shipmodel

Keith - 
 
I'll be following along for the sheer joy of watching you work and following along your thoughts.
This will be tremendously entertaining and informative, as always.
Thanks for sharing the journey.
 
As for the hailing port - to my eye the name is incised into the transom.
If the hailing port is unknown at this point, or can be changed later, it would make more sense to paint it on just before launching.  Yes?
 
Dan

Thanks for the positive feedback Ron, and for getting me to page 4.  I'm not anywhere near your level but its something to aim for.
 
Good Morning fellow shipbuilders.  This week I have 5 almost identical pictures which I promise I won't do again.  It was an instructive week though.
 
First off I finished my lower belt and was feeling pretty good.  I stayed very close to all my pre-penciled tick-strip widths and managed the stern stealer without gaps. 

The planks are slightly different thicknesses due to me hand-slicing from various pieces of stock and haven't been sanded yet so your eye picks up on the penciled overhangs, making them look like gaps.  No gaps so far.
 
Life was good until I realized my 3 butt shift planking pattern was, looking at my model in the above pic, a 2 butt shift.  Looking at my planking plan, which I kept right next to the model so I wouldn't screw it up, I realized I screwed it up.  The butt joints of the topmost plank on the plan was correct, but not on my model.
 
Leave it be or deconstruction?  After a day to feel sorry for myself I decided to pull it.
 
After cutting a new butt-joint in the proper place (this meant luckily I wouldn't have to re-do the stem section) I got my denatured alcohol and a qtip and selectively painted the middle of the offending plank.  I was worried the alcohol would be a mass destruction event and all the surrounding planks would release which thankfully didn't seem to happen.  I did have a little trouble with the edge joint which came a way ragged in some areas and had to be smoothed with a file. 

I was worried about making this middle plank which has to be the exact correct length.  In the past I seemed to trim them a little too long, or more often they fit perfect until I put glue on, then the planks seemed to magically get longer.  So I aimed for a tight fit, sneaking up by filing a tiny bit off at the butt ends at a time.  I also couldn't perfectly smooth the few ragged areas where the planks edge-glued together so had to file the mirror shape into the new plank's edges at 2 areas. 
 
The stern end of the new plank had a curve and a twist in the same section which I did first by edge bending with a travel iron, then twisting with a blowdrier.   Somehow this worked; in the past the blowdrier usually let me add a twist but straightened out any previous bends.  Guess the planking gods were feeling merciful.

Wedges are as always my friend.  There are a lot of holes because I couldn't find the underlying bulwarks right away.  Pins in planks only are too wobbly.

And here it is after drying, butt joints in the correct place.  The replacement plank was a little thicker than the plank below it so there is a shadow line enhanced by my overhead lighting.   Not a gap or bulge.  Cause I ainte redoing this.

Now have to pack up the family and off to breakfast with my parents.  Next I start the upper belt, as per Dan's recommendation. 
 
Anyone coming to the 40th annual show in CT I will see you there.  Jason (JLong) and I are carpooling up the night before. 
 
Have a happy Sunday and thanks for reading and leaving positive comments and politely overlooking the dumb stuff I've done.
 
Cisco
 
 
 

Hi Sbaker - 
 
1710, the year that QAR was built, is a little late for a spritsail mast.  R.C. Anderson says that they were pretty well phased out by then, especially in smaller ships which did not need the leverage of a forward sail to tack through the eye of the wind.  Budriot does not show one in his plans of Le Mercure, so I did not put one on.  That said, there was a great deal of variation in the rig of ships in this somewhat transitional period, even among ships of the same size built by the same nation.
 
If you are building your own QAR model, make your best choice and stick with it.
 
Best of success.
 
Dan
 

Hi Sbaker - 
 
1710, the year that QAR was built, is a little late for a spritsail mast.  R.C. Anderson says that they were pretty well phased out by then, especially in smaller ships which did not need the leverage of a forward sail to tack through the eye of the wind.  Budriot does not show one in his plans of Le Mercure, so I did not put one on.  That said, there was a great deal of variation in the rig of ships in this somewhat transitional period, even among ships of the same size built by the same nation.
 
If you are building your own QAR model, make your best choice and stick with it.
 
Best of success.
 
