grsjax

The first model I built was from popsicle sticks. That was about 55 years ago and the model was a small scow I found the plans for in an old book of building projects for boys. The book must have been 30 years old even then. I got the sticks from a local grocery store and it was the only small size wood planks I was aware of at the time. Lots of fun for a kid with no tools and no experience but willing to jump in and start making something.

Just a heads up to anyone interested in obtaining a copy of this 7 volume work with the original wooden shipping crate. There is one listed on eBay right now ( item number 111436694734 ). Buy it Now for $360. This is very cheap for this and I would snap it up if I could afford it.

Just started on a Dumas Mahogany runabout kit (build log to follow) and was wondering about the mahogany that comes with the kit. Is it actually mahogany or is it a substitute wood? If it is mahogany what type is it, african, honduran or something else? Don't have a problem with the wood, easy to work and it takes a nice finish, just wondering what it actually is. Thanks

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but if it isn't please move it. After a session at the work table I always manage to get a layer of super glue on my finger tips. I try scrubbing it off with soap and water but end up waiting for it to flake off over time. I decided to experiment with other items around the bathroom sink to see if I could do a better job. Turns out hand lotion works pretty well. I put a drop on each finger tip and rub them together. With in a short time the glue starts to come off. Only takes a few minutes and I don't have the feeling of dry skin I usually have with CA glue residues.

I try to get wood in 1 to 2 inch thickness and 3 or 4 inch widths because most of the time you end up re-sizing it anyway and these sizes are easy to work with. As for species I try to keep poplar, maple, black walnut and basswood in stock. I also keep a lookout for any local woods that I can get and re-saw on my band or table saw. Not sure what you would find in Colorado but I would think apple, pear, cherry and plum might be some you could lay your hands on. If you know anyone with these trees in their yards you could offer to help prune them in exchange for the offcuts. Another possible source is orchard operators. See if you can get pieces they trim off during pruning operations.

There is something called barrier cream ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrier_cream ). There are several brands but they all do the same thing, keep harmful chemicals from irritating the skin. This stuff is used by machinists, mechanics, chemists, pest control people and others that regularly come into contact with chemicals. It works well. Check with a pharmacist if you can't find it.

Well things have not gone very well with the peapod. After I recovered from the eye surgery and got new specs I got caught up in a long list of "honey do's" that needed doing. That ran into more time than I expected. Along with a family reunion on the mainland and a few other distractions I didn't get around to working on the peapod until recently. Then along came hurricane Iselle. Ended up being a tropical storm by the time it hit and it didn't do much damage to us. However I had packed everything away to get ready for the storm and a lot of it ended up in my work area. When I got around to unpacking everything and getting my work space cleaned out I found that the peapod had not survived as well as other things did. The hull got a bit beat up (actually more that a bit) and redoing it is going to probably take more time than starting over. For now I have set it aside and will work on something else from my kit stash until I can get around to buying a new peapod kit. Maybe a ChrisCraft runabout from Dumas, always liked the looks of the old mahogany runabouts.

Next question would be; Does anyone know of a source of plans for Skackleton's "Endurance"? Inquiring minds want to know. I know I do.

Wish I could get one shipped to Hawaii for a reasonable price. I checked with HF and they wanted more than the cost of the bench for the cheapest method.

Just a thought. If you can find a good Unimat 3 lathe you might want to consider it. It isn't made anymore but I think it was one of Unimat's best offerings. If you can get the complete set it also has a milling column that is great. Here in the US they show up on eBay regularly for a couple of hundred U$.

Very true. There are several of the trees in the pasture next to our place and the cows love it when a branch is low enough to reach. They gather around and eat everything they can get to.

I will take some pics and post them. I have read that the gunpowder tree wood was used to make charcoal that was used to make gunpowder and that is how the tree came to be call the gunpowder tree. Don't know if that is true but it makes a good story.

The band saw ideas are very interesting. You could cut both length wise and across and have a grid pattern to work from. I would think you would need to make patterns the thickness of your saw kerf to keep the hull same size. That way you wouldn't need to make templates for hull shaping.

I have read that in smaller sailing vessels that if a sailor needed to go aloft for some reason, clear a block or untangle a line, he could climb the mast hoops like a ladder. After seeing a large (by our modern standards) schooner at a tall ships parade it made sense. The mast hoops were easily larger enough and strong enough to be used as a ladder when the sail was hoisted.

