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drobinson02199

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Everything posted by drobinson02199

  1. drobinson02199
    First side now finished, with addition of the stern side window and the top rail. I noticed that the stern side windows in the Amati pics and some other build logs are more simply painted, and having now done these with discrete window frames, I can see why. Lots of retouching multiple times. Now on to the other side, and then the stern fascia. Regards, David
  2. drobinson02199
    Decoration on first side completed (except for the large stern windows, which I'm painting now). The approach of using the window cutouts on the decorations worked really well and everything lined up. I also found that the best way to fit the decoration that abuts the curved endings of the top rail is to dry fit the rail and position it with the decoration dry-fitted, to get both right as it's a tight and exacting fit. Regards, David
  3. drobinson02199
    The lowest side rails are now in, and I have painted the hull above them, ready for decoration. I'm going to do this side all the way through first, so I can do the other side (which will be my display side) better if I learn anything unexpected. Regards, David
  4. drobinson02199
    I have started on the side rails. The instructions suggest fixing the lowest rail according to the plan drawings, then attaching the lower row of decorations, then fixing the next rail to the top of those, and so forth. When I went to the plans and took measurements, I wasn't confident in how they were matching the actual boat, and was concerned that the decorations would not line up properly -- would I miss the window alignment or something further up. Since the lower row of decorations has cutouts for the tops of the windows, the alignment of the decorations to the windows is really the critical thing. So per the attached picture, I aligned the decorations on the windows and taped them. Now I can install the lower rail up against them, and know that my starting point will work all the way up. Same thing going across the center -- I can align the top of the decoration to a dry-fitted second rail. Regards, David
  5. drobinson02199
    Bow detail completed, and I made plenty of mistakes -- if you are sharp eyed (or even not so sharp eyed) you'll be able to pick them out. Nevertheless, I'm satisfied with the overall look. Some notes: The instructions call for the figurehead's wrap and the small strips to be blue, but I like green better so I used that color. The lighter piece leading up to the cathead support is something I had to fabricate. The instructions call for brass strip to be "manipulated" into shape, but I tried it and got nowhere, so I used some leftover wide basswood. In retrospect, I should have cut it from a corner of one of the walnut ply laser sheets -- one of my several mistakes here. The instructions say to paint the brass yellow or gold, but I don't get the point. The brass in its natural color looks great. Figuring out what went where was something of a challenge given the instructions and drawings, but there are enough pics on the internet and in build logs that I was finally able to figure it out. There is also a pic showing some minor progress on the deck. Now on to the side rails and decorations. Looking forward to that. Regards, David
  6. drobinson02199
    Chris: I can't find true matt in the hardware stores here, so I use satin, which is pretty flat. Regards, David
  7. drobinson02199
    Have now finished the decks, inner bulwarks, and cap rails. I like the color scheme on this model a lot. Regards, David
  8. drobinson02199
    Beautiful work, Don Regards, David
  9. drobinson02199
    Spyglass -- Thanks for the log references. I really love your cannon rigging, but it runs beyond my level of ambition or patience -- particularly the metal drilling, which is always a daunting prospect for me. When I built the Mount Washington, there was metal drilling called for and I couldn't get it to happen, so I bailed out with CA glue (fortunately, I wasn't building a running model). Regards, David
  10. drobinson02199
    Chris: I also really like that parquet planking pattern. Was that in the kit plans, or something you just did? The doors are also really nice looking. You have a real talent for very clean workmanship. Regards, David
  11. drobinson02199
    Chris: Yes, I painted the carriage the red color with brown wheels. Also had to paint the cannons black. Here's a snip from the Amati photos of the Fly showing how they have rigged them, which is the way I'm going to do it. If you go in for more elaborate rigging, then you'd build the wood carriages so that eyelets can be installed. Regards, David
  12. drobinson02199
    Here's what my cannons will look like. The upgrade kit supplies wood parts for carriages (second picture), but I think the detail on the cast metal carriages is more interesting, so that's what I'm using. I think they call it an upgrade because it permits installation of more complex cannon rigging, which I'm not going to do. Regards, David
  13. drobinson02199
    Chris: She is really looking terrific, and from your pics, it looks like you have yet another deck or structure to add on. She will be impressive! Regards, David
  14. drobinson02199
    Have now put the main wale on. I pre-shaped and pre-painted each plank before mounting, and then added a second coat of black on the surface after mounting. These pics are after a second coat of varnish. More of that to come. With the wale on to provide contrast and separation, the multi-color planks look as I had planned for them to. I studied the drawings and a number of Fly build logs, and Amati's pics, to figure out both the vertical placement of the wale, and how it terminates at the stern. The drawings vary at the stern from all of the build pics I saw, and from Amati's pics. So I took out the stern decoration to see how it will fit, and realized that until I get to doing the stern decoration, I won't really know where exactly to end the top two wale planks, in order to achieve a clean join with the decoration. So as shown in the second picture, I've left those planks slightly extended for later trimming and fixing when I get to that point. I used the vertical placement at the stern that I saw in the pictures, and that best seemed to fit where that decoration will end. Regards, David