Dan
 

Hi Sbaker - 
 
1710, the year that QAR was built, is a little late for a spritsail mast.  R.C. Anderson says that they were pretty well phased out by then, especially in smaller ships which did not need the leverage of a forward sail to tack through the eye of the wind.  Budriot does not show one in his plans of Le Mercure, so I did not put one on.  That said, there was a great deal of variation in the rig of ships in this somewhat transitional period, even among ships of the same size built by the same nation.
 
If you are building your own QAR model, make your best choice and stick with it.
 
Best of success.
 
Dan
 

Good Evening fellow builders!  The more I go to work the more I like model shipbuilding. 
 
And I'm hoping this update may push my log through to page 4.  When you're almost to the end of the page it takes a while to scroll down.
 
Aliluke- I went over your log many times before choosing to do my AVS.  Your version is beautiful!  As I recall you lost the text in the Great Crash of '13 and re-posted pics to MSW Take 2.  I built Model Shipway's 18th century longboat and thought the blocks and rope the kit provided were ok, once I filed the edges of the blocks round instead of leaving them square.  For this endevour I hope to push it up a notch and get aftermarket rope from Chuck or Ropes of Scale.  Or better yet make my own!  I took an Admiralty course with Greg, Chuck, and Dave last year on ropemaking.  Have to at least try... but thats going to be future Cisco's problem.   Ditto for the blocks.
 
Dan I appreciate you checking in on my progress.  I messaged you a while ago about using bone and you were very helpful; I am still planning on using some bone in this build for the deck furniture.  Thats another learning curve to struggle through; I'm not up to trying bone planking yet.  Thank you for your planking pic tutorial- as you suggested I am planning on doing the bottom belt first, then the top, then fill in the middle.  I agree it might be easier to put in stealers to shift planking to follow a straight line, versus my plan of shifting planking to make the stealers fit.   For now I'm following my current drawing, but based on how that goes I may alter the other side.
By the way that last plank you made that fits over the stealer, in your last picture- that is impressive Sir.  Fitting a straight plank on 2 sides without big gaps gives me fits, nevermind one with a dogleg.
 
And this weeks progress- 3 whole rows of planking and hardly any pondering.
 
I still like my wedges to push planks snug.  The pins that came with the kit are handy as stops for the wedges, as long as they are pushed through planking into a bulwark.  Otherwise they bend sideways and the wedges pop out which is frustrating.  And so far the DeWalt clamps reach.  These planks I have been starting out with wider stock and shaving them down to a little fat, then bending with both a travel iron and a hairdryer, then final fitting on the bottom edge with files, then bring to final width with my Veritas MiniPlane. 

I realize the above pic looks like big gaps at the stern but thats ok.  One of those planks is a stealer which isn't glued in, on the other most of it will be trimmed off.

In the above pic the plank above the stealer was hard to clamp.  None of the wedges wanted to stay put and kept popping off, I think because the plank had a twist that wasn't perfectly bent, so when I clamped one end it levered the other end just enough.  You can see my pins but only 1 wedge (under the dewalt clamp).  Still, it eventually worked.
 
Here's the current state with 3 of the 4 rows of planks put in the bottom belt.  The final layer of this belt will come up to the top of the blue tape.  So far it looks like the plan I came up with last post, and my but joints are where I wanted/drew them.

Thats all the planking excitement for this week. 
 
I got 2 books last month (I have to strictly ration myself otherwise the house would be full of books and no room for people).  Building the Wooden Fighting Ship is pretty good, lots of pictures, I learned a lot.  Naval Warfare is also good, although most of the book is really about the advent of steam power and the transition from wooden to metal hulls.   So the cover is a bit deceiving.

 
 
Ok my wife's cats are galloping through my office, knocking over stacks of books and manacing my Legos so its time to go shoo them out.  Until next time have a great evening!
 
Cisco

I am less than a week away from our trip to Paris, and then the North East Joint Clubs Meeting is shortly around the corner, once I return.  My objective, before the show, was to get the head fully together and re-touched, as well as the upper balcony level.  Well, I’m not going to cross that threshold before April 29th.
 
There were a number of competing priorities, throughout March, and I just couldn’t find the time I needed to make that happen.  I say all of this in the event that even one of you had hoped to see the model in New London.  I’ve decided not to bring it because these areas at the bow and stern will remain too un-finished looking for display.
 
