grsjax

Richard McKenna is known as a science fiction writer, and he stated that Sand Pebbles was a science fiction story - the science being psychology/anthropology. He's written some fascinating stories on the nature of reality - my favourite being Casey Agonistes, about an imaginary ape who becomes all but real by the inhabitants of a naval hospital ward all believing in him. Beautifully written and thought-provoking.
 
Steven

For anyone interested in the indigenous boats of the world this is a great blog.
 
http://indigenousboats.blogspot.com/

For anyone interested in the indigenous boats of the world this is a great blog.
 
http://indigenousboats.blogspot.com/

This is called a slip roller or rolling mill.  The MicroMark item looks pretty cheaply made from aluminum.  For a few dollars more you can buy one on amazon that will be much stronger and produce better results.  Some of them have rollers that can be changed for use with different size tubes.  One thing to think about is that the rollers will flatten wood strips to some extent.
 
one example https://www.amazon.com/Rolling-Machine-Combination-Jewelry-Tabletting/dp/B07G7ZCCSZ/ref=pd_di_sccai_6/143-4564824-7564258?pd_rd_w=ORekI&pf_rd_p=c9443270-b914-4430-a90b-72e3e7e784e0&pf_rd_r=DVFFA5K61C6HG1PNPCA5&pd_rd_r=1679c72e-430e-4e18-8f4c-0b448bac5f51&pd_rd_wg=t3d30&pd_rd_i=B07G7ZCCSZ&psc=1

For anyone interested in the indigenous boats of the world this is a great blog.
 
http://indigenousboats.blogspot.com/

Just a heads up. A new company…actually a one man shop like Hobbymill is starting up in the USA.  Finally another source to by stripwood and sheets of precision milled wood.  
 
His name is Joe Volpe.  He will start off slow increasing the species he offers over time.
 
To start,  He will be offering Boxwood, Cherry and Alaskan Yellow Cedar.  Joe is the guy who currently mills all of my wood for Syren Ship Model.  He has decided to open up to everyone.  He also has some swiss Pear coming soon. 
 
He is finalizing the website and I will announce when he opens.  No online store as its going to be very similar to Jeff at Hobbymill.  You send Joe an email with what you need and he will give you a price.  You pay via PayPal and he lets you know when the order ships.  At least for now anyway.
 
Joe is a really nice guy and mills with precision.  I am very happy with his product and if you ever bought wood from me then you have seen his work.
 
I encourage you to give him a try once he opens.
 
 

To make the oars, I used a technique I learned from my friend Bob Filipowski.  He turns oars and other cylindrical parts like masts and yards in a drill press.  I started out turning these parts in a lathe, but I found that, because of the small diameter of these parts and their tendency to flex in the lathe when worked, they became oval in cross section.  That doesn’t happen in a drill press.  I used Bob’s technique exclusively now.
 
I chucked the blanks in the drill press and held the other end in a block of scrap wood with a hole of the proper diameter drilled in it.  This keeps the “loose” end of the oar from flying away and breaking.
 

 

 

The pieces are removed from the basswood sheet with a hobby knife.  I used white glue for everything in this project.  It’s inexpensive, easy to obtain, cleans up with water and dries quickly.  I usually use a little piece of plate glass to mix paints, adhesives and as a stable, flat surface on which to align things.  I always apply glue with a small paint brush to control how much I apply.
 
I use small plastic clamps from Harbor Freight Tools for a lot of tasks like this.  They’re very inexpensive, come in packs of six and don’t create a lot of pressure that can distort delicate parts.
 
The transom seat knee is the first part that requires a little modification.  The slot is wider than the knee, so it needs to be shimmed.  I used a business card for this, but any piece of paper will work, just enough so the part fits in the slot and can be oriented perpendicular to the transom.
 
Without an inspection mirror, it’s impossible to see that transom seat knee on the finished model, so some people might wonder why anyone would even bother shimming it and making it exactly perpendicular.  It’s just me.  I build for myself.  If I didn’t do the job properly, every time I looked at the model, I’d see those defects.

In 2018, I bought three Bluejacket Skiff kits.  The kids’ art teacher had suggested I might teach a model boat building class for her students.  Nothing ever came of that and the kits went into my stash.
 
I was feeling some COVID fatigue a few months ago and, wanting to work on something that wasn’t going to take a great deal of mental energy the skiff came out of the stash and onto the workbench.
 
