Rodolfo Bigoni

And finally this is the result of the use of impregnating varnishes for wood with dark walnut tones: And now we can go to work on the keel. To the next update! Rodolfo

Thanks Steven for watching my post. Actually, instructions suggest to use a strips having lengths 85 mm, but I was afraid that would not be possible to obtain an orderly sequence of joints, falling on the perimeter of the frames (and the pictures showing the completed ship will confirm that). For this reason I preferred to use whole strips (tapered) from bow to stern. After total covering of the hull with the planking, next step was to cover the forward bulwarks with a kind of planking named "clinker work", as we can see in many contemporary illustrations: Material for Clinker: wood thickness 0,5 mm. Now we can try to tint the hull. Continue....

...we'll add three more courses of tapered planking: As last wales, I used the remaining two strips 2x5 mm, one of which had been broken at the beginning of the work: and now it remains only to complete the planking till to the keel: Have a good continuation of your work... Rodolfo

This time, I tried to dry the damp wale leaving it in its final position, and the result was quite good: d to dry the damp wale and then we'll continue planking the hull... Rodolfo

Hi to all ship model builders, the next stage will be the application of three planking courses, having the strips suitably tapered: Now it is time for the second wale under the beams; continue... Rodolfo

Hello everyone! Before starting with second planking it could be better to cut the the protruding part of the beams, in order to rotate and glue them matching the course of the wales. After that, the second planking made by walnut strips can start. Usually people do it covering by the strips the whole hull and after gluing the wales, but In this way may be difficult the wales will follow in a perfect manner the course of the underlying planks. I preferred to glue the wales at first, starting with the one above the upper beams of the bulwark and followed by the other thinner strips: Till now it's quite easy. The other wales are more difficult to be positioned and it is preferably to bend them in both directions, using water and heat: Besides, we can check if the groove for the keel has been correctly executed, using a 4x2 mm strip: Now we can start with the second couple of wales, under the beams of the main deck; at this step, the accurate symmetry of the first planking is helping: At the end: Now we can glue the ends of the beams we have cut at the beginning, following the course of the underlying wale: Next step will be planking the areas between the beams; I've used a strip with a lighter color. After that, the planking will continue upwards as usually till to the next upper wale and also downward: The upper wale must match the curvature of the bulwark: I've also added the scuppers. Obviously the same work has to be done on the other side of the hull. I hope I haven't been too verbose... A greeting to all of you Rodolfo

Very interesting ship and well done work. Rodolfo

I've tried a further reduction of the pictures. The first planking of the hull will be completed applying one strip at a time on each side on it; the lime wood strips are very easy to work: As I wrote, it is very important to maintain the symmetry, because the second planking in Walnut strips will be not as usual. Have a nice afternoon, Rodolfo.

Dear all, I've tried to post smaller pictures than previously, in order to save space. After having moved the upper and lower beams, it is time to begin the planking of the hull. The first planking is made by Lime Wood 2x4 mm, very good for bending forward and upward, too. The first strip has been positioned underneath the lower crossbeams, in order to make easier the correct positioning of the upper planking strake, among the beams. In front of the third frame, I've added a support of balsa wood, in order to obtain a better curvature of the strip (otherwise it wanted to be more linear) It will be very important to maintain the maximum of symmetry on both the sides... Continue... Rodolfo

Hello to everybody, at the beginning I started following exactly the instruction. After having collect some documentation I decided to change some things and therefore I had also to cut/move/add the beams of the main deck. The first picture shows how I did that, marking the positions of the new beams. The second picture shows how my ship (I hope) will be. Good work, Rodolfo

Dear all, the first picture shows how and where the holes for the beams of the upper deck were opened; the second, shows the upper deck in its initial appearance, the third shows the insertion of Water Ways ( done on both the decks), the fourth shows the addition of new frames among the older ones, the fifth shows the upper deck almost finished, and finally the hawse holes. Good sawdust! Rodolfo

Hi Steven, I knew the votive ship, but your pictures are super detailed, many thanks! Now I'll show some pictures about the inner of the ship, taken when the work was at the beginning; I planted nails on the planks, but they were too flashy and after I removed them. As the frames are too widely distributed, I added more feints ones among them and a horizontal support table with eyebolts and rings. Finally I've added the new cross beams having a smaller section and a more accentuated bend to support the upper deck. Good work! Rodolfo

Hello to everybody! I will post some pictures of the ship as it appears today, after almost eight months of work. These explain the changes I made with respect to the AMATI's model: 1) the hawse hole positioned further ahead. 2) the sides of the bow castle planked using "Clincher working". 3) the upper and lower cross beams having different sections, more numerous and differently positioned. 4) Five top-timbers (or wales), instead of four, differently positioned. 5) Added the scuppers. At the end, the result is quite different from how it had been assembled by the manufacturer. Next post, some pictures of the interior in today's state. Good sawdust! Rodolfo

A warm "thank you" to John, Mark, Harley and Vaddoc! Hi Harley, unfortunately I started this work eight months ago and I've almost completed the hull: therefore I've already made my mistakes! Undoubtedly railways models need much less time than ships, but patience is always requested and I have a lot of it ... Today I will add some photos of the ship as it appears at the current time; later I will document the various stages of processing, so that future builders can do it better than me. Good wood sawdust at all the people! Rodolfo

I thank you all for the warm welcome and I hope to be able to do a work that could be useful and interesting (also to avoid the mistakes that I will make). Rodolfo

Greetings to all the shipbuilders in this forum. I'm sixty-five years old and the last sixty I dealt with model railways. Few months ago I decided to do another attempt in shipbuilding (the first was the Golden Star when I was fifteen) and I chose the AMATI's Coca, because she's very nice and seems easy (but I realized it wasn't so for me, may be for other people more skillful). After examining the plans and looking for images of contemporary boats, I decided to make some changes: 1) the hawse hole have to be moved forward. 2) the yellow marked area will be "clinker working". 3) the upper beams will have a smaller section, differently positioned and will be more numerous. 4) the lower beams will be more numerous and differently positioned. 5) some top-timbers will be differently positioned and the number 5 will be added. 6) the frames and the bulwark stanchions will be more numerous. 7) the rigging will be totally changed: I've never seen such a disposition. Attached are some examples that inspired me. Have a nice evening, Rodolfo

Hello everyone. Thank you for letting me join. My name is Rodolfo, a sixty-five old Italian, retired with the passion for modelling. I like all models of planes, ships and trains, but in the last sixty years I have only thought to the railways and here are some pictures about them. When I was fifteen I built the Golden Star, as usually it happens, but I wasn't satisfied. After so many years, I've decided to try the building of the Coca (Spanish cargo sold by AMATI), because she's very nice and not usual. Before starting, I've collected a little of documentation,and, as a consequence, I decided to change some details. Have a lot of good sawdust, all of you! Rodolfo