GGibson

Thanks, SkiBee. Appreciate the peek in. Yes, using a bunch of clamps (both the metal ones and the plastic ones), clothes pins, rubber bands... Seems to work fairly well. I am now on Strake 7. My "creep" isn't too bad as I look at the guidemarks on frames 3, 6 & 9, although they seem to be running a bit short. Not sure how to make that up without some significant gaps, but may not be as bad as I am perceiving. Just looking at it in a "worst case scenario", I suppose. As I recall, though, your fill came out looking really good. Probably won't finish the strakes before I'm taking a week to visit granddaughters. I'll check back in after I'm back and I get the bottom planking finished up. Again, thanks for checking in. I need to go over and check your progress in your log, as well!

Been a few weeks, so thought I's give quick update (although I said I was going to wait until all the strakes were installed)... Been doing some outside things as much as I can lately (I think it's finally spring in Kansas City!), but finished the 2nd strake on both sides today. After soaking them in super hot water for several minutes, the planks are forming pretty well next to each other, especially on the two ends. While I may end up with a few small gaps in the plank seams, a little filler in those spots should work well. They are not very big at all (so far!). So, I'm continuing to move forward... SLOWLY!

Quick update... Formed and glued both of the garboard strakes. Seemed to fit well and bend well where needed, especially at the aft end. Did a dry fit then on the first starboard side strake 1, and it will need a bit of a bend at both ends, but looks like it will fit snug against the garboard along the whole length once it is softened and formed slightly. Going to work now (slowly) on the remaining strakes. Unless I have a question/comment during this process, I'll check back in once I complete the sheer strakes at the deck level. Exciting, huh?!?

Well, a brief, quick update. I think (I hope, anyways) that I spent a decent amount of time fairing the hull, prepping it for the planking. There were also several of the frames that stuck out past the edge of the deck, so I sanded those spots down, as well. A birds-eye view of the boat now doesn't reveal any frames, so I think I am good. The fairing was a process, getting spines beveled so that the planks fit nicely. I think as I mentioned in my last update, if I had to do it all over again, I would probably place the deck so that all of the frames were completely under the deck and would fill the gaps between the two deck halves with wood filler after-the-fact. I have also added the stem, keel and sternpost pieces along the bottom of the central spine on both sides. They went on pretty well. Before placing and gluing the central plank, though, I had to do a considerable amount of sanding on the bottom part of the transom so that the plank set flush against the spine. Now, time for planking. I am going to take my time with this process, as well. I have looked at the port-side garboard strake to see how this is going to fit, in order to start out well. The instructions state that the garboard strakes will have the most extreme twist to them. In dry-fitting this port-side strake, though, so it fits nicely in the rabbet along the keel, It doesn't seem like the twist at either end is TOO terrible, but we'll see how it goes. When I planked my first boat, the Sailing Pram, I soaked the planks and shaped them in a curve to dry quite a bit more than what it appears I'll have to do here. Anyone have comments on how this "plank-shaping" compared to other builds? What did you use to shape the planks? I have a large wire basket, probably about 18" in diameter, that I used to help me shape the Sailing Pram. Will probably use it again in shaping these planks. There was planking overlap on the Sailing Pram, but there won't be on this Lobster Smack, so hopefully everything will fit snuggly and smoothly. EDIT: OK, so I realized as I was getting ready to soak the first garboard strake that I "form" it across frames after I take it out of the hot water while it's still pliable. It did have a pretty noticeable bend to it on the aft end when forming, and I think it came out well, as it fit nicely in the rabbet. Glued it in place and will let it dry overnight. Will work on the starboard side tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who reads this. Appreciate your comments/suggestions/critique.

Congrats on the completion, Bob. Looks really nice! Know the feeling of being finished... So... what's next?!? lol

Thanks, Jim! Thanks, Jack! I'll look at those vendors' websites. Appreciate the guidance. Gregg

Somewhere on the internet (I think it was on somebody's thread here on MSW), I saw a picture of someone holding a mini rafter square. It was small enough to be useful in squaring bulkheads, etc. Anyone use such a tool? Where did you get it?

