dvm27

19 minutes ago, Azzoun said:

Hi, 

Congrats on the purchase!  Just curious, do you have any machining background?  If not, do you have a strategy for teaching yourself?   I ask because I own a lathe but have little experience.  

 

Joshua

For those inexperienced in using the lathe there is a series for beginners by You Tuber Blondihacks https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY67-4BrEae9Ad91LPRIhcLJM9fO-HJyN. While her series is concerned with metal work on the hobby lathe the techniques are applicable to wood as well. As machinists usually work to closer tolerances than woodworkers mastering these skills will probably improve your results in wood.

Congratulations on this milestone Chuck. I read through the first chapter instructions and they are phenomenal.  Between your laser cut materials and step-by-step instructions there's no reason why the average ship model builder cannot build a lovely plank on frame ship model. It may not be 100% as nice as yours but it will be a far cry better than anything else out there in the market.

I can find no three jaw chucks for Atlas sold by Sherline. But on a hobby thread they have a discussion on this same topic with lots of possibilities. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/please-help-select-a-new-3-jaw-chuck-for-10-atlas-lathe.520445/. Is there something wrong with the current three jaw chuck on your lathe? Maybe it just needs a bit of TLC?

I do love my Sherline lathe with it's extended bed (17" between centers). Not sure if the smaller version with it's 8" distance between centers would be worth the additional cost. However the hole through the headstock can accommodate a no.1 morse taper so I often use this to turn longer stock. I guess you need to figure out what scale you would like to work in. While the Sherline is essentially a metal workers lathe I use it for turning wood all the time. Their T-rest works just fine and is not expensive.

9 hours ago, Kusawa2000 said:

Greg: My understanding there is still interest in selling the Byrnes business so I dont think the final decision has been made yet on what is to happen with the business. Lets see what happens and what is announced.

 

Mike Draper

I certainly hope that is the case Mike. Jim was not only an incredible machinist but also a staunch supporter of our hobby. He'd be a tough act to follow.

4 hours ago, kgstakes said:

Lastly,  I respect everyone that is on this forum and yes, I am an average modeler like many of us on this forum please respect that as well.

 

No disrespect intended KG. I was just pointing out that Jim's saw is also being marketed to other hobby groups (machinists, horologists) where tight tolerances are more important than in ship model making. Apologies if my statement appeared disparaging. 

Probably a mute discussion as the Byrnes saw will most likely be discontinued due to Jim's recent passing. I would say in general that the Byrnes saw is machined to much tighter tolerances than the Proxxon saw. For example I found the Byrnes fence is virtually impossible to deflect while in use and their extended fence is a press fit with four steel pins. My Proxxon had a slight bit of wobble when the fence was pushed. Perhaps such tight tolerances are not essential to the average ship model maker but keep in mind that many other hobbyists (such as luthiers) require .001" tolerances and I don't think you could repeatedly achieve these on the Proxxon without some modifications.

If you're looking to develop your scratch building skills then a cross-section is a great introduction. You may wish to check out the Echo. The plans and building instructions are available for free from our Admiralty Models website https://admiraltymodels.homestead.com/Tips.html. There are also several builds on this site if you do a search for "Echo". Triton is another good choice (as suggested above). A scroll saw and the ability to thickness your own wood would be useful for a scratch build. Otherwise there are some interesting x-section kits on the market. Alaskan yellow cedar is a much less expensive alternative to boxwood and easy to work with.

Nice job so far Darren! The ballast they supplied you looks like it came from an aquarium store though. Shingle ballast should be the size of a small ball. If you are able to remove the ballast visible fore and aft and replace it with small smooth pebbles (such as you could purchase from a store that sells diorama supplies such as Woodland Scenics (https://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/item/BAL-G) it would provide a much more realistic impression of this area. Their gray ballast (medium or coarse) would work fine here. You place them where you want and apply layers of dilute white glue until they are fully adhered.

You obviously have mad modelling skills. If you were to turn a cannon barrel to fit the carriage you could alternate between the ship-in-bottle and and scale mini diorama.

Good luck with your You Tube build. Perhaps you're familiar with it but if not there is a Trumpeter build on YouTube by the Midwest Modeler https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdPY23NZym_sO8c4E9Ma0UrCye7yq8BYF. It's very comprehensive and covers all the possible after market fittings as well.

I’m not very familiar with ship construction of this period but your work reminds me of all those beautiful builders models in the finest museums. It is a pleasure to watch your build!

Must of missed this build. What a clever way to do a ship in a bottle! If you have a barrel you could make it a dual display.

At the risk of sounding hieratical I would suggest not gluing the mast to the step. If, for some reason the ship is ever rerigged or part of the mast breaks, being able to remove it makes this very easy. As an example look at Olha's conservation of the HMS Boreas (YouTube). Assuming the foot of the mast is fitted loosely into some sort of step the standing rigging will keep the masts perfectly positioned once the laniards are reeved and tensioned. An additional advantage is that some adjustments are still possible in the mast position if warpage occurs in the months it takes to complete the rigging process. 

This is a beautiful and unique interpretation of a ship model that has been constructed by many others. It’s a pleasure’s to follow your log.

Very nice job on those ratlines. I often see them too large when compared to the shrouds but yours look very much to scale. I found that tying every fifth row, then filling in the spaces between, keeps them correctly tensioned all the way up.

I look foreword to your build John. It's been awhile since I've seen one of these solid hull models taken to completion. Personally, I think they are more difficult than plank on bulkhead models. I assume the hull is pine? hard to tell from the photo.

Looking at your work reminds me of the Christmas train gardens I visited in my youth. They inspired me with their complexity and attention to detail. Yet, at the same time, they discouraged me as they set a bar so high I knew I could never match it. I have seen a few videos you posted on your website. You would be doing a great service to the ship model making community if you could find a way to video your splicing technique. Your photos are helpful but a video would fill in the gaps.

That's a very well thought out method of producing that tricky upper molding Chuck. Such a beautiful model!

Randy, this is a lovely build and deserving of a log. You don't have to post any more than you want. It really is easy and when you have milling questions we'll be able to better help later in your own log.

3 hours ago, FrankWouts said:

Looking very neat, clean and beautiful again Glenn!
I have a question. How did you anticipate with the cams or inlets at the sides that the deckbeams are perpendicular to the deck planking, i.e. the long axle of the ship?

Thanks,

Frank.

 

Are yo perhaps referring to the scupper holes Frank?

It might be helpful to know if the $2300 includes the cost of the carvings Chuck. These amazing pieces, alone, have to be quite costly!

That detail popped out at me as well!

If you've ever been to La Musee de la Marine there are enormous fully riffed models from floor to ceiling. It was one of the most fabulous maritime museums I've ever been to. I wonder if Wefalck has any knowledge regarding the plans for the new museum? Hopefully they will keep most of the ship models on display.

Is there anything more satisfying than when you make those last few passes with sandpaper to fair the hull? Beautiful work Mike!