shipmodel

Hi all -
 
Thanks, as always, for the compliments.  It is coming along slowly but well, I think.  The past several weeks have included the July 4th long holiday and the move of my son and his family from Brooklyn to Michigan, which took me away for some time from the construction yard. 
 
Mostly I worked on the railing fixtures at the bow and stern.  These are not only complicated three dimensional metal pieces, but require detail soldering and electroplating.  Many almost completed, or even fully completed iterations were discarded before acceptable ones were fashioned.  Without dwelling too much on past mistakes, here is how it went -
 
The fixture at the bow consists of a top bar that bends around the bow and then bends down to becomes the aft two of the four angled legs that support it.  The pair of legs on each side is connected by a low bar as well.  Here is what it looks like on the boat.
 

 
The plans provided gave only a profile view, but I found a detailed deck fitting drawing which shows the plan view. 
 


 
Similarly, the stern fitting has a top bar that bends at almost a right angle around the corner of the transom and becomes a short foreleg and a much longer transom leg, with a vertical piece and horizontal pieces connecting everything together.  Here it is on a boat
 

 
And here from the plans and drawing
 


 
To match the dimensions, I used brass tubing of 1mm o.d. and internal diameter of 0.020".  I could have used solid bar stock, but using tubing provided a lot of advantages during construction.  Here is the setup for the bow fixture, surrounded by my soldering tools and supplies.
 

 
I do most of my soldering with this inexpensive "Cold Heat" device that I heard about through an infomercial on TV several years ago.  This is the first time that I am using it for a commissioned model.  It is a battery powered resistance soldering unit made for the miniatures or jewelry market.  It works by passing an electric current between two carbide electrodes set in a "cloven hoof" configuration with a small gap between the electrodes.  When both tips contact metal the current flows between them, heating the metal by induction, or resistance in the metal.
 
For the solder I use Tix brand high-silver content solder along with Tix brand flux.  Both can be bought at Micro-Mark and other suppliers.  The solder comes in sticks, which is easily cut in pieces about 1/16" long.  Although it is easy to cut, once melted and cooled it is quite hard and strong.  Also, since it has a lot of silver it electroplates much like the brass tubing.
 

 
The dimensions of the fixture was figured out from the plans, opened up as if lying flat, and drawn onto a piece of scrap basswood.  Pieces of tubing were cut to length and bent to shape.  At the appropriate spots I drilled angled  holes through the top bar and the forward legs.  0.020" brass rod was fed through the holes, the tubing pieces strung in place, and the entire assembly was secured in place with thumb tacks.
 

 
In this closeup you can see that at the joint on the left there is a piece of the solder resting on the joint.  Actually, the joint was painted with flux, which gets tacky and holds the solder in place till it is heated.
 

 
Now the Cool Heat tool is turned on and the tips straddle the bar next to the joint.  In a few moments the flux sizzles, then the solder softens and sags.  Do not remove the heat, but wait until the solder melts completely and forms a shiny dome over the joint.  Remove the heat and the solder will flow into the joint, filling and securing it.  There is a soldered joint at the right edge of the photo.
 

 
Once all of the joints have been soldered the extra connecting pieces of the rod were clipped off and the joints were filed to remove any excess solder.  Taking a deep breath I folded the piece around a suitably sized dowel to form the rounded 'pulpit' that goes around the bow.  Fortunately, all of the joints held.  Now the legs were trimmed to final size so the fixture sat level and in the right position.  With a wire wheel every bit of the fixture was polished in preparation for chrome electroplating.  As with painting or other finishing, the surface preparation is key.
 

 
The electroplating kit was set up as I described before when making the handrails, and the piece was dipped for only 15 seconds, which gave it a very nice silvery finish after rinsing and polishing with a cloth wheel.
 

 
And here it is installed on the model.  Using tubing also allowed me to insert brass rod into the lower ends of the supporting legs which were bent to drop into holes drilled into the deck.  This creates a 4-point mechanical attachment for the piece, which should be enough, even at the vulnerable spot at the extreme bow. 
 

 
The stern fixtures were build up in much the same way.  After the design was calculated and drawn, brass tubing was bent to the shape of the top bar and legs.  Holes were drilled for the 0.020" rod which was used as an armature to hold the tubing pieces in place.
 

 
And here are all of the joints soldered.  Most are good, but you can see that the joints at the central crossing are a little starved for solder.  Flux and another piece of solder were used and heated, and the joint was filled quite easily.  The loops for the wire railings are made of the same brass rod as the armature and soldered in place.
 

 
Now the fixture was bent to its final angle.  This is where a number of fully soldered fittings died.  The bend of the lower bar is just too close to the central joint, which fails time and again.  I finally resorted to leaving off that piece of tubing and bending the top bar alone.  Since it is a continuous piece of metal there was no failure.  Now the lower bar piece had to be pre-bent, trimmed to size, and set in place with the internal rods.   These last joints were soldered to complete the construction.  Here are the mirror image fittings, the one on the right has the attachment pins installed. 
 

 
As with the bow fixture, these were cleaned up with a file and then polished with a wheel before electroplating.  And here they are set in place.  I just have to add some feet to the legs, which will be small pieces of chrome foil and they will be complete.
 


 
Next I will make up the individual railing posts before turning to the mast and rigging.  But I have to do some work on another project the rest of the month, so I will post again in August, when I should be almost done.
 
Until then, be well.
 
Dan
 
 
 

Hi all -
 
Thanks, as always, for the compliments.  It is coming along slowly but well, I think.  The past several weeks have included the July 4th long holiday and the move of my son and his family from Brooklyn to Michigan, which took me away for some time from the construction yard. 
 
Mostly I worked on the railing fixtures at the bow and stern.  These are not only complicated three dimensional metal pieces, but require detail soldering and electroplating.  Many almost completed, or even fully completed iterations were discarded before acceptable ones were fashioned.  Without dwelling too much on past mistakes, here is how it went -
 
The fixture at the bow consists of a top bar that bends around the bow and then bends down to becomes the aft two of the four angled legs that support it.  The pair of legs on each side is connected by a low bar as well.  Here is what it looks like on the boat.
 

