Snug Harbor Johnny

A medical expert informed me that brain neurons are not replaced, so as they die off, so do "you" - your intellect, that is.

Another example of men on the yards with no foot ropes.

Super job of decking! The random joints look great. No need for plugs, but if you want to go to the trouble - have the location of the pairs be regular. So perhaps making a template to mark through on each plank end may be helpful. I've thought about this (as you scale is 'on the bubble' for a detail like these), and 1" plugs (there is info on the forum on how deck planks were fastened and caulked in some time periods) work out to about 0.017" at 1:60. Some have used pencil, but sometimes that look like just 'dots'. The full Monty would be (after marking with a very sharp hard lead mechanical pencil - too keep the mark small and light) to drill with a wire drill, inset a tapered toothpick end (wee bit of wood glue on the end optional) and cut with a flush cutter. A light sanding after all are positioned would smooth.

Your Jenny is stunning - in the best sort of way!

These are good lessons, which I watch with interest ... since eventually I'll get to my kit. I see how the planks at bow and stern 'stack up' on top of each other. Perhaps as they are laid, one can sand them down to thin considerably at the ends. That way, the 'stack-up' would be much less bulky. Planking both sides simultaneously was already noted, so perhaps there IS some 'method' to Billing having each side built separately against a rigid flat surface. That way, the hull (when joined) would be straight. Still, there may be a way of constructing a building jig having greater stiffness that would aLso limit lateral movement of the keel when building. I'll have to engineer something.

Yours is a nice, clean build - well executed and attractive. The result is something I aspire to, and may in future come closer to.

Your build had me open my stashed Roar Ege kit and examine everything. I kept the printed veneer sheets from the old 1:20 kit, which was planned to be built bilaterally, upside down on a jig tall enough that the prow and stern cleared. You've worked out a jig along the same lines, and just needed cribbage (the beverage cans, but could have been a block of wood) for the ends to clear. Now one might plank both sides together from the centerline out on such a jig - and I think that bilateral symmetry might be more easily managed doing it that way. 'Can't say I'm fond of doing the halves separately and then gluing together, but the 1:25 kit does have advantages of all the laser cutting - as the 1:20 version must be cut out on a jigsaw. True, there are peculiarities with supplying plywood, yet many kits do these days to avoid the warpage/splitting problems the old kits could have over a long time in storage under varying humidity and temperature (like in an attic or a shed !) The 'odd' way many parts were laid out on the sheets most likely had something to do with the size their material was available in, and conservation of stock was a factor ... so careful study of the plan and light pencil marking or segregation in marked bags after release from the sheet is advisable. Another technique to limit or avoid part breakage might be to cut in from the sides of the stock sheet with a jig saw to partially release components. This will also greatly reduce stress getting everything free. True, the instructions might be better - but there are many languages included since these kits are sold internationally - thus the sheer volume of printed material would be greater with additional verbiage duplicated in however many dialects are represented. On the Woody Joe kit of the Khufu barge that I completed ('just fell in love with the sexy lines of that classic barge), the instructions were ONLY in Japanese ... and I had to use a translator app on a smartphone many times, because the output kept morphing (sometimes in surprising ways). Then I did my best compilation and printed that by hand on the instruction sheets, as well as work my way through an entire virtual build to understand things in advance before touching any of the wood. Still, there were surprises along the way, as can be seen in the build log I made. Your work is certainly paving the way for any who follow. The idea of doing the prow and stern the same way the 1:20 kit is done, but doing it on the 1:25 kit is tempting. I'll only need to reduce the outlines from the 1:20 kit to 1:25, then cut out the 'built up' ends of the vessel in the same way the original went together. Then the planks on the 1:25 kit will have to be trimmed to fit between the built up ends of the boat. The Khufu kit mentioned above also had a 'building jig', but one that incorporated the ship frames as well (through clever laser cutting - leaving several attachment points so that most of the building frames could be later snapped off, leaving behind the the pieces already joined to the hull planks. I think I can devise a way of inletting the Roar Ege "ribs" into the building frame bottoms so that they are pinned in place and subsequently the pins can be removed to free the building frame. Clear sailing, and a favorable wind off your stern quarter !

Focus on healing - the ship won't go anywhere - but perhaps someone could drape lightweight plastic (or an oversized box) over the project to keep dust off in the interim. Best wishes, Johnny

'Searched gaskets, presumably as they were used in 19th c. square riggers, and found: In sailing, gaskets are lengths of rope or fabric used for reefing a sail, or hold a stowed sail in place. In modern use, the term is usually restricted to square-rigged ships, the equivalent items on yachts being referred to by the more prosaic "sail ties". On most ships, gaskets are made of rope. They are attached to the top of the yard and, left loose, would hang behind the sail. Gaskets should never be left dangling, however, so when the sail is set they are brought around underneath the yard and up the back of it and then tied to the jackstay (metal rod) where they originated.

