JacquesCousteau

I'm not sure how helpful my response is, but I don't think there's any one right answer. What sort of vessel interests you the most, and what aspects of building do you enjoy most, dislike most, and want to focus on improving? You mentioned that the Golden Hind's instructions forced you to think outside the box--did you enjoy the challenge, or would you prefer better instructions for the next model? If you're really most interested in a frigate, it would certainly be a step up in complexity, but you do have experience you can build on, you're not starting from zero (and if part of a build is too complicated or frustrating, you can always set it aside for a bit--that's part of what I've enjoyed about having multiple builds going at once). On the other hand, a smaller warship might also be useful as an intermediate step for building skills in fully rigging masts and cannon. About the only firm advice I would give is not to build a ship you're not interested in. There are many paths in modeling, and it's really just about finding what you enjoy. For example, I've found that I'm really not interested in warships, and I'm not a big fan of rigging so I don't plan on ever building a full-rigged ship. Instead, I've found smaller wooden working boats to be extremely rewarding subjects and interesting research topics in their own right, and I particularly enjoy the challenges of scratchbuilding (whether whole models or just additions to kits, which I'm still happy to build). That said, I've also chosen projects that allow me to progressively build skills, rather than jumping straight into some of the more complex scratch builds I hope to do one day. All of which is to say, there's no one right path, it's just a question of asking yourself what interests you and what is feasible.

With the model close to completion, I wrote out a list of everything that's left to do. I realized that I can't attach the backstay just yet because I still need to be able to insert all the fishing gear and accoutrements that will be under the thatched rancho (which I also therefore can't glue in place yet). So, I decided to work next on some of the fishing gear, which is very clearly described in Carlos Ortiz Segura's article "'Todo tiempo pasado fue mejor', o la pesca en el lago de Chapala antes de la desecación de su ciénaga," Gaceta de Antropología No. 17 (2001) (link: http://www.gazeta-antropologia.es/?p=3291#:~:text='Todo tiempo pasado fue mejor,la desecación de su ciénaga&text=CIESAS.,México.) The first piece of fishing equipment I want to make is a net, specifically a chinchorro net. These were the largest in use on the lake, anywhere from 100 meters in length up to 300 meters, according to Ortiz Segura. The top lf the net is lined with floats, while the bottom is lined with stone weights. According to Ramón Rubin in his novel La canoa perdida, they were extremely effective nets, but so indiscriminate in what they caught that they were occasionally banned (ineffectively) in hopes of maintaining fish stocks. The chinchorro was used as follows. First, one end was tied to a stake which was driven into the relatively shallow lake bottom. A canoa was then poled or rowed out in a large semicircle, casting out the net behind it. Once the whole net was out, the canoa crew took the end back to the start of the net and the whole thing was pulled in. Here's a photo showing an example of this (although it may be with a smaller type of net used in the same way--notably, they're just wading in the shallows). Source: https://www.mexicoenfotos.com/antiguas/jalisco/chapala/pescadores-en-el-lago-de-chapala-1958-MX15186632784160/3 This use of the net, as opposed to seine netting or other net techniques, highlights why smaller, more manueverable canoas (which usually didn't have a rancho) were preferred for fishing. The larger canoas de rancho, especially the ones in the 40-60 ft range, were simply impractical for this sort of work. However, while most fishing was done from the smaller vessels, canoas de rancho were used as storeships and fish drying stations for the mobile fishing fleets that would set up camp for days or weeks at a time around the lake while pursuing the best catch. (The final chapters of La canoa perdida focus on one such camp). My canoa de rancho represents one of these storeships, and hence will be carrying a variety of fishing equipment and other supplies. (Although I will not be modeling any drying fish hung on the rigging--the charales that were prepared this way would be, at scale, barely 2mm long.) At my scale, a full chinchorro net would measure about 10-30 feet long, so I will only be making a section, especially as the net will be folded up and stored in the hull. I'm after a representation rather than a fully accurate depiction. As part of simplifying it, I also won't be including the deeper "cup" in the center of the net that Ortiz Segura mentions, which would be invisible in any case once the net is folded. This photo of a fisherman inspecting nets drying on the shore is very useful for the details. It shows off the floats, as well as how the line for the floats was connected to the net itself just below. Source: https://www.mexicoenfotos.com/antiguas/jalisco/chapala/tipos-mexicanos-pescador-arreglando-las-redes-chap-MX15040598739914/4 I started with the floats. According to Ortiz Segura, they're made of sabino (aka ahuehuete, aka Moctezuma Cypress). Cherry seems like a close enough approximation of the color. I marked off a number of floats on a strip of 1/16‐inch-thick cherry and drilled out the center holes before cutting. It took a while, but after some work and sanding the edges, I had 30 floats. Next, the net itself. I cut a rectangle out of tulle. I then threaded a length of nylon jewelry tread along the outside rim to represent the rope around the edge of the net seen in the photo mentioned earlier. The corners gave me some trouble as the thread didn't take a 90-degree corner too well. First I tried adding a loop at each corner. But this didn't work well. Instead, I found that I got a better corner with a knot. I also began threading the floats onto a length of .45mm-diameter rope from Ropes of Scale. Next, I used thinned white glue to stick the floats onto the rope every 1/2 inch, which seems close enough to the proper length as seen in photos (especially given that this will be all folded up). That's where things stand at the moment. The next step will be to tie the float rope to the net. Then, I'll need to figure out the weights hanging off the bottom--I'm thinking some small beads might work best. I also need to color the net.

