Bill Tuttle

I would have to second Jim's comment on the starrett pin vises.  In addition to that I have found so many discrepancies in the drill gauges that I only use Starrett for these also.  The Generals used to be pretty good but it seems like China has taken over a lot of this stuff and the quality has deteriorated.
 
Bill

I would have to second Jim's comment on the starrett pin vises.  In addition to that I have found so many discrepancies in the drill gauges that I only use Starrett for these also.  The Generals used to be pretty good but it seems like China has taken over a lot of this stuff and the quality has deteriorated.
 
Bill

Great advice on the Stanley vise.  I will have to buy one of these too.  There are some excellent videos on these on the internet showing all the different functions and capabilities.  The GRS in one of the previous posts is also a great vise.  Their stuff is pretty pricey but always excellent well made tooling.

I would have to second Jim's comment on the starrett pin vises.  In addition to that I have found so many discrepancies in the drill gauges that I only use Starrett for these also.  The Generals used to be pretty good but it seems like China has taken over a lot of this stuff and the quality has deteriorated.
 
Bill

Great advice on the Stanley vise.  I will have to buy one of these too.  There are some excellent videos on these on the internet showing all the different functions and capabilities.  The GRS in one of the previous posts is also a great vise.  Their stuff is pretty pricey but always excellent well made tooling.

Great advice on the Stanley vise.  I will have to buy one of these too.  There are some excellent videos on these on the internet showing all the different functions and capabilities.  The GRS in one of the previous posts is also a great vise.  Their stuff is pretty pricey but always excellent well made tooling.

The solid all-metal grinding base provides stable support, and the sand paper table can be taken down or locked at any time, which is convenient for quickly changing the two sides of the grinding surface of sand paper with different labels, and avoids the phenomenon of warping and displacement of sand paper in the grinding process, to ensure that the grinding parts of the datum plane is always flat.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Another way to store and measure drill bits.

Jeff,
 
I have used Klingspor for years and had good results with the adhesive holding over a long period of time. I would agree with Bob on the 220 grit, probably about as coarse as you need unless you are cutting some brass with it.
 
I just listened to an article on the Fine Woodworking podcast that recommended changing sandpaper whenever you think it might be time and not waiting until you really think you need to.  Probably good advice and I would be less likely to change it when needed if I had to stop and cut a piece although you could cut a few pieces prior to waiting until you need it. 

Not really all that many options, really, and most all of them are really worthwhile. I'd suggest the following in descending order of importance:
 
Micrometer stop. There's no point in owning a saw that is as accurate as this one without this convenience.
 
Extended rip fence. It really is important because the stock fence is really low. It's nice to have something more substantial to lean the workpiece up against when cutting larger stuff, cutting rabets and grooves, and such.
 
Miter bar gives you more control. The miter gauge comes stock with the saw and is very accurate. The bar is $8 and worth it. If you get the sliding table, you probably won't be using the miter gauge as much, but the added length is handy.
 
Miter gauge adjustable extension. It's just a stick of aluminum, but for the price, handy to have. I don't own a miter gauge that I haven't put some kind of extension on and I think I have four or five of them.
 
Sliding table. Yes, it's really worth the money... it expands the saw's utility tremendously and is super-accurate.  For repetitive cross-cuts, you gotta have it. This is the most expensive of the "must haves." If all you are going to be doing is ripping strip wood, you can do without it, but any sort of cross-cutting, making gratings, super accurate miter cuts for case building, lots of little short pieces all exactly the same length, and so on makes this a "gotta have" for me. It's really solid and accurate and slides as slick as greased goose poop. The integral blade cover is also a really nice safety feature. 
 
You should also get a selection of saw blades and zero clearance inserts, because they do make a big difference depending on the application. You can make your own inserts, if you want, but for eight bucks, you might as well get the perfectly-fitting ones from the factory. I don't know that the blades are available for much less anywhere else. I'd ask Jim Byrnes which blades he recommends for the work you expect to be doing. He won't steer your wrong.
 
Same goes for the "spare parts package." For eight bucks, it's worth having an extra of all the little screws that you know you're going to need when you drop and lose one every so often. You'd spend more than eight bucks in gas driving around trying to find someplace that had them in stock locally. A replacement belt is worth having handy as well. Keep in mind that if you order all this little stuff at the same time as the saw, you'll probably save a bundle on shipping costs over buying them piecemeal.
 
As you can see, that doesn't leave much not to buy.   Everybody seems to agree that the tilting table is really not something anybody uses all that often, for ship modeling, at least. maybe the model railroaders do, or whatever. You can always make your own taper gauge, but I bought one of Jim's because they're just so damn pretty. 
 
I guess the accessories are pretty much essentials, although optional, depending on the use to which a buyer is going to put their saw. 
 
Like the man says, if you can afford a BMW, you'd be nuts not to pay a few bucks more for the leather seats!
 
 

Jeff,
 
I have used Klingspor for years and had good results with the adhesive holding over a long period of time. I would agree with Bob on the 220 grit, probably about as coarse as you need unless you are cutting some brass with it.
 