 
The plans provided gave only a profile view, but I found a detailed deck fitting drawing which shows the plan view. 
 


 
Similarly, the stern fitting has a top bar that bends at almost a right angle around the corner of the transom and becomes a short foreleg and a much longer transom leg, with a vertical piece and horizontal pieces connecting everything together.  Here it is on a boat
 

 
And here from the plans and drawing
 


 
To match the dimensions, I used brass tubing of 1mm o.d. and internal diameter of 0.020".  I could have used solid bar stock, but using tubing provided a lot of advantages during construction.  Here is the setup for the bow fixture, surrounded by my soldering tools and supplies.
 

 
I do most of my soldering with this inexpensive "Cold Heat" device that I heard about through an infomercial on TV several years ago.  This is the first time that I am using it for a commissioned model.  It is a battery powered resistance soldering unit made for the miniatures or jewelry market.  It works by passing an electric current between two carbide electrodes set in a "cloven hoof" configuration with a small gap between the electrodes.  When both tips contact metal the current flows between them, heating the metal by induction, or resistance in the metal.
 
For the solder I use Tix brand high-silver content solder along with Tix brand flux.  Both can be bought at Micro-Mark and other suppliers.  The solder comes in sticks, which is easily cut in pieces about 1/16" long.  Although it is easy to cut, once melted and cooled it is quite hard and strong.  Also, since it has a lot of silver it electroplates much like the brass tubing.
 

 
The dimensions of the fixture was figured out from the plans, opened up as if lying flat, and drawn onto a piece of scrap basswood.  Pieces of tubing were cut to length and bent to shape.  At the appropriate spots I drilled angled  holes through the top bar and the forward legs.  0.020" brass rod was fed through the holes, the tubing pieces strung in place, and the entire assembly was secured in place with thumb tacks.
 

 
In this closeup you can see that at the joint on the left there is a piece of the solder resting on the joint.  Actually, the joint was painted with flux, which gets tacky and holds the solder in place till it is heated.
 

 
Now the Cool Heat tool is turned on and the tips straddle the bar next to the joint.  In a few moments the flux sizzles, then the solder softens and sags.  Do not remove the heat, but wait until the solder melts completely and forms a shiny dome over the joint.  Remove the heat and the solder will flow into the joint, filling and securing it.  There is a soldered joint at the right edge of the photo.
 

 
Once all of the joints have been soldered the extra connecting pieces of the rod were clipped off and the joints were filed to remove any excess solder.  Taking a deep breath I folded the piece around a suitably sized dowel to form the rounded 'pulpit' that goes around the bow.  Fortunately, all of the joints held.  Now the legs were trimmed to final size so the fixture sat level and in the right position.  With a wire wheel every bit of the fixture was polished in preparation for chrome electroplating.  As with painting or other finishing, the surface preparation is key.
 

 
The electroplating kit was set up as I described before when making the handrails, and the piece was dipped for only 15 seconds, which gave it a very nice silvery finish after rinsing and polishing with a cloth wheel.
 

 
And here it is installed on the model.  Using tubing also allowed me to insert brass rod into the lower ends of the supporting legs which were bent to drop into holes drilled into the deck.  This creates a 4-point mechanical attachment for the piece, which should be enough, even at the vulnerable spot at the extreme bow. 
 

 
The stern fixtures were build up in much the same way.  After the design was calculated and drawn, brass tubing was bent to the shape of the top bar and legs.  Holes were drilled for the 0.020" rod which was used as an armature to hold the tubing pieces in place.
 

 
And here are all of the joints soldered.  Most are good, but you can see that the joints at the central crossing are a little starved for solder.  Flux and another piece of solder were used and heated, and the joint was filled quite easily.  The loops for the wire railings are made of the same brass rod as the armature and soldered in place.
 

 
Now the fixture was bent to its final angle.  This is where a number of fully soldered fittings died.  The bend of the lower bar is just too close to the central joint, which fails time and again.  I finally resorted to leaving off that piece of tubing and bending the top bar alone.  Since it is a continuous piece of metal there was no failure.  Now the lower bar piece had to be pre-bent, trimmed to size, and set in place with the internal rods.   These last joints were soldered to complete the construction.  Here are the mirror image fittings, the one on the right has the attachment pins installed. 
 

 
As with the bow fixture, these were cleaned up with a file and then polished with a wheel before electroplating.  And here they are set in place.  I just have to add some feet to the legs, which will be small pieces of chrome foil and they will be complete.
 


 
Next I will make up the individual railing posts before turning to the mast and rigging.  But I have to do some work on another project the rest of the month, so I will post again in August, when I should be almost done.
 
Until then, be well.
 
Dan
 
 
 

Hi Doris -
 
Your talent and artistry leave me breathless.  The crowns, the carvings, the figures set a standard that I doubt that I will ever reach.  Wonderful use of color and texture.  I will continue to be a devoted follower of your build.  Thank you for sharing.
 
I have one suggestion, if I may - the pumps as drawn on the plans would interfere with both the cabin doors and the stairways, once you install them.  You might consider rotating them 45 degrees forward, which was not uncommon in the era.  This clears both access paths and also gives the sailor working the pump a larger space, possibly enough for two men on the handle at one time if needed.  I may be wrong, so feel free to ignore this idea.
 
Dan

Hi all -
 
The theme of the past two weeks has been - improve, improve, improve, so there is not much new to see.
 
Most of the time was spent on the hull sides.  Although they were already good, I wanted an almost mirror finish.  Experiments with many gloss coatings, sanding and polishing, finally gave me the finish I wanted.  Ultimately it came down to sanding with up to 13,000 grit, several coats of clear gloss acrylic, and a final polishing with jewelers' rouge.  Here it is -  
 


 
The non-skid coating process has continued.  Here are a few more photos of the masking process using 1/32" and 1/16" vinyl striping tape for the the masking.  The bone burnisher was used extensively.  However, although the masking was good, it was not perfect.  I will be working on it some more in the coming weeks till I am satisfied.  This same fate will overtake the three hatch covers.  They have gone from 'acceptable' to 'not good enough' as my standards rose.
 