Thank you all for the helpful suggestions! Following up on my earlier posts, I finished the loop at the top of the lone backstay. This took more tries than I anticipated. On my third attempt (after the two discussed earlier) I used just thinned white glue to join the false splice. But, it wasn't a strong joint and it came apart as soon as I tried to remove the stay from the mast. So, I decided that I would use super glue after all--if it leaves the rope fragile and it breaks down the line, it's not a particularly difficult rope to replace. However, my fourth attempt was accidentally too tight and couldn't be slipped off the mast tip. My fifth attempt went better, but despite snipping off the excess line close to the splice, the serving turned out weirdly lumpy there. Finally, my sixth attempt was acceptable--less lumpy than the fifth (although still not quite as smooth as I would have liked), loop the proper size, and strongly joined at the false splice. Next up, the fishing nets (or at least one of them, I'd like to make several if all these tiny knots don't drive me insane first).

This build really looks fantastic! Out of curiosity, what sort of wood did you use for the deck, and how did you get it that color?

Welcome! Modeling can definitely be a very meditative experience. Doing a build log for the dory would definitely help with getting through the inevitable complications of any build, this is a very supportive community.

Very nicely done! That's a very elegant solution to the problem of where to store models after they're built.

Thanks! I may have to try using overhand knots, it sounds like a useful solution to the tension problem. While I wait to pick up some pva, I turned my attention to the rudder hinges. As shown in earlier posts, I had already made them and blackened them, and had decided that making them out of several pieces would be easier than trying to bend a series of tight 90-degree angles into the brass strip. So, the first step was to drill small slots alongside the sternpost and slot in the central hinge parts (the gudgeons), as seen below: Unfortunately, the top gudgeon has a small blotch portside that didn't properly blacken, which I didn't notice earlier. I'll need to do a bit of touch-up when I get more brass black, as my bottle didn't survive the move, but for now that side can go against the wall. Next, I added the fake hinge "arms" coming off of the sides. I still haven't found my tweezers, which got packed.... somewhere, so this was a bit tricky to do. As can be seen, there was a little smearing of super glue which I'll cover once I've bought paints again (another victim of the move, I got rid of them as they were drying up anyway). Although there's a bit of a visible line between the central hinge and the false arms, I don't think it's very noticeable and I'm mostly happy with how this part turned out. Next, the rudder side of the equation. After measuring, I drilled a couple holes into the rudder's front end and added in a couple pieces of black wire bent at a 90-degree angle to form the pintle. The rudder straps were then glued around it. Getting everything just right was a challenge, and after getting everything in place, it turns out there was a small gap--the upper strap was just a hair too high. I decided that I can live with it, though. In any case, the rudder hangs and can swing freely. Overall, I'm pleased with how the rudder turned out. I think the model looks much more balanced now: There are a few things to note, though. Overall, I found metalwork for the hinges to be a serious challenge and an often frustrating experience, with some effects on the build/build experience. First, I didn't get the gudgeons as small or as close to the hull as I would have liked, so there's a bit more of a gap between hull and rudder than I would have liked. This is largely due to the difficulties I had with bending brass. If I do hinges like this again, I will try to do a simpler false gudgeon that will be tighter against the hull by just making a simple loop similar to what I did for the pintle straps. Second, while the brass blackening mostly went well, upon handling the parts, I realized that I hadn't fully cleaned them and there was a bit of black powder that got on my hands. This is a highly toxic selenium compound. While I was able to remove it with thorough hand-washing, and thoroughly cleaned my desk afterward, I really don't like the idea of risking selenium poisoning. It's one thing to have a bottle of something toxic, but it's another thing to have a toxic powder that can more easily spread to places it shouldn't be. So, while I quite like the gunmetal color that the blackening process produced, I'm considering just going with paint in the future. Given that I don't love metalworking, too, I also might give a look at Chuck Passaro's boxwood hinge kits for future hinges.