'Never thought of that - another good technique to have in one's 'toolbox'

To prevent dust, etc. from getting into the fibers of wood decking (exposed horizontally, ergo more vulnerable) over time, I'd only used a single brushed application (sparing) of 'blond' (clear) shellac - or perhaps anywhere from a 1:1 to 1:2 parts 'amber' to clear shellac mix (as desired - experiment first for color). If any fibers are raised, a very light touch with 600 grit paper will do. I happen to like shellac, and denatured alcohol is the solvent. But flat or semi gloss varnish (if not overused) also works. Any additional shellac might produce a 'shiny' finish (but even that can be tempered with 320 grit paper). Note that you won't be able to glue anything to the deck after that (except with CA, but the joint may be weak). Metal eyes needed on the deck should be assembled through the deck before mounting, with the ends of the eyes bent under the deck and epoxied. Fife rails should have extra wood glued under the deck where they go, so holes can be drilled from above to insure a strong glue joint. There are few things as frustrating as weakly attached fife rails that pop-off after a model is finished.

When trying to refine the re-scaled (and corrected) bulkheads to the Great Harry, I used springy wire to hold against the sides (fore-to-aft) in many places and sighted down the wire to see the 'ins and outs' of how the wire ran. Some places required veneer strips to be glued to the edges of the errant bulkheads where the wire run 'dipped' - and fairing by sanding where they pushed out. This seems to be an iterative process no matter how careful one is with scaling, drafting and scroll saw cutting. The extra care done at this stage will pay-off with the first planking being better - with less sanding or filling required prior to second planking. Having done a hull already that was single planked, I'm a convert to second planking.

The deck is looking great, and you have the opportunity now to consider 'random' plank butt joints, instead of strictly geometrical arrangements often seen ... by that I mean where a 'standard' scale plank length is decided on and the next strip of planking has a joint put exactly halfway between the joints of the neighboring planks - and so on. Some have 'staggered' the joints by thirds or quarters to make a 'herringbone' pattern. BTW these joints are incised by a very sharp chisel of the exact width needed (one can make one's own tool, or adjust the width of a mini-chisel by grinding). In a shipyard, there were likely lots of planking stock from the mill of roughly the same length, but end splits (checks) bad knots, warpage, twist, etc. had to be cut out before use - and this would randomize the lengths of clear stock suitable for decking, ergo a random pattern in the resultant deck that would not 'draw attention' to itself as a very regular pattern might. The question of doweling at the joints depends on the scale of the project and the taste of the user - and there are several ways to approach that (if desired) elsewhere in the forum logs. The subject of caulking also comes up - with various approaches to that (some have darkened the edges of the plank stock with graphite or crayon, each with its own characteristics ... anything liquid tends to 'wick' into the planking stock from the edge - not a good thing). With the planking in place having slight natural gapping, one might consider (after doing a test piece) pressing in actual dark caulk with a putty knife into the gaps - removing most of the excess with the tool before letting it dry. Then a light sanding with very fine grit would clear the planks of any film residue.

The 70s 1:20 'Vikingskibbe' kit had a construction jig designed so that the hull was planked upside down on the jug. Later, frame halves that had to be cut from plywood stock had to be fitted to the inside of the planked hull (once removed from the construction jig and held right side up). With the irregularities inherent in planking, the odds of the jagged outside edges of the pre-printed on the stock of fitting nicely inboard were low. Ergo, if one wanted a good fit, card stock would have to be trimmed and custom fit to make templates to cut out properly fitting frame halves (something like that was supposed to have been done on the original. I'll have to go back and review the logs on that kit that are in the MSW library. As I recall, there were a couple outstanding builds. One has the option of not attempting to model any rivets, while some have gone to great lengths to do so (many hundreds of them). Any plank seams that will be concealed by decking (and the Oseberg gets entirely decked) do not require any inside rivet detailing - simply drilling for whatever mini-brads one has will be good enough, since the square 'washers' for the peened end are inboard.

Per the nearly complete log on the Sergal Thermie by Popeye the Sailor, 1:124 is a challenge to work with, and I can see there were some major compromises/shortcuts present in that kit ... ergo many do not recommend it. The 1:78 CS may be another matter, but I can't comment - so check if there are logs on that. I pondered the AL version at 1:84, but MSW response cautioned about various inaccuracies on that kit . Again, I haven't dug into it. The Billing version might be OK, as not all Billing kits are the same. However, all kits seem to have their plusses and minuses ... strong points and weak points in various aspects of materials and documentation. The most experienced builders will tell you that one does not have to build a kit 'out of the box', but can make some common-sense corrections and improvements. And it does not have to be a major 'bust' either.

