iMustBeCrazy

Ok, I'm back. I got some insect repellent in my eyes and couldn't focus well enough for close work even with magnifying glasses. Better now. Prior to that I fitted the landing strakes. These are clinker as mentioned above. This time I used a stepped rebate for the gains rather than the 45°s that I used on the small cutter. I glued depth stops to a pair of blades (you need a left and a right) and cut rebates going down to half the thickness of the planks. It worked well and was easier than the 45°.

I'm not that old! The only real problem is you need to come up to the forward thwart. Some examples: https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-66671 https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-67761 Based mainly on the above and other contemporary models, the quarterdeck was likely solid (no gaps between planks), the foredeck either solid or a grating. Based on experience, the rowers need somewhere to brace their feet. Either raised floorboards or footrests. There will be exceptions.

I thought you were being a bit optimistic at 10mm diameter.

Thanks Tim, remember the tortoise and the hare. More importantly, take breaks while things are still going well.

The carvel planking is done, the next two (landing and sheer strakes) will be clinker/lapstrake so I'm going to have to change the way I think.

Not exactly but the RMG has her down as 1777.

Tim, have you seen the nice big clear Danish Archive copy of the Rattlesnake drawing? https://ao.sa.dk/ao/data.ashx?bid=31921156

Just a minor update, planking continues slowly. Although I've decided that the originals hull was most likely painted white I'm going leave mine natural with a coating of shellac, the timber is quite pale so it's 'close' to white and it will show off my work. And a better visualisation of Allan's project

Haven't we all? Taking a stab at it, from the comment about being short of white (paint) for the small cutter I'd guess all the boats were painted white (impress the natives) with the sheer probably painted in a colour that somehow matched the Bounty. Sometime before leaving Tahiti the bottom of the launch was painted with half pitch half tar (probably coal pitch (black) and pine (or Stockholm) tar (anything from light amber to dark brown)). The effect was probably a brown/black wash over the white leaving the launch rather dirty/shabby in appearance which would do little to impress the natives and may have increased the chance of being attacked. Model Shipways kit (green) v ZAZ7361 the drawing from the books:

Sorry to say, no. I realised I didn't know enough about the construction of ships (or their drawings) so I started working on drawings of boats and am working my my back up. I am learning and expect to come back to Lapwing sometime.

Have fun, those futtocks will be 1/32 square at the head. To me that's getting close to needing a stereoscopic microscope and making cuts between heartbeats. No caffeine!

For my next I'm thinking something different, my father and his mates built this in 1949: 19th century? https://modelshipworld.com/topic/23486-lapwing-1816-revenue-cutter/?do=findComment&comment=691663 I still have a lot of work to do on it though.

(unintelligible choking noises)

The diagonals, I think I remember them marking the heads and heels of the floors and futtocks, but I might be wrong. And again it varies, some say the heels of the futtocks should come back to the keel but I can't see the need structurally. I have no idea as to dates.

I have to agree, without giving Tim too bigger a head, I have seen worse from people on their second or third kit. Well done. Of course there are issues (just to keep that head from swelling too much), the gaps, the bows, the transom, but I have no doubt that the next one will be even better. Tim, make up a brace to hold the sides in until you have fitted the thwarts (see my small cutter #27). Inwale (4x1mm strip running along the inside of the frames at the top of the sheer), breasthook and transom knees. All this adds strength. Then work from the bottom up. Don't get too obsessed with tools, it really doesn't take much with a kit and you can buy or build them as you go. Please do start a build log when you get the Launch, there are a few tricks and traps you will want to avoid.

A bit of a weird update. 1st a collage of some of the steps of making a plank. 1/ Using tape to mark edge. 2/ Stinking tape on board. 3/ VERY roughly marking the other edge. 4/ roughly cut out. 5/ Roughly sanded and test fitted, high points (between arrows) marked. 6/ High points lightly sanded, test fitted again, new high points marked. After that I got more serious, took the tape off and marked in pencil, added a VERY important alignment mark. After I fitted that pair of strakes It was time for some checking. First I found a new use for calipers, you can use them to compare both sides of the keel, I found the third strake starboard side had crept forwards about 0.5mm. Not bad but fixed anyway. I then redid the plank width calculations for the area remaining, the worst was at frame 'D' where the remaining strakes needed to be 0.3mm narrower which is pretty good.

I've used it and it's ok but I grabbed the wider ( 1 1/2") tape one time and it stays flatter. You don't really need see through. Pressing the pencil against the edge/corner of the plank will give you a good enough line. You don't want an exact cut, leave a little 'meat' to sand off.

