AnobiumPunctatum

Really beautiful, Chuck

Really beautiful, Chuck

Really beautiful, Chuck

Thanks....yes I am not a big fan of those brass and/or bulbous wooden belaying pins.  Easy enough to make them myself and you only need four for the longboat.   The knees are all finished now.   I will add the roller and fixed block sheave on the stem next.
 




 
 
 
 

FYI.....as some have asked for dimensions of rigged model.   Rigged, this model will 23 1/2" long and 18 1/4" tall.  😊
This is the rigging plan for those that wont want to add sails...
 

Thanks guys.   Its time to make the windlass.  Some people may get nervous about shaping a piece of wood like this.  But if you just take your time and go slow it will go well.   I created templates that will be glued to all four sides of a 3/8 x 3/8" stick of cedar.   I used a glue stick to attach the templates.  Note how the stick is left a bit longer than the templates.  The ends will be rounded eventually to a cone shape.  I will wait to check its fit before I do that and trim each end to fit the space.
 

Then the corners were removed and sanded down to match the template as shown below.  I used a sharp #11 blade initially to remove the material quicker.  I shaved off the corners carefully and stopped just short of the line ob the templates.   Then I finished it up with 320 grit sandpaper.  I also drilled the holes for the windlass bars.  I used a #40 drill bit.   
 

The templates were removed easy enough by wetting them down and then they come right off.  I cleaned up the edges a bit by sanding and tweaking the edges until it looked nice and crisp.  Then I used my #11 blade again to carefully square up those holes.  The finished windlass up to this point is below.  Remember that I still have to reduce the ends to a cone shape so the windlass fits inside the brackets along the risers inboard.  That isnt a finished handle for the windlass.  That is just a 3/32" x 3/32" strip test fit in each hole.   I used a boxwood strip which is a hard wood.  It helped to make the square holes nice and crisp.  Just push them into the holes gently.  You can use any square strip this size even a brass strip which I didnt have handy.
 

 
You can see the windlass in the contemporary model below.....next I will be shaping the ends and adding the brackets so it can be installed.
 

 
 

Thank You gentlemen!!
 
Just a quick comparison as the new larger and improved longboat is far enough along.  You can see how different and more elegant the shape is on the newer version.  It has a much fuller bow and as you proceed to the stern the newer version has a more pleasing curve.  You can see many other differences as well.  The floorboards and other features are more detailed and true to the Medway contemporary model.  
 


 
 

I finished painting the cockpit seats.  I also added the knees atop the last thwart and the knees and bracket along the inside of the transom.  The knees on the transom were tricky but not too bad.  They need to be beveled along the sides and back to fit the angles of the bulwarks and transom.  Also note that the center bracket or panel on the transom was added to the top of the stern post and sanded flush.  But before doing so, the stern post was reduced in height about 1/16" first.  This allowed the top of the panel to sit flush with the top of the transom.  Once this was glued into position and the knees added on either side,  they were all sanded flush with each other so you couldnt see any seams.  I used some wood filler for this too.  Once painted it looks nice and clean.  The notch on the center of that panel is used as a guide to file that same notch through the transom as well.  You can see that in the photos. I hope that makes sense.
 
Next up working my way forward will be the windlass.
 


 
 

absolut fantastic and stunning. I hope that my cutter will somedays looks also so nice. 

Moving right along.....I will be working my way forward on the interior.  None of the thwarts are glued into position just yet.  There will be some things that need to be done to many of them as I work my way forward.  For example,  the seats in the cockpit need to be notched into the aft thwart.  The seats are what I did next.
 
The seats are laser cut in two layers just like the thwarts.  The laser char was removed from their edges and then they were glued up so there was a decorative edge on one side like shown in the photos and on the plans.  The two side seats were "tweaked" for the best fit first.  They are laser cut a bit long on purpose to give everyone some wiggle room with this.  You will be shaping and sanding and test fitting many times over until these fit properly.  Everyone's model will very slightly so the notches for the frames will need to be filed in.  BUT .....
 
-first, I beveled the aft edge of the seats so they sit flush against the transom which is angled.
 
