hamilton

Hi Tim: Thanks for this! My planking experience is still happening (I've almost finished the second layer on the starboard side and about half done on the port....as I mentioned earlier I've altered the planking to make things a bit "easier" for myself - not sure it worked out that way in reality!! Isn't that always the case! I'm pretty sure my kit came with the jibboom iron, though it's been a while since I sorted through the fittings.....there were some missing parts though - I only got 2 of the palls for the capstan (there should have been 6) and one of the windows for the aft skylight is missing....Cutting the tiny palls could be a real pain, and I've not yet figured out how I'm going to scratch build the skylight windows..... Natural ageing on the copper takes a while. My Kate Cory, which I built back in 2010-11 is now a really nice "old penny" tone, as you say. But it took a couple years to get it to this stage. There are some suggestions out there for artificially ageing the copper, and various patina products you can get (I'm not sure if the product you mention is by the same people that make "Blacken-it", but I know they have a patina product, too - never used it though, so can't comment on results). If you look at aliluke's Fly log, you'll see a very original, if somewhat off-putting, approach to weathering the copper. His results look really good, but the method takes some nerve, I think.... I'm just going to go have a look at your America - thanks again for dropping by! hamilton

Thanks Mark and Russ Great suggestions! I guess I can always test the scanned/photocopied patterns against the plans (which, from my experience, are also likely to be "off" a bit, since they themselves are copies!) and check for distortion. At the same time, there is something meditative about doing things by hand. Since I'm really in an experimental/tool-learning phase I feel like I can try both approaches and see what happens.....I have a lot of scrap wood lying around to use for testing, so I'm really just messing around before getting serious about making the parts that will frame the model.....hopefully there will be some time this weekend for finishing the 3/16 patterns and doing some test cutting on the crappy maple ply I have.... hamilton

Just a quick note on technique - for comment, if anyone has better ideas. To make the templates for the centre keel and bulkhead pieces, I use relatively heavy A4 paper, carbon paper and the patterns provided on the MS Bluenose plan sheets. Placing the A4 paper on my work surface (the dining room table), I tape the carbon paper atop it carbon-side down. I then lay the plans on that and trace the patters with a sharp pencil. An alternative would be simply to photocopy the patterns from the plans and use cut-outs of those - this might increase the accuracy as less would depend on the steadiness of my hand.....the issue is that, after so much earlier consultation of the plans and so much unfolding and refolding, I'm worried that it would be difficult to get an undistorted image....so my by-hand technique will do for now - at least for cutting some test parts. I've managed to make patterns for the centre keel (as noted above), and bulkheads A-L. I'll finish up the other 3/16" pieces (bulkheads M-O, rudder, sternpost and one deck beam) tomorrow.....photos when they're done hamiton

Thanks Mark - nothing like your Licorne, but...... hamilton

Welcome John, Patrick and Elijah - thanks for the comments and likes! Of course I don't mind if you follow along - though you might mind at how slow I am.....The Bluenose is a beautiful subject - having built her at 1:100, I'm excited to see her come alive at a larger scale. I have a lot of learning to do through this process, especially around the fabrication of the structural elements. I'm not as accurate as a laser cutter, so I'm guessing there will be a lot of scrap ply generated through the early stages of this process.......bye for now! hamilton