Rudder work looks really good, Bob.

Thanks @SkiBee, for the advice on the bulkhead frame notches and how they relate to the coaming and cabin sides. Wish the instructions would have been a bit clearer at this point on the purpose of the notches. And, you really can't tell from the pictures of when the deck is installed/glued that there should be some type of "line-up" with the notches and the placement of the deck. There are spots on mine now where they line up fine on some of the frames but not others. I'll try to use a knife on the frames where I can to allow the cabin sides to fit decently when I get to that point. Can't deny that this is getting frustrating. One of those "wish I could start over" feelings, as I look at just enough tweak in the 90 degree settings of several frames and the placement of the deck just not perfect, creating gaps and mismatches in spots. I will now need to sand down several of the bulkhead frames where they overhang past the deck width, as I also fair the hull to prep it for planking. I have used some wood filler to clean up those gaps down the center. I also had some mismatch and quite a bit of overhang where the deck meets the transom. I think I was able to sand it down adequately, though, as well as fix most of the mismatch where the two deck sides meet above the cockpit seatback. Wow, tons of lessons I have learned from the short time on this build, compared to how I worked on the Sailing Pram. I've got read way ahead in the instructions to see exactly how things are supposed to fit. And... probably most importantly... TAKE MY TIME! Work slowly and deliberately. I am going to work more slowly on the fairing process, and see if I can get these frames sanded back down so they are under the deck, and so that the planking goes more smoothly. This long task of fairing will hopefully give me time to become less frustrated and get my excitement elevated once again. Thanks for the follow, comments and critique... Gregg

Moving on from my concerns about the notches on the bulkhead frames and their significance. Everything seems to indicate that, at least for this particular build, they don't have any specific function and will get covered up with the deck. Now, my next concern regarding the deck. When I dry-fitted and ultimately glued each of the bulkhead frames to the spine, I paid pretty darn close attention (I thought) to making sure they were centered and balanced. But now, when I am looking at placing the two-piece decking on top of the frames, there seems to be a pretty noticeable/significant gap between the deck and the port side frame #7 (at the edge of the cockpit seat on that side). I know there will be some bend to it when I dampen it, band it and glue it, but it doesn't appear to have near the gap on the starboard side. The frame looks pretty level on the spine compared to the others, but there is obviously just enough of a twist to make a difference. Will this make a difference when I begin the planking or when I do the finish work around the cockpit? Should I shim up that side in order to minimize the bend needed in going from frame #6 to #7 and then #8? Anyone have similar issues with the decking fitting a bit awkward? Appreciate the follow and the comments!

Happy Pi Day, all! Well, made some progress on the Lobster Smack the past day or so. I worked for a few days on dry-fitting and ultimately gluing the bulkhead frames. As Skibee noted in his build log, I had issues in fitting both sides of Frame 4 around the Part B reinforcing piece. I had to increase the depth of the cut-in by about 3/16". Also, when I glued the starboard side Piece B, the piece slid up a bit and dried before I noticed, so my best guess remedy was to not only make the cut deeper as I noted above, but also had to widen the cut so that it fit properly against the top and bottom of the spine. I continued on with the frame assembly, and noted that, while almost all of the frames required some light sanding in order to fit their grooves in the spine slots, Frames 6 & 8 fit pretty loosely. I wasn't sure if I would need to shim the gaps or just carefully glue in place. I chose the later solution, which seemed to work ok for both of those frames. I hope I did everything well, as I proceed to the decking, fairing and planking! I then worked on the bulkhead frame 10 and transom. Directions were pretty straight-forward but, again like SkiBee experienced, I had to sand off a good 1/8-1/4" from the top in order for it to get flush with the top of the spine. The picture below might be a bit deceiving, as the transom still looks higher than the top of the spine, but it is due to the camera angle. I had not glued Frame 10 yet, so I took it and the transom off the spine to sand. I was too afraid of breaking the transom if I tried to cut/shave, so I spent the time to sand the curve down to the proper level. Once I hit the mark, I glued Frame 10, as well. As the instructions suggested, I decided to paint the cockpit floor area and cockpit seats before this area gets closed up with the decking. I used the MS4814, Hull Copper Red to come close to a mahogany look for the seats. In retrospect, I have seen several others use some type of stain/varnish on their boat seats, and it really looks sharp. I made that mistake on the NSP, as well. I am now to the point of installing the deck, but I have a stupid/silly question that I need other experienced readers' help with! In the picture below, you can see the notches on the port and starboard sides of each of the bulkhead frames. The way they line up, they seem to hold a purpose, but what is it? It looks like, once both halves of the deck are fitted and glued, the notches become hidden and inaccessible. Are they used for assistance in spacing the frames at proper distances when dry-fitting and gluing? This novice builder is at a loss, but don't want to mess up this early in the process. In reading the instruction book, I'm not seeing any reference to this sequence of notches. OK, enough said. Appreciate your input! Thanks again to everyone who reads this log. I appreciate your follow, your comments, and your advice! Hope everyone enjoyed their Pi today! Gregg

