Brucealanevans

Thanks much
I find the details draw my eyes - it's what got me going on this hobby to begin with.
My wife, who is a (typical) surgeon, says she'd never put up with the fiddly bits. Horses for courses I guess. (She has other strengths!)

Homer
Me too!
Just finished running rigging on my Morgan's mizzenmast. Would go faster and look better if I'd stop snapping things when working elsewhere. Klutz.
Thinking ahead to next build which I'll likely start while working on the 7 (!) whaleboats when I finish the standing rigging. To do shelf will unfortunately likely outlive me or my dexterity.
I think Granado although also plan Echo cross section to try my hand at a smaller scratch frame project. Confederacy still muttering to me from the shelf. I Just gave away a previously purchased Victory since once I started building my own models I tired of telling people "I didn't build that one". Unfortunately I had already bought a display for the Morgan so now I have a large unoccupied case. That's the biggest argument for the fully masted Granado over the Confederacy. Must stop buying models for a while.
The admiral just smiles.

I've finished the running rigging for the Mizzen. Thought it was nearly perfect until I snapped the boom lines with a wandering elbow while tying off the final jackspar lift line. The repair is OK, but the nice symmetry and nice tight lines I had prior are, well, not so perfect now.
Earlier, I had notice that I forgot to install the cleats on the inside rim of the aft rail that needed to go on before the hurricane house was roofed. I had just stuck them on the top of the rail but every time I looked at the aft view it irritated me as the two cleats pretty much obstructed the view into the hurricane house showing the wheel, the lifesaver, and other details.
I finally just cut them off to force myself to figure out a way to glue them to the inside edge of the rail through the small opening. I ended up putting a pin head into the base of two wooden cleats, drilling small holes through the rail from the outside, and after covering the pin with medium CA guiding them into the hole from the inside with an angled tweezer, then turning them 90 degrees before the glue set. Not perfect, but better than before especially once the boom lines were tied off to those cleats.
 
I put in all the lines to handle the spanker, including head and foot uphauls/outhauls and downhauls/inhauls, as well as the brails for gathering the sail into its current configuration. Since I am not setting the gaff sail I simplified the rigging there.
 
Next I'll start on the mainmast yards completing them off the ship. Will have to figure out how and to what level of detail to handle the sail rigging since they all will have furled sails. I may take a bit of a break to put together my HobbyZone shipyard building board for a change of pace and to get ready for the next ship.
 
Current plan when running rigging is complete is to add the cutting stage which will complete the model except for the whaleboats. I'll likely start the next ship then (probably Grenado) and work on the whaleboats on and off at that time. I don't want them to detract from the model so I don't think I want to sit down and make all 7 without something else to work on to keep from rushing the repetitive work involved.
 
Here are a few pictures.                                                                 -

Homer
Me too!
Just finished running rigging on my Morgan's mizzenmast. Would go faster and look better if I'd stop snapping things when working elsewhere. Klutz.
Thinking ahead to next build which I'll likely start while working on the 7 (!) whaleboats when I finish the standing rigging. To do shelf will unfortunately likely outlive me or my dexterity.
I think Granado although also plan Echo cross section to try my hand at a smaller scratch frame project. Confederacy still muttering to me from the shelf. I Just gave away a previously purchased Victory since once I started building my own models I tired of telling people "I didn't build that one". Unfortunately I had already bought a display for the Morgan so now I have a large unoccupied case. That's the biggest argument for the fully masted Granado over the Confederacy. Must stop buying models for a while.
The admiral just smiles.

Thanks for the advice! I used Aliphatic Resin. I will try it on a few pieces of scrap wood for further building. This time I will let it be on this model. The reason I used a large clamp was that the "point of contact" between the board and bow was so small. Next time I will att a piece of balsa wood to the bow and sand it down so that the planks have a larger contact area so to speak. this will also guarantee that the shape is correct.
 
But thanks again, I did not think of trying to dissolve the glue. I thought of sawing it loose but that then I would loose a couple of millimeters and the plank would be too short. So I decided to leave it.

Thanks for all the opinions.
Have a table saw for all ripping. Won't be dotting anything more than 3/8.
Limited space too.
I think the Proxxon 115 will work for me.

