Hi a new recruit from chilly Herefordshire UK saying hello.
Quick run down, I am a long time model maker, up to this point mainly in metal / plastic, I did have a go at making plywood speed boat when I was about 11 yrs old which was 60 years ago so I have a lot of catching up to do with working with wood at a small scale.
I recently finished a brass Copernican Orrey which took some 5 years from start to finish.
While looking for a new project, the guys at my local model club suggested making an RC ship so I purchased a Deans Marine Destroyer kit, with GRP hull, laser cut styrene superstructure and photo etched detail parts.
Which I have almost finished, it floats and can be steered around the club’s pond, I now need to add the detail.
So I am now looking again for a project to keep me busy, one of the club members makes the most amazing 3 masted sailing vessels, he suggested something like that as a next project.
I know I don’t have the skills in woodwork to take a project like that yet.
Then I found this amazing website and group. Having a good look around, I have been very taken with the small boat projects shown on here, one of those small boats could be good start for me to learn and hone my skills, something like the ‘Bounty Launch’ or Chuck Passaro’s Medway longboat. Not to big, not too small, a ‘Goldilocks’ project.
There are a couple of problems with that, cash to get the kit, I am retired and living on the UK state pension, then there is the availability of kits here in the UK.
Not to be put off I decided there was enough information around to scratch build a small boat. I hope to be mixing ideas from kits and build logs.
Having used CAD / CAM for many years, I downloaded the original bounty launch drawings from the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, imported it into Fusion 360, hand traced the parts to produce a full 3D model first which may help me to get a feel for the model I hope to make in wood.
Then I found the discussion started by allanyed with imustbecrazy on ‘Bounty ships boats details’ which has got me all fired up.
I am now plank counting….. is there no hope, am I lost to this crazy world.
Should I start a build log, I really don’t know what I am doing.
I will be playing with ideas that may not work, there will be more questions than solutions.
Are photos of roughly chopped up bits of wood as prototypes really of any interest?
Which section would the log go in?
anyway, I think I could have a great time being part of this community.
Tim Coupland
