edmay

I guess it is unanimous! (It also means I am right hahaha) You really are a Master my friend, and your Sovereign of the Seas looks fantastic! 
 
Although it might be one of the best looking ships that every graced the seas, I am betting that with your new toys, and your skills you will build something even more magnificent!

Hi Edwin
 
Thank you.
 
I have not had time to have a go with my new tools yet ,
 
Went and got some wood yesterday so I can have play with them.
 
Another birthday next week as I hope my new thickness sander will arrive.
 
Denis.

Hi All
 
99% of the main mast to foremast finished, just some on the outside of the main yard that will be done at a later date.
 
Just started the shroud lines.
 
Denis.

Hello Brian,
Not to be argumentative, but its a bit closed minded to say
"he is very obliging to everyone else on this forum".

I see that as a stretch, as we have 12,116 members and I really doubt he has had contact with every one of MSW's members. I thought long and hard before I posted this as I feared being labeled as that guy that couldn't get along with Jeff at HobbyMills. As this is the General Discussion Forum though, I felt obliged to inform only, as I never quite understood just what happened. I also seemed to be able to order wood from Wayne (3 times so far) and the Lumberyard without incident.

As a matter of fact Brian, I could take what your saying to mean that I'm the only problem in a hub of 12,116, from the way you worded your response using "everyone else". See how easy words can be twisted. But I take no offense to what you said and don't think you intended it to be that way. Let's not forget the fiasco of just a few months ago, where good members now lurk or don't show due to communication issues. We had Admin's and users leaving over nothing but words.

We are a community and must communicate. As a multi-lingual community, that issue becomes even harder.

I'm glad I hear so many great comments about HobbyMills wood, Jeff supports MSW so I'd be stuppid if I didn't, but still don't completely understand exactly what I did. My reason for posting wasn't to destroy but to inform others that not "everyone" has been "very obliged."
I find I prefer a complete view which may include bad with good.
Honestly I was quite disturbed by Jeff's response. I've questioned if I was the problem and have wondered if maybe I am the only person Jeff's refused to sell to. For a new builder it was quite a devastating blow to have every one say "go here" then not get the same happy fuzzy feeling that everyone goes on about. I know it is hard for some to see a critique as anything but a personal attack on someone that they cherish, but this isn't that. I hold no hard feeling towards Jeff, he caused me to go elsewhere and I found new avenues for supplies and made a new friend in Wayne.

I will say that Jeff went above and beyond prior to the issues, we figured out what was needed to complete the kit in complete boxwood, not using the kits basswood laser cut frame sheets. We corresponded for 2 1/2 months and he had already sold many Pinnace replacement wood kits as he was already out of the boxwood kits. I always found it odd that no one else prior to me had asked about the laser cut framing sheets though.

To address your 2nd question, the question wasn't over method of payment, it was over a confusion on how and when payment was to be made. I had planned to mail a check, but the way he made it sound he wanted the check in August and he couldn't give an estimate of delivery time, except November or later for delivery. I questioned why I needed to pay 3 months in advance.
Honestly it never got beyond that question because in my questioning payment and delivery I somehow said something wrong, I guess. I felt as though I'd wasted a lot of his time, like I said we corresponded on the wood for 3 months, figuring out what was to be needed as his Pinnace replacement kit doesn't have the 3" sheets for the frames as they are laser cut. Those I was going to need to add and hand cut, which wasn't a problem for me.

PLEASE EVERYONE, This isn't to pick on Jeff. Everyone has a bad day, most of mine are that way. Its just sad that communication can become such an obstacle and I have always had a funny feeling when wood purchasing is mentioned after this experience. I needed it to be shared. It's kinda like when I was a teacher and asked to write letters of recommendation. I honestly had to tell some they didn't want the letter I'd write and I believe in telling it as it is.
Whose to blame for my issues, fate and communication. Jeff is a busy man, He's under a load keeping builders happy. I was new and didn't know how things worked.

Maybe someone can answer this for me. Is it expected to pay up to 3 month before receiving product from Jeff? this was the question I got no response to. Maybe I expected to much or said to much in my misunderstanding. Its water under the bridge and over as I see it. Like my recent issues with Midwest, which I felt obliged to bring up, this is the same.
http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/5727-poor-service-after-the-sale-regarding-midwest-products/

I also wanted to mention that there are other ways to procure scale wood. I would never tell anyone to NOT buy from Jeff. I just always wondered what happened and why he decided that I'd crossed some line, when I didn't know that I had. Sadly I can't say my HobbyMills experience was good. I can say that the wood from Wayne and the LumberYard were everything I needed.

I know this is somewhat off topic but where other then in a scale wood discussion?

Thank you, Jason.  The exterior planking is all kit-supplied basswood.  Above the wales, the natural wood was stained with 40% Minwax Golden Oak (40/60 with Natural).  Below the wales was just the Natural stain with a coat of poly.

Thanks for all the overly kind comments.  Welcome aboard Sam and Pete -----  and hello again, Kevin.
 
Update time.  The inboard planking has been completed up through the deck clamps.  It's all basswood.
 