Hello there: This log will document my first attempt at a scratch built ship model. I've chosen to start with something more or less straightforward -- a 1:64 scale plank-on-bulkhead Bluenose based on Model Shipways' plans. I purchased the plans for the 1:64 MS Bluenose several years ago while I was working on the Amati 1:100 Bluenose. I wanted the plans as reference for the rigging, which on the smaller Amati kit had been quite radically simplified. Since then, the plans have been gathering dust in a drawer. But I always imagined that I might return to them once I felt ready to embark on a scratch build. The choice of Bluenose, then, was guided by the fact that I own the plans, which include reference drawings of all the laser cut parts, as well as by the fact that I've built the Bluenose before (though in a smaller scale). I also felt that, though clearly the principles are different, cutting my teeth on a p.o.b build would be a good way of getting into scratch building with an eye to a fully framed ship model. In any case, everyone knows the history of the Bluenose, so I won't repeat it here. This log will be more like a documentation of my clumsy entry into scratch building. Since I'm also working on the Mamoli America as a gift for a friend, the Bluenose build will no doubt be very slow. I also plan on continuing with kit builds alongside this project, which will also no doubt slow it down. The need to acquire some tools (and save some money in order to get them) will also slow things down a bit - currently, I'm equipped with a bandsaw, which I'll use to cut the centre keel pieces and bulkheads, but I can already see the utility of a disc sander and mini drill press.....I think for this build I can wait on other things like a mini table saw, but I'm going to assume that the priority of tool acquisition will become clearer as I work through the build.... I know that there are a lot of Bluenose logs here on MSW, but I hope that this log will add something to the mix. For starters, here are a couple of photos - my tracings of the centre keel pieces and a practice-run at the bow piece using 1/4 basswood - it's pretty rough, as you can see. This was made to help me get a feel for the bandsaw and is out of scale thickness in addition to being kind of ratty. I'll be using 3/16 birch ply for centre keel, bulkheads, rudder, and sternpost. I bought some of this today at a local hobby shop, but it is not very good (lots of warping). I'll use this to do more bandsaw testing and try another source for the ply. Well that is all for now....those who've looked in on my America (and perhaps other logs) will know that the frequency of my posting is quite idiosyncratic, so sorry about that....I'll try to be more diligent in the future!! hamilton

Lees' Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1620-1860 is also a useful source - though not being familiar with the other two texts I'm not sure how it compares - it is quite generic in relation to the rates of English ships, and I don't know how much any one particular vessel might have deviated from the generic descriptions provided by Lees.....good luck! hamilton

The only thing I would suggest is taking more turns around the bowsprit - but this looks like a good start! I can see how at this stage it would be tough to put the gammoning on, navigating the tight spot in there at the front of the headrails.... hamilton

Sorry no pictures, but hopefully I can describe it clearly..... I know that the gammoning begins by splicing a small eye into the end of the gammoning line, reeving the line through the eye and hitching it around the bowsprit. It then passes between the gammoning hole and up around the bowsprit moving forward to aft on the bowsprit (each turn lying aft of the previous one) and aft to forward through the gammoning hole (that is, beginning at the aft end of the gammoning hole and working forward). Alternative this way is what gives the gammoning its unique twisting shape. The line is then frapped (circled around) the mid-point of the gammoning. Lees states that the number of turns on the frapping is equal to the number of turns around the bowsprit. The frapping is pulled tight to pinch the gammoning in the middle - this means that the gammoning itself must not be too tight around the bowsprit, otherwise pulling the frapping will not be possible and the gammoning won't look right. To be honest, I've never been able to get the gammoning looking great - only adequate.... I've also often wondered when the best time to attach the gammoning is - you can't wait too long otherwise the area will be too crowded to easily work the gammoning on......I hope this helps! hamilton

Hi Joe: I remember a long time ago the Amati Vanguard was offered in partnership with ME - I think this may have either been when the model was first produced, or maybe (if there was a lag) when it was first introduced to the US market.....The deal didn't last too long because it was shortly after I saw it that ME stopped carrying Amati kits.....They did the same thing with the Amati 1:100 Bluenose - I bought it from ME and it was packaged as an ME kit, but the contents were the Amati design. I think it must have been a collaboration between the two companies to promote these two products...... hamilton

Wow! Someone messed up there!! Nothing a few strips on the edges won't cure, I suppose, but still......more evidence that the only things that truly improve with age are wine and cheese.....and those only to a point.... Are you going to set up the cabin roof so that the interior is visible? Either by making it removable or through some other means? I've always regretted not modifying the roof in some way to make the interior details visible..... hamilton

Looks great so far - I like your mods to b/h 5 - a unique approach to adding cabin details - looking forward to seeing what you do with it. By the way - my bulkheads and keel were CNC - I notice that your version has laser-cut parts.....an interesting difference - how have you found the quality of the ply? Mine was very soft, but I wonder if they switched to different materials for a later edition of this kit? hamilton