These also happen to be particularly challenging areas of the model to bring together.  I am satisfied enough with the balcony bulwark parts that I made:

Fitting the end pieces to the model required some tricky cutting-in to the outside window pilasters.  You can see that the sill moulding for the window tier extends fully to the ship’s sides:

The rebate has to accommodate both the end piece and the 1/16” caprail that I have yet to make:



It’s a slow and winding business that necessitates painting in stages.  One thing that was a little surprising to me is that the fore and aft depth of my middle and upper balconies is significantly more shallow than the stock kit:

Thinking about my process, I realized that I had made a design decision, earlier, when I was figuring out the middle balcony; I realized there would be limits to the degree to which I could bend the posture of the Four Seasons figures, so that they could stretch from the now “false” lower balcony to support the projection of the middle balcony.  By necessity, then, the middle balcony determined the depth of the upper balcony.  Proportionally, I am not displeased by the more shallow depth.
 
One failed experiment had to do with the bow angels that seat just behind the headrails.  I used a combination of C/A and liquid plastic cement to secure the headrails.  Before glue, though, I had dry-clamped each headrail in-place for several days, in order to better induce the shapes and relieve unwanted stress on the subsequent glue joint.
 
Now, bear in-mind that I am fully aware these headrails should be flat.  The design of the kit figurehead, in combination with my widening of the bow, does not allow for any reasonable projection of the aft escutcheon of each headrail.  The gap you see on Frolich’s model, below, would have been more than double on mine:

photo, courtesy of Marc Yeu
 
With such a distracting projection away from the forecastle bulwarks, these escutcheons would have looked like jug ears.  In consideration of that, I decided it was better to perpetuate the in-accuracy of the stock headrails, which are also rounded to seat up close to the hull.
 
In an attempt to distribute any remaining stresses across a broader glue surface, I thought I could literally pin those escutcheon ears down with the bow angel carvings:

Unfortunately, one must drill for these pins at the precise depth and angle.  This proved quite difficult to do with the headrails already in-place, and the result of my attempt was that the carving did not lay flat against the ship’s side.  Forcing it to do so would have, in fact, introduced additional lever strain on the headrail glue joint.  Consequently, I ground the pins away, filled the holes and simply glued the bow angels in-place.  I’ll post pictures of all of that once the re-touching is complete.
 
The other surprising thing to me was just how much shimming was necessary for the other remaining headrail supports, now that both headrails were fixed in-place.  In hindsight, it would have been much wiser to pattern these supports after the headrails had been installed.  Instead, I had attempted to dry-fit them one side at a time.  Using this approach, though, I could only eyeball the centerline, and only poorly at that!  Just look at all the plastic I’ve added back to these parts:

Finally, though, I can do the necessary touch-ups and glue these in-place.
 
One part that could only be made once the headrails were installed was the forward terminus of the headrail grating.  In the stock kit, Heller provides a mostly flat headrail grating, the forward end of which rests on a small ledge just behind the figurehead.
 
As an upgrade, I want to create a new headrail grating that is both cambered, athwartships, and that follows the upward sweeping arc of the headrails.  This is a tricky piece to make and fit.
 
I seem to have lost the picture of the cardboard template I had made to start this part, but I transferred that pattern to a piece of 1/16” styrene.  In my first attempt, I tried to muscle a bend into the part, but it snapped.  On the second attempt, I used an open candle flame to soften the plastic so that I could easily induce this curve:

There was some melty distortion, at the edges, that was removed during the fitting and shaping process.  As I had with the pattern, I temporarily CA’d a handle to the part for ease of fitting in this tight area.  Once I had a perfect fit, I glued a piece of 1/8” square stock to the forward end so that I could shape a neat bullnose that transitions into the knee of the head:

You can also see the thinner stock that I glued to the aft end, on the under side, to create a ledge for the grating slats.  To finish off the piece, I filed a gentle camber into the top surface of the part, which is now ready for paint and installation:


And so, it is a lot of fiddling around to make this imperfect geometry coalesce into something that looks purposeful and a reasonable facsimile of a ship’s head structure.
 
