Jaager

Bashing does seem to be a common term used here when a kit is improved, upgraded, partially scratch built,etc. I first saw the term kit bashing in a plastic model magazine. There it described the combination of two or more kits of wildly different subjects. A plastic brig with DC3 wings and 1960's 5" destroyer gun and tank tracks sort of thing. Based on what what kit bashing originally described, using it to describe what is done here on a kit is being a bit hyperbolic. Especially if the goal is a model that is an exact opposite of an anachronism.

You could give any of the Rattlesnake kits a pass. The S.I. has 3 sheets of plans - $35 total - the plans are about as complete as you are likely to get - outside of a monograph - in which the details for more than what the plans for this ship provides are likely just speculation by the author of the monograph. There are plans for a few ships in the NMM which have several sheets instead of one. These ships are usually class leads and the additional sheets are individual decks. The sort of details there are more like motel layouts than structural component details. Even if you lack power tools, you can easily replicate what a current mass market kit provides for a spine and molds using the S.I plans and a good quality fret saw. Thicker plywood can used and you can make sure at HD or Lowes or local building supply that the plywood sheets are dead flat. With a bit of simple lofting - the number of molds can be doubled or more and a single layer of planking used. A good quality wood species be used to do it.

Theoretical question: If a charcoal pencil - a sorta soft (HB or so) - was used for the line - used over a paint layer - would a spit wet Kleenex rub the mark off before the area was painted over?

I used an old Craftsman 16 gal that could have substituted for a 747 jet engine for noise in a closed area. I bought a Festool Midi when the Craftsman burned out. It is quiet, not enough to allow music, but I could ditch the ear muffs. Two problems though - it says not to have a cyclone trap in-line - which I insist on - and trap or not, it turns itself off after 15 minutes at most. Bandsaw ripping of framing stock takes longer than 15 minutes. Doing the thickness sanding on the ripped stock takes much longer. A hull of any size (with a reserve for mistakes) can need 60 pieces 2" x 2' planks. And that always takes me longer than I imagine it will take before I start. The Midi was ~$500 - I checked HomeDepot and bought a 14 gal Rigid for < $100. It is about as quiet as the Festool, likes the DustDeputy, and says on as long as I can endure a session. A radio control On/Off - (budget models bad) - is a help - it lives in a condo, and I have to unplug it when done because neighbor garage door remotes can turn it on. The Festool is $500 that I will never get back and is now a support for the 5 gal cyclone trap catch drum.. My ideal solution for a shop vac is to have it in a room where I ain't. Alas, this is not an option in a condo.

If you are limited in access to tools and have to use only muscle power then the Lime is your friend. If you have power tools, for POF you might could consider a harder species of wood - if light color is your choice - Sycamore Maple, Beech, or Birch. darker would be Pear - we have opposite economical choices - over here Pear is an exotic, difficult to source, and expensive. for the eastern half of this continent Black Cherry is an adequate but lower quality substitute for Pear. Lime has about everything going for it- except that it is not nearly as hard as should be wanted.

The NRG has just issued its first PDF only supplement to the NRJ. It is free if your have joined the Guild. If not, 1) give a thought to joining or 2) the cost for the supplement is low enough to be worth worth buying. If nothing else, it gives you a view of what the Journal offers and what the past issue CD's are like. Anyway, in the supplement is an impressive full page ad for the MS Model ShipWright beginner series of models. I have not built them myself, but the feedback from those who have and the overall quality of what MS produces portends that one are all of this series will get you up to speed at a reasonable investment level.

Rather than have the wood friction turn at the brass bars, the bars could hold a ball bearing race. They come in a wide range of ID and OD.

Siggi, Goodwin describes a canvas "boot" with a secure rope binding at the top and a on-off rope binding at the deck level. It was tar coated. The bottom was removable for inspection - especially after a storm. These would likely be at every deck that is subject to flooding. I can't see how the bottom could be tied down unless some sort of wedge - even if loose - was in place.

