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Melissa T.

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Everything posted by Melissa T.

  1. Melissa T.
    Easter/Passover update. The Statenjacht is my first real effort at planking, and let it be said that hull planking is not for the faint of heart. I’m definitely learning as I go. For the first plank I succumbed to the siren call of CA glue (Holds instantly! No clamps needed!) and quickly regretted it. It’s just too messy and “holds instantly” means in practice that I wasn’t able to make minor adjustments, which for me at least are always necessary. In the end, I settled on using the CA glue only at the bow where sharp curves are required of the planks and there is no possible way to clamp them. For the rest of it, I’m using Titebond and the homemade clamps I learned about here on MSW (which are absolutely brilliant, BTW). I first soak the walnut planks for several hours, then taper or cut them as needed, bend with my electric plank bender, and then begin the gluing. In this way, I’m proceeding at my blistering pace of one plank per day. Slow, but it works for me. Quite a bit of sanding, and filling in cracks and crevices will be needed once the planking is finished. Good skill building experience and actually quite enjoyable. I’ve also installed the false decks and begun planking them.
  2. Melissa T.
    Hi Ian - Welcome to the group, and as a fellow newbie, I definitely second the recommendation to start a build log. It’s easy, fun, and the feedback here is incredibly positive and helpful.
  3. Melissa T.
    Hi Mary, I just now saw your post from last month, and I wanted to say hi from one lady modeller to another. Reiterating what others have written, I’m so sorry for the loss of your dad. What a wonderful gift he passed down to you though with this hobby. Your ships look great! This is a kind and supportive forum (totally unlike so much of what else passes for social forums on the internet!), and I look forward to seeing more of your posts 😊 Warm wishes, Melissa
  4. Melissa T.
    Build log underway:
  5. Melissa T.
    Thanks for the heads up on this! I just ordered my first book - Ab Hoving's book on the Statenjacht, which is the ship I'm currently building. What a great resource (both the book and the shop)
  6. Melissa T.
    I’ve spent the past couple of weeks working on cabin interior details, including planking the cabin decks and walls, installing benches, the fireplace, and the little staircase from the upper deck. I’m using a clear satin spar urethane to finish most surfaces, except for the staircase on which I used a Minwax golden oak stain. The Statenjacht was used mostly for inland waterway transport in the Dutch Republic of VIP passengers, hence the luxury red padding on the benches and the fancy fireplace. This has been very relaxing and enjoyable, and I’m happy with how it’s going at this early stage 😊🇳🇱
  7. Melissa T.
    Hans - Thank you! I'm very much enjoying this project so far , and truly appreciate the quality of both the materials and the instructions. Will be in touch if I have any questions. Hubac and Cathead - Thank you for the encouragement! Melissa
  8. Melissa T.
    This will be my second build, after dipping my toes in the water with the Swampscott Dory. I chose this kit because of my historical interest in the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, and I wanted to build a ship more challenging than the dory but also not beyond my still nascent skill set. Clear and comprehensive instructions were also important to me, as well as excellent customer service. Kolderstok checked all these boxes, so I chose one of their simpler kits. I ordered directly from Hans in Dordrecht to take advantage of the customizations he offers on his website - a ship-specific paint set, upgraded blocks, and an oak stand. I was very impressed when the kit arrived by the careful packaging and the outstanding quality of all materials. I only found two other build logs on MSW of Kolderstok kits, and they both had similar comments. I believe this is a top-notch company. In between finishing my dory and waiting for the Statenjacht to arrive, I studied planking techniques with the fantastic resources here on MSW. As with the dory, I plan to take a slow, methodical, and patient approach to this model - the fun is in the journey! I started about a week ago and I’ve got the bulkheads in place as well as the balsa filler at the bow. I’m taking a lot of time with fairing as this step is so crucial. I’m using a couple of the planks that I bent with my nifty new plank bender to test fit along the bulkheads. So here I go - build #2!
  9. Melissa T.
    Congratulations - this is simply stunning. I always enjoy admiring the work of experienced modelers - gives me something to ultimately aspire to. Fabulous, fabulous work!
  10. Melissa T.
    Thanks Paul - you’ll enjoy this kit!
  11. Melissa T.
    Thank you - it’s a hunky dory 😉. Not of Dutch ancestry personally, but have studied New Netherland pretty extensively since living here as well as what was going on in the Dutch Republic. The Half Moon is definitely on my list, but it’s too complex for my skills at this point. Chose one of Kolderstok’s easier models instead.
  12. Melissa T.
    Thank you! As I wrote earlier, this is a wonderful hobby, and MSW is a terrific, supportive resource. Next up is Kolderstok’s Statenjacht. Will definitely be a challenge, but I have a historical interest in the Dutch Golden Age so I’m highly motivated.
