AndyMech

Well, I'm posting this on December 24 - the holiday break has allowed me the time to complete the hull planking on my Pride of Baltimore.  A Christmas gift to myself.
 
This is my first planking job for a complete hull.  I had done the hull of the Constitution cross-section, but there was no bending involved, no stern, no bow to plank.  I'm slow, the planking took me about 4 months of work (not counting the few months not working at all).  I think I sped up near the end, and improved my technique as well.
 
No sanding of any consequence has been done yet.
 
Photos:
 

 

 

 

 
Next up, I think, will be to sand the hull, then plank the counter and stern.  Honestly, I've not looked at the instructions much beyond this planking task.
 
Thanks to everyone who commented, offered advice and "liked" my work thus far.  Much appreciated.
 
Andy.

These pictures I took today.  I've added three planks from the wales toward the keel - section A, and then 3 more planks from the previous one towards the wales as well.  I'm closing in on gap from both sides, with 6 more strakes to go.
 
The last picture is a close up of the stern as the planks meet the counter.  They extend a little more than they have too, but I will sand that down after they're all in place.  Also bear in mind that I've not little to no sanding after the planks have been glued (each plank was sanded to taper and bevel), so it's a little rough, but I think (hope) it will smooth out once I finish planking and sand the entire surface.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 
Andy

Well, it's been almost 2 months since the last update, and I've made slow but steady progress.
 
I'll post twice here - these pictures were taken about a month ago at the completion the 2nd zone - zone C I think - working at the keel towards the wales.
 
My opinion is that I'm slowly getting better at placing the planks, but not getting much faster at it.  I'm soaking, bending, letting dry each one before gluing.
 

 

 

 

 

Well.  It's been quite a long time since I've updated my log.  Summer activities and feeling like needing a break in the shipyard, combined with my modelling room being used for other purposes were the main causes.
 
I re-started the planking in September, deciding to do the keel-most section first, then I plan on doing the section next to that, followed by the top-most section (near the deck), finishing with the middle one.
 
Here are the results of the keel section:
 
Starboard:
 

 

 

 
And Port:
 

 

 

 
I forced myself to make a mental re-adjustment.  Instead of stressing so much to make everything perfect the first time (and this is my very first planking job), I decided to try the techniques from the planking documents found on the forum and treat all mistakes as just learning experiences instead of something to beat myself up about.
 
I learned that I'm pretty bad at shaping individual planks and had a difficult time sticking to the tick marks.  A lot of the planks' width was terribly wrong.  I also learned that using the threads to mark off the different sections was super useful.  As I finished up the first section (seen in the photos), I used that thread to get a good line of planks.  If I didn't have that, errors would have compounded more and more as I move up toward the wales.
 
I've been using transparent tape to transfer some of the contours of the previous strake to the plank-in-progress, but it's not clear on the best way to transfer the tape pencil marks to the wood plank.
 
If anyone has advice for a non-powertool user on how to best "thin" the planks moving forward, I'm all ears.  Each plank in this next section will need to be tapered at the ends, or flare depending on the position.  My current technique is to mark the width at each bulkhead (using the tick marks) and then "connect the dots" to get the overall plank tapering.  I tried to use a french curve to connect those dots, but the curve is very small and subtle and the french curve doesn't fit it very well.
 
Andy.

Wow, it's been over a month since my last post.  The ship has progressed, and I first want to address the issue I was having laying my wale strips on the bulkheads.
 
Mark the nail on the head when we speculated that I was not following the bulkheads, but the previous planks instead.  That's exactly what I was doing, for some unknown reason.  I guess I assumed the wales stacked on each other like lumber and the bulkheads should have been tall enough to support them.  Most were, but not near the stern.  Hopefully, lesson learned and I won't repeat that mistake when doing the rest of the planking.
 
Here's the result of my laying the 3rd wale plank:  I beveled it pretty severely and after gluing, sanded it flush with the previous wale planks.  No filler has been added yet, but I might still need to in the future.
 

 

 

 
As you can see, I've started to mark and line the bulkheads for planking (ignore that - I'll cover that in my next posting).
 
Andy.

I moved forward with getting the wales in.  3 thicker strakes, which taper at the stern to a 1/16th inch.  I've installed the first two, and have prepared the 3rd, but have a question.
 
