Slowhand

Well it’s been a time since my last post, bit of problem getting sheet pear or cherry wood which I need to do final layer of planking at the bow and mid ships, hopefully edge bending will remove need to spile. Intended supplier no longer has any in stock. The bow almost like a Viking longship. Decided to put project to one side, but before doing so would plank the stern as neatly as possible to encourage me to pick it up again some stage in future. Planking in mahogany best compromise as uncertain supply in pear may do below below waterline in lime and cover with whitestuff as in orig model. Just received a Dumas Tiger Moth so that’s next.

Yes Doris, your work is quite amazing a true crafts person

Thanks Steven, I’ll just keep on going, trying my best.

Well that’s the main deck planked apart from the edges waiting for a power? saw to do the curved pieces. Not sure why a couple of planks appear darker after applying Danish oil, never mind it’ll be covered by the quarter deck if another coat of oil doesn’t reduce contrast. Next up two additional gun ports towards the bow and holes for the oars

Yes this worked a treat, 1 to 1 PVA water then added dust to make a sticky mix. thx everybody

Ah interesting. I have always used white glue it appears to be the default in the UK. When I mix the wood dust with neat PVA it initially matches the wood then darkens significantly as it dries. The final finish Danish or wipe on poly makes no difference to the mismatch between the wood and the filler. Off to the shed to try a 1:1 mix plus water.

I know it’s a very well known technique to fill gaps, cracks with a filler which matches the wood, but when I mix PVA with a wood dust say lime , cherry or beech the mix always dries darker than the original wood dust. The only time the filler is a matching colour is when there’s hardly any PVA there and the mix is too crumbly to be much use. My friend in my wood working group has the same problem. Tried different UK manufacturer’s but to no avail. Any suggestions please?

The OCD in me noticed a plank right in the middle was not quite right. None will be visible when the grating is in place but it was dead centre. A trick I learned earlier was it’s easy to remove a plank by slicing down the middle with a scapel and levering off the rest without damaging neighbours and putting in new plank. Might be of interest for newbies. Getting the 3 plank butt shift pattern so easy using the NRG guide.

Took a while to get the false decks cut to fit and then lots of deliberations on the width of deck planking. Finally settled on 6mm which at 1/32 is 7 “ plus. Looks about right, needed to cut down the 8mm maple to 6mm wide by hand.

Always felt, planking a deck is a bit like mowing a lawn, easy, but very satisfying. Nice work on your decks and for the rest of the build it’s really come to fruition after your earlier struggles.

Amilio, I think you’ve started showing off making these double spindles😜

Finished port side of hull, first planking layer. Bow planks have sharp corners, not sure if this is realistic, mind there is some sort of a precedent. The Hamble Star my first dinghy at an old club, sailed like a brick, second down. Portsmouth yardstick of about 15000.

Tim, I think you will start a whole new way of building Guillows airplanes. I’d best buy one before they sell out. When I last looked they had sold out of Spits, plenty of Hurri’s though.

Hi Tim, forgot to ask did you use a table saw to cut the balsa infills, a Byrne’s by any chance?

Well you’ll have a ready supply of Mercury if you need it. edited It was the T1000 of Gary Sinise not this one better terminate myself.

What a fantastic build, always thought the silverskin and dope covering of Guillows suited the WWI planes best as well that’s closer to the originals. Your idea of in filling with balsa and using wood sheets works perfectly for WWII planes. I think you’ll start a trend.

Cutting the gun ports was where it could all go wrong and have a lot of remedial work and relegated to that other model ship forum. Made some sanding sticks to shape them after drilling 4 holes into the hull , then belated remembered I had a square metal file which was far better at getting sharp corners. Better in the flesh than on film so happy, mind it was hard to get the ports as I wanted them. Pinned on some flexible beech as temporary wales to give reference points on what’s quite a large hull.

Finished 1st planking layer apart from upsweep at the bows. Got there somehow, replaced all tops of plywood bulkheads with cherry, and planked onto these. Next on the list cut out gun ports, then decks before planking. Read an interesting novel based on fact, the Floating Brothel, English ladies convicted of crimes, mainly petty, transported to Botany Bay in the 19th century. Interestingly mentioned the height between some decks, only 4.5 ft.

It’s a shame, just leaves Cornwall Model Boats for on line orders in the UK for timber, parts etc.

Thanks everyone, added my thoughts in my last post and will book mark the thread as a point of reference for the future.

Well my initial post has started quite a discussion. Thanks ‘ No Idea‘ for all your comments. I know exotic woods and have visited the store, a veritable Aladdins cave. Milling wood is out of the question as I don’t have the space and all that dust from thickness sanding, the thought of it makes me itch. Although there’s plenty of cherry wood available as people love to block print the front drive over & chop down any trees, especially cherry where I live. So if I was making a deck grating and gun carriages the milling machine could do the notches/ profile into a block and the table saw could divide it into pieces although I could do both with a table saw. Yes I am extra careful with tools now, I’ve used band saws safely for a couple years but jabbed a wood carving gouge into my palm a month ago, the scar show 10mm wide with a sweep of 7! Thanks Tony, think I’ll visit Axminster and have a look at their stuff, and see what I think of the Proxxon table saw. OPs edits of orig post Bob C thanks for your comments, so you’re very firmly the table saw advocate, especially Byrnes and it seems the consensus is that the mini table saw is the most useful acquisition. I guessed it's a key piece of kit for a POF model for doing the frames and keels. Surprised it could be such as versatile tool but then what do I know it's beyond my experience. Space issues mean a scroll saw and mini mill are off the agenda unless something changes although might treat myself to a disk sander. Definely look at some small jigs for hand tools. Jaager thanks for your input, you've pursuaded me against a mini mill. Anyway to everyone a big thanks for all your help and suggestions I'll keep this topic book marked read it again, several times.

Quick post - must read all the replies to my question about which machinery to buy and thank / reply to all the Members who took the time to give me advice. All planking below wales done.

Thanks for the replies, I’ve had a good look at discussions on the various merits of scroll swaps and table saws on this forum but there’s a lot less about mini milling machines which are something I know little about. If you take milling/planking your own timber out of the equation would a Byrnes table saw or a mini mill be of more use for the tasks I listed. One’s thing for sure won’t be buying without seeing one or close equivalent in the flesh.

Advice needed, looking ahead in my Polacca build which is relatively large scale (1/32) for doing the fine work after finishing the structural stuff, not there yet mind more planking to do. What would be really useful, table saw, scroll saw or mini milling machine. Never used any of these and very little knowledge of milling machines Budget no real problem, but space is, can only get one of the above in my shed and it’s unlikely to do everything obviously. Parts to be made: Gun carriages capstan, stern window frames deck gratings scarf joints for keel, deck planking deck gratings small parts- stern lanterns

Hi Davebaxt, I always use the copper pins supplied with Corel, Occre to fix the planks, both first and second layers, once you’ve got the wales in place. No need to push them through the timber, use the edge of the pin head to hold the lower edge of the plank down and fix into the bulkhead. The upper edge rarely needs anything, when dry pull the pin out and reuse. Always thought treenails were for appearance rather than structural in models. Picture attached is a scratch build hence drawing pins but it shows the idea.