DocBlake

All totaled, I broke the transom, either partially or completely, from the hull 3 times.  This is because it is flimsy and fragile with a minimal glue line holding it in place at a bad angle.  It's always in the way!  I decided to plank the counter and the transom first, which I did.  This stiffened the transom and provided more attachment area to the hull.  it is much stronger now.  The outer bulwark planking is done to the second plank row.  Next up is cutting and framing the gun ports.
 
Dave

I cut a new timber and patched the 1/32" plywood in, repairing the damaged transom.  After it's planked no one will know anything happened.
 
Dave

Progress so far:  The bulkheads and filler have been glued in place and the hull faired.  Any voids filled with wood filler.  I performed the major surgery on Bulkhead 12, removing it.  the counter has been formed, and the inside of the transom hollowed out.  Next is to place the external transom plywood.  Pictures show the counter ans the hollowed out transom wood.  Jonathan:  Did you do anything to the hollowed out area.  I'd like to panel it, or fit an upholstered bench across the span, as might have been done in the real vessel.
 
Dave

The following photos are of the installation of the aft lower decking.  Like the forward decking it is constructed by planking 1/16" ply with 1/64" basswood strips.  I am reasonably satisfied with the look of the decking with its caulking and nail holes.  The deck is epoxied to the cross beams.  The final photo is of the cross beams being laid for the next deck.

I used Bob's practicum on my AVS and it was very helpful.  Obviously it's designed for someone who's not had a ton of experience (me)!  The Practicum for the Rattlesnake is manditory for the kitbashed version I'm planning.You can buy all the various Practica as a package for $200.  This will allow you to use them for multiple vessels, including a scratch built "Hannah".  Here's a link:  http://www.lauckstreetshipyard.com/
 
Here are some shots of the model under construction from the Practicum:
 
 
 
Dave

I finally finished "Swift".  I renamed her "Lucy.B." after our beloved golden retriever (my AVS was named after my wife!).  I made a lot of changes to the stock kit.  I've enclosed photos of the build, as well as a shot of the stock kit box to point out the differences.  Here's a list of the changes I made:
- Switched out wood, using boxwood, cherry, rosewood, maple and blood wood.
- Eliminated the bitt over the bowsprit
- Fitted the sprit to the deck with a metal bracket (more authentic)
- Gammoned the sprit to the stem
- Added knightheads and catheads to the bow
- Added a scuttle to stow the anchor lines below deck
- Scratch-built a windlass
- Made deeper channels for the chain plates so the lanyards didn't rub against the top rail
- Fabricated tubular brass vents for the holds
- Add metal grab bars and ports to the deck cabins
-Scratch built the elm tree pump
- reworked the tiller to bring it to scale
- Redid the knee bracing in the cockpit with beefier cherry
- Replaced all cleats with scale cleats (the supplied AL cleats are 2 scale feet across!)
- Redid the rudder.
- Switched all blocks to Syren blocks
 
Here are some photos.  I hope you enjoy them!
 
 

I finally finished "Swift".  I renamed her "Lucy.B." after our beloved golden retriever (my AVS was named after my wife!).  I made a lot of changes to the stock kit.  I've enclosed photos of the build, as well as a shot of the stock kit box to point out the differences.  Here's a list of the changes I made:
- Switched out wood, using boxwood, cherry, rosewood, maple and blood wood.
- Eliminated the bitt over the bowsprit
- Fitted the sprit to the deck with a metal bracket (more authentic)
- Gammoned the sprit to the stem
- Added knightheads and catheads to the bow
- Added a scuttle to stow the anchor lines below deck
- Scratch-built a windlass
- Made deeper channels for the chain plates so the lanyards didn't rub against the top rail
- Fabricated tubular brass vents for the holds
- Add metal grab bars and ports to the deck cabins
-Scratch built the elm tree pump
- reworked the tiller to bring it to scale
- Redid the knee bracing in the cockpit with beefier cherry
- Replaced all cleats with scale cleats (the supplied AL cleats are 2 scale feet across!)
- Redid the rudder.
- Switched all blocks to Syren blocks
 
Here are some photos.  I hope you enjoy them!
 
 

Fantastic job...especially considering it's your first scratch build.  She looks great!  Keep up the good work.  You set a high bar!
 
Dave

Fantastic job...especially considering it's your first scratch build.  She looks great!  Keep up the good work.  You set a high bar!
 
