Alan Cabrera

That portrait makes my daughter want to bring out her tweezers and go to work…

Definitely. It’s one of the things I love about this specific community is its ethics. One thing to be aware of is that ICANN does not verify the contact information, iirc.

I have in the past. It's not uncommon for smaller companies to do that; e.g. etsy.com. Mega-corps can afford to have a department field filled out; it's almost a discrete form of bragging that one has enough revenue that you can afford to deal with the ensuing noise that will inevitably arrive by not redacting for privacy. With that said, whois is not an official business registration mechanism per se. Is there a specific concern that you're aware of? It's not a red flag for me, but it wouldn't be the first time I blundered into a problematic purchase.

That's pretty commonplace for small organizations/individuals. I do it myself since I don't want to be deluged w/ junk mail.

Thoughts?

I am building a plank on frame navy board model ship made of wood. I am considering what mix of wood would best contrast the various levels of frames. What are the prevailing schools of thought? ChatGPT said: In plank-on-frame model shipbuilding, choosing wood types to create appealing contrasts is key to highlighting structural elements and capturing the ship’s historical character. Here are a few popular approaches: 1. Classic Contrasting Woods Dark/Light Contrast: Use a dark hardwood like walnut or mahogany for the frames and a lighter wood like boxwood or maple for planking. This creates a visually distinct outline of the frame structure. Natural vs. Stained Wood: Many builders use a lighter wood for the frames and apply a light stain to specific planking or detailing to create contrast while keeping a unified natural wood look. 2. Historically Accurate Combinations Period-Appropriate Woods: Replicating woods commonly used in real ships, such as oak for framing and pine or fir for planking, can add authenticity. Oak and pine have a subtle contrast, which is appealing for scale models meant to look historically accurate. Age and Wear Contrast: Some builders artificially age certain wood sections to represent seasoned timber and newer planks, adding a subtle tonal variety that reflects real shipbuilding practices. 3. Artistic Choice Polished vs. Matte Finishes: Mixing gloss levels (polished frame timbers vs. matte planking) can provide contrast without introducing another wood. This technique highlights construction details while maintaining a cohesive look. Exotic Wood Details: Occasionally, rare woods like ebony or rosewood are used sparingly for accent details like the keel or specific deck features. This adds a touch of luxury and a unique appearance without overshadowing the main wood choices. These approaches depend on whether you’re aiming for historical accuracy, artistic expression, or structural clarity. Each choice affects the visual depth and realism of the model. Would you like advice on specific woods that fit these ideas? You said: I am considering Swiss pear, Castello boxwood, Alaskan cedar, and cherry. Which woods would be goof for the floors, primary, secondary, tertiary futtocks? ChatGPT said: For a multi-level contrast in framing a plank-on-frame ship, your wood choices are excellent. Here’s a recommendation for using these woods for different frame components: Floors (lowest part of the frame touching the keel): Alaskan Cedar: It’s naturally resistant to decay and has a fine grain with a light color. This will give the floor sections a distinct, pale base that contrasts with darker woods above, helping to define the structure near the keel. Primary Futtocks (first level of framing above the floors): Swiss Pear: Pear has a warm, reddish-brown tone that contrasts beautifully with Alaskan cedar while being stable and easy to carve. It would provide a pleasing, soft but noticeable contrast without overwhelming the structure. Secondary Futtocks (mid-level framing): Cherry: Cherry wood has a slightly deeper color than pear and will darken with time, giving the secondary futtocks a subtle color progression. It’s also stable and workable, perfect for a mid-frame level that’s prominent but not overwhelming. Tertiary Futtocks (upper levels of the framing): Castello Boxwood: Known for its hardness and fine texture, boxwood is ideal for the upper futtocks, where detail work is more noticeable. Its creamy yellow tone provides a nice final contrast that’s lighter than the other woods, making it stand out against the darker woods below. This approach creates a balanced, graduated color scheme that enhances each level of the framing. The result will look cohesive yet richly layered, showcasing the ship’s structural complexity beautifully. Let me know if you'd like more detail on working with any of these woods. You said: Would it be more aesthetically pleasing of the choice of woods were reversed since then the darker wood would be at the bottom and graduate to the lighter woods at the top? ChatGPT said: Yes, reversing the wood choices so that darker woods are used for the floors and lighter woods toward the top could indeed create a striking and aesthetically pleasing effect. This approach often gives a sense of stability and weight at the base, with a visually lighter, more delicate look as the structure rises. Here’s how the reversed arrangement might look with your woods: Floors (lowest part of the frame touching the keel): Cherry: Cherry’s darker, warm tones would give the base a solid, grounded appearance. Since it darkens further over time, it would enhance the sense of depth and stability at the base. Primary Futtocks (first level above the floors): Swiss Pear: Pear wood’s medium, reddish tone contrasts gently with the darker cherry. This creates a smooth transition as the frame moves upward while still preserving a richness in color. Secondary Futtocks (mid-level framing): Castello Boxwood: With its creamy yellow tone, boxwood here would start lightening the structure noticeably. Its fine texture and workability are well-suited to mid-level futtocks, where detail is important but doesn’t draw the eye as strongly as the topmost levels. Tertiary Futtocks (upper levels of the framing): Alaskan Cedar: Alaskan cedar’s pale, almost white hue would cap off the frame structure beautifully, creating a natural lightening effect as the frame rises. This pale tone would emphasize the delicate upper futtocks and add an airy feel to the topmost sections. This approach can lend a visual elegance and balance, with the darker wood anchoring the model and lighter tones adding a sense of openness at the top. It can also make each framing layer more visually distinct. If you favor a gradual lightening effect, this could indeed be the more pleasing option.