Here’s the finished model.

Do you want to make a model of a big ship or a big model?  SYREN Ship Model Company (MSW Sponsor) offers a semi scratch kit of HMS WINCHELSEA.  It is a frigate but pencils in at 38 inches.  Quality is top notch and instructions are very clear.  Several build logs on the site as well as kit designer, Chuck Pasarro.
 
    The kit is offered in chapters.  You only by the material required for the chapter you are working on at the time.  Check it out.

OK, I am tool-junkie and have lots of tools, many of them have to be handy, but not all of them, of course (but then I forget that I had them). I am currently at the 5th incarnation of my workbench after so many moves around Europe, but I created a sort of desk-like structure that has on one side a chest of drawers and the work-surface made from a piece of beechwood kitchen-top rests on the other side on a shelve inside an IKEA Billy-bookcase. The other two sides are surrounded by frames that support panes of hardboard with holes for hooks etc. On these the most frequently tools are arranged in easy reach. There are also a couple of narrow shelves on which little tools, such as dental burrs, drills etc. etc. are stored on plinths. The chest of drawers also has a box built in that is subdivided into various shallow (1 cm or 3/8" deep) drawers in which scalpels, pin-vices, files, and other delicate tools are stored within easy reach.

It's hard to say what's "not enough space" in a workshop. The bench top, of course, is another matter entirely. I try to have a place for every tool and every tool in its place. If I'm going to use a number of tools repetitively, and they threaten to clutter my bench top, I use a wheeled tool cart so tools in use are readily at hand, and unused tools aren't piling up on my bench.  There are two models  from Harbor Freight which are relatively cheap and a pain to assemble, but great time-savers and tool storage solutions. They hold a lot and it can be laid out in organized fashion so tools can quickly and easily be located. When I'm not working, the tool cart can be rolled out of the way into a closet or wherever.
 
This is the four drawer model. One will run you $200, but "Horror Fright" has them on sale for 20% off frequently. If you've got one of their stores within driving distance, you can save the shipping cost. They have a five drawer model as well, for forty bucks more. If I had it to do over again, I'd get the five drawer model, but they didn't have them when I got mine. (They come in a bunch of colors, if that matters to you.)
 

https://www.harborfreight.com/tool-storage-organization/tool-storage/tool-carts/30-in-4-drawer-tech-cart-black-64818.html
 
I also have a couple of mechanic's tool chests on roller bases. These cannot be beat for storing small hand tools. Mine are Kennedy brand, one of the better quality brands I bought ages ago at Costco, which occasionally has such things for sale. Here again, Harbor Freight has the cheapest and the US General brand is sufficiently good for hobby use. It's not like you have to buy Snap-On brand chests for five times the price just to keep up with the other mechanics in the shop!  
 
Here's a reasonably priced $300 roller chest. Note that the shallow drawers are  perfect for laying out small tools so that they can be seen instantly when the drawer is opened, instead of digging through a jumble of junk in a deep drawer. They are perfect for things like pliers, files, and knives.

https://www.harborfreight.com/tool-storage-organization/tool-storage/26-in-x-22-in-single-bank-roller-cabinet-yellow-56233.html
 
The top chest is matched to fit on the lip on top of the rolling chest above, or can be used separately.  It expands the amount of shallow drawer space a lot and the combination of rolling base and top chest can store everything you'd probably ever need, at least until you got into table saws, lathes, and milling machines and their tooling. Figure another $200 for the top chest, so you'd be in for $500 for a stacked set that would permit every hand tool you'd ever need to be at hand conveniently and safely stored away when not in use. As with all Harbor Freight merchandise, signing up for their email ads and mail catalogs (which, rumor has it, they are discontinuing) will get you all their coupons and discount sales codes which generally knock off around twenty percent off their retail list prices. (Disclaimer: I don't own stock in Harbor Freight and I don't consider their products "finestkind" by a long shot, but approached conservatively with an eye to quality and value, there are many bargains to be had from them... along with a lot of junk. Stay away from anything that runs on electricity or has to perform precision work!)
 

https://www.harborfreight.com/tool-storage-organization/tool-storage/26-in-single-bank-top-chest-green-56231.html
 

