mikiek

Easy build, huh? 

You make me want to pull my lathe down off the shelf. The one with very little sawdust on it. Your tutorial makes me think even I might be able to do that exercise.
 
What a nice addition to the build!

No apologies needed in this thread. I left my ego at the door.  ALL suggestions and comments (positive and negative) are welcome here. The idea is we are all helping each other right? And it's obvious I need some help. IMHO Straight, honest responses will produce better results and further ones skills.
 
It sounds like the gist of both Zoran's and Don's post is I am in too big of a hurry. I was trying to do the whole operation in one pass and it's just too much of a bend to be doing so.
 
So the saw will stay on the shelf for another day. I will spend today SLOWLY working the 3x3's and see what I can come up with.
 
Thank you Zoran and Don. Both of your opinions and comments mean a lot to me. Please keep them coming!

You make me want to pull my lathe down off the shelf. The one with very little sawdust on it. Your tutorial makes me think even I might be able to do that exercise.
 
What a nice addition to the build!

You make me want to pull my lathe down off the shelf. The one with very little sawdust on it. Your tutorial makes me think even I might be able to do that exercise.
 
What a nice addition to the build!

No laser cut rails! 
Hand made by my delicate hands........ 

Hello everyone, I'm hoping you are all having a good day and your shipyards are active.
 I have been busy planking the hull and now the deck, two layers, for what now seems a eternity so yesterday I decided to turn my attention to something required further on in the build.
 The aft cabin has a rail on top of it that needs to have stanchions, these are made from 3 mm dowel and then shaped accordingly. Although nothing real fancy or anything, I thought you may want to see how I made them.
 

3 mm dowel in chuck 
 

First cut is made, .100 from the end and .021 deep
 

second cut made, .460 from the end and .01 deep
 

Shaping is done using a sanding stick on the backside
 

 
Final shaping done and parting groove is cut at .560 from the end. Final parting was done with a razor saw, with lathe turned off
 

Culling out the rejects, on the left
 

Length when parted from lathe is .560 inches or approximately 14 mm, which allows for 1 mm to be sanded off each end to arrive at a final measurement of 12 mm. When I tried to make these at the exact length the 1 mm collar would chip or break so making them longer prevented this. I used a Byrnes disc sander for sanding the ends which made this part of the job very easy.
 As you can see nothing out of the ordinary but it was lots of fun, and Doug(Heronguy), if you are reading, this is the reason you NEED a lathe
 For anyone considering buying a mill, having a DRO(digital read out) really helps for something like this when there are repetitive cuts. It saves on mistakes and time, I would defiantly recommend buying one when ordering a mill.
 
 You all have fun and enjoy the weekend. It's snowing here now so it looks like I'll be storm stayed for the weekend , luckily enough the food and refreshment fridges are both well stocked!!

No apologies needed in this thread. I left my ego at the door.  ALL suggestions and comments (positive and negative) are welcome here. The idea is we are all helping each other right? And it's obvious I need some help. IMHO Straight, honest responses will produce better results and further ones skills.
 
It sounds like the gist of both Zoran's and Don's post is I am in too big of a hurry. I was trying to do the whole operation in one pass and it's just too much of a bend to be doing so.
 
So the saw will stay on the shelf for another day. I will spend today SLOWLY working the 3x3's and see what I can come up with.
 
Thank you Zoran and Don. Both of your opinions and comments mean a lot to me. Please keep them coming!

Finished the hull and barely stopped to admire.  The last few strakes dropped right in. And I won't mention the div*****s. I do have some small gaps that are more than I can tolerate however. So I dived right in to the repair work.
 
Actually, it is some experimentation. I haven't given up the idea of finishing the raw wood rather than painting. My gripe is the spotting left from glue and filler when I apply stain. Glue barely absorbs it, filler usually either absorbs too much or not enough. I'm left with discolored spots on the hull. Well glue is glue and all you can do sand down past it. Filler on the other hand has possibilities.
 
I've posted about mixing certain fillers with a bit of water so that you make a paste and can apply with a paint brush. I'm going beyond that this time and attempting to color the filler the same color as the walnut sticks used for planking. Honestly, I think it might work. I'm using Elmer's filler and walnut crystals for the dye. The ratios are all by eye so if you try this at home you're on your own.
 

After applying to a couple of spots the first thing I see is the color lightens up as it dries. So what matched well when applied ends up lighter than desired.

 
 
I added some more crystals to darken. Now the mixture looks darker than the wood when applied.
 
