
 

 
This next photo is of all the frames sitting on top of a scrap of wood the same width as the keel. The frames are all bunched up against one another so they don't fall over. Some of them are a very tight but others have a bit of wiggle room in them consequentially some of the tops of the frames look a bit out of kilter.
 
  
 
These next 2 shots show a side view of the frames. An observant reader will notice that the frames are not stood up in the proper order. You can see where I have started to create the notches for the scupper opening as well as the gun port sills. You can be sure I'll have them all in the correct order when I glue them into place.
 
 
 
The last photo is a different angle and shows how well everything fits together. You'll notice marks on each frame directly above the keel. These are little arrows pointing towards the bow. They are there to keep me from gluing a frame into place backwards. I learn from my mistakes.
 

 
Next up is drilling holes for the treenails. That will keep me busy for a little while.
 

It has been a long while since I posted so it's time for an update. I have finished all 12 frames and this time I'm happy with the way they came out. I'll post some photos of them later when I get back down in the shop and take them.
 
I spent a lot of time trying to come up with a process that would allow me to make accurate frames in the shortest time possible while keeping mistakes to a minimum. At some point after I retire I'd like to tackle a fully framed model but to do that I need a better way to make frames than my first attempt at the ECHO. Attached to this post is a PDF file that explains in, what some might call excruciating, detail my method.
 
What I found is that when I tried to make one frame at a time I wasted a lot of time doing set ups on the mill that I had done for the previous frame. The way around this is to do all like operations at the same time. I marked up every template page before cutting and gluing any of them to stock. When all the templates were glued to stock I headed to the scroll saw where I cut all the pieces at once. I used small plastic bags with a label to identify what the bag held.
 
With all the pieces cut I went to the Byrnes disk sander where I sanded the mating surfaces of each piece (this is explained in the PDF). With this critical step done I went back to the scroll saw and got rid of a lot of the stock that would otherwise have to be milled. This is done AFTER the sanding step so that when I sanded the mating surfaces I'd have as much of a line to sand to as possible.
 
Next up is the mill. Here I organized the pieces to optimize each milling step. This is how I went about that.
Arrange all pieces along the left side of the mill according to the thickness of the wood. Except for Frame 3 which has some complex geometery this means floors would be milled first, then pieces that get progressively thinner as you get higher up on the hull.
  When you hold a floor in your hand and look at it you realize 3 milling operations are needed on it. One to mill the left area where a chock will go, the center recess where the floor will sit on the keel and the right side of the floor where the other chock will go. To save having to do repeated set ups I milled cut out for the left chock first. I then moved the piece in the mill vise and milled the center recess for the keel. I then removed the floor from the mill vise and set it on the right side of the mill.
  Next I milled the next floor but this time I milled the recess for the keel first since the cutter is already in position to do this. Then I moved the XY table to cut the area for the left chock. Then the piece is removed from the mill and put on next to the first floor that is on the bench to the right of the mill.
  The next floor had the left chock recess milled, then the center then removed and put to the right of the mill. This continues until all the floors have the keel recess and left chock area milled.
  Next comes futtocks that have both a left and right chock area that needs to be milled. I did all the left areas and when that was done I took the piece out of the mill vise and put it with the floors.
  After the futtocks with a left and right chock are milled you will have 2 sets of top timbers, one set for the starboard side and one set for the port side. Mill all the futtocks with a left chock area.
  You'll notice as you work though the pieces to be milled you are optimizing each setup. When you have milled the last of the top timbers with a left chock the mill vise is set for thin pieces. Move to the items you have been lining up on the right side of the mill. Starting with the top timbers work your way through the items ending up with the floors that have had the left chock area and keel recess milled.
  With all the milling out of the way I used tape to attach specific pieces of framing to a paper template. In my head I think of them as foundation pieces because they are the starting point for the frame.
  Once all the foundation pieces have been taped to the template I join the pieces that attach to them. These are butt joins and very weak. By doing all the edge gluing first you give the first joint time to cure while you are doing the others. I usually allow a couple of hours to really let the glue cure.
  With all the frames assembled I mark out each chock that is needed by sliding the chock stock under the window in the template and using a very sharp 4H pencil use the outline formed by the futtocks to trace the outline of the chock. Each chock is labeled as to the frame and location.
  With all the chocks drawn on stock I use the scroll saw to cut them all out.
  After cutting them all out I use the 5" disk sander to gradually sand to the lines and test fitting them until they are perfect. One I have the right fit I glue the chock into place and move on to the next chock on that frame. It's just that easy 
 
If you have read this far you are a trooper. As promised, here is the  Process for making frames with chocks.PDF.
 
