gjdale

Nice progress Daria - I see you've worked out how to use clamps properly and you are even starting to get the hang of using an airbrush! Keep up the great work.

Rob,
 
To the great advice you been given, I'll add two more... follow your heart.  If the Morgan is the one, go for it.   And the last... "listen to your wife".  They know us best.

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 188 – Completing Main and Fore Masts
 
Just a few finishing up steps were required to complete the two large lower masts.  First, the tops of the hounds had to be angled to the rake of their masts so the tops, when fitted, would be level.  The foremast rake is about 4.75 degrees and the main is at about 5.4 degrees.  A plywood gauge, shown in the first picture was trimmed on each side to these angles.
 

 
This gauge was then used to check the angle of the hounds as it was trimmed back by filing, as shown below.
 

 
The gauge is held parallel to the masthead in the picture.  These mastheads are not tapered.  Both sides had to be matched.  These will get a final trim when the tops are installed and can be levelled more accurately and in both directions. 
 
The next picture shows the main and fore masts with all the construction work completed.
 

 
All the foremast ironwork has been blackened in the picture.  This was all done all at once after all the bands, including the masthead bands were installed and all other work on the mast completed.  This was done to avoid excessive handling of the blackened bands.  Liver of sulfur solution was brushed into each band until black.  Brushing helps eliminate black powdery buildup.  As each band was blackened it was rinsed under running water.  The masts were left to dry overnight then given a finish of Tung oil diluted 50%, applied with cotton swabs.  In the next picture a dry cotton swab is being used to soak up any excess oil.
 

 
The Tung oil restores the tone of the Castello and protects the blackened metal as well as the wood.  The mastheads were left unfinished so that wood fittings may be added later after the tops are slipped over.  The last picture shows the two masts placed temporarily in position to allow the Tung oil to dry..
 

 
Mast wedges will be made and fitted at the partners later, probably after the tops and masthead trim is installed.  This will permit that work to be completed on the workbench.  Meanwhile, the mizzen mast is in the works.
 
Ed

Mike: 
Progress was a bit slow because I got a bit sick, so no modelling due to the quarantine mode enforced at home.
 
Assembling the transom. I have hard time figuring out what these parts are, because in the true spirit of POB kits this area is going to be fully planked and its internal structure is totally different from the real ships.

 
Tricky part to fit, it has a dozen notches that need to be enlarged to fit properly. Lot of filing!

 
Now it is a time to fair the hull! That goes easy, because parts are cut with a good precision, so fairing is truly minimal, everything fits perfectly. I was doing it only because Daria loves the process of turning rough hull into the smooth hull. Fairing was not really necessary.

 
This part was lots of fun! Using compressor to get rid of the dust after fairing. Ended up playing with an air flow for a good 15 minutes

 
Transom continued:

 
Filing to ensure a good fit to the deck:

 
I let Daria figure out the right way to clamp the transom to the hull, and she figured it out!

 

 
Looks like a ship!

 

 
Now it's time for important stuff!

Many thanks as always for all the kind comments and the "likes". On with the show....
  Of Moulds and Wheels 
Before completing the finish on the hull, I decided to take a little diversion in two directions. Firstly, I decided that it would be a good time to make a mould of the bow so that I could work on the cutwater off the model (and hence protect that lovely surface). And secondly, I decided it was about time to start tackling the building of a new steering wheel.
 
To make a mould of the bow, I bought some plaster from the local art store. I could have gone all fancy and bought some very expensive mould making material, but as this is a one-off job, I decided to keep it simple and inexpensive. To create the mould, I mixed up some plaster and water and then suspended the boat above it by looping some brass wire through the rudder post, then attaching some rope hooked over the garage door tracks, and then lower the boat into the plaster. Of course, I had taken the precaution of wrapping the bow in cling wrap first!
 

 
Once the plaster had set, I removed the boat and coated the mould with some silicon grease to act as a release agent. Then I mixed up some more plaster and water and poured it into the mould. I also inserted two pieces of dowel to use as “handles” later on. In this picture, the cast has set and I have cut around the top edge prior to lifting out.
 

 
And here is the final product:
 

 
After this photo was taken, I cleaned up the cast with a light sanding and then painted it with a coat of finishing resin to (hopefully) prevent it from crumbling as I work with it. More on the cutwater to come at a later date.
 
I had decided to replace the kit-supplied steering wheel after reading an excellent “how-to” by Kip Catanese over on the RC Groups forum. Kip made a replacement wheel for a fellow forum member and documented his process so well, that I decided to try and replicate it – at least as far as I am able.  What follows then, is an implementation of Kip’s methodology. I hope I can do it justice.
 
The starting point is a piece of 1/8” diameter brass rod. This needs to be bent around a form and then silver soldered to form our basic wheel. To create a form, Kip turned a “buck” on his lathe to the correct diameter to match the finished wheel’s Inside Diameter of 2” (50mm). This is slightly smaller than the kit supplied wheel as Kip reckoned it was a little too large for the scale. That’s good enough for me Kip!
 
So, following Kip’s lead, I laminated two pieces or 2 ¼” square x ¾” scrap timber together with epoxy, marked the desired diameter, mounted it in a four jaw self-centering chuck, and then turned the outer portion down to the correct diameter. Although Kip used hand tools on his lathe for this operation, I stuck with regular metal cutting tools and they worked just fine. Once the outer portion was turned down, I drilled a 1/8” diameter hole in the cylindrical section to anchor one end of the brass rod, and then drilled and tapped an M6 thread into the square section of the buck. The purpose of this will become clear shortly.
 

 
In order to bend the brass rod around the buck, it first needs to be annealed to make it soft enough to bend easily. I had not done much in the way of annealing before, so had a go with my little butane torch that I use for silver soldering. Well, all I can say is that this was an abject failure. I stopped and thought about it for a while and concluded that I simply wasn’t getting enough heat to the rod overall. A quick (and not inexpensive) trip to the hardware store solved my problems……
 

 
This little torch uses something called Ultra Gas, which apparently is the “next generation MAPP replacement”. I wouldn’t know about that, but what I do know is that it heated my brass rod to cherry red in no time at all, and after a quick dunk in a bucket of water, it bent like a piece of soft rubber around my buck.
 

 
In the picture above, you can see the purpose of the threaded hole (again a direct copy of Kip’s method). I have used an M6 socket head screw with a “mudguard” washer to hold down the very end of the brass rod and keep it nice and tight on the buck while it is being cut. After this picture was taken, I moved the threaded hold-down to the next face around (ie 90 degrees) as I found this to be more secure.
 
The whole assembly was then mounted in the milling vice and the ring cut using a slitting saw. This ensured that the two mating faces were perpendicular to each other.
 

 
Once the piece was cut free, it was placed back on the buck with a hose clamp to ensure that it remained as true to shape as possible. 
 

 
Then it was just a simple case of silver soldering the ring closed and doing a little clean up with a file.  Here is a picture of the finished ring, alongside the original kit-supplied wheel. You can see that it is slightly smaller – the outer diameter of the new wheel is about the same size as the inner diameter of the kit wheel.
 

 
Next up, thinning and shaping the exterior of the wheel, and then milling the finger crenallations. So far Kip’s treatise has been a dream to work with. I’m hoping that the remainder goes as well!
 