If I were starting this whole project all over again, one thing I would definitely do would be to fabricate a continuation of the middle battery planking past the beakhead bulkhead, in a downward tapering arc towards the stem.  By the time I realized this was actually a feature of French practice, it was too late to incorporate the detail.
 
Thank you for the likes, comments and for looking-in.  When I next return, later in May, I will have some nice finished pictures of the head.  Until then, be well!

Hi Cisco - 
 
I'm really enjoying reading your build log.  I applaud all your work climbing up the learning curve of hull planking.  Making a complete planking diagram is something I never attempted, and yours is quite well done.  As you said, you now have a much better understanding of plank widths and butt spacing.
 
However, since this is your first shot at complicated planking, I think you may have set up a more difficult task for yourself than necessary.
I hope you don't mind if I offer some practical advice from 35 years of doing this.
 
The problem, based on my experience, is that your stealer at the stern and the drop plank (stealer) at the bow come too early in the process.  A stealer doesn't just compensate for the curve of the hull, it allows the model shipwright to adjust the run of the planks to straighten them out as the hull closes up.  Your planking plan has the drop plank being the first plank that you install under the wale.  Whether this is the first plank or the last that you put on, it is going to be hard to adjust easily to get a nice look.
 
I find it easiest to plank up from the garboard and down from the wale alternately.  Here is a hull that I did a while ago.  It has a similar shape to the hull of the AVS that you are doing. At the bow the planking strake runs the full length of the hull, but the planks are tapered to about 2/3 of the standard plank width when they reach the  stem rabbet.  After each plank is installed the edge is eyeballed and straightened, if necessary, with a sharp edged file.  It is also shaped to match its partner on the opposite side.
 
This photo is after 5 planks up and down. The remaining space is covered with lengths of translucent tape and the final plank shapes are drawn on, much as you have done on the solid hull.
1
The tape is transferred to planking wood and the shapes are cut out and fitted.  
2
At the stern the process is similar, but the planks up from the garboard are flared to fill the wider space at the sternpost.
3
As the hull closes up the remaining space becomes evident.  Tape is used again to draw in the final plank shapes.
4
Until the final plank can be cut, fitted and installed.
5
As I said, this is based on my experiences.  There are several other building methods that work equally well.  If mine is not to your liking, you can find excellent examples in many of the build logs on this site.
 
Whatever you do, best of success. 
 
Dan
   
 
 

Thanks Dan, and thanks for looking in.
 
With the tops basically formed, I set about making the cross trees and trestle trees.  After the complexity of the tops, they were pretty straightforward.  The main and fore set do need to be slightly different, as the dimensions of the fore mast are very slightly less than the main mast.  Here the main mast trestle and cross trees are temporarily assembled.  There will need to be some adjustments to the length of the pieces--
 
The main top assembly was then checked on the main mast to make sure the trestle tree spacing fit the mast.  The mast top was measured before the notches were cut into the cross trees--


 
The foretop assembly will be checked as well.  You may notice that I worked on the top cleats.  The break of the slope is better when the cleats leave the rim.
 
I am working backwards from the tops, to the trestle/cross trees, to the mast.  The bibs will be made and shaped soon.  All is still in progress.  The shroud futtock plate holes need to be mortised into the tops, as well as some other rigging preparations.  Bolsters need to be added to the trestle trees, and refinements need to be made to the masthead above the top.  
 
On most ships there is a railing on the aft end of the top.  I am omitting it, based on the US Brig Jefferson model by Glenn Greico, which is a similar Great Lakes ship from the same time period.  
 
Ron

Ron - 
 
Really nicely done and fitted.
I applaud your striving for perfection, even where no one but you will ever notice.
 
Be well
 
Dan

Ron - 
 
Really nicely done and fitted.
I applaud your striving for perfection, even where no one but you will ever notice.
 
Be well
 
Dan

Ron - 
 
Really nicely done and fitted.
I applaud your striving for perfection, even where no one but you will ever notice.
 