I found that once I figured out the process I could move very quickly. I had iTunes queued to my favorite playlist and got into a groove. 
 
Good luck and have fun.

Hi Greg, yep if you have to refer to those directions for each frame you would be in a world of hurt. My hope is that when people read them they will understand the simplicity of the process (despite the number of words needed to describe it) and then they will only have to refer to it if they run into a snag. As you know I write software test plans for a living and so I spend many happy hours documenting processes with hundreds if not thousands of steps. The process contained in the PDF was written while drinking a cup of coffee 
 
As promised here are some photos of my progress so far. The first photo is of the surface gauge I use to take points off the Disposition of Frames which I mounted on a plexiglass backing. This plexi backing keeps everything in proper relation height wise. After a while I realized that it would be easier if I replaced the hardened steel pin with a sharp pencil which I have now done.
 

 
This next photo is of all the frames sitting on top of a scrap of wood the same width as the keel. The frames are all bunched up against one another so they don't fall over. Some of them are a very tight but others have a bit of wiggle room in them consequentially some of the tops of the frames look a bit out of kilter.
 
  
 
These next 2 shots show a side view of the frames. An observant reader will notice that the frames are not stood up in the proper order. You can see where I have started to create the notches for the scupper opening as well as the gun port sills. You can be sure I'll have them all in the correct order when I glue them into place.
 
 
 
The last photo is a different angle and shows how well everything fits together. You'll notice marks on each frame directly above the keel. These are little arrows pointing towards the bow. They are there to keep me from gluing a frame into place backwards. I learn from my mistakes.
 

 
Next up is drilling holes for the treenails. That will keep me busy for a little while.
 

It has been a long while since I posted so it's time for an update. I have finished all 12 frames and this time I'm happy with the way they came out. I'll post some photos of them later when I get back down in the shop and take them.
 
I spent a lot of time trying to come up with a process that would allow me to make accurate frames in the shortest time possible while keeping mistakes to a minimum. At some point after I retire I'd like to tackle a fully framed model but to do that I need a better way to make frames than my first attempt at the ECHO. Attached to this post is a PDF file that explains in, what some might call excruciating, detail my method.
 
What I found is that when I tried to make one frame at a time I wasted a lot of time doing set ups on the mill that I had done for the previous frame. The way around this is to do all like operations at the same time. I marked up every template page before cutting and gluing any of them to stock. When all the templates were glued to stock I headed to the scroll saw where I cut all the pieces at once. I used small plastic bags with a label to identify what the bag held.
 
With all the pieces cut I went to the Byrnes disk sander where I sanded the mating surfaces of each piece (this is explained in the PDF). With this critical step done I went back to the scroll saw and got rid of a lot of the stock that would otherwise have to be milled. This is done AFTER the sanding step so that when I sanded the mating surfaces I'd have as much of a line to sand to as possible.
 
Next up is the mill. Here I organized the pieces to optimize each milling step. This is how I went about that.
Arrange all pieces along the left side of the mill according to the thickness of the wood. Except for Frame 3 which has some complex geometery this means floors would be milled first, then pieces that get progressively thinner as you get higher up on the hull.
  When you hold a floor in your hand and look at it you realize 3 milling operations are needed on it. One to mill the left area where a chock will go, the center recess where the floor will sit on the keel and the right side of the floor where the other chock will go. To save having to do repeated set ups I milled cut out for the left chock first. I then moved the piece in the mill vise and milled the center recess for the keel. I then removed the floor from the mill vise and set it on the right side of the mill.
  Next I milled the next floor but this time I milled the recess for the keel first since the cutter is already in position to do this. Then I moved the XY table to cut the area for the left chock. Then the piece is removed from the mill and put on next to the first floor that is on the bench to the right of the mill.
  The next floor had the left chock recess milled, then the center then removed and put to the right of the mill. This continues until all the floors have the keel recess and left chock area milled.
  Next comes futtocks that have both a left and right chock area that needs to be milled. I did all the left areas and when that was done I took the piece out of the mill vise and put it with the floors.
  After the futtocks with a left and right chock are milled you will have 2 sets of top timbers, one set for the starboard side and one set for the port side. Mill all the futtocks with a left chock area.
  You'll notice as you work though the pieces to be milled you are optimizing each setup. When you have milled the last of the top timbers with a left chock the mill vise is set for thin pieces. Move to the items you have been lining up on the right side of the mill. Starting with the top timbers work your way through the items ending up with the floors that have had the left chock area and keel recess milled.
  With all the milling out of the way I used tape to attach specific pieces of framing to a paper template. In my head I think of them as foundation pieces because they are the starting point for the frame.
  Once all the foundation pieces have been taped to the template I join the pieces that attach to them. These are butt joins and very weak. By doing all the edge gluing first you give the first joint time to cure while you are doing the others. I usually allow a couple of hours to really let the glue cure.
  With all the frames assembled I mark out each chock that is needed by sliding the chock stock under the window in the template and using a very sharp 4H pencil use the outline formed by the futtocks to trace the outline of the chock. Each chock is labeled as to the frame and location.
  With all the chocks drawn on stock I use the scroll saw to cut them all out.
  After cutting them all out I use the 5" disk sander to gradually sand to the lines and test fitting them until they are perfect. One I have the right fit I glue the chock into place and move on to the next chock on that frame. It's just that easy 
 
