mikiek

Man, some really bad timing. I have had a few spells in the last couple of months where I just couldn' t do any tasks requiring eye/hand coordination. Doctor says it's fatigue, your hands just won't do what your brain & eyes tell them to do. At any rate, it's hit me again and I just can't get the rigging finished off. I have 8 blocks that need line seized to them and the tiller. Two hours Wednesday nite and one hour tonite and I don't have a single one done. I do have at least a half dozen Syren blocks somewhere on the floor. Very frustrating.
 
So I started some of the cleanup tasks. I never mounted the anchors I made over a year ago, so they're in place and look pretty nice. I made a cheezy stand for the cutter and glued that to the deck. And I started rigging the rear davits to hang one of the yawls - I'll only be going with 2 ships boats.
 
Guess I'll wait and try the rigging again tomorrow. Here's a few shots of tonites work:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I know the boat is blue. I got tired of red everything.
 

Niagara in her new room. I have some  legs on order and will put them on a platform that the case can sit on. Hope it all gets here before Thanksgiving. The Admiral won't be happy if we have to share the dining room table with a boat.
 
Had to take pix from the side as from straight on the flash gave too much reflection. The protective paper is still on the back. If it was another color I might consider leaving it on.
 
About time to change this title to FINISHED!!!
 

 

 
 

For scheduling reasons we are having Thanksgiving tomorrow so I got to work on the stand for the case today. Pretty much finished except for putting on a few coats of varnish. Didn't have time for it to dry and since the display will be parked in the dining room I didn't want it smelling like  like varnish during the meal tomorrow. Maybe later. Here's what I ended up with.
 

 

Had to fit some shims in there - probably should have stained it so it's not so obvious. However the stand surface is smaller than the footprint of the case so it'll all be covered up. One good thing about the pedestal with the case.
 
I had ordered some metal legs from Amazon and since I have Prime I had expected them to arrive yesterday. Instead I got an email saying delivery would be postponed - no date specified. So I cancelled that and in a panic took off to Home Depot. I must say what I ended up with is much more elegant than the metal hairpin legs. Pricier too. But Dang It, this is my first major build, it took over 2 years - SO THERE! 
 
Well here she is folks, parked in her new home.
 

 

 

I'm liking it so far.
 
 

It's the only way to fly....

Per - what paint are you using and are you thinning it? Even the "airbrush" paint can stand to be thinned out.  There are various ratios but surprisingly you can add a lot of thinner.  Vallejo also makes some good additives. And of course your weather can have a major effect on how the paint comes out.

One other question Per - does your airbrush have the bottle underneath or the cup on top?

When you are cleaning your dual action do you know about the 'backflush'?  Put a little cleaner in the cup. Put the cap on tightly. Unscrew the little crown on the end where the paint comes out. Don't lose it, they can be expensive. Put a finger or thumb over the opening at that end - careful you can stick your finger with the needle. Run the brush for a few seconds, both air & paint. If you do it right you'll get a spray or mist coming out the tiny hole on the cap. Your basically forcing air backwards and that can blow out stuff that normal cleaning doesn't move. Empty any extra cleaner from the cup - it will be all dirty. Then add a bit of fresh cleaner and spray normally.
 
There may be a way to do the same with the bottle type but I don't know it. I have both types and the single action bottle brush rarely gets used.

Assembly line is great for a lot of what we do. I just got burned on the materials planking and decking. You almost have to cut planks one at a time because they must end on a frame. So you can't just go and cut a bunch of 4" planks.
 
When you get to the deck you can decide on a standard size (I went with 20 footers) and cut more at one time but you still need to be aware of that width problem I mentioned.
 
I heard somewhere - treat each plank as its own project. SO TRUE!

When you are cleaning your dual action do you know about the 'backflush'?  Put a little cleaner in the cup. Put the cap on tightly. Unscrew the little crown on the end where the paint comes out. Don't lose it, they can be expensive. Put a finger or thumb over the opening at that end - careful you can stick your finger with the needle. Run the brush for a few seconds, both air & paint. If you do it right you'll get a spray or mist coming out the tiny hole on the cap. Your basically forcing air backwards and that can blow out stuff that normal cleaning doesn't move. Empty any extra cleaner from the cup - it will be all dirty. Then add a bit of fresh cleaner and spray normally.
 
There may be a way to do the same with the bottle type but I don't know it. I have both types and the single action bottle brush rarely gets used.

I think that's the right decision Tom. More realistic too. One thing to watch out for though.
 
I would have thought the planking sticks would be fairly consistent in width. My mistake. One night I grabbed a handful and cut them all to the appropriate length and tossed them in a pile. Thought I would be saving some time using the assembly line method (one task at a time). The next night when I started planking I just grabbed a plank from the pile and glued it to the frames. Pretty quickly I realized I was having to sand the long edge of many of the planks so they would match the previous plank when the ends were butted up to each other. Trying to evenly sand down even a 4" edge is problematic.  The moral of my story is take 1 stick. Cut it to plank size. Glue all those planks in place. Lather, rinse repeat.
 