This is a rather mundane topic and would take luck to find in the original literature. So I cut to the chase and went to our version of Grey's Anatomy = Boudriot's 74 gun Ship - The evidence there shows mast wedges for the foremast and mainmast on the main gundeck. The wedges for the mizzenmast are one deck higher. I probably should spring for the English editions now so that it is not pictures only for me. I did not see anything in Winfield 50 Gun , Goodwin describes the corner chocks and wedges, but does not say how many decks had wedges. In an actual ship, it would be an interesting exercise of Physics to imagine what are the effects of one pivot point versus two or three. It is probably too esoteric to matter which you choose - every deck or just one for wedges. You have dug so deeply on other details, I was in effect asking if you had any data on this. The model masts are not going to be sprung in a storm.

To reiterate what is written above: There is no Arban Book for ship modelling. It is much too broad a topic for that. There is no single source, or even just a few. The best that can be expected is to mimic the hermit crab and grab bits and pieces from as many as you can access. All of the 3 journals sold here as CD are treasure troves of information and techniques. Best practice is to find out as much as possible about the original vessels. Then go to school on which aspects you need to replicate at model scale and match your skills and tools to a way to do it. This stands ship modelling apart from other forms and subjects being modeled. Here is a bib from my library database keyed to your stated interest - I stopped updating in the mid 1990s': BOATBUILDING 1941 CHAPELLE,H I W W NORTON CO NEW YORK 1969 YACHT DESIGNING AND PLANNING 1936 CHAPELLE,H I W W NORTON CO NEW YORK 1971 AMERICAN SMALL SAILING CRAFT CHAPELLE,H I W W NORTON CO NEW YORK 1951 AMERICAN FISHING SCHOONERS 1825-1935, THE CHAPELLE,H I W W NORTON CO NEW YORK 1973 AMERICAN FISHING SCHOONER BENJAMIN W LATHAM, THE RONNBERG,ERIK A R JR AMERICAN AND CANADIAN FISHING SCHOONERS -PICTORIAL SUPPL VIII PEABODY MUSEUM - AMERICAN NEPTUNE SALEM MA CHESAPEAKE SAILING CRAFT PT.1 BURGESS,ROBERT H TIDEWATER PUBLISHING CAMBRIDGE, MD 1975 CHESAPEAKE BAY CRABBING SKIFFS CHAPELLE,H I CHESAPEAKE BAY MARITIME MUSEUM LAPSTRAKE BOATBUILDING AMMONS,WALTER J INTERNATIONAL MARINE PUB CAMCEN, ME 1978 CLENCHED LAP OR CLINKER MCKEE,ERIC NATIONAL MARITME MUSEUM GREENWICH, LONDON 1972 LITLE BOATS,THE INSHORE FISHING CRAFT OF ATLANTIC CANADA MACKEAN,RAY PERCIVIL,ROBERT BRUNSWICK PRESS FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWIC 1979 GLOUCESTER CLIPPER FISHING SCHOONERS RONNBERG,ERIK A R JR AERO PUBL FALLBROOK, CA 1976 TO BUILD A WHALEBOAT RONNBERG,ERIK A R JR MODEL SHIPWAYS BOGOTA, NJ 1985 WHALEBOAT ,THE 1850-1970 2ND ED ANSEL,WILLITS MYSTIC MARITINE MUSEUM MYSTIC, CONN 1983 TANCOOK WHALERS ,THE POST,ROBERT C MAINE MARITIME MUSEUM BATH, ME 1985 WATERCRAFT MODELER'S HANDBOOK LANKFORD,BENJAMIN JR NAUTICAL RESEARCH GUILD INC SILVER SPRING,MD 1988 BUILDING THE BLACKFISH STORY,DANA TEN POUND ISLAND BOOK CO GLOUCESTER, MA 1988 CHESAPEAKE BAY SCHOONERS SNEDIKER,QUENTIN JENSEN,ANN TIDEWATER PUBL 1992 CHESAPEAKE BAY LOG CANOES AND BUGEYES BREWINGTON,M V CORNELL MARITIME PRESS CAMBRIDGE, MD 1963 WORKING WATERCRAFT GILMER,THOMAS C INTERNATIONAL MARINE PUBLISHING CO. CAMDEN, ME 1972 GAFF RIG LEATHER,JOHN INTERNATIONAL MARINE PUBLISHING CO CAMDEN,ME 1970 BUILDING CLASSIC SMALL CRAFT GARDNER,JOHN INTERNATIONAL MARINE PUBL 1977 COMMON SENSE OF YACHT DESIGN, THE HERRESHOFF,L FRANCIS CARAVAN MARITIME BOOKS JAMAICA, NY 1974 DORY BOOK, THE GARDNER,JOHN INTERNATIONAL MARINE CAMDEN, ME 1978 OYSTERMEN OF THE CHESAPEAKE, THE DE GAST,ROBERT INTERNATIONAL MARINE PUBL CAMDEN, ME 1970 BUILDING OF BOATS, THE PHILLIPS-BIRT,DOUGLAS W W NORTON AND CO NEW YORK 1979 SPRITSAILS AND LUGSAILS LEATHER,JOHN GRANADA PUBLISHING INC LONDON 1979 UFFA FOX'S SECOND BOOK 1935 FOX,UFFA INTERNATIONAL MARINE PUBL CAMDEN, ME 1980 SAIL AND OAR LEATHER,JOHN CONWAY MARITIME PRESS LONDON 1982 CHESAPEAKE BAY SLOOPS GILLMER,THOMAS C CHESAPEAKE BAY MARITIME MUSEUM ST MICHAELS, MD 1982 BOATBUILDING MANUAL 2ND EDT STEWART,ROBERT M INTERNATIONAL MARINE PUBL CAMDEN, ME 1980

