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mikiek

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Everything posted by mikiek

  1. mikiek
    Thanks Richard. I have been cheating a little bit - already working on some of the interior. That has been one of the things I like about this kit. There's a lot of other tasks that I can do while planking.
  2. mikiek
    same boat but not sure if it is the same kit - take a look at post #40 https://modelshipworld.com/topic/14957-armed-virginia-sloop-by-captain_hook-finished-model-shipways-scale-148/page/2/ theres a few pics that show what I am trying to describe - the side planks do not bend around that last stern frame. They stop at it.
  3. mikiek
    Working on this same build - just slightly ahead of you. I concur on the walnut. Worst wood I have ever seen in a kit, however I am using it. I've had misgivings about this kit since I started it and didn't want to waste a lot of good wood if I decided to toss the whole thing (which I have thought about more than once). I think the 3 layers is an attempt to get the dimensions of the strakes to scale. Can you imagine trying to use 1 stick that was the thickness of 3? Virtually impossible to work with.
  4. mikiek
    You and I had a conversation about these in my log. These will help hold pieces down when nothing else will. Is that wood you are having to bend over a frame piece or a filler block that you had to shape? Whichever, are you sure you are supposed to bend a stick around it? If it was a shaped filler block maybe you didn't sand enough of that edge off? Smoothing it out a little. That appears to be almost a 90 degree bend which doesn't sound right and would have been virtually impossible in the period. Every boat design is different but many have horizontal planks running from the top of the transom down to stem. You trim the ends to get that half circle shape of the transom. Then your side planking just butts up against those edges and don't need to wrap at all. Just some things to consider. I've never seen this build so I could be way off base.
  5. mikiek
    Kurt - obviously your call, but I have to ask how will the rest of the world find this article? Ok, I got it from a PM but that doesn't help the masses. You say the same info is available elsewhere - then where? It seems like this is an easy move to the NRG How To forum. Please Understand - I am not trying to create a stir, but the article used to be in the NRG forum. Why can't it be added? And frankly why was it removed? In the end, our site is trying to help modelers understand situations and how to deal with them. Ulises write-up is quite valuable in a number of situations.
  6. mikiek
    As stated, be sure to recalculate the next layer. Don't try to follow the lay of the previous layer. The garboards should go in straight - no bending. Yes there will be a lot of twisting and turning but no bending. If you find that it is wanting to bend up at the bow most likely it is pushed too far forward. You should be able to lay the next strake on the top edge of the garboard and it should sit flush. I usually try to pin the garboard in place then lay the next strake on top just to see how the two will mesh. Then adjust and glue the GB. If the GB is bending all subsequent sticks will want to bend as well. Another thing you can do is take the stick that will be your GB and put the bow end into your rabbet about midship. Lay as much of the edge in the rabbet towards the stern. Then start sliding the stick forwards in the rabbet toward the bow keeping a close eye on that leading end. You will either see the stick start to move upwards when it gets to the stem or it may just stop and not slide anymore. That's where it should lay. You can then do whatever shaping you need to do to the front end of the stick.
  7. mikiek
    Checking the date from the last post - I have been lazy. I walk by the build almost every day and just keep walking. I want to begin some of the fun stuff - starting with the deck. But I know if I don't finish planking, it may never get done. Honestly the last layer (the 3rd) looks pretty decent. I did a few sticks from top down, then the garboard and a few sticks bottom up. The one thing I have stuck to on this layer is to shape a stick for one side then make a matching stick for the opposing side. Then glue them both. This has helped to keep both sides fairly even, particularly at the bow & stern. I know that is always the recommended approach, but I rarely do it. Interestingly, I have done this whole layer by eye. No bands, no plank markings, no dividers. Frankly I think it has come out the best of the 3 layers. I have added a few stealers, again just when my gut told me to do so. The area that is left to plank is pretty even from bow to stern. Sticks at the bow will need some tapering, but that is normal. Here's a few pix: Thanks for reading!
  8. mikiek
    Another consideration, that applies to any build - where was it built? - What were the circumstances? - When was it built? The answer to these questions should have a major impact on your painting decisions. Many colors that we might consider totally available today were not available in some time periods. Reds & blues in particular. The 'blood red' that are called for in many builds was probably closer to a 'barn door red' as true red was extremely expensive.
  9. mikiek
    Mark - maybe I misunderstood. I thought that article was going to be posted in the NRG How To Library.
  10. mikiek
    Am I missing something? I don't see the article in the NRG resources.
  11. mikiek
    I'm not sure how far you plan to go on this restoration. A couple of your pics show the deck which looks pretty dirty. I can't really see what shape the deck furniture is in. Sadly I can't help you with the rigging. But I would suggest getting any deck cleaning and repairs done before you start rigging. The more string you have running around the boat the harder it becomes to do that sort of work.
  12. mikiek
    Are the washes applied by brush? I seem to remember using a paper towel or a rag. All of the above?
  13. mikiek
    Hey Wefalck - just so I'm clear, when you say "wash" in your process what exactly do you mean? Thanks....
  14. mikiek
