Mike Y

Sal, thank you for your kind compliment. An Apprentice? Be careful what you ask for, You 'll be in charge of all the 'fun stuff', you'll be pulling tens of feet of treenails, working hundreds of feet through a rope walk and cut countless blocks to hone your skills. Still interested? Hop on a plane
 
Dave I still prefer castello, although bamboo is easier to pull through a draw plate I dislike the way it looks in its cross section. The fibers stand out more than castello as they are bigger, see this little example. top row light bamboo 0,5 and 0,4 mm bottom row same size castello. I admit with darker bamboo the deference is less but still quite visible with a little magnification
 

 
Remco

Table full of Tupperware with frames in them. The real boat will be a POF but there are also frames for a simple POB hull I will be building.
 
The table is a bit messy, with the Mary under plastic (she is waiting for her display case and the hull on the left is a R/C Soling 1 meter. This model I bought used from a member in my local club. The fish in front of the speaker is a small puzzle. I create simple nature puzzles for kids with the scroll saw.

 
 
Chocks that are being glued to the frame.

Gaetan, thanks! Could you please point me to a right discussion than? I honestly searched by "light" or "lamp" keyword in that forum before creating a new topic..

Guys,
 
Thank you for all the positive comments of the outside planking. 
 
Jan you are right I should not whine over a 0.5 micron fault. It casts a shadow over what the hobby is really about:
enjoying  building something with your hands, whether from a kit or scratch, of a subject we have interest in, share here on MSW and learn to make the next build better than the one in the shipyard. And of course having fun with this merry band of mad man
 
And let the other four behold my sore thumb
 
And this is what I learned, first draw the run of all the planking on the hull before starting to plank. This would have avoided my 0.5 micron mistake. 
 
And because I don't like to post without a picture, I have a severe outbreak of Anobium punctatum in my shipyard. I try to repair the damage done with size 400 micron treenails
 

 

 
Remco

Mike
That lamp (Daylight Black Desk Lamp D33041 with Energy Saving Daylight Tube) seems perfect for the space!
coupled with an illuminating magnifier I think you will be quite happy.
 

I did not invsst in lamps. My cave is in heat room 3x3 m with bulb 100w in center of floor. In one corner I mounted work surface 100x70 cm with bulb 200w in floor corner, so I got left and up rear light, right rear window light, and strong front high light, all of it make difuse strong light good enough for almost all of works. When I need to use magnifier, pull up little improvised movable led light on table. Not expensive, and good. Happines is I have enough space in house. Long ago when I had not separated room, I used two removable and movable table cheap daylights similar as on link above, each on right and left side of table

Hi Mike,
 
A couple of thoughts to keep in mind and depending on your budget. 
 
I have found using Daylight (55000K) light the best to work with.  These are readily available in fluorescent tubes as well as gloves; just make sure you buy a standard size light to accept the tubes.
 
If you are REALLY serious about the light, you can get a 'medical' quality lamp that will produce a light that ensures no colour change to what you are working on if you wish to seriously match paint etc.
 
cheers
 
Pat

Having completed the rigging it's on to the oars, anchor and stand to complete the model.
 

 

 

 

Hi Mike:
 
I've seen some very nice lamps in Jeweler's Supply websites.  I would think that a jeweler would need the kind of bright light that you're looking for.
 
Frank

You have prepared a nice cave to do your work, caves have always been hard to illuminate for delicate work. Would work fine for your forge, the colors of the hot iron would be easy to see, that's the reason the blacksmith forge is in a dark corner. Think I would start over, get a stout but nice table to start with. Then build or obtain some storage cupboards with doors that are a light color to store your stuff. Those walls and ceiling are the right color, use that built in lighting aid and supplement it with some indirect lighting on the wall or ceiling. No offense intended, that is just how I see it.
jud

If you plan to use magnifier, lighting has specific dimension

"Running Backstay" assembly completed. Almost!
 
As per the instructions, the chainplates were made from 28 gauge wire, pendents from .018 black rigging line and running backstays from .018 tan. Additionally, the hooks were made from 28 gauge wire and the blocks are 1/8". I just need to add some rope coils.
 

 

Enough fun , back to the more mundane hull work. Starboard side almost done. Not completely pleased with the run of the planks but I'm unsure if I can improve this.
 

 

 

 
Up next, tree nailing I really like doing that
 
Remco

Modelling is temporarily on pause - was busy buying and moving into a new apartment. Now busy renovating it
Used modelling tools to make a balcony, does it count?

 
Next on a list - make a modelling table, so I can start my build!

Modelling is temporarily on pause - was busy buying and moving into a new apartment. Now busy renovating it
Used modelling tools to make a balcony, does it count?

 
Next on a list - make a modelling table, so I can start my build!

I decided I needed a break from half-frames.  So for a few days I've been doing some prosthetic work on my Admiral's fake leg.  So far, I haven't screwed it up even though I'm hitting it with a heat gun,  dremel and cut off wheel, and tolulene.
 
As time permits, I cleaned up the salvaged keelson along with the salvaged fore and main mast steps.  The keelson is now glued into position after tweaking the fit and the mast steps are fitted but not glued.  There's markings inside for re-fitting them into position and also marked up the exterior for drilling and fitting the pedestals.    As soon as I can figure out a way to drill them square in all dimensions (not a square hole but exactly perpendicular) I'll do it.  This beast is too big for the drill press or the mill... <sigh> 
 
Also, minimal fairing at this point on the inside of the hull.
 
Anyway... picture.  And as always, errors, omissions, and stupid mistakes, while not always intentional are subject to be commented upon by those who read this.
 

