Mike Y

Modelling ”career” definitely splits on ”before and after getting your first lifting table” 😊

Next was the fitting the lower deck beams. Fairly straightforward and the alignment "jig" helped, though awkward to use (need to clamp its parts in a specific sequence, I dropped parts of the contraption into the hull many times, etc). Of course my deck clamps were not perfectly level to begin with, so some notches needed to be cut deeper than necessary to ensure a level deck. A curved Vallorbe file came in really handy to tune the depth of some notches! Once all beams were horizontal - the run of the deck was already quite fair, with only a minor adjustments to be done for a couple of beams. I was worried it would be a never ending process of alignment (fixing one dimension just to re-align the other), but it was not that bad. End result. Note the tiny gaps on the right side, I do not want beams to push into the frames on both ends to prevent any buckling or tilting due to the seasonal wood movement. The gap would be hidden by the inner planking on the right side, while allowing the hull to "breathe" a bit. My mind got carried away with plans for the deck structure, all the carlings and ledges, thinking how I would approach the construction. Marking up in situ? Making some paper template? Add temporary spacers to lift the deck in one "piece"? Use some rubber bands to firmly fix beams in position without drilling pin holes? Oh, right, that comes much later, I only did them to install pillars... I then remarked the true centerline using a string and placed these two test pillars under a beam. To my horror the beams standing on the keelson looked clearly off-center! The centerline string was already removed by that point, so I pulled two strings for a quick illustration. After careful checks the reason was found - the keelson is not perfectly level and is glued slightly tilted, resulting in a skewed pillar if you just place it on top. No big deal, can be easily compensated for. Luckily there is no issue with an off-center keelson or an incorrect hull shape. Always a bit scared of finding some critical mistake done 10 years ago... 🫣

I use a very thick black fishing monofilament for the bolts (designed to catch alligators and giant squids, I guess). No problems with any chemicals bleeding into the wood, etc. It is held inside the wood with CA glue and sands nicely to be flush.

It's been 1.5 months of "aging" the Pink Ivory sample - the plank was laying on one specific side in a sunlight on my table, but not in an extreme way, sun hits it at an angle. As expected, it got darker, almost like a fresh vs aged red brick Coincidentally I bought that piece of Ivory because of the build log where brick oven was made out of pink ivory "bricks": https://modelshipworld.com/topic/11140-washington-galley-by-yamsterman-148-scale-pof/?do=findComment&comment=436782 To simplify the comparison I split it in half, the difference is clear (on the second photo both halves are flipped). No sanding to avoid damaging the "patina" layer, so sorry for some stains or fingerprints. Text says "shadow" and "exposed", but you can easily guess which one is which Both pillars were also in a direct sunlight, and looks like the one with Osmo finish aged tiny little bit less. Even when aged they look quite fine, and I think I'll go with it instead of a pear / box / ebony that are the usual candidates The texture is interesting - it has some grain, but not extreme like a walnut. It looks rougher when surrounded by the pear/box hull, but not too extreme or out of scale, even on close-up photos: (I know that this is not how pillars are attached to the beams, these are just test pieces freestanding on the keelson)

I love your building jig! Looks like a loom from some angles

Now that is "painting with wood" taken literally, well executed!

Such a beautiful scale! Very charming model.

As always strongly recommend to buy an electrical lifting table, they are quite affordable nowadays with many companies on the market (including IKEA that sells frames separately). Replace a flimsy office tabletop with a sturdy solid wooden one - and you will end up with a fantastic build table that allows you to find a perfect height for any operation. I added an inset vise and peg holes into mine, the possibilities are endless. It is a relatively new "accessory" that is often overlooked, well worth the cost. I would avoid hammering mortise joint with a chisel on such a table, so it is not a full replacement for a workbench if you do a normal woodworking. But more than sturdy for all the modelling needs. Some examples of my setup (IKEA table frame, solid top cut to size of the working area, Veritas inset vise), very easy to customize it for your space.

Glad to see your new build, subscribed with interest

Thanks Druxey and Alan! Sometimes a little nudge is all we need Toni, it feels similar to pear or box when it comes to hardness, definitely not soft. Holds an edge pretty well, but despite a clean geometrical shape the edge blurs visually due to the grain of the wood. But definitely an interesting wood to have in your palette. Will report in a couple of months on the way it ages!

Experimenting with different woods for the Pillars in the Hold. Thought it might be a good opportunity to use Pink Ivory that I had in the stash for some reason. It is a very beautiful wood with pink shavings, indeed! A simple jig really helps to hold these tiny pieces when shaping. Scraping is a great way to get a smooth surface with a clean edge! Completed test pieces. The one with a tenon was finished with Osmo Polyx and the one on the left (with no tenon) has no finish. For colour comparison I made a photo on top of some pear parts (one finished and one - a rough sheet cutoff) Pink Ivory has a clearly pronounced grain resembling walnut, clearly out of scale. Though pillars in the hold definitely have a rough life I might still go with it, it might add an interesting accent deep in inside the hull when viewed from the side: As most of such woods it would likely loose its beautiful colour when exposed to UV, and would likely become brown-ish. I left these test pieces exposed on the table and will check them in a couple of months. Does anyone have any experience with this wood? What do think on the colour? I don't want my model to look like a clown car, but a bit of variety might not hurt

Tools update time! A friend printed some vacuum adapters for me The one for the planer works like a charm! Using the model from Oliver (see https://modelshipworld.com/topic/36705-suction-adapter-for-the-proxxon-dh40-for-download) Table saw received an update as well, the factory design is squeezing all the air through a narrow opening, generating a whistling noise louder than the actual saw. Now the opening is opened up, so the air can flow freely with a nice wind noise Link to the model: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4742157 Since I was short on space - decided to make the adapter removable, on magnets. To improve the connection a groove should be machined. It was impossible to clamp that soft plastic part on the lathe, it was just sliding out of the chuck So I milled it on the rotary table. A single flute mill makes a dramatic difference - the dual flute quickly jams with a blob of melted plastic, while a single flute cuts clear separated chips (that are light, fly all over the place and get stuck to everything, argh). The resulting performance is not as great as on the planer, some dust still escapes, but it is still a great improvement comparing to the default adapter. Can absolutely recommend both upgrades, especially the planer!

This definitely looks repairable (replacing only these particular frames), Isopropyl Alcohol is a common solution - it dissolves the glue and then evaporates without leaving a trace, allowing you to replace the parts without going for a full rebuild! Hope to see you back in this log after a well deserved break 😊

Nah, I just borrowed a phone selfie stick / tripod contraption from my teenage daughter and used a "photo timer" feature on the phone It is an essential item for her, how would you do some outdoor selfies and group photos otherwise?

Read some advices elsewhere on MSW on "3 inches from each side", but please learn from my mistakes - make a cardboard mockup in real size, put it on the future display location, etc. Trying to understand your display case dimensions from a CAD model or theoretical calculations is a path to failure, don't ask me how I know (my "aquarium" is 1.5x larger than envisioned )