If you have read this far you are a trooper. As promised, here is the  Process for making frames with chocks.PDF.
 
I found that once I figured out the process I could move very quickly. I had iTunes queued to my favorite playlist and got into a groove. 
 
Good luck and have fun.

It has been a long while since I posted so it's time for an update. I have finished all 12 frames and this time I'm happy with the way they came out. I'll post some photos of them later when I get back down in the shop and take them.
 
I spent a lot of time trying to come up with a process that would allow me to make accurate frames in the shortest time possible while keeping mistakes to a minimum. At some point after I retire I'd like to tackle a fully framed model but to do that I need a better way to make frames than my first attempt at the ECHO. Attached to this post is a PDF file that explains in, what some might call excruciating, detail my method.
 
What I found is that when I tried to make one frame at a time I wasted a lot of time doing set ups on the mill that I had done for the previous frame. The way around this is to do all like operations at the same time. I marked up every template page before cutting and gluing any of them to stock. When all the templates were glued to stock I headed to the scroll saw where I cut all the pieces at once. I used small plastic bags with a label to identify what the bag held.
 
With all the pieces cut I went to the Byrnes disk sander where I sanded the mating surfaces of each piece (this is explained in the PDF). With this critical step done I went back to the scroll saw and got rid of a lot of the stock that would otherwise have to be milled. This is done AFTER the sanding step so that when I sanded the mating surfaces I'd have as much of a line to sand to as possible.
 
Next up is the mill. Here I organized the pieces to optimize each milling step. This is how I went about that.
Arrange all pieces along the left side of the mill according to the thickness of the wood. Except for Frame 3 which has some complex geometery this means floors would be milled first, then pieces that get progressively thinner as you get higher up on the hull.
  When you hold a floor in your hand and look at it you realize 3 milling operations are needed on it. One to mill the left area where a chock will go, the center recess where the floor will sit on the keel and the right side of the floor where the other chock will go. To save having to do repeated set ups I milled cut out for the left chock first. I then moved the piece in the mill vise and milled the center recess for the keel. I then removed the floor from the mill vise and set it on the right side of the mill.
  Next I milled the next floor but this time I milled the recess for the keel first since the cutter is already in position to do this. Then I moved the XY table to cut the area for the left chock. Then the piece is removed from the mill and put on next to the first floor that is on the bench to the right of the mill.
  The next floor had the left chock recess milled, then the center then removed and put to the right of the mill. This continues until all the floors have the keel recess and left chock area milled.
  Next comes futtocks that have both a left and right chock area that needs to be milled. I did all the left areas and when that was done I took the piece out of the mill vise and put it with the floors.
  After the futtocks with a left and right chock are milled you will have 2 sets of top timbers, one set for the starboard side and one set for the port side. Mill all the futtocks with a left chock area.
  You'll notice as you work though the pieces to be milled you are optimizing each setup. When you have milled the last of the top timbers with a left chock the mill vise is set for thin pieces. Move to the items you have been lining up on the right side of the mill. Starting with the top timbers work your way through the items ending up with the floors that have had the left chock area and keel recess milled.
  With all the milling out of the way I used tape to attach specific pieces of framing to a paper template. In my head I think of them as foundation pieces because they are the starting point for the frame.
  Once all the foundation pieces have been taped to the template I join the pieces that attach to them. These are butt joins and very weak. By doing all the edge gluing first you give the first joint time to cure while you are doing the others. I usually allow a couple of hours to really let the glue cure.
  With all the frames assembled I mark out each chock that is needed by sliding the chock stock under the window in the template and using a very sharp 4H pencil use the outline formed by the futtocks to trace the outline of the chock. Each chock is labeled as to the frame and location.
  With all the chocks drawn on stock I use the scroll saw to cut them all out.
  After cutting them all out I use the 5" disk sander to gradually sand to the lines and test fitting them until they are perfect. One I have the right fit I glue the chock into place and move on to the next chock on that frame. It's just that easy 
 
