NWdiverTodd

If you head north during the week, Bellingham has Hardware sales and Grizzly.

Hardware sales has most every tool you can imagine, both power and hand.  They also have all sorts of raw stock and fasteners.

Grizzly has some great deals on things like machinist squares\micrometers and other tool items.

-Todd 

Very slick!

Hi Bigcreek,

At first blush I would think you are adding pressure into the side of the blade.

This usually happens when you are pushing stock through the saw with pressure added past the leading edge of the blade.  

The reason people do this is to keep the stock tight against the fence, but in essence you are pressing (or pinching) the stock into the blade.

The following link has lots of good ideas for using the saw: http://www.hobbymillusa.com/byrnes-saw-operation.php

Another possibility is that the wood has a strong counter grain and would be better cut from the other end of the sheet.

-Todd

What steps did you take to make the drilling process successful?

Your model looks so clean and trim!  Well done on the copper!

-Todd

Very nice!  Keep the pictures coming.

What did you use for the binnacle handles?

It may well help with the fairing.  I centered mine fit snug to help me get a nice 90deg. angle.  That was the hope anyway.

-Todd 

Really wonderful work!  

That is one part of the build that has me a bit intimidated.

Very symmetrical.  

Welcome aboard the Syren build crew Martijen!

-Todd

Thanks very much for posting this part of your build!  I really dislike the bits that came with the kit, but have not allowed myself to think about how hard it will be to scratch these.  Your work and process will be invaluable to me in the near future.  These are coming along very well indeed!

-Todd

Great idea to post a video of your work space!  Thank you very much.  There are many good ideas here that I can put to use in my own space.

-Todd

Looks really good Charley!  I'm almost there, just doing the stern framing now.

I had to buy the pen sander as well.  I really like it.

I think I'll follow your lead and fill in the stern, it should help me visualize the shape.

Very well done!

-Todd

Wow!! Cool video.  I can't even imagine how much more difficult it would have been without some modern tools and cranes.

It really made me think about how much of an investment every ship was to a country.

Thanks Richard. I am totally with you on not spending another $100 on pretty woods for a first build.  Well, I say that but...  I was planning on just ordering boxwood for the planking above the wales, then I was thinking, it's not THAT much more to grab some holly for the deck, and I might grab some for the cap rail, and perhaps a bit of beech for the stern, and, and , and...

So, now I'm ordering some wood to play with.

Thanks to your pictures, I have to run down and buy the dremel "router" table.  I've been using a spindle sander, but the dremel will fit in my ship work area and i'll have better control with smaller pieces. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

What do you think of your proxon jigsaw?  I like the small footprint.

-Todd

Chuck has kindly replied about the long boat.  Follow the plans, not the book.  There should be only 5 total pieces, the bottom and 4 lifts.

Thanks again Chuck!

-Todd

Thanks Richard :-)

I wondered what the minimum width needed to make the cap rail, they didn't have boxwood in 4" widths.  I measured it when I got home and it looks like ~2.5"

Thanks as always for showing your process, it is VERY helpful to me.

-Todd

Thanks Charley!  I'm fumbling my way through.  If you see me heading for a mistake, don't be gentle, kick me to get me back on track...

I have only laid out the first three gun ports.  The very first on both sides have the bulkhead leaning slightly aft rather than 90 deg to the lintel and sill.  If I matched the angle of the bulkhead I would have a slight trapezoid gunport, so I added a angled shim to make the gunport square with the sill.  I'm not sure this is correct, but it looks better to my eye.  

I sent a message to Chuck about the longboat, we shall see what the boss says :-)

The lintel and sills are complete. Well, I have a bit more sanding to do, but I figured I would complete that after I add the rest of the parts.  Like many others, the template that came with the kit was the wrong size.  My thanks to Charley for sending me new ones!  My new challenge is that when I line up the aft most bulkhead with the template (per the instructions) I am off at the forward bulkhead by 1/8".  As both sides are the same my plan is to adjust the template to fit between each bulkhead and both sides should match.  Please let me know if there is a problem with this idea!

The picture shows both templates, the color is the new one.

I need some help from you other Syren folk.

I was playing with the ship's boat and while laying out the parts I noticed that I have only 4 "lifts" and the bottom.

I'm missing the top most lift.  This is an issue because it is shaped very different than the others.

It looks like only 4 lifts are shown on the plans.

I don't see where it should have been in the kit. There is no room on the sheet that included the other lifts.

I can ask for another sheet, but before I do that, would you kind folk have a look and see what came with your kit?

Thanks very much,

Todd

Good to know, I think I will play with it.  I think it really makes the deck stand out.

Nice job on the cap rail!  The bead looks perfect.  

How wide a piece of wood do I need to do the cap rail?  I want to order it in advance.

The stain pen is cool!  Did you fill it with black paint or does it come with a close enough color?

-Todd

I really like the ebony filler for caulk! I think it looks fantastic!

-Todd

The chopper does have some limitations, but over all it works really well. I have been using the chopper III to cut close, then follow up with a slide sander to make the angle I want.  I'm sure that many of the experienced folks do it by "feel", but I don't have that knack yet.

Your framing looks great Charley, much better than mine.  I'm working on it as well.  I am having the most trouble getting the thickness uniform.

Your lines look fantastic!

-Todd

Thanks again Richard!  It is really nice to have the whole list.

I ordered from http://www.megahobby.com/modelflexpaintmarinecolors1ozbottlesbadger.aspx They have a really nice webpage for the paint. 

The price is $3.02 per bottle.

I looked at badger's site, and they want $16 per bottle!!

I read about using india ink for the black so I picked up a bottle, it looks really nice on my test pieces, works like stain but it seems like I can touch it up and it doesn't show the rework.  I might try this.  I'm a little worried that it will follow the grain so touch up near another color might be an issue.

-Todd

Thanks Richard! I think using an airbrush will add a neat dimension to modeling. I'll order up some of the modelflex paints and see how it goes.

Very nice!  Building the inner planking that way looks much easier to control.

It is really nice to have you a bit in front of me, that way I might make fewer mistakes :-)

What red paint are you using?  It looks like you sprayed it?

-Todd