It helps to have some perspective about what the hull construction methods were before they published. They cracked open a new world, but both were grounded in vessels well after 1860. They are a very dim light into how vessels before 1860 were built. I consider them a general inspiration, but the specifics for vessels from the real age of sail are best obtained elsewhere. Davis came from WWI emergency wooden hull construction that was an adaptation of steel engineering techniques back to wood background. It has only the most general similarities with the then lost evolution of traditional hull construction. They are both best seen as an important but small part of a now very large buffet of information. Both Petrejus and Longridge should be added to your canon.

I did not do a survey of my references, but I checked HASN ( History of the American Sailing Navy - H.I. Chapelle ). There are several examples of small schooner - brigantine sized vessels with a swivel cannon - centerline and midship. For a revenue enforcement, 19th century pirate suppression, and interfering with slave smuggling as a job description for a vessel, that would be sufficient fire power. Not enough weight to be a danger in a blow and also allow for a shallow draft. One of those may give you an overall look inspiration. The up close details - I am drawing a blank on details in a single source. There may be details that could be adapted from AOTS HMS Beagle for some basics - but Beagle was English, a tad later, larger, and more sophisticated. Constructo may have even used an HIC plan as a starting point for their rif. You could look at HASN as a catalog for ideas to individualize your build back to something on display there.

These terms are often used in a fast and loose manner with no anchor to what they really mean, so some posts can be confusing. I think these are functionally precise definitions: A sanding sealer, or sand-n-sealer - a clear and thick mixture with micro particles - the main use is as a base coat on furniture built using open pore wood species such as Oak, Walnut, Ash... It fills the open pores so that when viewed at an oblique angle, the final surface appears to be glass smooth. Opinion: it is too thick for scale use. Open pore wood is best not used at all on scale models if the wood is to be clear finished. There are other ways to fill pores before painting. A primer is generally a 50% diluted clear material intended to soak in deeply and limit any additional material layers to being surface only. The traditional primer is half strength shellac. It is easy to apply, easy to undo, quick to dry, low cost, and compatible with most any other materials applied over it. If an clear oil finish is the goal, half strength Tung oil can be its primer coat or I am guessing half strength Linseed oil will serve as as its primer. Both would want additional time to polymerize before being covered over. 50% shellac is probably more cost effective as a primer for these. Shellac is alcohol based and the oils are organic solvent based. They do not raise wood grain. Paint can be its own primer, it just requires more coats to get a dense enough surface layer. If the paint is water based, the surface may need fine sanding to remove any raised grain. A dye is a monomolecular solution of a pigment that soaks into wood and changes its color. It does not change the surface. It does not obscure wood grain. If anything, it increases the contrast, This is not necessarily a wonderful thing on a scale model, so having grain with lower contrast is a deciding factor for the choice of wood species if it is to be clear finished. Dyes come water based and alcohol based. The water based dye soaks in more deeply, but the first application raises wood grain unless a dilute PVA/water solution is used first and then sanded when dry. The alcohol based dye does not raise grain and on a model, any effect that a deeper water dye penetration may provide is probably too slight to be noticed, so alcohol based is probably the better choice. No primer effect with either is there. A stain is a suspension of pigment particles in a solution with a polymerizing binder. This is also the definition of paint. The pigments are wood colored and some commercial products may also contain a dye so that it can advertise that it penetrates. Opinion: on a model, if it is wood that needs a stain before clear finish it would serve you better to replace this wood species with one that needs no pore filling or grain hiding with a semi-transparent paint - which is what a stain is. The purpose of a stain is to try to make a low quality wood appear to be a high quality wood ona piece of economy furniture.

