Julie Mo

Spile added and planking proceeds

 

 

 
I'll have to watch the diagonals to keep it looking the same along the entire hull, as it looks like spiles are unavoidable.

Bob, I love it!  Thanks for sharing.  My eyes are watering from laughing.    The crazy things we do...
 
Tonight I had a few moments to spend with my baby.  I guess I laid maybe 10 more rows of planks.  But as I laid another plank, I saw the clinker effect becoming more pronounced.  All of the cold molding hulls I have seen are modern day designs, fin keel and all.  I really wonder if a wood plank could make the twists and turns I am demanding on this build.  Probably not.
 
I laid a plank and let it follow its natural tendency. 

 
When I look at it from different points of view, it just doesn't look right.  If I filled in the void with a tapered plank, I'm not so sure it would work visually.  I'll have to think about this some more...

After yesterday's bone-rattling experience, it was good to give myself a break and hole up in the workshop.  I didn't get to spend much time but I did manage to lay a few more rows.

mineral spirits applied
 
I'm a little upset with myself for not mixing up the planks at the beginning.  Once I started doing that, the wood grain really started to show through.
 

This shot told me I was on the right track with the diagonals.  I was a bit worried how it would look as it reached midship.

I was under the weather today so the house had to wait but I still couldn't get as far on the planking as I wanted.  Too bogged down.  But this is where the impatient me surfaces.  I had to see what she will look like if I just applied a clear finish - mineral spirits applied:

That light stripe on the bow really bothers me.  Hopefully I can tone it down when it comes time to finish the hull.
 

 

OK, I'm done bragging about my kid.
 
I didn't install any splies today.  This is how it turned out in relation to the lines I drew earlier

At the keel and rail, the planks overlap the line.  Midway, it's short.  I will probably have to make another double ended pointer spile before resuming normal planking.  

One of the things that was frustrating me was getting the plank laid and clamped before the glue set up.  It was getting trickier as the plank length got longer and the bends increased.  Then a light bulb lit in my head.  I remembered a band clamp Rockler now sells and improvised some clamps I have with rubber bands and ty-wraps.
 
The smaller version

 
But I needed larger clamps to get around the keel.

 
I had to make sure the plank didn't slip out of place so I used another clamp that didn't have the rubber band.

I added the small red clamp for a little more pressure at the tip.  This section of the hull has a lot of plywood in it and makes using push pins difficult.  The band clamp solved the problem.
 

I finished the planking to the rudder.  I needed every bit of spliling that I did on the last few planks to avoid planks breaking off before hitting the bottom of the keel.
 

 
I've fired up the glue pot and we'll see how far I get tonight.  Why is it I seem so busy yet I am supposed to be retired?

Mike40, your post very closely runs along the same line as my thoughts about building that first model.  Like you, my earlier days of working on any kind of project were all about finishing as quickly as possible so I could see the results.  That may be why some new modelers jump in with great enthusiasm but quit all too soon, completely frustrated.
 
We all admire work that shows experience, skill and patience.  All require time.  If one does not allow for that time, one will most likely be disappointed with the end result.  Just by allowing oneself double, or triple the time one expects (or even more) to finish a task or the complete model, one could dramatically increase the chances of being both pleased and proud of the end result.
 
I completed the 1st planking on my first model maybe two weeks ago.  I would love to get the 2nd planking done but I will not begin that step until the hull is truly ready to accept the 2nd planking.  I have the hull sitting on my workbench and at the end of every day I sit down and view it from every angle, inspect the lines and closely examine every inch of it.  Then I work on making it as perfect as I can because once that 2nd planking goes down, you are married to it.  It is so thin there is little room for any serious fairing.
 
I don't know if this will be my last model.  I do know I will be looking at it for the rest of my life when it is complete.  And I know I don't want to have any thoughts like, "I wish I had spent a little more time on..."
 
Martin, based on the one and only model kit I have bought, I will say the instructions leave a lot to be desired.  My kit was about $450 and I thought that was a lot of money.  If it was $1,000, I may never have bought it.  But of all the things to cut back on, it would seem the instructions should be the last cut a manufacturer would make.  I'm just thankful there are first class forums like MSW, with its substantial brain trust, to help guide newbies like me through the process.  The manufacturers should count their blessings.

