Snug Harbor Johnny

The journey of a hundred miles begins with a single step. Sometimes taking that step is the hardest to do. The famous quote by Bilbo Baggins, as quoted by Frodo, is: “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off too.”

I've tried that and it doesn't work. For one thing, the water content in 'Rubbing alcohol' complicates things (70% or 90% IPA is whats readily available). Its also a 'different sort' of alcohol that doesn't work like 'denatured' alcohol (methanol). Pure (lab grade) ethanol can work, but the highest concentration you can get (with paying a lot from a lab supply) is 95% (190 proof) Everclear from a liquor store. I tried that as a solvent for shellac flakes, and the water content still affects the liquid product negatively.

Wonderbaarlijk !

The raised method of rail making should work. I saw another builder do something similar with wire and joints soldered with an electronics soldering iron (fine tipped) and thin solder. It looked fine after painting.

I used both bass and balsa on a hull as an experiment, and found that balsa is a bit soft (but after shaping it can be 'hardened' by applying titebond and rubbing it in a little - then allowed to dry before sanding). Now some balsa may be denser, but dense balsa if hard to find these days (not so 50 years ago for RC planes). You need to mind the grain direction of bass as filler - amidships to app reaching bow and stern, the grain should run fore-and-aft for easier shaping/shaving. Where the curve plunges at the bow, cutting a piece to fit with the grain at a 45 degree angle will limit carving across end grain.

The most durable scale ropes are likely those made with polyester thread - with Gutermann exhibiting the least amount of 'fuzz' at magnification. BUT, after stretching (setting - a needed part of any rope making process) poly line needs to be "set" in a warm oven (320 degrees F) for 5 - 7 minutes. Otherwise there can be unraveling when cut. (If teased, any line can de-twist.) Syren poly rope comes heat-set. I'm presuming that Ropes of Scale is also set, but any batch of poly can be cut-tested and re-set if needed. Cotton line (properly laid and set) has less raveling, but is not ravel proof. I don't know the composition of Nitkin rope, nor the lot-to-lot consistency (process control).

I now have the Cunliffe book - great condition used hard-bound - from Thrift Books, and a printout from Goode's ... Great stuff ! It seem that when taking the largest sails DOWN, the yoke is allowed to go lower to help compress everything along the mast ... so I wonder if the model I photographed was in that mode, noting that the main sail had a few gathers in the extended part of the yard - which is much longer than the gaff. There's no way to know the modeler's intent, so there's an idea to put info like that on the back of the display nameplate ... which should include the date the model was finished and the maker's name - a gift for any future owner. I'm restoring an old model now, and would love to know who made it and when.

'Glad to have you aboard!

'Really super ! ... Its amazing to see what can be done in a card medium.

I'll have to 'learn the ropes' on how these ships were handled.

A super job ! ... 'Just love the look. Last year I saw a model for sale (a mere $250) at an antique show, where the sails appeared during the process of raising sail. Again, a fascinating look that I took photos of. That evening I realized I should have bought it then and there for further study - and when I went back on day 2 of the sale, it was already sold. Now I'll just have to build my own someday from the A.L. kit now stashed. Moral: Learn to recognize value and be prepared to act.

You can cut the bunt lines going to the deck by half, if two bunts are a single line passing through a block - whose stropped line pulls the block (and so both bunts passing through that block) up to a another block attached to a back stay, where the haul line is routed to a belay point below. Nix the leech lines and reef tackle, since the sails are furled. As furled sails sit atop the yard and are held by grommet lines, you can save the trouble of doing jackstays - since they'd be covered by the furled sail. Figures from masting & rigging by Underhill pp. 163 (omit block B, and just mount block C higher) & 169

There are minor adjustments to a couple OcCre bulkheads (noted in my kit review) to make the hull lines closer to those available for the ship - slightly reducing the 'flare' at the bow. The book 'Endurance' is highly recommended - an amazing true story. When it comes to classic ships in the age of Polar exploration, don't forget the Aurora - used by Shackleton in a prior expedition, and it was the 'other' ship in his last adventure - stationed on the opposite side of the Southern continent to pre-position supplies. The Aurora had its own tale of a narrow escape - but was ultimately ill-fated (perhaps from the accumulated stresses).