You can't go wrong with a Sherline. I love mine, and I'm still only a novice when it comes to using it. Just remember that you will likely spend more on attachments/accessories than on the basic machine. But then, that's half the fun really isn't it? And the same will be true regardless of brand.

Here is another video on Bandsaw setup/adjustment that I think is really good.
 

Many thanks as always for all the kind comments and the "likes". On with the show....
  Of Moulds and Wheels 
Before completing the finish on the hull, I decided to take a little diversion in two directions. Firstly, I decided that it would be a good time to make a mould of the bow so that I could work on the cutwater off the model (and hence protect that lovely surface). And secondly, I decided it was about time to start tackling the building of a new steering wheel.
 
To make a mould of the bow, I bought some plaster from the local art store. I could have gone all fancy and bought some very expensive mould making material, but as this is a one-off job, I decided to keep it simple and inexpensive. To create the mould, I mixed up some plaster and water and then suspended the boat above it by looping some brass wire through the rudder post, then attaching some rope hooked over the garage door tracks, and then lower the boat into the plaster. Of course, I had taken the precaution of wrapping the bow in cling wrap first!
 

 
Once the plaster had set, I removed the boat and coated the mould with some silicon grease to act as a release agent. Then I mixed up some more plaster and water and poured it into the mould. I also inserted two pieces of dowel to use as “handles” later on. In this picture, the cast has set and I have cut around the top edge prior to lifting out.
 

 
And here is the final product:
 

 
After this photo was taken, I cleaned up the cast with a light sanding and then painted it with a coat of finishing resin to (hopefully) prevent it from crumbling as I work with it. More on the cutwater to come at a later date.
 
I had decided to replace the kit-supplied steering wheel after reading an excellent “how-to” by Kip Catanese over on the RC Groups forum. Kip made a replacement wheel for a fellow forum member and documented his process so well, that I decided to try and replicate it – at least as far as I am able.  What follows then, is an implementation of Kip’s methodology. I hope I can do it justice.
 
The starting point is a piece of 1/8” diameter brass rod. This needs to be bent around a form and then silver soldered to form our basic wheel. To create a form, Kip turned a “buck” on his lathe to the correct diameter to match the finished wheel’s Inside Diameter of 2” (50mm). This is slightly smaller than the kit supplied wheel as Kip reckoned it was a little too large for the scale. That’s good enough for me Kip!
 
So, following Kip’s lead, I laminated two pieces or 2 ¼” square x ¾” scrap timber together with epoxy, marked the desired diameter, mounted it in a four jaw self-centering chuck, and then turned the outer portion down to the correct diameter. Although Kip used hand tools on his lathe for this operation, I stuck with regular metal cutting tools and they worked just fine. Once the outer portion was turned down, I drilled a 1/8” diameter hole in the cylindrical section to anchor one end of the brass rod, and then drilled and tapped an M6 thread into the square section of the buck. The purpose of this will become clear shortly.
 

 
In order to bend the brass rod around the buck, it first needs to be annealed to make it soft enough to bend easily. I had not done much in the way of annealing before, so had a go with my little butane torch that I use for silver soldering. Well, all I can say is that this was an abject failure. I stopped and thought about it for a while and concluded that I simply wasn’t getting enough heat to the rod overall. A quick (and not inexpensive) trip to the hardware store solved my problems……
 

 
This little torch uses something called Ultra Gas, which apparently is the “next generation MAPP replacement”. I wouldn’t know about that, but what I do know is that it heated my brass rod to cherry red in no time at all, and after a quick dunk in a bucket of water, it bent like a piece of soft rubber around my buck.
 

 
In the picture above, you can see the purpose of the threaded hole (again a direct copy of Kip’s method). I have used an M6 socket head screw with a “mudguard” washer to hold down the very end of the brass rod and keep it nice and tight on the buck while it is being cut. After this picture was taken, I moved the threaded hold-down to the next face around (ie 90 degrees) as I found this to be more secure.
 
The whole assembly was then mounted in the milling vice and the ring cut using a slitting saw. This ensured that the two mating faces were perpendicular to each other.
 

 
Once the piece was cut free, it was placed back on the buck with a hose clamp to ensure that it remained as true to shape as possible. 
 

 
Then it was just a simple case of silver soldering the ring closed and doing a little clean up with a file.  Here is a picture of the finished ring, alongside the original kit-supplied wheel. You can see that it is slightly smaller – the outer diameter of the new wheel is about the same size as the inner diameter of the kit wheel.
 

 
Next up, thinning and shaping the exterior of the wheel, and then milling the finger crenallations. So far Kip’s treatise has been a dream to work with. I’m hoping that the remainder goes as well!
 

Nice to see some progress Steve. Looking good!

Many thanks as always for all the kind comments and the "likes". On with the show....
  Of Moulds and Wheels 
Before completing the finish on the hull, I decided to take a little diversion in two directions. Firstly, I decided that it would be a good time to make a mould of the bow so that I could work on the cutwater off the model (and hence protect that lovely surface). And secondly, I decided it was about time to start tackling the building of a new steering wheel.
 
To make a mould of the bow, I bought some plaster from the local art store. I could have gone all fancy and bought some very expensive mould making material, but as this is a one-off job, I decided to keep it simple and inexpensive. To create the mould, I mixed up some plaster and water and then suspended the boat above it by looping some brass wire through the rudder post, then attaching some rope hooked over the garage door tracks, and then lower the boat into the plaster. Of course, I had taken the precaution of wrapping the bow in cling wrap first!
 

 
Once the plaster had set, I removed the boat and coated the mould with some silicon grease to act as a release agent. Then I mixed up some more plaster and water and poured it into the mould. I also inserted two pieces of dowel to use as “handles” later on. In this picture, the cast has set and I have cut around the top edge prior to lifting out.
 

 
And here is the final product:
 

 
After this photo was taken, I cleaned up the cast with a light sanding and then painted it with a coat of finishing resin to (hopefully) prevent it from crumbling as I work with it. More on the cutwater to come at a later date.
 
I had decided to replace the kit-supplied steering wheel after reading an excellent “how-to” by Kip Catanese over on the RC Groups forum. Kip made a replacement wheel for a fellow forum member and documented his process so well, that I decided to try and replicate it – at least as far as I am able.  What follows then, is an implementation of Kip’s methodology. I hope I can do it justice.
 
The starting point is a piece of 1/8” diameter brass rod. This needs to be bent around a form and then silver soldered to form our basic wheel. To create a form, Kip turned a “buck” on his lathe to the correct diameter to match the finished wheel’s Inside Diameter of 2” (50mm). This is slightly smaller than the kit supplied wheel as Kip reckoned it was a little too large for the scale. That’s good enough for me Kip!
 
So, following Kip’s lead, I laminated two pieces or 2 ¼” square x ¾” scrap timber together with epoxy, marked the desired diameter, mounted it in a four jaw self-centering chuck, and then turned the outer portion down to the correct diameter. Although Kip used hand tools on his lathe for this operation, I stuck with regular metal cutting tools and they worked just fine. Once the outer portion was turned down, I drilled a 1/8” diameter hole in the cylindrical section to anchor one end of the brass rod, and then drilled and tapped an M6 thread into the square section of the buck. The purpose of this will become clear shortly.
 

