Keith Simmons

Thanks, one of these days (years) I may have another have another paddlewheel boat on display.
 
Bob

Thanks everyone for visiting, your comments and likes.
 
Hey Cap'n Bob, there is plenty of space in my virtual shipyard, glad to have you, make yourself at home, coffee is on.
 
Well, I'm happy to report that dinner was very successful, our neighbor Jill wanted to take a batch home with her.  A very good sign.
 
Today's update is about my attempt with rigging.  I raided Gwen's sewing box and found some very thing black thread.  It's cotton /  polyester mix but still looked a little too heavy.  I unraveled a piece to what I thought may be thin enough.  I immediately had a problem on my hand.  One was that it retained it's original twist as it was spun.  The other problem was the fuzz from the cotton.
 
I figured that with a little tension the thread would pull tight and also being careful in removing the cotton fuzz.  All best intentions didn't work out, as you can see in the pics below.
 
What I should have done was to find the polyester thread, then heat it up, either with a blow-dryer or a soldering torch. However, I didn't and being the stubborn Dutchman I put the fuzzy thread on anyway.
Beside that, I also had problems with the CA being very difficult to handle.  No matter how little I put on a needle as applicator it still seemed to make a nasty white clump.  Put cementing didn't give me a strong enough bond for the rigging.
 
I showed Remco what I was running into and he said that he had some extremely fin e mono filament thread that looked like being the thickness of a hair.  Problem is that it was white but could be painted black with either ink or permanent marker.  So he send be a couple of feet and at that time in the build I was already disgusted with how it looked and decided to start all over.  I didn't like the shape of the bow, the masts and other round work was too thick, the CA glue issue and the rear mast kept breaking.  Version 2.0 will have bamboo masts and round work that'll be shaved down closer to scale.  You can only go so far with making the bamboo thin enough and still being able to hold up to the rigging tension of the lines.  I found this out by trying it and had to come to a workable compromise.   
 
While waiting for Remco's thin thread to arrive I carved a new hull that had a much nicer looking bow, more clipper like.
 
Like I mentioned before, it was still being treated as a trial piece, not knowing yet if a scale of 1:2000 would be doable for what I had in mind.
 
So, this'll be the end of version 1.0 but the lessons learned will help me tremendously with version 2.0 as the future updates will show.
 

This closeup shows how ugly the poor little boat looks.  But the lessons learned were worth it.  Even with using boxwood for the round work it would probably have worked if I had shaved them down more and using  much thinner thread as I would up doing in version 2.0.   I have actually reworked 1.0 with bamboo round work and am ready to install the aft mast.  No, I may not use that first version if a new thought I am working on works.  Keep fingers crossed.
 

Same comment, ugly.  But yuns can see how she's supposed to look with the standing rigging.
 

This is version 2.0 still at the rough stage.  Still more shaping to be done.  The bow will be more refined after the bowsprit is cemented on.  I now need to find a way to control the CA not "glopping" up. 
 

Rather sleek looking hull from a seagull's vantage point.  So far I'm happy with it.
 
Cheers,
 

Thanks very much everybody for dropping in at the micro mini shipyard and all the likes, it's much appreciated.
 
No update yet, just ran out of time, it's now close to my bedtime.  None tomorrow either, I will be busy cooking Piet's kicked-up beef stew. Have invited lour dear neighbor to partake of it.  I'll also have a fruit" salad of cucumber, avocado, cherry tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese, with an olive oil / balsamic vinegar glaze.  Salt and pepper of course.  Anyone care to join us?
 
To answer Igor's question, yes, I did decide on a thread but that'll be a story for the next few posts.  Like I said, I was still in the trying stage here.  As all yuns see, the masts, booms and gaffs are rather thick and lout of scale.  Soooooh, change will be forthcoming. 
 
Cheers,

I won't complain about 'fiddly bits' ever again - impressive!
 
cheers
 
Pat

Hi Piet
 
All kudos to you for even attempting what you've done.  I like it!!!
 
Nice job.
 
Cheers
 
Patrick

Thanks to all for visiting my micro shipyard and to all who clicked the like button - thanks.
 
