RegAuthority

So just as a quirky item. I’ve converted several of my digital to IR, and works amazingly with the reflected light off foliage, and reproducing strange colours from man made materials. So I wondered what would happen with the ships. So far weather has not been great in the UK so not much sunshine to help with the images, but I’ve fired off a few of a Duchess of Kingston build that I’m doing, and my scratch build Seine Purser that I’m struggling to finish. Once weather improves I’ll do a lot more “just to see”. Most noticeable with the ones below are the polyester threads I’ve used in various places. All still a work in progress as are the ships.

I’ve just received my box, and am building with the wing nuts and wing bolts modifications as suggested. I took a gauge and some m5 nuts and bolts I have, and have purchased m5 wing things from Amazon, due to be delivered in a couple of hours.

My 1967 vintage eyes are supported by two sets of glasses for modelling. I have varifocal set up for computer and reading (no good for driving), then a second prescription pair especially for modelling ( I think these are slightly magnifying as well) suggested by my optician especially for close up smallish stuff. To these I have tried to use a head visor 1.5- 3.5 x magnifying lenses but have to have head about 3 inches at most from item (if I’m still allowed to use inches) to get the item in focus with the 3.5 x, so found more of a hindrance than help. if you wear glasses (your profile pic has sunglasses which could be prescription) talk to your the optician for advice, mine was brilliant (Costco)

Welcome Fallguy. This too was my first wooden boat and you are charitable in using the word “deduced” for the instructions. I looked up more from web than I thought I would need, but although I made many mistakes, the learnings were invaluable

To add to Hammer also known as a “Brummie screwdriver”when used to hit a screw into submission when it refuses to bite into the wood/metal. Great creator of blood blisters in the frustrated user. Swarfega when you want to bathe in metal shavings Grinder, motorised, because we all need tools that are only 2 inches long

Intense, highly educational and showing me how much I have yet to learn. Thank you all for sharing all this information and links, am actively devouring it to understand the discussion.

Bob, I sort of crave getting a Myford or similar, but can’t justify. In our work shop we had a mini jewellers lathe that was some 12 “ long. After my father died (asbestos related) there were too many memories at the time to even thinking about keeping some of the smaller stuff and we donated everything to a local railway preservation society (my father was a train enthusiast), it went to a good home, but now, okay it’s 30 + years on, I do rue not keeping some stuff.. I kept a while set of linear gauges, dies and taps, + good quality tools from braces to 4’ clamps…that are 20x too big for the boats I’m interested in, but I have something. I think the Uk engineer fraternity has always been there, the history of the Uk in the area means that so many children followed their parents into industry and it was the norm. Nowadays you need a computer not a set of feeler gauges to service your car, and that link is being lost. sorry bit mellow this afternoon…..

I purchased one of these in the outset of wooden ship building. My father was an engineer and we stocked out a full workshop with a 1907 belt driven Drummond lathe + other stuff from the early 30s and 40s in my youth (1980s), so I got to appreciate quality. This vice is heavy, but pretty good/ sturdy. Grip can be a little fierce, needs some thought on pads for gripping softer materials I have supplemented with a jewellers vice to hold really small parts. I would love to be able to get out and pick up some “ old” kit from auction etc. Amazon purchases have shown how dreadful some of the modern builds are. I’m after a traverse table to supplement my Dremmel set up, and reviews are a little dire….

Sorry images need cropping, and resizing. Will get better at this on updates

So first scratch build whilst I wait for the next model (Duchess of Kingston from Vanguard Models). I’ve done quite a bit in the background as it’s my first attempt after 6 kit boats from Artesania, Occre and Model Shipways. Work has been fitful as am undergoing chemotherapy and numb fingers are a side effect, and I wasn’t trusting myself to spend time building and then mess up with unresponsive fingers….. It’s been great therapy, and nursing staff actually have recommended me to keep at it as I recover, so the DOK was ordered….. Please note I’m still learning anatomy of ships and boats, so technical terms are work in progress. I’ve used the plan provided with the Benjamin Latham, and upscaled to 1/24 as I really enjoyed the building of metal parts on the Latham, based on the amazing build logs here and the book by Chapelle, and got challenged with 1/48 scale. I thought larger scale might me easier with my fingers at present. I will return to the 1/48 to finish off the Latham – currently awaiting ratlines, anchors and some deck equipment, that are beyond my patience levels and numb chemo fingers at the moment… So in quick succession, images of jig through to hull, which is coming in at about 10” in length, 4” wide and around 2” tall. Wood has been from all the left overs of the aforementioned kits and some balsa for the jig itself, so it’s not been scaled so far -as I’m going to go for smooth hull using filler and “elbow grease” sanding, based on the images from the build-log Vincent Lombardi. These updates will come in a later post. So some quick catch up images.. jig and hull Sidetrack to oars Bigger side track Brass Kerosene torch… Found single image on web to supplement the Plans from Latham, and working with brass sheet, rod and jewellery beads (100% brass v good value…..). In progress, working on polishing techniques as used coarse needle file to clean up. Burnt fingers a little due to difficulty in holding Next steps clean up hull, start to work on smoothing and filling hull, and the insides of the boat…

THanks all for he welcome, really looking forward to getting my next ship underway with all the advice and awe inspiring build logs RA

Mark, thanks so much, am very taken with the Vanguard Duchess. Will read around a little more, but offers me up some new challenges. RA..

All, humbled to be part of such an experienced group of amazing talent. Have been building models since teens, now in 50s and have been building boats since 2019. I’ve graduated through Latina (1x), Occre (3x. Hind, Beagle, Esmeralda ) to model shipways Benjamin Latham, and am working through the last 100 hrs or so on medical timeout. I am looking for inspiration for next build. I am loving the “raw” build items of the Latham, the research, books and building from non laser cut parts. My thoughts are Syren from Model shipways or the 1:100 Vespucci from Mantua (I can’t reconcile the cost of the 1:84). My concern is 1:100 going to be too small after the 1:48 Lantham, but is the Syren, going to be too “fixed” I’ve also contemplated just buying a plan and do complete scratch build, but am struggling to work out where and what that could be i hope this makes sense, and appreciate any advice, pointers, pitfalls and pratfalls… yours in anticipation RA…