JacquesCousteau

Thanks, @Keith Black and @Glen McGuire! Yes, I would definitely include the metal straps. Speaking of metal, I'm rapidly approaching the point where I'll need to start adding some metal parts for the rudder hinges and rigging. I'm trying to decide how to proceed with them. On one hand, I already blackened the turnbuckles back during my canoa build, and the blackening process itself is not difficult and seems to give good, even results (assuming I can buy any blackening fluid here). On the other hand, the blackening process entails working with some rather toxic chemicals that are hard to get rid of, which I don't love working with. So, I was considering just painting the metal, but to do that properly I'll need to pick up some metal primer and a better gunmetal paint than I can make by mixing the craft paints I have, and I'm not sure how well it will turn out compared to blackening (especially for the anchor chain--painting a chain seems difficult). Besides this, I'm pretty slow at metalworking and suspect I'll need to learn how to solder, so visible progress on this build may slow down a bit.

I’ve made some progress on the rudder. The plans show a multi-part, rather complex rudder, below, in which the rudder shaft is particularly thick at the top where the tiller is inserted. However, not all lanchas had rudders constructed in such a way. The rudder below, for instance, shares the thicker top of the rudder shaft, but seems to be constructed entirely from a single piece of (very heavily worn) wood. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/luchinmardones/5312311416/ I decided to go for a single-piece rudder, created from basswood of the same thickness as the keel, but left thick at the top and narrowed slightly below. After drawing up a rudder shape and leaving it a little wide to allow for shaping, I used a fretsaw to cut it out of a basswood sheet. So far, so good. The same day, I also made the rudder for my new Bateau de Lanvéoc build, which has a much narrower, more vertical profile. Perhaps influenced by this, I thought that the rudder I made for the lancha looked too long. So, while shaping it, I trimmed a bit off the end. Although I think it looks good, there’s one problem: if you look at the photo above, or the one below, it’s very noticeable that many (although not all) lanchas tend to have rather large rudders, probably to help deal with the poor turning abilities that Vairo noted in his article. The rudder I made may now be a bit on the short side. Source: https://www.carlosvairo.com/galeria-puerto-montt-lanchas-chilotas I can leave it as it is, but there may be a work-around. One detail that stood out to me about the Quenita (the lancha that my plans are, in theory, based on) is that, as seen below, its rudder had an extension attached to the end. Possibly the rudder was damaged and repaired, or perhaps the owner decided that its turning abilities were lacking and so tacked on an extra strip of wood to try to correct it. Source: http://lanchaschilotas.com/dscn7150-2/ This, then, might be another option. I’m a bit torn between liking the looks of the slimmer rudder, and liking the aspects of telling a story with the model by having an extended rudder.

Thanks, that is very unambiguous indeed! It still seems very odd to me that they wouldn't add anything to protect the frames and hull planking, but unless I find other sources showing otherwise, the interior will be left unplanked then.

I did the "garden hose"‐ type loops on my dory, which I modified to include a sail. To make them, I wrapped the string around a plastic brush bristle protector tube, as the white glue didn't really stick to it. As for whether to go with simpler loops or complex coils, I suppose it depends on the effect you're going for--a yacht or a workboat? A useful source may be the many photographs at the following link of Friendship sloops (which are quite similar to the Muscongus Bay smack), both working sloops and yachts: https://penobscotmarinemuseum.historyit.com/search-interfaces/search/digital-collection/0/1/1/1?rq[0]=8639&ip=1 (You can also search at that site for sloops in general or for Muscongus Bay, but my impression was that most of the clearest photos were of Friendship Sloops.)

Thanks, @Bryan Woods! Thank you, @Waldemar, for the information. It's good to know that this is in fact just another method of making a keel. Limber holes are an interesting idea. I'd have to double check once I have the plans in front of me again, but I don't think they're shown. They seem to me like they would be a good idea to include, unless there was some reason why they would have preferred to bail out each section between frames individually (I can't imagine why, though). This also raises a couple other minor issues with the plan set. First, unless it's written about in some section of the monograph I haven't gotten to translating yet (which is entirely possible), there doesn't seem to be any sort of pump. Maybe this vessel is still small enough that they would have just bailed it by hand, or maybe they were using some sort of separate small pump that wasn't an integral part of the boat, but it's something to look at. Second, the monograph follows the Paris Souvenirs de Marine drawing, and the Musee de Marine model, in not including any sort of floor planking, just a two-part keelson. Perhaps this was accurate, but it seems unlikely to me. Without floor planking, passengers and cargo would be directly on the frames or pressing the hull planking from the inside, causing a lot of wear and tear that could be very easily avoided. So, I may add some floor planking. Even with a monograph, apparently there's always more to research!