I think the key will be to only apply where it is needed and not slather the entire hull. Before it dried completely I took a wet (yes wet not damp) rag and wiped the excess off the hull surface. I am only trying to fill the gaps between planks after all. Here's a spot after that.
 

Not too bad.
 
I've been griping about having to glue the strake ends straight to the stem & stern. In several places this left an unsightly gap so I'm trying to fill those as well.
 

And I guess I should add a few obligatory pix of the planked hull.
 

 

Gotta get back to the shop to wipe down the excess filler......

I won't argue with you on the port holes

I assumed Zoran was referring to the bending tool that looks like pliers. They put a crimp in one side of the stick and you bend in that direction. I have never heard much good about this tool but I thought I would give it a try. $30 later it's out in the shop and problem almost right away. Like I said the side that gets crimped should be the inside of the bend. Unfortunately, for this application it needs to be the outside of the bend. I need the smooth side to be the inside. I went ahead and tried bending like I needed and the stick broke at 4 of the 6 crimps I made. I can see this tools future will be short lived.
 
Per Don's suggestion I tried bending thinner sticks with the idea of laminating several thin bent sticks together. Not pretty
 

 
Creases and cracks all over. Was almost going to go with it anyway. Had all 5 glued down, then the little voice says ARE YOU NUTS? So I have exhausted the easy methods - heat benders, steam, overnight soakings, other benders. Due diligence? I would say so.
 
Tomorrow it's the nuclear option. I'm bringing out the scroll saw and cutting frame pieces. I still have the one frame piece that is removed after planking so that can be my template. Will use walnut sheets. Got a lot of sanding to do as well - need to get all the glue off the hull.
 
Note to Marisstella - these really should have been laser cut parts.

Glad the air brush is working out for you. One suggestion there - get yourself some spare parts. The needles can get bent in a heartbeat and are useless after that. Depending on the brand parts can be a long time coming. Other parts - that little crown looking thing that screws on the tip, a brush cleaning set, inline moisture remover.
 
Don't know if you have had to take it apart yet but when you do, count every screw turn and write it down. Great as they are, they can be very finicky when not adjusted just right.

Yup - got me too. However I decided to live with it. All the transom planks as well as the rail have a slight slope up to the middle and back down again. I really like the look, especially on the hand rail.
 
Fortunately that whole transom structure is easy to fabricate if you have to. Voice of experience.

Agreed Doug - while some eyes would notice those things, most do not. It took some time before I realized it. The cutaway build I did is very attractive despite the design drawbacks. Yours will come out nicely I'm sure of it.

Doug - I found scale to be all out of whack on the cross section I did. A handrail that would have hit a scale person right about the chin.
 
I like the brass rails.

You're welcome. It's an incredible set of books. Any and every thing you wanted to know about naval guns.

From THE source - English Sea Ordinaces - the larger a wheel (truck) is the easier its load will roll. Guns had to be able to roll forward to fire and roll backwards for recoil. Rolling forward required men hauling tackles so a larger wheel helped with that effort. On the other hand, recoil needed to be slowed down quickly and a smaller wheel helped with that.
 
I was right about the sloping deck. The varying wheel sizes kept the carriage horizontal.

I can dig a little but a couple of quick thoughts
 
1. To keep the barrel pointed upwards?
2. To deal with the slope of the deck - highest at the centerline and sloped down as it moves outwards?
3. Sometimes you don't shoot straight out - a little bit of an angle. The guns were incredibly heavy so moving them was accomplished with the tackles. Haul in a tackle one one side or the other to turn the gun. A bigger wheel would be a better pivot.
 
All just guesses. There's probably some better scientific answer.

I'd go for bringing the axle(s) up with your groove in the carriage. Possibly combine that with a little reduction of wheel size.
 
Don't take this the wrong way Doug but sometimes the wheels on cannons are different sizes for front & back. Any chance this is the case with your kit? Maybe you grabbed all large wheels? Gotta ask.

Nice color on the decks.

Seems like nothing but setbacks the last day or two. I've been working on the cargo entry area but it just ain't working. Since this area is open down to the hull, you are supposed to put some faux frames in. This makes good sense however the frames are supposed to be 3mmx3mm sticks and they are supposed to be bent to fit the curvature of the hull. On the good side the frames are 2 pieces - one comes out from the keel about 2/3 of the way to the wale. The second piece starts under the wale and runs about 2/3 of the way toward the keel.
 