Mike40, your post very closely runs along the same line as my thoughts about building that first model.  Like you, my earlier days of working on any kind of project were all about finishing as quickly as possible so I could see the results.  That may be why some new modelers jump in with great enthusiasm but quit all too soon, completely frustrated.
 
We all admire work that shows experience, skill and patience.  All require time.  If one does not allow for that time, one will most likely be disappointed with the end result.  Just by allowing oneself double, or triple the time one expects (or even more) to finish a task or the complete model, one could dramatically increase the chances of being both pleased and proud of the end result.
 
I completed the 1st planking on my first model maybe two weeks ago.  I would love to get the 2nd planking done but I will not begin that step until the hull is truly ready to accept the 2nd planking.  I have the hull sitting on my workbench and at the end of every day I sit down and view it from every angle, inspect the lines and closely examine every inch of it.  Then I work on making it as perfect as I can because once that 2nd planking goes down, you are married to it.  It is so thin there is little room for any serious fairing.
 
I don't know if this will be my last model.  I do know I will be looking at it for the rest of my life when it is complete.  And I know I don't want to have any thoughts like, "I wish I had spent a little more time on..."
 
Martin, based on the one and only model kit I have bought, I will say the instructions leave a lot to be desired.  My kit was about $450 and I thought that was a lot of money.  If it was $1,000, I may never have bought it.  But of all the things to cut back on, it would seem the instructions should be the last cut a manufacturer would make.  I'm just thankful there are first class forums like MSW, with its substantial brain trust, to help guide newbies like me through the process.  The manufacturers should count their blessings.

I am a newbie and on my first build.  I couldn't even tell you what level the model kit I chose is rated.  I don't recall seeing anything like that when I bought the kit.  Maybe it was there and I passed over it but I was more interested in the emotional aspect of diving in than the practical, logical side of it.
 
I had no fears of the task being over my head or beyond my skills.  How could I?  I have never built a wooden model before.  But I gave careful consideration to the potential difficulty I could experience.  I relied on my woodworking experience but even more on my guitar building experience as a barometer to guide me on making the purchase.  At this time in my model making "career" I don't think I was even aware of this website.  So I went in cold.
 
The emotional draw was strong - I'm an avid sailor with thousands of miles of sailing under my belt but I have no boat right now. I was in between homes and waiting for the seller to come up with necessary documents and it was taking forever.  I hate sitting still and we were living in a condo and all my tools were locked up in storage.  I doubt anyone here could have stopped me from buying the kit I bought.
 
That being said, I have no regrets.  I wish I had more time to spend on the model but it has been a wonderful respite from fixing up the new house.  And it has been lots of fun, too.  I have so many plans for making the model mine and have only had one mental setback.  I know I will finish the model but I don't know if I will build another.  It's not that I don't enjoy it, I just don't know if another build will be able to fit into the picture.  But pictures can change.
 
If I were to add my thoughts about jumping into something you have never done, I would say to look at build threads carefully and picture yourself doing the work it takes to accomplish what you see.  If you are honest with yourself, this should help guide you to the right first model.

The first thing I found was the joints were very tight.  Snug is good.  Tight is bad.  From my woodworking I learned the joints should not be so tight that you can't get them apart.  The glue gets squeezed out, weakening the joint.  I also noticed a bit of a glaze where the laser cut the wood.  This might inhibit glue absorption. 
 

I took out a 14 grain flat rasp to open up the joints
 

Using a scrap piece to test fit
 

Gotta make sure it fits all the way

That's a beauty, Bob.  Very nice!  I love the detail and realism.  But are you sure you didn't take a picture of the real thing and Photoshop it to a small scale?    

Hello all -
This will be my first posting to the forum.  I started the 'America' several years ago and got the first planking on and  the deck layed down, and put her away.  Around Christmas I pulled her out and started in again.  I got the second planking on and coppered the hull.
 