Eight coats?!? Impressive! :Looks great, Bob. I also love the seats. What stain did you use for them? Keep up the great work, sir! Gregg

Interior paint work looks very nice, Bob! I learned on my Pram (as I'm sure you did on your Dory), keep that paint handy, as you will now continue to find little spots that you missed or just don't look quite right. I continued to "touch up" practically for the remainder of the build! But it looks very nice! And you will find that the seat installations will help hide some of those underneath concerns. Enjoy!

Thanks, Matt. Model Shipways customer service has been responsive to the inquiries I had while building the Norwegian Sailing Pram. I am, however, a bit disappointed in their shipping speed. They advertise items as "Ready to Ship", yet take 4-5 days for the item to get out the door. Hopefully, they will get better. But, their replies to email inquiries have been very good. Appreciate your input. I glanced at your completed Virginia 1819 ship. Awesome work, Matt!

Well, after a relatively successful completion of the Norwegian Sailing Pram as my first model build, I'm jumping right in and starting my 2nd build! I purchased both the NSP and the Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack at the same time, so #2 has been waiting in the wings. It's showtime! As I did with the NSP, I will be relying on other builders' build logs to help me through the challenges, and hope that whatever I'm able to contribute during my build log will assist others as they tackle the Lobster Smack, as well. It definitely looks more challenging than the first build was! First thing I did was to take inventory of the contents. In reviewing SkiBee's build log, I noted he had some missing cabin bulkhead side guides. I, too, had them missing from my Sheet 14, as well. It looks, though, that they are of similar size to some of the leftover pieces from sheets 2 & 5 once you punch out the port and starboard spines, so we may be able to use those. I also noted, with some amusement and some concern, that the review posted by moderator kurtvd19 has a picture of sheet 14 with the cabin bulkhead side guides missing, as well! Doh!!! 1:24 Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack - Model Shipways - REVIEWS: Model kits - Model Ship World™ So, starting with the starboard spine (on sheet 5, not sheet 2 per the instructions, as SkiBee discovered), I glued the three center pieces to the starboard spine. As I started gluing with the recommended white glue, I noticed, as SkiBee did in his gluing, that the water-based white glue was causing the spines to curl before I had a chance to clamp them. Therefore, I thought I would try using a solvent-based clear glue for the remainder of the spine gluing to see if that makes a difference in adherence and curling. I'll report back my findings. Anyone else using clear glue rather than white glue? Today, I worked on cutting and bending the brass rod to be used to raise/lower the centerboard. The butane torch seemed to work pretty well and I was able to curl and bend to the appropriate sizes/lengths. I liked SkiBee's suggestion to paint the centerboard before getting it wedged between the two spines. However, I only painted the portion of the centerboard that looked like would be exposed. Any extra primer/paint on the top side may just make the centerboard move harder. In dry-testing the pivot rod before gluing the port spine, I noted that the rod didn't quite fit properly in the slide slot, so I had to VERY CAREFULLY cut/chisel the slot a bit wider in order for the pivot rod to move freely. Sounds like SkiBee had this same issue, and the Model Shipways folks need to adjust their laser cutters just slightly to fix this. With these sheets being so thin and fragile, they can break way too easy for them to require user modifications. OK, off my soapbox. Once I got the pivot rod to freely slide in the groove, I glued the port spine to the center pieces (again using the clear glue rather than white glue) and, using almost every clamp I had, clamped the pieces to dry. I will let this sit overnight before moving to the reinforcing pieces and the bulkhead frames. Building Boat #2 has begun! I welcome your comments, critiques and suggestions! Thanks... Gregg

