RossR

I have started the planking. It is the first time I have felt like I have been making progress in awhile. The first plank I added was a basswood strip that runs the entire length of the ship to get a smooth run for the planking above. I am not worried about the lack of vertical seams on this plank as it will be covered with other planks to make the wale later. Above this plank I am using the Alaskan Yellow Cedar that I purchased from Modeler's Sawmill. Hoping that the planking at the gun deck level, which is left unpainted, will really pop with the higher quality wood. Two rows of planking were added above the first plank before I got to the gun ports. I definitely subscribe to the theory you can't have too many clamps. I bought 4 more of the black ones used near the stern at Menards today. I am trying to use PVA for gluing the planks. I really appreciate the ability to easily remove a plank if I decide It isn't right. I used a 4 inch PVC pipe as a form for adding the curve near the bow. I just soak the wood in hot water for about 10 minutes then clamp it to the pipe. Careful to use a old scrap price between the wood and the clamp to limit making and marks in the plank from the clamp. For the next row of planking I needed to notch out the plank to accommodate the gun port. The planking should reveal 1/32 of an inch of the gun port framing. For this row, I used a number 11 scalpel blade to cut away to material to accommodate the gun port. I carefully cut a little bit vertically then cut thin slivers horizontally and repeat until I get close to the total amount of material removed. The last bit is sanded away. On these planks the amount left where the gun ports will be is less than 1/32 of an inch. I am adding a row to the port then starboard sides and building up both sides of the ship. I will continue to use the Alaskan Yellow Cedar until I get to the planking at the height of the quarter deck which will be painted so I will switch back to the kit provided Basswood.

I did quite a bit of online research on bee’s wax and came to the same conclusion about its Ph. Technically it is slightly acidic, but so is wood. I have used it and my only concerns is the attraction of dust over time. Chuck uses it in his rope making tutorials. That gives me some comfort on its long term effects on the rope.

Your planking looks great. Great job around the gun ports. I am just starting that step on my USF Essex. Looking forward to following your progress. And a couple days off to decompress is well earned.

It has been awhile, but here is a quick update. I finally finished fairing the interior. I found this to be a very difficult task. I have the gun ports painted red, and now I will be starting the planking.

I would definitely e interested in that.

If anyone has one they want to sell, send me a private message.

For the pin vise, I would suggest one the uses a collet vs a chuck. I find it holds small drill bits better. when I started I used CA for most things. I thought PVA required clamping , but I recently built the NRG Half Hull and the instructions said to use PVA for the whole build. I have since switched to using PVA for almost all my wood to wood glueing. Holding for a minute our so and I have really good luck.

I agree with Bob.

I know you put the production of your ropewalk on hold due to tariff issues, any plans to reprice it and start production again. I might be interested in paying a few dollars more to get one.

I have built two Occre ships with the 0.6 mm second layer material, I wish you the best of luck trying to bend the material laterally, but I haven’t seen anyone pull it off successfully on the forum. if you figure out a method that works please post about it. A lot of users would be interested. Good luck.

I posted some pictures of my shipyard a year or so ago, but over the weekend I make some changes. The two work surfaces used to be opposite of each other with the took box in between. I decided to create an L shaped work surface to take better advantage of the light from the window. I still have my comfortable chair for watching the Premier League on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

I was just looking at my Beagle, and with the boat mounted on the deck you can barely see the windlass. Your work looks so good you may want to consider not mounting the boat so you can see the other features better.

Your workmanship is fantastic. I really like the way your windlass turned out.

I really like the look of individual planks vs drawing the joints. Great job.

Your build looks fantastic. I think Occre does a great job on these street car and tram models. Can't wait to continue following your progress.