I have a Dremel table saw that I like a lot. Out of the box it is good but with a few simple mods it is great. Belt or disk sander is moot as most sanders come with both these days. I have a 1" belt sander that has a 6" disk on the side. Works very well. Nice thing about a belt sander is it can be used to sharpen chisels and knives. Just have to change the belt to a finer grit.

Just my experience. Most pre-carved hulls have enough extra wood in the keel and bulwark areas that an exact center line isn't really necessary. Mark a point at the bow and stern that is as close as you can eyeball to the center and project this line long the deck and keel/stem/stern post. As long as you are careful to make the line straight and use it as a baseline for the carving it should turn out ok.

Anyone know what these are? I picked up a set of miniture chisels off of ebay that are marked "Caw Chisels" made by MITS. Made in China but look pretty good. They are a set of V chisels in various sizes from 1/8" down. They look pretty much like other V chisels but the ends sweep forward rather than being square. Any ideas about the name or what their original purpose was?

I was reading an article on building tool storage cabinets. Mentioned in the article was a good tip on preventing tools from rusting. Put a camphor tablet in the bottom of the drawer or cabinet. The camphor produces a vapor that coats the tools and prevents rust. A side benefit is it keeps bugs away as well. Walmart used to sell camphor tablets and I know you can order them from Amazon. One caution. Keep these tablets away from kids and pets. If they are eaten they can make a child sick.

Living in Hawaii I run across wood from trees that are unknown or at least rare in the rest of the country. I have been clearing my 3 acres a bit at a time and have recently cut an Albizia (falcataria moluccana) and a Gunpowder tree (trema orientalis). These may grow in southern Florida but I never saw any when I was there. Both of these trees are pretty much considered weed trees here as they grow fast and take over open ground rapidly. The wood tends to be brittle and they lose branches in any kind of wind. As they can get very tall this is a real problem. After cutting them I noticed the wood had an interesting look to it so did some research. Both are easy to dry/season but will develop cracks if the ends are not sealed with paint or wax. Albizia is light in weight and color and has some streaks in it. The grain is medium coarse but straight. It is harder than balsa, about like bass. Cuts and machines easily and glues well. Will hold fastenings but needs to be drilled first to avoid splits. Don't think it would work well for exposed work but as a filler or possibly a solid hull I think it would work fine. Gunpowder Tree wood has a straight, fairly fine grain and is light brown to pinkish brown when dry. The heart wood is light weight and a bit harder than bass when dry, the sap wood is lighter and softer. Cuts, machines and glues well. Holds fastenings fairly well. Might make a good material for decking and other exposed work that is not under stress. Neither wood is rot or insect resistant and both will stain if not dried properly.

Hi everyone The other day I ran into a good deal on a used 14" band saw. Only trouble is there is no manual with it. It is a dayton model 3z981 band saw originally sold in the '70s or '80s by Grainger but Grainger no longer supports this model and does not have any parts or manuals available. It looks like a clone of an older Delta model 28-230 or similar Rockwell band saw with the cast iron frame and enclosed base. Nice feature is a setup that allows 4 blade speeds, very low for metal cutting up to wood cutting speeds. I am hoping someone here has a copy of the instruction/parts manual they are willing to part with or at least scan and email to me. I have checked a lot of places on the net with no luck.

Dremel makes a very good tool. I have the model 395 which is varible speed. I also have their 7.2 volt cordless model. I picked up both on ebay for under $20, something unlikely to happed with a Foredom or Proxxon tool. My personal opinion is that for ship modeling Dremel is just as good as the more expensive models and a lot more available and cheaper.

I have one of these and find it useful for picking up very small parts from parts trays and surfaces. Makes it easier to keep the part from slipping away to hid under the bench. Also good for holding very small parts for painting, however you have to leave the part in the holder until it is dry enough to put down.

I have found chucks like you are looking for on eBay. Model Expo sells one that fits in the regular Dremel collet that will hold micro drills. Amazon also sells these.

Nautical Research Journal had a good article on the 3D printing state of the art in the latest issue. Excellent review of the current technology and the results that can be expected from the different types of printers and materials available.

A couple of questions for anyone that has one of these HF workbenchs. Is the working surface actually 60" long or does that include the width of the vise at the end? Also how thick is the top and is it the same thickness everywhere or thicker on the outside edges and thinner in the center?