Yup, it's tiny alright and pretty close to my limits of tiny   or not .  Hmmmm, who knows what lurks in the Flying Dutchman's grey matter.
 
The next step was making the masts, installing them and see how the shape of the hull would look. I left the hull intentionally a little wide in the beam for handling.  Everything is still in the trial stage here and I have full intentions of shaping the hull a little more.  Not happy how the bow came out.  It may look a little bulky but she'll be sitting on the slipway, thus out of the water.
 
Just to be stubborn, no surprise here - being a Dutchman - I wanted to try by making all the round work from boxwood. This was about the thinnest I could make them.  I did try shaping them thinner but had no strength in them.  As you can see they are much too thick for the 1:2000 scale.  Yeah, yeah, I know, use bamboo dummy.  But I had to try it.
 
I made and cemented the topmasts to the lower masts, all with CA.  Now I began to notice that no matter how little CA I used it showed up much too gloppy.  I figured I could carefully remove it with my #11 blade. after the CA had set up.  No such luck    The masts were just not strong enough to handle the stress. Fortunately I only ruined the aft mast and had to make a new one.
 
Next I made the booms and gaffs with the jaws cemented to the ends.  Yes, they are still way out of scale but I again figured to shave them down after the CA had set up. It kinda worked but still looked too bulky for this scale.
 
That's what I first wanted to see if this project could be done. Trying different approaches and materials.  As we progress you'll see the things I encountered and how I managed them. 
 
Here are a few pics that explain what i have mentioned above. 
 

This shows both lower masts cemented into the hull.  I have also cemented the cross trees to the fore lower mast.
 

Both top masts are cemented on
 

I made the booms and gaffs also from boxwood as well as the jaws.  In my zeal to make things as close to reality does not work out well at this scale.  I did manage to shave the jaws much thinner but everything was way too bulky.
 

I stubbornly continued with cementing the booms and gaffs to the masts.  I also made and cemented both yards to the fore topmast.  If you stand back 10 feet feet it doesn't look too bad, actually you can't even see the ship
 
]
Here is what I mean, a few feet away and if you don't click on the pic it looks kinda okay.
 
Cheers,

I had a single speed Delta early on but it had some bearing issues.  Anyway, I find the variable speed very useful as it gives you more control of your cuts.

Hi Piet,
 
Very cool, my fingers hurt just looking at the pictures, will be watching for the rest of the build....
 
Good luck,
 
Keith

Hi Cathead,
 
   After seeing your thread I decided to take the hull design I was working on and create my twist on a river tug. Once I got started I added a second mission to the tug as a hemp trader just because I had the hemp string..lol

Hi all,
 
        I myself have a love, hate relationship with rigging. That being said, I build fantasy ships so there are no rules I have to follow, except maybe the basics. I am always in awe of the rigging I see on this site, which makes me try to do better on my builds.
        Hopefully someday my skill level will allow me to rig a ship correctly, then I will see how I really feel about rigging...lol
 
   Keith

Hi Patrick
 
I appreciate your comment, was hoping the ketch would keep it's sleek lines with the addition of the cabin...I think the paint job is going to be critical, nothing to do but go on with fingers crossed....
 
Thanks again and have a G'day mate
 
Keith

Hi all,
        
          A quick progress report on the sloop and ketch.
 
     Just a little bit more work on the sloop such as figuring a way to wire the rails, making a wheel and setting the sails....
 
     Finally finished the maple decking and started the cabin structure on the ketch.( after 3 attempts I think this is the final design, will be sure once I paint it...
 
     Thanks for looking in, have a great day,   Keith
   

Thank you Patrick
 
      I took some liberties with the shape, was trying to make it as sleek as I could without changing the basic design. Now I want to do the same to the cabin and deck layout.  At least I got one of them to look like it should...lol
 
   Thanks again for the kind words, I do value your opinion.....Keith

Finally have the ketch hull ready for decking....Yay.....Now that's a hull....

Hi all,
 
        I myself have a love, hate relationship with rigging. That being said, I build fantasy ships so there are no rules I have to follow, except maybe the basics. I am always in awe of the rigging I see on this site, which makes me try to do better on my builds.
        Hopefully someday my skill level will allow me to rig a ship correctly, then I will see how I really feel about rigging...lol
 
   Keith

Hi Piet,
 
Very cool, my fingers hurt just looking at the pictures, will be watching for the rest of the build....
 
