bbrockel

Bob:
I see. In future, always measure for and set the wales first, and then plank below them. This will save you having to go through this again.
 
Good luck.
 
Russ

Hi,
 
finally the third HMS Pandora now. I started this project years ago and it was suspended quite a while. At the beginning of this year I did revisit it and finalized it. I am currently doing the first big render tests and put first results on YouTube:
 

 
Some photes of the same setting here:
 

 

 

Now I turned back to the lower hull.  It was refined with templates and progressively finer sanding blocks.  After the 400 grit level I sealed it with Minwax Wood Hardener.  This product is designed to strengthen rotted wood, but I have found it to be perfect for sealing wood where I want a truly smooth surface.  The only drawback is that the wood becomes so hard that it is quite difficult to remove more than just a small amount - don't aske me how I know.  I now hold off on using it until I am quite satisfied that I have the proper shape.
 
After the hardener dried overnight it was sanded smooth to remove the raised grain, and the first coat of Krylon auto primer was sprayed on.  This revealed that there were small imperfections where the various lifts had been joined to each other.  These were filled by painting the entire lower hull with a thin solution of small-grained plaster.  After sanding with a sanding block you can see where the plaster has filled the voids.  The plaster was hardened and the next primer coat was applied, then sanded smooth.  Ultimately, seven coats of primer were laid on and progressively sanded off with up to 1000 grit paper. 
 
The keel fin and bulb were similarly shaped, hardened, filled and sanded.  Because the keel fin is so thin its connection points with the lower hull above and the keel bulb below would be incredibly fragile.  I therefore planned for and fitted a steel pin that goes into the hull about 2 inches and down below the keel bulb about the same amount.  I don't know how it will be displayed, but this should give them a great deal of flexibility in choosing the mounting for the model. 
 
So here is my progress to date.  The three major components - upper hull, lower hull, and keel - can be stacked to see how they line up and to refine them as needed.  More as the model develops.
 
Be well
 
Dan Pariser
 
 

Be very careful of any tool you buy from Harbor freight.  The tend to sell cheap import knockoffs of many tools.  From airbrushes to a foredom.  They do have good deals.  But know what you are getting first.
David B

Bob: One of the first things I noticed with Goodwin’s book is there isn’t an entry in the index for tree nails but I quickly learned their under Trennals.
 
Joss: Thanks for that. Also, thanks for giving me access to the plan locker.
 
Larry: I was really getting a twist in my knickers over what wood to use. I appreciate your input very much.
 
Today: I made new progress and after a clean sweep-down fore and aft we’re underway again. With the good description and photos of a rabbet scraper provided by some of you I tried my hand at making one and the following is the result. The wood I used is Cherry which I had a 2” x 2” x 24” stick of. It’s good to be regrouped and working again thanks to you all.
 
P.S. I’ll not be using a V gouge anymore for my rabbets now that you all have shown me the way. A custom made tool can put the depth and location spot on. Thanks again to everyone.
 
Note: The curve you see in these photos is from my lense beinging in wide angle mode at these close views. 

Checked on the second batch of bending the beams. They turned out okay. 
 
Meanwhile, marked the treenails holes (360 holes). 
 

 
Drilled 180 holes by hand and installed natural colored toothpicks in most of the holes. Toothpick forest. I'm almost halfway on the treenails...
 

 

 

 
Will be installing toothpicks for a while and then sanding them all down flush. Will take a while.
 
Found out that my frames are made of Oak and the planking is Douglas Fir. The wood was from an old recliner that was taken apart. Meanwhile, my neighbor has given me some solid maple and some nice looking Yellow Cedar. He says that I can get all the wood off of him for free, he is a cabinet maker.  Cool. I like saving money. 
 
 

Great job Rusty. if I may make a suggestion - make a port template out of scrap wood. Use that blank of wood as a guide when raising the cast frame 3 aft. It is very important to get the spacing between the toptimbers 2 fore and 3 aft exactly correct and this spacer really helps.

Look on the bright side Bill - at least she didn't call YOU a "useless tool" :D .
 
  Danny

According to my wife, all I have are useless tools.

" Fair a Frame " by Model Shipways was a big waste of money, time and now storage space.

That's funny, Ben. Many years ago my wife asked me what I wanted for my 40th birthday present. I told her I wanted to spend a few days in Harold Hahn's workshop. She thought I was kidding. I was not!

Borge,
This is like watching it again for the first time.  Just some super stunning work.  I'm enjoying it.

I can't find the right word Borge.........she looks just super superbly fantastic!  you knocked this one right out of the ballpark!  you are truly a metal master as well!  I am so jealous.........you made your  "masterpiece"......and I love those sails.......WOW!!!

Thanks Popeye, thats a lot of nice words my friend. and its higly apreciated
 
Børge

No wonder we will never have world peace.....we can't even agree on right and left (port and starboard).

No wonder we will never have world peace.....we can't even agree on right and left (port and starboard).

Patrick, if you have a small v-parting tool from Pfiel, by all means use it.  Just be careful.  These are extremely sharp and use a light touch.  Practice on a piece of scrap wood to get the feel for your chisel before tackling the project keel.  I made a couple of copies of the edge diagram if the keel and cut them out, glued them to either end of the keel and marked a line with a pencil showing the middle of the rabbit.  I then scribed over the pencil line a stylus to give the parting tool a line to follow.  Take your time and you will have a fine looking rabbit line. 

Hi Guys,
 
Here's my latest update for what it's worth.
 
