Salty Sea Dog

So after looking at the oars, something seemed missing.
 
So this is what I came up with...for now.

Hey Buck,
 
After seeing your incredible compass, I decided to see what you are working on. You are hands down one of the best craftsman I've come across! I look forward to seeing your future work.
 
Matt

Buck,
 
Your level of miniature details are well "outa sight"
 
Michael

CaptainSteve and Augie - Thanks for the nice words. Captain you are more than welcome to copy anything you want! If I ever need hairy coconuts for a build, I will be copying you! Those are so freakin' cool!
 
Augie -The compass already appears to be perfectly calibrated!    Guess I'll get back to mini coopering now.
 

 
Best wishes

3) Work done during the last year
 
So my little whaleboat sat around for a bunch of years and I would look at it every now and then. I wasn't ever satisfied with the fit of the keel between the stern and the prow. The kit supplied keel is fit with a butt joint at each end and it was just a tiny bit too short. Not too bad, but just enough of a loose fit to nag at me when I looked at it. It taunted and mocked me! I had been working on another project and had a scrap piece of mahogany that was a nice color match to make a new keel, so I cut/chopped/chiseled/filed the old one out and made a new one using half-lap joints at each end. I figured that would look more boat-like but mostly it was just fun to play with a little saw and a chisel.
 

 

 
I got such a kick out of fixing the keel that I kept going. I liked the look of the really dark wood wales and gunwales (cap rails?) used in the photo on the box lid. I had a left over Brazillian Rosewood binding strip from a guitar repair job and decided to use it for the gunwales. FYI - Per the CITES treaty, Brazillian Rosewood is banned for sale in the USA unless it is certified as pre-ban or salvaged from old stumps like these strips were. I had been lucky enough to locate 3 binding strips for the repair job (a 1927 Martin OO-18 if you're into guitars) and one strip was a spare. It was a special piece of wood to me and I thought it would be cool to use it in my boat. I used a dark scrap of cocobolo for the wales since it looks similar. The centerboard case, thwart seats, mast hinge and the rest of the top of the boat was also built at this time. The kit supplied mast hinge was huge and had to be cut down.
 

 

 
I had the most fun making the rudder. The kit showed using a clunky looking folded piece of brass to attach the tiller and it just seemed wrong to me. I cut a little bridle joint and double pinned it instead. The hinge pins were soldered in place as were the cross pins through the straps and rudder.
 

 

 

 
(edited to correct typo of Martin guitar model to a OO-18 instead of D-18, still a very cool guitar!)

Hi Matt!
 
Just wore out the like button on your build! Love the little details. Nicely done!

Hi, Just a quick note to say that I added some scale size info to the compass box post that should help you Bounty Launch builders.

Hi, Just a quick note to say that I added some scale size info to the compass box post that should help you Bounty Launch builders.

The New Year brings with it ....... a small update!
 
There are two bulkheads under the quarterdeck.  They are constructed from laser cut pieces and laminated:
 

 
Here they are, laminated and the blackened brass hardware affixed to the doors:
 

 
The farthest aft of the two encloses the Great Cabin.  It, in combination with the deck beams I've put in, pretty much covers the checkerboard floor.  But we'll still be able to see it as only 1/2 of the quarterdeck will be planked:
 

 
Another view, showing the first of the hanging knees installed:
 

 
There will be both hanging and lodging knees installed for each of the deck beams as we move forward.  I've installed wire inserts to simulated the bolts in the knees.
 
Here's the aft bulkhead taken from the front.  I've also added the mizzen mast cap, some eyebolts and the speaking tube (only temporarily).  It's made from painted brass tubing and extends up to the quarterdeck just where the ship's wheel will go.  I'm not sure what the helmsman would communicate to those down below but I can't shake the mental image of John Wayne at the helm bellowing down "Engine room, more steam".
 

 
We'll be moving forward now to install that second bulkhead.  But first some gangway railings and the capstan need to be installed.
 
Best to all for 2015 !
 
 
 
 

Hi Mates,
 
Minor update, completed building the false carriages, and began installing them along with their cannons.
 
I needed to adjust the size of each dummy carriage in order to allow entry and proper positioning within the hull frame insert. As I’ve noted each gun port is somewhat different in size. Hence you see them on that pic pic. in their proper order for installation after adjusting their relative sizes.
 