    As Welfacks photo shows, you will want to put some color randomness on your sticks. Nothing ever comes out perfectly in one shade. You'll want some sticks darker/lighter than others. I also agree, you'll need to mix several colors to get you closer to what you want and it may be literally just a drop or two of some of the secondary colors. Keep good notes on how much base you started with and how many drops of additional colors. You may have to make another batch down the line.
  15. mikiek
    Very nice cross section. I love those builds. I realize the OP was quite a while back but I would be interested in hearing your progress on this one. Maybe by now you are done. Post some pics.
  16. mikiek
    As usual I am bypassing all the difficult decisions that are in my face. The instructions call it something different, but I call it the waterways as would any credible plans. There is a stick that needs to wrap around the ribs from the inside. Once this stick is in place, there is a gap between the stick and the inner hull. The plans call for placing a shaped piece of stick placed in between each rib. YEAH RIGHT. Are you freaking kidding me? There is no way to even tell what that shape would be. This is a total joke. Instead, I have cut 2x3mm sticks into pieces that fit between the ribs and then just glued them into place using white glue. After 10-15 minutes (before the white glue dries) I just go in with a sharp knife blade and shear off the excess. A little sanding helps to smooth out the surface. I just can't keep from thrashing the wood in this kit. Total garbage. As you see in the pics below, the more I sand the worse it gets. Honestly, I thought sanding was supposed to remove shreds and splinters. Not bring on more. 😒
  17. mikiek
    Been working on the cap rails. As mentioned above and according to the instructions, the bow end of the rails requires 4-5 trapezoidal pieces shaped in an effort to lay on top of the bow curvature. Sadly, there is no pattern provided so it's totally up to the builder to figure out the shape of each piece. In other words a WAG. I guess I got lucky - it came out reasonably well. The ugly part is the curve between the upper and lower rail. The kit provides a "wood ring" that you are supposed to cut out a chunk and lay it on the curved edge. Unfortunately there was no direction at all on how to shape that curve. And the shape I ended up with doesn't come close to matching the ring. Will either require a buttload of sanding or I will dump the ring and try to bend something to fit the curve.
  18. mikiek
    Fantastic! The write-up will be a big help for many of us. Thank you to all that made this happen.
  19. mikiek
    I agree. I have used the article twice and I am aware of others that have used it as well. It would be a great addition to the library.
  20. mikiek
    Went ahead and colored the inner hull. Probably the first time of many. I used Minwax PreStain and then Minwax Natural stain. This stain doesn't have any color but it adds a "wet" look to the wood. I use it probably more than any other. I think it did help to revitalize the dead looking walnut. If I decide that's what I want, I will lay down a couple coats of matte varnish. I have also started work on the cap rails. Instructions call for making several trapezoidal pieces up at the bow in order to get the correct bend. I was tempted to try to just bend an entire stick, but the sticks are 3.5x10mm and they are not interested in edge bending 😒
  21. mikiek
    He-he - so much for "back to planking". I have added the ribs to the inner hull. The drawing was kinda confusing. One drawing showed the hull with no ribs, the next showed the hull with ribs in place. No mention of size or spacing. I finally noticed a side drawing and determined I needed 2x3mm sticks. There is a full scale drawing that showed the ribs on 19mm centers. Rightly or wrongly that's what I went with. The rib size looks a little wimpy IMO but it is what it is. I thought I would have to physically bend a few of them to fit but it turned out that brute force and gluing with CA worked OK. I'm thinking pretty soon I need to stain & finish the inner hull. There's a whole bunch of stuff that will be going on the decks and inner hull. Trying to color them later will be problematic. I suspect I will go with my old stand in - Natural stain with a satin finish. It will be interesting to see if that revives the walnut or not. It looks pretty shabby at this point.
  22. mikiek
    Mark - The name sounds familiar. I believe that is the one. It showed a 4 plank pattern, 5 plank and I believe all the way up to 8. I would be really grateful if you can find it. I'll abide by any requirements you have. If you would prefer to email it to me I can PM you my email. Many thanks...
  23. mikiek
    "If I'm understanding you correctly you would know when the garboard is in its proper place when the next plank up can rest on it without bending." This is correct. Another thing you can do is take the stick that will be your GB and put the bow end into your rabbet about midship. Lay as much of the edge in the rabbet towards the stern. Then start sliding the stick forwards in the rabbet toward the bow keeping a close eye on that leading end. You will either see the stick start to move upwards when it gets to the stem or it may just stop and not slide anymore. That's where it should lay. You can then do whatever shaping you need to do to the front end of the stick.
  24. mikiek
    Was just out on the NRG site looking for this article. Sometime back, it was in the How To articles. Don't see it now. Does this ring a bell for anyone? Thanks in advance...
  25. mikiek
    I prefer painting and usually with a brush. There are some alligator clips that have a stick coming out the back. Clamp the piece then hold the stick between thumb and forefinger. You can easily rotate the piece by rolling the stick between your fingers. Stab the stick in a piece of styrofoam to let it dry. As with any paint job go light or you may end up with drip marks. Tamiya makes a great color called Rubber Black. It's even flatter than their Flat Black. Imagine the color of a clean car tire (no ArmorAll 😀) and that's about what it looks like. There's a lot less fuss using paint.

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