Be well
 
Dan

I determined that I needed to redo eight of the cleats.   If I were a perfectionist, I would have had to do more (strike that, if I were a perfectionist, I would have to redo them all--for reasons to be noted later).  There were a few that were barely passable, to my standards.  So eight is enough--

 
The eight were made with an extended 'big' end.  After gluing these in place, work was begun infilling the rim with chocks.  Time consuming little pieces--a different angle at each end, and the front ones had to be filed with a curve on the inside, with the outside to be sanded down after all the chocks are glued in.
The top on the right has had all chocks installed, the one on the left is in progress.  And here are the tools used for them (actually there were a couple additional files, and a disc sander used to fine tune the angles)--

 
After gluing in all the chocks, the sides and back were sanded to even out the projecting cleats, and the front sanded to finalize the curve.  Then the top was sanded flat to even out and reduce the height of the rim.   Something to note: the three chocks on each side of the top are wider, to accommodate the shroud futtock plates that will be mortised through them.  They actually overhang a tiny bit on the inside of the rim beneath (which is how Petrejus shows it)--

 
And now the reason all the cleats should be redone:  the break from the flat top of the cleat (embedded in the chocks) to the slope should start where it leaves the chock.  Only a few here and there actually ended up breaking at the right spot.  AND the break should have led to a more gradual reduction in thickness.  I will do some cutting and filing to address the break points, but the slope still won't be quite right. Oh well, I'm pleased with the outcome (though they're not finished yet!)--

 
Seventy some pieces of wood in each of these.
 
Ron
 
 

Hi Cisco - 
 
I'm really enjoying reading your build log.  I applaud all your work climbing up the learning curve of hull planking.  Making a complete planking diagram is something I never attempted, and yours is quite well done.  As you said, you now have a much better understanding of plank widths and butt spacing.
 
However, since this is your first shot at complicated planking, I think you may have set up a more difficult task for yourself than necessary.
I hope you don't mind if I offer some practical advice from 35 years of doing this.
 
The problem, based on my experience, is that your stealer at the stern and the drop plank (stealer) at the bow come too early in the process.  A stealer doesn't just compensate for the curve of the hull, it allows the model shipwright to adjust the run of the planks to straighten them out as the hull closes up.  Your planking plan has the drop plank being the first plank that you install under the wale.  Whether this is the first plank or the last that you put on, it is going to be hard to adjust easily to get a nice look.
 
I find it easiest to plank up from the garboard and down from the wale alternately.  Here is a hull that I did a while ago.  It has a similar shape to the hull of the AVS that you are doing. At the bow the planking strake runs the full length of the hull, but the planks are tapered to about 2/3 of the standard plank width when they reach the  stem rabbet.  After each plank is installed the edge is eyeballed and straightened, if necessary, with a sharp edged file.  It is also shaped to match its partner on the opposite side.
 
This photo is after 5 planks up and down. The remaining space is covered with lengths of translucent tape and the final plank shapes are drawn on, much as you have done on the solid hull.
1
The tape is transferred to planking wood and the shapes are cut out and fitted.  
2
At the stern the process is similar, but the planks up from the garboard are flared to fill the wider space at the sternpost.
3
As the hull closes up the remaining space becomes evident.  Tape is used again to draw in the final plank shapes.
4
Until the final plank can be cut, fitted and installed.
5
As I said, this is based on my experiences.  There are several other building methods that work equally well.  If mine is not to your liking, you can find excellent examples in many of the build logs on this site.
 
Whatever you do, best of success. 
 
Dan
   
 
 

Hi Cisco - 
 
I'm really enjoying reading your build log.  I applaud all your work climbing up the learning curve of hull planking.  Making a complete planking diagram is something I never attempted, and yours is quite well done.  As you said, you now have a much better understanding of plank widths and butt spacing.
 
However, since this is your first shot at complicated planking, I think you may have set up a more difficult task for yourself than necessary.
I hope you don't mind if I offer some practical advice from 35 years of doing this.
 
The problem, based on my experience, is that your stealer at the stern and the drop plank (stealer) at the bow come too early in the process.  A stealer doesn't just compensate for the curve of the hull, it allows the model shipwright to adjust the run of the planks to straighten them out as the hull closes up.  Your planking plan has the drop plank being the first plank that you install under the wale.  Whether this is the first plank or the last that you put on, it is going to be hard to adjust easily to get a nice look.
 