You'll have the same issue on the deck.

1 meter - Good thing you don't like cases

I think that's the right decision Tom. More realistic too. One thing to watch out for though.
 
I would have thought the planking sticks would be fairly consistent in width. My mistake. One night I grabbed a handful and cut them all to the appropriate length and tossed them in a pile. Thought I would be saving some time using the assembly line method (one task at a time). The next night when I started planking I just grabbed a plank from the pile and glued it to the frames. Pretty quickly I realized I was having to sand the long edge of many of the planks so they would match the previous plank when the ends were butted up to each other. Trying to evenly sand down even a 4" edge is problematic.  The moral of my story is take 1 stick. Cut it to plank size. Glue all those planks in place. Lather, rinse repeat.
 
You'll have the same issue on the deck.

I think that's the right decision Tom. More realistic too. One thing to watch out for though.
 
I would have thought the planking sticks would be fairly consistent in width. My mistake. One night I grabbed a handful and cut them all to the appropriate length and tossed them in a pile. Thought I would be saving some time using the assembly line method (one task at a time). The next night when I started planking I just grabbed a plank from the pile and glued it to the frames. Pretty quickly I realized I was having to sand the long edge of many of the planks so they would match the previous plank when the ends were butted up to each other. Trying to evenly sand down even a 4" edge is problematic.  The moral of my story is take 1 stick. Cut it to plank size. Glue all those planks in place. Lather, rinse repeat.
 
You'll have the same issue on the deck.

Evening, 
Time for an update. Admittedly, not much done this past week.     Work.........hmmmph!!!!!!!! 
I have 2 dollars on Powerball tonight. That's $177,000,000.00!
Even after taxes, that's still plenty to retire on and build to my hearts content.
Of course I'd be building from a beautiful house on the Maine coast line in the summer and the mountains of Vermont in the winter!!!!!!
 
 
Continued to add the second 3/64 batten, both sides.
Wont head any more south than this. I plan on concentrating on the gunport and sweeps opening and plank them first.
I don't feel like I'm totally done fairing the bottom half. 
I will use the tick strips to lay out the bands for planking. 
 
Mike, thanks for the heads up on those plank twists!
Dang! That's gonna take some soaking!
Especially where it meets the transom area.
Don't think, in my limited experience, I have ever bent something like that.
I should but some extra planks now!!!!! 
 

 
 
I do love these mini-clamps. Very handy.
If I remember correctly, Home Depot for about $0.30.
Good grip too! Sometimes too strong and will jump off!
 
 

 
 
 
Finished battens from the stern.
 
 

 
 
Finished battens from the bow. 
They align well at the very front of the bow, under the bowsprit.
Surprisingly I don't have a pic from that angle.
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
As stated in a previous post, I started building some carronade.
One to check for clearance at the deck/main rail area, also.......because its fun!
There carronades, this ship will have some teeth!
 

 
 
With some sanding and shaping the carronades perk up well.
The base and sled are laser cut, easy enough.
A few, of I'm sure to be hundreds!, metal eyebolts made from 28 gauge wire.
Easy enough to make with a few twists.
 
I'll put a layer of primer over all before adding there final colors.
 

 
Tom E
 

My first trial of air brushing, doing this on the hull. And it turned out so much better than I expected, no running paint at all.
So I proceeded with painting the inside of the waist with the airbrush. So easy and the coverage great as well.
Looking forward doing more airbrushing.

 
I will do more white airbrushing of the hull for the next step of black/blue and the dull red for the bottom.

1 meter - Good thing you don't like cases

Reminder - don't forget to mark your bands before you go any further. Also you'll want to add your garboard and a strake or two above it before too long.

Per - this project has been quite different than what we're used to. Tearing something apart as the first step feels odd. Remembering how it goes back together - even with pictures - has been trying. Really a wake up call to how bad my memory is getting.
 
There is a thrill that you just don't get from a build. That is seeing the dirt & crud or loose ropes and then admiring when it's cleaned and back together again.
 
Also an exercise in self control. So many little "touch ups" I want to do. Given that this is almost an antique kit - Megow's is long gone - I have to stick with how it was supposed to be assembled, with the same type of parts.
 
I may experiment with the hem. With the double fold and the adhesive I don't think a sewing machine needle could get thru it. Of course that leaves the hand sewn option

Per - this project has been quite different than what we're used to. Tearing something apart as the first step feels odd. Remembering how it goes back together - even with pictures - has been trying. Really a wake up call to how bad my memory is getting.
 
There is a thrill that you just don't get from a build. That is seeing the dirt & crud or loose ropes and then admiring when it's cleaned and back together again.
 
Also an exercise in self control. So many little "touch ups" I want to do. Given that this is almost an antique kit - Megow's is long gone - I have to stick with how it was supposed to be assembled, with the same type of parts.
 
I may experiment with the hem. With the double fold and the adhesive I don't think a sewing machine needle could get thru it. Of course that leaves the hand sewn option

Sail making is taking longer than I thought. Cutting , dyeing and hemming. The last takes longest. I have to load the hem with a piece of brass rod, double fold and then glue. It takes about 1 hour for the glue to dry enough so I can safely handle the sail to glue the next hem - 3 or 4 per sail. I still wonder if I am making the right decision by gluing only. No stitch.
 
