Caferacer
-
Posts
67 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Events
Everything posted by Caferacer
-
This one took a while to figure out, eventually I got a center post to support the frame rails and glued in place. Then I was able to sand them down and add the cap.
-
@Keith Black I tried some thin wrapper plastic, and streaked it with some grey paint. So not clear, but it has the shine of "glass".
-
Thanks for the tip, I'll try that.
-
Well that worked out in the end. A little more cleanup and after finishing I'll back the windows with parchment paper or something similar.
-
Pictures from the when the America was at the Naval Yard clearly show the large skylight was rectangular panes, not tiny windows as the etched parts have. In fact the skylight from the America is in the Mariner's Museum in Newport News. This is the great thing about this build, so much historical data available. So while the brass guards on the panes might be hard in this scale, I'm at least going to match the 5 pane design, just not sure how yet.
-
Thanks! The lines are "interesting" anyone else might say "ok it's an old boat" but the lines are really interesting and very different than other ships I've done. Foolishly trying to "dry" bend the first planks. On past builds I dislike the distortion that can occur with wet wood. I haven't tried steaming, speak up if it creates the flexibility to bend the planks without the dips or bulges I'm seeing between frame ribs. This actually went fine until making the next joint after this one, then the previous three popped, I was on the last three joints... ugg
-
OK, I'm finally happy with the transom shape. Bulwark strakes on, and I'm pleased with that difficult transition where the bulwark curves, inward around the stern. I have one of the several temp planks in place following a set of 1923 plans.
-
Anyway, now that it's 101+ degrees outside, I'm back in the 1/66 workshop.. All transoms, all the time.
-
Hey! I'm back, all is well, I live in Mesa Arizona, so from about October to well, not usually now, it's been a fairly cool "spring", normally April or May, I spend time in the garage. I've done a fair bit of machining on the hobby lathe/mill, a few 1:1 scale wood projects. Oh and putting together a "housewarming" tool kit for my hopefully daughter-in-law. She's a very handy young woman, meanwhile my son is.. well, more brain active? lol Good tools aren't cheap and cheap tools are not always good, so leveraging some of the vendors I use in my day job, I've collected the best (based on my experience) tools someone would need starting out.
-
Figured out what to do with the timbers.. duh.. Thinning them out on two sides, brings them close to the size, rather than cutting them off. I'm not jazzed about pre-bending the bulwark then attaching them later, after all I want to plank the deck first, so the bent bulwark sits around for a few weeks? So once the deck is done, I'll shape them to the final size contour, and I can bend the bulwark and attach it to the timbers, and then add false timbers.
-
Nearly there.
-
That's super helpful! That is about the side profile I'm targeting, but that composite view is excellent! Thanks! Apparently every time it stopped architects took measurements, I'm assuming they used transits?
-
The tale of the transom. The shape and proportions of the kit are far away from the photos and period drawings, it's sharper and at more of an acute angle. I have been building up and shaping for a couple of weekends now. Pausing to create the cockpit grating, and to build up the transitions of the deck. I know the companionway is going in here somewhere, so now is the time to be sure the frame isn't going to foul good placement of it. In the back of my mind I'm also figuring out the plan for the bulkhead tabs. Obviously I won't cut them until the bulwarks are bent, but exactly how and when? This material, unlike basswood, can't be easily chiseled away after installing the bulwarks and false heads. I don't want to get painted into a corner.
-
That's an idea.. I have a very low rent model, but it's paid for itself in useful prints. For my Latham build I made a "helper" items; a frame for gluing up the gutting trays and a "buck" for the main cabin, the main cabin is a trapezoid that tapered in the z axis. I don't think I would get the resolution for the eagle, I was going to attempt using Sculpy clay.
-
My wife bought me a 3D printer 2 Christmases ago, so I have "relearned" some CAD (last used 20+years ago) and Fusion 360 for 3D. I like Fusion, I think it has 2D output abilities, though I haven't tried. YouTube as you can imagine has a wealth of tip and tutorials, I have imported a few things into Fusion and converted them to the 3D model. Something I want to try next is 3D scanning.
-
lol True.. I'm curious about your laser, the results you got on the Rattlesnake are amazing. I think in retirement that would be my purchase, as I would like to get into larger scales, or at least play around with scales, as well work directly off plans. Sure a scroll saw is cheaper, but going directly from the computer to the wood allows for more accuracy I think rather than trying to scale drawings.
-
This is sort of the "question" of the America; which America are you building? The America that left the Yard with a grey hull, the America that left France for England with the black hull (and a lot of wine), or even the later one with the white hull? The America that raced on Aug 22nd, with the second Jib boom? What about the jolly boats, in fact the hangers don't seem to show up in the racing configuration. Then the America was reconfigured many times after the race, later with a wheel not a tiller.. I think in 1851, while the yacht had decent accommodations, it crossed the Atlantic, with Steers and his son and brother (and a lot of rum), in '51 as a racing yacht, I can see a single companionway. This seems to be what shows up on the paintings, sure, the paintings may not be the best "documentation" but they reliably show the forward, rectangular skylight, no companionway. Some older plans for modeling do show the forward companionway, but these are from the 20th century. I'm attempting the 1851 racing version, in fact I'm tempted to be a rebel and build the one that left New York, with the gray hull. Ahh but there there's that pesky jolly boat question...
-
In addition to Steers' drawings, I'm also referencing Pehr Cedergren's detailed drawings of the transom found in the Low Black Schooner. Some of the rabbit I added to the keel is getting eaten away, but this is fine as I can cut it off and replace it. I'd prefer it happen to a replaceable part than the frame section. The rear most frame section had to be cut down a lot, otherwise it would have forced the hull to "flatten" out as it approached the transom rather that that famous taper
-
Time to start shaping the frames, I'm following Steers' half hull model for the keel shape.
-
One advantage to such a famous boat, is there is a lot of contemporary or at least period documentation. I found a few scaled sheer and waterline drawings as well at rigging drawings. Of course there are a few oil paintings, but I doubt those are worth using for accuracy, however, they do all agree that the jolly boats are not on board. I have also ordered "The Low Black Schooner" and "America's Victory" on eBay. A bargain at about $6 each.
-
Transom is built up and I added some additional material around the cockpit, so that when I add the planking around it, there is something to support it.
-
Mast supports built up. This kit though Italian (??) made in the Czech Republic, is in fractions, which is actually helpful because all the wood matches up, the 1/4 inch masts fit well once I added fractional stock. I guess what I';m saying is I'm not fighting between metric dimensions and fractional wood stock.
-
Even though the kit comes with what looks like a "subfloor" for the deck, I'm still filling the gaps. I like how the transom is built up, it will take a lot of shaping, but there will be a lot of structure to it.
Our Emblem ®