 

 
Of some importance here is that the deck clamps, which will support some 30 odd beams for the quarter and fore decks, must be absolutely level to the deck and square to the centerline of the ship.  This required some plank 'juggling' / customizing to get it all just right.
Here, I've placed a deck beam temporarily in place to check everything along the way:
 

 

 
The fore and quarter decks will be half planked allowing us to view this deck, but a lot of what we see will be covered.  No matter, it needs to be right.  Which brings me to a comment on this kit.  Alignment (of everything) is important.  We saw this with the stern and it certainly continues here.  I'm still pretty new at this and, sometimes it tests my patience (or lack thereof).
 
Here's an overall shot:
 

 
Finally, a shot of the main cabin area.  This is where Ben's favorite aspect, the cabin floor, will appear at some point.
 

 
I shall now proceed to paint these inner bulwarks red to match the gun ports.  The ports themselves, and some other areas need some touching up and the shop needs to be policed.  The bulwarks in the Great Cabin will remain natural.  Then it's time to switch gears and decide what's next.  I could start setting up the margin planks in preparation for the Great Cabin floor ---- as per Ben!  But with Summer here, maybe something mind numbing like work on the cannon.  Or perhaps even some completely off-line detail.  All depends on the fishing/flying weather. 
 
Let ya all know next time
 
 

Been a very slow week build wise. I came home on Monday to discover the cat had knocked one of the Admirals favorite decorative teacups off the bookshelf trying to get to a potted flower plant on the top shelf, she has now knocked it off twice this week and I am in the process of fixing it for the second time - what little build time I have in the evenings has been spent fixing it. The second time she converted it to numerous dissimilar fragments. 
 
Was using my break time at work to make a couple of cutters for my trucks and managed to break my last bottoming 4-40 tap, inside the hole for the set screw. Made another one and broke the drill bit - inside the hole......aaarrgh!!! I didnt realize "Break time" had numerous definitions. I have another 4-40 tap set do in on Tuesday, hopefully by next Saturday I can start cutting wheels.
 
In spite of all that I have managed to get some forward progress today. I recut the jeer bit knees to approximate what Russ drew, I may have taken a little too much at the bottom. They look ok. we'll see how they look when I get some stain on 'em.
 

 

 
I spent most of today fabricating the Main Bits. The instructions dont give a name, I am just assuming this is the correct term. These miniature dados and mortises are both enjoyable and challenging for me. I am pleased with the results.
 

 
While I was waiting for the glue to dry on the Main Bits I thought I would start in on the ladders. After looking at the kit parts I realized I will have to make my own as Constructo seems to have sent me mis-matched parts. I can totally except simplified parts and choosing to make my own. Even the door and side badges dont bother me, its my choice to build my own. BUT:

Really Constructo????
 
Sam
 
 

Too late David, I got there a long time ago .
 
Both Wash Cants are now shaped, and I've simulated the joins in the sections they were made in with an Xacto and a pencil :
 

 
  Danny

Still hectic at my job but I've done some work on the model.
 
The main mast is now mounted and I also made two more tops. The details on the smaleest one is much reworked to fit and get more in scale. I also noticecd the problem Karl mentioned in his Vasa thread about the squared hole being to small so I widened it a little and will also rework the mizzen mast a little to make it work.
 

 

 

 

 

 
 
/Matti

Ok, life must go on. Im coming to myself, and start thinking about stern and how to make it, and it is god sign that regular day flow continue. There will be first serious metal works for me (and I hope that solder iron will be friendly to me, not my enemy). I think that stern must be done before coopering. Little flue I had passed, some gardenwork at the first part of tomorrow must be done, and great comeback to Her Majesty at the evening. I can not wait, but ... She must be patiente just a little bit

My heart goes out to all those poor people.  I also watch the news and it brings back memories to what the people in the Netherlands experienced in the early 1950's.  I lived very near to the massive flooding there as the result from a terrible storm.  Many people and livestock died.
 
My sincerest sympathies to your family and all the people there.
 
Hang in there Nenad,

A big thank you to: Dan, Robert, Glen, Sailor, Keith, Matti, Alistar, Frank, guillemot, Edwin, Steve, Captain Steve, John, Bindy, Vivian, Robert, Dee Dee, & especially (Mad) Kieth -(partners in crime/lyme) (& anybody else I left out) for all the interaction & support during this build log. And thanks for all the likes!  What a wonderful community of people here on MSW!
 
Going to have a lot of down time for the log but I will be lurking around everybody else's logs for a while & plotting & planning on how I will get started on the rigging. Been wanting to get to the rigging & now that I'm there I have to put it all on hold. I know the first week will drive me crazy that I cant work on the ship. Will probably work on replacing the rigging thread the kit supplied so when I can start back I will have better quality thread to work with. I've learned a lot in the short time I've been here & plan on learning more during this down time.
 
Jesse

Thanks guillemot & Keith.
 
Your right Keith, I'm trying to get as much done as I can before Monday night. After that it might be a long time before I have both hands healed & working again.
 
