glbarlow

On 6/14/2020 at 3:53 PM, DelF said:

using Glenn's doggy dental tool (again!):

Best tool ever, glad you’re liking it too

I always look at the end of the section I'm working on, if I know what it's supposed to look like when its done its easier following the instructions to get me there. As others noted the first planking serves only as a base for the second.  Be comfortable sanding the heck out of it and using wood filler as necessary. The smoother that base becomes the easier and better looking is the the 2nd planking.

Think through any tapering you might need to do on the 2nd planking, better yet look at BE's and James builds, they've done one or two so steal, I mean learn whatever you can from their build on the second planking - even if its not in the words you'll see things in the photos. Believe me I'm doing that with my first scratch build in Cheerful - I have 4 particular build logs I look at, only at the post and pages that are at and just after the step I'm on. That's the best thing about this forum, you're not alone. Stealing, I mean adopting the best practices of others is how we all get better. If all else fails leave the area a few up from the keel and below the curve of the side until last. If you have to fill it in, fill it in a place where you can't see it when it's sitting on the shelf. Don't tell anybody I told you that, the perfectionists just fell off their chairs. Me I never make a mistake, that I can't hide.

I'm a big fan of @chris watton and Vanguard Models, I'm first in line (at least in my mind) for his shipwright version of HMS Flirt and already have HMS Speedy. I believe you chose wisely, not only because of the superb instructions but because Chris is a world class designer. AND he's on this forum so you can always ask the guy who designed or his ace master builder @James H any question.

Here's my modeling maxim: It won't all go perfect, mistakes are a part of the process. The best fun is to Adapt, Improvise, Overcome. Clint Eastwood borrowed that quote from me, no wait - I stole it from him. Have fun, power through any frustrating moments, get to the other side and enjoy your work.  That's my whole list of platitudes for the day, I'm all out now.

On 5/15/2020 at 12:45 AM, prototypep3 said:

plank bending techniques

Do a topic search on Chuck Passaro's plank bending and planking tutorial in general.  It's a game changer. I works great and is relatively easy to do once you get the hang of it. The only tool you need is a small travel iron.

40 minutes ago, trippwj said:

see how you handle some of the curves

I know what you mean, planking below the wales is always an adventure curving both in and down or up depending on how you look at it.  As I hope you'll see when I get there Chuck's bending method is even more mind blowing, I'll bend a board upward (in a 2D view) to get it to fit the inward bend of the bow. It doesn't look like it works until you lay the board on and then you go "wow."

9 hours ago, Chuck said:

It has some dips and needs to be a nice even curve

Thanks Chuck, I understand and good point.  I haven't touched the sheer yet, I plan to wait until the other side is done so I can even them both up at the same time. I'll run a board along the top with a level to make sure I don't get out of whack on one side. I left the top planks just a tad higher than the bulkhead extensions to make sure I had a little room to work with.

15 minutes ago, Jim T said:

apply a coat of Sanding Sealer before the first coat of Wipe On Poly

Interesting question Jim.  I don't know a lot about sanding sealer but the big thing about wipe on poly is how it's absorbed into the wood and brings out the color. Again I'm no expert but I think that poly is a form of sealer and putting on actual sealer before would defeat part of the purpose of the poly.  Perhaps the sealer, like gesso, is as a first step to painting?

It would be interesting to hear from anyone with more experience with sealer, I haven't used it myself.

Thanks Rusty!

The wow factor of a single light coat of wipe on poly (not even dry yet). While it serves to highlight where more sanding is needed (but I knew that) it certainly serves to demonstrate the Alaskan Yellow Cedar is pretty nice stuff.

I’ve finished Starboard above the wales. It’s very slow going measuring out each of the 4 planks (one just 1/16th, the others 5/32) between the ports to keep the 1/64th rabbet. I've only done preliminary sanding I don't need to go to far on that as yet.

