HIPEXEC

Love those clamps...your Admiral can hang out laundry in between clamps. I also like your use of thumb tacks to bend planks.

Not every step is perfect, but I made way more than I will need, so I can cherry pick the best sections. These steps look much better than the Constructo steps since they each have wider landing treads than Constructo's.

No...it's not Jacob's ladder....it's my mass produced stairs! All I have to do is clean up some extra glue and then cut them to size. So far so good!

Tim,

It's great for mass production jobs. All pieces cut will be the exact same length, but the pieces require some square sanding with your micro-sander to make all cuts precise. Even with a very sharp  blade, it cuts slightly off perpendicular

Here's my experimental stair factory. Time will tell.

I'm experimenting with making my own stairs. I do not like the parts Constructo gave me. I'll play with this for a while and either have success or some more scrap wood.

My big fat hands knocked off a davit while working on the stairs....pinned and glued! So, I put up some false masts with spare dowels I had to remind me there are glued down things sticking out of the hull  and to watch where my big, fat hands go.

Dave,

Nice idea. I'll try any and all ideas until I like the results.

While I'm pondering steps, I dry pinned the bowsprit. I used a 2mm dowel for a pin.  I will remove it now for later installation. Now I can glue the last grate.

Yes, Constucto gave me pre-cut step sides, but they are so thick, they leave only a little room for the actual step? I'm still pondering how to attack this problem.

Looking forward to see your ladders.

Sam,

I like the idea of a wedge or block down below. I dropped a piece in and had to fish it out of the hull....no fun.

You're right....I continue to buy new tools. My Admiral marvels at how my work area has grown and grown and grown!

Thanks,

Rich

Help!

I need tricks and tips to build and install seven sets of stairs from the main deck to the gun deck. Constructo just says, make and install the stairs? No instructions?

The paint dried very quickly, so I pinned and glued on the chimney.

I made the chimney from a 6mm dowel and painted it. I drilled out some material in the end to make it look like the chimney opening. I'll pin and glue it tomorrow.

I  glued all grates except the bowsprit grate. I also glued a shim in the bowsprit hole so the bowsprit slides in perfectly exactly at the correct angle. Next, I'll make the dowel hole through the bowsprit and deck, so when it comes time to mount it, it should just slip into place. 

Beautiful work!

My version of miniature carpentry continues. You can't see my thumbs...but they both have bandaids on them since I discovered my miter box and micro-sander both had a sharp edge and cut each thumb. I kept wondering where the blood was coming from?

Made the bowsprit grate, but didn't glue it on yet. I'm still playing with what to do with the bowsprit mounting.

I made the last of the deck grates. Next, I'll make the frames and glue them all to the deck.

I simulated the bowsprit dowel process by using a very small dowel and drilling a like size hole through the bowsprit into the simulated deck and using PVA, glued it. Wow! Pretty strong bond. and even through I did a sloppy job, you can hardly see the dowel.

I thought of drilling the deck, but I get cold feet thinking about drilling in the deck. Pinning might be good. I also thought about doweling it so the dowel would match the bowsprit wood. What do you all think of that?

Since the bowsprit doesn't penetrate the deck for support, the way it is, it will only have glue where it meets the deck and glue where it passes  through the hull. That seems fragile to me. Any ideas as to how to lock the bowsprit so it  will be held robustly? 

Well, the nose of the camel is now under my tent when it comes to rigging. I've had to fit the bowsprit into the hole I had drilled months ago in order to finish all the deck trim. I'm still a ways from rigging,, but it's the first step.

Here's the davits glued and pinned.

I've decided to install a pin in each davit since they stick up so far and can easily be bumped.