grsjax

Hawaii is one of those places where almost any kind of tree will grow. Unfortunately apple, pear, walnut and boxwood are not among the trees that thrive here. Below is a picture of some of the common wood found in this area. There are many more species but this is what I had on hand to photograph so I will start there and possibly in the future add others. From left to right they are causarina, tropical almond, mango, albiza, lemon, ohia, milo and avocado. Causarina, also known as Australian pine, she oak, iron wood and river oak is a tree native to Australia. Introduced in Hawaii as a wind break tree. The wood is hard with a moderate grain and red coloring varied from a very light red brown sap wood to a dark red heart wood. To coarse for exterior use on a model that is going to be finished bright but and excellent wood for framing that will remain hidden. Tends to crack during drying and bleed dark read sap when first cut. Doesn't seem to be a good wood for bending. Tropical Almond is a tree native to the south Pacific and may be native to Hawaii but there is some that think it was introduced after European contact. Popular shade tree in seaside parks. Similar to a tree native to Hawaii called Kamani or Hawaiian oak. Hard wood with a light brown sap wood and darker brown heart wood. Nice grain and works easily. Fairly hard with a moderate grain. To coarse for exterior use unless painted but other wise a good wood to work with. Very good for display base and/or cabinet. Mango. Common in tropical areas. Beautiful grain but way to coarse for model building. The dust and sap can cause irritation and rash. Albiza. Native to India and is the fastest growing tree in the world. Considered a trash tree in Hawaii but has nice wood with some interesting properties. Very light, heavier than balsa but lighter than basswood. Very strong for it weight but has a coarse, stringy texture. Works easily and holds fastenings fairly well. Does not bend well. Makes a great wood for fillers and backing pieces and can be used for a solid hull that will be planked over. Lemon. This piece is from a Meyer lemon tree my neighbor cut down. Unfortunately is laid on the ground in the rain for several days before I found out about it. Hard, tight grained wood that saws, carves and turns well. Very susceptible to insect attack and staining if not seasoned and stored correctly. Very good all around modeling wood. Ohia is the most common native tree in Hawaii and is found no where else. Scientific names is polymorphus because it can grown in a large variety of forms from a low spreading bush to a giant a hundred feet tall and 3 feet thick at the base depending on the conditions. Hard, dense and close grained wood. Will crack if not sealed as soon as it is cut and seasoned correctly. Has been used for outrigger canoes, flooring, furniture, musical instruments, turning and carving. Color varies from medium brown to a very dark, reddish brown. In general an excellent wood for modeling especially for dark parts finished bright. Milo is another tree native to Hawaii and found on other south Pacific islands. Beautiful wood for carving. Moderately hard with a close grain. Light brown sap wood and dark brown heart wood. Some really old trees have heart wood that is very nearly black. Common in coastal areas where there is a source of fresh water. Tends to have a very convoluted, multi-trunk structure so finding long, straight pieces is unusual. An excellent wood for model building. Avocado. Common tree in warm climates including southern California and Florida. Wood is a light brown with a grain that varies from tight and straight to wavy with flecks. Good wood for general purpose use in model building but the grain can be a problem.

I was using water based paints. So far no problems with wicking on basswood. I use the blunt end of an exacto knife handle to press it down well before applying the paint.

My wife the artist introduced me to this stuff. I tried it out on a piece of raw basswood sheet and it produced very good results. Easy to apply and cut. Left a sharp edge after painting and removal. Anyone have experience with this item and is there anything to watch out for when using it? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QVBQBG/ref=twister_B01DTEDTEW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

This is way out of date but if you still need info here is a link to a build log on a Dutch site that has pictures of the parts sheets. https://www.modelbrouwers.nl/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=25936

Motor oil may be to thick for your machine. A lighter machine oil would be better. A lot of different places should carry what you need. The same type of oil is used to lubricate fishing reels, sewing machines, small motors and other light equipment. Not sure if it is still available or sold in the UK if it is but the old standby household oil called 3 in 1 oil would be a good choice. If nothing all else fails ask at a hardware store for light machine oil.

Ran across a series of small boat models from a manufacture that must not be named. What I would like to know is who is the legit manufacture of these kits? There are 4 or 5 ranging from a small jolly boat up to a barge and they come in scales from 1/96 to 1/35. I thought they might be copies of Master Korabel or Falkonet kits but comparing pictures of the kits I came to the conclusion that they weren't. Anyone know who makes the legit versions of these kits? I would like to find out and maybe build a couple of them.

Depends on the wood and the conditions it was stored under. I have used wood from some 40 year old kits that needed some soaking in warm water to keep it from splintering but was other wise fine. On the other hand some wood only a few years old can be to dry and brittle to use.

If you have some way to cut the log into to boards it will speed up drying. Remove the bark, cut the slabs 1 or 2 inches thick and seal the ends with a thick coat of paint or wax (anchor seal works very well). Stack the boards with short pieces of wood between them to let the air circulate around the wood freely. If you cannot get the log sawn this way it will also work to quarter it or simply split it in two. Anything you do to increase the surface area will help speed up the drying.