If you have read this far you are a trooper. As promised, here is the  Process for making frames with chocks.PDF.
 
I found that once I figured out the process I could move very quickly. I had iTunes queued to my favorite playlist and got into a groove. 
 
Good luck and have fun.

Hi Greg, yep if you have to refer to those directions for each frame you would be in a world of hurt. My hope is that when people read them they will understand the simplicity of the process (despite the number of words needed to describe it) and then they will only have to refer to it if they run into a snag. As you know I write software test plans for a living and so I spend many happy hours documenting processes with hundreds if not thousands of steps. The process contained in the PDF was written while drinking a cup of coffee 
 
As promised here are some photos of my progress so far. The first photo is of the surface gauge I use to take points off the Disposition of Frames which I mounted on a plexiglass backing. This plexi backing keeps everything in proper relation height wise. After a while I realized that it would be easier if I replaced the hardened steel pin with a sharp pencil which I have now done.
 

 
This next photo is of all the frames sitting on top of a scrap of wood the same width as the keel. The frames are all bunched up against one another so they don't fall over. Some of them are a very tight but others have a bit of wiggle room in them consequentially some of the tops of the frames look a bit out of kilter.
 
  
 
These next 2 shots show a side view of the frames. An observant reader will notice that the frames are not stood up in the proper order. You can see where I have started to create the notches for the scupper opening as well as the gun port sills. You can be sure I'll have them all in the correct order when I glue them into place.
 
 
 
The last photo is a different angle and shows how well everything fits together. You'll notice marks on each frame directly above the keel. These are little arrows pointing towards the bow. They are there to keep me from gluing a frame into place backwards. I learn from my mistakes.
 

 
Next up is drilling holes for the treenails. That will keep me busy for a little while.
 

Hello to all. I was also concerned by the problem of vibration (wobbling) of the blade with my saw Proxxon FET, which is the same that the Microlux one. I managed to solve a big part of the problem by tightening two small screws which are under the tray of the saw. I don't have vibrations anymore since.
By hoping to have helped!
Best regards, Xavier
Sorry for my bad english !

Harvey,
 
Your zero clearance is to tight. Loosen the insert screws and move it slighty into the blade from both directions then tighten it such that the blade is dead center in the slot with a tad bit clearance on each side.  It's fiddly but that should help.

It has been a long while since I posted so it's time for an update. I have finished all 12 frames and this time I'm happy with the way they came out. I'll post some photos of them later when I get back down in the shop and take them.
 
I spent a lot of time trying to come up with a process that would allow me to make accurate frames in the shortest time possible while keeping mistakes to a minimum. At some point after I retire I'd like to tackle a fully framed model but to do that I need a better way to make frames than my first attempt at the ECHO. Attached to this post is a PDF file that explains in, what some might call excruciating, detail my method.
 
What I found is that when I tried to make one frame at a time I wasted a lot of time doing set ups on the mill that I had done for the previous frame. The way around this is to do all like operations at the same time. I marked up every template page before cutting and gluing any of them to stock. When all the templates were glued to stock I headed to the scroll saw where I cut all the pieces at once. I used small plastic bags with a label to identify what the bag held.
 
With all the pieces cut I went to the Byrnes disk sander where I sanded the mating surfaces of each piece (this is explained in the PDF). With this critical step done I went back to the scroll saw and got rid of a lot of the stock that would otherwise have to be milled. This is done AFTER the sanding step so that when I sanded the mating surfaces I'd have as much of a line to sand to as possible.
 
