When I heard about the tragedy of losing all the build logs I was immediately grateful that my photos are all stored on smugmug online photo hosting so at least I didn't lose those...I went to work immediately trying to re-create as much of my log as I could while it is still fairly fresh in my mind. Hopefully this will serve to help some of the builders who are even newer than me. Also I will add some retrospective comments as I go since I do have a tiny bit more knowledge now.
Thanks for everyone who gave me tips and hints along the way. That really helped me stay motivated to continue
Here is what the packaging looks like - this isn't my photo, just one off the Artesania Latina website.
Some things about the kit that I noticed right away was that the parts list called out a base and pedestals, however these were not included. Additionally I later realized that the dowels for the mast and oars were made of their white wood (ramen) versus the walnut they called out. Since I knew going into it that I didn't want to paint the boat I ordered the walnut from Cornwall Model Boats. They really came through very quickly.
The first thing I did was to remove the false keel and each of the stations. I sanded them all down to remove the laser burn and then stained them. I should have removed the stain from the areas that I was to glue, but I didn't remember that at the time. I assembled them all, and luckily the stain didn't interfere too much. Then I laid my first couple planks on. To lay my planks I first soaked my wood in warm water for about 30 minutes. Then I put them on the frame of the boat where they would be installed and anchored them down with whatever I could find, bag clips, clamps, rubber bands....you name it. After each strip was dry I would then use wood glue to put it in place.
The instructions showed that I was supposed to leave a gap between the first and second plank so I did that. I wish I had just followed the tutorials on MSW though because I think it would have looked better if I had adjusted the width of the planks in the middle of the boat instead.I made little tiny thin triangular planks to fill those areas in.
Eventually I finished planking and was left with this:
Next I added in my floor. Here comes the next lesson for you all - keep wood away from dogs. I had a piece of my nicely cut flooring and left it toward the edge of my table and either I knocked it with my elbow or my dog grabbed it, either way within 5 minutes of me having placed it there it was on the floor and chewed in half. I had to re-create the floor piece out of two of the leftover scraps which you can probably pick out in the second photo.
Then I began sanding the hull to smooth it out. After 800 grit was finished it looked pretty darn good.
Next I added the seats (which turned out to be the incorrect wood and the mast holder.
Since I didn't realize the seats were messed up I went ahead and added the bulwarks.
I saw on someone else's build log (not for the jolly boat) that they used graphite for the decorative fasteners of the planks so I did that too, thought it would look neat.
I started by drilling the holes at about 0.5mm
Then I added the graphite from mechanical pencils hole by hole.
Then I tried my hand at making rope.
Then dying it using coffee for about a half hour - the rope on the bottom is dyed - hopefully you can tell the difference.
I figured I'd use my new rope on my bucket. In order to prepare my bucket I made slices with my x-acto blade so the bucket looks like it is made of multiple pieces of wood. Then I took some wire and hammered it flat to use as the rings.
Then Voila! it is a bucket!
Next I decided to make the part that retains the bowsprit... I was really just looking for small things to do that day. If you are getting tired of doing anything on your boat it is totally ok to work ahead since the little things might just give you the break in the monotony that you need.
Then I made the boom mainsheet double block. The double blocks provided in this kit are very featureless so I really enhanced and shaped the dead eyes so they looked a little more detailed.
In the instructions they tell you to make the tiller out of a little metal rod, so instead I fashioned one out of some wood I had leftover. At this same point I realized my seats were made from the wrong wood so I carefully removed them and re-cut and reinstalled the correct wood (you should be able to tell the width difference). I then put gloss varnish on the whole boat.
After a dud order from an online wood supplier I ordered some walnut from Cornwall Model Boats and they came in basically the amount of time it took to cross the ocean. They were great. In the meantime I started my Christmas present of the Harriet Lane, a steam sloop. When t he wood arrived I was filled with glee and put my mast together.
And then I installed the Bowsprit
I added a couple blocks and my gun
I know my parrals are a bit big, I'll change them another time...but they are better than just rope.
My hatchet seemed to be plastic it was such a light pot metal but once I took some sand paper to it I was able to really shine up the blade. I added some matte black paint to the handle.
Then I began my rigging.