Started on the jib boom bobstays. After learning from others here on MSW I want to do things more the way they should be. Decided that I would serve (?) (- please correct me if my terminology is wrong)- the lines. Wrapped around the jib boom & seized them.

Progress on Fore & Main masts. I don't like how thick & fat the belay pins are in the kit. Tried thinning them down some. I like them better but wonder am I really going to want to do this with every one of them for the rest of the build?
 

Tying & seizing blocks. Very difficult for me to do. Maybe this will be easier after the surgeries. For some reason the camera makes the paint look way more rough & crude than it looks by eye.
 

Getting the masts ready. Had to re-do the crosstrees because the kit ones did not fit right at all. Decided on the white paint based on the model by the ships 1st Captain.
 

Hello Nenad,Your perseverance. The tenacious way you tackled problems is finely paying dividend .A masterpiece is emerging. I like the color of the deck.Edwin.

Hello Denis,Nice just nice,you are a Master,how do you like your new toys,Edwin

The other bit of progress achieved before I started my log was to install and plank the upper gun deck. Since then I have made the various fittings, including gratings, bitts and the stove.
 
Like most kits the gratings come as notched strips like coarse combs. I found the easiest way to assemble these was to fit them together dry and then to dip them in dilute PVA. Once the glue had set I trimmed off the excess timber and sanded the top, bottom and sides. Here are some step by step photos:
 

 
Some of the gratings dry-assembled. A 'grid' is made to suit the overall size of each grating:
 

 
Next the gratings were dipped in dilute PVA and then the excess dabbed away using kitchen towel:
 



 
Finally each grating was trimmed and sanded smooth:
 

 
Once this stage was complete I added the coamings around each hatch, some of which incorporate the openings for the companionways between decks. 
 

 
Here is an example of one in situ. The corners were cut square and butted. I believe the real ones were half-lapped at the corners, but I didn't think this would be visible at this scale.
 
And here are a few more. On some of these you can see that i have added shot garlands along the sides.
 



 
Rob

Small update. May 23 2014.
 
Transom work in progress.
It took me a long time to finally decide how to do this area.
The plans show the 4 per side wood curved supports to be equally separated, but there was no way you could fit the metallic gunport frames and have the same distance between each 4 at each side.
So I glued the supports after measuring that the metallic gunports were even. I then carved them down flush with the supports and lastly proceeded to plank.
 
This is not finished yet, just lightly sanded.
 
View of deck

 
First steps in transom. .

 
Rudder and rear gunport frames glued and shaped.You will see a bit of wood had to be added to make the height of the columns equal

 

 
Planking

 
Remember this is not finished yet

 
This is where I tested different finishes and treatments to help me decide what I'm going to do with the decks.

 
Thanks for watching

A few more photos.
 
I must say and confess that I am not 100% happy with my results so far. I just realized I am rushing things and I'm making some mistakes. So starting today I will slow down and do things more carefully.
 
First mistake: I placed those horizontal beams before sanding the deck. Huuuuge mistake. Nothing really bad happened, only more a more difficult and time consuming job.
 

 
Fitting of a piece of wood to form the curvature of the beams that later will make the deck curve.
 

 
Once the columns are glued, the piece of wood is removed and the curve remains.
 

 

 
 
Fitting of false deck slots against bulkheads is awful.
 

 
 

demonborger. I finally understood what they mean. They say do not plank the area between frames 6 to 12, but they fail to specify that this area will be planked later once you plank the hull and use the tips of those frames to build the bulwarks. Those tips will be cut then and then you proceed with the planking of this area, covering the broken frames. This however seems like it will be harder later to do an even planking job. You need to match two opposing ends. What I am doing is planking the whole false deck, and leave to later just the area near the edges of the frames that will be cut. I feel this will make a better and easier planking job.
 
 
 

 

 

Sure Ill add to the discussion - I use pure tung oil as a finish.  In order to glue a part to the finished surface - all you need to do is sand the area with 320 grit or scrape.  Then you glue (PVA or Cryno) - and after dry reapply the oil for a perfect finish. 
Chris

That's the way to do it Brett. 
 
However, if you don't mind, I would like to make one more comment about glue and paint 'sticking'. It really is a matter of degree in strength. 
I don't think we should bluntly say that glues and paint don't stick to wood surfaces that have been treated with any of the above mentioned materials. Surely it would be ok to say it is no good when you try to use carpenters glue to bond two pieces of metal or glass. But a product that is meant to be used on wood will produce some degree of strength when bonded.
 
Just for fun I bonded two pieces of oak scrap that had a couple coats of urethane finish; two more were bare wood. One set was with CA glue, the other with PVA. Results???
I had to use a hammer to shear off the joints on all of them. I'll grant you that the bond area was about one square inch and the one with the PVA on bare wood was definitely stronger. But for all practical purposes, I would not hesitate using any of them for 'casual' bonding.

Brett - both oil and water base work just fine, but look very different. Oil really brings out the color of the wood. The water based doesn't. I use both. I use the water based on holly. The oil based gives it a yello w tinge, while the water base preserves the white. I use the oil based on everything else.
 
Dave