gjdale

I've got that Camel kit sitting in the cupboard too - it calls to me occasionally. I bought it when ME had it on sale for about 50% off - couldn't resist!

You could always post a picture of yours with your ship in the background - that way you couldn't be accused of being off-topic!

Thanks Toni

Looking good Kevin. The wabbits obviously know their stuff!

Thanks Ben and Keith,

I'm feeling positively dangerous today. Off to make a block sanding tumbler now, and if time permits I'll have a crack at some blocks as well.

Ed,

It's such a joy to re-read this log - I must have read it in its entirety at least three times now - because every time I do, I pick up another wonderful tip about the "how to" of some very clever operations. Your description above of making those gunport lift tackle sleeves is an excellent example. I would never have been able to figure out how to achieve such a delicate operation, but now I've filed that one away - the technique is broadly applicable and adjustable for a variety of similar delicate operations. ThanK you so much for being such an excellent tutor. I do hope you include this type of info in your next Naiad volume. If not, perhaps you should consider writing a general text on "modelling techniques" - I'm sure it would be a best seller.

That makes a big difference Dan. Looks like you've got this plating thing covered (pun intended!)

Very nice Toni. The fly tying line looks great. Can you give us any more detail on the actual line used?

Now you're talkin'

Slog,

Thanks for stopping by and for the good words (sorry, missed your post earlier).

Mick - thanks also for stopping by and your kind words. There will be more scratch built boats to come, using different techniques. Just need to finish off the yards first. And there is always room for one more model - you just need to decide what else to get rid of to make room!

Thanks Augie - it's good to be back!

Welcome back Grant !

 

Nice jig you've got there.

How on earth did you get all those holes in one line…..

When I do that it looks if I'm drunk…...

 

Getting the holes in line was the easy part Sjors. I just drew a centreline, marked out the hole centres, started the holes with a brad point, then moved to the drill press, set a depth stop, and drilled. Easy as.......making coffee!

Hi Sjors,

Great to see some string going on at last! Are you using a jig to get even spacing on your dead-eyes? If not, I'd recommend that you do. I used one that I pinched from EdT's Victory log (he has a great drawing of it there) and it worked well for me. You can see a picture of it in action on my log too.

Thanks Mick,

Call me lazy, but using an iPad most of the time for reading logs, I have to click on each image, which then opens in a new window. Ends up taking a long time to review the one log. As I said, call me lazy. It's your log - you do it how YOU like it.

Hi all,

Big news - I'm finally feeling human again!!!  And that means - sawdust!!!!!!!      

After almost three weeks of being able to do nothing and feeling like s&@%, my body seemed to flick a switch sometime yesterday and today I'm feeling almost normal - dangerously so!

So, I'd been thinking about what's next in terms of preparing the yards and decided it would be a good idea to make a small jig to hold the yards while I was working on them.  I can't take credit for the original idea as I found it in my Warrior practicum books.  It showed a picture of one, from which I made my own design.

It's pretty basic really.  It consists of a base and a pair of uprights, with two "arms" for supporting the yard.  The base has a series of holes to allow the width of the uprights to be adjusted.  The uprights have a dowel glued into the bottom end for locating in the base holes.  The "arms" are rebated into the uprights and have a slot cut into them to take the yards.  The "arms" are also covered with some velvet drawer liner to protect the yard paintwork while in the jig.  I also made a dummy mast that attaches in the same way as the uprights.

The best part was, I got play with a bunch of my toys, er, I mean tools.......including Byrnes Saw, Lathe and Mill - not so much because they were needed - more because I could.

Here's a pic of the parts pre-assembly:

One question I do have though is regards to milling.  I'm hoping some of you experts can set me straight on this.  I get confused about direction of cut and/or feed.  I've read about the difference between "normal" cutting and "climb" cutting, but can't get it into my head in a way that makes sense.  Here is a picture of the set-up for how I cut the slots in the "arms" using an end mill.

It should be clear from the photo the direction of feed/cut that I used.  My question then is, is this the "right" way to have cut, or is this a "climb" cut (and why)?

Okay, so here's the assembled jig, complete with yard in place.

And here it is back on the modelling desk.  It holds the yard at a very convenient height for attaching all those fiddly bits.

Having been inspired by a recent thread by Janos, I've decided that I'm going to have a go at making some blocks tomorrow.  Along with that, I'll be making a sanding tumbler following Janos's simple but clever design.  I'll post more pics when that is complete.

Jason,

As you noted, you can buy the torch and butane from Bunnings. I would recommend the type with a self-ignition system - constantly re-lighting will be a pain otherwise.

What you really need to go with it is some silver flux paste (the stuff that comes in a syringe). You can get this in varying "temperatures" - ie different melting points, which can be useful if multiple joins need to be done in close proximity. I think I ordered mine from Model Expo and had no problem with importing. You can also order this through on-line jewellery making suppliers.

Hope this helps.

So what did you end up ordering Ben? As I recall you had a bonus cheque to spend (with the Admiral's blessing).

More nice "set up" Rusty. By the time you get to actually start this project, you'll be so well "set up", that the build will seem to take no time at all!

The first set was good Dan; the replacements are excellent! Well done.

No worries Tex! just glad to be here and offer some help or advice when I can.

Been here since page 1 Tex, but thanks anyway!

Micklen,

Nice progress, but I wonder if you could post larger images? I know you've had some problems posting pics earlier, but you should be able to post pics at least 800x600.

Tex,

First up, I'd recommend sticking to PVA glue (sorry about the pun!) for your wood models and only use CA when you really, really have to. As for clamps, JP has already given some good advice. You can also use "mapping" pins (the type with a small shoulder on them). You can also buy things called " planking clamps". These are sold on line by Modellers Shipyard (Australian company), and I think Model Expo might carry some too. If you want to see these in action, have a look through Danny Vadas's Vulture build log. Of course, you can make your own variety of clamps - again, Danny's log is an excellent resource to see some of these.

Hope this helps.

Looking forward to seeing the new work as well as the rest of the re-post Ed, and of course, Vol 2 is on my "must have" list!!!

Thanks for dropping by Gary and for your kind comments. Re the Hammock netting, I just used what I could get my hands on (after a lot of experimenting). In the end I just went with what "looked" right - I've no idea how accurate it is scale-wise.

Hi Doris,

I somehow missed your return. I am a huge fan of your beautiful work. The standard of your sculpted figures and decorations is simply amazing. Thanks for sharing your work with the rest of us.