Hi SkiBee! Well, I finished my Sailing Pram, and am now beginning this Lobster Smack, and am reading and following your build log with great interest! Looks like what you have done so far, with all the apparent hurdles you have had thrown at you, is coming along just fine. Your pictures look good and your narrative is priceless. Appreciate sharing your progress. I'll start my build log on this Lobster Smack shortly, and will be asking you a ton of questions, I am sure!

Well, I'm excited to get this boat finished, so early Friday I jumped back into the shipyard! The clips on the back stay lines did a great job of securing the lines while the glue dried overnight. I clipped the excess 0.3mm tie lines to clean up the lines as much as I could to look good. I then threaded the halyard line through the sheave and tied it to the cleat. I agree with SkiBee's comment about the appearance of what amounts to a pulley system for the sheave. I did the same with the downhaul line. One issue/problem I see now is that, in order for the sail and the boom to be high enough to clear the tiller/tiller extension, the gooseneck end of the boom hits the mast at a higher point than where I placed the chafing pad on the mast. I finished running the line through the block on the traveler. I had way too much traveler line going to/from each of the transom knees, so I shorten it a bit after I completed installing the main sheet. Still not crazy about how that came out, either, but it's ok. It appears I am now done and my first model build, the Norwegian Sailing Pram, is now complete! So, lessons learned? Definitely the two P's... patience and perseverance. Don't rush things in modeling, and try not to get frustrated. As I move forward in this hobby, I hope my painting skills improve. Close inspections show a few rough spots. Another thing I realized at some point that I missed involved the rowlock pads. Rather than installing the two sets of pads (for the four oars), I only did one set and, therefore, only used two of the provided oarlocks. All in all, though, it came out well. Now, on to the Muscongus Bay Lobster Smak. Thanks to all of you who followed this log and provided insight and encouragement. I'll need that on the next project, as well!

On Thursday, I worked diligently on the fore stay and back stay lines. I was definitely worried about getting them secure and taut, and having the mast set steady in the mast step. Actually, though, it worked out fairly well. For the fore stay line, I secured one end of the line with one of the provided clips and then, as the instructions indicated, gauged where the loop needed to be made so it wrapped around the mast at the cleat. Surprisingly, it came out ok! I then secured the back stay lines and, again, as the instructions suggested, adjusted the tension on each of the back stay lines and used clips to hold them in place while I glued and tied. For the gluing and tying process, I used the suggestion of tying some 0.3mm line around the 0.7mm lines in spacing intervals and then painted diluted glue to the lines to secure. Seemed to be ok, but I'm not totally pleased with some of the look. As I get better at the tying and knotting, hopefully the aesthetics will improve. Once I had the stay lines in place, the mast seemed pretty solid, but I placed a few drops of super glue at the base and mast step, which I think will help with keeping everything secure. With the stays now in place, it's time to hoist the sail! So close to being finished!