I have filled the dip and just have to finish the sanding down, should be ok when it's done.
 
I thought I would plank the stern transom whilst waiting for the filler to harden, it calls for 1 x 3mm walnut, so searching for the right wood ( took ages ) I find that I dont have any, been left out the kit, a quick call to Jotika and they are sending it to me, should'nt be long in getting here.
 
I thought I'll line the gunports, somewhere in the old forum I saw a tube that was made up and the linings cut from that so I thought I would give that a try, I made a jig so that I could just cut the tube, set for 9mm this would give about 1mm to sand down, made my box tube, let the glue dry and tried cutting a piece, what a mess, the tube just kept shattering, and the inside dimensions are wrong, it was giving me a measurement of 10 x 8 when it should be 10 x 10mm, so for me there is no shortcut, I'm going to have to cut the linings individually and do it the long way.
 
I know where I've gone wrong with the tube, I put it together wrong by just butting the sides but I cant do anything about the splitting of the timber, it's just very dry and quite rough.
 
So all in all I've not made much progress but I have learned a lessen.
 
Anyway a few useless pics.
 
Making adjustments to the size of the gunports and my way of holding the wood in place

 
The filler just needs to be sanded down

 
Quite a lot of filler has been used on both sides

 
Here is my jig for cutting the many lengths of gunport linings !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
Jig and tube

 
The tube fits tight into the jig

 
Cutting the tube

 
The end result, too small, all it's cost me is a bit of time, but lessen learned.

 
So there we are, pretty boring really but it's still fun and it's good to try new ideas even if they dont work out, isnt it ?
 
Be Good
 
mobbsie

This subject is the next in a series for a client who buys and restores old speedboats and cruisers.
It's a 1929 33 foot Baby Gar speedboat which will measure 33 inches (hopefully) when complete. I'm afraid it's all rather rough at the moment but I have reached the staining phase and with some time and a  lot of coats of varnish it might finish up ok!
 

 
Basic frames and first planking.
 

 
Plywood skin for the decks.
 

 
Mahogany outer planking.
 
How it should look when finished. A similar boat.
 

Yesterday (19 March 13) the U.S. Supreme Court, in hearing arguements regarding the resale of copyrighted materials ruled those sales legal.
 
From the current article on CNN News:
 
"The Supreme Court has ruled that copyright owners cannot legally forbid people who buy their works to sell them in the US, even if the items in question were made outside the US. The decision upheld a geographically unlimited first sale doctrine — a provision which holds that once someone buys a book, DVD, or other work copyrighted in America, they're free to sell or rent it without the copyright holder's permission".
 
I'm certainly no lawyer, but this would seem to me to answer any question regarding the sale of CDs and DVDs (such as Bob Hunt's Practicums)to a 2nd party. I know this question has come up various times on MSW in regards to members who wished to sell one of his practicums.
 
This applies to original media, as far as I can tell. Members may want to read the entire article currently (03/20/13) running on CNN news. Other media outlets probably are carrying the story, as well.

One of the reasons for the kick back on any table saw, particularly when cutting a longer piece, is that the wood pieces on the run out side of the blade tend to pinch together.  This will bind the blade a little causing the piece to lift and kick back.  Any sort of rifing on the run out side will help minimise this a lot. 
 
Nice piece of work on the push stick, Mark.  Will have to construct somethin like that for those small cuts on the Byrnes table saw.  Currently, I use push sticks that are approx. the same width as the piece I'm cutting.  I also use sandpaper on each stick to assist in the guiding of the piece being cut.

Greg wraps the area he wants to de-bond with plastic wrap to retain the isopropanol where he wants it. It prevents weakening nearby joints.

I think you'll be fine with the alchohol as long as you don't flood the temp spacers with it.  I use a artist's brush to apply the alcohol to the area I want to loosen.  Sometimes takes a couple of applications to loosen the piece, but eventually the glue gives up.  

You guys are starting to embarrass me.  But if you want to give credit where credit is really due you should be talking about my wife Donna who is actually the owner of the company. 
 
 For those of you that don't know we started Model Machines about 10 years ago on a part time basis.  Just the two of us,  no other employees to worry about. At that time we were both working another full time job at a design and manufacturing firm in Orlando that I was part owner of.  I was head of the machine shop with 3 other partners and Donna was hired as the controller.  The company was in bad shape finantially when we hired Donna and in a year or so she brought the company back from the edge and made it a profitable business again.  Donna has a 4 year business degree from the University of Indiana and there isn't a lot she doesn't know about the business world.  What she doesn't know she makes it her business to find out.  When we started Model Machines she did all the research to get the company up and running and also thought up the name of the company.  She does all the taxes,  pays all the bills,  does all the paper work and keeps everything running smoothly.   I design all the machines and make all the parts,  do the assembly and ship them out. 
 
When you call us with a problem or an order more than likely you talked to her and 99% of the time she can take care of your needs whether it's replacement parts,  lost screws, diagnosing an electrical problem, delivery times or just how things work.  She is on the ball and has you covered.  She is the one who emails you when your stuff ships,  calls you when your address has changed and generally makes sure you get what you need when you need it.  If it was my job to do all that no doubt we would be out of business a long time ago.    She is the boss.  
 
And to this day it remains,  just the two of us.
 
regards
Jim Byrnes
Model Machines

JPett, it wasn't mentioned because the title of the thread is MICROMARK MINIMILL REVIEW, not Proxxon review.