 
In order to bend the brass rod around the buck, it first needs to be annealed to make it soft enough to bend easily. I had not done much in the way of annealing before, so had a go with my little butane torch that I use for silver soldering. Well, all I can say is that this was an abject failure. I stopped and thought about it for a while and concluded that I simply wasn’t getting enough heat to the rod overall. A quick (and not inexpensive) trip to the hardware store solved my problems……
 

 
This little torch uses something called Ultra Gas, which apparently is the “next generation MAPP replacement”. I wouldn’t know about that, but what I do know is that it heated my brass rod to cherry red in no time at all, and after a quick dunk in a bucket of water, it bent like a piece of soft rubber around my buck.
 

 
In the picture above, you can see the purpose of the threaded hole (again a direct copy of Kip’s method). I have used an M6 socket head screw with a “mudguard” washer to hold down the very end of the brass rod and keep it nice and tight on the buck while it is being cut. After this picture was taken, I moved the threaded hold-down to the next face around (ie 90 degrees) as I found this to be more secure.
 
The whole assembly was then mounted in the milling vice and the ring cut using a slitting saw. This ensured that the two mating faces were perpendicular to each other.
 

 
Once the piece was cut free, it was placed back on the buck with a hose clamp to ensure that it remained as true to shape as possible. 
 

 
Then it was just a simple case of silver soldering the ring closed and doing a little clean up with a file.  Here is a picture of the finished ring, alongside the original kit-supplied wheel. You can see that it is slightly smaller – the outer diameter of the new wheel is about the same size as the inner diameter of the kit wheel.
 

 
Next up, thinning and shaping the exterior of the wheel, and then milling the finger crenallations. So far Kip’s treatise has been a dream to work with. I’m hoping that the remainder goes as well!
 

Many thanks as always for all the kind comments and the "likes". On with the show....
  Of Moulds and Wheels 
Before completing the finish on the hull, I decided to take a little diversion in two directions. Firstly, I decided that it would be a good time to make a mould of the bow so that I could work on the cutwater off the model (and hence protect that lovely surface). And secondly, I decided it was about time to start tackling the building of a new steering wheel.
 
To make a mould of the bow, I bought some plaster from the local art store. I could have gone all fancy and bought some very expensive mould making material, but as this is a one-off job, I decided to keep it simple and inexpensive. To create the mould, I mixed up some plaster and water and then suspended the boat above it by looping some brass wire through the rudder post, then attaching some rope hooked over the garage door tracks, and then lower the boat into the plaster. Of course, I had taken the precaution of wrapping the bow in cling wrap first!
 

 
Once the plaster had set, I removed the boat and coated the mould with some silicon grease to act as a release agent. Then I mixed up some more plaster and water and poured it into the mould. I also inserted two pieces of dowel to use as “handles” later on. In this picture, the cast has set and I have cut around the top edge prior to lifting out.
 

 
And here is the final product:
 

 
After this photo was taken, I cleaned up the cast with a light sanding and then painted it with a coat of finishing resin to (hopefully) prevent it from crumbling as I work with it. More on the cutwater to come at a later date.
 
I had decided to replace the kit-supplied steering wheel after reading an excellent “how-to” by Kip Catanese over on the RC Groups forum. Kip made a replacement wheel for a fellow forum member and documented his process so well, that I decided to try and replicate it – at least as far as I am able.  What follows then, is an implementation of Kip’s methodology. I hope I can do it justice.
 
The starting point is a piece of 1/8” diameter brass rod. This needs to be bent around a form and then silver soldered to form our basic wheel. To create a form, Kip turned a “buck” on his lathe to the correct diameter to match the finished wheel’s Inside Diameter of 2” (50mm). This is slightly smaller than the kit supplied wheel as Kip reckoned it was a little too large for the scale. That’s good enough for me Kip!
 
So, following Kip’s lead, I laminated two pieces or 2 ¼” square x ¾” scrap timber together with epoxy, marked the desired diameter, mounted it in a four jaw self-centering chuck, and then turned the outer portion down to the correct diameter. Although Kip used hand tools on his lathe for this operation, I stuck with regular metal cutting tools and they worked just fine. Once the outer portion was turned down, I drilled a 1/8” diameter hole in the cylindrical section to anchor one end of the brass rod, and then drilled and tapped an M6 thread into the square section of the buck. The purpose of this will become clear shortly.
 

 
In order to bend the brass rod around the buck, it first needs to be annealed to make it soft enough to bend easily. I had not done much in the way of annealing before, so had a go with my little butane torch that I use for silver soldering. Well, all I can say is that this was an abject failure. I stopped and thought about it for a while and concluded that I simply wasn’t getting enough heat to the rod overall. A quick (and not inexpensive) trip to the hardware store solved my problems……
 

 
This little torch uses something called Ultra Gas, which apparently is the “next generation MAPP replacement”. I wouldn’t know about that, but what I do know is that it heated my brass rod to cherry red in no time at all, and after a quick dunk in a bucket of water, it bent like a piece of soft rubber around my buck.
 

 
In the picture above, you can see the purpose of the threaded hole (again a direct copy of Kip’s method). I have used an M6 socket head screw with a “mudguard” washer to hold down the very end of the brass rod and keep it nice and tight on the buck while it is being cut. After this picture was taken, I moved the threaded hold-down to the next face around (ie 90 degrees) as I found this to be more secure.
 
The whole assembly was then mounted in the milling vice and the ring cut using a slitting saw. This ensured that the two mating faces were perpendicular to each other.
 

 
Once the piece was cut free, it was placed back on the buck with a hose clamp to ensure that it remained as true to shape as possible. 
 

 
Then it was just a simple case of silver soldering the ring closed and doing a little clean up with a file.  Here is a picture of the finished ring, alongside the original kit-supplied wheel. You can see that it is slightly smaller – the outer diameter of the new wheel is about the same size as the inner diameter of the kit wheel.
 

 
Next up, thinning and shaping the exterior of the wheel, and then milling the finger crenallations. So far Kip’s treatise has been a dream to work with. I’m hoping that the remainder goes as well!
 

Many thanks as always for all the kind comments and the "likes". On with the show....
  Of Moulds and Wheels 
Before completing the finish on the hull, I decided to take a little diversion in two directions. Firstly, I decided that it would be a good time to make a mould of the bow so that I could work on the cutwater off the model (and hence protect that lovely surface). And secondly, I decided it was about time to start tackling the building of a new steering wheel.
 
To make a mould of the bow, I bought some plaster from the local art store. I could have gone all fancy and bought some very expensive mould making material, but as this is a one-off job, I decided to keep it simple and inexpensive. To create the mould, I mixed up some plaster and water and then suspended the boat above it by looping some brass wire through the rudder post, then attaching some rope hooked over the garage door tracks, and then lower the boat into the plaster. Of course, I had taken the precaution of wrapping the bow in cling wrap first!
 

 
Once the plaster had set, I removed the boat and coated the mould with some silicon grease to act as a release agent. Then I mixed up some more plaster and water and poured it into the mould. I also inserted two pieces of dowel to use as “handles” later on. In this picture, the cast has set and I have cut around the top edge prior to lifting out.
 