Siggi, Recently here, I think it was pointed out that mast wedges were only used on one deck. If true, I would think that the highest deck exposed to weather would be where they were placed. It may serve us to have a definitive ruling on this point.

Another reason for the absence of rails could be that if temporary or situational the addition on a model would not serve much purpose. If the intended audience was fellow navy they would know already and rails would be fragile clutter on a model.

I can get you close with Dura-Grit https://duragrit.com/Carbide-Mushroom-Shaping-Wheel.html

Well, the next step up is to forego the spine and molds altogether. Make the mold substitute a permanent part and just join up the sections. But each pattern and each section would be the whole cross section /station. The actual keel then goes last. Another part is that no baseboard is needed.

What you want is for them to be identical and precise. Accuracy is secondary as long as the whole is internally consistent. Scan the mold patterns from the plans. Open the scan in a raster based drawing program. Adjust for scanner scale distortion. Isolate one side. Add register marks that will match locations on the physical mold ( and names - you may think that you can tell by sight, but even if you can, it will take time). Flip horizontal and print. You should be able several on a each sheet. Trash the Balsa. Use Pine. The Pine from a builder's supply works well - just no Fir and no resin streaks. Also, for your filler, think vertical, not horizontal. Like slices of bread. Those same patterns that you use to check symmetry make excellent filler shape patterns. How to shape the fillers off the hull, so that they are a push fit: When you do the scan and flip in the drawing program, also CUT the white background of each mold pattern - each is a layer and each layer is only the shape - the vertical center line and the horizontal baseline. Make a series of consecutive pairs of mold patterns. Add three small "o" around the perimeter but well inside -font size 4 works. Use the holes for bamboo skewers. The inside can be cut away if you want a hold or less weight. It can be any shape. The filler slices - 1/4" for most is good. smaller thicknesses can make up the difference for a tight fit - even poster board or cardboard fill fill a small gap if needed - liberal PVA makes it tough. rough shape each slice as an individual. Remove the patterns -except for the one at either end. PVA glue them together, Use the bamboo dowels and the section of layers is precisely aligned. If you add a layer that is the same thickness as the mold plywood at the end facing the midline, bond it to the rest using a double layer of rubber cement, the whole section can be final shaped off the hull and still be just as precise as if it were done on the hull. Remove the sacrificial end layer and push the section home. Oh, and if you do this, the filler will make sure the hull is symmetrical. If the actual molds are misshaped and not symmetrical, it will not matter. The filler surface makes any contribution from the actual molds insignificant. It is easier if this is planned for before the molds are bonded to the spine and the alignment holes are also done on the actual molds. It is easier to use the bamboo. Even easier, the filler is made up before the actual hull assembly and the hull is done from the center out and each filler section is added with its mold.