It isn't regular Titebond ... but version "II" (2). I've only ever used the 'original' just plain Titebond for years, and older glue does get thicker (for some applications) but has never turned brown. New glue is not expensive, whereas your time spent on a model is priceless. The 'type 2' seems to be also for outdoor applications ... do you plan to leave a model outdoors? If not, stick with the original.

The Eze tissue is a great idea. Perhaps it is possible to introduce some opacity to the dope with pigment powder. Experimentation is in order. Another method might be (after drying and before mounting) to lightly spray some paint (at a distance) to lessen the translucence. One could also lightly mark the seams and reef lines as well.

I've made color photocopies from public sources (scaled to fit a model) - printed on paper, cut out, glued to the model and sealed with clear shellac.

'Looks painful ... toe screws?

Its possible that a rope core on a 4 strand setup needs a twist opposite the the strands laid over it. Its risky to bodge with the topper you have, so try and make a test one to fool around with. 'Don't know if either rope source on MSW offers 4 strand scale rope, but if they do - I'd go for that.

Ahoy, James ! I happen to have the Billings Oseberg and Roar Ede in stash (both 1:25), and thought to examine the Roar Ede closely first (with an eye to building it) as a 'warm up'. Looking at several build, builders had fitting problems with some of the planks building it 'out of the box', and most of the ribs (to be inserted after planking) didn't fit right. The building jig frames have 'tick marks' laser-burned at points where each successive plank (ostensibly) should be aligned to ... but something appeared to go awry in the builds I saw. There are a few cross sections provided in the instructions (but not to the scale of the kit), and they appear to match cross sections available from public sources. BUT ... when copied at a scale that would yield a true 1:25, the building frame corresponding to the center of the boat isn't wide enough. The pre-cut ribs DO match up with the lapstrake in the true 1:25 scale cross sections available, but do NOT line up with the laser marks on many of the build jig frames. Something went off in the design phase, and was never corrected at any point in kit production. Of course, the solution is to make correct width center jig frame, as well as to measure all the pre-cut strakes (and they appear to be correct (again by comparison with publicly available images/drawings) near the points where they should fall on the build jig frames. Then, the proper overlap and positioning is noted on the sides of the build frames by making my own cross sectional drawings of them, which will be used to judge plank position INSTEAD of the provided 'tick marks'. This was an exhausting exercise, but in the end I had corrected the build jig parts so that the planks will fit properly and the ribs will go in later without leaving gaps (or having to remake them). At this point I put everything back in the box to tackle at a later time, because of the various other irons I have in the fire. I'm tempted to order a Nitkin V3 Oseberg and sell the Billings. The Roar Ede I'll keep, having invested some re-design time into it already. Fair sailing ... Johnny

It appears that Nitkin's V3 Oseberg is a 'light year' ahead of V2, the Billings kit (or any other that I've seen).

There was considerable leeway on how a Captain might want his ship rigged. Also, have you see pictures of fully rigged ships? Clippers were a veritable jungle of ropes - every one with a purpose. You might read from multiple sources - and look through MSW logs to see how builders are doing it. Then you can decide how many of all the possible lines you can either include or exclude as seem fitting. How you rout them to belay points can vary as well.

'Could be that #6 & #24 are 'part numbers. Measure the rope diameters that came in your kit with dial vernier calipers - if you don't have verniers, one would be a good investment for your toolbox. See if Expo states the diameters.

Why not make a set using light weight cotton?

Ahoy, the images in your link seem to be the same as the ones I have - realizing that these are a simplified form of 'harbor rig' (no sails).

You've made the most realistic Endurance model I've seen. Superb !