 
If one doesn't think they need as much storage as a rolling base and top chest, an old fashioned machinist's tool check may serve their needs until they realize that their initial needs assessment was erroneous.  Old-time master machinists favored the US made Gerstner International chests, made of oak and lined with felt. They are a bit pricey beginning at around $450, but they are quite beautiful, so you could probably get away with keeping it in the dining room if your a "dining room table"  modeler. 


https://www.amazon.com/Gerstner-International-GI-T24-11-Drawer-Chest/dp/B076H7WGWG/ref=asc_df_B076H7WGWG/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309807921328&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2792838456457911656&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032113&hvtargid=pla-569775039015&psc=1
 
Harbor Freight again comes to the rescue with an $80 knockoff that's no where near the "fine furniture" quality of a Gerstner chest, but passable in a utilitarian way. If you wear a Rolex, you'll want the Gerstner.  If you're like most folks, the Harbor Freight knock-off is just fine. (Asian made, but not a copyrighted design. Politics aside, I figure it's somebody's "rice bowl," and since there's nothing electronic about it, it ought to last. Like anything bought at Harbor Freight, save your sales receipts! They'll take anything defective back and replace it, but you've got to have the receipt.)
 

 

https://www.harborfreight.com/eight-drawer-wood-tool-chest-94538.html
 
I have also found magnetic tool holders to be very handy all around my shop. Some I have fastened to walls and other's I've placed on metal rolling tool cabinets (the magnets will hold them in place on metal surfaces.) These are another item that's "safe" to buy at Harbor Freight, although they are widely available elsewhere, probably from the same Asian factory with somebody else's label on them, for a higher price. Harbor Freight sells them for $4.79, but they are often discounted. I bought a half dozen at one "parking lot sale" for something like $2.75 apiece. They're great on the side of a tool cart for holding pliers, scissors, and files within reach when working at the bench.
 

 
https://www.harborfreight.com/18-in-magnetic-tool-holder-60433.html
 
I realize this post may seem to some like overkill when it comes to tool storage. I've come to learn from professional tradesmen that organized tool storage is essential to working efficiency. While not at all a professional, I've learned that while my time may not be worth as much as the professional, having tools conveniently at hand makes enjoyable tasks far more enjoyable and onerous tasks far less protracted. I've also found that having the right tool readily accessible greatly reduces my bad tendency to use the wrong tool for a job and mess it up because I was too lazy to fetch the right one.
 

I created these small stands 
 

I use one of these little workstations, it has a cutting matt and tool/paints/brushes holder at the back.  Can be a little restrictive if working on the complete hull, but doing assemblies and small parts it is just fine.  Matt is 18 inches  by 12 inches.

I got these recently from my local Walmart for about $7. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Made-Smart-8-Piece-Organizer-Bin-Pack/21063180. 

I needed some small turnbuckles for a model and ran across a vendor called Harbor Models https://www.harbormodels.com/ .  They mostly sell parts for RC ships but they had just what I needed, 5/16" long working turnbuckles in brass.  
Dimensions:
M=M1
O=8mm (5/16")
L-min=13mm (1/2")
L-Max=18mm (23/32")
D=1.8mm (1/16")
f=.7mm (1/32")
 
Price seems pretty reasonable at $2.75 for one or $26.90 for 10.  Shipping was fast.
 

I needed some small turnbuckles for a model and ran across a vendor called Harbor Models https://www.harbormodels.com/ .  They mostly sell parts for RC ships but they had just what I needed, 5/16" long working turnbuckles in brass.  
Dimensions:
M=M1
O=8mm (5/16")
L-min=13mm (1/2")
L-Max=18mm (23/32")
D=1.8mm (1/16")
f=.7mm (1/32")
 
Price seems pretty reasonable at $2.75 for one or $26.90 for 10.  Shipping was fast.
 

I needed some small turnbuckles for a model and ran across a vendor called Harbor Models https://www.harbormodels.com/ .  They mostly sell parts for RC ships but they had just what I needed, 5/16" long working turnbuckles in brass.  
Dimensions:
M=M1
O=8mm (5/16")
L-min=13mm (1/2")
L-Max=18mm (23/32")
D=1.8mm (1/16")
f=.7mm (1/32")
 
Price seems pretty reasonable at $2.75 for one or $26.90 for 10.  Shipping was fast.
 