Good luck,
 
Keith

Hi all,
 
        I myself have a love, hate relationship with rigging. That being said, I build fantasy ships so there are no rules I have to follow, except maybe the basics. I am always in awe of the rigging I see on this site, which makes me try to do better on my builds.
        Hopefully someday my skill level will allow me to rig a ship correctly, then I will see how I really feel about rigging...lol
 
   Keith

If you used wood glue, just use water and/or alcohol to soak the joint, and it will soften the glue and you can pull them out, then you just need to file/sand either the false keel, or the notch in the bulkhead a bit at a time until they drop down to where they are flush at the top.  That will be a lot easier than trying to sand and shim both top and bottom, and I'm not sure how that would come out to be honest.
 
If you do decide to shim the bottom, the basswood supplied for the decking is the perfect width, and will bend nicely around the curve of the bulkheads.  If you look at my AVS build log index you should be able to find the spot where I showed shimming the bottom of some bulkheads, but that was after getting the tops even.  
 
The alignment of these bulkheads is really one of, if not the most important parts of the build, since everything you do from here on out relies on how these are all aligned.  It's worth the time to unglue them and get them right.  All of the bulkheads should align as close to perfectly as possible with the false keel at the tops.
 
Good luck!
 
Edit: It also looks like you will probably need to shim the next bulkhead forward along the bottom, as the gap between the bottom of the bulkhead and the top of the keel appears too large.  The gap should be just wide enough to accept the planking (the basswood first layer plus the walnut layer) into it.  This also is the width that should define your rabbet thickness where the planks come in near vertical to the keel.
 
Edit 2: It also looks like your first bulkhead forward of the mast slot is not at a 90 degree angle to the keel.  You can probably fix that with reinforcement blocks between the bulkheads like I did on mine, but if you do that you'll probably want to put them in from one end or the other all the way through so that the tension from the block on that bulkhead isn't being solely supported by the next bulkhead without any other support.  Hopefully that makes sense - I documented that pretty well in my build log, and there should be an index link in the first post to get you pretty close to it in the log.

Bulkheads on.

Rigging is the best part of ship model building for me. (Well, except maybe starting a new project  )
I find the rigging part to be extremely fun to do, (well, except tying several thousands of clove hitches on the ratlines  )
 
And especially because that is the last step before finishing the project, (and start a new one  )
 
Best regards
 
Ulises

I really enjoy rigging my ships. It is very difficult and frustrating at times but the challenge is a welcome one. Every line I get installed I find myself sitting back and enjoying the new addition. Each ship I have built I try to do a better job with my rigging in making sure they are seized correctly, ran to the correct belaying pins or cleats, rigged through the blocks or that the blocks are the right ones. Each build I have learned something new and each has become better for it.
 
Like any aspect of ship building where there is a lot of repetition it can become monotonous and I am ready to see the end of it after a while but that is no different then planking or any other phase really.

Hi Piet,
 
Very cool, my fingers hurt just looking at the pictures, will be watching for the rest of the build....
 
Good luck,
 
Keith

Hi Patrick
 
I appreciate your comment, was hoping the ketch would keep it's sleek lines with the addition of the cabin...I think the paint job is going to be critical, nothing to do but go on with fingers crossed....
 
Thanks again and have a G'day mate
 
Keith

Hi all,
        
          A quick progress report on the sloop and ketch.
 
     Just a little bit more work on the sloop such as figuring a way to wire the rails, making a wheel and setting the sails....
 
     Finally finished the maple decking and started the cabin structure on the ketch.( after 3 attempts I think this is the final design, will be sure once I paint it...
 
     Thanks for looking in, have a great day,   Keith
   

Thank you Patrick
 
      I took some liberties with the shape, was trying to make it as sleek as I could without changing the basic design. Now I want to do the same to the cabin and deck layout.  At least I got one of them to look like it should...lol
 
   Thanks again for the kind words, I do value your opinion.....Keith