I also learned (for future builds) that I will pre-drill the dummy cannon holes into the false inside framing BEFORE installing and gluing these on the inside of the hull.
 
Turns out that some of my post-hole drilling was not well centered for some of the dummy cannons, had to go back in and adjust many of the holes. AND one of my framing bits fell away (too much pressure with the drill) Grrrrrr.
 
I rattled the ship sideways and the piece sort-of re-appeared near its proper place. After much finagling, tweezers and gluing it managed to kind of be usable again.
 
But for that dummy cannon I had to use a lot of wood extensions to create proper spacing coming through the port. Hmmmm
 
 Now onto the covers.
 
Thanks for your likes, comments or just looking in.
 
Cheers,
 
Michael

I think another bucket might fit on this penny...

Well I finally got one of the oars done, nine to go. It took awhile to come up with a design for the whipping.
 
I picked a spiral hitch(also called French whip) with a 3 pass/5 bight Turks Head for the decorative ends. In real life these knots are fairly easy, but making them to this scale was a challenge. I made jig for starting the first pass of the Turks head that's an inch square. It was then transferred to the oar, tighten knot, and finished it with 2 more passes.

Well I did the whipping on the handspikes, not too thrilled. I change a French whip into 4 half hitches to the left then 4 to the right. I'm still surfin to find one that looks ok at this scale.
 
So today I shaped the rudder, made and installed pintles and gudgeons. I also finally made the stand so my rudder wouldn't get ruined. Still have to make the tiller and masts, then I go back to working on the more detailed pieces(contents of boat)
 
The rudder fit right in under the crane so the tiller will be off and stored onboard.
 
Hope everyone is having a good time during this holiday season.
 
Matt

Well thanks CaptainSteve and Pops, and to All who have liked my posts.
 
Actually Pops, you gave me the idea of the handles going all the way through and I put the "iron" band stoppers, well, it just looked right.
I've also been looking up cord or rope whipping handles, so we'll see how they turn out. There are so many ways to do this so I'm trying to find some naval examples. I'm hoping to have this finished this eve.
 
Matt
 
The hand spikes on the plans don't seem long enough for good leverage. The old saying, "if you had a long enough stick, a man could lift the earth". Seems like the ships anchor would be pretty heavy.

Merry Christmas everyone!
After several experiments went amuck, I finally caught the squirrel that was running around in my head and made him tell me the solution to the "working hinge challenge".
 
The final chest was aged and fit for public viewing. Now it's time for tools.

Started on the chest today

Well I came up with this addition to my windlass to make it look stronger. It seems to look ok?

I figured I should finish off the crane before I start the windlass.

Thanks Captain, it's only my third(18th century longboat and 21ft English Pinnace). Those kinda started the learning curve. The pinnace got away from me as I used it for a practice run for this model. I scaled down the masts and sails to 1:24 and kinda left the plans behind. I added walnut grating on the seat spot and made my blocks and belay pins from walnut stock. I also chose to use fine crochet thread for all lines and for hand sewing the sails. They didn't turn out too bad for a first effort.

Now we're up to speed. I held off on installing the thwarts to make the stern crane. I ended up laminating 1/32 x 1/8 strips(left over planks from a previous build) on a jig(the lid from my empty sherbet tub) into a half circle. Once dry, I cut them in half to get two identical pieces. Then I clamped together and drilled necessary holes for square alignment. Last nite I made the roller out of stock walnut. I turned it on my trusty poor mans lathe(flex shaft drill). Next for me is forming the windlass.

Well this is some of my first pictures taken for this build. I stained all planks prior to glueing and then softly bevel sanded edges to achieve a tight fit. This however left me to insert a 3/16 plank and scribe my shutter plank to it, to my delight it's nearly invisible.

If an adventurous soul wished to try, they may even take a 3mm to 4mm watch-hand and magnetise it ...
They might then decide to float that watch-hand in a few drops of (very thin) oil under Geoff's reject contact lens and then affix it to Buck's piece of cedar (see above).
 
Just Sayin' ... 
 
[EDIT: If someone ever does this, PLEASE quote this post and add photos]

very cool. Another option for the lens is Mod-Podge. Available at arts n crafts places. Dries clear.

Hey Buck,
 
Absolutely incredible! I really like the finger joints on the box. I think CaptainSteve is right that this may become part of many builds.
 
Matt

Hmmm ... that could just work, Geoff.
 
(Dang !! Now I have to get Buck to re-do the whole thing!!)