Next up is the mill. Here I organized the pieces to optimize each milling step. This is how I went about that.
Arrange all pieces along the left side of the mill according to the thickness of the wood. Except for Frame 3 which has some complex geometery this means floors would be milled first, then pieces that get progressively thinner as you get higher up on the hull.
  When you hold a floor in your hand and look at it you realize 3 milling operations are needed on it. One to mill the left area where a chock will go, the center recess where the floor will sit on the keel and the right side of the floor where the other chock will go. To save having to do repeated set ups I milled cut out for the left chock first. I then moved the piece in the mill vise and milled the center recess for the keel. I then removed the floor from the mill vise and set it on the right side of the mill.
  Next I milled the next floor but this time I milled the recess for the keel first since the cutter is already in position to do this. Then I moved the XY table to cut the area for the left chock. Then the piece is removed from the mill and put on next to the first floor that is on the bench to the right of the mill.
  The next floor had the left chock recess milled, then the center then removed and put to the right of the mill. This continues until all the floors have the keel recess and left chock area milled.
  Next comes futtocks that have both a left and right chock area that needs to be milled. I did all the left areas and when that was done I took the piece out of the mill vise and put it with the floors.
  After the futtocks with a left and right chock are milled you will have 2 sets of top timbers, one set for the starboard side and one set for the port side. Mill all the futtocks with a left chock area.
  You'll notice as you work though the pieces to be milled you are optimizing each setup. When you have milled the last of the top timbers with a left chock the mill vise is set for thin pieces. Move to the items you have been lining up on the right side of the mill. Starting with the top timbers work your way through the items ending up with the floors that have had the left chock area and keel recess milled.
  With all the milling out of the way I used tape to attach specific pieces of framing to a paper template. In my head I think of them as foundation pieces because they are the starting point for the frame.
  Once all the foundation pieces have been taped to the template I join the pieces that attach to them. These are butt joins and very weak. By doing all the edge gluing first you give the first joint time to cure while you are doing the others. I usually allow a couple of hours to really let the glue cure.
  With all the frames assembled I mark out each chock that is needed by sliding the chock stock under the window in the template and using a very sharp 4H pencil use the outline formed by the futtocks to trace the outline of the chock. Each chock is labeled as to the frame and location.
  With all the chocks drawn on stock I use the scroll saw to cut them all out.
  After cutting them all out I use the 5" disk sander to gradually sand to the lines and test fitting them until they are perfect. One I have the right fit I glue the chock into place and move on to the next chock on that frame. It's just that easy 
 
If you have read this far you are a trooper. As promised, here is the  Process for making frames with chocks.PDF.
 
I found that once I figured out the process I could move very quickly. I had iTunes queued to my favorite playlist and got into a groove. 
 
Good luck and have fun.

It has been a long while since I posted so it's time for an update. I have finished all 12 frames and this time I'm happy with the way they came out. I'll post some photos of them later when I get back down in the shop and take them.
 
I spent a lot of time trying to come up with a process that would allow me to make accurate frames in the shortest time possible while keeping mistakes to a minimum. At some point after I retire I'd like to tackle a fully framed model but to do that I need a better way to make frames than my first attempt at the ECHO. Attached to this post is a PDF file that explains in, what some might call excruciating, detail my method.
 
What I found is that when I tried to make one frame at a time I wasted a lot of time doing set ups on the mill that I had done for the previous frame. The way around this is to do all like operations at the same time. I marked up every template page before cutting and gluing any of them to stock. When all the templates were glued to stock I headed to the scroll saw where I cut all the pieces at once. I used small plastic bags with a label to identify what the bag held.
 
With all the pieces cut I went to the Byrnes disk sander where I sanded the mating surfaces of each piece (this is explained in the PDF). With this critical step done I went back to the scroll saw and got rid of a lot of the stock that would otherwise have to be milled. This is done AFTER the sanding step so that when I sanded the mating surfaces I'd have as much of a line to sand to as possible.
 
