This is my first build log and third model. The first model was Bluejacket's 1889 Quoddy Boat "Yankee Hero" - Scale: 3/8"=1; LOA: 14 7/8" Height 14". The kit consisted of a solid hull, precut parts for the deck house, paint, tools, and detailed instructions plus modeling techniques and tips. It was a first rate introduction into modeling.
My second model was Wooden Boat School's Catspaw Dinghy - Scale: 1 1/2"=1' LOA: 19" Breadth: 7". I had purchased the kit some time ago. Upon opening it I discovered there were no pre-cut parts, only a box full of model sized "lumber". I did not have the time to attempt constructing the model, so put it away in the basement. Upon completing "Yankee Hero" in September 2018, I decided that now I was retired, I had time for the Catspaw Dinghy. When I opened the box I discovered that I had bought the kit in 1993 - 14 years before starting the build!!! The kit is plank on frame and required building a mold upon which the model was constructed upside down, just as a full size dinghy would be. There were many challenges particularly spiling the 1/32" basswood strakes. Thank goodness there were lots of uTube videos to provide guidance. (I was unaware of Model Ship World at the time or would have come here for help also.) The spiling learning curve provided numerous opportunities for trials and errors. Fortunately there was a ready supply of 1/32" basswood at the local hobby shop so I did not run out of "lumber". When it came time to install the cherry shear strake, though, I prudently made a basswood mockup first for use as a pattern for my only piece of cherry. Overall it was a most rewarding experience that generated a feeling of true accomplishment - turning a stack of "lumber" into a boat.
"Atlantic" was a three masted schooner that was launched in 1903 and made 20 knots during her sea trials. She won the Kaisers Cup in a Transatlantic race in 1905 and set a set monohull speed record that stood until 1998. The model particulars are: Scale: 1/8"=1'; Length 28 1/2"; Height 20 1/2". The kit consists of a solid hull, and instruction manual. A single plan shows the Sail Plan, 1/2 Underbody Plan, 1/2 Deck Plan, Side Elevation of the Deck Structure, 1/2 Stern View, and 1/2 Bow View. The plan is the only source of dimensions and hardware and furniture locations.
As a first step I inventoried the kit's contents and made a list of where each fitting went (including all 90 blocks) and the the purpose of each piece wood
Then I marked the center line and station lines.
Next I marked on the hull the location of each station and the water line.
The final step in preparing to shape the hull was to make the templates. First I traced the contours from the 1/2 bow and stern views from the plan using baking parchment paper which is sturdy and transparent. Next I pin-pricked the contours onto shirt cardboards and then cut them out.
The contours of the hull blank did not come close to those of the templates. The bow and stern particularly were toughly "rough cut".
After many hours of sanding the contours are now satisfactory.
Next step is to carve the bulwarks down to 1/32" thick and a depth of 11/32" from roughly 4/32" deep while maintaining a slight "rounding" of the deck of 3/32" from centerline to side.
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Painting Britannia rigging blocks to resemble oiled and varnished wood