 
And here is the final product:
 

 
After this photo was taken, I cleaned up the cast with a light sanding and then painted it with a coat of finishing resin to (hopefully) prevent it from crumbling as I work with it. More on the cutwater to come at a later date.
 
I had decided to replace the kit-supplied steering wheel after reading an excellent “how-to” by Kip Catanese over on the RC Groups forum. Kip made a replacement wheel for a fellow forum member and documented his process so well, that I decided to try and replicate it – at least as far as I am able.  What follows then, is an implementation of Kip’s methodology. I hope I can do it justice.
 
The starting point is a piece of 1/8” diameter brass rod. This needs to be bent around a form and then silver soldered to form our basic wheel. To create a form, Kip turned a “buck” on his lathe to the correct diameter to match the finished wheel’s Inside Diameter of 2” (50mm). This is slightly smaller than the kit supplied wheel as Kip reckoned it was a little too large for the scale. That’s good enough for me Kip!
 
So, following Kip’s lead, I laminated two pieces or 2 ¼” square x ¾” scrap timber together with epoxy, marked the desired diameter, mounted it in a four jaw self-centering chuck, and then turned the outer portion down to the correct diameter. Although Kip used hand tools on his lathe for this operation, I stuck with regular metal cutting tools and they worked just fine. Once the outer portion was turned down, I drilled a 1/8” diameter hole in the cylindrical section to anchor one end of the brass rod, and then drilled and tapped an M6 thread into the square section of the buck. The purpose of this will become clear shortly.
 

 
In order to bend the brass rod around the buck, it first needs to be annealed to make it soft enough to bend easily. I had not done much in the way of annealing before, so had a go with my little butane torch that I use for silver soldering. Well, all I can say is that this was an abject failure. I stopped and thought about it for a while and concluded that I simply wasn’t getting enough heat to the rod overall. A quick (and not inexpensive) trip to the hardware store solved my problems……
 

 
This little torch uses something called Ultra Gas, which apparently is the “next generation MAPP replacement”. I wouldn’t know about that, but what I do know is that it heated my brass rod to cherry red in no time at all, and after a quick dunk in a bucket of water, it bent like a piece of soft rubber around my buck.
 

 
In the picture above, you can see the purpose of the threaded hole (again a direct copy of Kip’s method). I have used an M6 socket head screw with a “mudguard” washer to hold down the very end of the brass rod and keep it nice and tight on the buck while it is being cut. After this picture was taken, I moved the threaded hold-down to the next face around (ie 90 degrees) as I found this to be more secure.
 
The whole assembly was then mounted in the milling vice and the ring cut using a slitting saw. This ensured that the two mating faces were perpendicular to each other.
 

 
Once the piece was cut free, it was placed back on the buck with a hose clamp to ensure that it remained as true to shape as possible. 
 

 
Then it was just a simple case of silver soldering the ring closed and doing a little clean up with a file.  Here is a picture of the finished ring, alongside the original kit-supplied wheel. You can see that it is slightly smaller – the outer diameter of the new wheel is about the same size as the inner diameter of the kit wheel.
 

 
Next up, thinning and shaping the exterior of the wheel, and then milling the finger crenallations. So far Kip’s treatise has been a dream to work with. I’m hoping that the remainder goes as well!
 

Many thanks as always for all the kind comments and the "likes". On with the show....
  Of Moulds and Wheels 
Before completing the finish on the hull, I decided to take a little diversion in two directions. Firstly, I decided that it would be a good time to make a mould of the bow so that I could work on the cutwater off the model (and hence protect that lovely surface). And secondly, I decided it was about time to start tackling the building of a new steering wheel.
 
To make a mould of the bow, I bought some plaster from the local art store. I could have gone all fancy and bought some very expensive mould making material, but as this is a one-off job, I decided to keep it simple and inexpensive. To create the mould, I mixed up some plaster and water and then suspended the boat above it by looping some brass wire through the rudder post, then attaching some rope hooked over the garage door tracks, and then lower the boat into the plaster. Of course, I had taken the precaution of wrapping the bow in cling wrap first!
 

 
Once the plaster had set, I removed the boat and coated the mould with some silicon grease to act as a release agent. Then I mixed up some more plaster and water and poured it into the mould. I also inserted two pieces of dowel to use as “handles” later on. In this picture, the cast has set and I have cut around the top edge prior to lifting out.
 

 
And here is the final product:
 

 
After this photo was taken, I cleaned up the cast with a light sanding and then painted it with a coat of finishing resin to (hopefully) prevent it from crumbling as I work with it. More on the cutwater to come at a later date.
 
I had decided to replace the kit-supplied steering wheel after reading an excellent “how-to” by Kip Catanese over on the RC Groups forum. Kip made a replacement wheel for a fellow forum member and documented his process so well, that I decided to try and replicate it – at least as far as I am able.  What follows then, is an implementation of Kip’s methodology. I hope I can do it justice.
 
The starting point is a piece of 1/8” diameter brass rod. This needs to be bent around a form and then silver soldered to form our basic wheel. To create a form, Kip turned a “buck” on his lathe to the correct diameter to match the finished wheel’s Inside Diameter of 2” (50mm). This is slightly smaller than the kit supplied wheel as Kip reckoned it was a little too large for the scale. That’s good enough for me Kip!
 
So, following Kip’s lead, I laminated two pieces or 2 ¼” square x ¾” scrap timber together with epoxy, marked the desired diameter, mounted it in a four jaw self-centering chuck, and then turned the outer portion down to the correct diameter. Although Kip used hand tools on his lathe for this operation, I stuck with regular metal cutting tools and they worked just fine. Once the outer portion was turned down, I drilled a 1/8” diameter hole in the cylindrical section to anchor one end of the brass rod, and then drilled and tapped an M6 thread into the square section of the buck. The purpose of this will become clear shortly.
 

 
In order to bend the brass rod around the buck, it first needs to be annealed to make it soft enough to bend easily. I had not done much in the way of annealing before, so had a go with my little butane torch that I use for silver soldering. Well, all I can say is that this was an abject failure. I stopped and thought about it for a while and concluded that I simply wasn’t getting enough heat to the rod overall. A quick (and not inexpensive) trip to the hardware store solved my problems……
 

 
This little torch uses something called Ultra Gas, which apparently is the “next generation MAPP replacement”. I wouldn’t know about that, but what I do know is that it heated my brass rod to cherry red in no time at all, and after a quick dunk in a bucket of water, it bent like a piece of soft rubber around my buck.
 

 
In the picture above, you can see the purpose of the threaded hole (again a direct copy of Kip’s method). I have used an M6 socket head screw with a “mudguard” washer to hold down the very end of the brass rod and keep it nice and tight on the buck while it is being cut. After this picture was taken, I moved the threaded hold-down to the next face around (ie 90 degrees) as I found this to be more secure.
 
The whole assembly was then mounted in the milling vice and the ring cut using a slitting saw. This ensured that the two mating faces were perpendicular to each other.
 

 
Once the piece was cut free, it was placed back on the buck with a hose clamp to ensure that it remained as true to shape as possible. 
 