 
I am satisfied, for now, with the small details in the cockpit.  Here are the vent, throttle, guages, and electrical port on the starboard wall of the cockpit, both in miniature and against a photo of the boat. 
 


 
Here are the three-arm wheels mounted on their bent posts.  They are still removable at this point until the deck has been redone.  On top of the posts is a compass which is 1/8" across.  It is made from a drop of clear epoxy whose surface tension gave it the dome shape.  You can see the markings through the epoxy although it is much too small to see any numbers, even if I could write that small . . . :-))
 


 
One step back and two steps ahead.  But as General Patton used to say, "Forward, always forward."  
 
Dan

Hi all -
 
The theme of the past two weeks has been - improve, improve, improve, so there is not much new to see.
 
Most of the time was spent on the hull sides.  Although they were already good, I wanted an almost mirror finish.  Experiments with many gloss coatings, sanding and polishing, finally gave me the finish I wanted.  Ultimately it came down to sanding with up to 13,000 grit, several coats of clear gloss acrylic, and a final polishing with jewelers' rouge.  Here it is -  
 


 
The non-skid coating process has continued.  Here are a few more photos of the masking process using 1/32" and 1/16" vinyl striping tape for the the masking.  The bone burnisher was used extensively.  However, although the masking was good, it was not perfect.  I will be working on it some more in the coming weeks till I am satisfied.  This same fate will overtake the three hatch covers.  They have gone from 'acceptable' to 'not good enough' as my standards rose.
 


 
I am satisfied, for now, with the small details in the cockpit.  Here are the vent, throttle, guages, and electrical port on the starboard wall of the cockpit, both in miniature and against a photo of the boat. 
 


 
Here are the three-arm wheels mounted on their bent posts.  They are still removable at this point until the deck has been redone.  On top of the posts is a compass which is 1/8" across.  It is made from a drop of clear epoxy whose surface tension gave it the dome shape.  You can see the markings through the epoxy although it is much too small to see any numbers, even if I could write that small . . . :-))
 


 
One step back and two steps ahead.  But as General Patton used to say, "Forward, always forward."  
 
Dan

Hi again to those following this log -
 
Progress has been a bit slow the past two weeks.  Actually, it went OK, but last week I got to do another site visit to two boats still in the marina, one with the rig set up, and the other fully uncovered.  It turned out that a significant amount of work had to be redone because of the new information.  More on this later.
 
The greatest progress was on the hull.  With the pieces together, as they were last time, the surface could be smoothed, hardened, and smoothed again.  Sanding continued down to 600 grit before the first of what turned out to be 6 layers of primer was applied and sanded down to 1000 grit.  The waterline for the color separation had been marked with a simple pencil holding jig before the upper and lower hull pieces were glued together, and this line was preserved and redrawn as needed during the priming process.  The lower hull was masked at this line with tape, starting with 1/16" width at the line, then wider to cover the lower hull.  The deck was similarly masked, starting with thin tape, but then switching to paper toweling held in place by tape.  Once everything was set the color coat, a deep blue, was sprayed from a rattle can.  Several light coats were applied, given a final sanding, and the final color coats applied.
 
After drying for a full day two white stripes were applied just above the color separation line.  These were 1/16" wide striping tape from a company called "Sig" and ordered from a hobby supply house.  They are quite opaque, are self-adhesive, and paper backed.  Once the paper was removed the stripes were carefully applied as straight as possible.  Then they were checked repeatedly and adjusted.  There is a small window of open time when the stripes can be adjusted up or down as needed.  I used pencil erasers to do this so as not to mar the hull paint.  Similarly, a 1/32" wide stripe was applied near the top of the hull following the sheer.  This is the logo of the Swan boats, with the arrowhead and tail cut from the wider tape.  The arrowhead appears on only the starboard side.  On the port side the hole for the spinnaker pole gets in the way.  Once in place the hull was given several coats of clear gloss finish to protect it and secure the stripes.  Here is how they came out -
 


 
Once the hull had dried completely I turned to the cockpit.  The first technique to master was the non-skid surface.  I tried some silkspan which a fellow modeler sent me, as well as tissue papers and other films, but none would adhere to the compound curves necessary.  I finally went with acrylic matte paint, as several of you suggested.  I got a series of 1/32" masking tapes and laid them out on the white background.  Then the non-skid areas could be painted.  This worked reasonably well, but some of the paint came up when I went to remove the tape,  Ultimately, it became necessary to carefully cut along the edges of the tapes before removing them.  Then I repainted the edges of the non-skid areas.  This looked fine, until I went to see the boats and found that the color was wrong.  I matched what I saw in my photos, but had not counted on the differences in light and how the color came through in the photos.  Using a "color preview" set from Benjamin Moore I was able to identify the actual tone and hue.  This was made up in a small sample, and the non-skid areas were overpainted the correct shade.  On the deck the hinges and latches for the hatches are cut from chrome foil and outlined in white. 
 


 
The boat designers chose to make a small nod to earlier ship construction with bench surfaces in the cockpit made up from wooden strips with 'caulking' lines between them.  These were replicated from a product called "Micro-wood" which is a very thin paper-backed veneer.  It is so thin that it can go through a common ink-jet printer.  I first laid out the design of the benches in the computer and tested size and shape by printing out the design on a sheet of paper.  When it was finally correct I taped a piece of the micro-wood over the spot where it printed out, then ran it through again, printing out the design onto the wood. The inked caulking lines were incised into the wood with the back of the tip of a #10 blade guided by a metal straightedge.  This essentially tatoos the ink into the wood while scribing grooves that can be felt.  Here is the setup -
 

 
Next on the construction list were the winches that sit in rebates in the bench backs.  The dimensions were taken from the catalog of the Harker company, whose products are specified for use on the boats.  They were turned from clear acrylic rod to match the catalog images and photos taken on the boats.  There are three pair, and none are alike.  All are made from black carbon fiber, but the ones furthest aft are somewhat thin with chrome self-tailing tops.  The middle ones are thicker, and have no self-tailing feature, just a chrome socket for the hand crank.  The ones furthest forward are thinner, self-tailing ones, but have not been turned yet.
 