Hi Big Mac Thanks. I didn't realise Constructo made a version of this ship....interesting! Judging by the picture on the box it looks very similar except without the sail option (I didn't mount the sails anyway, since I thought it would make the model look extremely cluttered). The OcCre version is also at a slightly larger scale (1:53)....I'll check to see if I have a copy of the instruction booklet, but again, I did not find it of very much use and primarily (in fact pretty much exclusively) used the plans..... hamilton

I'm glad this thread has produced such a great and informative discussion!! Thanks all! hamilton

Do you mean the OcCre Dos Amigos? I just finished building that kit last summer - it has some deficiencies and weirdness for sure. There's a link to my build log in my signature...I'm not sure I still have the instructions - I did not find them helpful anyway, but mostly just followed the plans.....the only use of the instructions (not so much a manual as a very short set of photo-illustrations of the various construction phases) is to get a sense of the overall process of building the model - but if you've build a couple of kits already you would already be familiar with this........ hamilton

So would it be better to invest in a small bandsaw? From what Bob just said it seems that apart from inside cuts the bandsaw does the same work....? But what is the advantage of the band saw over scroll saw where they overlap in utility? hamilton

Thanks Michael! Brief update - now that my work schedule has eased up a bit, I'll finally have a bit of time to dedicate to America. I actually put in some work on it last night - the first time in almost a month....I'm now in the process of planking the keel, stem and sternpost to create a rabbet for the second planking and contemplating how to do the bulwarks....it's a bit of a puzzle....I have this weird idea that once I get the first planking on the bulwarks the build will become easier and more fun!! We'll see if that theory is accurate! hamilton

Hi Bruce: That's weird! Did you call their customer service? How long ago was this? I imagine it must have been pretty disappointing....The saw I want is the DSH/E - a larger saw than the one in the link with a tilting table for mitre cuts....This one seems to have pretty universally good reviews....I'm going to take my chances with Home Depot, and we'll see how it goes - can't say I'm too encouraged by your story! hamilton

The issues is that I want to use a Home Depot gift card for the purchase, but Home Depot Canada only carries the Makita and Proxxon saws....The exchange rate being what it is, I would rather buy in Canada at the moment....long and short, I think I'm going to go for the Proxxon. It's a very exciting time....Happy holidays to all hamilton

Thanks Hornet - definitely the way I'm leaning after reading up more..... hamilton

Thanks Per: I read through these reviews and they are quite helpful - don't see the Makita there, though I have read some negative reviews....thanks again! hamilton

I know this subject has been covered elsewhere, but I was wondering about a specific comparison between the Proxxon DSH/E scroll saw and the Makita SJ401.... I'm in the market for a scroll saw and was looking for something in the $200 range...but then I came into a windfall and am thinking I can rationalise the Proxxon, which I can get for around $400....if there's no significant difference between the Makita and the Proxxon, then I'll save my money but from what I've read about Proxxon products in general the extra expense might be worth it....any advice would be appreciated! Thanks in advance hamilton