Thanks, @Paul Le Wol! There will still be plenty of research to come for the Lancha Chilota and enough other Latin American workboats to keep me busy for a long while. Not to mention that I'll definitely be on the lookout for more details about the Bateau than are in the monograph, although any research will be tricky without speaking French. I definitely enjoy research and sharing what I find. But sometimes it can be a lot to keep up with, and its nice to have something where I can focus more on the woodworking and construction aspects. Thank you @François de Saint Nazaire! Or should I say "merci." I'll have to add "tonnerre de Brest!" to my French phrasebook, which otherwise is just words like "quille," "modèle," "proue," and others that are close enough to english or spanish that I recognize them. Although I didn't end up having as much time for the Bateau in my carpentry class as I had thought I would, I did make some progress--and sawdust! First, I began preparing the build cradle. Although some people seem to be able to build POF just fine without one, I thought it seemed like it could only help to have one. To start, I extended the lines of the frames outwards on the plan view and marked the frame numbers. I then glued the plan sheet to an mdf board. Next I will cut the mdf top part of the cradle to size (it will extend equally on both sides of the hull) and cut out the shape of the hull, creating a form for the frames to follow. I also need to get a thicker base, which will have the same plan view of the hull. For the model itself, I decided to start with the rudder. This is made of the same 7/32-inch thick alder that I'll be using for the keel, stem, and sternpost (and possibly a base, as well). Although the rudder on the Musee de Marine's model Bateau seems to be one piece, the monograph plans show it in two pieces. I began by gluing the plan drawings to the alder, to cut out with a fretsaw. I'll be doing the same process for the frames, so this was good practice for them. There were two things that I learned. First, it's vitally important to hold the fretsaw vertically, especially when cutting thick pieces of wood like these, and its very important to cut a bit outside the line so that any inward angle to the saw doesn't cut into the body of the piece. Second, I'll need to think more about where I place the pieces on the sheet before sawing, which wasn't such an issue when I learned how to use the fretsaw on small pieces but is much more important when I'm cutting from a big, unwieldy sheet. I'm right-handed, so placing the pieces to be cut on the bottom right of the sheet seemed like a good way to leave room for me to hold the wood in my left hand while sawing. While this is true, the clamps that I was using to hold the notched cutting platform to the workbench kept me from holding the wood sheet properly lengthwise to the platform. Instead I was forced to hold it awkwardly perpendicular to the platform, in such a way that I was squished up against the workbench and some cuts weren't quite as straight or as smooth as I would have liked. In the future I may try placing the templates in better locations, or try placing enough parts to be cut together that I can first trim off a chunk of the wood sheet and be left with a much smaller piece to manuever. Other than the issues noted above, the parts cut out pretty easily, although there was a good bit left for final shaping. The alder saws quite well. Back at home, I began final shaping with x-acto knives, files, and sanding blocks. In most ways, the alder is a joy to work with. It's soft enough to be readily carveable with a knife, but it holds edges very well and sands beautifully. It's noticeably harder than basswood, which makes it more difficult to over-sand. The only thing I don't love is that it produces a much finer sawdust than basswood, which makes clean-up a bit trickier when working from the home office. I may have to look into getting a small shopvac or something, although it would be tricky to operate while my wife is working (we share the home office). After shaping, I sprayed a bit of alcohol and easily removed the paper templates. The gluestick residue is quite easy to remove, at least as long as you don't leave it for several months. Once that dried, I glued the rudder parts together, leaving the line of the bottom for final shaping after everything was attached. Although the close-up photography reveals a few areas to touch up, overall I'm very very happy with how the rudder turned out. I'm looking forward to further progress and am enjoying the alder. Next up: the keel, stem, and sternpost.

