gjdale

Lovely looking carriages Mark.

Thanks Jerry, Isn't it great to have an understanding and supportive Admiral? The Chris Craft is still going, but all modelling paused while I had my hip replacement surgery. Still recovering from that - another two weeks before the Doc will let me go back to work, but am allowed small stints in the shipyard. Focus has been on the Bomb Vessel Cross-Section lately while I waited on some bits and pieces I needed to make mods to the Chris Craft. Expect a return to that build very soon. And perhaps the start of a third project - something completely different!

Be grateful that the Admiral didn't have you turned to scrubbing the decks as well Jerry! Adding the crossbars to the deck really makes a difference. Looking good!

Very neat work producing that bell Ian. I really do admire your machining skills and especially your ability to think through the "how" of manufacturing new parts like this. It may seem simple to you, but I learn something from every new description you post. If you lived in my neighbourhood, I'd be banging on your door begging for lessons!!! I think you might have some difficulty using walnut for milling the belfry - my experience (albeit very limited) is that it doesn't machine very well. I've got a ton of swiss pear scraps, and possibly even a bit of boxwood scrap you'd be welcome to if you lived a little closer. Come to think of it, Mobbsie also has a ton of scrap pear and he does live a little closer. Maybe you could work out a deal...........

Jesse, Bad luck with discovering the warp now rather than earlier. However, as you've used a PVA glue, if your attempted fix hasn't worked, you still have the option of de-bonding all the glued joints using isopropyl alcohol and starting over. I would be careful about soaking the plywood too much in straight water as it may start to delaminate. The alcohol will evaporate quickly, so is less likely to cause this. In the end it's your choice on how to proceed, but speaking from experience, if you take the time to fix something properly now, you will be very glad you did so further down the track. Remember, it's not a race, so take your time and make sure it's to your own satisfaction before moving on.

Nice progress Jerry.

That's a neat innovation! It looks great.

Okay Kevin, That's enough slacking off on other modelling projects for now. It's time to get back into the shipyard and get on with Miss Vicky.

Looking good Jerry - well done.

Just got caught up on your log Per. Nice job. I look forward to seeing the rest of your journey from here.

Thanks Augie and Mark. Mark - apart from the limited amount of planking that has already been done on the inside, it will be fully planked internally above the upper deck (ie bulwarks etc).

It's been a while since the last update. Recovery from my hip surgery has certainly slowed things down a little, but I have managed to make some progress. The next stage was construction of the Mortar Pit. Construction of the Mortar Pit Construction of the Mortar Pit commences with the six Mortar Pit Deck Beams that sit atop the Shell Room. These were cut from 1/4" Pear stock. Six rectangular blanks of identical size were cut and then spot glued together. A single paper pattern for the beams was then glued on to the gang of blanks and the notches for the Shell Room headers (5/16”) and the Mortar Pit Boundary Timbers (1/4”) were cut on the mill to take advantage of the still square faces. The round-up of the beams was then shaped using the spindle sander for the inside curve and the disc sander for the outside curve. After test fitting, the Deck Beams were used as additional support to ensure the Shell Room was squared up for final fixing. Once the Shell Room was securely fastened, the Beams were given a coat of Wipe-On Poly and glued in place. The Mortar Pit itself is fairly straightforward construction, consisting of two Boundary Timbers of 1/4” x 5/16” Pear, a Primary Layer of planking (3/16” Holly) and a Secondary Layer of planking (1/8” Holly). I decided to use pencil along the plank edges to simulate the caulking with these decks, rather than the black paper used on the deck of the Shell Room, partly because I was concerned about glue adhesion, and partly because I wanted to see what it looked like. Once again, the “drill and fill” method was used for simulating treenails. In retrospect, I should have sealed the Holly before applying the filler for the treenails as some of the filler has gotten into the grain of the deck and slightly discoloured it. Here are the component parts prior to receiving a couple of coats of Wipe-On Poly. The Primary planking has a 1/8” brass spigot inserted – this will locate the base of the turntable in a later stage of construction. The Secondary planking has a circular cut out for the turntable. This was formed by cutting roughly to shape on the Scroll saw, and then finishing on the spindle sander. Once both decks had been completed, it was a fairly simple case of finessing them to size to fit the space defined by the Boundary timbers. Here are a few pics of the completed Mortar Pit in place: Next up, fitting of the Upper Deck Clamps and preparation for construction of the Upper Deck. Stay tuned.....

Looking great Ben. Love that last overhead shot too!

Glad to hear you're feeling better and able to get back in the Shipyard Frank. Nice progress too.

Nice progress so far Jerry.

Neat! I love your innovative thinking Ken.

Wow - great job Ian! Those before and after shots really tell a story.

This is sure to be another outstanding build Karl. I'm looking forward to following your journey once again.

Amazing work Daniel.

WOW!!! That's looking just fantastic Mobbsie. Your scratch items are a real treat and the sails are well worth the pain they caused in the making. The colour looks great on them too.

I've only just come across this log Dan, and have spent the last couple of days enjoying following your journey. Aside from being a top notch build, your log is also terrific as an instructional piece. Like many others, I have shied away from adding sails to my models to date. Seeing your approach though, may just change my mind for the future. Thanks for sharing so much of your knowledge and experience.

Nice paint job Ken. The use of clear to seal the edge of the tape to prevent bleeding is a great tip too.

Nice to see you've arrived Mark - I was wondering who was going to cover the bar duties. Pass me a cold one please, to go with Sjors's popcorn.

Looks great from this distance too Mark!

A great display of both your engineering (drawing/design) and your machining skills Ian. That's a terrific result!