Well, after not working on America at all for pretty much the entire month of November I've now been able to return to her for 2 nights in the last week! Though my reasons for keeping away last month were to do with the sheer volume of work I needed to get through at the university, in the last couple of weeks it's more been about a lack of desire....I'm assuming we all feel this from time to time. Anyway, once the first planking was underway, I began seeing a couple of hurdles on the horizon which I think made me slow down. First is the bulwark planking, which needs to be edge glued in place since the bulkhead extensions will be removed and there is no other inner layer of planking to cover up any imperfections inboard...but second, I've noticed that the transom piece and the bulkhead extensions do not define a fair run of planking along the bulwarks, but knuckle in at the forward end of the transom piece (I'll post a photo of this at some future point...The long and the short is that I'll have to make adjustments to the laser cut transom piece and the bulkhead extensions to get the bulwarks to run fair....A lot of tedious and exacting work! Which of course made finishing the first planking less attractive than spending my nights re-watching that great HBO show Deadwood. But no more....I've now finished the first planking. It's not much to look at, but one thing to note is that it was necessary to feather out the planking strakes along the rabbet line. Not to do so would result in a keel that was 4mm (laser cut part) + 3mm (1.5 + 1.5 first planking) + 1mm (.5 + .5 second planking) - 8mm!! Crazy! So I established a bearding line more or less by rack of eye, since nothing is indicated on the plans, and then feathered out the planking from there, so now the first planking blends into the keel. Here are a couple of photos - again, not pretty..... Here's the first of a few steelers at stern.... And here it is notched and thinned down provisionally - you can see the pencil line marking the fake rabbet joint along the sternpost.... Here's the same shot with a glass of local IPA for scale comparison And here's the first planking complete - you can sort of see the ends of the planking still to be feathered out at stern. It took a lot of work with a #10 x-acto blade to feather out the planking - here is a shot of the planking at stern roughly feathered and prior to good heavy sanding.... Here's another shot of the same - you can see what a motley job I've done on the planking at stern, bow and midships....I'll try to be neater for the second time around.... Anyways, once this rough work was done I laid into it with 100-grit sandpaper. A lot of elbow grease later I got it pretty evenly feathered into the keel. I then went over it with 220 and 400 to smooth it out ready for filling. I use Liquitex acrylic modelling paste for filler, rather than a regular wood filler. The reason is because though it is quite messy to work with, it dries very hard and sands down to an absolute eggshell finish. On a painted hull, having this kind of base for the paint is really important for a nice finish on the hull. It takes quite a bit of work sanding, so I've learned from experience to apply it thinly. Here's the product, followed by a couple of shots of it applied to the hull Well, that's all for now. My next step will be to sand the hell out of the first planking to get it nice and smooth, and then to add .5mm planking to the keel, stem and sternpost. This will create a rabbet joint into which to fit the second layer of hull planking strakes. Then I'll turn my attention to correcting the transom piece and bulkhead extensions and planking the bulwarks....once this gets done, I think I will have successfully turned a tight corner on this build! Bye for now hamilton

OK, well another night where I'm settling down too late to start at the workbench, so I thought I'd update this Gretel log.....This post is somewhat of a repeat, since it will document the fitting out of the cabin. I didn't make any structural modifications to the kit in order to do the cabin. Those with more skill and better tools would probably be able to make modifications easily. I think both the cabin bulkheads and centre keel would need to be altered to accommodate the cabin decking, which would likely have been lower into the hold than I've shown here - but since none of this is visible on the finished model, I don't have to have too much anxiety about it. Anyway, my first step was to make false floors for the cabin sections - 2 of these - plus one more for beneath the forward scuttle. I used some 1/32" basswood sheet for this, cutting it to width simply by taking a measurement between the keel slots of the appropriate bulkhead frames and then, with the bulkheads dry fit, fairing the edges to shape. I then planked these using .5 x 4mm mahogany. With these false floors in place, I marked the top of the planking on the adjacent bulkheads - this would represent the lower limit of the planking on the bulkheads themselves. For this I used .5mm x 3mm mahogany. Before installing the bulkheads on the model, I also put on the wall hangings (my oversized lanterns and paintings, framed with 1mm x 1mm walnut. The doors were framed with 1x1 walnut and consisted of slats of the .5mm x 3mm mahogany. Here's a couple of shots of the prepped pieces I then installed the bulkheads permanently on the keel and then fixed the cabin furniture. Here are the results..... That's it for now hamilton

Hi Dee Dee: Interesting - I wonder if yours is a later generation kit? It seems that there is always some distortion in the CNC/laser cutting process - though it's equally likely that it is the plans that are distorted through shifts in humidity and/or cumulative error in the printing process.... In any case, ladder steps should be easy to cut, but the warp could be an issue. My decking came shrink wrapped, and there was no distortion - in my kit these pieces (as I'll show in my next update) fit very well - it seems our kits have opposite issues!! Another solution (if you don't have a scanner) for making bulkhead templates is to use graphite or carbon paper and medium card stock. Place the card stock on the table top, the graphite or carbon paper (graphite or carbon down against the card) atop that, and then lay the plans on top and use a sharp pencil to transfer the bulkheads by hand to the card stock. As long as you have a steady hand and go slow you can easily make templates this way.... Best of luck! hamilton