Nice work!

Excellent job on the boat, it really turned out great! The exposed plywood issue sounds annoying, but for what it's worth, I don't notice it in the photos. The crew is a fantastic touch, too, I'm sure the new owner will love it.

Welcome!

Very nicely done!

With my Lancha Chilota build about to shift from wood-working to rigging, I decided that it’s a good time to start another build. Once again, I’ve selected a relatively small, “traditional” workboat. This time, though, I have a complete plan set, which in theory should cut down on the second-guessing I’ve experienced in many other builds. There’s also a fair bit already written about this vessel, so I will not be doing as much research as on my Latin American builds. This will be a major step up in complexity from what I've built before, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. Since I started modeling, I’ve wanted to do a Plank-on-Frame build, and I’ve been fascinated by Ancre’s monographs. I was lucky enough to be able to access a few, mostly for warships, via the library, and I was amazed by the level of detail they show. But the ones I was really interested in were for the small and mid-sized working boats. I initially thought I might build the Gozzo Santa Caterina, but the model would be quite tiny in my preferred 1:32 scale, plus a few existing build logs pointed out a few issues with the monograph’s plans. Instead, I decided to go with the Bateau de Lanveoc. The monograph has a lot more detail on the type’s history than is given for the Gozzo, although unfortunately I could only get it in French—my phone’s translate function will be getting quite the workout. The Bateau’s hull is very simple, with fewer parts than even the Gozzo, which makes it ideal for a first full POF build. More importantly, I think it’s a very interesting vessel. The single square sail looks almost anachronistic on a boat from the 1800s, and the hull, while far from sleek, looks quite charming to me. To my eye, the keel/stem/sternpost assembly look reminiscent of what I’ve seen for earlier, much larger Atlantic vessels, while the framing looks more like what I’ve seen for Mediterranean vessels. I’ve rescaled the plans from 1:36 to 1:32, bringing the model in line with my Canoa and Lancha builds. After considering several wood options, I decided to build primarily out of alder, with cherry for the mast, yard, and bowsprit. From what I’ve read, alder is harder than basswood and not as hard as cherry, and it sands and holds an edge well without fuzzing like basswood. Its Janka Hardness is comparable with Alaskan yellow cedar. While I know that some recommend against using Alaskan yellow cedar for framing, saying that it’s too soft, this model has fairly bulky frames that should mitigate against this. It seems like it should be very workable with hand tools. I’ve actually had the alder for quite some time, as I placed an order for the wood from Ocooch Hardwoods last year in Chicago to celebrate finishing my most intensive quarter of teaching yet. Ocooch was able to mill the wood to custom sizes down to a minimum of 3/64-inch thick for the planking, and I found their customer service and shipping to be excellent. The cherry for the mast (plus some sheets) I got from Modeler’s Woodshed, where Joe also did an excellent job with the order. Unlike Ocooch, Modeler’s Woodshed and mill down to 1/32-inch-thick (or apparently even thinner). In my experience, both businesses are good options, and you can’t go wrong with either (at least if you’re in the US, I have no idea how international shipping would go). I foresee this being a pretty slow build. Things are going to ramp up at work soon, so I’ll be pretty busy. Plus, much of the work of cutting out frames and other parts will have to be done at the carpentry workshop I’ve been participating in—where I can access a fretsaw and other tools that I don’t really have the space for at home—which I’ll probably only be able to attend once a week for the foreseeable future. I should also note that I’m considering a few different ways of building this. One option is to do a complete build, painting the exterior black (as the actual vessels were tarred on the outside) and leaving the interior natural. Another possibility is to do something like an Admiralty-style model, leaving it unplanked below the wales to show off the frames and construction methods, and leaving the wood all natural. In this case, I could either build it with the mast and rigging (which would be interesting but takes up quite a bit more space) or do it as strictly a hull model. I’ll have to decide eventually, but there are a lot of frames to cut before I get to that point. For this first post, I want to leave things on a question that I have before I make any sawdust. Looking at the drawings, it seems like the rabbet in the keel is quite different from what I’m used to seeing. Generally, the keel rabbet is a v-shaped notch (with the angle of course changing over the length of the keel). But from the plans, it seems like the rabbet over most of the keel is simply a 45-degree angle cut along the top of the keel (see simplified drawing below). The rabbet runs directly into the frames. Moreover, there do not seem to be any notches in the keel for the frames, or in the frames for the keel, which would bring the bottom of the frames a bit lower on the keel. Finally, the keelson is also not notched and seems to just sit on top of the frames, leaving space between each. This means that there’s nothing (except the spaced frames) to seat the end of the rabbet. To me, this seems like a very strange design that, on an actual vessel, would very easily leak along the seam of the keel and the planking. Yet this seems to be what the plans show (see below) and what was done on this build: https://www.alexshipmodels.com/2016/12/10/le-bateau-de-lanveoc/ Below: Cross-section of hull showing keel and frames. The lack of frame notches is apparent. Below: Side view of the construction showing the lack of keel notches and the space between the keel and the keelson. Below: Side view of stem and fore part of keel with rabbet marked in dashed line. You can see how the rabbet is a notch along the stem, but then runs straight into the top of the keel. Below: Frames, once again the lack of a keel notch in the floors is evident. (Sorry for the blurry photos, I’m not very good at close-up photography on my phone). So, am I reading the plans wrong, or is this how I should actually build it?