 
Another surprise during the site visit was learning that the forestay furling fitting sits in a well at the extreme nose of the boat.  This is easy to do when the actual boat is hollow, but not so easy in the solid hull of the model after a lot of work has already happened around it.  The well was drilled very carefully, painted, then a plastic plate drilled with seven holes was glued in place to represent the fitting.
 

 
So, until next time, here I am, contemplating the work done and the work yet to do.  The figure is properly to scale, so the size of the boat can be better judged. 
 

 
Aloha
 
Dan
 
 
 
 
 

Hi again to those following this log -
 
Progress has been a bit slow the past two weeks.  Actually, it went OK, but last week I got to do another site visit to two boats still in the marina, one with the rig set up, and the other fully uncovered.  It turned out that a significant amount of work had to be redone because of the new information.  More on this later.
 
The greatest progress was on the hull.  With the pieces together, as they were last time, the surface could be smoothed, hardened, and smoothed again.  Sanding continued down to 600 grit before the first of what turned out to be 6 layers of primer was applied and sanded down to 1000 grit.  The waterline for the color separation had been marked with a simple pencil holding jig before the upper and lower hull pieces were glued together, and this line was preserved and redrawn as needed during the priming process.  The lower hull was masked at this line with tape, starting with 1/16" width at the line, then wider to cover the lower hull.  The deck was similarly masked, starting with thin tape, but then switching to paper toweling held in place by tape.  Once everything was set the color coat, a deep blue, was sprayed from a rattle can.  Several light coats were applied, given a final sanding, and the final color coats applied.
 
After drying for a full day two white stripes were applied just above the color separation line.  These were 1/16" wide striping tape from a company called "Sig" and ordered from a hobby supply house.  They are quite opaque, are self-adhesive, and paper backed.  Once the paper was removed the stripes were carefully applied as straight as possible.  Then they were checked repeatedly and adjusted.  There is a small window of open time when the stripes can be adjusted up or down as needed.  I used pencil erasers to do this so as not to mar the hull paint.  Similarly, a 1/32" wide stripe was applied near the top of the hull following the sheer.  This is the logo of the Swan boats, with the arrowhead and tail cut from the wider tape.  The arrowhead appears on only the starboard side.  On the port side the hole for the spinnaker pole gets in the way.  Once in place the hull was given several coats of clear gloss finish to protect it and secure the stripes.  Here is how they came out -
 


 
Once the hull had dried completely I turned to the cockpit.  The first technique to master was the non-skid surface.  I tried some silkspan which a fellow modeler sent me, as well as tissue papers and other films, but none would adhere to the compound curves necessary.  I finally went with acrylic matte paint, as several of you suggested.  I got a series of 1/32" masking tapes and laid them out on the white background.  Then the non-skid areas could be painted.  This worked reasonably well, but some of the paint came up when I went to remove the tape,  Ultimately, it became necessary to carefully cut along the edges of the tapes before removing them.  Then I repainted the edges of the non-skid areas.  This looked fine, until I went to see the boats and found that the color was wrong.  I matched what I saw in my photos, but had not counted on the differences in light and how the color came through in the photos.  Using a "color preview" set from Benjamin Moore I was able to identify the actual tone and hue.  This was made up in a small sample, and the non-skid areas were overpainted the correct shade.  On the deck the hinges and latches for the hatches are cut from chrome foil and outlined in white. 
 


 
The boat designers chose to make a small nod to earlier ship construction with bench surfaces in the cockpit made up from wooden strips with 'caulking' lines between them.  These were replicated from a product called "Micro-wood" which is a very thin paper-backed veneer.  It is so thin that it can go through a common ink-jet printer.  I first laid out the design of the benches in the computer and tested size and shape by printing out the design on a sheet of paper.  When it was finally correct I taped a piece of the micro-wood over the spot where it printed out, then ran it through again, printing out the design onto the wood. The inked caulking lines were incised into the wood with the back of the tip of a #10 blade guided by a metal straightedge.  This essentially tatoos the ink into the wood while scribing grooves that can be felt.  Here is the setup -
 

 
Next on the construction list were the winches that sit in rebates in the bench backs.  The dimensions were taken from the catalog of the Harker company, whose products are specified for use on the boats.  They were turned from clear acrylic rod to match the catalog images and photos taken on the boats.  There are three pair, and none are alike.  All are made from black carbon fiber, but the ones furthest aft are somewhat thin with chrome self-tailing tops.  The middle ones are thicker, and have no self-tailing feature, just a chrome socket for the hand crank.  The ones furthest forward are thinner, self-tailing ones, but have not been turned yet.
 


 
Another surprise during the site visit was learning that the forestay furling fitting sits in a well at the extreme nose of the boat.  This is easy to do when the actual boat is hollow, but not so easy in the solid hull of the model after a lot of work has already happened around it.  The well was drilled very carefully, painted, then a plastic plate drilled with seven holes was glued in place to represent the fitting.
 

 
So, until next time, here I am, contemplating the work done and the work yet to do.  The figure is properly to scale, so the size of the boat can be better judged. 
 

 
Aloha
 
Dan
 
 
 
 
 

Hi again to those following this log -
 
Progress has been a bit slow the past two weeks.  Actually, it went OK, but last week I got to do another site visit to two boats still in the marina, one with the rig set up, and the other fully uncovered.  It turned out that a significant amount of work had to be redone because of the new information.  More on this later.
 
