ERS Rich

Checkout this video from Lie-Neilson Tools up in Maine…. Chisel Sharpening

Hi Avi, Thanks for the mention. Read through your log, and I’m going to follow along with interest. Like the way you are using templates and pencil lines. Hope you don’t mind a couple of thoughts. Noticed the mention of chisels and gouges in the last post. How is it going with “sharpness”? Are you able to get a razor sharp edge on your tools? When I first started out it took me a while to realize that I had to learn how to sharpen my tools. Sharp tools make life a whole lot easier. Saves a sore wrist from sanding as well. Regarding the bulwarks. Mini planes are a big help. Lee Valley tools offers a collection of mini tools including the edge plane, on the left in the photo below. On the right is a bull nose plane. It looks like the project is going well, best of luck and may your problems be small!

Keep going you’ll get the hang of it! I use CA applied with a pointy toothpick. Just a tiny dab at the location. Dries clear. Good luck with it….

Evening Deck Finish Color There is a little to much variation in the stain across boards. The darker boards have dried stain. To address the issue steel wool can be used to remove stain. I like to use a product called “Woollube”. It’s a lubricant for steel wool. Just a dab on the steel wool pad is needed. Photo 1 shows 3 boards in the lower left with the over-stained board at the bottom. Photo 2 is a closeup, with the over-stained board at the bottom. Photo 3 shows the over-stained board after rubbing down with the steel wool pad and Woollube. Plan is to use this process on the entire deck.

Thanks guys! A little unhappy with the stain variation between boards. A couple of things, pine takes stain unevenly, and some of the stock should have been wiped down before the stain dried. The next post shows how to address this issue….

Planking the Deck - Part 4 Just a few shots - almost complete.

Handsome ship, thanks for posting….

Greetings from Massachusetts, USA. Always open to answering a question. By the way, that’s the Sydney skyline in the background of my profile picture. Cheers!

Planking the Deck - Part 3 This work is an exercise in using the table saw with the fence and stop cuts. Detailed instruction on table saw use is beyond the scope if this log, there are plenty of free videos out there. The task at hand is to make multiple notches in a board to fit around two hatches. As before start with a longer board that overlaps the end points. Picture 1. Notice we need a notch in the middle and at the aft end. The middle notch has 2 corners and needs to be 31/32” wide to fit around the coaming, while the aft notch is open ended. and space between the notches is 49/64”. The notch depth is the same as the previous post, no need to change the blade height. Picture 2 shows a pencil mark to locate the forward end of the middle notch. Picture 3 shows the board on the saw with a cut at the pencil line. And to the left, a steel rule is used to set the end stop and define the width of the cut. Important take the blade width into account. My first attempt resulted in an override cut because I forgot to subtract the width of the blade when setting the end stop. Also set up the end stop a little short, then sneak up on the final cut. The aft notch is done in a similar manner. Picture 4 shows the board after cutting with it’s end up against the stop. Picture 5 shows the board in position, with the two notches. Last is to cut the overlapping forward and aft ends to fit, make a mark with an X-Acto and cut to the mark on the table saw. Picture 6. Picture 7 shows the final result.

It’s all good…. All part of the learning curve….. Regarding the cannon….the casual viewer will never know the difference, in the end you will still have a nice model. Plenty of oh’s and ash’s from family and friends and something the family will want to keep….

Good move….the difference between theory and reality….clove hitches sound good in theory, the reality is impossible to execute….why not cutoff the lower rat lines?

Planking the Deck - Part 2 Next is planking outward to cut notches in the planks to fit around the coamings. We’ll start with fitting two planks around the last hatch aft. The first 2 pictures show establishing the blade height with a couple of pieces of scrap. Adjust the blade height, by raising the blade and making test cuts so the two boards fit equally around the coaming aft corners. Once the blade height is good to go, cut two finish planks a little long and make the notches in the forward ends. Picture 3. Note make the notches a little long and trim the forward ends until the corner in the board fits the coaming corner. Last cut the aft end of the planks to fit.