I find it easiest to plank up from the garboard and down from the wale alternately.  Here is a hull that I did a while ago.  It has a similar shape to the hull of the AVS that you are doing. At the bow the planking strake runs the full length of the hull, but the planks are tapered to about 2/3 of the standard plank width when they reach the  stem rabbet.  After each plank is installed the edge is eyeballed and straightened, if necessary, with a sharp edged file.  It is also shaped to match its partner on the opposite side.
 
This photo is after 5 planks up and down. The remaining space is covered with lengths of translucent tape and the final plank shapes are drawn on, much as you have done on the solid hull.
1
The tape is transferred to planking wood and the shapes are cut out and fitted.  
2
At the stern the process is similar, but the planks up from the garboard are flared to fill the wider space at the sternpost.
3
As the hull closes up the remaining space becomes evident.  Tape is used again to draw in the final plank shapes.
4
Until the final plank can be cut, fitted and installed.
5
As I said, this is based on my experiences.  There are several other building methods that work equally well.  If mine is not to your liking, you can find excellent examples in many of the build logs on this site.
 
Whatever you do, best of success. 
 
Dan
   
 
 

Hi Cisco - 
 
I'm really enjoying reading your build log.  I applaud all your work climbing up the learning curve of hull planking.  Making a complete planking diagram is something I never attempted, and yours is quite well done.  As you said, you now have a much better understanding of plank widths and butt spacing.
 
However, since this is your first shot at complicated planking, I think you may have set up a more difficult task for yourself than necessary.
I hope you don't mind if I offer some practical advice from 35 years of doing this.
 
The problem, based on my experience, is that your stealer at the stern and the drop plank (stealer) at the bow come too early in the process.  A stealer doesn't just compensate for the curve of the hull, it allows the model shipwright to adjust the run of the planks to straighten them out as the hull closes up.  Your planking plan has the drop plank being the first plank that you install under the wale.  Whether this is the first plank or the last that you put on, it is going to be hard to adjust easily to get a nice look.
 
I find it easiest to plank up from the garboard and down from the wale alternately.  Here is a hull that I did a while ago.  It has a similar shape to the hull of the AVS that you are doing. At the bow the planking strake runs the full length of the hull, but the planks are tapered to about 2/3 of the standard plank width when they reach the  stem rabbet.  After each plank is installed the edge is eyeballed and straightened, if necessary, with a sharp edged file.  It is also shaped to match its partner on the opposite side.
 
This photo is after 5 planks up and down. The remaining space is covered with lengths of translucent tape and the final plank shapes are drawn on, much as you have done on the solid hull.
1
The tape is transferred to planking wood and the shapes are cut out and fitted.  
2
At the stern the process is similar, but the planks up from the garboard are flared to fill the wider space at the sternpost.
3
As the hull closes up the remaining space becomes evident.  Tape is used again to draw in the final plank shapes.
4
Until the final plank can be cut, fitted and installed.
5
As I said, this is based on my experiences.  There are several other building methods that work equally well.  If mine is not to your liking, you can find excellent examples in many of the build logs on this site.
 
Whatever you do, best of success. 
 
Dan
   
 
 

Hi Roger - 
 
She is coming along quite nicely.  Well done, sir.
I am not brave enough to attempt to work in metal, so I am a bit in awe of your work.
 
Dan

Hi Cisco - 
 
I'm really enjoying reading your build log.  I applaud all your work climbing up the learning curve of hull planking.  Making a complete planking diagram is something I never attempted, and yours is quite well done.  As you said, you now have a much better understanding of plank widths and butt spacing.
 
However, since this is your first shot at complicated planking, I think you may have set up a more difficult task for yourself than necessary.
I hope you don't mind if I offer some practical advice from 35 years of doing this.
 
The problem, based on my experience, is that your stealer at the stern and the drop plank (stealer) at the bow come too early in the process.  A stealer doesn't just compensate for the curve of the hull, it allows the model shipwright to adjust the run of the planks to straighten them out as the hull closes up.  Your planking plan has the drop plank being the first plank that you install under the wale.  Whether this is the first plank or the last that you put on, it is going to be hard to adjust easily to get a nice look.
 
I find it easiest to plank up from the garboard and down from the wale alternately.  Here is a hull that I did a while ago.  It has a similar shape to the hull of the AVS that you are doing. At the bow the planking strake runs the full length of the hull, but the planks are tapered to about 2/3 of the standard plank width when they reach the  stem rabbet.  After each plank is installed the edge is eyeballed and straightened, if necessary, with a sharp edged file.  It is also shaped to match its partner on the opposite side.
 