 
Then it was just a simple case of silver soldering the ring closed and doing a little clean up with a file.  Here is a picture of the finished ring, alongside the original kit-supplied wheel. You can see that it is slightly smaller – the outer diameter of the new wheel is about the same size as the inner diameter of the kit wheel.
 

 
Next up, thinning and shaping the exterior of the wheel, and then milling the finger crenallations. So far Kip’s treatise has been a dream to work with. I’m hoping that the remainder goes as well!
 

Many thanks as always for all the kind comments and the "likes". On with the show....
  Of Moulds and Wheels 
Before completing the finish on the hull, I decided to take a little diversion in two directions. Firstly, I decided that it would be a good time to make a mould of the bow so that I could work on the cutwater off the model (and hence protect that lovely surface). And secondly, I decided it was about time to start tackling the building of a new steering wheel.
 
To make a mould of the bow, I bought some plaster from the local art store. I could have gone all fancy and bought some very expensive mould making material, but as this is a one-off job, I decided to keep it simple and inexpensive. To create the mould, I mixed up some plaster and water and then suspended the boat above it by looping some brass wire through the rudder post, then attaching some rope hooked over the garage door tracks, and then lower the boat into the plaster. Of course, I had taken the precaution of wrapping the bow in cling wrap first!
 

 
Once the plaster had set, I removed the boat and coated the mould with some silicon grease to act as a release agent. Then I mixed up some more plaster and water and poured it into the mould. I also inserted two pieces of dowel to use as “handles” later on. In this picture, the cast has set and I have cut around the top edge prior to lifting out.
 

 
And here is the final product:
 

 
After this photo was taken, I cleaned up the cast with a light sanding and then painted it with a coat of finishing resin to (hopefully) prevent it from crumbling as I work with it. More on the cutwater to come at a later date.
 
I had decided to replace the kit-supplied steering wheel after reading an excellent “how-to” by Kip Catanese over on the RC Groups forum. Kip made a replacement wheel for a fellow forum member and documented his process so well, that I decided to try and replicate it – at least as far as I am able.  What follows then, is an implementation of Kip’s methodology. I hope I can do it justice.
 
The starting point is a piece of 1/8” diameter brass rod. This needs to be bent around a form and then silver soldered to form our basic wheel. To create a form, Kip turned a “buck” on his lathe to the correct diameter to match the finished wheel’s Inside Diameter of 2” (50mm). This is slightly smaller than the kit supplied wheel as Kip reckoned it was a little too large for the scale. That’s good enough for me Kip!
 
So, following Kip’s lead, I laminated two pieces or 2 ¼” square x ¾” scrap timber together with epoxy, marked the desired diameter, mounted it in a four jaw self-centering chuck, and then turned the outer portion down to the correct diameter. Although Kip used hand tools on his lathe for this operation, I stuck with regular metal cutting tools and they worked just fine. Once the outer portion was turned down, I drilled a 1/8” diameter hole in the cylindrical section to anchor one end of the brass rod, and then drilled and tapped an M6 thread into the square section of the buck. The purpose of this will become clear shortly.
 

 
In order to bend the brass rod around the buck, it first needs to be annealed to make it soft enough to bend easily. I had not done much in the way of annealing before, so had a go with my little butane torch that I use for silver soldering. Well, all I can say is that this was an abject failure. I stopped and thought about it for a while and concluded that I simply wasn’t getting enough heat to the rod overall. A quick (and not inexpensive) trip to the hardware store solved my problems……
 

 
This little torch uses something called Ultra Gas, which apparently is the “next generation MAPP replacement”. I wouldn’t know about that, but what I do know is that it heated my brass rod to cherry red in no time at all, and after a quick dunk in a bucket of water, it bent like a piece of soft rubber around my buck.
 

 
In the picture above, you can see the purpose of the threaded hole (again a direct copy of Kip’s method). I have used an M6 socket head screw with a “mudguard” washer to hold down the very end of the brass rod and keep it nice and tight on the buck while it is being cut. After this picture was taken, I moved the threaded hold-down to the next face around (ie 90 degrees) as I found this to be more secure.
 
The whole assembly was then mounted in the milling vice and the ring cut using a slitting saw. This ensured that the two mating faces were perpendicular to each other.
 

 
Once the piece was cut free, it was placed back on the buck with a hose clamp to ensure that it remained as true to shape as possible. 
 

 
Then it was just a simple case of silver soldering the ring closed and doing a little clean up with a file.  Here is a picture of the finished ring, alongside the original kit-supplied wheel. You can see that it is slightly smaller – the outer diameter of the new wheel is about the same size as the inner diameter of the kit wheel.
 

 
Next up, thinning and shaping the exterior of the wheel, and then milling the finger crenallations. So far Kip’s treatise has been a dream to work with. I’m hoping that the remainder goes as well!
 

Many thanks as always for all the kind comments and the "likes". On with the show....
  Of Moulds and Wheels 
Before completing the finish on the hull, I decided to take a little diversion in two directions. Firstly, I decided that it would be a good time to make a mould of the bow so that I could work on the cutwater off the model (and hence protect that lovely surface). And secondly, I decided it was about time to start tackling the building of a new steering wheel.
 
To make a mould of the bow, I bought some plaster from the local art store. I could have gone all fancy and bought some very expensive mould making material, but as this is a one-off job, I decided to keep it simple and inexpensive. To create the mould, I mixed up some plaster and water and then suspended the boat above it by looping some brass wire through the rudder post, then attaching some rope hooked over the garage door tracks, and then lower the boat into the plaster. Of course, I had taken the precaution of wrapping the bow in cling wrap first!
 

 
Once the plaster had set, I removed the boat and coated the mould with some silicon grease to act as a release agent. Then I mixed up some more plaster and water and poured it into the mould. I also inserted two pieces of dowel to use as “handles” later on. In this picture, the cast has set and I have cut around the top edge prior to lifting out.
 

 
And here is the final product:
 

 
After this photo was taken, I cleaned up the cast with a light sanding and then painted it with a coat of finishing resin to (hopefully) prevent it from crumbling as I work with it. More on the cutwater to come at a later date.
 
I had decided to replace the kit-supplied steering wheel after reading an excellent “how-to” by Kip Catanese over on the RC Groups forum. Kip made a replacement wheel for a fellow forum member and documented his process so well, that I decided to try and replicate it – at least as far as I am able.  What follows then, is an implementation of Kip’s methodology. I hope I can do it justice.
 
The starting point is a piece of 1/8” diameter brass rod. This needs to be bent around a form and then silver soldered to form our basic wheel. To create a form, Kip turned a “buck” on his lathe to the correct diameter to match the finished wheel’s Inside Diameter of 2” (50mm). This is slightly smaller than the kit supplied wheel as Kip reckoned it was a little too large for the scale. That’s good enough for me Kip!
 
So, following Kip’s lead, I laminated two pieces or 2 ¼” square x ¾” scrap timber together with epoxy, marked the desired diameter, mounted it in a four jaw self-centering chuck, and then turned the outer portion down to the correct diameter. Although Kip used hand tools on his lathe for this operation, I stuck with regular metal cutting tools and they worked just fine. Once the outer portion was turned down, I drilled a 1/8” diameter hole in the cylindrical section to anchor one end of the brass rod, and then drilled and tapped an M6 thread into the square section of the buck. The purpose of this will become clear shortly.
 