Thanks for all the opinions.
Have a table saw for all ripping. Won't be dotting anything more than 3/8.
Limited space too.
I think the Proxxon 115 will work for me.

More expensive tho, and some of the work I want to do has sharper curves
Think I'll go with the Proxxon micro.
Thanks

I'm in the US.
Went to Lowes today and they only had one scroll saw which was too big.
The $500 was absolute top for highest quality. Would prefer to spend much less but needs to be a clear upgrade or I'll get by with the micromark saw as long as it lasts if it will cut the .5 cm holly when I start my Granado build.

Hi all
I have read all the posts about scroll saws, band saws, etc.
I have a rather specific set of requirements and would like some advice and directions from owners.
 
I will be cutting some pieces for my next build from holly for the bow pieces, and my micromark microliux mini scroll saw isn't up to the job. I also don't like that it doesn't have a vacuum port or blade dust blower. Looking for a replacement that is more capable and higher quality. .
 
I have a Byrnes table saw so no need for ripping or straight cuts.
Would like it to have vacuum port but not a deal-breaker.
Unlikely to be cutting more than 1/4 or perhaps 3/8 inch woods including boxwood, cherry, holly, and ply. No metal or plastics.
Will be doing a cross section in the future so capability to cut frame pieces inside and outside curves essential. I don't have the patience or dexterity to do this work with a coping saw.
Modeling work only and space is constrained so don't want or need a "full sized " tool. A footprint similar to the micromark saw would be ideal.
Willing to pay for a good tool but realistically $500 tops would prefer less.
 
Is the similar sized and priced Proxxon an upgrade? Other suggestions feom users with similar tasks?
 
Bruce

More expensive tho, and some of the work I want to do has sharper curves
Think I'll go with the Proxxon micro.
Thanks

More expensive tho, and some of the work I want to do has sharper curves
Think I'll go with the Proxxon micro.
Thanks

I'm in the US.
Went to Lowes today and they only had one scroll saw which was too big.
The $500 was absolute top for highest quality. Would prefer to spend much less but needs to be a clear upgrade or I'll get by with the micromark saw as long as it lasts if it will cut the .5 cm holly when I start my Granado build.

Hi all
I have read all the posts about scroll saws, band saws, etc.
I have a rather specific set of requirements and would like some advice and directions from owners.
 
I will be cutting some pieces for my next build from holly for the bow pieces, and my micromark microliux mini scroll saw isn't up to the job. I also don't like that it doesn't have a vacuum port or blade dust blower. Looking for a replacement that is more capable and higher quality. .
 
I have a Byrnes table saw so no need for ripping or straight cuts.
Would like it to have vacuum port but not a deal-breaker.
Unlikely to be cutting more than 1/4 or perhaps 3/8 inch woods including boxwood, cherry, holly, and ply. No metal or plastics.
Will be doing a cross section in the future so capability to cut frame pieces inside and outside curves essential. I don't have the patience or dexterity to do this work with a coping saw.
Modeling work only and space is constrained so don't want or need a "full sized " tool. A footprint similar to the micromark saw would be ideal.
Willing to pay for a good tool but realistically $500 tops would prefer less.
 
Is the similar sized and priced Proxxon an upgrade? Other suggestions feom users with similar tasks?
 
Bruce

Bob
I believe I'm going to do this ship next.
I love the look of the holly below the wales.
Can you tell me how much holly you needed for that?
How many strips? Did you rip them from 1mm sheets, from 5mm sheets, or buy milled strips.
Haven't used custom lumber (or in fact anything but basswood) before.
Bruce

Gone on a family trip for a while, and I always have trouble motivating myself to beaver away on a repetitive job - in this case building the whaleboat stations as I finish off the standing rigging and prepare for the running rigging.
I finished the 3 portside stations.
 