Here's some photos of the wales near the stern - the 2nd to last bulkhead, (L) is  highly curved, and the 2nd wales didn't really follow the curve, but sat on top of the first one.  I'm not at all what to do about the 3rd strake:
 

 

 

 
In the last photo, I placed a piece of wood that same size the 3rd strake up against the bulkhead and you can see the substantial ledge or stair-step it makes with the one below it.
 
Should the wales be curving against the bulkheads?  If so, then perhaps I made a mistake on the 2nd one?  I suppose I could remove it, but it is edge-glued (not just to the bulkhead), so liable to be destroyed.
 
Or, do I just sand them all down to the same outside width?
 
Andy.

The next part was to add the planksheer, or waterway, on top of this plank and on top of the bulkheads.
 
I used the binder clips as shown to get a uniform 1/32 overhang on the planksheer over the first strake.  I had to soak and bend the pieces to achieve this.
 

 

 
The stern overhangs a little bit - I dry fitted the knees to place the end of the planksheer:
 

 
This meant the bow piece was too short for the two sides to come together properly.  I added a center filler piece and attempted to shape it correctly.  Since I think the bowsprit will cover this up, I'm reasonably happy with how it turned out.
 

 
Andy.

The next step after the filler blocks is the first strake below the waterways.  This single piece was glued at the edge of each bulkhead, tapered at the bow to fit into the rabbet.
 

 

 

 
Andy
 
 

This is the start of my build log for the Model Shipways kit Pride Of Baltimore II.
 
A little history before getting into the details.  I finished my last kit, the Mamoli USS Constitution cross section right at the beginning of the year.  After that ship, my first wood model, I wanted to do a complete, planked, hulled ship and the Pride of Baltimore fit the bill nicely.  A larger scale than my previous efforts (1:64 vs 1:96), plank-on-bulkhead, but not quite as large or complex as a full wood Constitution or Syren.  As I've mentioned before, I have a Syren waiting in the wings as my next build, so the Pride of Baltimore is a very nice transition model.
 
For anyone who's followed my previous ships, I do slow, but hopefully steady work.  I try to get a few hours in each weekend day and not let it sit for months at a time.  So, I'll typically update the log late on a Sunday.
 
The other thing I hope to accomplish with this log is getting answers to questions as I go along.  I've not done a plank-on-bulkhead model before, and while I've read a bunch of logs on the site here, doing one myself will undoubtedly be a different experience.  I'm already leery of planking, for example.  (Which is probably not unique)
 
Anyway, on to the build:
 
First, the latest Model Shipways kit does NOT have the keel in 2 pieces - it's a single formed piece and mine was perfectly flat and true (Yay!)
 
Here, I've cut the rabbett as best I could using a #11 blade and sandpaper:
 

 
Next, the keel is attached in a few pieces:
 

 
After that, the bulkheads were added.  Now, my bulkheads were all too thick to fit in the slots - the bulkheads were 3/16" thick, and the slots were about 5/32" wide.  So, I had to sand each bulkhead at the center so they would slid into the slots.  I used clamps and Legos to get a square fitting, as well as measuring the distance between bulkheads once the center bulkhead was glued.
 

 

 

 
This shows all the bulkheads glued in place.  I also added some side supports for the mast slots.
 

 
My next step is to fair (bevel) all the bulkheads.  I did not do this prior to gluing (perhaps I should have?), so I expect this to be time consuming.
 
Any advice on proper fairing techniques would be appreciated.
 
Andy.

Thanks to everyone for the advice.  I missed an update last week, as other things have gotten in the way, and all I seem to have done on the ship is sand, sand, sand.
 
I faired the bulkheads as best I can, and I'll treat it still as a work in progress, but they seem to look pretty good, using the wood strip as a guide.  I didn't see the need to put in filler blocks everywhere as the bulkheads were pretty stable and I could sand them easily without breaking.
 
I also created two stern filler blocks, as per the instructions.  These I found to be quite difficult to form - a complex 3-D shape.  They are made from blocks of 1x1 1/2 basswood, included in the kit.  I traced the template from the plans on them, and started carving and sanding.  
 