A wonderful story, Remco, but you will have to change one detail. Calico cats are overwhelmingly females except for the rare hermaphrodite (I've seen only a couple in 35 years of practice). I'd need a higher resolution photo to verify it though.

Thanks guys. 
 
Hlipplaa, sorry I must have missed your question, I used holy for planking and castello for the other details for the cutter and the longboat.
 
So here's how the story goes, the officer of the marines chased off the annoying rat that has been lurking in my ship's hold for the past years. Meanwhile Paddy the calico ship's cat indulged himself on the remaining mice on the ship and fell asleep on the marine offices bed place.
 

 

 
Remco

Danny the picture of the full model sitting on the workbench was a bit of a surprise, for some reason I had not equated the scale of your model with its actual size. Your photographs and the level of detail in many of the small items led me to thinking this was a much larger model. Then with the last pictures of the head timbers, I realized just how small and fiddly these parts are.
 
Hats off to you sir for some very fine modelwork.
 
Oh
  and congratulations on the completion of the move.
 
Michael

Thanks, Peter.  I have used two more sessions with the figurehead generating a LARGE pile of dust and chips, hard to believe from a piece so small, but in this case less is more.  I am trying to balance between a stylized version and a realistic version.  But after last nights session I was happy with the look and after staring at it for 10 minutes this morning there was no little voice in the back of my head.  The final version is:
 

 
So I can officially say that the SHIP IS DONE, and this will be my last post with pictures (and the peasants rejoiced).
 

 
Stats of my first scratch ever:
 
Duration:  12 years (during 3 house moves, 3 finished basements, kitchen remodels, etc)
External Additions:  2 kids (6 in total)
Hours:   Over 500 estimated (356 specifically accounted for in my log, begun 3 years in)
Pieces:   Over 3000 estimated  (2600 accounted for in my log)
Fun:    Priceless
 
My thoughts now turn back to the Lady Anne and my next scratch.....
 
Stay Building my Friends,
Mark
 
 

Okay, I am not saying I am done.......for example I still need to gel coat some small areas....but....I am very happy with the figurehead as produced and the carving tools are now put away.
 

 

 
If you look real close on the starboard side of the Druid you will see some repaired battle damage I added, inflicted from the Raleigh.   (okay, knot in the wood that came loose but as I tell the kids, it is all in the story you tell).
 
I will take a day or two then go over the ship to see if there is anything out of place or missing.  At that time I will declare this complete.
 
It is a little hard to believe that I am finally at this stage.
 
Stay Building my Friends,
Mark
 

Why scratch?
I always had a high requirements for a wood quality and fitting quality. Unfortunately, even expensive kits were never that close. After getting a first pack of boxwood, I would never go back to any inferior wood. Hence, only scratch. Not that scary though, I do most of the parts from scratch anyway.
It's a pity that kit producers do not offer a wood upgrade. For a serious build, cost is spreading over a number of years, so is it really so important?
Speed of the build is not important, I enjoy the process. As Remco says - "Treat each part as if it is a model on its own, you will finish more models in a day than others do in a lifetime".
 
Why Hahn?
For a weird reason, don't like the realistic framing style, like David Antscherl suggests. First - you don't see anything between frames, and second - uneven spacing and shape of frames make me feel dizzy when I look on them. Physically. I know it sounds weird, but I just can't. So - frames would be spaced evenly, even if it's unrealistic. So what, I'm not adding a rocket engines to my model
Also, Hahn's method for a frame construction looks easier. Yes, the wood usage is higher, but again - why that matters? I will build it for 5 years at least, so paying a bit extra for additional wood is not a problem. And I truly like the design of Hahn's jig!
 
Why Beavers Prize / Oliver Cromwell?
This ship has no honorable history. It was built in 1777 in Philadelphia, started a pretty good career - capturing 7 ships in 3 months after a start - but then was defeated by british HMS Beaver. Was downgraded from 24 cannons to 12, and served remaining time guarding british coast. Died in a hurricane after a number of years, slowly degrading and having a continuous problems with discipline onboard.
But there is something in the lines of that ship that touches me. Look on the model - hull proportions are pretty nice. It's not too high, and not too low, and I was looking for that photos a lot, admiring its beauty:
 

 

Congrats on a new tools!
Nice model, that contrast of dark hull and very bright deck looks interesting!

On to the figurehead!  Never having carved before, but having some skills in drawing and 3-D perspective I was actually looking forward to trying this.  The big thing was to understand the proportions of what I was doing, especially since I was doing a Krug original.
 
Instead of just hacking into a piece of wood and going prototype after prototype I decided to do a first attempt using Sculpey.  After a quick mockup of the stem, I prepared my supplies.  My daughter wanted in on the action so I also set her up for her example.
 

 
The Sculpey did not stick to the wood at all and was actually fun to work with.  The target was a robed figure, so I started with a bare figure and then wrapped the additional layers where appropriate to replicate the look I was aiming for.
 

 
I wasn't too concerned about the hands or face at this point, just that there was enough material present in the eventual wood blank.
 

 
I added a bit of whim with the fish.  This will be displayed for a time at a local seafood restaurant and they offer a fish chocolate after the meal so - why not?
 
My storyline is that the British, when converting this American built ship to a 16 gun sloop of war, had this figurehead gathering dust in the warehouse.  Someone wanted it out, so they put it on this ship, causing the eventual name of Druid  (prove me wrong - hah hah).
 
After another hour or two I will bake this solid and then proceed to measure off the wood blank for final carving.  I might have found a new hobby!!!  (like I need one)
 
Stay Building my Friends,
Mark
 
 

Steps...