I used 1" wide self-adheasive copper tape (electronic cable sheilding tape).  I marked the individual plates from the front with a dull Xacto knife, and used a pounce wheel from the back for the rivets.
I did not like the look of the shiney raw copper so I used a patina fluid (Pax I think).  It went further than I wanted.  I was looking for more of a brown penney color.
 
Most of the deck furnature is on.  Deadeyes for the mast shrowds are next.
 
I've updated this first post (2016-07-07) to show coppering of hull before patina was applied
 


 

 

 

 

 




 
I'll get some more picks as I progress.
 
- Tim

When I think of all the "new and improved" glues I have tried, I have to laugh how I always returned to PVA or CA glue.  Every foray into a glue I have made ended in disappointment.  New was never better.
 
And when I recently tired another glue I had never used, hot hide glue, I was pleasantly surprised.  It pushed PVA and CA glues to the back of the line.  But when you consider hide glue has been around for over 4,000 years, you just have to wonder just how advanced the ancients were.

That's a beauty, Bob.  Very nice!  I love the detail and realism.  But are you sure you didn't take a picture of the real thing and Photoshop it to a small scale?    

HIde glue is the superglue for woodworking.  i use for guitarbuilding.
 
Another advantage of hide glue is that it does not interfere with finishes, and repairs/regluing is not difficult.  
 
Avoid Franklin Liquid Hide Glue.  Old Brown glue is acceptable, but I usually use hot hide glue at 145F, and preheat the well-fitted parts.  

Oh, come on now.  Would I do a thing like that? 
 
Bob

That's a beauty, Bob.  Very nice!  I love the detail and realism.  But are you sure you didn't take a picture of the real thing and Photoshop it to a small scale?    

That's a beauty, Bob.  Very nice!  I love the detail and realism.  But are you sure you didn't take a picture of the real thing and Photoshop it to a small scale?    

That's a beauty, Bob.  Very nice!  I love the detail and realism.  But are you sure you didn't take a picture of the real thing and Photoshop it to a small scale?    

That's a beauty, Bob.  Very nice!  I love the detail and realism.  But are you sure you didn't take a picture of the real thing and Photoshop it to a small scale?    

The pix don't look a lot different than the ones from last week. But I am calling the deck finished now. All the parts made and mounted. I will still do a final compare with the plans to see if I overlooked something.
 
My thanks to Darrell for leading the way on the galley pipe. Was not sure how to do that one. Soldering brass strips to the brass pipe was quite annoying. Tried a mini torch at first. Get one soldered. Go to do the next one and the heat would melt the solder on the first one. Had to break out the resistance solderer. It took a while to get each strip in place with one of those third hand things. Then get the electrodes touching without knocking everything off. But the solder was quick and did not affect the other pieces. The little cone piece on top was made by turning a piece of wood. Actually my first attempt using a lathe for anything other than rounding square sticks for spars.
 
I did some reading on galley stoves and it appears that early pipes were made of wood not metal. Not so sure about during the Niagara period. If it is wood then I probably have the pipe painted the wrong color. I know the top area would have been black from soot.
 
Channels and chain plates are next. I've posted a question about that here. Feel free to add your 2 cents worth on that.
 
Well here she is.
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Just realized I haven’t shown an overall picture in some time.  So here it is.  Almost done but not quite.
 
Bob
 

 

Me too!

Aw man! You're spoiling it for me. I'm counting down the years, months, days, minutes

Well, Carl, it seems you've forced my hand so I have to show the zoom picture.  But before I do, I recently said in a post somewhere here that learning patience helped me tolerate being a perfectionist.  Truth is, impatience still gets the better of me.  Before I know it, I have a tool in my hand so I can see how something is going to turn out, when I should be finishing that area first.  That's what happened with the mahogany/sapele keel.  I shaped it... too much.  The picture will show you what I mean.
 

 
I had meant for the planks to but up against and under the keel.  But I went too far with the shaping.  Now I will have to do some modifications to build it back up.  As for the black streaks, they are burn marks from ripping the veneer.  At first I was going to plane them off but I liked the look so I left it alone.