Having completed my move back to Mexico, I'm finally ready to return to work on the canoa! Back in June, in post number 183, I documented my first attempt at making and serving (or seizing? I have to admit that I'm confused by the difference between these terms) an eye splice on the top of the backstay. It didn't turn out very well for a number of reasons--I couldn't get a false splice so I just glued the rope, I used thread that was much too thick and fuzzy for the serving, and the end result was bulky and lumpy. Now that I'm more settled in, I decided to try again. This time, I was able to successfully do a false splice! I don't yet have a hypodermic needle, as Wefalck suggested, but I was able to separate the rope strands as follows. First, I placed the part of the rope that will form the loop in the clip of a helping hands. Then, holding the rope close to the clip, I rolled it to slightly unwind the strands in that spot only. Note: I'm using Ropes of Scale rope, which is treated to prevent unwinding--using an untreated rope could possibly lead to a catastrophic unwinding. I then passed the end through and re-rolled the rope. Success! I then immediately screwed things up on the next step. After placing it around the mast to ensure it was the right size, I used a bit of superglue to secure the splice. In doing so, I committed two errors. First, as I read immediately afterward, superglue is not recommended for rigging as it can maje the lines fragile and lead to breakage later--diluted white glue is better. Given that I'll probably need to unrig this model for another move in a year or two (I may have chosen the wrong hobby for my career, or vice versa), I definitely don't want to make it fragile. Second, I didn't properly trim it tight up against the splice, but (based on what I've seen in cases like the Model Shipways Norwegian Sailing Pram) left it a bit long and glued up against the stay, as seen below, to be lashed later. My error was especially clear when I double-checked photos. Although I don't have any photos that provide a very clear image of how they handled the loop at the top of the backstay on actual canoas, the splices or knots do appear to have been pretty compact, as seen in the image below--the ropes definitely aren't "doubled" as I did it. The perils of modeling before the coffee kicks in! Source: https://www.mexicoenfotos.com/antiguas/jalisco/chapala/un-velero-panorama-MX14561525002424 So, this morning was a good reminder to double-check what I'm doing before I do it! In any case, as I'm going to redo it, I decided to use this as a learning experience/testbed to try lashings and serving with different sizes and colors of fly-tying thread. For the lashings, which I used to practice clove hitches, I used 140 denier tan thread. As can be seen below, this practically disappeared against the rope. I used a darker brown 210 denier thread for the serving. I found it difficult to maintain even tension while serving. I really ought to get my old fly-tying equipment for it. In any case, as can be seen below by the contrast between the earlier attempt (above) and this try (below), the different materials and techniques made a big difference, and I think I should be able to do a better job on the final version.

Welcome!

You may have better luck with a response if you can post a photo so people can have a better sense of what you're looking for. Also, you might try looking online for plans. If it's a British vessel, there are a lot of plans available at the Royal Museums Greenwich online collections (https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/search/Pinnace) and many plans have been digitized and are available on Wikimedia.

Somehow I missed this log earlier, but I'm looking forward to following along. This build looks fantastic so far! And I definitely understand the difficulties of making model-building work without much space or a dedicated workshop. A fully framed model of a relatively small vessel at this scale looks challenging--out of curiosity, what thickness of wood did you use for frames?