 
In order to bend the brass rod around the buck, it first needs to be annealed to make it soft enough to bend easily. I had not done much in the way of annealing before, so had a go with my little butane torch that I use for silver soldering. Well, all I can say is that this was an abject failure. I stopped and thought about it for a while and concluded that I simply wasn’t getting enough heat to the rod overall. A quick (and not inexpensive) trip to the hardware store solved my problems……
 

 
This little torch uses something called Ultra Gas, which apparently is the “next generation MAPP replacement”. I wouldn’t know about that, but what I do know is that it heated my brass rod to cherry red in no time at all, and after a quick dunk in a bucket of water, it bent like a piece of soft rubber around my buck.
 

 
In the picture above, you can see the purpose of the threaded hole (again a direct copy of Kip’s method). I have used an M6 socket head screw with a “mudguard” washer to hold down the very end of the brass rod and keep it nice and tight on the buck while it is being cut. After this picture was taken, I moved the threaded hold-down to the next face around (ie 90 degrees) as I found this to be more secure.
 
The whole assembly was then mounted in the milling vice and the ring cut using a slitting saw. This ensured that the two mating faces were perpendicular to each other.
 

 
Once the piece was cut free, it was placed back on the buck with a hose clamp to ensure that it remained as true to shape as possible. 
 

 
Then it was just a simple case of silver soldering the ring closed and doing a little clean up with a file.  Here is a picture of the finished ring, alongside the original kit-supplied wheel. You can see that it is slightly smaller – the outer diameter of the new wheel is about the same size as the inner diameter of the kit wheel.
 

 
Next up, thinning and shaping the exterior of the wheel, and then milling the finger crenallations. So far Kip’s treatise has been a dream to work with. I’m hoping that the remainder goes as well!
 

Nice to see some progress Steve. Looking good!

Many thanks as always for all the kind comments and the "likes". On with the show....
  Of Moulds and Wheels 
Before completing the finish on the hull, I decided to take a little diversion in two directions. Firstly, I decided that it would be a good time to make a mould of the bow so that I could work on the cutwater off the model (and hence protect that lovely surface). And secondly, I decided it was about time to start tackling the building of a new steering wheel.
 
To make a mould of the bow, I bought some plaster from the local art store. I could have gone all fancy and bought some very expensive mould making material, but as this is a one-off job, I decided to keep it simple and inexpensive. To create the mould, I mixed up some plaster and water and then suspended the boat above it by looping some brass wire through the rudder post, then attaching some rope hooked over the garage door tracks, and then lower the boat into the plaster. Of course, I had taken the precaution of wrapping the bow in cling wrap first!
 

 
Once the plaster had set, I removed the boat and coated the mould with some silicon grease to act as a release agent. Then I mixed up some more plaster and water and poured it into the mould. I also inserted two pieces of dowel to use as “handles” later on. In this picture, the cast has set and I have cut around the top edge prior to lifting out.
 

 
And here is the final product:
 

 
After this photo was taken, I cleaned up the cast with a light sanding and then painted it with a coat of finishing resin to (hopefully) prevent it from crumbling as I work with it. More on the cutwater to come at a later date.
 
I had decided to replace the kit-supplied steering wheel after reading an excellent “how-to” by Kip Catanese over on the RC Groups forum. Kip made a replacement wheel for a fellow forum member and documented his process so well, that I decided to try and replicate it – at least as far as I am able.  What follows then, is an implementation of Kip’s methodology. I hope I can do it justice.
 
The starting point is a piece of 1/8” diameter brass rod. This needs to be bent around a form and then silver soldered to form our basic wheel. To create a form, Kip turned a “buck” on his lathe to the correct diameter to match the finished wheel’s Inside Diameter of 2” (50mm). This is slightly smaller than the kit supplied wheel as Kip reckoned it was a little too large for the scale. That’s good enough for me Kip!
 
So, following Kip’s lead, I laminated two pieces or 2 ¼” square x ¾” scrap timber together with epoxy, marked the desired diameter, mounted it in a four jaw self-centering chuck, and then turned the outer portion down to the correct diameter. Although Kip used hand tools on his lathe for this operation, I stuck with regular metal cutting tools and they worked just fine. Once the outer portion was turned down, I drilled a 1/8” diameter hole in the cylindrical section to anchor one end of the brass rod, and then drilled and tapped an M6 thread into the square section of the buck. The purpose of this will become clear shortly.
 

 
In order to bend the brass rod around the buck, it first needs to be annealed to make it soft enough to bend easily. I had not done much in the way of annealing before, so had a go with my little butane torch that I use for silver soldering. Well, all I can say is that this was an abject failure. I stopped and thought about it for a while and concluded that I simply wasn’t getting enough heat to the rod overall. A quick (and not inexpensive) trip to the hardware store solved my problems……
 

 
This little torch uses something called Ultra Gas, which apparently is the “next generation MAPP replacement”. I wouldn’t know about that, but what I do know is that it heated my brass rod to cherry red in no time at all, and after a quick dunk in a bucket of water, it bent like a piece of soft rubber around my buck.
 

 
In the picture above, you can see the purpose of the threaded hole (again a direct copy of Kip’s method). I have used an M6 socket head screw with a “mudguard” washer to hold down the very end of the brass rod and keep it nice and tight on the buck while it is being cut. After this picture was taken, I moved the threaded hold-down to the next face around (ie 90 degrees) as I found this to be more secure.
 
The whole assembly was then mounted in the milling vice and the ring cut using a slitting saw. This ensured that the two mating faces were perpendicular to each other.
 

 
Once the piece was cut free, it was placed back on the buck with a hose clamp to ensure that it remained as true to shape as possible. 
 

 
Then it was just a simple case of silver soldering the ring closed and doing a little clean up with a file.  Here is a picture of the finished ring, alongside the original kit-supplied wheel. You can see that it is slightly smaller – the outer diameter of the new wheel is about the same size as the inner diameter of the kit wheel.
 

 
Next up, thinning and shaping the exterior of the wheel, and then milling the finger crenallations. So far Kip’s treatise has been a dream to work with. I’m hoping that the remainder goes as well!
 

“A’ first,” Our Hero began-eth, “I didst contemplate tearing out the entire gallery section and re-making me counter piece, fer it be mis-shapened, and doth lack-eth in length.”

 
But, upon further reflection, he didst decide-eth that he couldst merely build-eth up the errant counter piece with added scrap strips of wood.

 
“After all, this be only the framing and none shall be visible once the planking be on. At this point, I jus’ be needing to get the shapeliness a-right,” Our Hero self-justified.

 
Those wi’ a keen eye may have noticed that CaptainSteve has improved his photography skills … somewhat.
“I be getting meself a new camera,” he bragged. “It be just a Nikon Coolpix, but it come-eth with a new tripod, so I be a-hopin’ that future pics will be more better.”
Do you mean ‘in focus’, CaptainSteve ??
“Err … that, too”, he stammered.
 
At least it appears to have motivated Our Hero to return to his workshop.
 
To start this latest re-do, CaptainSteve did something radical and didst draw-eth up some plans to aide him.