I'm still really liking the wire in the hems. It's going to be fun to shape all the sails. I will definitely use the same technique should I ever decide to add sails to one of my builds.
 
Making the jibs at the moment, but I decided to go ahead and pull the foremast. I couldn't stand seeing all that dust any longer. Got that cleaned up and a first coat of varnish. Much better.
 

 

 

 
Broke a few pieces during this process. I've been commenting on how easy it is to "unglue" many of the parts due to the age. It appears that time has taken it's toll on the wood as well. The rail pieces are as brittle as they can be. This is the second piece of rail I have broken. Also broke one of the fore channels while removing the mast.
 

 

 
I caught myself trying to "improve" on parts. Rather than belay pins with racks most sail sheets tie off to a wooden ring (those fake deadeyes) that is fastened to the deck. IMO the rings are kinda bulky, so I was about to replace those ( I had to pull them out of the deck anyway) with a brass eyebolt seized to a brass ring. No huge thing but still a step away from the original equipment. I made a few more wood rings and am back to using those. I'll save my brass for my builds.
 
 

Reminder - don't forget to mark your bands before you go any further. Also you'll want to add your garboard and a strake or two above it before too long.

re: holes in chock rail - depending on how/what you are going to rig you may not need any. I didn't.
 
You are about to hit the most difficult area for planking the stern for the next 5-6 strakes. You will need some twist and after that a bend upwards. I actually put a twist in the sticks - similar to how we bend them. Soak them, clamp at the half way point with one anvil, put half a twist in the stick and hold the end with a second anvil. Heat to dry or let it dry naturally. The stick will look a bit like a corkscrew. Be aware that sticks on the port side need a twist in the opposite direction as those on the starboard. Don't remember which but one side takes a clockwise twist. The other side a counter clockwise twist. The twisted sticks will lay almost naturally around the curves at the stern.
 
I documented that pretty well in my log.

Mike,
Seems like you are enjoying your restoration adventure. 
But using only glue at the hem, it will hold for the moment but not in the long run.
I would go with sewing as well, specially inserting the metal rod to create the effect of wind filled sails.

Sail making is taking longer than I thought. Cutting , dyeing and hemming. The last takes longest. I have to load the hem with a piece of brass rod, double fold and then glue. It takes about 1 hour for the glue to dry enough so I can safely handle the sail to glue the next hem - 3 or 4 per sail. I still wonder if I am making the right decision by gluing only. No stitch.
 
I'm still really liking the wire in the hems. It's going to be fun to shape all the sails. I will definitely use the same technique should I ever decide to add sails to one of my builds.
 
Making the jibs at the moment, but I decided to go ahead and pull the foremast. I couldn't stand seeing all that dust any longer. Got that cleaned up and a first coat of varnish. Much better.
 

 

 

 
Broke a few pieces during this process. I've been commenting on how easy it is to "unglue" many of the parts due to the age. It appears that time has taken it's toll on the wood as well. The rail pieces are as brittle as they can be. This is the second piece of rail I have broken. Also broke one of the fore channels while removing the mast.
 

 

 
I caught myself trying to "improve" on parts. Rather than belay pins with racks most sail sheets tie off to a wooden ring (those fake deadeyes) that is fastened to the deck. IMO the rings are kinda bulky, so I was about to replace those ( I had to pull them out of the deck anyway) with a brass eyebolt seized to a brass ring. No huge thing but still a step away from the original equipment. I made a few more wood rings and am back to using those. I'll save my brass for my builds.
 
 

Sail making is taking longer than I thought. Cutting , dyeing and hemming. The last takes longest. I have to load the hem with a piece of brass rod, double fold and then glue. It takes about 1 hour for the glue to dry enough so I can safely handle the sail to glue the next hem - 3 or 4 per sail. I still wonder if I am making the right decision by gluing only. No stitch.
 
I'm still really liking the wire in the hems. It's going to be fun to shape all the sails. I will definitely use the same technique should I ever decide to add sails to one of my builds.
 
Making the jibs at the moment, but I decided to go ahead and pull the foremast. I couldn't stand seeing all that dust any longer. Got that cleaned up and a first coat of varnish. Much better.
 

 

 

 
Broke a few pieces during this process. I've been commenting on how easy it is to "unglue" many of the parts due to the age. It appears that time has taken it's toll on the wood as well. The rail pieces are as brittle as they can be. This is the second piece of rail I have broken. Also broke one of the fore channels while removing the mast.
 

 

 
I caught myself trying to "improve" on parts. Rather than belay pins with racks most sail sheets tie off to a wooden ring (those fake deadeyes) that is fastened to the deck. IMO the rings are kinda bulky, so I was about to replace those ( I had to pull them out of the deck anyway) with a brass eyebolt seized to a brass ring. No huge thing but still a step away from the original equipment. I made a few more wood rings and am back to using those. I'll save my brass for my builds.