I now - but not earlier - appreciate the precision with which the positional interplay of the channels, deadeyes/chainplates, shelter platform supports, and the components of the whaleboat stations need to be carefully worked out very early on. Because of even minor variances, I have had more than a little trouble with the davits and lashing posts and their rigging interfering with the shrouds and deadeyes. Consequently, I have some distortions and/or twisting I'm just going to have to put up with on the finished model. This is one of my big takeaways from this - my first really challenging build. I was a bit cavalier in placing the channels and the chainplate holes in the channels at that point. Well, build and learn.
Eyeballing the starboard side, I think the 2 stations there will be less of a problem, especially as I am now forewarned about the clearances I will require.
 
Here are a few photos of the port side stations with the blocks and hooks rigged. I used Syren Co. laser cut black hooks - I like the way they look.

Bob
I believe I'm going to do this ship next.
I love the look of the holly below the wales.
Can you tell me how much holly you needed for that?
How many strips? Did you rip them from 1mm sheets, from 5mm sheets, or buy milled strips.
Haven't used custom lumber (or in fact anything but basswood) before.
Bruce

Bob
I believe I'm going to do this ship next.
I love the look of the holly below the wales.
Can you tell me how much holly you needed for that?
How many strips? Did you rip them from 1mm sheets, from 5mm sheets, or buy milled strips.
Haven't used custom lumber (or in fact anything but basswood) before.
Bruce

Bob
I believe I'm going to do this ship next.
I love the look of the holly below the wales.
Can you tell me how much holly you needed for that?
How many strips? Did you rip them from 1mm sheets, from 5mm sheets, or buy milled strips.
Haven't used custom lumber (or in fact anything but basswood) before.
Bruce

Unless you can find a hairdryer really cheap at a thrift store, consider a heat gun instead.  They can be had for less than 20 bucks on Amazon brand new, and they generate a higher temperature and get to temperature faster than a hair dryer, with less 'wind', which works great for our purposes.
 
I don't suggest trying to use a heat gun to dry your hair though, that might not work out so well.  

I just finished the ratboards for the first level of the masts. Dozens of boards and hundreds of knots. A tedious job I had to break up to an hour or so a day, so took a long time. I also inexplicably installed the main shroud ratboards on one side with the "free" shroud aft rather than forward - of course I didn't notice until I was putting the LAST on one. After some bad words, I had a long job picking off the securely knotted and glued ratboards without ruining the shrouds which would have been VERY difficult to replace.
At any rate finally done. Looks OK but looking at the close up picture below a bit untidy. Still looking way up at perfection! Never pays to look too close.
Thanks for the likes and kind words.
After a few days break will start on the next level of masting. Back to another tedious job - serving the lines for shrouds.

So I've finally finished the planking and a rough sanding. Some work on filler for cracks, etc. yet to go.

No, I'm going to paint it so I think I'll just go with the single planking.
Speaking of which, here it is with provisional planking bands marked out with artist's tape.
Still adjusting, then will mark the lines on the bulkheads and remove the pins and tape.

Now on to hull planking

So I've started on a Charles W Morgan build, although somewhat intimidated by the speed and or quality of the currently documented construction projects for this ship.
This model is a stretch for me, given the amount of scratch building involved and the somewhat cryptic instructions of this older MS kit.
I got interested after building the New Bedford Whaleboat, and added this kit to my "to do" stack. Having finished Picket Boat #1 to my satisfaction, decided to defer the Phildelphia Gunboat and take on a more complicated project.
I'm not retired (yet) and have many professional demands on my time, so I end up working in fits and starts and when I need the "therapy".
I decided to go ahead and build the hull superstructure before planking to allow better access for clamps for the waterway, planksheer, rail and topgallant structure. That's where I am now (pictures below). The rail structure is a bit wavy viewed end on on one side, but overall I'm relatively pleased within the envelope of my skillset. I had a few disasters in terms of inadvertant breakage of thin pieces (mainly the main rail) after installation by a misplaced hand while working on another part, but managed to overcome that adequately. I still have to do some sanding on the main rail as the strip I used was a bit wider than the rail is supposed to be - that is evident in the pictures where the rail meets the laser-cut curved rail piece forwards.
Next I'll plank between the planksheer and the mail rail to reinforce that area, and then likely add the wale and plank between the planksheer and the top of the wale.
Then I'll go on to bands A-D
The build logs and galleries on this and other sites have been a great aid.
 
Bruce