My take on the masking tape method. A piece of tape is placed on the model overlapping the preceding plank. It should lie flat simulating the plank you are going to make and not have any edge set, just laying naturally not forced. I then mark the edge of the preceding plank, the transom, the frames, especially frame 0, and the stem rabbet. Note that I marked the rabbet wrong in the following picture, it should be a curve. I then transfer the tape to a board and cut the shape of the preceding plank and the the opposite edge slightly oversize (say 2mm). I test fit the new plank on the model against the preceding plank and sand away any high points, rinse and repeat until the plank fits. I should then be able to use this plank as a template for the other side of the hull. (I will use the one below as a template for both sides while correction my 'rabbet' error). I then use the measurements (previous post) to shape the opposite edge.

This post is a copy of something I posted in Tim's ( @oakheart ) build log, I'm repeating it here as I'm going to continue it a bit in the next post. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Right or wrong, this is what I do. First determine the maximum height up the stem of the garboard. This varies with the breadth of the plank. Cut a piece of plank the same breadth as the garboard short enough to sit in a straight section of the keel rabbet, use this as a spacer for a straight piece of balsa which reaches to the stem rabbet. That point is the maximum height up the stem of the garboard. At this point you can take measurements to get the curve of the garboard in the stem rabbet (put tick marks on the balsa and note measurements) but I tend to 'wing it'. Fit the garboard strakes. Now some maths, working out the breadth of the 'normal' strakes. Measure the distance from the garboard to the top of the sheer strake and subtract any 'abnormal' strakes, in the case of this launch remember to measure the outside of the planks not just along the frames as the planks will be narrower on the inside of the curve. Divide by the number of 'normal' strakes. If the result at the stem (or transom) is less than half the maximum breadth (at station 0) consider adding another strake. Note that at the stem the number is the length along the stem rather than the breadth of the plank. Repeat the calculations for each frame. And you should re-check your calculations after each strake. I then use the masking tape method to get the abutting shape of the next strake. I then shape and test, shape and test, shape and test, shape and test, shape and test the next plank. I then use the calculated widths to shape the other edge of the plank. (note the measurements noted on the plank in pic 3 above). Rinse and repeat.

Tim, note that it's not perfect. I've fitted the next plank (that shown in pic 3) and it doesn't quite look right, That curve, I think I have to reduce that 5.8mm to 4mm. Maybe, I'll ponder it. Edit: I left out that you should re-check your calculations after each strake.

I think that's a note to everyone. Right or wrong, this is what I do. First determine the maximum height up the stem of the garboard. This varies with the breadth of the plank. Cut a piece of plank the same breadth as the garboard short enough to sit in a straight section of the keel rabbet, use this as a spacer for a straight piece of balsa which reaches to the stem rabbet. That point is the maximum height up the stem of the garboard. At this point you can take measurements to get the curve of the garboard in the stem rabbet (put tick marks on the balsa and note measurements) but I tend to 'wing it'. Fit the garboard strakes. Now some maths, working out the breadth of the 'normal' strakes. Measure the distance from the garboard to the top of the sheer strake and subtract any 'abnormal' strakes, in the case of this launch remember to measure the outside of the planks not just along the frames as the planks will be narrower on the inside of the curve. Divide by the number of 'normal' strakes. If the result at the stem (or transom) is less than half the maximum breadth (at station 0) consider adding another strake. Note that at the stem the number is the length along the stem rather than the breadth of the plank. Repeat the calculations for each frame. And you should re-check your calculations after each strake. I then use the masking tape method to get the abutting shape of the next strake. I then shape and test, shape and test, shape and test, shape and test, shape and test the next plank. I then use the calculated widths to shape the other edge of the plank. (note the measurements noted on the plank in pic 3 above). Rinse and repeat.

Garboards installed. Possible appearance:

Well that bit is done (except frame 8). I think I'll let the glue cure overnight before the next step. It's a good thing I bought more clips the other day.

Gunwales bent and trimmed, breasthook shaped and glued to stem. Next I have to remove keel and frames and apply cling film anywhere glue might stick. Then put the frames back glueing them to the gunwale and the keel back glueing it to the frames. I think?

There's a few things you can try. First off, in a full size boat you can facet the frames as you have but this leaves a faceted interior, you can hollow out the inside of the planks to match the frames or you can use more skinnier planks. In a model you have the additional option of bending the plank around the frame either dry or wet. Clamping with rubber bands helps and using hollowed out balsa blocks helps more. Only clamp on or close to the frames.