I then made some new little gadgets for the boat, I started with something that no boat is complete without….an anchor. I don't know if this boat would have had one, but I thought it needed one anyway. I made it out of sculpy then I attached it to one of my homemade ropes. I then coiled that homemade rope and put some wood glue on the bottom of the coil so it stays nice when I put it in the boat
Then it was time to make my oars.
Later I added some rope grips which you will see in the macros further down the page.
Then it was time to work on the pedestal. I got a pine pedestal from Hobby lobby since AL had included it on the parts list but not included it in my box…jerks (and yes I did try writing them - sent an email back in November…no response).
So I wanted to attach the name plate to the base at an angle so I made some plywood out of some of my sheets of boxwood and cut it into the same shape as the nameplate then sanded it down into a wedge shape.
Then I attached it and used a dark walnut stain pen (you can see the own on the Left Hand Side).
Then I added about 10 coats of satin varnish and then the nameplate.
Then I thought some more about Bligh's epic voyage and remembered the carpenter's box. I wasn't ambitious enough to try to make the box so that it opens or anything…but I did try to make it like the one I saw in the Mel Gibson version of the Mutiny on the Bounty movie. I started with a bit of balsa that I shaped into a chest and then I stole some scraps of the mahogany that my husband had left over from planking his Swift. I cut these planks in half so they are about 1/16" wide each then applied them to my rough chest.
Then I made some tiny sculpy accessories, a latch, two hinges, and a drawer pull. I also used some railroad decal rivets and pinted over them black. I applied some satin varnish (which looks shiny due to my lighting but isn't)
I then made some barrels for water or wine.
I added some gloss varnish to the inside of my bucket (which did dry clear)
Then I got out the big guns
That's my canon rebel T2i and if you know about photography you'll see my macro tube…so you know you are set for some macro goodness
Lets start with a couple photos for scale…
And now for the super high quality camera photos…I'm including a link to the full size photos for your pixel happiness.
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-ZKfkL84/0/XXL/img_5099-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-gqGsrcq/0/XXL/img_5100-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-B8BjK69/0/XXL/img_5098-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-Gd9Sktx/0/XXL/img_5101-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-QxgvXmb/0/XXL/img_5104-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-xqtKRmS/0/XXL/img_5105-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-cjHb6FW/0/XXL/img_5097-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-4hMFVr2/0/XXL/img_5096-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-7tQN8gs/0/XXL/img_5094-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-gz3R2gt/0/XXL/img_5093-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-sksKL4X/0/XXL/img_5095-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-gngMjgv/0/XXL/img_5102-XXL.jpg
And now for the closeups
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-7KBrjCt/0/XXL/IMG_5090-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-gncvt6f/0/XXL/IMG_5091-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-DCb8rjb/0/XXL/IMG_5089-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-xZKrvR5/0/XXL/IMG_5087-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-mqvkm7X/0/XXL/IMG_5088-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-Qxvpbxv/0/XXL/IMG_5086-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-p6k5gPz/0/XXL/IMG_5085-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-b4mQ76C/0/XXL/IMG_5084-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-dMmv4vx/0/XXL/IMG_5082-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-KnKX4gD/0/XXL/IMG_5081-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-twC5t39/0/XXL/IMG_5080-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-FnJzb9K/0/XXL/IMG_5077-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-pDRrMGf/0/XXL/IMG_5078-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-jcC3VP4/0/XXL/IMG_5076-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-bvVfH6b/0/XXL/IMG_5075-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-89BL5b4/0/XXL/IMG_5073-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-zQDHfjJ/0/XXL/IMG_5074-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-wfM2gFM/0/XXL/IMG_5072-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-cxHR87V/0/XXL/IMG_5070-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-Z7rzhhs/0/XXL/IMG_5071-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-Mz342Pw/0/XXL/IMG_5069-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-GB9x6wN/0/XXL/IMG_5067-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-RqsGt8p/0/XXL/IMG_5068-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-6TZmBPL/0/XXL/IMG_5066-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-wSTCH7X/0/XXL/IMG_5065-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-RXsV7GM/0/XXL/IMG_5064-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-T5H8Fqp/0/XXL/IMG_5062-XXL.jpg
http://slagoon.smugmug.com/Boats/Model-Ship/i-BQMb27x/0/XXL/IMG_5063-XXL.jpg
That's it. Thanks for looking! Good luck with your build.
Thanks Augie. I can't wait to get my Harriet Lane reposted!