From the photos below, you might tell I did the starboard one first, followed by the port one.  They both have their flaws, but I think I can make them work.  I might need to add wood filler later perhaps, but since I can't quite visualize the run of the planking on them, I going to keep them in place and modify them as needed as planking continues.
 

 

 

 
The next step, according to the instructions, is to add the stanchions to these filler blocks and then the waterways.  I don't think putting free-standing stanchions on right now is a great idea since I'll likely knock them off during planking, etc.  So, I plan to place the first plank, then the waterways, then the wales.  At that point, I should be ready to do the hull planking and after that I can work above deck on the stanchions, etc.  This is essentially the order in the Bob Hunt practicum, of which I just have the sample chapter 1.
 
Andy.

Today, I added the foc'sl hatch. This is the 2nd smallest hatch, close to the bow.  Like the lazarette hatch, it could be made to open, but I chose not to do that.
 
The window on top is made from some small brass strips and a piece of clear plastic - not the perfect window, but looks all right I think.  The kit comes with thinner plastic, but I'll save that for some larger windows later.
 

 

 
Andy.

Today, I added the foc'sl hatch. This is the 2nd smallest hatch, close to the bow.  Like the lazarette hatch, it could be made to open, but I chose not to do that.
 
The window on top is made from some small brass strips and a piece of clear plastic - not the perfect window, but looks all right I think.  The kit comes with thinner plastic, but I'll save that for some larger windows later.
 

 

 
Andy.

Today, I added the foc'sl hatch. This is the 2nd smallest hatch, close to the bow.  Like the lazarette hatch, it could be made to open, but I chose not to do that.
 
The window on top is made from some small brass strips and a piece of clear plastic - not the perfect window, but looks all right I think.  The kit comes with thinner plastic, but I'll save that for some larger windows later.
 

 

 
Andy.

Ok, step 8 of the running rigging instructions for the Revell 1:96 USS Constitution is to hang the lifeboats and the Captain's cutter.
 
Ages ago I assembled and painted these boats, with oars, and they've been sitting patiently on a shelf waiting to be added to the model.  One of the jollyboats I painted green, the other white.  This was based off photos of the current Constitution, but I will admit to having no idea if it's representative of how it was back in 1812 or so.  I like having the one boat green, so green it is.
 
Another small deviation was the tying off the lifeboat brace lines.  The instructions have them going to the pinrail around the mizzenmast, right next to the ship's wheel.  I did try for quite a while to get the lines in there, with absolutely no luck.  Then I noticed two eyebolts (one on each side) on the deck that just seemed made for securing these two lines.  I used them instead of the pins and I think it's makes sense (at least to me).
 
Finally, the flag was added.  I used the kit's paper flag - cut it out carefully and used my dilute PVA glue to secure it to the flay halyard.  The ship is complete!
 
Green jolly boat

 
White boat

 
Using deck eyebolts instead of pins.

 
Captain's boat

 
The final touch!

 
 
Thanks to everyone who followed this build on MSW 1.0 and now 2.0.  I purchased the kit on September 15, 2011 and started washing the plastic a couple of days later.  Ship complete on May 4, 2013.  1 Year, 8 months total time and I have no idea how many hours of actual construction time.
 
Next up for me will be long neglected home chores.  Next ship will be a wooden ship.  I've already purchased the Syren, but I will do a smaller wood ship or two to get familiar with the medium before going at the Syren.  Suggestions are welcome, I was thinking of a Midwest products ships - something quick, but allow me to learn planking.
 
Andy.

October 12

Copper time! Earlier, I removed the masking tape from the black paint, and then masked off the hull for the copper on the waterline. Again, I used clear acrylic to seal the masking tape and then covered the rest in plastic. I sprayed the masked hull with Testors copper spray.

Issues: As light as I tried to spray the hull, the paint went on really thick and started to run. I let it run for while thinking it might drip off the hull and be ok, but then I got nervous and grabbed some tissue and wiped off the excess. Surprisingly, this worked ok – the copper paint seemed to adhere very well to the primed hull with no streaking. On the second hull half, I tried to go even lighter with the paint, but the same thing happened. I wiped it off again, and it looked ok.