Can you give a hint as to why you needed to sort your planks into these three piles? Apologies if the explanations already been posted and I missed it.

Thanks. That’s one of the things that’s kind of interesting about wooden ship models. They are very much dynamic, almost living things. Very much different than plastic styrene kits. Do you have a rough idea on the thickness of the glue? Maybe the added thickness after N frames yeah?

So, if I were to paraphrase the goal of this testing effort, it would be that because of the scale of the model one would need to figure out the thickness that the glue adds. Would that accurately reflect the intention?

I could just sit and stare at these timbers all day… Such great work!

Looks like the makings of a YouTube restoration video. 🙃

What’s the runout of the Unimat? (Do I sound like I know what I’m talking about? 🙃)

I was also saving for the same set tools. Can somebody recommend or possibly outline how one goes about evaluating a saw and thickness sander such that I would have something of the caliber of Byrnes’ tools? My budget is on a par with what it would’ve cost to purchase those tools.

That’s fascinating. Why did the practice change?

I love the little wooden handle. Perfect!

This kind of information is gold. Thank you so much for taking the time to make these posts!

Fascinating. Why are the cannons constructed in two parts as opposed to a single one? Also, what kind of metal are these cannons made of? Great workmanship!

I was thinking the same thing as well. However, when you figure in the work it takes to lay down the inner planking with its steelers and drop planks, it makes sense since planking on the inside of a hull is not as easy as planking on the outside. With this mold technique, you’re always planking from the outside. As for the amount of work involved, I imagine it’s no more work than the first planking of a plank on bulwark ship. As a matter fact, looking at the mold, it kind of looks like a plank on bulwark set up. I’m aspiring to build Le Fleuron and I’m not quite sure that this technique would lend itself well to the ship’s complex web of lateral reinforcements. But, for these Spanish ships, it makes perfect sense to me.

I have just started reading this blog, so this can possibly have been discussed in later pages. What I’m wondering is how are the internal surfaces of the axial timbers faired before being layered on top of the internal planking that wraps the mold.

Bitao, I love your brass fittings. What kind of brass stock do you use and where do you get it from? Also, I'd love to see a tour of your workspace!

Oh, not disappointed at all! I love to see different Craftsmans’ interpretations and decisions. Those stanchions are also quite lovely. If I did have to mention a disappointment, I would say that I would very much LOVE to see a video of you crafting them; I realize the difficulties inherent in creating such a recording and don’t want make you feel awkward. It’s just that you are sooooo good at crafting those lovely tiny bits…

Bitao, a master chef of ship building, adheres to the work clean ethic of clean tools and clean workspace. 🤣

I interpret the cross-section drawing as cutting along the axis of the drive rod. This is why one sees a solid column where the L-shaped stanchion is, at the end of the drive rod. Figure 33-33 of the book matches your interpretation, exactly. The paragraph that details Figure 33-33 talks about how one could construct the L-shaped stanchion in the same manner that copper wire was used to create the iron knees, or cut them from copper plate. To me, this confirms that the stanchions that cap the end of the drive rod are L-shaped. As L-shaped stanchions go, yours are quite lovely. Looking at your photo, I noticed that they are a shiny copper and I assume that you intend to blacken them as I think that they would have been made of iron; blackening them makes them consistent with Edward Tosti's model. Also, I see that there are no crank handles offset from the drive shaft. I guess the plan is to add them once you feel comfortable with the L-shaped stanchions?