Good Morning JS, Good question, had to look at what I bought, and have a fine tooth blade, but forgot about it and have been going with the first blade I put in the saw. Found best to cut slowly, to avoid tear out at the end of the cut. Especially with pine. A couple of details for the new comer when making the cuts. First cut the right side, then slide piece along the fence and cut the left side. Keep the same edge against the fence. Use a block to hold down the piece, I like my finger tips! The sliding table, for me, is essential for safe square cuts of small pieces.

Planking the Deck - Part 1 Planking from the centerline out. There is a plank that runs along the centerline. First part is to install the same number of planks on each side of the center plank, to reach just inside the outer side of each coaming. First measured between two hatches and cut the number of boards required - 5 in this case on the table saw. Next glued up the boards, using a board to help with alignment. Then an easy matter to trim the ends on the table saw. Pictures 1, 2, and 3. Pictures 4, 5, and 6 show coverage between each coaming.

Deck Plank Stock Preparation The deck planks are finished with a three step process. First planks were stained with Varathane Ipswich Pine, applied with a cotton swab. The swab was held stationary while the plank, against a board, was pulled through. Next the planks were sealed with Teak Oil, applied with a plastic bristle brush, again the plank was pulled through the brush with the plank against the board. Finally a notch was sawn through the board edge, and planks were pulled through with a sharpie pressed against the plank edge. Last picture shows the finished product.

Finishing and Installing Deck Grates The coamings are made of Hickory so decided to finish with Watco Tung Oil. Applied the oil, a wet coat, and wiped after a little while - to avoid dried pools of oil, 5 coats total. Next is installation where Fore/Aft, Port/Starboard alignment has always been a challenge for me. So…… First drilled a hole in each corner with the Foredom drill press. Then tapped a pin nail through a spacing board into the hole, and flush cut the nail. Now the coaming has 4 posts of equal height. Locating the coaming relative to the nearest forward bulkhead, so measured the distance on the plan with dividers and transferred to the model. Placed the coaming in it’s location and press down to make an imprint, and drill the holes Last picture shows coaming installed. Important! Do not glue the coamings. After planking the deck, they will be removed so a template can be used to mark the locations of deck penetrations for the Boom Traveller and Ammo Passing Scuttles, etc.

Hi JS, Later will paint black with a brush.... After trying many ways to blacken copper, decided painting is easier.... Thanks

Cleaning up the Dust Inevitably there will be dust. The airbrush kicked up some dust from inside the hull, and from between the inner and outer bulkhead boards. The acrylic surface is forgiving and can be worked with a stiff brush and fine grit sand paper. Hold a stiff brush perpendicular to the surface and work across the surface. A flexi-file with fine grit is used across the gunport sills. A toothpick can be used to get into the corners. Touch up with a brush.

Painting the Bulwarks Hit the bulwarks with a light coat of rattle can shellac. Brushed the surface with a stiff bristle brush to remove the fuzzies. Color coat is Tamiya Dark Green XF-26, with Tamiya Paint Retarder, applied with a Paasch Talon airbrush @25 psi.

First pic looks like poplar to me…. Studied with a master furniture maker, and when asked, said often he couldn’t identify the species…. Comes down to use….what would you like to do with it…?

Hi Bill, Highly recommend the Armed Virginia Sloop practicum and the Model Shipways kit. Liked the larger scale and the practicum is particularly detailed about both standing and running rigging.

Checkout: https://www.lauckstreetshipyard.com/home Cheers!

Welcome! Greetings from Massachusetts. Glad you are here. Cheers!

Beautiful job, so crisp and clean. Will bookmark for future reference. Looking forward to more. Thanks

Hi Bill, Thanks for the kind words. The references are listed in the Introduction, the first post. Followed the College of Model Shipbuilding Guide until about Chapter 4. Then jumped to Chapter 6 to complete the lower hull planking. And I’ve added some techniques I’ve thought of or learned as a cabinet maker. Your question gives me a chance to explain what’s ahead. Going forward, following a sequence I’ve developed over several projects, the general roadmap is: fit out inner bulwarks paint inner bulwarks plank the deck/install deck furniture fit out outer hull: stern galleries, head paint outer hull main rail/upper bulwarks masts/bowsprit rigging Nothing wrong with the sequence in the practicum, just want to do it in such a way that all parts are installed in an area before painting that area.