Mike Y

I am going to build this kit with my daughter. She was really insisting on building her own wooden ship, like daddy's. Seems to even be ready that it will take a year. Will see, will see, she seems to be really interested 

The kit is a 1777 schooner in 1:72 scale made by russian manufacturer Master Korabel (translated as "Master Shipwright").

Laser cut planking, nice wood, seems to be very well thought through!

Includes few PE sheets, very nice castings (anchors and cannons), all fittings have a good quality. The laser cutting is top notch and plywood is high quality as well.

Best part - the price is $95!

Despite having english text on the box, all instructions are in russian. But maybe photo manual would be enough?

Here is the link to the manual, it answers most of questions about this kit construction: http://forum.master-korabel.com/mk0302f.pdf

Some build logs for the ones who are curious:

http://forum.modelsworld.ru/topic13151.html

http://serikoffshipmodels.com/forum/6-576-1

Got a few questions "where to buy the kit". My friend bought it in Russia and gave it to me, it is a cheapest option. 

I also found it on ebay, the seller has a 100% rating and looks like a producer of the kit. So maybe buying it directly from the producer via ebay is better.

ebay.co.uk: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mk0302p-Schooner-Polotsk-Wooden-Kit-wood-ship-1-72-model-master-korabel-/112015347120

ebay.com: http://www.ebay.com/itm/mk0302p-Schooner-Polotsk-Wooden-Kit-wood-ship-1-72-model-master-korabel-/112015347120

It is a "plus" version, so a bit more expensive. The kit I bought is a regular one - no boat and the blocks are simpler.

The main goal is to enjoy the process together, learn the handcraft and generally have fun. In the end, I would be super proud of her if she will have enough stamina to finish the hull and plank it. That would be quite an achievement for 6 years old.

I will try to show that kit in details, please pardon for the build quality - I am letting her to do as much as possible, not focusing too much on quality and accuracy. Step by step

Experimenting with different ways to make a smooth arc-shaped curves, like for deck beams. Right now I need it for the transom, but the methods are the same, and should be used later for beams.

Luckily I have a "template" of a proper curve - laser cut beams from the timbering set.

Clamped that template to the mill, shaped the outside curve on a disk sander, and the inside curve - by slowly feeding the wood against the mill cut. Shallow passes..

It sort of works, but the main problem is making sure the wood is sliding along the template without twisting. Right now I do it with the fingers, one finger to the left of the cutter, one to the right of the cutter. Does not work very good - the chance of mistake or a wrong move is quite high, and the risk of injury is high.

I got some nicks and dents:

Nicks could be removed by sanding later on, but that kills the idea of precision milling. So I need some sort of tension that will allow to slide the wood against the template. 

Or maybe I just use the wrong approach. Will try a method described in TFFM (also on a mill, but the template shape is different). Would appreciate some advices!

Great idea with the "glue pockets"!

Incredible accuracy and precision! Everything is so clearly marked up... Will use it is a reference, a good reminder that precise model requires careful measurements, markups and reference lines.

Planking lines are soo smooth! I can go on and on and on please keep the pictures coming!

Carl, you can try googling "model craft saw set", plenty of shops in Europe that have it. Even amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modelcraft-1-Piece-Precision-Saw-Set/dp/B001JJXE9A/ref=pd_bxgy_201_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0MN1DH0GSEF1Q8CSJK38

They are compatible with stabdard scalpel handle.

Druxey, thanks!

Interesting saw blades. I wonder who is the manufacturer/distributor?

It is sold under a brand of a swedish company Model Craft AB. Unclear what is the original manufacturer... 

I quickly googled that you can find that in US, for example, here:

http://www.modelcrafttoolsusa.com/saws-sawblades/862-replacement-saws-for-pkn0008-k.html

http://www.modelcrafttoolsusa.com/saws-sawblades/864-replacement-saws-for-pkn0009-k.html

Super! Every time you update the log, I want to write that - but need to stop myself to avoid polluting it too much

Your build quality (and speed) is hard to match!

Progress is very slow, spent just an hour in the workshop

Installed remaining counter timbers. Transom is quite skewed, so impossible to achieve a proper symmetry - but I hope I will hide most of it when planking one side of it. The goal is to align windows on planked side with the counter timbers on the unplanked one.

Now fairing the timbers, the outermost counter timbers had a wrong angle.

File is good enough for it:

Btw, found a very nice scalper saw blades in the local hobby shop, was positively surprised! They could be found by "model craft saw set" query, and exist in two types. 

Love reading your log, feels like building it myself these "inline" comments on the photos are very handy!

Please do not use that scary looking hammer on your model! It looks good

Erik, sorry to hear it, hope you will overcome it and will be back on your feet soon! Best wishes

Mauricio, sorry, I haven't changed or adjusted the blades in my planer yet, they are good enough so far.

Should look great in wood!

Finally, a Le Fleuron update!