Congratulations, really fantastic job! The paint scheme is really sharp. Looking forward to following along on your next builds.

Looks like a fun build!

Thanks, Keith and Wefalck! At this point, the model looks more like a boat than ever. Gluing and pinning the port stanchions (and knightheads) was a much faster process than on the starboard side. Especially pinning them, I did a much better job this time of making sure the hole was sufficiently cleared before gluing in the pin. Adding the bulwarks took a bit more time. I started at the bow. I realized that the wood needed to take a bit of a curve upward in the middle of the hull to fit properly, so I dampened it and clamped overnight so it would take the proper shape. I then worked my way back, cleaning up excess glue as I went. Finally, I added the corner pieces of the aft rail and trimmed off the excess bulwark length. Next up, I need to paint the topsides and add the cap rails. Based on photos, some lanchas didn't have cap rails, but most did, plus they'll cover the brass pins in the stanchions. I wish I had copied the templates for the covering boards, that would make this much easier. With hatch covers temporarily placed:

I think that's what they did, but I haven't found a clear photo. Many of the more recent lanchas for which better photos exist have lower bulwarks with less prominent stanchions. To pin the stanchions in place, I started with wire (covered in superglue and inserted into pre-drilled holes). But after only a couple I realized that the wire was extremely difficult to push into the hole, as it obviously bends very easily. So I switched to a thin brass rod. This worked better, but still has a tendency to get stuck before getting to the necessary depth. I also added the stern rail, first leaving it overlength for ease of gluing and later cutting to size. This will form the lower level, but there will be a second layer at the corners to meet the height of the bulwarks. I also tapered the bowsprit with a mini plane and sandpaper. Finally, I added the bow stanchions/angled blocks (I'm sure there's an actual name for these) to fit around the bowsprit. Next up, the port stanchions.

Thanks, Chris! I think there's a lot that I could be more precise about, but each build--and each part of the build--is a chance to improve. I've been working on the stanchions. Case in point about imprecision: while I was planning on doing ten stepped stanchions per side (besides the stern rail and the angled blocks around the bowsprit), I slightly adjusted locations while gluing and ended up with nine per side. I decided that this was fine, as this is a slightly small lancha. The bow block is not glued in the photo below. In order to properly fit the bow blocks, I now had to fit the bowsprit saddle, which I had already colored with a gray wash. I ended up placing this a bit further back than given in the plans, and than may have been typical, because I thought it looked better. Nonetheless, I did make sure to find at least a photo or two of lanchas with a similar bowsprit saddle location. The bowsprit still needs to be shaped. Next up, the port stanchions, aft rail, and angled blocks. I also will be testing drilling through the stanchions and the bowsprit to pin these in place with wire or brass rod, as they are not particularly securely glued and I would hate to snap them off by accident.