This photo is after 5 planks up and down. The remaining space is covered with lengths of translucent tape and the final plank shapes are drawn on, much as you have done on the solid hull.
1
The tape is transferred to planking wood and the shapes are cut out and fitted.  
2
At the stern the process is similar, but the planks up from the garboard are flared to fill the wider space at the sternpost.
3
As the hull closes up the remaining space becomes evident.  Tape is used again to draw in the final plank shapes.
4
Until the final plank can be cut, fitted and installed.
5
As I said, this is based on my experiences.  There are several other building methods that work equally well.  If mine is not to your liking, you can find excellent examples in many of the build logs on this site.
 
Whatever you do, best of success. 
 
Dan
   
 
 

Hi Cisco - 
 
I'm really enjoying reading your build log.  I applaud all your work climbing up the learning curve of hull planking.  Making a complete planking diagram is something I never attempted, and yours is quite well done.  As you said, you now have a much better understanding of plank widths and butt spacing.
 
However, since this is your first shot at complicated planking, I think you may have set up a more difficult task for yourself than necessary.
I hope you don't mind if I offer some practical advice from 35 years of doing this.
 
The problem, based on my experience, is that your stealer at the stern and the drop plank (stealer) at the bow come too early in the process.  A stealer doesn't just compensate for the curve of the hull, it allows the model shipwright to adjust the run of the planks to straighten them out as the hull closes up.  Your planking plan has the drop plank being the first plank that you install under the wale.  Whether this is the first plank or the last that you put on, it is going to be hard to adjust easily to get a nice look.
 
I find it easiest to plank up from the garboard and down from the wale alternately.  Here is a hull that I did a while ago.  It has a similar shape to the hull of the AVS that you are doing. At the bow the planking strake runs the full length of the hull, but the planks are tapered to about 2/3 of the standard plank width when they reach the  stem rabbet.  After each plank is installed the edge is eyeballed and straightened, if necessary, with a sharp edged file.  It is also shaped to match its partner on the opposite side.
 
This photo is after 5 planks up and down. The remaining space is covered with lengths of translucent tape and the final plank shapes are drawn on, much as you have done on the solid hull.
1
The tape is transferred to planking wood and the shapes are cut out and fitted.  
2
At the stern the process is similar, but the planks up from the garboard are flared to fill the wider space at the sternpost.
3
As the hull closes up the remaining space becomes evident.  Tape is used again to draw in the final plank shapes.
4
Until the final plank can be cut, fitted and installed.
5
As I said, this is based on my experiences.  There are several other building methods that work equally well.  If mine is not to your liking, you can find excellent examples in many of the build logs on this site.
 
Whatever you do, best of success. 
 
Dan
   
 
 

Hi Cisco - 
 
I'm really enjoying reading your build log.  I applaud all your work climbing up the learning curve of hull planking.  Making a complete planking diagram is something I never attempted, and yours is quite well done.  As you said, you now have a much better understanding of plank widths and butt spacing.
 
However, since this is your first shot at complicated planking, I think you may have set up a more difficult task for yourself than necessary.
I hope you don't mind if I offer some practical advice from 35 years of doing this.
 
The problem, based on my experience, is that your stealer at the stern and the drop plank (stealer) at the bow come too early in the process.  A stealer doesn't just compensate for the curve of the hull, it allows the model shipwright to adjust the run of the planks to straighten them out as the hull closes up.  Your planking plan has the drop plank being the first plank that you install under the wale.  Whether this is the first plank or the last that you put on, it is going to be hard to adjust easily to get a nice look.
 
I find it easiest to plank up from the garboard and down from the wale alternately.  Here is a hull that I did a while ago.  It has a similar shape to the hull of the AVS that you are doing. At the bow the planking strake runs the full length of the hull, but the planks are tapered to about 2/3 of the standard plank width when they reach the  stem rabbet.  After each plank is installed the edge is eyeballed and straightened, if necessary, with a sharp edged file.  It is also shaped to match its partner on the opposite side.
 