The middle photo looks the best

It sort of kills the purpose then? There are lots of cheaper thickness sanders in the market.

Dust collection would be a big issue, this planer is designed to produce shavings and do not have any dust protection or collection. It will just clog all mechanisms including feeder belts and gears. Not even mentioning the amount of dust in the room.

I never needed much sanding after using that planer, it produces a nice smooth finish, few passes with scraper or xacto blade over the ready-made part - and the finish is perfect.

Thanks Glenn, Cap'n Poison and Mike!

Worked on those pesky counter timbers and helm port. 

Lots of meaurements, doubts and re-measurments involved!

Step 1: carefullty mark counter timbers location. I should admit that my transom is not very symmetrical - few mm here and there. Nothing really big, and one should have a really sharp eye to see it in person, but the ruler does  not lie Will measure better next time!

So a lot of time was spent trying to find a right balance to ensure symmetry in the scope of a single side. Asymmetric planking (one side planked, one side exposed) will help as well. Cardboard templates ftw!

Careful viewer will note a mistake #1 here - helm port is for the rudder, not for the sternpost. Luckily I spotted it next morning.

Lesson learned - do not do marking and measuring of such difficult areas at night, being tired. It is a recipe for disaster.

Helm port piece was cut on a bandsaw and the weirdly angled hole was first cut in the mill, and then fine shaped with files:

Then the whole assembly glued together:

Mistake #2 - the assembly is too weak, there is only one thin "bridge" keeping two sides together. Combine it with the grain following the stress line, plus counter timbers providing leverage - expected result - it snapped into two parts right in the middle. Ouch!

Glued them back together, and it not very visible. It snapped before final sanding, so it was possible to use lots of glue and sand away any traces of it from the surface. Hope it will not become apparent after applying the finish.

Assembly ready for installation:

Mistake #3 - I have not pre-cut notches in the wing transom, doing it in place. Hull sides make it impossible to properly use chisel, the angle is too square.

So used a tiny one plus knife:

End result is so-so, I am not happy with the fit, there are small gaps in the glue joints, but I did not to spend few weeks doing that part again... It would not be too visible below quarterdeck. I hope! At least the counter timbers ended up square and in line with already installed timbers. Phew!

Obligatory "light and shade" shot:

Mike,

What is the size of your work area?

​Not included in price.

They exist in two versions - 120cm and 160cm. But you can buy a frame only and attach any table top to it, which gives you a better flexibility in terms of size. The frame is quite stable and done well, so bigger table top will not be a problem.

I switched to the adjustable one (just $400 in ikea, http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00263218/)and am really happy ever since.

No more head or neck pain, bending in a weird pose, etc. I move it a lot when working, depending on the type of the operation.

It is heavy and stable.

That is how it looks. Max height is 1cm below the drawers level.

Looks neat! Hope the wood is not too soft, but at least fairing should be easy!

Will grab a char, if you do not mind

Got it. Druxey, thanks for the comment!

Started a work on counter timbers and transom, Hahn jig allows to build it pretty early, since all counter timbers would be glued to the jig and there is a little chance of damaging them.

Oliver Cromwell has a pretty weird counter timbers / windows framing. 

On most of the other models I saw, counter timbers follow the lines of the hull and transom wings.

For example, here is a Remco's Kingfisher (http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/18-hms-kingfisher-by-remco-1770-english-14-gun-sloop-pof-148):

In my case, however, both NMM drawing and Hahn's interpretation of it show that windows (and, hence, counter timbers) are basically square and vertical, and do not follow the hull shape:

I already made transom wings following the dotted line on these drawings, which follows the shape of the hull. Now I have only one realistic option - make counter timbers evenly spaced and end up with framing similar to the other models of this period (like Swan class). And windows will not be as square as they are on Hahn's model. So be it. Or I am missing something obvious in this problem? Would apperciate a second look, I might be misinterpreting all that drawings?

In a meanwhile, made some assisting construction to help with alignment of the counter timbers. True redneck engineering! But better than nothing:

And made the counter timbers themselves. Left group is a second-tier, where I made few mistakes (joints with gaps, etc). It will go to the planked side of the model where all these mistakes would be covered.

The right group are a prime timbers that would go to the exposed side of the hull. So good to have a side where all mistakes would be hidden!

Thanks for sharing! Totally missed the news about this book. Pre-ordered now. I have a "sailing frigate" and "ship of the line", they are both quite good!

I am a little bit afraid that there would be lots of duplicated photos between those books, but let's hope for the best  

It really puzzles me how do you manage to keep it all assembled using pins... Looks very tight, like it is already permanently glued in place!

Great model, looking forward to see the LED lights through the cutoff area!

There is also a question of space, Proxxon is the smallest and can easily sit on the table, while larger mills typically require much more space.

Hard to beat a mill in precision and speed of milling joints, if you would like to show them in your model It is one of the most frequently used tools I have, probably after the disk sander

A vice is a must for the mill (for joint cutting as well).