Looks like you're off to a great start! I'm looking forward to following along, I haven't seen a log for this kit yet and was curious about how it compares with the Model Shipways version. These small fishing boats in a large scale leave a lot of room for creativity and personalization through kitbashing.

Thank you, @Knocklouder, @Oboship, @robert952, @Jorge Acevedo, and others for the kind comments and likes! No build progress just yet, but I am quite happy to report that the model survived the move to Mexico City. Given that space was at a premium--hard to pack everything accumulated over a decade of living somewhere into a few suitcases!--I trimmed the build board, leaving just enough to protect the hull. The interior was then stuffed with cloth placemats, and the hull was well-wrapped with layers of bubble wrap and cloth napkins. I especially built up some layers just ahead of the quarterdeck, as it seemed to be the point most likely to break. In hindsight, it probably would have been sturdier to add an extra layer of cardboard to further protect the hull, but the model survived the move intact in a hardshell suitcase, with a blanket stuffed around it (and other fragile items) to further cushion it. I have to say, the hull is much easier to pack than a fully rigged model. Given that I likely have more moves in my future, but would very much liks to build some rigged sailing vessels, I'm considering seeing if there's any way to build them such that the mast and rigging can be removed relatively painlessly for packing. In any case, I'm now considering how to make the display board. We have a nice miniature Tecuani mask that came magnetically attached to a black backboard with wood trim. I'm thinking that something similar might look good for the half hull. The hull might disappear against a wood-colored background, so I think a black background will focus attention on the hull, but the trim is a nice touch, and a magnet mounting so the hull can be removed would probably make things easier to pack. But we'll see.

Very well done, congratulations!

Very ambitious, I'm looking forward to following along! This sounds like a great way to contribute to the educational mission.

Looks great! The stringers really highlight the lines of the hull. I forget if you may have said this earlier, but will you be leaving some of the planking off the finished build to show off the framing?

Congratulations on a job well done!

The model looks great, looking forward to seeing more about how you built it!

Very cool! I recognize the top plan as from Chapelle, where do the other plans come from?

Looks like you've done a great job, including overcoming some obstacles in the build.

Congratulations! The completed model really looks great, you did an excellent job on it (tricky parts and all).

It should appear if you click the magnifying glass symbol, which I circled in the screenshot below.

Excellent job! I particularly like the coloration on the floor planking, the tinted wipe-on poly really effectively gives it a slightly weathered look.

Very well done, quite the inventive display!

Thanks! I've officially completed the hull! I'll still be finishing the hull and making the display board, so I'll hold off for now on marking this log as "finished," though. Adding the quarterdeck planking was pretty straightforward. While the instructions say that it should have three strakes, that seemed to lead to relatively wide planks, so I followed the lead of a number of other build logs and went with four instead. As can be seen, I left the ends of the planks long so I could properly size them afterward. I used a razor saw to cut off the ends. Planking the transom was pretty straightforward. The instructions say something about it being curved, but mine ended up pretty straight. I probably over-sanded the top of the transom way back at the start of the build, which would be a problem if I were trying to replicate a specific vessel, but it greatly simplified finishing the transom. Adding the rail to the quarterdeck and transom, as well as the stern trim, was very straightforward. I should note that I added a small support beam at the front of the quarterdeck planking. After the photo below, I added a shim on the front end so that I had more surface area to glue the rail piece that covers the front of the quarterdeck. One last part to add! As can be seen, I pre-curved the piece of stern trim before painting it. After I glued it in place and trimmed, I just had a little sanding and painting to do, and with that, the hull was complete! Overall, I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. There are a few things that I could definitely improve. This lighting really highlights how some of the hull planking ended up a little uneven, for instance. That said, this was my first curved hull to plank, and I generally like how it turned out. I'll write a more complete reflection on the kit later, but I feel it successfully taught me vital skills and has given me the confidence to tackle more complex models than the flat-bottomed vessels I've mostly been building so far. Next up, I'll be trimming the building board closer in size to the hull, wrapping everything in bubble wrap, boxing it, and moving with it back to Mexico City. Once there in September, I'll be applying some sort of oil or wipe-on poly to the hull, and mounting it to some sort of display board.