 
I was able to get the bottom pieces in although I couldn't really bend them enough to fit flush on the hull. But given that part of the piece is under the flooring I just rocked them a bit so the exposed part is flush. A little smoke & mirrors.
 
So far I am totally unable to bend the sticks enough to make the second piece of frame. Everything I have tried, the stick eventually breaks. I've tried soaking the sticks (even overnight) then using the soldering iron bending attachment. I ended up breaking the iron trying to apply enough pressure to bend the stick. I bought a hand steamer, that works no better. I even tried using some thinner basswood sticks and they are breaking too. So I'm stumped right now.
 
Another downer, I couldn't resist staining that same area sort of as a test before I do the outside. The stain "Special Walnut" didn't look bad on a single stick but IMO it's WAY too dark applied to a larger area. In the pix you can see some bare walnut floor planks above the stained walnut hull. I guess walnut stain on walnut wood is not a good combination, although I suppose it would look OK on furniture.
 
Speaking of floor planks, the plans are quite confusing. The floor outer edge is supposed to end with a "bilge keelson" - never heard of that one - that runs cockeyed from the rest of the floor planks. I don't see what purpose this would serve and it doesn't sit right on the hull. I will probably just run floor planks out parellel instead.
 
So I think Trajta is going to get another rest while I figure out what to do.

Hello Don - I look at the weather like this - it's 2 days I didn't have to drive 130 mile round trips to the office
 
I was about to PM you & Zoran about that floor. The plans call for 2 strips for a bilge keelson (part #32) at the starboard and port ends of the floor, one to a side. The floor sits on supports glued to the bulkheads. It looks like these 2 strips have one long edge glued to the outside edge of the floor and the other edge either to the hull or the faux frames (I can't tell which). I'm guessing on the frames. What's really odd is I would kinda expect the strip edge to run parallel with the floor planks. But a top down view in the plans shows them at quite an angle to the planks - the last plank and a strip making sort of a V. THis makes me wonder if the strips are really contacting the floor planks or are maybe under the planks. If the strips do contact the planks then there would probably need to be a triangular shaped plank (almost like a stealer) to fill in the gap.
 
I"m also stumped on the faux frame pieces. 3mmx3mm walnut sticks that need to be bent to the curvature of the hull. I use the soak & heat bend method but they are not bending enough. I've already broken the sticks twice.

Well, maybe the cold will stop me. The CA isn't CAing. Will not stick. Even put some on my finger and rubbed it around. Felt like water. Bummer.

Work continues on Trajta. We've had a little excitement here in SE Texas - some cold weather. Nothing compared to what you Canadians live with but for around here it's almost a blizzard. Temps below freezing for over 24 hours - expected for another 18 - 24. In my area that in the 20's, teens at nite. The shipyard is kinda chilly but it won't stop me.
 
I'm into 2 things at the moment. Prepping the hull (read sanding) for some finish and doing a few odd tasks in preparation for planking the decks.
 
As far as the hull goes, I'm taking a different approach than usual. I REALLY want to stain & varnish the hull rather than paint. But as you may know, I'm pretty anal about how my stain comes out. IMO filler & glue can ruin any stain job. This time around rather than filling gaps & low spots I am sanding those areas to the point where they disappear. A lot of sanding! The hull planks are noticeably thinner - hope I don't poke a hole thru them.  It has also been very hard to resist putting some sort of something (stain, finish, etc) on the hull. You know how that is? So far I have succeeded. The pix don't look to different than the previous ones, but if you run your hand down the sides the difference is noticeable.
 
The other odds & ends are rather unique to this build. Trajta did a lot of cargo hauling. Rather than openings in the deck to lower stuff into the hold, she has a section of the deck open. In that area bulkheads are planked, there is a bit of flooring and the bulkheads have openings where things are loaded into.That was probably a bad description, the pix may explain it better. At any rate I am planking the bulkheads and getting ready to do the flooring. And since that area is open to the hull there are also some faux frames to be installed there. This will prove challenging as the plans call for 3mmx3mm walnut sticks and they will have to be bent to fit the hull.
 

 

 

One problem I have to deal with. In the last pic you might see a notch in the keel. There was a frame piece there but after planking you take it out. My planking method requires marks on each strake where it crosses a frame. Usually no problem as I lay that side of the strake inboard and no one ever sees it. Not so this time with the section of open deck. To make things worse I used a Sharpie to make my marks. You can see my dilemma. The floor I'm about to do will cover part of it but not all. Nothing to do but sand 
 
Stay warm......