There is information on table saw blade selection in the articles database here. Specifically: https://thenrg.org/resources/Documents/articles/ByrnesTableSawTips.pdf The blade part is generic and not just for the Byrnes saw. Playing with the physics Blade set - the angle out from the blade disk for the teeth -alternating R&L - it increase the loss to kerf. The greater the set the rougher is the surface of a sliced board. It also eases the work that a saw most supply to get thru a board. A slotting blade may have a high TPI and no set. The design purpose is probably for shallow cuts thru metal. No set = less loss to kerf, a blade disk that is in friction contact with the cut surface of the board. The friction may burn the wood, heat the blade and it may wandered in a serpentine track thru the wood. TPI - the cutting edge is a knife that shaves off curls of wood. There is a gullet under the edge to hold the curls. If the gullet fills part way thru a cut - the knife no longer cuts, it friction rubs. I believe the "rule is 3 teeth in the thickness of the board being cut. Fewer teeth and the edge is probably an ax and not a knife - a hammer effect. Too many teeth and the gullets fill before they leave a cut. I theorize that higher density wood has less air and more material to remove. This increases the work that a motor must provide. There is more material per slice so the gullet fills more quickly. This means that the feed rate must be slow. Fewer teeth gets you back to the hammer effect. Blade thickness - a thinner blade produces less kerf. It also heats more quickly and is prone to flex as it seeks the path of least resistance. A balance is what is required unless loss to kerf is not a care.

The Wood Database url: https://www.wood-database.com/wood-filter/

Your main problem is probably that it is Oak that you are working with. This is how I categorize your stock for my purposes: Oak of any species in either family: Red Oak or White Oak, are scale inappropriate for miniature scales. Ignoring the open pores and distinct and high contrast grain, you are finding that the fibers can roll, and are prone to tear out. It would be among my very last choices of commercial hardwoods to use. Right with Oak is Ash, Hickory, Willow, Chestnut, Sassafras, softer Elm and any sort of Cottonwood (This whole family is awful. They are fast growing trash trees.) Lime is excellent for full size carving, carved hulls, but is too soft for me. Basswood is a near relative from North America. BUT, it is about one half as hard as Lime and Lime is already really soft. It is difficult to get Basswood to hold a sharp edge. Boxwood - real Boxwood - Buxus simpervirens - is a common wood used in the 17th century models. It is all but impossible to source in any size suitable for major hull structures. What you can get should probably be horded for figurehead and decorative carvings as well as blocks and deadeyes. What you may be able to get in any size is a South American substitute - Castelo boxwood - Calycophyllum multiflorum. The two species have become so confused that it is often regarded with the same cachet as true Boxwood. This has increased the demand, and the price, and reduced the availability. The characteristics of the two are very similar. It is not the same though. If your goal is prestige and bragging rights and how much you spend is of no consequence, have at it. It will achieve that for you. If you are after a practical, less expensive, and readily obtainable stock of wood to use, there are other options closer to home. Looking at the Wood Database I see the following possibilities: Sycamore Maple - good for most any part including spars ( avoid any sort of Soft Maple species ) European Hornbeam European Beech Silver Birch Pear - if you like darker wood - get as much as you can - Apple - is king Holly - the only limitation is getting any and affording it if you can. Imports that you may have a shot at Lancewood - spars Yellowheart

I checked Rio Grande and they sell a 90 degree Hart carbide burr 3/32" / 2.38mm shank. Head size ranges from 0.9mm to 2.3mm. The mfg is a German company Busch. They must have vendors on the right side of the Atlantic as well as the left side. On your side -perhaps in a metric friendly shank.

With that many hoses there is a possibility of your work bench resembling the apartment ceiling in Terry Gilliam's Brazil. If you have not already done it, an in-line cyclone trap. It weighs less and is easier to move, so one long hose between it and the vac. The vac can stay in one place. If you are fortunate, that place is a separate room or outside. A radio remote router on-off box (not economy version) saves a lot of hassle.

Siggi, As I viewed your table saw setup for the short pieces, I am wondering if your have or have considered making a sliding crosscut table? It helps with multiple replicate cuts on stock that is ~ 3/4 as long as the saw table is front to back if your table is the same XY as the table top. It also makes it easier to keep your fingers an addition step away from the blade.

I read somewhere that the captain had to pay for the paint. I can really see me paying for actual gold in the paint that I bought, were I a ship's captain. A royal yacht might be a different situation, if the king paid.