The greatest progress was on the hull.  With the pieces together, as they were last time, the surface could be smoothed, hardened, and smoothed again.  Sanding continued down to 600 grit before the first of what turned out to be 6 layers of primer was applied and sanded down to 1000 grit.  The waterline for the color separation had been marked with a simple pencil holding jig before the upper and lower hull pieces were glued together, and this line was preserved and redrawn as needed during the priming process.  The lower hull was masked at this line with tape, starting with 1/16" width at the line, then wider to cover the lower hull.  The deck was similarly masked, starting with thin tape, but then switching to paper toweling held in place by tape.  Once everything was set the color coat, a deep blue, was sprayed from a rattle can.  Several light coats were applied, given a final sanding, and the final color coats applied.
 
After drying for a full day two white stripes were applied just above the color separation line.  These were 1/16" wide striping tape from a company called "Sig" and ordered from a hobby supply house.  They are quite opaque, are self-adhesive, and paper backed.  Once the paper was removed the stripes were carefully applied as straight as possible.  Then they were checked repeatedly and adjusted.  There is a small window of open time when the stripes can be adjusted up or down as needed.  I used pencil erasers to do this so as not to mar the hull paint.  Similarly, a 1/32" wide stripe was applied near the top of the hull following the sheer.  This is the logo of the Swan boats, with the arrowhead and tail cut from the wider tape.  The arrowhead appears on only the starboard side.  On the port side the hole for the spinnaker pole gets in the way.  Once in place the hull was given several coats of clear gloss finish to protect it and secure the stripes.  Here is how they came out -
 


 
Once the hull had dried completely I turned to the cockpit.  The first technique to master was the non-skid surface.  I tried some silkspan which a fellow modeler sent me, as well as tissue papers and other films, but none would adhere to the compound curves necessary.  I finally went with acrylic matte paint, as several of you suggested.  I got a series of 1/32" masking tapes and laid them out on the white background.  Then the non-skid areas could be painted.  This worked reasonably well, but some of the paint came up when I went to remove the tape,  Ultimately, it became necessary to carefully cut along the edges of the tapes before removing them.  Then I repainted the edges of the non-skid areas.  This looked fine, until I went to see the boats and found that the color was wrong.  I matched what I saw in my photos, but had not counted on the differences in light and how the color came through in the photos.  Using a "color preview" set from Benjamin Moore I was able to identify the actual tone and hue.  This was made up in a small sample, and the non-skid areas were overpainted the correct shade.  On the deck the hinges and latches for the hatches are cut from chrome foil and outlined in white. 
 


 
The boat designers chose to make a small nod to earlier ship construction with bench surfaces in the cockpit made up from wooden strips with 'caulking' lines between them.  These were replicated from a product called "Micro-wood" which is a very thin paper-backed veneer.  It is so thin that it can go through a common ink-jet printer.  I first laid out the design of the benches in the computer and tested size and shape by printing out the design on a sheet of paper.  When it was finally correct I taped a piece of the micro-wood over the spot where it printed out, then ran it through again, printing out the design onto the wood. The inked caulking lines were incised into the wood with the back of the tip of a #10 blade guided by a metal straightedge.  This essentially tatoos the ink into the wood while scribing grooves that can be felt.  Here is the setup -
 

 
Next on the construction list were the winches that sit in rebates in the bench backs.  The dimensions were taken from the catalog of the Harker company, whose products are specified for use on the boats.  They were turned from clear acrylic rod to match the catalog images and photos taken on the boats.  There are three pair, and none are alike.  All are made from black carbon fiber, but the ones furthest aft are somewhat thin with chrome self-tailing tops.  The middle ones are thicker, and have no self-tailing feature, just a chrome socket for the hand crank.  The ones furthest forward are thinner, self-tailing ones, but have not been turned yet.
 


 
Another surprise during the site visit was learning that the forestay furling fitting sits in a well at the extreme nose of the boat.  This is easy to do when the actual boat is hollow, but not so easy in the solid hull of the model after a lot of work has already happened around it.  The well was drilled very carefully, painted, then a plastic plate drilled with seven holes was glued in place to represent the fitting.
 

 
So, until next time, here I am, contemplating the work done and the work yet to do.  The figure is properly to scale, so the size of the boat can be better judged. 
 

 
Aloha
 
Dan
 
 
 
 
 

Hi again -
 
Progress since my last posting includes the cabin roof handholds formed and electroplated, the several raised and flush hatches, cabin and cockpit windows, and the socket for the spinnaker pole.  I just bit the bullet and glued the upper hull to the lower, which is curing as I write this.  Now I can sand the hull to final shape and smoothness, then paint it with gloss blue.  Look for it next time.
 
Here is the overall upper hull.  The cabin windows were masked and the tapered streak hand painted with the gloss blue lacquer decanted from the spray can. 
 

 
The window frames are built up from 0.010" x 0.030" plastic strip.  The corners are chamfered and they are painted a metallic silver.  On the boat they have a satin finish, which the paint replicates quite well.  The windows themselves are gloss black paint, since they are set flush with the surface of the cabin and plastic sheet could not be inset.
 

 
The cockpit windows are built up in a similar fashion.  The hatch in the seat back is built up from unpainted strip with the 1/16" latch punched out from a chrome plated foil sheet.
 

 

 
At the bow is a trapezoidal hatch set flush into the deck.  The size and shape were taken from the plans, a template made from shim brass, then scribed around.  The hinges, latch, and lock were cut from the chrome foil.
 

 
There are several raised hatches with coamings on the cabin roof and forward deck.   These were built up from three layers of plastic, the top one being clear with black paint on the reverse side.  The chrome edging is brass rod bent and fitted to the hatch, then electroplated and glued in place.  Like the companionway hatch, the non-skid areas are art paper appliques.  The lock is chrome foil.  There will be two grey plastic latches fitted as well.  The first set of these did not make the cut. 
 

 
The last piece of major machining for the upper hull was the socket for the spinnaker pole on the port side.  The pole slides into the hull when not in use, and then slides out at an angle so the forward end lies on the centerline of the boat.  This was carefully drilled with an undersized bitt, then slowly and carefully expanded to final size and angle.  As you can imagine, this was High Anxiety without Mel Brooks' humor to lighten the mood.  One slip and I might be forced to discard the entire upper hull.  Fortunately, it came out well, but will be further refined once the hull pieces are joined.
 

