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SUBaron

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  1. Transom Found some time to work on the transoms. Nothing unusual here - measure, fit, sand, glue. I used a knife and finished with a sander to trim the overage on the edges. I have to work another Planksheer on due to some uneven fit. It may require fashioning two “end” pieces, then sanding them flush with the middle, which fits well. I may do this after the cathead when I add the port & starboard planksheer.
  2. Thanks JJ! I appreciate the compliment. I wouldn’t have made it this far without the utilizing lessons learned/demonstrated from others here. It makes me happy that I’m able to help! Cheers! Andre
  3. That’s a really solid looking Black. I was wondering if using black dye would work on the cannons? I’ve read all the tales of woe attempting to use chemical blackening and I had some issues using primer and black paint. Generally- Do you recommend applying the poly, then primer, then paint? Or does the poly negate the need for primer? cheers!
  4. Jon - yours came to mind. I actually got so wrapped up in your boat build that I almost began mine that way too. I decided it was like a nice appetizer that’ll be eaten during the main course 🙂
  5. First, congratulations on an excellent job of planking - it looks fantastic. Second - why not work on the ship's boats next? Those look like a lot of fun. Some folks actually started with those.
  6. I’ll be following your log intently when it’s time to plank. I know a lot of planking issues can be covered with sanding, wood filler and even paint - but I would like my planking to look as close to yours as possible. I know some of my rabbet (aka “terrible”) needs work. I plan to drop some bulwark fillers and I have a great wood carving tool I had forgotten about that will make a crisp deep channel. Your planking is artful and I’m thankful for your advice before I even start mine!
  7. The last of the port cutouts - of course - I nearly cut into the planksheer on my last section. I’ll have some painting to redo on my interior planksheer sections. I’m not convinced that early painting of the waterway & planksheer was either a good or bad idea. There’s a lot of sanding to be done to prep for the rail and painting but for now - I’ll leave that for later. On to the transom gunports.
  8. Due to the deteriorating condition of the upper bulwarks (the compressed layers have been separating- I needed to peel off and re-glue some of the layers on the main bulwark sections earlier on), it’s better to snip them than to saw them.
  9. Still cutting the port side gunports. This time I’m cutting the bulwarks tops as I go. For some odd reason - trimming the rear transom was particularly satisfying.
  10. Gunports and other openings were cut using a micro-saw and #11 blade. I also used the saw blade to cut the tops of the bulkheads. I did some minor sanding to the bulkhead tops to be even with the planking. I noticed a few minor issues resulting from odd shaped bulkheads that I’ll tackle when it’s time to install the rail.
  11. I sanded across the upper bulwarks so that the bulwark, gun port framing and planksheer fillers were flush. The guide cautioned to just remove the outer layer of char (from the laser) - do not over sand. There are several bulwarks that were oversized and do need to be sanded considerably or they will cause a visible bump in the spar deck bulwarks planking. The idea is to form the inner and outer rail planking to a uniform thickness. In an effort to not oversand - I left some minor areas to be spot sanded with a small sanding stick when planking. The 1” sanding block with 120 grit was a good choice here.
  12. @GGibson Gregg - thanks for the wood supply referral - I may need to utilize this. I’m not sure what version of the Chopper I have - but IMHO it’s one of the most important tools I have. Especially for anything related to cutting planks or related parts. The reference lines are very useful. I bought this after following a discussion while working on my AL Swift model. -Cheers! Andre
  13. “The Chopper” is great for cutting identical gunport frames. The metal attachments and reference lines can provide repeatable cuts. The unit is well built - very solid. The blades are single edged razor blades and are easily replaced. The provide a clean cut on the 1/8” basswood. I haven’t tried it yet on anything much thicker.
  14. Gunport Framework I’ve measured out the gunports according to the guide. A few points - remember that no cutout exists on the Port side between bulwarks g&h. Be sure to put the line for your “X” to the correct bulwark (the one you measured from). I’ve noticed that the kit supplied 1/8” x 3/32” basswood stripes are not all uniform. Some are thicker - even within a strip. I keep fishing out the better ones from my pile. Hoping I don’t run out of the good ones b/c it’ll be a PIA to thin a bunch of these by hand.
  15. Welcome aboard - and especially to another USS Constitution build! I’ve heard good things about the Mamoli kits. There are several active Consitution builds going on - in quite different phases. They could still be of help. Regardless of the maker - the builders here can share great technical skill and help you kill your budget with tool ideas 🙂 Have a great journey - and have fun!! -Andre
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