The Ontario is just $500 if you buy direct from the MFG.  Shipping wont cost you $400.  It all depends on how much the kit is marked up by a distributor and what the wholesale cost it.   Remember too that the Cheerful isnt a kit.   You will need a table saw to rip your own planks which reduces the cost of parts.  All told about $500 rigged for Cheerful also.
 
In addition you need to look at the wood types.   Niagara is all basswood which is very cheap wood.  Better woods like Yellow cedar and boxwood used for Cheerful will add costs. Lots of it....
 
Shop around for prices.....and consider the quality of the contents.  Also check the build logs here for those kits to see if it is well designed and made of good materials.  What are castings like?   Good quality resin castings.....brass turned guns or awful white metal castings.
 
Lots to consider beyond size.
 
Chuck
 
 
 

After nearly 4 years of searching, I have finally received information on the identity of the model shown below. It was found in an antique shop in upstate NY by a member of the Modelshipwrights of Western New York much as it appears today. Sadly the member has died and I purchased it from his estate as it is a superbly built scratch model of faithful reproduction. I just could not let it fall by the wayside in the estate liquidation.
 
With the help of members of the Hampton Roads and New Jersey modelers group it was found in the National Watercraft Collection publication by Howard Chapelle. Plans (lines and deck layout) reside in the Smithsonian archives and I have requested a copy to support my restoration.
 
The pictures attached are from my cell phone and as I cannot call myself an amateur photographer they will have to do until I invest in better equipment. The pictures do not do justice to the quality of this model so I add further description.
 
The model is about 27 inches at the waterline with a breath of approximately 6 inches. Given the information in the National Watercraft Collection second edition it would be 1:24 scale as that seems to be the size of the full scale vessel or 55 feet (WL). She is constructed of boxwood.It appears to be fully ribbed internally. I might add that the model has some years of age as the wood has mellowed to a rich creamy  tan color. Everything about this model shouts it is the work of a master modeler. All planking, joinery, fittings, rigging and detail are flawlessly done. All deck fittings are scratch built from ferrous metal. All blocks and rigging treatment are of fine execution. The decking and planking is treated with simulated tree nails. The builder must have familiarized him or her self with construction details that can be found in Chapelle's e book, The Migrations of an American Boat Type, as they are so well reproduced in the model.
 
It needs some work, as in its travels some items are missing or in need of repair. These include some cabin and engine room hatches, the repair of the main well amid ship that has stared to come apart, rigging that needs repair or replacement and it sorely needs a new mounting and case.
 
I would like to document its restoration work for the sake of tje former modeler in hopes that someone out there may recognize her and possibly identify the person who built this fine model.
 
Work will begin when the Smithsonian plan shows up.
 
Joe

HomeDepot sells craft size sheets of 1" thick Styrofoam.  Cut one into brick size rectangles. you define the brick.  Glue two layers together using PVA and glue that on to a 1/2" economy quality plywood base.    Punch holes in the top layer to hold tools.  A 2" thick  stack will hold about any model size hand tool in a vertical position. The tools can be as close or far apart as suits.  With two or more, tools can be grouped by what is needed for a general task.   The foam will not dull a knife blade and blade down saves getting inadvertent holes in your hand.  A single smaller block with a white adhesive backed paper layer on top is a way to hold drill bits and the ID can be written on the paper.

I use an air brush for general ship model painting.  I’m not into shading striping or other more sophisticated techniques.  I am currently using my second Badger 350 airbrush.  The first one I damaged by over pressurizing and salvaged most of its parts.  It is a simple, rugged, easy to disassemble and clean tool.  The “guts” come in three varieties; coarse, medium, and fine.  It is relatively inexpensive.  It will spray thinned acrylic paints.
 
IMHO a regulated air supply makes an air brush viable, and that requires a small compressor with an air tank and pressure regulator.  Over the years, I have tried all sorts of setups ranging from canned air (completely inadequate) to a homemade shop air system.  I now use a small compressor/ tank combination similar to the pancake air nailer compressor that Tim mentions above.  These are sold for use with air driven carpentry tools so they are compact and portable.  They can often be found on sale for less than $100US.
 
Roger

Below are a couple of pick up devices I have had for many years.  The small one is the one I have used the most - simply squeeze the blue bulb place over the part to work with and squeeze again to release it.  Using the larger one is a matter of pushing down on the black button grab the part by releasing it and pushing it again to release the part.  It came with 2 or 3 other tips.  Both work great.