 
Before the upper and lower hull pieces were joined a perimeter trench was routed and chiseled into the lower hull to give any wood movement in the lifts a place to go other than outward to crack the surface of the model.
 

 
Here are the two hull sections joined together.  I use a conservator's neutral pH PVA glue from Lineco.  I find that it cures faster than the usual white glues and seems a bit stronger as well.
 

 
And here are all the pieces mounted on the stand, including the rudder which was machined from 1/8" basswood sheet and secured with a brass rod into a socket in the hull.  The rudder and keel are still removable and will remain so until almost the final moments of construction so they do not get damaged by my clumsy handling. 
 
Till next time - be well.
 
Dan
 


 
 

Hi again -
 
Progress since my last posting includes the cabin roof handholds formed and electroplated, the several raised and flush hatches, cabin and cockpit windows, and the socket for the spinnaker pole.  I just bit the bullet and glued the upper hull to the lower, which is curing as I write this.  Now I can sand the hull to final shape and smoothness, then paint it with gloss blue.  Look for it next time.
 
Here is the overall upper hull.  The cabin windows were masked and the tapered streak hand painted with the gloss blue lacquer decanted from the spray can. 
 

 
The window frames are built up from 0.010" x 0.030" plastic strip.  The corners are chamfered and they are painted a metallic silver.  On the boat they have a satin finish, which the paint replicates quite well.  The windows themselves are gloss black paint, since they are set flush with the surface of the cabin and plastic sheet could not be inset.
 

 
The cockpit windows are built up in a similar fashion.  The hatch in the seat back is built up from unpainted strip with the 1/16" latch punched out from a chrome plated foil sheet.
 

 

 
At the bow is a trapezoidal hatch set flush into the deck.  The size and shape were taken from the plans, a template made from shim brass, then scribed around.  The hinges, latch, and lock were cut from the chrome foil.
 

 
There are several raised hatches with coamings on the cabin roof and forward deck.   These were built up from three layers of plastic, the top one being clear with black paint on the reverse side.  The chrome edging is brass rod bent and fitted to the hatch, then electroplated and glued in place.  Like the companionway hatch, the non-skid areas are art paper appliques.  The lock is chrome foil.  There will be two grey plastic latches fitted as well.  The first set of these did not make the cut. 
 

 
The last piece of major machining for the upper hull was the socket for the spinnaker pole on the port side.  The pole slides into the hull when not in use, and then slides out at an angle so the forward end lies on the centerline of the boat.  This was carefully drilled with an undersized bitt, then slowly and carefully expanded to final size and angle.  As you can imagine, this was High Anxiety without Mel Brooks' humor to lighten the mood.  One slip and I might be forced to discard the entire upper hull.  Fortunately, it came out well, but will be further refined once the hull pieces are joined.
 

 
Before the upper and lower hull pieces were joined a perimeter trench was routed and chiseled into the lower hull to give any wood movement in the lifts a place to go other than outward to crack the surface of the model.
 

 
Here are the two hull sections joined together.  I use a conservator's neutral pH PVA glue from Lineco.  I find that it cures faster than the usual white glues and seems a bit stronger as well.
 

 
And here are all the pieces mounted on the stand, including the rudder which was machined from 1/8" basswood sheet and secured with a brass rod into a socket in the hull.  The rudder and keel are still removable and will remain so until almost the final moments of construction so they do not get damaged by my clumsy handling. 
 
Till next time - be well.
 
Dan
 


 
 

Hi all -
 
Thanks for the compliments.  I hope that you will continue to enjoy the journey as I work my way up the learning curve for a model like this one.
 
This post takes me to the companionway and its various components and materials.  Here is what it looks like.  The vertical side is composed of three plexiglass panels of diminishing size.  They slide down in a channel behind the chrome strips to either side  The top is one panel with a teak handle and three non-slip areas etched into it.  It slides into the channel under the roof.  To either side are chrome handholds next to the line brake ramps. 
 

 
 
Here is my completed companionway.  The panels are clear plastic with the reverse painted flat black.  The panel lines are scribed, the anti-skid areas are paper appliques.  The retaining strips and handholds are chrome plated brass. Almost nothing is permanently mounted at this point, since I may want to remove them and replace them with better efforts.
 

 
Most of the time since my last post has been taken up with learning how to electroplate.  Here is the kit from Caswell that I used.  It should be perfect for the amount of electroplating that I will be doing on this model.  There are only three components - the plating wand with its fabric cover, the chrome plating solution, and the power supply.
 

 
In this setup I am not using the wand as a brush, but as an electrode dipped into a plastic container of the solution.  The other electrode is clipped to a brass piece to be plated.  The clothes pins support both and keep them off the floor of the container.  Once this is set up, the power supply is plugged in and the plating begins.  It is no more difficult than that.
 

 
Here is the process for plating some brass rod to make the handholds.  First the rod is bent to the shape that I wanted.  Both handholds will be cut from this one piece.  The rod is polished with a wire wheel in the Dremel, and not touched after polishing.
 

 
Here it is after 5 minutes of plating.  There is some buildup on one section of the rod, but that piece will not be used.
 

 
Now the rod is polished with the wire wheel and the handhold section cut off.  I leave one leg longer to be inserted in a hole in the model.  The other end will simply rest on the surface.  This make it very easy to install, without worrying about getting two holes spaced perfectly, but still gives a positive mechanical connection for the piece.
 

 
For contrast, here is the plated handhold with an unplated brass rod.  The difference is clear.
 

 
And, again, here are the handholds temporarily installed on the model.  With this magnification I can see that there has to be a bit more cleanup on the line brake ramps and tunnels.  But I am closing in on 'acceptable' and working my way up to 'good.'  
 

 
Comments and suggestions always welcome.  It is much easier to change things now, and many eyes are always better than one somewhat biased pair.
 