Dave

I was able to complete the installation of all the frames. Tomorrow, I will start the fairing both inside and outside. I also will be adding the clamp to the interior once the interior fairing is complete. The hull is interesting. This follows the "as-Built" documented by Dr Crisman in the keel assembly as well as the frames spacing. Also note the two pair of cant frames near the bow which extend higher than the others. While all the frames will be trimmed, these will still extend above the cap rail to form timber heads per Dr. Crisman's latest book.
I will probably leave the spacers glued into the tops of the frame since that part of the ship will be planked and cover them. The cannon ports will be cut later. The Gantry jig should make this easy both in locating them and squaring the port sides to the keel.

I have also framed the stern, how much of this will be exposed after framing is still undecided.

Beautiful work, Grant.  When I start my Bomb Vessel, I'll use your log for  inspiration and guidance.
 
Dave

It's been a while since the last update. Recovery from my hip surgery has certainly slowed things down a little, but I have managed to make some progress.  The next stage was construction of the Mortar Pit.
 
Construction of the Mortar Pit
 
Construction of the Mortar Pit commences with the six Mortar Pit Deck Beams that sit atop the Shell Room.   These were cut from 1/4" Pear stock.  Six rectangular blanks of identical size were cut and then spot glued together. A single paper pattern for the beams was then glued on to the gang of blanks and the notches for the Shell Room headers (5/16”) and the Mortar Pit Boundary Timbers (1/4”) were cut on the mill to take advantage of the still square faces. The round-up of the beams was then shaped using the spindle sander for the inside curve and the disc sander for the outside curve.  After test fitting, the Deck Beams were used as additional support to ensure the Shell Room was squared up for final fixing. Once the Shell Room was securely fastened, the Beams were given a coat of Wipe-On Poly and glued in place.
 

 
The Mortar Pit itself is fairly straightforward construction, consisting of two Boundary Timbers of 1/4” x 5/16” Pear, a Primary Layer of planking (3/16” Holly) and a Secondary Layer of planking (1/8” Holly).  I decided to use pencil along the plank edges to simulate the caulking with these decks, rather than the black paper used on the deck of the Shell Room, partly because I was concerned about glue adhesion, and partly because I wanted to see what it looked like.  Once again, the “drill and fill” method was used for simulating treenails. In retrospect, I should have sealed the Holly before applying the filler for the treenails as some of the filler has gotten into the grain of the deck and slightly discoloured it.  Here are the component parts prior to receiving a couple of coats of Wipe-On Poly.
 

 
The Primary planking has a 1/8” brass spigot inserted – this will locate the base of the turntable in a later stage of construction.  The Secondary planking has a circular cut out for the turntable. This was formed by cutting roughly to shape on the Scroll saw, and then finishing on the spindle sander. 
 

 
Once both decks had been completed, it was a fairly simple case of finessing them to size to fit the space defined by the Boundary timbers.  Here are a few pics of the completed Mortar Pit in place:
 

 

 

 

 

 
Next up, fitting of the Upper Deck Clamps and preparation for construction of the Upper Deck.  Stay tuned.....
 
 

All frames are swan. 
 

 
The seven frames of the centersection with glued floor timbers.
 

 
To assemble the Frames I use this jig.
 

 
 
Cheers Hartmut
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I was able to get the bow cant frames installed. Now I can work on the square frames. Yeah! I am happy to have all the half frames/Cant frames behind me. I still need to do a bunch of sanding cleanup on the inside and outside of the cant frames. I left more meat on the bones of these. I found it easier to sand them down than to recut them if I beveled them incorrectly when off the ship.
Anyway, here are a couple of photos on the ship where it stands today. The darker frame is the test frame I built before starting the frames. It is standing where my frame X will be.
 

A few years ago, I built a 19', shoal draft, gaff-rigged sloop for my wife and I to sail.  We've enjoyed "Molly" immensely.  I decided to build a large model of her (1/4 scale, not 1/4" scale!) to display in a large dormer window in our house that faces the street.  Construction is similar to how the real boat was built.  I started with the keel, then the cabin floor was added.  Bulkheads were placed and the deck installed.  The cabin trunk was next, followed by rafters and the cabin top.  The project has been sitting, untouched for about 2 years, but I decided to get her completed.  Here are some photos of the model, and my wife and I sailing the original boat.
 
Dave

Good eye, Harv!  Yes, it is a Weekender.
 