This photo is after 5 planks up and down. The remaining space is covered with lengths of translucent tape and the final plank shapes are drawn on, much as you have done on the solid hull.
1
The tape is transferred to planking wood and the shapes are cut out and fitted.  
2
At the stern the process is similar, but the planks up from the garboard are flared to fill the wider space at the sternpost.
3
As the hull closes up the remaining space becomes evident.  Tape is used again to draw in the final plank shapes.
4
Until the final plank can be cut, fitted and installed.
5
As I said, this is based on my experiences.  There are several other building methods that work equally well.  If mine is not to your liking, you can find excellent examples in many of the build logs on this site.
 
Whatever you do, best of success. 
 
Dan
   
 
 

Good morning

Standing rigging completed.

The front border of top #1 was shaped, and the same procedure followed for top #2.  I did reduce the number of sections in the curve-
  
 
The light pencil line was traced from the BOTTOM side of the top, just as a check to make sure the pieces would fill in the curve correctly.  Next, it was glued to the floor along just the curved edge.  While that was weighted and drying, a paper template was placed on the floor within the rim of top #1, and the locations of the radial cleats was marked--

 
Here the front edge of top #2 has been sanded--
  
 
The line of the back edge has been drawn by eye in pencil, and the piece is scored lightly with a knife, repeated a few times, but not cut all the way through--
 
 
The waste is cut away with a chisel because I felt I had more control and didn't want to cut into the floor below, as I knew there would need to be some refinement of the shape.  There is no glue under the waste area, so once the chisel cuts through, the pieces detach easily--

 
The width was checked with a caliper, and further shaped where needed with sanding on the outside edge, or the knife and chisel on the inside edge.
 
Here is the current state of the two tops (one upside down)--

 
Oh, and I did today's pair of carronade tackle blocks.
 
Ron
 

I purchased Chuck's ropewalk a couple years ago.  I put it together at that time, but was too intimidated to use it (and I didn't have a pressing need for any line).  With my fresh shipbuilding vigor, I decided now is the time to take the plunge--
 
 
I figured I would have many failed attempts before I got the hang of it, but it worked out great!  Maybe beginner's luck, but on the first try I actually ended up with a decent rope--

 
I think it could have been a little tighter, and it's not any particular circumference or diameter that I need, but I'm confident now that I can make what I will need for Oneida's rigging.
 
 On to the top(s).  I cut and glued up the floor for the second top, and started on the piece that overhangs the edges.  No problem on the straight pieces, but the curved front is a challenge.  I don't have an easy way to make a piece large enough, at the thinness required (about 1" scale) to make it in one piece, so I thought I'd do it this way--

 
Very tedious, but I think this will work, if it doesn't disintegrate when I shave it down to match the curve of the top.  This (and the straight pieces) need to overhang the floor halfway--
 
 
I also completed another pair of carronade tackle blocks.  My goal is to do one pair a day.  If I can do that, they'll be done in another couple weeks!
 
Ron

Thank you cisco.  Thank you, Johann--your model is extraordinary, and I can only aspire to the accuracy and detail that you are able to accomplish!
 
I have been working--very slowly.
 
First, I realized that I need to remove the carronades to make the breeching ropes.  Unfortunately, I had glued them to the deck!!  Fortune smiled though, and the upper part of the carriages were NOT glued to the lower bed (except for one), and I was able to remove the carronades--
 
 
Here they are, with breeching ropes partly done.  They need to have the correct knot and iron ring attached to each end of the rope.  The first five (including the one carronade that I had to forcibly remove from the deck) are done.  Beyond those are the rest which have the first end done, then the line threaded through the breeching ring, and the beginning loop of the second knot lightly glued to hold it for seizing--

 
This is my method for completing the breeching knot after the first seizing is done.  Using a short piece of line, and tweezers, form a simple overhand knot--
 

Get it oriented correctly--

Position it at the right spot and pull it tighter--

Finish up by giving it a good tug--

 
The loose ends are then wrapped a turn around, and glued with a dab of white glue.  After dry, the ends are snipped close.  It's a shortcut, I know, but looks fine.
 
Now the carronades can be reinstalled, and the eyelets glued into predrilled holes (done many years ago now!!) in the bulwarks--
 



 
Next, I will need to make about 30 more of these training tackles--

 
Closing with a couple photos of Oneida--


 
Ron