Dan
 
 

Now I turned back to the lower hull.  It was refined with templates and progressively finer sanding blocks.  After the 400 grit level I sealed it with Minwax Wood Hardener.  This product is designed to strengthen rotted wood, but I have found it to be perfect for sealing wood where I want a truly smooth surface.  The only drawback is that the wood becomes so hard that it is quite difficult to remove more than just a small amount - don't aske me how I know.  I now hold off on using it until I am quite satisfied that I have the proper shape.
 
After the hardener dried overnight it was sanded smooth to remove the raised grain, and the first coat of Krylon auto primer was sprayed on.  This revealed that there were small imperfections where the various lifts had been joined to each other.  These were filled by painting the entire lower hull with a thin solution of small-grained plaster.  After sanding with a sanding block you can see where the plaster has filled the voids.  The plaster was hardened and the next primer coat was applied, then sanded smooth.  Ultimately, seven coats of primer were laid on and progressively sanded off with up to 1000 grit paper. 
 
The keel fin and bulb were similarly shaped, hardened, filled and sanded.  Because the keel fin is so thin its connection points with the lower hull above and the keel bulb below would be incredibly fragile.  I therefore planned for and fitted a steel pin that goes into the hull about 2 inches and down below the keel bulb about the same amount.  I don't know how it will be displayed, but this should give them a great deal of flexibility in choosing the mounting for the model. 
 
So here is my progress to date.  The three major components - upper hull, lower hull, and keel - can be stacked to see how they line up and to refine them as needed.  More as the model develops.
 
Be well
 
Dan Pariser
 
 

Hi all -
 
The past week has been spent refining the cockpit area of the upper hull.  The first photo is of an actual yacht focusing on the cockpit.  You can see the compound planes and angles that form the integral bench, the seat back and the seatings for the two aft winches on each side.  The two guys in khaki shorts are sitting on the tops of the seat backs with their feet on the benches.  The aft cabin bulkhead is composed of several planes that meet at odd angles, with curves and fillets of assorted radius where they meet. 
 

 
You can see in the second photo how this has been carved into the wood.  No secrets here, just files, sanding blocks with rounded corners, and a sharp #10 blade for the corners. 
 

 
Once the planes were defined, the companionway was attacked. You can see its size and shape in the third photo.  It will be modeled closed.  
 

 
Alongside of the companionway roof are a pair of shallow angled ramps that lead down and forward.  At the front end of each there is a small raised lip, and a flat tunnel which extends under the cabin roof to a similar carved depression at the base of the mast.   On the ramp sit five line brakes for the various halyards and other rigging lines.  You can see this in the fourth photo.  In use the lines run down the mast, through blocks at the base, then into the tunnells leading aft, up and through the line brakes, then to the winches further aft.  I saw the boat in drydock so the lines weren't there, which actually made getting a view of the details a little easier. 
 

 
I drew out the shape and location of the companionway on the wood, then started cutting down from the top about 1/8" to make the socket where a plate of smoked plastic will ultimately sit.  It was roughly machined out using a milling bit in the miniature Dremel drill press (I'll get that Unimat one day).  Smaller bits were used to progressively approach the pencil lines.  Using a widely flared bitt I undercut the top, then used files to refine the undercut to match the look of the companionway roof. The vertical face of the companionway was cut down using side cutting bitts in a hand held Dremel.  That's why it is rougher than the top face.  The roughness will be hidden by the plastic door pieces and metal frames in the final model. The line brake seat on each side was carved out with sharp chisels, the raised lip was added and shaped, and the tunnel mouth was drilled out.  After much work photo five is the final carved look of the companionway and line brake seats. 
 

 
The mast seating area was similarly carved out and the tunnel mouths there were drilled out.  Finally, a pair of depressions were carved into the deck on either side of the cabin for small blocks that will be mounted later. 
 

 
Now the upper hull was temporarily mounted on the lower hull.  Holes were drilled through the upper hull at the mast location and through the space where the companionway roof will be.  The pieces were clamped together and screws were inserted and tightened, as you can see in photo six. 
 

 
With the two pieces locked together the sides of the upper hull were sanded to very close to their final shapes and matched to the lower hull.  With all of the wood shaping being very close to final, the upper hull was given a coating of wood hardener.  After drying, the whole hull was sanded smooth and then the upper hull was unscrewed from the lower.  The last two photos are of the first coat of primer on the upper hull.  I am using white here because the upper surfaces will be white in the final model.
 

 
Much more priming, sanding, re-priming, etc. before the upper hull is ready for me to start on the hatches and other details.
 
A biento, as the French say.
 
Dan
 
 

Hi all -
 
Here is another tip for tying ratlines -
 
After you have clipped your lined off card behind the shrouds, put a dot of white paint on each of the outermost shrouds where they cross your lines.  Now remove the card.  This will give you your horizontal guideline while freeing up access to the back of the shrouds when you tie your knots.  After all of the ratlines are done go back and paint over the white dots with black paint.  Since the shrouds were tarred, if not the ratlines, this actually results in a more accurate look.
 
I use clove hitches, myself, even down to 1:96 scale, although I have seen other methods that can be effective.  I find them quick to tie and they slide easily up and down the shrouds to get the horizontal look right.  At the outermost shrouds I use an overhand loop, which is small and neat, with the tail running down and behind the shroud.  The tail pulls outward, so I can adjust the tension on the knots as I go, and helps in avoiding the hourglass problem.  I find that using just this overlhand loop is the least obvious once the tail is cut off.
 
I wrote an article on this method in the Nov/Dec 1989 issue of the old Ships in Scale magazine called "Get the 'Rats' out of your ratlines!"  if you have the magazine or the CD.
 
Dan

Doris -
 
I am somewhat new to the MSW site and still working my way through all of the wonderful build logs.  Yours is one of the best.  Thank you for sharing your progress.  I will follow it with interest.
 