Having two projects going at the same time can be a good way to prevent getting frustrated. When one gets to the point where you need a break you can work on the other for awhile. I agree about the work boats.

HI Igor Thank you for the kind words. I didn't start a build log on my ship in a bottle build because I wasn't to sure how well I was going to do with it. I will post some pics in the completed models gallery when it is finished. Nothing nearly so well done as yours, just a simple sloop about 1:300 scale.

I was looking on line for some ideas for a small tool box with several flat drawers for storing small tools like knives and pliers. Ran across this neat item from an art supply company called Display2Go. I have no association with this company or anyone in it, just passing along a good idea. 15.75x9.75 inches outside dimensions. Price is around $12 + shipping. I was thinking of getting one or two to keep my most used tools in on my workbench.

Amazing work. I am just now finishing up my first ship in a bottle and seeing Igor's work makes me realize what a long way I have to go. Beautiful.

The older type of flue was removable and could be replaced with a cover over the hatch.

I will be following this closely as I have this same kit in my stash.

Picked up a couple of old constucto kits on eBay. Wasn't expecting much but the subjects, Wifredo, a mid 19th century steamer and Velachero, a late 19th century barkentine rigged cargo vessel using lateen sails on the main and mizzen were interesting and price was right. After receiving them I am pleasantly surprised. First the bad; No scale given but guesstimated at about 1:284 (1/32" = 1 foot) give or take a bit for the Wifredo / 1:32 (3/16" = 1 foot) for the Velachero, plastic dead eyes and really limited instructions. The good; very well made kits with nicely machined solid hulls, pre-shaped spars and well made fittings. Not a great challenge but the results will look good and be something a bit out of the ordinary.

Depends on what you are sanding. I use 80 grit to remove lots of wood quickly but never try and get right up to the line with it. 180 works well for doing the clean up on parts. Finishing should be done by hand to avoid going to far.

No specialty paint stores around here that deal with retail customers. Don't really know why the paint dries faster when thinned with alcohol but it does. I think it is maybe that the alcohol simply evaporates faster under conditions here.

Living here on the wet side of the Big Island (Mt. View gets ~200 in/year of rain) I find that water based paints can take a very long time to dry completely. Trying to find a solution I tried using my wife's hair dryer to speed the process up and it worked. Problem was that it took a long time using the hair dryer to get the paint to a satisfactory dry state. Next was trying something other than water as a thinner. I got very good results using 91% Isopropyl Alcohol (drug store rubbing alcohol). Mixed 50/50 with the paint, I was using MSW paints, it made a real difference in the drying time. Otherwise seemed to work fine with no ill effects. I am probably not the first to figure this out but thought someone might find my results interesting.

Have some books to trade. All are hardcovers and good clean copies. Some have dust jackets. Some have prices and or names on the fly. 1. Howard I. Chapelle, "The Baltimore Clipper", 1987 reprint by Edward W. Sweetman Comapny. 2. Howard I. Chapelle, "Boat Building", 1969 reprint, W.W. Norton & Co., Inc. 3. David R. MacGregor, "Merchant Sailing Ships: 1775 - 1815, There Design and Construction", 1980, Argus Books Ltd. 4. C. Nepean Longridge, "The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships", 1994 reprint, Naval Institute Press. 5. Harold A. Underhill, "Plank-On-Frame Models and Scale Masting & Rigging, Vol II", 1964 reprint, Brown, Son and Ferguson, LTD. I have others if you are looking for something else drop me a PM. I am looking for the following books. Prefer hardcover books but will consider softcover. "Fore & Aft Rig in America" by E. P. Morris "Rigging of Ships in the Days of the Spritsail Topmast" by R. C. Anderson "Elements and Practice of Naval Architecture" by David Steel or the Knowles edition of the same book. Books on the design and construction of small craft (~<100' LOA) that include plans and detailed descriptions of the boats. Books on modeling small craft. Model kits of small craft including fishing boat, utilities, racing craft and other work boats. I have built all the Midwest apprentice series but would be interested in their America's Cup models and other small craft.

Ran across a kit by a company called Nidale. Nice looking and very detailed but it looks like a Chinese made kit. Checked the list of banned manufactures and couldn't find the name but thought it a good idea to ask if this is a legit company.

Looks good.

Actually any wood will glue well if the right glue is used and the wood is properly preped.

Hi Jan Model looks great. I wish my first attempts has turned out so well.

If you want to stick with wood rather than a non-wood substitute you might try soaking basswood in carbon black water color. The stuff I have is Hydrus Fine Art watercolor 11H carbon black. It comes in a small bottle with an eye dropper. Gives a deep black color to the basswood. To give it the slight glossiness of ebony I use a light coat of clear gloss sealer over the color. Looks pretty good, is cheap, is easy to work and has no health issues to worry about. I have tried various ebony stains and different types of black paint but none of them are as good as the carbon black watercolor paint.

I am building (or attempting to) my first ship-in-a-bottle and needed some clear sealer. I was out but my wife offered me a bottle of clear nail polish. I was surprised at how well it worked. As an added bonus the built in brush worked great for spreading the nail polish. Don't know how well it would work for larger areas but for my tiny ship-in-a-bottle boat it works just fine.