Dave

A few years ago, I built a 19', shoal draft, gaff-rigged sloop for my wife and I to sail.  We've enjoyed "Molly" immensely.  I decided to build a large model of her (1/4 scale, not 1/4" scale!) to display in a large dormer window in our house that faces the street.  Construction is similar to how the real boat was built.  I started with the keel, then the cabin floor was added.  Bulkheads were placed and the deck installed.  The cabin trunk was next, followed by rafters and the cabin top.  The project has been sitting, untouched for about 2 years, but I decided to get her completed.  Here are some photos of the model, and my wife and I sailing the original boat.
 
Dave

Thanks, Michael.  I love working in the larger scales.  I'm planning a Bomb Vessel Granado cross section in 1/24 scale.
 
Dave

A few years ago, I built a 19', shoal draft, gaff-rigged sloop for my wife and I to sail.  We've enjoyed "Molly" immensely.  I decided to build a large model of her (1/4 scale, not 1/4" scale!) to display in a large dormer window in our house that faces the street.  Construction is similar to how the real boat was built.  I started with the keel, then the cabin floor was added.  Bulkheads were placed and the deck installed.  The cabin trunk was next, followed by rafters and the cabin top.  The project has been sitting, untouched for about 2 years, but I decided to get her completed.  Here are some photos of the model, and my wife and I sailing the original boat.
 
Dave

A few years ago, I built a 19', shoal draft, gaff-rigged sloop for my wife and I to sail.  We've enjoyed "Molly" immensely.  I decided to build a large model of her (1/4 scale, not 1/4" scale!) to display in a large dormer window in our house that faces the street.  Construction is similar to how the real boat was built.  I started with the keel, then the cabin floor was added.  Bulkheads were placed and the deck installed.  The cabin trunk was next, followed by rafters and the cabin top.  The project has been sitting, untouched for about 2 years, but I decided to get her completed.  Here are some photos of the model, and my wife and I sailing the original boat.
 
Dave

A few years ago, I built a 19', shoal draft, gaff-rigged sloop for my wife and I to sail.  We've enjoyed "Molly" immensely.  I decided to build a large model of her (1/4 scale, not 1/4" scale!) to display in a large dormer window in our house that faces the street.  Construction is similar to how the real boat was built.  I started with the keel, then the cabin floor was added.  Bulkheads were placed and the deck installed.  The cabin trunk was next, followed by rafters and the cabin top.  The project has been sitting, untouched for about 2 years, but I decided to get her completed.  Here are some photos of the model, and my wife and I sailing the original boat.
 
Dave

As a diversion while rigging my Armed Virginia Sloop, I started building AL's Swift.  I switched out some of the wood:  Boxwood planking above the wales, bloodwood trim, wenge wales, cherry and holly details.  I like the contrasts in the wood.  Progress so far in the photos.
 
Dave

I think the maple frames are going to look great. I love contrast between the maple and the
stained cherry keel.
 
Dave

Hi Grant!  I have the plans in 1/24 scale.  Can you send me a copy of your spreadsheet also?  I'll have to rescale it, but it will be a huge help in preparing the wood supply I'll need.  Thanks.
 
Dave

I shaped my first frame actually being installed in the ship today. I started with Frame 36 which is the aft most frame. Since it sits so high on the stern, and it is the fashion timber I decided to make it a full frame. This also aligns with the notches found on the ship since there were no notches for this frame in the deadwood. 
After gluing up the boards and gluing the frame template to the face, I used the bandsaw to cut near the lines. Then I used the Oscillating sander with varying diameters of sandpaper rolls to sand to the lines with the frame square to the table. This gave me the hard line I needed on the bottom forward and the top aft of the frame. Then it was a matter of sanding the bevel between the two.

After test fitting it to the keel I used the drill press to drill the pinning holes through it. I found putting a backing block at an angle in the vise below the drill allowed me to keep the drill square to the face of the frame. I could sight down the edge of the frame and make sure it was parallel to the drill. Then I glued the brass wire into the holes. Tomorrow I will sand the flush. 

I also printed a scale on an 8 ½ sheet of paper. This was a subset of the scale I used in the gantry. I glued this to a strip of cherry. This provides a quick check on the ship without having to convert from inches or MMs.
 
On a side note I found out that when working with Maple, it is important to have bandaids around if I am using an Xacto blade since I invariably end up pricking my fingers somewhere. Blood makes a mark on white maple!