I realized that there was actually a fairly simple way to make a jig to hold the stanchions at the correct angle. Basically, I took a short length of scrap--I think 1/16-inch basswood, although the thickness doesn't really matter--and glued a bit of 1/32-inch thick scrap to it at right angles, forming a step the thickness of the bulwarks. I'm then able to place the jig at the stanchion location. By holding it right at the edge of the deck/hull, it forms a tangent line to the shape of the hull cross-section at that point, while indicating the correct distance inboard to place the stanchion. The stanchion can then be glued to the deck while placed against the jig. The only problem with this is that there's no way to clean the excess glue between the stanchion and the jig. After it got very stuck the first time and I had to do more paint touch-up than I would have liked, I sealed the jig in superglue to reduce pva's ability to form a strong bond. This still didn't totally work on the next stanchion, so on the third I tried removing the jig before the glue had completely set. There's still a bit of clean-up to do, but it isn't too bad. I've also made the bulwarks from 1/32-inch thick basswood. In photos, I've seen a number of ways of handling scuppers. One of the most common, and the way that seemed simplest to model, was just to have a very small gap along the bottom of the bulwark except at the bow and stern. I used a combination of a mini plane and sanding sticks to make this. I also colored the interior with a dark gray wash. I'm not totally sure what angle the bow ends of the bulwarks should be cut to, so I need to fit the bowsprit to test. The bowsprit is made of 3/16-inch square strip and will be left mostly square, with slightly rounded edges. I still need to add the taper and cut it to the right size. I started work on carving the bowsprit saddle, which has been surprisingly tricky--not only does the top need to be cleanly shaped, but the bottom needs to be curved side-to-side and angled front-to-back to match the deck. My first try, in which I tried to get the top side correct before shaping the bottom, was a failure as the saddle cutout somehow ended up much too large. Not to mention that I didn't really leave myself enough space to properly shape the bottom. For the second try, I got the bottom right first, and then worked on the top, making a lot of use of files to sneak up on the right dimensions. Here it is test-fit: I then further shaped the top to get the proper curves on the sides. The second try is on the bottom in the photo below, with the first attempt above.

@Jim Lad, I think you nailed it! Cutting out the stanchions was a bit time-consuming. Photos of two lanchas--the Quenita, upon which my planset is ostensibly based, and one of Vairo's--both show ten stanchions per side. Having trimmed a length of 3/32‐inch-thick scrap wood to the right height, I then used the razor saw to cut identical lengths, employing a stop for this purpose. I then cut the notches, using a few bits of scrap to make a crude jig to properly measure the sides. A larger, better jig would have been much more exact. However, photos show that the stanchions were often a bit irregular in real life, so I filed this under something to learn from in potential future builds that may be more exacting. I found that a thicker blade worked better for this work. Eventually I had quite a little pile of stanchions. I decided to pre-paint the stanchions, rather than paint them after attaching the bulwarks and risk having the finish ruined by gluestains. Based on Vairo's photos, I am painting them with a gray wash, so that they look lighter than the deck but also a bit weathered. I also made the fore stanchion pieces (which come to a wedge around the bowsprit) and the aft rail. At this point, I'm realizing that I have a bit of a problem. Originally I was going to glue and pin the stanchions in place 1/32-inch inboard of the edge of the hull, and then glue the bulwark to them. However, not only may it be difficult to line up the stanchions like this, but due to the deck camber, the edge of the deck isn't always perpendicular to the edge of the hull, so if I glue the stanchions directly to the hull, they're likely to bulge outward in places. With that in mind, I'm thinking that it may make more sense to make the bulwarks first: curving them with the use of hot water, painting the inner sides with a gray wash, then attaching the stanchions at predetermined points, and only then attaching the topsides to the hull. I'm not sure, though, how well this will work.

Nice job!

Very well done!

