src

Coming together, when do you plan to do your ratlines? Sam

Nice jig, Mark. Simple and effective. Sam

Great idea Mark, very nice. Sam

Dan, that's a great looking finish! Well done. It stands to reason you can use paints as a stain, I suspect the main differences are the ratio of pigment to carrier. The pigments may be larger also. Sam

Gotta love 5 minute epoxy!! and 15 minute, and 30 minute..... Sometimes I like to thin it down with some denatured alcohol, it seems to penetrate and improve the bond. Just a thought for the future. Sounds like you made a good save on the near disaster. Sam

Well done Mark. Sam

Well done Sjors, that is some thin planking, I can see light through them. I was going to make a play on words with Anjas comment, but, this is a family site and she is a moderator: When I came in to the room with the launch to show Anja what i have done I've got these words from her..... " I thought that the Agamemnon was bigger ??????" Sam

Rob, that's good progress. I like your eyelet/rubberband method, how did it work out? No unnatural curves? Sam

Well done Brian, always a pleasure to see how others work. Sam

Happy Birthday Mark!!!! Party at Marks house!!!! Your build is coming along splendidly, really enjoying watching her come together. Sam

Hey Steve! Great to see you again, thanks for the kind words and dropping by. It got a little smokey in your neighborhood again I see. I hope all is well. The wood is Manzonia stained with Minwax Dark Walnut. They still need a bit of oil to finish. Since I cant seem to find any reason other than my own thoughts, think I am going to stay with 2 cross trees since I have built both the Fore and Main set already. I like the look of the three cross trees I made for the Main, but I havent found anything to tell me more than two is appropriate, so two it is. It looks like it is back to soldering today, I need to make Mast hoops and the iron bands for the mastheads. Perhaps something to show by midweek. Who am I fooling?!?!? It will be next weekend at the rate I work!! :D Sam

Rob,, those parts look very nice, although the wine....thats alcohol abuse!! At there is paint. Sam

I agree, stick to satin or matte for a sheen. if you do end up with more gloss than you like you can knock it back with steel wool and wax. Below is a shot of my Enterprise a few months ago, the woods are mahogany and manzonia. The mahogany is finished with a combination of shelac, minwax stain, wood filler with dark brown dye. The manzonia is a dark walnut Minwax stain and the entire hull is finished with many many thin coats of boiled linseed oil, rubbed out with 0000 steel wool and then waxed. I know most builders prefer a water based finish since it does not change color over the years, but, I happen to like the way an oil based finish ages so I planed for it. If you use a water based finish remember to use nylon abrasive pads ( scrubbies) rather than steel wool, the steel wool can get caught up and rust with a water based finish. Sorry for the 'photobombing feline" but that was one of the better shot of the finish that I have. Sam

Sjors, you're lucky to have a partner to do that for you. Looking GOOD (edit)Anja. Sam

Thanks Rich, great to see you out and about again. How is the build coming? Sam

Just don't forget your floaties and you'll be fine. Sam

Ok then, I have had a few days to clean everything up, both lower masts are sanded, scraped and have a coat of clear on them. That should keep my errr, the Gremlins grubby finger prints and smudges off. I started in on the Cross and Trestle Trees and have come up on another question that maybe some of the more knowledgeable can answer. Allenyed was kind enough to post a couple of pictures of the Enterprise in her later years that seemed to answer my query about Tops. There is what appears to be a top in one picture but I am going to leave them off. Now on to Cross and Trestle Trees. I am trying to figure out if two Cross Trees are in order or three? Apparently there were two cross trees under the Tops but we have decided that tops are not in order here, so, would a third cross tree be added similar to the Topmast Cross Trees? In my mind at least it makes sense as that would give an additional shroud to stabilize the Topmast. But, I cant seem to find anything definitive. Below is a copy of one of the pictures Allenyed posted, I downloaded the high res files from US Naval History and Heritage Command Collections website and zoomed in. Its hard to tell, I dont know if I am seeing three because that's what I expect or what. This is a blow up of the main mast area This is what I think I am seeing. One of the reasons I think I see thre is the number of shrouds that appear to be visable And then this is where I am today, I have made both fore and main cross trees in two and a second set for the Main mast with three. Thats all the news that is fit to print. Sam

Whooooo-ey! Second build and going for a scratch build! gotta admire somebody who just dives right in, I will be following along. Sam

Great and Subtle seem to be the best words to describe that, so, GREAT! SUBTLE! What diameter are they? Sam

Wooo Hooo!!! Its cloggin' Time! Happy Birthday Sjors. Sam

JP, not to worry. "Yesterday it worked Today it doesnt Tech is like that" Sam

Looking good! I see your back in the Northern Hemisphere. Sam

That looks REALLY good. Dont beat yourself up too much on the mistakes, its all part of the process. Sam

Rich, Wish I could help you. How did the planking come out? Sam

Nothing wrong with posting an idea in my book John. As long as people can discuss it like adults. Its when the name calling and such starts that it becomes a problem. I was actually for your idea until some others posted the potential down side. Sam