gjdale

Thank you Mike, Shihawk, Bob, Augie and Michael, and also to all of the "likes". It's been a while since I posted an update - not because I haven't done anything, but because I struck a problem and had to make some tough decisions. I've said many times that the support and encouragement of everyone here has inspired me to continue to strive to always do better, and not to accept poor work just for the sake of moving on. And so it was with this in mind that I got to a point with building the two 25' Cutters, that I came to the conclusion that they just weren't up to an acceptable standard, and there was no fix that was going to make them that way. So after mulling it over for a while, I have binned them and re-started the Cutters as Ver 2.0. I wasn't going to post any further progress pics of Cutters Ver 1.0, but decided that sometimes we learn more from our mistakes than from our successes. So, in the hope that others may gain something from my errors, I will post progress up to the point of termination. I'll then follow up with a further two posts to show what I've been up to with Ver 2.0. So here we go..... Cutters Ver 1.0 I have previously posted pics of the frames and keel assembly into the building board. This was the same technique as used successfully in building the 28' Pinnace. The next step was addition of the Hawse Timbers: And then fairing these: Now it came to the planking. I used 1/64" Holly for the planking, cut individually from some sheet stock. Here is the Garboard plank going in, and probably the major source of all further errors. I had decided to try applying the spiling technique to see how it would work in this miniature scale. You can see in the photo where some of the frames have been marked out using the tick strip method. Next up, Scotch "Magic" Tape was applied and the line of the previous planked marked, along with the tick marks for the next plank: The tape was then transferred to a piece of card stock and the shape faired in: The cardboard template was cut out: And checked against the hull: The shape was then traced around onto a piece of Holly sheet, and cut out with the trusty Exacto: This photo show the plank being glued and clamped. Because of the very fine and fragile materials, I needed a clamp with a very light pressure. I found these hairdresser's clamps quite useful for this purpose (not an original idea, but a good one ). I got to about here: ....and realised two things. Firstly, the placement of the Garboard strake was such that it was causing too much of a downward curve in subsequent planks. Secondly, the planks were not sticking to the frames around the bow, which were too delicate to force into place. At this point I released the boats from the build jigs and confirmed that that the only course of action was termination. Many rude words and a good stiff drink later, Ver 2.0 was commenced. Some observations: 1. This framing technique is not suitable for a clinker planked hull. 2. Spiling actually works, even at this scale, and is well worth the effort. 3. Placement of the Garboard strake is absolutely critical to a successful planking job. See next post for commencement of Cutters Ver 2.0............

A very promising start to the figurehead Mark - looking forward to seeing the wood version.

Great job Danny. I'm sure the owner will be delighted - you are a very kind soul. Now, get back to work on Vulture!

Nice work as always Danny. I love it when you show your tooling set-up as part of your "how I did this" - I find it really useful for understanding more about how to get the most out of the tools at our disposal.

Stunning Bob! She just keeps getting better and better - just beautiful.

The deck looks gorgeous Michael, and that trailer really is neat.

Hi Pops, Just a thought for you in placing the riser. Rather than relying on repeated measurements, having determined the distance it sits below the gunwale, cut a strip to that width and use this as a spacer for locating the riser. This way you'll be guaranteed to have the riser at the same height on both sides, and consistent along the length of each side. I used this technique in constructing my scratch-built boats at 1: 90 scale and it worked a treat. Hope this helps.

Well done Mark! Can't wait to see the figurehead and final completion. A truly outstanding piece of work of which you should be justifiably proud.

Brian, As far as saws and sanders go, you can't get better than the Jim Byrnes machinery. His table saw (4") is an absolute joy to work with, and his disc sander is too. Both are extremely accurate, well made, and quiet running. Many of the folks here at MSW swear by his products - myself included. Oh, and he also makes a Thickness sander, a Ropewalk machine, and a Draw plate......... If your wife asks, we never had this conversation..................

You might like to have a look at this log by Archjofo - some really outstanding work, and a great photoessay on doing exactly what you asked about. http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/1029-la-créole-by-archjofo-scale-148-french-corvette-of-1827-scratch-build/page-16

Looking very nice Mark. Can't wait to see the cant frames in place.

Great to see you got your new thread from Chuck, Jesse. I can assure you that it's a delight to work with. I might suggest you remove that first picture (package with your address) though as it contains more of your personal details than you should be comfortable with......

Nice to see the rigging gnomes back at work Sjors. Now that you're all refreshed after your holiday, I expect we'll see this one finished in no time!

Richard, If you go with the Sherline mill, one of the accessories you can buy is called a "sensitive drilling attachment". This would overcome your issue as you simply pull down on the attachment to drill. It's designed to take very small drill bits. Here's a link: http://www.sherline.com/1012pg.htm The Sherline is a top notch machine and highly regarded by many modellers. I have one and love it. Hope this helps.

Very nice Mark. Sometimes the simple solutions really are the best!

Welcome home Sjors. Looking forward to seeing pictures of both your trip AND progress on your ships.

Fantastic Michael! You must have been tickled pink to see her floating. Can't wait to see her under full sail!

That looks fabulous Michael!

Good to see work on you Vic underway again Kevin. A tedious re-do job, but you'll be very pleased you did once it's complete. Hang in there!

Mick, Happy Birthday! Be prepared to fall in love with this machine! His disc sander is also a wonderful piece of machinery and well worth the investment.

Ah, I see you're a quick study Maturin - you'll do well in this Hobby. Don't forget, when discussing the cost of kits, tools etc with your wife, to amortise the cost over the time taken to build, and then compare that to other past times, like golf for instance. Your wife will be very appreciative of the economical hobby you have chosen and funds will be released immediately!

I'm with Michael on this one - bribery goes a long way!

Glad you're enjoying the trip John.

That is just stunning Karl - I can't find the words to express my amazement and appreciation for your skills.

Well done Mark - she looks terrific. Looking forward to the figurehead after you've had your break.