Melissa T.

Bending the bottom piece was surprisingly easy with a damp washcloth heated in the microwave for one minute. Put weights fore and aft to hold in place. Rechecked parallel distances between frames and then glued them to build board. Will leave overnight.

So far, so good. Prior to any assembly, I’ve done a lot of painting and staining on the separate parts. While it slows the actual building process, I’m hoping it will make things easier in the long run, especially where different colors/stains are joined on separate parts. This in itself has been an educational process. (I’m supposed to thin acrylic paints? Who knew? Wait, what are acrylic paints?) I’ve glued the frames to the bottom piece, measuring carefully between them on both sides to make sure they are parallel. I used a drafting triangle to keep them at a right angle to the bottom piece. Transom and stem are now in place, and I’ll let those dry thoroughly before gluing the assembly upside down to my build board in preparation for planking. It’s been fun so far, and I’m definitely gaining some new skills!

Thanks! Big fan of the H-R diagram - incredibly elegant and explanatory tool in astronomy. Working on frames and bottom piece of my dory now - will post pics again early next week.

Frames are built and sanded. I’m finding the build logs on this site are invaluable as the kit instructions are often ambiguous and leave a lot open to interpretation. (I know, welcome to model ship building….). As others have noted, the frame templates on the printed plans are slightly off. I matched them all up as closely as possible, but we’ll see what happens when I get to planking. Minor point, but I sanded the bottom braces so that their tops follow the interior curve of the frame. I think it gives a more finished look. I’ve also been testing acrylic primer and paints on scrap wood. Will begin doing it on the real thing next.

And so it begins - my first build. The Swampscott Dory kit arrived last Thursday and since then I've been gathering needed tools and supplies, setting up my workstation in the basement, reading the instructions and the build logs of others who have already tackled this kit. I inventoried all the parts, and everything is present and accounted for. I've also researched real-life versions of this Dory and found one that I like here, and will try to build a model that replicates this as closely as possible. I found suitable acrylic paints in Michael's; still not sure about the stains/varnish - will likely be a trial and error process making use of the scrap wood. I'll begin assembling the frames this week, though I plan to build this kit slowly, deliberately and even contemplatively. As I wrote in my new member intro last week, I'm more interested in the learning process than the finished product. I think it will be fun, and I'm looking forward to it!

Richard - Bloody Mohawk and Atkinson’s book also on my bookshelf. Both are fantastic! Melissa

Thank you all for your kind and generous comments! Jaager - I’m very familiar with Laramie’s book on King William’s War (Nine Years War in Europe) as well as his companion volume on Queen Anne’s War (War of Spanish Succession). Not the most scintillating writer, as you say, but solid history well-researched. Thanks!

Richard - Good tip! I hadn't even thought of that.

Thank you, Jeff and Keith!

Thanks Chris! An 8” Dob is a terrific scope! I’m lucky to have my own back yard observatory now with a soon-to-be-arriving 160mm APO refractor. Lots of light pollution, but still fine for double star and planetary work. But I suppose this is off topic…. Just ordered the Swampscott Dory kit from Age of Sail. Looking forward to it! Melissa

Hello everyone, I've been lurking on the site for a while and have been extremely impressed with the quality of advice and experience shared here! I'm a 61-year old retired woman living happily in Saratoga Springs, NY. (I suspect I'm one of the very few women on this site!) I have long admired wooden ship models that I have seen displayed in various museums around the world over the years for their intricacy and accuracy. I've wanted to take the plunge and build my own for some time now, and have been reading up on the topic. With the winter now approaching, it seemed an opportune time for a good indoor project such as this. The advice to beginners on MSW is excellent and on the mark. Though I would love to build the Viking Drakkar, a Greek Bireme, and of course - given where I live - Henry Hudson's Half Moon, I've decided to start with the Swampscott Dory from Bluejacket to gain some basic skills and experience. It looks fun, but still challenging, and I'm totally fine if it takes me six months or so to finish it. I'm more interested in the process than the finish line. I'll be closely consulting the build logs of others who have built this kit to learn from their experiences (and so I can make my own original mistakes!) A bit about me - I'm a retired Army officer (Military Intelligence branch) and I was fortunate to live and travel throughout Europe and the Middle East. I'm an avid and lifelong amateur astronomer, another hobby requiring a lot of patience and gradual skill-building. I am interested in and read extensively on the history of the ancient world and the early modern period of the 17th and early 18th centuries. I'm fortunate to live where I do, at the nexus of New Netherland, New France, and New England. I look forward to participating on this site and learning more about this fascinating hobby! Melissa T.