Be well
 
Dan Pariser

Now I turned back to the lower hull.  It was refined with templates and progressively finer sanding blocks.  After the 400 grit level I sealed it with Minwax Wood Hardener.  This product is designed to strengthen rotted wood, but I have found it to be perfect for sealing wood where I want a truly smooth surface.  The only drawback is that the wood becomes so hard that it is quite difficult to remove more than just a small amount - don't aske me how I know.  I now hold off on using it until I am quite satisfied that I have the proper shape.
 
After the hardener dried overnight it was sanded smooth to remove the raised grain, and the first coat of Krylon auto primer was sprayed on.  This revealed that there were small imperfections where the various lifts had been joined to each other.  These were filled by painting the entire lower hull with a thin solution of small-grained plaster.  After sanding with a sanding block you can see where the plaster has filled the voids.  The plaster was hardened and the next primer coat was applied, then sanded smooth.  Ultimately, seven coats of primer were laid on and progressively sanded off with up to 1000 grit paper. 
 
The keel fin and bulb were similarly shaped, hardened, filled and sanded.  Because the keel fin is so thin its connection points with the lower hull above and the keel bulb below would be incredibly fragile.  I therefore planned for and fitted a steel pin that goes into the hull about 2 inches and down below the keel bulb about the same amount.  I don't know how it will be displayed, but this should give them a great deal of flexibility in choosing the mounting for the model. 
 
So here is my progress to date.  The three major components - upper hull, lower hull, and keel - can be stacked to see how they line up and to refine them as needed.  More as the model develops.
 
Be well
 
Dan Pariser
 
 

Now I turned back to the lower hull.  It was refined with templates and progressively finer sanding blocks.  After the 400 grit level I sealed it with Minwax Wood Hardener.  This product is designed to strengthen rotted wood, but I have found it to be perfect for sealing wood where I want a truly smooth surface.  The only drawback is that the wood becomes so hard that it is quite difficult to remove more than just a small amount - don't aske me how I know.  I now hold off on using it until I am quite satisfied that I have the proper shape.
 
After the hardener dried overnight it was sanded smooth to remove the raised grain, and the first coat of Krylon auto primer was sprayed on.  This revealed that there were small imperfections where the various lifts had been joined to each other.  These were filled by painting the entire lower hull with a thin solution of small-grained plaster.  After sanding with a sanding block you can see where the plaster has filled the voids.  The plaster was hardened and the next primer coat was applied, then sanded smooth.  Ultimately, seven coats of primer were laid on and progressively sanded off with up to 1000 grit paper. 
 
The keel fin and bulb were similarly shaped, hardened, filled and sanded.  Because the keel fin is so thin its connection points with the lower hull above and the keel bulb below would be incredibly fragile.  I therefore planned for and fitted a steel pin that goes into the hull about 2 inches and down below the keel bulb about the same amount.  I don't know how it will be displayed, but this should give them a great deal of flexibility in choosing the mounting for the model. 
 
So here is my progress to date.  The three major components - upper hull, lower hull, and keel - can be stacked to see how they line up and to refine them as needed.  More as the model develops.
 
Be well
 
Dan Pariser
 
 

Now I turned back to the lower hull.  It was refined with templates and progressively finer sanding blocks.  After the 400 grit level I sealed it with Minwax Wood Hardener.  This product is designed to strengthen rotted wood, but I have found it to be perfect for sealing wood where I want a truly smooth surface.  The only drawback is that the wood becomes so hard that it is quite difficult to remove more than just a small amount - don't aske me how I know.  I now hold off on using it until I am quite satisfied that I have the proper shape.
 
After the hardener dried overnight it was sanded smooth to remove the raised grain, and the first coat of Krylon auto primer was sprayed on.  This revealed that there were small imperfections where the various lifts had been joined to each other.  These were filled by painting the entire lower hull with a thin solution of small-grained plaster.  After sanding with a sanding block you can see where the plaster has filled the voids.  The plaster was hardened and the next primer coat was applied, then sanded smooth.  Ultimately, seven coats of primer were laid on and progressively sanded off with up to 1000 grit paper. 
 
The keel fin and bulb were similarly shaped, hardened, filled and sanded.  Because the keel fin is so thin its connection points with the lower hull above and the keel bulb below would be incredibly fragile.  I therefore planned for and fitted a steel pin that goes into the hull about 2 inches and down below the keel bulb about the same amount.  I don't know how it will be displayed, but this should give them a great deal of flexibility in choosing the mounting for the model. 
 
So here is my progress to date.  The three major components - upper hull, lower hull, and keel - can be stacked to see how they line up and to refine them as needed.  More as the model develops.
 
Be well
 
Dan Pariser
 
 

Now I turned back to the lower hull.  It was refined with templates and progressively finer sanding blocks.  After the 400 grit level I sealed it with Minwax Wood Hardener.  This product is designed to strengthen rotted wood, but I have found it to be perfect for sealing wood where I want a truly smooth surface.  The only drawback is that the wood becomes so hard that it is quite difficult to remove more than just a small amount - don't aske me how I know.  I now hold off on using it until I am quite satisfied that I have the proper shape.
 
After the hardener dried overnight it was sanded smooth to remove the raised grain, and the first coat of Krylon auto primer was sprayed on.  This revealed that there were small imperfections where the various lifts had been joined to each other.  These were filled by painting the entire lower hull with a thin solution of small-grained plaster.  After sanding with a sanding block you can see where the plaster has filled the voids.  The plaster was hardened and the next primer coat was applied, then sanded smooth.  Ultimately, seven coats of primer were laid on and progressively sanded off with up to 1000 grit paper. 
 
The keel fin and bulb were similarly shaped, hardened, filled and sanded.  Because the keel fin is so thin its connection points with the lower hull above and the keel bulb below would be incredibly fragile.  I therefore planned for and fitted a steel pin that goes into the hull about 2 inches and down below the keel bulb about the same amount.  I don't know how it will be displayed, but this should give them a great deal of flexibility in choosing the mounting for the model. 
 
So here is my progress to date.  The three major components - upper hull, lower hull, and keel - can be stacked to see how they line up and to refine them as needed.  More as the model develops.
 
Be well
 
Dan Pariser