'Just saw this 1922 photo of the Cutty Sark (pre restoration by the new owner to clipper rig) rigged as a barquentine ... 'Wonder if anyone ever modeled her in this configuration. Note that the Revell 1:96 Thermopylae kit has an option to rig as a barque, as she was in the NW timber trade and as a Spanish trainer. The text below gives additional meaning to an ancient paradox that can apply to our hobby ... So perhaps any thoughtful effort of make a reproduction in miniature of a given vessel might be considered 'real'. Science does for reality what Plutarch’s thought experiment known as “the Ship of Theseus” does for the self. In the ancient Greek allegory, Theseus — the founder-king of Athens — sailed triumphantly back to the great city after slaying the mythic Minotaur on Crete. For a thousand years, his ship was maintained in the harbor of Athens as a living trophy and was sailed to Crete annually to reenact the victorious voyage. As time began to corrode the vessel, its components were replaced one by one — new planks, new oars, new sails — until no original part remained. Was it then, Plutarch asks, the same ship? There is no static, solid self. Throughout life, our habits, beliefs, and ideas evolve beyond recognition. Our physical and social environments change. Most of our cells are replaced. Yet we remain, to ourselves, “who” “we” “are.”

I'll tell you a good model to start with that many on the forum may agree with ...

I suppose if one is TOTALLY exasperated with how a build is turning out, or perhaps a pet or toddler has inflicted enough damage that repairs would be impractical or badly show - you could use one of the 'other power tools' ... like tossing the model into the chipper/shredder. 😉

Its a plus that there are 'some' instructions in the Roar Ege kit (I just peeked into my stashed kit and saw that there is a booklet included ... didn't open the plastic wrapper to check it out) ... the 'vintage' Vasa (sold in the 70s as Wasa) in 1:100 had none, apart from a few sketches on the plan, which was printed on both sides. My Dad gave me the kit (fortunately he also bought the accessories kit that had cannons and fittings ... sold separately in those days), which was started through hull planking - on the 'assumption' that it was accurate (it wasn't then, but has been revised at least a couple times in the interim based on marine archeology). In recent years I've made some progress (and partial corrections) on the build (now suspended pending learning about rigging). The BEST 'instructions' are the builds available for perusal on MSW - and there are several for the Vasa. There are at least a couple for the Roar Ege, and no doubt if you study those you can avoid some pitfalls and also see what other builders have done to improve on what came in the box. As for text instructions from Einar Billing back in the day, a sheet (in several languages) was provided in my 'Wasa' kit. It included: "You are about to begin the exciting task of building a Billing Boat model, and I hope you will have many pleasant hours doing so. The most important point is that this kit is intended to be built, and not merely assembled. In consequence, you must not expect the parts to fit together perfectly - it will be necessary to exercise skill and imagination in the building of this kit. ... But thought and care should be exercised during construction ... after all, any child could put a puzzle together. ... I wish you a lot of success in building your model. Yours sincerely, Einar Billing." When life gives you a lemon, make lemonade ! Johnny

Another reason for my interest ... I have this kit in my stash (as well as the Billings Oseberg), since the early 'Vikingskibbe' version in kit form was far more challenging (although the prow and stern were 'built up' just like the original), since al the parts had to be cut out - and the veneer stock in my inherited kit was so dry, warped/rippled and splitting like crazy, everything would have to be made from scratch. Also, it was 1:20 scale - the Roar Ege AND the Oseberg are both 1:25 - sop can be displayed together. The Roar Ege will be built first to gain experience with this type of ship, and I plan anyway to test-fit the stakes first, modify, then remake in laminated walnut veneer I have in stock.

Why not build them "side-by-side" in one build log? Like Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls (sewn together holding hands), they'll never get separated. That is, future perusers might go through one log yet not see the other.

You're welcome to it, mate. Another one, when I've f...ed something up is that I feel "lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut." Speaking of modern 'wagons', there is something I learned today about Outback conveyances like the one pictured below ...

Artisania Latina has a 1:84 scale CS kit - perhaps a good 'compromise' scale to consider.

I'm with you, Keith - and am happy to do what I can when I can for as long as I can. With luck and Providence, there'll be some good years left. I'm learning to be 'one with the ship', insofar as old-time sailing ships were hand built machines with many parts. And there are VERY many parts, so sometimes we have to pick and choose what to include in our 'artwork' models.

I thought that flummoxed or discombobulated were similar ... in the U.S. there is "thrown for a loop", "knocked over with a feather", "mind boggling", "hit me like a ton of bricks", awestruck, "stopped me in my tracks", "made speechless", thunderstruck, dumbfounded, "set back on my heels", "took the wind out of my sails", "totally blew me away" ... or a favorite of mine - "turned my head like a one eyed dog in a meat factory".