-then I held the seat in position against the frames so I could mark their locations on the seat.
 
-I filed the notches for the frames a little at a time constantly testing the fit and adjusting.  The edge of the seat against the frames also must be beveled to sit properly against the inside planking. 
 
-When the slots for the frame were acceptable, I laid the seat in position to cut its forward edge to length knowing that it will be notched into the last thwart. You can see the notch I filed into the thwarts below.  Basically you must file away the lower layer of the thwart.
 

In the next photo you can see how it looks after test fitting.
 

Once they were glued into place,  the center seat was treated the same way and adjusted to fit.
 

 
This is how the whole model looks at this point.  Its getting close now with only a few more details to add.  The seats in the cockpit area will be painted red like one of the contemporary models.  The two contemporary models are painted differently but I think I will follow the scheme shown below in the unrigged contemporary version.  I also posted a photo of the rigged contemp. model to show you guys the difference.
 


 

Today I glued the parts of the keel of my little model together.

 

 

 
To glue the apron, the rising wood and the deadwood centrally on the keel I build a simple jig.

 

 

I did finally finish the nailing of the external planks.  That took a long time.  My advice would be to really consider how long it takes to drill all of those holes and insert the 10 pound black fishing line.  I think its quite worthwhile but once you commit to it you have to follow through and do it to the entire model.  So think it over first.
 

 
Once that was done, I could work on the inside...finally.  The photos below show the floorboards and platforms in position.  The floorboards are a bit different than you might be used to.  This is the way they are made on the contemporary model and I actually found some original drafts of longboats that show them this way as well.  Its very interesting and I think its a nice detail to add to make this longboat model a bit unique and different from other kits of the same subject matter.
 


It may be hard to tell from my photos but the center plank and two outside planks of the floorboards have a rabbet along their edges.  Normally I would scrape these details into the planks but Yellow Cedar doesnt scrape well.  So instead I made these three floorboards in two layers.  They are all pre-spiled and laser cut.  The finished thickness for the floorboards is 1/16".  So two 1/32" layers were used.  They were glued together to leave the rabbet on both sides although the outside planks of the floorboards only have a rabbet on one side.  You guys will see this on the plans.  Once completed I marked the locations where the frames would be so I could add the simulated nails before I glued the floorboards on the model.  See below.
 

The thinner floorboards were easy enough to glue into position.  Its the wider boards that were a bit tricky.  These are 1/16" thick as mentioned and because they are quite wide it was more difficult to pre-bend and glue into position.  Should anyone have trouble with this there are other solutions.  You could make these out of two layers of 1/32" stock like the other floorboards and glue each layer into position separately.  They would bend more easily that way.  You could also convert the wider floorboards into two thinner strips too.
 
The platforms were pretty straight forward.  Each of the pieces are laser cut and after gluing them together edgewise they are ready for test fitting.  I also ran some 1/16 x 3/16" strips across the bottom of the platforms to give it strength.  Probably just like they do in real life.  I also added one of these across the flat edge of each platform which will show so take your time with this.  The platforms were nailed off the model as well.  
 

 
A look at the bottom of the aft platform...it aint pretty, but it doesnt have to be.   One feature not laser cut into the platforms are the notches for each frame.  Everyone's model will be slightly different as they may shift.  So you must mark there locations and file the notches before final placement can be finished.  Its not hard to do.  You may want to trace each platform on some card stock first and locate the notches that way as an alternative.  Then transfer them to your cedar versions.  The bow platform is a bit trickier because of its location.  So I recommend that you do make a card templete first and transfer it to your glued up version.  I made the pieces for the bow platform over-sized to compensate for the wide variety of bow shapes everyone will have.   But you can see how mine look ad are shaped.  Note how the notches are also beveled so they sit nicely against the frames.  This is something you will need to do as well.  The bow platform is done exactly the same way.
 


A look at the contemporary model.
 

 
 
 
 

So finally, after about 3750 hours, I got to the finish.
Thanks to everyone for watching my log and I would like to invite you to watch my next building log - Le Gros Ventre POF.

Good morning.

Spacer has been removed and the transom cleaned up.  Part of the port side caprail installed.