Next up is the mill. Here I organized the pieces to optimize each milling step. This is how I went about that.
Arrange all pieces along the left side of the mill according to the thickness of the wood. Except for Frame 3 which has some complex geometery this means floors would be milled first, then pieces that get progressively thinner as you get higher up on the hull.
  When you hold a floor in your hand and look at it you realize 3 milling operations are needed on it. One to mill the left area where a chock will go, the center recess where the floor will sit on the keel and the right side of the floor where the other chock will go. To save having to do repeated set ups I milled cut out for the left chock first. I then moved the piece in the mill vise and milled the center recess for the keel. I then removed the floor from the mill vise and set it on the right side of the mill.
  Next I milled the next floor but this time I milled the recess for the keel first since the cutter is already in position to do this. Then I moved the XY table to cut the area for the left chock. Then the piece is removed from the mill and put on next to the first floor that is on the bench to the right of the mill.
  The next floor had the left chock recess milled, then the center then removed and put to the right of the mill. This continues until all the floors have the keel recess and left chock area milled.
  Next comes futtocks that have both a left and right chock area that needs to be milled. I did all the left areas and when that was done I took the piece out of the mill vise and put it with the floors.
  After the futtocks with a left and right chock are milled you will have 2 sets of top timbers, one set for the starboard side and one set for the port side. Mill all the futtocks with a left chock area.
  You'll notice as you work though the pieces to be milled you are optimizing each setup. When you have milled the last of the top timbers with a left chock the mill vise is set for thin pieces. Move to the items you have been lining up on the right side of the mill. Starting with the top timbers work your way through the items ending up with the floors that have had the left chock area and keel recess milled.
  With all the milling out of the way I used tape to attach specific pieces of framing to a paper template. In my head I think of them as foundation pieces because they are the starting point for the frame.
  Once all the foundation pieces have been taped to the template I join the pieces that attach to them. These are butt joins and very weak. By doing all the edge gluing first you give the first joint time to cure while you are doing the others. I usually allow a couple of hours to really let the glue cure.
  With all the frames assembled I mark out each chock that is needed by sliding the chock stock under the window in the template and using a very sharp 4H pencil use the outline formed by the futtocks to trace the outline of the chock. Each chock is labeled as to the frame and location.
  With all the chocks drawn on stock I use the scroll saw to cut them all out.
  After cutting them all out I use the 5" disk sander to gradually sand to the lines and test fitting them until they are perfect. One I have the right fit I glue the chock into place and move on to the next chock on that frame. It's just that easy 
 
If you have read this far you are a trooper. As promised, here is the  Process for making frames with chocks.PDF.
 
I found that once I figured out the process I could move very quickly. I had iTunes queued to my favorite playlist and got into a groove. 
 
Good luck and have fun.

System, thank you for sharing your picture of Sadie with me.  Hopefully my Sadie will be able to pose for the camera soon.  
 
Thank you everyone for your kind comments and thanks for all the likes.  The good thing about a recuperating dog is that they sleep a lot.  So I got in a little workshop time today.  With something as complex as a stove, one needs to ask how much detail is necessary.  I decided to make the spit holders, the vertical ash grate (the horizontal one cannot be seen once the stove is installed) and the ash bin.  These were made from brass wire and shim brass cut and filed to shape.  I rolled the grate rods between my fingers to get that "used" look.  I left the ring bolts bright just for some contrast.  I may change my mind and blacken them before final installation.  They are only press-fit in place.  The stove and ash bin sit on an iron platform.  I used blackened brass and burnished it to get some color variations.  I am considering removing it as the stove visually fades into the black background when viewed from above.  One must remember, unless I put a fiberoptic scope through a gunport, the only way the stove will be seen is from above.  I will decide in the next few weeks.
 

 

 

 

 

Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts.  She is sleeping right now so I have a few minutes to post my progress on the stove.
 
There are a lot of descriptions of the galley stove on MSW as well as in TFFM Vol 2, so I will not belabor that here.  The stove is a model in itself and I have been playing with it for a month already.  The first decision to be made was what materials to use.  This would also drive the construction technique.  I decided that this was a detailed "representation" of a stove but that no one would be cooking with it.  Therefore, sheet brass was eliminated from consideration except for details.  What I came up with is a collection of wood scraps, aluminum adhesive tape and shim brass.  The side panels have three larger doors and one small one.  
 

 
After these were made, a spacer was put in the middle of the stove and the fore and aft faces were constructed.  The bolts, cooktop and chimney were added.  The rest of the details will be added later.
 

 

 

 
The stove was fit in place on the model and was too tall.  So back to square one.  I shortened the height by 6" and it fits nicely.  It was painted with flat gray primer and flat black (Testors rattle can).
 

