Hi, this is my first post. I recently started on my first build, and thought I'd share my experience. Feedback and suggestions are welcome, I look forward to learning a lot here!
Although I whittled a few ship models when I was young, my building skills languished over the years. Recently, though, a drawing class made me remember how much I enjoy making things by hand. I was also inspired by a visit to the impressive collections of the Barcelona Maritime Museum, including the many traditional fishing vessels there. Hopefully I'll eventually be able to make a llaud like the ones I saw in Barcelona, but a smaller fishing boat sounded like a better first project. After coming across the forum and reading a lot of build guides, I decided the Lowell Grand Banks Dory from Model Shipways was an ideal starting point.
Once I scraped together some basic tools (which was trickier than I thought, most of the hardware stores near me only have tools for full-scale construction), I began by constructing the bottom. First I glued together the bottom planks, then cut the cleats to size and attached them. I had a bit of trouble with one, in particular, which came unstuck repeatedly after I tried to use a wet brush to remove excess glue (as suggested in the instructions). I eventually got it reattached, but was wary of using the brush again. As a result, there was a lot of residue left when it dried. I was able to scrape it off with my knife, but I realized that, for the future, it would be easier to remove excess glue before it dries. Maybe I just need to use less water or a smaller brush; for now, I've had some success with a toothpick.
Next, the stem and transom assembly. Without a set square, I had a bit of a hard time making sure that they were at an exactly 90-degree angle where they connect to the bottom planks. But with a lot of trial and error, and being careful not to sand off too much at a time, I think they turned out all right. I also think the holes in the transom might be a little too small for the thread included in the kit (as at least one other build log mentioned). I may have to track down a tiny drill bit to widen them, or just find a thinner thread. In either case, I think that can wait a bit, and it's not a big problem.
While waiting for glue to dry, I got started on shaping an oar. Originally I thought I would just sand the blade, but there's quite a bit to remove! (Photos include an unfinished oar for comparison). I whittled both sides down a bit, and finished with (still a lot of) sanding. I accidentally started cutting too deep on one side, but stopped the cut before it went too far, and was able to mostly smooth it with sanding. I think the imperfection will be covered by painting, and at worst, I can just glue the oar imperfection-side down at the very end and it won't be visible. Shaping the rest of the oar was a lot of fun. It's perhaps a little more oval than round in cross section, and if I really pay attention I can see that the blade doesn't taper exactly symmetrically, but I think it works for now. The kit comes with an extra oar, so maybe I'll do a better job on the next ones.
Next, I curved the bottom (which went ok, it didn't retain the curve as well as I thought, maybe because it was rainy and humid here) and started building the frames. They're coming together pretty well so far (no clue why the photo uploaded upside-down). I have noticed some very small discrepancies between the diagrams and how the parts fit together, but the difference is minimal. In any case, I'll be sanding the exterior edges later for planking, which should fix any issues.
Overall, I'm having a great time with this. I'm impressed by the kit, which is very well-made, and the instructions are clear and helpful. Feel free to let me know if I'm making any terrible mistakes that will come back to bite me!
Thanks! Your build log was really helpful, and I'll definitely be coming back to it on the side plank beveling, especially, which I can already tell will be a challenge (but a fun one). Thanks! I'll definitely keep that in mind in the future.