I just listened to an article on the Fine Woodworking podcast that recommended changing sandpaper whenever you think it might be time and not waiting until you really think you need to.  Probably good advice and I would be less likely to change it when needed if I had to stop and cut a piece although you could cut a few pieces prior to waiting until you need it. 

Jeff,
 
I have used Klingspor for years and had good results with the adhesive holding over a long period of time. I would agree with Bob on the 220 grit, probably about as coarse as you need unless you are cutting some brass with it.
 
I just listened to an article on the Fine Woodworking podcast that recommended changing sandpaper whenever you think it might be time and not waiting until you really think you need to.  Probably good advice and I would be less likely to change it when needed if I had to stop and cut a piece although you could cut a few pieces prior to waiting until you need it. 

I would never tackle rounding a mast or any other spar anyway other than by hand with a small plane, taking successively tapered sections by hand although I know many use the lathe practice successfully. 
 
As an owner of a number of different lathes, if I had it to do all over again, I would choose the Sherline, as you can add to this as your skills develop and they are a great company making a great product.  Good luck with your search.  Taig also makes a nice tool, a little less expensive and there are Unimat 3's available sometimes on E-Bay but usually over priced.  I wouldn't consider any Unimat other than the 3 or the earlier SL.
 
 

I looked for about an hour in some of my books.  I have a few books on the Chesapeake Bay and their watercraft but could not find anything specific detailing the shrouds.  Robert H. Burgess wrote a really good book entitled Chesapeake Sailing Craft which has a lot of good photos of working Skipjacks.  I used some of these books when I was building mine back in the l970's.  
 
I did, however, find a reference to the standing rigging on the bugeye another boat tied to the Chespeake Bay and very much like the Skipjack in M. V. Brewington's Chesapeake Bay Log Canoes and Bugeyes.  This states that the bugeyes were originally rigged throughout with hemp but steel wire replaced this very quickly.  I have a feeling the Skipjacks were probably steel wire from the beginning.  Hope this helps.  I have other sources but they are at my other home.  This is the best I can do tonight.
 
Bill 

Thanks for the likes and comments.  And also for your patience.
 
I probably have 80% of the starboard side sanded and nothing sanded on the port and nothing done as far as framing to area above the gun deck.   Things are going slowly.  A big part of the problem is the sanding dust.  I've not used balsa and Lite ply before. Even with two shop vacs and air purifier running and facemask my sinuses scream after about an hour's work.  So abandon ship so to speak and go do other things in the apartment for a few hours.  The workshop also doubles as my "office", "computer room" and general hideout.   I'm starting a new sinus med the doctor recommended and I hope that will help.  Now if the weather warmed up, I could probably sit outside and be done sanding in a day or two.....  

Very nice work on the splicing! Working a splice in scale line is really difficult.
 
These are admittedly "picky" comments, but I share them with the thought that some who may be contemplating showing their models in competition or hoping to sell them for a good price may find them of value.  The type of "tear-drop" shaped thimble, bent open-ended as shown or closed-ended when cast in bronze, is of relatively modern design and intended for use with wire rope (cable,) not with fiber cordage. It's shape is designed to avoid the sharp bend in the wire rope that would be required at the throat seizing on a closed, round thimble which would cause a fatigue point that would weaken the wire rope and could result in catastrophic failure under load. These tear-drop shaped thimbles appeared concurrently with wire rope and cable coming into use. 
 
Modernly, the tear-drop thimbles are frequently seen used with fiber cordage simply because the round thimbles have become somewhat difficult to source. Their disadvantage in that application is that, as the eye "works" to and fro, the open edges of the tear-drop thimble tend to chafe and cut into the line, leading to catastrophic failure under load.
 
Round metal thimbles are themselves a relatively modern thing, although I'm not sure when they were first available. They are generally made of yellow metal, or sometimes of hot-dipped galvanized steel modernly, as rusting of ferrous metal promotes rotting of the cordage in contact with it.  On period rigging, they were of turned wood, generally lignum vitae, if available, or locust and similar tough species if not. The cordage forming the eye should be served before the thimble is inserted because the outer edges of the cordage around a thimble is particularly susceptible to damage from chafing, especially if shackles are placed through the eye.
 
This isn't a criticism of the workmanship, to be sure, but these "museum quality" details are the sort of thing that may be worth a few points with an eagle-eyed model judge or museum curator. They may not be particularly noticeable at smaller scales, but would surely be noted by judges on the full-sized classic yacht concours circuit these days.
 

Hi Guys,
 
Well I finally got my act together and made some thimbles using Chuck's techniques shown on the the Cheerful build log. Like so many other things in this avocation, it is both easier and harder than it seems.
 
Once I got the "touch" and made the appropriate sized blunt points to turn the collar it was easy to knock out bunches of them. The smallest thimble is made from Albion 1.5 mm thin walled brass tube. Chuck made the point that this stuff is very soft and easy to cut (there's a link to a video on the Cheerful log). This actually gave me more trouble than any other aspect of making these. I knew I was working with metal and it took a long time before I found out just how much of a soft touch it took. I was using so much pressure that not only did I cut the tube, but I scored the brass rod I had inserted into the tube. With the K&S I had on hand, I didn't have much luck rolling against the exacto blade, so I used a jeweler's saw to cut the blanks.
 
