grsjax

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?

Poplar is a good replacement for bass wood.  A bit harder than bass.  I find it glues well and takes a nice finish.  One thing I like is that poplar does not get near as fuzzy as bass wood does when sanding.  Poplar can be milled into very thin strips on a circular saw with a hollow ground planer blade.  Good wood for framing and planking.

The ideal modeling table is what ever works for you. 

There is a previous post on MSW with links to several threads about ropewalks.  Hope this helps.

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/5522-ropewalk-links/?hl=ropewalk

I believe the FSB Tancook Whaler model is a "modern interpetation" of the boat and not an accurate replica.  From the pictures I have seen it is a hard chine design and rather lacking in detail.  Be interesting to see how it turns out.

Sears has a new line called "Steel City".  Their 10" model is $260 on sale and looks like a pretty solid machine.  Haven't tried one out but would be interested in hearing from someone with experience with these machines.

I have been using diamond coated files for awhile and find them to last pretty well.  They don't seem to clog as much either.

Probably all made into ramin noodles.

Not a comment but a bit of information for users of the non-Dremel rotary tools.  The spindle thread on the knock offs is 8x0.75mm (very close to 5/16"x32tpi), the Dremel tread is .274"x40tpi.  For anyone with the non-Dremel tools the Proxxon micromot chucks and other accessories will screw on to the spindle but the Dremel ones will not.

Hi

I have one of the knock offs of the Unimat 1 6in1 tool.  Haven't done much but mess around with it so far but this is what I have learned.  The scroll saw option is worthless.  Not enough power to cut anything and the blade will bend at a touch.  The drill press is usable but a real hassle to use.  Grinder is pretty lame.  Mill options are usable and useful for light work but will not produce really precision cuts.  Same applies to the lathe.  I am going to try using it to taper spars.  For metal it is pretty much the same as the mill.  Useful but don't expect much.

All the books listed so far are great.  To add to the list I like all the books by Howard I. Cappelle but especially "American Sailing Craft", "American Small Sailing Craft" and "The Search for Speed Under Sail".  In addition the books by William A. Baker, "Sloops and Shallops" and "Colonial Vessels" are good reads and references.

Howard Chappelle discussed this question in a couple of his books. "The History of the American Sailing Navy" and "The History of American Sailing Ships" both cover it.  The one thing that the British made note of during this period was the light construction of the many privateers that were captured and their lines taken off.  However this probably did not carry over to the construction of merchant or naval vessels as the privateers and blockade runners were built very light to increase speed.  I think it is fairly safe to assume that in most respects American built ships were different from their British counterparts only in detail.

I have used birch dowels successfully.  They work easily, look good and and the color looks right.  I have read of using something called "yellow wood" for spars but do not know what it is.  Another one I have read about but have no experience with is sitka spruce.

Just bought one of these on eBay and it came without an owners manual.  I imagine this is common with used machines bought online.  For anyone in the same situation a pdf. of the manual can be downloaded at http://www.owwm.com/files/PDF/Dremel/580-02.pdf

One of the first plank on bulkhead models I attempted was the AL Swift.  Not knowing any better I just let the planks run on their natural path and filled in the gaps with stealers.  Worked great for the first layer and didn't look to bad for the second layer but does require more thought and planning on placing the planking strips to get a fair looking final result.