  13. Melissa T.
    And just like that, my dory was done. I learned a lot from this experience, both in terms of basic modeling skills as well as nautical terms. BlueJacket’s Swampscott Dory is an excellent beginner’s kit, as advertised, and I would highly recommend it to anyone just starting out. This will conclude my build log!
  14. Melissa T.
    Thanks Paul! Will post completed pictures in next couple of days.
  15. Melissa T.
    Mainsail, associated rigging, and oarlocks now complete and in place. Will work on the jib and shrouds over next couple of days, and that will be it! Happy how it’s turning out 😊
  16. Melissa T.
    Paul - I just looked at your build logs and both the Red Baron and the Pauline are first rate work - very impressive! You'll enjoy the Swampscott Dory and have no problems with it. I'm just taking a long time with it as I have zero nautical background and am learning the language as I go along (what's a jib?; what's a halyard?; and don't even get me started with "strop a block"!) Congrats on your terrific workmanship!
  17. Melissa T.
    Thank you! I’m really enjoying the process 😊
  18. Melissa T.
    Thank you so much! I’m having fun and learning a lot - such a wonderful hobby! Already looking forward to my next build 😊
  19. Melissa T.
    Thanks! Found it online on a real-life dory that I’m loosely basing this on: http://www.antiqueboatamerica.com/Boat/15_Feet_1991_Thompson_Swampscott_Dory_38514
  20. Melissa T.
    Mast and boom complete. Loved making the oars, though kit unfortunately only had enough dowel included to make two of them. May get some more at craft shop to make two more. Cleats and eyelets for rigging also in place. Now working on sails, which seems to be an art form unto itself! I’m leaning toward the “no sewing” camp and we’ll see how it turns out.
  21. Melissa T.
    Still plugging slowly along and really enjoying this project. I’m happy with how the rudder and tiller turned out and how things are shaping up overall. To get the gentle curve in the tiller as shown in the plans, I soaked the mahogany handle in water for several hours then held it into the curved shape using 5 lb dumbells overnight. Working on mast and boom now.
  22. Melissa T.
    I’ve been working, very slowly, on my dory through the holidays and have really been enjoying the experience. The go slow approach is working well for me. Railings and centerboard assembly now in place. Other build logs have been invaluable - #bolin, whoever you are - thank you! I could not have gotten this far without your photos. One of the other cool things about this hobby is learning previously unfamiliar nautical terms. I had no idea what a centerboard is or how it works until I had to research it for this kit. Very cool!
  23. Melissa T.
    Thanks John!
  24. Melissa T.
    Back from Thanksgiving, and now the planking is finished. Not an easy process, and I’m not entirely happy with the result but I think it should work. Bending the basswood was surprisingly difficult - I found that for me soaking the wood gave the best result. No amount of steaming seemed to have much effect. Also the second plank on each side did not reach all the way to the transom. I had about a 1/4” gap on each side from the end of that plank to the transom, which I filled with scrap wood. I think I might have had it positioned too high up at the stem, despite it overlapping the garboard by 1/16” as called for in the instructions. Can’t be sure. As I look at the boat from the bottom, there is a fair amount of bulging in the planks where they meet the frames. Not sure if there’s any fix for this, or if it just is what it is. Next up is a lot of trimming, sanding and painting. Onward!
  25. Melissa T.
    Garboard planks are in, though not without difficulty. Steaming and bending the planks proved to be harder than I thought it would be and I’ve definitely not yet mastered any particular technique. I first tried laying a steaming hot hand towel over the garboards which mostly just caused them to curl up along the basswood grain. Then I tried holding them over a boiling pot of water, which gave them some pliability but also resulted in a scorch mark where I held one plank too close to the edge of the pan. Oops - will paint over that one! Got the best result from wrapping them in a steaming hot paper towel, though I’m not sure why that worked when the hand towel did not. I’ve read on these forums that some people soak the planks in water - for how long I wonder? Long term, I’m thinking an electric plank bender might be a good investment. Any recommendations on these? I used CA glue to secure the planks in place - I’m very happy with how the stem turned out though the transom was a real challenge. The first plank pulled the transom so far to one side that it was difficult to glue the second one, especially as there was no way to clip it in place with the shallow angles involved. Probably should have glued the transom to the build board. Lots of sanding at that end of the boat. Following suggestions I found on this forum, I used regular spackle to fill gaps and cracks and that worked really well. All in all, I’m happy so far with how it’s going, though there is still a long way to go. Taking a Thanksgiving break now, and will put in the remainder of the planks next week when I return from enjoying the holiday with my sons and their wives. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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