 


 

 
The curve below the flying transom still needs to be cleaned up, but it doesn't look right.  I don't like the way the plank ends are just flapping around in the breeze.  It seems like there should be edging or a fashion piece.  I know it will be covered with decorative carving, but....



 
Plank ends cleaned up but it still doesn't look right.  (Wipe on Poly applied.  It looks a whole lot shinier with a flash.  That shine will eventually go away.)




 

Thanks Dirk
 
For nails I used 10lb black fishing line.  Holes were drilled with a #77 drill bit.  Then a sanded the holes lightly to remove any burrs from drilling.  The fishing line was dipped in titebond and inserted into each hole.  I worked on one frame at a time as shown.   Once dry they were sliced clean away with a straight razor.  Then some light sanding.   Thats it.
 
The port side is completed now and I am really hope to get the starboard side done quickly.   We shall see.  More pics below.
 

 



 
 
 
Chuck

Hi,
 
I managed to find a local supplier of 0.5 mm brass wire and my first attempt at a frame now has the pins I mentioned earlier.
 

 
I decided to focus on the stern and to this end I've worked on the transom pieces. I made the lowest filling transom first and to be honest it was a bit of a disaster.  Subsequent attempts were more successful. 
 

 

 

 
 The filling, deck and wing transoms have been cut to profile and the joints adjusted to ensure a good fit with the inner post.  They have not yet been glued into place.  Inner surfaces have been given an initial fairing but I'm thinking of leaving the outside faces and the ends until the appropriate frames are ready.  This way I can refine the fit to the frames and they will be better supported and stronger to withstand shaping.
 
Next task will be the bow - once I've worked out which version of the Hawse to use. There seem to be two versions: 'Hawse, 1 - 5' and 'Hawsetimbers 1 - 6'. I think it's the latter .....
 
Cheers,
 
Graham.
 

Welcome to the Triton Shipyards, very nice start.
 
In my opinion is the black line a to dark. If you want to show the caulking at the keel , you will see no difference. A lighter brown color is not so prominent.

Ciao e grazie a tutti.
Altre foto…
 
Hello and thanks to everyone.
More photos...
for tabycz, use the FF230 of the proxxon
elastic bands are very useful druxey
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Un Saluto

I added the inboard sheer strip which is also laser cut to shape.  It is 1/8" wide and really finishes off the cap rail.  Then rather than paint the top of the cap rail red which would have been smart, I decided to work more on the frieze.  Once that was added I can use the bottom edge of the frieze to align the molding strip below it.  The molding strip is 1/8" x 3/64" and it is scraped to a simple profile.
 
The interesting thing you might note is that the molding strip below the frieze is NOT yellow cedar.  The molding is actually boxwood.  I find it is the best material for scraping moldings.  I will post an illustration of the profile I chose soon.  But if you look closely you wont see any real difference in color or appearance in the boxwood strip in comparison with the yellow cedar planking. They work really well together.  
 
The frieze itself is an exact copy of the one on the contemporary model.   I took the image of the cont. model and cropped and sized the frieze strip from it.  After printing it out I went back in and cleaned it up with some paint and color pencils and scanned it again.  That was cut out and applied to the model.
 
I am still working on the frieze for the transom.
 



 
 

You guys are too much!!!  Thanks 
 
One thing I wanted to point out because its the next step, is the fact that the contemporary models dont have particularly fancy molding around the cap rail.  That is usually the case but in this instance the edge is completely flat actually and hangs just a little over the exterior planking.  I have been contemplating if I should follow suit or perhaps add a fancier profile molding.  Would it be historically inaccurate and simply a self indulging pleasure?
 
Anyway, what are your thoughts.  The molding below the frieze is plenty fancy and wider.  Maybe that will be enough.  Have to decide now as its the next step.  See below for the contemporary version. 
 

Another fantastic planking job finished. Congrats for reaching this milestone

No its scraped off the model see below.  You can see the profile.  And some pictures with better lighting.  I had the brightness up too high on the last ones.
 

 

Really nice start. I wish you the same fun to build the small model that I have

It looks perfect.