 
As before, Our Hero didst use the stern frame templates from his kit as a stencil. But this time, he hath elected to make separate pieces for the uprights and horizontal cross-beams.
“It be much easier,” he explained, “fer me to cut (and re-cut, and re-re-cut) these pieces in this manner.”

 
“Look-eth !! A-ready,” he declared, perhaps a little too smugly, “I be needing to re-make one of the upright stern timbers.”

 
For each timber upright, CaptainSteve grooved a precisely measured groove in the base. Each, in turn, were set to 40, 80 or 120. In this manner, he hoped to position each timber/window frame properly.
“To be a-makin’ this easier on meself,” he began, “I took-eth me blade to some Lego blocks and didst slash-eth most precise angles unto each.”

"These be me tools fer setting the angles properly."
 
But, eventually, Our Hero had a full set of timbers …

[NOTE: For those lacking in sense and wishing to follow in Our Hero’s footsteps in this manner, it should be noted that he didst mark the top of the “knuckle” on each timber upright, and use-eth this as a reference.]
 
Meanwhile, he took another piece of scrap and didst cut-eth a collar-piece …

Here, the base-plank has been clamped to the back of the collar-piece for shaping.
 
“Again, I be utilising the kit templates …”

 
“This ‘ere pic,” CaptainSteve droned on, “also shows a base-plank (having been soaked, heated and curved) to which me angled uprights shall be positioned and fitted …”

 
[NOTE: The attached frame in the above pic is positioned the wrong way around. It is for demonstration purposes only, to show how the uprights are angled and fitted to the base-plank.]
 
“Next up,” Our Hero were to continue, “I didst finish me scantlings fer the gallery framing.”

 
Looking closely (“Ye may be needin’ to squint.”), CaptainSteve has finished the uprights, the base- and collar-planks, as well as the roof beams.
“Two o’ these,” he were to helpfully point-eth out, “I didst groove-eth and drill to later take the lights and wiring.”

“An’ two others,” he were to continue, “have been grooved to take the side gallery ‘walls’.”
 
And so, with the frame pieces complete, Our Hero took to construction …
“No need fer long-winded explanations,” he went on to explain, “me pictures be speaking fer themselves, I hope-eth.”

 
Next, CaptainSteve did notch-eth out his collar-plank.

 
“This piece be locking me frames into place,” he didst add-eth, “locking them firmly in place at the required angles.”
It will also provide a seating for the ends of the cabin roof beams … once the lighting has been done.
 
“Patience patience,” CaptainSteve were to huff, somewhat exasperated, “I be getting’ to them. Just how much do ye be a-wantin’ from one update ??”
 
In closing, Our Hero’s final duty for this weekend were to be adding some extra wood to the outer footings (Frames 6 and 7).
“I be deliberately adding to the footings when I didst cut these,” he complained. “But, alas, ‘twere not enough.”

 
Once the glue has dried, Our Hero will shape the footings to his satisfaction, but he be tired now and in need of a nap.
 
"Just 'cause I be knowin' you lot thrive on pictures," said CaptainSteve, wind-ething up, "here be some last-minute pics showing the framing loosely positioned in place."

Many thanks as always for all the kind comments and the "likes". On with the show....
  Of Moulds and Wheels 
Before completing the finish on the hull, I decided to take a little diversion in two directions. Firstly, I decided that it would be a good time to make a mould of the bow so that I could work on the cutwater off the model (and hence protect that lovely surface). And secondly, I decided it was about time to start tackling the building of a new steering wheel.
 
To make a mould of the bow, I bought some plaster from the local art store. I could have gone all fancy and bought some very expensive mould making material, but as this is a one-off job, I decided to keep it simple and inexpensive. To create the mould, I mixed up some plaster and water and then suspended the boat above it by looping some brass wire through the rudder post, then attaching some rope hooked over the garage door tracks, and then lower the boat into the plaster. Of course, I had taken the precaution of wrapping the bow in cling wrap first!
 

 
Once the plaster had set, I removed the boat and coated the mould with some silicon grease to act as a release agent. Then I mixed up some more plaster and water and poured it into the mould. I also inserted two pieces of dowel to use as “handles” later on. In this picture, the cast has set and I have cut around the top edge prior to lifting out.
 

 
And here is the final product:
 

 
After this photo was taken, I cleaned up the cast with a light sanding and then painted it with a coat of finishing resin to (hopefully) prevent it from crumbling as I work with it. More on the cutwater to come at a later date.
 
I had decided to replace the kit-supplied steering wheel after reading an excellent “how-to” by Kip Catanese over on the RC Groups forum. Kip made a replacement wheel for a fellow forum member and documented his process so well, that I decided to try and replicate it – at least as far as I am able.  What follows then, is an implementation of Kip’s methodology. I hope I can do it justice.
 
The starting point is a piece of 1/8” diameter brass rod. This needs to be bent around a form and then silver soldered to form our basic wheel. To create a form, Kip turned a “buck” on his lathe to the correct diameter to match the finished wheel’s Inside Diameter of 2” (50mm). This is slightly smaller than the kit supplied wheel as Kip reckoned it was a little too large for the scale. That’s good enough for me Kip!
 
So, following Kip’s lead, I laminated two pieces or 2 ¼” square x ¾” scrap timber together with epoxy, marked the desired diameter, mounted it in a four jaw self-centering chuck, and then turned the outer portion down to the correct diameter. Although Kip used hand tools on his lathe for this operation, I stuck with regular metal cutting tools and they worked just fine. Once the outer portion was turned down, I drilled a 1/8” diameter hole in the cylindrical section to anchor one end of the brass rod, and then drilled and tapped an M6 thread into the square section of the buck. The purpose of this will become clear shortly.
 

 
In order to bend the brass rod around the buck, it first needs to be annealed to make it soft enough to bend easily. I had not done much in the way of annealing before, so had a go with my little butane torch that I use for silver soldering. Well, all I can say is that this was an abject failure. I stopped and thought about it for a while and concluded that I simply wasn’t getting enough heat to the rod overall. A quick (and not inexpensive) trip to the hardware store solved my problems……
 

 
This little torch uses something called Ultra Gas, which apparently is the “next generation MAPP replacement”. I wouldn’t know about that, but what I do know is that it heated my brass rod to cherry red in no time at all, and after a quick dunk in a bucket of water, it bent like a piece of soft rubber around my buck.
 

 
In the picture above, you can see the purpose of the threaded hole (again a direct copy of Kip’s method). I have used an M6 socket head screw with a “mudguard” washer to hold down the very end of the brass rod and keep it nice and tight on the buck while it is being cut. After this picture was taken, I moved the threaded hold-down to the next face around (ie 90 degrees) as I found this to be more secure.
 
The whole assembly was then mounted in the milling vice and the ring cut using a slitting saw. This ensured that the two mating faces were perpendicular to each other.
 

 
Once the piece was cut free, it was placed back on the buck with a hose clamp to ensure that it remained as true to shape as possible. 
 

 
Then it was just a simple case of silver soldering the ring closed and doing a little clean up with a file.  Here is a picture of the finished ring, alongside the original kit-supplied wheel. You can see that it is slightly smaller – the outer diameter of the new wheel is about the same size as the inner diameter of the kit wheel.
 