I have been quiet for a few days. In working on the sail, and the lashing and lacing, I somehow misplaced a remaining chunk of 0.3 mm line, and couldn't find it for the life of me. Probably got snagged on clothing and dropped off somewhere else in the house, nowhere to be found. So... had to order some more 0.3 mm line from Model Shipways to finish the lacing on the sail. That additional line finally arrived yesterday, so the shipyard is back operational again! Honestly, after much worry and consternation on how the sail was going to end up looking after all the cutting, gluing, masking, lashing and lacing, the sail came out fairly well. I made the four corner reinforcing triangles much bigger than they needed to be, but I guess they look ok despite their size. So, today I finished the lashing, tying the gaff and the boom to the sail. I also finished today making the traveler and attaching the traveler line to the two transom knees. So now it's on to installing the mast, the fore stay and the back stays, and hoisting the sail! I've got some concern about getting the mast fixed solidly, as I beveled the mast a bit smaller than the diameter of the hole in the mast step, so may need to use some filler and/or glue to set the mast properly. Hope it goes well. Wow, I am almost done... Appreciate your comments, concerns and recommendations.

Looks really good, Bob! Anxious to see the painted boat. Been away from mine for about a week, waiting on some replacement supplies from MS. But, getting back to my sail lacing work this evening.

Looks good, Bob! I had similar issues/concerns about "hitting the line"... Everyone's is a bit different, making them unique in a sense. But, if they all sail when done, we've done ok... This first one for me has truly been a learning experience. Taking a long time for me on the lashing/lacing. Keep moving forward!

Great job on the planks, Bob! Glad to see the electric planking tool worked well. I have one, as well, but was a bit afraid to us it on this wood. As I continue on in this hobby, some of the other ship planks may require use of something like this tool, so it's good to get the experience! I'll have my shot eventually. Your mast looks great, too! I'm working on the sail and then the lashing, so my "thin mast" issues will need to be addressed soon. Great job! Keep sailing away! Gregg

Reading your posts about the sail construction, JohnN. Great job! I am to that point now on my build, and have a bit of anxiety in completing it properly. The gluing, taping and making holes for the lacing all have me a bit worried. Can I ask what ratio of glue/water you used to dilute the glue?

Well, I stained the model display stand using Minwax Red Mahogany stain. Probably a little darker than I wanted the stand, but it will look nice once the boat is all completed. You'll notice I went ahead and glued the oarlock plates to the pads, drilled and pinned now, rather than waiting to do any of that work after the boat was attached to the stand. For now, I have simply inserted the oarlocks into their sockets. In an actual boat, you would obviously want the oarlocks to swivel back and forth, but for this model, the oars will be laying in the boat, so wondering if the oarlocks should simply be glued so they don't fall out somehow. With all that said, I then glued the boat to the stand and am now working on the mast and all of its fittings. Used a little hand planer to bevel the corners and sanded the square mast as round as I felt I could safely, especially after reading SkiBee's account of his mast breaking from being too thin. However, it does appear I still beveled and sanded the bottom of the mast a bit too small, and may have some issues securing the mast into the mast step when it gets to that point of the build. I will have to wrap something around the base to "thicken" it back up in order to fit snuggly. We shall see... I have now attached the halyard cleat, the downhaul eye, the chafing pad and the fore stay cleat to the mast. To simulate the chafing pad, I simply took a piece of paper, used a brown craft pencil rather than paint, cut out the pad to the proper size, and glued to the mast as instructed. I'm a bit confused on the purpose of the halyard sheave that is cut into the top of the mast. Perhaps I haven't read enough ahead to understand, but the pictures of the completed mast, both in the instructions and in SkiBee's and JohnN's build logs, don't really show me what we'll do with the sheave. EDIT: Nevermind, I see in Part 56 on page 37 of the instructions, it explains that the sail assembly appears to be threaded through this sheave. So, I'll work on the halyard sheave and the back stay straps and complete the mast work. Any advice on what works best to "dig out" the sheave without splitting the already thin mast?!? Appreciate those who are reading and commenting!

Bob, the sail looks great! Just finished with the display stand and working now on the mast and all of its components. Will be getting to the sail soon enough and will be looking again in more detail to your log here. Congrats and great job!