tmj

I have a question concerning scale and actual dimensions of ol' Billy. Was lumber for boats like this not typically milled to certain standards of the times, much like lumber is milled today? I'm asking this because of the different dimensions of lumber planks being used as 'siding' on the exterior of the 'above-deck' buildings. Could the width of those exterior planks/boards hold a clue as to the actual scale dimensions of the boat... or were things like lumber made with non-standard milling practices back when/where Billy was built? In guessing, I'd say the wide horizontal planks were around six inches wide and the vertical planks were about three inches wide. I came up with this by looking at the height of the windows where the wide horizontal planks are located. I might be way off base, dunno. I'm just looking for any known dimensions to accurately scale the photo by. I'm thinking that the dimensional lumber might hold a clue if known dimensions of that lumber can be revealed. 😕

Visit Seawatch Books for Swan Class plans, etc.

Very clever idea Glen! I'm late but will be keeping up with future progress for sure.

"Whew!" I'm glad that this is plausible because my next thought had something to do with an extended stay at 'Zelda's Sand Bar', on fifty cent draft beer night... and you wouldn't want to model 'that'! LOL

After my planks are properly 'spiled' to shape, I like to wrap them with paper towels then gently moisten the paper towels with tap water. Don't flood it until it's dripping water, just get the paper towels plenty moist and wrap everything in cooking foil for about 24 hours. If you are using a soft wood, you can then simply clamp those planks to your bulkheads or frames and let them dry until the next day. Soft wood will easily take all of the twists and curves while drying. Harder woods will need a bit of help via heat. I use the same process only I use heat on the tighter bends prior to clamping the moist planks onto the frames/bulkheads. This works pretty well most of the time, however. You'll probably need to work the harder wood planks with a bit more heat while clamped in place, and maybe even after drying overnight to conquer the tighter bends and twists. Don't get into a hurry and don't try to bend too far/tight in one heat. Sneak up on those tight bends a little bit at a time. You'll eventually get there! 😉 Once dry your planks will be ready for glue. This is my hot bender of choice. It works extremely well for 'me'. Here's a launch I'm working on. The three center floorboards are glued in place. The outer most floorboards are currently being 'wet-formed' to shape around the glued center boards, until tomorrow when they will be dry and ready to be glued down. This is soft wood with no tight bends so no heat will be required.

Could #1 possibly be hot engine 'cooling-water' being discharged back into the river? 🤔

I was once considering the 'Canal Boat Life', after retirement, in the UK where it's big, however. I own too many toys that I'm not interested in parting with. It wouldn't work. Most folks 'downsize' when they retire but I'm thinking that I'll need to 'Upsize'! I'd need a large canal boat plus a barge or two! I'd look like a floating Italian string of sausage links trying to get through the locks 'one link at a time'! 🫤 LOL

Don't challenge Keith on this unless you are feeling unusually 'lucky'! Keith 'WILL' pull it off and easily 'top' you're saying that he can't! ☺️

Keep the OOD on watch and closely guard those lines 'till construction resumes... less any land-dwelling critters find said lines amusing and quickly take it upon themselves to create adventure from any loose ends! 😲

"Sternwheeler - Houston, Copy." "Be advised... we're working on it............"

Very impressive! "Opera Meritevole di Dei!"

Hold on. I need to find my jeweler's loop so I can see this better!

Beautiful work, as always!

About the weathering. I have to go back to one of your first images. It appears as though the pilot house is darker and dirtier than the deck house/engine room. Could this be from soot and winds/breezes up high blowing that smoke more onto the pilot house walls than onto the engine room walls? Other than this one tiny observation, I think your weathering looks 'GREAT' and close to 'PERFECT'! It could be the light also. You've already mentioned that the photos of your work look different than the real thing, due to lighting. Looking at the location of that 'smokestack'... that pilot must have been hating life if the wind blew in the wrong direction! 🫤

Kinda like the pictures of food on a fine restaurant's menu. They always look different than what's on the plate that the waiter brings you! 😕 Have you ever considered using shellac as a clear coat?