Thanks! Yeah, it's definitely a tricky pattern. It looks like there was some sort of sealant placed over the deck that was bleached by the sun and for some reason only wore off along the center of each plank. Meanwhile the wood that shows through varies from a weathered gray to quite dark (possibly damp patches?). Not to mention the panels of some other material placed aft over the deck. It's also worth noting that written sources agree that lanchas usually just left the deck and hatches in bare, unfinished wood. The Marisol del Carmen was a more recent lancha, though, so presumably they applied something to try to better preserve the wood. The full photo is interesting as it shows that the white covering wasn't fully applied on the port side. Interestingly, the hatch coaming looks to be bare wood. There are also other details that aren't very clear--I'm not sure what purpose the big rocks have, for instance, they may be holding down the floor mat placed over the deck? Source: https://www.sigpa.cl/ficha-colectivo/carpinteros-de-ribera-de-lanchas-chilotas

Great paint scheme, it looks excellent!

Thanks, Bryan! I actually can't say that I fully recommend that anyone follow my path on painting the deck. When applying the successive washes, I came across a problem that I hadn’t encountered on my tests: with all that water, the deck wood expanded and contracted a bit even though it was glued down. As a result, some small gaps opened up in the planking, and the edges of some planks curved up a little bit. I don't think it looks too bad from normal viewing distance, but if you run your finger along the deck, it's noticeable. I think I should have let the deck dry for several hours, or even overnight, between each wash layer. In the future, I may experiment with fewer wash coats and/or using artist's pastels (people like FriedClams have done amazing things with them). Perhaps using thicker deck planks would have helped, as well. By now, I've mostly painted the lower hull, although I'll likely do some touch-ups and perhaps one last coat later. I've also glued the mast partners and hatch coamings in place, although not the hatch covers yet. I also lightly sanded parts of the deck that would have seen more foot traffic and wear. Next, the bulwark stanchions are an interesting detail. On many other vessels, the stanchions run through the covering boards and are practically extensions of the frames. In contrast, on most lanchas, the stanchions sit on top of the covering boards, and have a wide base narrowing toward the top. The most common shape was a sort of stepped design, seen below in the vessel in the foreground, but some other designs were also used: see the trapezoidal design on the lancha in the background below, for example. Source: https://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.gob.cl/bnd/629/w3-article-164722.html Another photo showing stepped stanchions: Source: https://www.carlosvairo.com/galeria-puerto-montt-lanchas-chilotas While the stepped design was most common, some other designs were also used, such as those below on the Marisol del Carmen supporting a very low bulwark. Source: https://www.sigpa.cl/ficha-colectivo/carpinteros-de-ribera-de-lanchas-chilotas The plans I have show stepped stanchions. However, while I'll be following the stepped design, I will need to modify the dimensions a bit. The plans show a 7/32‐inch tall (on the model) bulwark that extends up above the bowsprit, leaving a bit of a gap. However, most photos of lanchas (including those above) show the bowsprit level with the bulwarks or with the cap rail. My bowsprit is made from a 3/16-inch square piece of basswood. So, I'll need to reduce the height of my stanchions to 3/16-inch, something I wish I had realized before preparing 7/32-inch wide strips of 3/32-inch thick scrap wood.

Undoubtedly a hard decision, but one that will pay off in the end! I definitely had to fair the bow and stern quite a lot on mine, it's a tricky hull. It's good practice, though--after having done a lot of sanding and shimming on the Half-Hull, I felt confident in dealing with similar issues on my Lancha Chilota scratch-build.

Thanks, Keith! I realized that I forgot to mention that I did end up just placing a black board across the bottom of the hatch interior, to keep the keel assembly out of sight. From a couple angles, if the light is just right, you can see the edge off on the sides--it had to be a bit short to fit into the hatch--but it's practically unnoticeable otherwise. My goal is to suggest that, while there is an interior, it's too shadowy to see any details, adding interest to the build compared with battened-down hatches. I've also begun painting the hull. Usually you want to start with lighter colors, but in this case the transition will be covered by the as-yet unmade rub rail, and I won't be painting the topsides until I've built the bulwarks. So, black it is for the lower hull. At the moment it looks terrible and uneven, which I've come to understand is what you want in a first coat. Many, many subsequent coats will follow. The final coat(s) will be with a slightly less intense shade of black, but for the base coats, the tint straight from the bottle works fine. Finally, I've begun looking at some other furnishings. Comparing the plan drawings with photos, some parts--like the bowsprit support--look a little undersized in the plans. I'm less certain about other parts. Does anyone know what a typical rudder thickness for a seagoing, ~30-foot-long boat would be?