  15. drobinson02199
    Brian: I had picked up on the light/dark planking wood from looking at some other Fly build logs, and I actually like the look of the mixed wood on the hull, which I don't intend to paint. So before I started the second layer, I separated the planking walnut into dark and light, and then alternated them in patterns of light/dark/light and light-light/dark-dark/light-light. I left all light wood in the area where the black wale will go so that there is some space between that and any surrounding dark planks. I can understand how some might not like this look -- but I liked it in earlier logs and thought I'd use it. Regards, David
  16. drobinson02199
    I've finished the second planking and given it a first coat of varnish, which is still drying in the pics below. A few comments: There's no way I'm going to paint this hull -- I love natural wood and this wood is particularly beautiful, as I've seen in other Fly build logs. The bow view shows how I sorted out the bow planking -- and thanks to a number of you who provided suggestions and comments on this. You may see some varnish drip on the stern counter -- I will deal with that in later varnish coats. One thing that may not show is something I discovered while sanding. I used an Amati plank bender -- the kind that uses a blade to crimp lateral compressions into the back of a plank. What happened in two small areas of the bow is that while sanding, the edges of those compressions came through. The blade must not put an even cut into the back of the plank. It's not a big deal -- could almost pass for coloration in the wood -- and won't be that noticeable. It for sure isn't correctable. In the future on the second planking, I'll use steam only -- which was very effective and could have been used to accomplish everything I did with the plank bender. Oh, well -- live and learn. Regards, David
  17. drobinson02199
    Thanks, Spyglass. I realize that it's a deviation from "real practice", but I think my models are probably full of deviations. I've never been able to motivate myself to go from "looks good" to "historically accurate". Regards, David
  18. drobinson02199
    Chris: Thanks so much for that Facebook reference. It's a very detailed log, and will help me a lot when I'm trying to figure out something that isn't clear in the drawings. Regards, David
  19. drobinson02199
    Mike: When I built the Grand Banks Heritage 46 it had laser cut planks, and I noticed that narrow-wide-narrow plank shape. Here's the way I did it on the Revenge, and the approach I'm planning to use here. I did taper, but I changed the planking pattern partway down (working top to bottom), and it's that first changed plank that I was referring to when I said 6 inches back. Regards, David
  20. drobinson02199
    Mike: When I built the Grand Banks Heritage 46 it had laser cut planks, and I noticed that narrow-wide-narrow plank shape. Here's the way I did it on the Revenge, and the approach I'm planning to use here. I did taper, but I changed the planking pattern partway down (working top to bottom), and it's that first changed plank that I was referring to when I said 6 inches back. Regards, David
  21. drobinson02199
    Dave: Right -- Chuck Passaro was the one. For what it's worth, using a steamer and then a hair dryer works well for me, and I don't need as much hair dryer time as he was using (I'm impatient too ). This steamer I'm using now is reasonably new, and it puts out a lot of steam. Regards, David
  22. drobinson02199
    Thanks, Dave. I'm keeping an eye on that. Overall at the bow, I'm going to use the same planking plan I did for the Revenge, in which about 1/3 of the way down I stop the edge bending and start terminating the planks according to their natural run, so that the next plank will end flush with and against the plank above, about 6 or so inches from the bow. Then the next plank terminates the same way but closer to the bow, and so forth. Once I reach the bow I start running down the keel at the front. All of those planks will be tapered as I reach the bow, and I start measuring the amount of taper so it will work out (hopefully!!). I'll also start tapering the edge bent planks after the next couple are laid. I'm trying to follow the same proportions I used on the Revenge, where it worked out really well. Regards, David
  23. drobinson02199
    This is my edge bending setup for the second layer. I got this from a video that I found somewhere in MSW, that was done by an expert modeler at one of the MSW shows. He used a hair dryer only -- I use steam and then a hair dryer. Plank clamped on my worktable with the center clamp imparting a bend (it's just up against the side of the plank -- not gripping it). This pic also shows my steamer and hair dryer. The routine is clamp, steam, increase the bend once the wood is wet, steam again, then hair dryer for 30 seconds per section. Close up of bend. The plank after two bending passes. The plank on the boat before gluing -- note that it bends away from the planks above it. The plank now glued. Note that it's flat to the hull, with not very much edge showing on the plank above -- easily sanded. I also find that the steamer really works well on this walnut to soften it for bending. See the stern bend here, which is a 90 degree twist. The steamer only takes 5-10 seconds to soften the wood. Regards, David
  24. drobinson02199
    Chris: The wood filler is easily damaged if left "naked" on the hull, and varnish seals it in. Varnish also gives me a surface that grips the second layer just a bit more slowly, so I have time to align things. But the sealing of the filler is the main reason. Regards, David
  25. drobinson02199
    Wood filler and sanding applied to first planking, plus a coat of varnish. Now ready for second planking. Regards, David

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