I made two blunt points of different sizes to roll the collars out of some steel common nails. I cut off the heads, chucked them into my drill press, used a file to create a rounded cone, and polished with some sand paper. A few light taps on the mandrel and done.
 
Best,
John
 
Ps. This was my first shot at seizing the eyes and I used some some of #8 synthetic fly tying thread. Neither CA or diluted PVA would stick to it and the clove hitches I used wouldn't hold. Next time around I used some #8 Unithread.....much better. J.
 

 

Mark,
 
I am pulling up a chair on this build really late in the game after you have worked through your problems so far. I built a plank on bulkhead from a kit about twenty years ago so I understand some of the problems you have suffered through on a much smaller basis. I am getting up there in age but it seems like I remember Dave Roach who owned Pier Books years ago telling me there was a forum on this build which made me particularly interested in your efforts but I see I must be mistaken since there does not appear to be anything other than the French forum. Nevertheless, I look forward to following this build and admire the work and your treatment of the problems so far. 

Mark,
 
I am pulling up a chair on this build really late in the game after you have worked through your problems so far. I built a plank on bulkhead from a kit about twenty years ago so I understand some of the problems you have suffered through on a much smaller basis. I am getting up there in age but it seems like I remember Dave Roach who owned Pier Books years ago telling me there was a forum on this build which made me particularly interested in your efforts but I see I must be mistaken since there does not appear to be anything other than the French forum. Nevertheless, I look forward to following this build and admire the work and your treatment of the problems so far. 

Dave,
Once the surface is sanded perfectly smooth, draw the line and paint the first color, the lighter shade first.  This first color should actually go past the line.  Then redraw the line if necessary and a lay down a tape along the line.  Next, put on a coat by spray, or by hand,  a clear varnish, clear nail polish,  or similar along the tape edge to seal it.  Once this clear coat is dry, it will prevent t  bleeding and wicking under the tape when you paint on the second color.  Paint at an angle but away from the edge of the tape so you are not forcing paint into the seam.  Again, be sure the surface is absolutely free of bumps and dings so there is no open gap between the tape and wood before sealing and then painting.    If there is to be a thin (1/8", 1/4" or similar) white or other color stripe between the two main colors, automobile pin striping tape works very well.  Once in place, clear coats over the finished hull will protect the tape.   I used the pin striping on the model of the schooner Columbia  and it shows no sign of ill effects after ten years aboard a cruise ship.  
Allan

Personally, I am not very fond of brush-painting acrylics for a couple of reasons:
 
- one has to work very fast, as acrylics dry very fast, in order to avoid brush-streaks
- acrylics remain slightly rubbery for a very long time, days, if not weeks; until they are not thoroughly hardened, it is difficult to sand them
- one would need to paint the surface in one go, as quickly as possible and without interruptions, i.e. wet in wet.
 
I am not an expert in high-quality brush-painting, but one of the techniques/strategies is to rub run down the layers of paint and then to repolish the last one to the shine desired. This is very difficult to do with acrylics for the said reasons. The brush size really depends on the size of the surface you want to paint.
 
So, today, as air-brush equipment will cost you probably less than a meal for two in a good restaurant (depends on where you are living, of course), there is hardly a reason not to use spray-painting. And for this, acrylics are ideal.
 

Mark,
 
I am pulling up a chair on this build really late in the game after you have worked through your problems so far. I built a plank on bulkhead from a kit about twenty years ago so I understand some of the problems you have suffered through on a much smaller basis. I am getting up there in age but it seems like I remember Dave Roach who owned Pier Books years ago telling me there was a forum on this build which made me particularly interested in your efforts but I see I must be mistaken since there does not appear to be anything other than the French forum. Nevertheless, I look forward to following this build and admire the work and your treatment of the problems so far. 

Hi Mark great to see that you are building a new ship, I must admit I like this method more than the way you are building the other ship.
 
Michael

Mark,
 
I am pulling up a chair on this build really late in the game after you have worked through your problems so far. I built a plank on bulkhead from a kit about twenty years ago so I understand some of the problems you have suffered through on a much smaller basis. I am getting up there in age but it seems like I remember Dave Roach who owned Pier Books years ago telling me there was a forum on this build which made me particularly interested in your efforts but I see I must be mistaken since there does not appear to be anything other than the French forum. Nevertheless, I look forward to following this build and admire the work and your treatment of the problems so far. 

Mark,
 
I am pulling up a chair on this build really late in the game after you have worked through your problems so far. I built a plank on bulkhead from a kit about twenty years ago so I understand some of the problems you have suffered through on a much smaller basis. I am getting up there in age but it seems like I remember Dave Roach who owned Pier Books years ago telling me there was a forum on this build which made me particularly interested in your efforts but I see I must be mistaken since there does not appear to be anything other than the French forum. Nevertheless, I look forward to following this build and admire the work and your treatment of the problems so far.