The other issue was the very bottom of the keel didn’t get enough paint due to my angle of spraying. Rather than try to touch up with the spray paint and potentially cause more excess, I plan on just brush painting that later (after gluing the hull together).


 
I removed the masking tape from the hull after the copper had a few days to dry. The water line came out nice and precise, but the plastic sheeting protecting the rest of the hull wasn’t quite as sealed and there was leakage. Nothing that can’t be scraped off and touched up.
 



 

I also painted the carriage wheels brown and the little hubs on the wheels black. I scraped the paint off the carriages where the cannon tabs will be glued.
 

 

Today I started on the deck furniture.  The first one up is the pretty simple lazarette hatch - occupying the coaming at the most stern position.
 
I made is about 3/64 tall, painted the side the same off-white the other hatches are supposed to be and stained the top.  Adding the small wood planks on top was the hardest part - I created a 1/32" square piece and used a small metal ruler to get the spacing even.
 

 

 

 
Andy.

Today I started on the deck furniture.  The first one up is the pretty simple lazarette hatch - occupying the coaming at the most stern position.
 
I made is about 3/64 tall, painted the side the same off-white the other hatches are supposed to be and stained the top.  Adding the small wood planks on top was the hardest part - I created a 1/32" square piece and used a small metal ruler to get the spacing even.
 

 

 

 
Andy.

Hi Karl, thanks for posting and following my build.  I'll subscribe to your as well - always good to have another Baltimore builder here.  
 
My progress is slow, so I'll likely be learning from you in no time.
 
Andy.

Today I started on the deck furniture.  The first one up is the pretty simple lazarette hatch - occupying the coaming at the most stern position.
 
I made is about 3/64 tall, painted the side the same off-white the other hatches are supposed to be and stained the top.  Adding the small wood planks on top was the hardest part - I created a 1/32" square piece and used a small metal ruler to get the spacing even.
 

 

 

 
Andy.

Next up, according to the instructions, after skipping the cannon port doors for now, is the fairlead.  The instructions say to simply "craft this out of wood".
 
Ok, so I tried bending a piece of wood to match the severe curve of the bow railing, and it would just split.  So, instead, I bent two pieces as tightly as I could, trimmed them at their maximum curve and glued them together:
 

 
Then, I painted it black, added the two blackened eyebolts and drilled the holes the lines will go through much later as the bowsprit is rigged.
 

 

 
Andy.

Next up, according to the instructions, after skipping the cannon port doors for now, is the fairlead.  The instructions say to simply "craft this out of wood".
 
Ok, so I tried bending a piece of wood to match the severe curve of the bow railing, and it would just split.  So, instead, I bent two pieces as tightly as I could, trimmed them at their maximum curve and glued them together:
 

 
Then, I painted it black, added the two blackened eyebolts and drilled the holes the lines will go through much later as the bowsprit is rigged.
 

 

 
Andy.

Small progress to report, but it took all weekend.  I installed all the cannon eyebolts and rings.  The brass rings supplied with the kit seemed too large to me, so I made my own by wrapping some small black wire around a drill bit and snipping to make a ring.  Those were put on the eyebolts and then blackened.
 

 

 
After that, it was pretty easy to glue them (CA) into the holes I pre-drilled in the stanchions.  I did the sideways holes prior to planking the bulwarks to make it easier to put the 4 side ones in.
 

 

 
Andy.

I'm still painting, and plan on blackening eyebolts and gluing those in soon.  For now, here are the inner bulwark planks painted a "white grey", closest I could get to the cream specified by the plans:
 

 

 
Andy.

Small progress to report, but it took all weekend.  I installed all the cannon eyebolts and rings.  The brass rings supplied with the kit seemed too large to me, so I made my own by wrapping some small black wire around a drill bit and snipping to make a ring.  Those were put on the eyebolts and then blackened.
 

 

 
After that, it was pretty easy to glue them (CA) into the holes I pre-drilled in the stanchions.  I did the sideways holes prior to planking the bulwarks to make it easier to put the 4 side ones in.
 

 

 
Andy.

I'm still painting, and plan on blackening eyebolts and gluing those in soon.  For now, here are the inner bulwark planks painted a "white grey", closest I could get to the cream specified by the plans:
 

 

 
Andy.