 

 
I am sorry the pictures are not of be best quality.  It is hard to pick out details on a black object so I played with Photoshop so you could see more than a black blob.  The lids for the pots are brass sheet which was drilled for the brass wire handles.  So far I am happy with the results.  It actually looks like a stove! 
 

 
Next up will be adding the details to the stove, making the base plate and installation.

Beautiful work Greg and a belated Happy Birthday!

I wouldnt have expected anything different....from Hobbymill.   
 
Its lovely to have as good a resource available now that he is no longer around. 

I dont own a drum sander.  Many folks dont.   I dont have a bandsaw either.   Many folks dont.   I also find my most precious item these days is time.   Like with other items and kit products available,  the last thing I want to do is buy something only to have to fix it so it meets my standards.   As a guy who would rather spend his limited time on the fun stuff,  I am just happy there is one wood supplier I can count on that supplies me with a product I dont have spend hours making usable.  OR spend extra money buying the tools to do so.  
 
I see nothing wrong with being extra happy about one thing that is actually supplied as advertised. So few things are these days.  There arent many places like this and I am very fortunate to have the resource.  Literally....Syren Ship Model Company would be out of business if I had to spend the time needed to re-thickness the amount of wood I use.   
 
I am sure everyone can mill their own if they wanted to and if they had the tools.   I just dont want to.   Thank you Jason for making my life a whole lot easier.   And the same goes for countless other model builders.     I ve got nothing but love for ya baby!!!  It made the difference between me being in business and out of business. 

I have three orders from Jason  Crown Timberyard and they are all of the same quality-Excellent. In my experenece as a tool and diemaker who had to deal with close tolerance work-+- .0002- that's 2 tenth's of one thousanth of an inch,this wood produced to these numbers is way beyond the building level of 99 percent of the model builders.
 
To be completly honest-and no offence to those out there, but-I do not think that the 99% would know a .001 difference in wood thickness in building even if it bit them in their ***.
There's not a lot of toolmakers who even can work in the +-.001 tolerence range.
 
With model building it's more of the visual area that shows up differences,not the dimentions of the wood used. And then it's the feel of the finger tip over seams,which can detect differences in hight of only .0005 to .001 of planks next to each other. But that is out of the visual range unless you look at it with a light sourse at an angle to the surface that you are checking out.
That's what you see in car body shop's and car makers plants where they are inspecting the body panels and paint for uneven surfaces and other defects.
 
As Chuck said it's great to have a Vendor where you can get wood to this level of milling. It's easier to build with consistant wood no mater what your building level is. The real test is when you have to work with wood that is all over the map in sizes,even tho it's sold as the same standard size. That is when the boys are seperated from the men in building. Just as planking is the great leveler in skill level in wooden ship model building.
I look at Chuck' planking and building and just hope that I can sometime in the future just get near his level of building.
 
 
Keith

I believe those tolerances and quality are better than any other supplier for pear and box.....so it is lucky for us that he is around.  If you were to try that exercise with any other supplier of boxwood.  Let me know what the measurements are.    That is fantastic.   
 
I agree with Druxey however in that it is over analysis.   I havent heard of anyone doing that with any other wood supplier.   So in fairness and a way to show just how incredible Crown is.  I would love to see what the results would be for other vendors.  You would be an even bigger fan of his milling if you did.

I quite agree with Chuck.  No one currently holds those kinds of tolerances except Jason.   I didn't check my wood order from Jeff, I just spot checked a few pieces out of the pile I got and proceeded to cut it up for frame blanks.  I do have some old Midwest wood (cherry and I think "red mahogany") that was consistent but not like that. 
 
There's been some other suppliers I've used which to honest, were inconsistent.  Some the wood was excellent in finish and dimensions, other pieces in tsame shipment were crap... off as much a 1/16" from one end to the other. 

The product  reports out as being both precise and accurate.  If you redo the measurement in the Summer in a high humidity environment, it is possible the the values would be higher.   The point being that with wood, a bit of latitude is appropriate with accuracy.  This product is  excellent.

Perhaps this analysis is overkill. Wood expands and contracts with humidity levels. So, were you to 'mike' the samples on another day, your readings will probably differ. You can't compare wood to, say, metal.

If I am correct, (and I am no expert by any means) the maximum deviation is 4 thousands of an inch in any of the three examples. (Taking the maximum and minimum measures) I don't think that's something that can be perceived by the naked eye or that will affect in any serious way the building of a ship model. I think this is far beyond normal expectations.