 
Next up, thinning and shaping the exterior of the wheel, and then milling the finger crenallations. So far Kip’s treatise has been a dream to work with. I’m hoping that the remainder goes as well!
 

Many thanks as always for all the kind comments and the "likes". On with the show....
  Of Moulds and Wheels 
Before completing the finish on the hull, I decided to take a little diversion in two directions. Firstly, I decided that it would be a good time to make a mould of the bow so that I could work on the cutwater off the model (and hence protect that lovely surface). And secondly, I decided it was about time to start tackling the building of a new steering wheel.
 
To make a mould of the bow, I bought some plaster from the local art store. I could have gone all fancy and bought some very expensive mould making material, but as this is a one-off job, I decided to keep it simple and inexpensive. To create the mould, I mixed up some plaster and water and then suspended the boat above it by looping some brass wire through the rudder post, then attaching some rope hooked over the garage door tracks, and then lower the boat into the plaster. Of course, I had taken the precaution of wrapping the bow in cling wrap first!
 

 
Once the plaster had set, I removed the boat and coated the mould with some silicon grease to act as a release agent. Then I mixed up some more plaster and water and poured it into the mould. I also inserted two pieces of dowel to use as “handles” later on. In this picture, the cast has set and I have cut around the top edge prior to lifting out.
 

 
And here is the final product:
 

 
After this photo was taken, I cleaned up the cast with a light sanding and then painted it with a coat of finishing resin to (hopefully) prevent it from crumbling as I work with it. More on the cutwater to come at a later date.
 
I had decided to replace the kit-supplied steering wheel after reading an excellent “how-to” by Kip Catanese over on the RC Groups forum. Kip made a replacement wheel for a fellow forum member and documented his process so well, that I decided to try and replicate it – at least as far as I am able.  What follows then, is an implementation of Kip’s methodology. I hope I can do it justice.
 
The starting point is a piece of 1/8” diameter brass rod. This needs to be bent around a form and then silver soldered to form our basic wheel. To create a form, Kip turned a “buck” on his lathe to the correct diameter to match the finished wheel’s Inside Diameter of 2” (50mm). This is slightly smaller than the kit supplied wheel as Kip reckoned it was a little too large for the scale. That’s good enough for me Kip!
 
So, following Kip’s lead, I laminated two pieces or 2 ¼” square x ¾” scrap timber together with epoxy, marked the desired diameter, mounted it in a four jaw self-centering chuck, and then turned the outer portion down to the correct diameter. Although Kip used hand tools on his lathe for this operation, I stuck with regular metal cutting tools and they worked just fine. Once the outer portion was turned down, I drilled a 1/8” diameter hole in the cylindrical section to anchor one end of the brass rod, and then drilled and tapped an M6 thread into the square section of the buck. The purpose of this will become clear shortly.
 

 
In order to bend the brass rod around the buck, it first needs to be annealed to make it soft enough to bend easily. I had not done much in the way of annealing before, so had a go with my little butane torch that I use for silver soldering. Well, all I can say is that this was an abject failure. I stopped and thought about it for a while and concluded that I simply wasn’t getting enough heat to the rod overall. A quick (and not inexpensive) trip to the hardware store solved my problems……
 

 
This little torch uses something called Ultra Gas, which apparently is the “next generation MAPP replacement”. I wouldn’t know about that, but what I do know is that it heated my brass rod to cherry red in no time at all, and after a quick dunk in a bucket of water, it bent like a piece of soft rubber around my buck.
 

 
In the picture above, you can see the purpose of the threaded hole (again a direct copy of Kip’s method). I have used an M6 socket head screw with a “mudguard” washer to hold down the very end of the brass rod and keep it nice and tight on the buck while it is being cut. After this picture was taken, I moved the threaded hold-down to the next face around (ie 90 degrees) as I found this to be more secure.
 
The whole assembly was then mounted in the milling vice and the ring cut using a slitting saw. This ensured that the two mating faces were perpendicular to each other.
 

 
Once the piece was cut free, it was placed back on the buck with a hose clamp to ensure that it remained as true to shape as possible. 
 

 
Then it was just a simple case of silver soldering the ring closed and doing a little clean up with a file.  Here is a picture of the finished ring, alongside the original kit-supplied wheel. You can see that it is slightly smaller – the outer diameter of the new wheel is about the same size as the inner diameter of the kit wheel.
 

 
Next up, thinning and shaping the exterior of the wheel, and then milling the finger crenallations. So far Kip’s treatise has been a dream to work with. I’m hoping that the remainder goes as well!
 

25' Cutter progress.
 
The outer shell of the hull of the first of the 2 x 25' cutters is complete.
 
The template made from individual profiles worked fine, for me, definitely easier than trying to shape a template out of a solid block.
 
As Surprise carried a pair of these cutters it would be easier for me if I could preserve the template instead of extracting it from the inside of the hull in small pieces as I have done previously. To make the balsa template a bit more robust I painted it with the PVA glue that I had used to fix the individual profiles to the base board and to each other. As I was fitting the ribs to the template this caused some difficulty as the CA that I was using wouldn't fix to the PVA. I ended up stretching an elastic band around the template and tucking the rib ends underneath it. This worked OK. The unseen advantage of this was that when I came to lift the hull off the template once I had fixed enough planks to make it stable this process was comparatively easy as the CA used to fix the ribs to the keel and the planks to the ribs didn't stick to the template.
 
As I didn't feel confident doing the clinker planking from the keel up so as to achieve the overlap another method was needed to let me plank from the gunwale down. I decided to try thickening the individual planks at the bottom edge so I could butt joint them and still get the clinker look. Gluing a 0.5mm square timber strip to the inside bottom edge of each plank was a bit fiddly but i think it worked OK. 
 
Now for the internal fitout of the hull.
 
Cheers,
 
David.
 

 

 

Thank you all for the welcome back and kind words. It's great to be working again.
 
Nothing major to show but I have started building the gun carriages. It is a repetitive
task but not bad as there are only ten carronades and two 6 pounder long guns.
 
Here’s my progress so far.
 

 
After the carriages are complete I’ll start painting the barrels.
 
 
 

Update...
 
today added the aft anchoring gear, the sloped rail for the stud chain, the capstan with chain gypsy and the deck gear-housing. also a tying bollart to secure the chain and the downward chain lead back tube through the deck
The bottom portions of all vents are not painted yet, because the hight may need to be adjusted in hight
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

You can't go wrong with a Sherline. I love mine, and I'm still only a novice when it comes to using it. Just remember that you will likely spend more on attachments/accessories than on the basic machine. But then, that's half the fun really isn't it? And the same will be true regardless of brand.

Here is my dust collection system for my shop tools. It consists of 1" PVC schedule 40 pipe, ball valves at each machine that can be opened or closed. and a 8 gallon Shop Vac. All the joints are press fitted, not glued which allows for rearrangement when needed.
 
The ball valves on all the machines except for the one I am operating are closed. This keeps the suction in the line strong. It is no bother since  I only use one machine at a time. The Shop Vac resides outside the door of the shop to keep the noise down.
 
This is an efficient flexible inexpensive system.
 
Hope you find this useful
 
Regards