I wish I could impart some sage wisdom on cutting these, but its just grinding it out with careful measure and cutting. More finely and carefully than I’ve ever had to do on any kit. I finally determined the best way for me is using my Veritas mini- chisels to cut the planks on carefully measured and marked lines using the sides as the ports to mark the angle from the in-board side.

I will have to build up the sill on port 3 by 1/64th. I have a plan, but it will keep until I thin out the bulwarks and before I put in the false deck, so a while from now. I’ve already tried it, it works. Still it’s pretty amazing to me with all that it took with aligning port sills and wales to the frame to get here that I was that close to being right. Once again I attribute it to the design, Chuck's great monograph, and some peaceful patience on my part (something I’m that good at). In case you missed it earlier, the green gaffer tape (a photographers best friend, it leaves no residue and is thicker than blue painters tape) is to protect the keel while the ship is in the Amati keel holder for working angles.

Wondering if I should I apply a coat of wipe-on poly to this completed side above the wales, or wait until later.  I’ve already lightly sanded parts of the stem and keel and plan to re-apply poly there after I’ve completed the above wales planking and stern before starting on planking below the wales. Any thoughts on the timing of the poly? I will be sanding it more later, just don’t want to over-sand at this point. This single planking stuff can cause some anxiety knowing what I see now is what I’ll always see…
 

Now on to port side…

1 hour ago, VTHokiEE said:

good block made at that scale

Chuck sells a 2.5mm block that will work for cannon rigging 

6 hours ago, DelF said:

I'm not sure about the training tackle, especially at 1:64 scale.

I did full rigging for Pegasus, Granado, and Pickle. While it is hard and scale is a challenge it is worth it. With as good a job as you’re doing on Speedy I think you’d later regret not doing it. I’m looking forward to it for Cheerful at 1:48. 

But no different than plans, they buy a superb model like Byrnes, then first reverse engineer it, then make it with cheaper parts and without R&D cost. Their primary fighter jet is a knockoff of a Russian one, they know no bounds. 

On 4/12/2020 at 8:48 PM, Bob Cleek said:

several Chinese rip-off clones of the Proxxon, MicroLux, and Byrnes saws,

Let’s not buy these. No different than buying ZHL models, it’s IP theft. Jim Byrnes shouldn’t lose money to Chinese knockoffs 

1 hour ago, vaddoc said:

If you had failures,

The failure was with a cheaper version of aliphatic glue, not CA or PVA.  I've used the same top brand of CA for my models for years, I've never ever had a failure. Some of my models are 20 years old at this point. I'm very comfortable with CA. 

15 minutes ago, KingDavid said:

So would you recommend  to stick to PVA or Aliphatic Resin when second planking is concerned

I use only CA for planking, no reason or desire to change there. I know there are many that use PVA for hull planking, I'm not one of them. I was thinking about the aliphatic more for the deck and deck furniture since it dries clear and doesn't seem to stain.

There is a difference between white PVA and Tite Bond, and even Tite Bond has three different formulas one of which I think is phatic I believe.  I'm looking for those that experience with AliPhatic and its best use (if there is one)

I've read a number of builders, particularly our English friends, using Aliphatic Glue. I thought I'd give it a try and just received some from my favorite English Model Shop, Cornwall Model Boats.

Any experience or observations on using Aliphatic glue vs. CA and Tite Bond beyond the obvious point about set up times?  I've always and will continue to use CA for planking, I'm comfortable with that just as I use Tite Bond for gluing bulkheads and frames. I'm wondering where, or if, Aliphatic Rapid Glue can improve my modeling perhaps for deck furniture or even deck planking? Does it hold up, is there some subtle advantage to it vs. others?

I tried another cheaper version of this type of glue for cleats on bulwarks only to find it didn't hold up to the tension of a rigging line.  

Just looking for thoughts, observations, and experience of my fellow MSWers...

Now use the airbrush to paint your mill and the mill to carve your initials in the airbrush 🤣😂

Seems like it would be a fun build. I’ll watch for it to be back in stock. 

Nice work on this, the level of detail is great. I'm thinking of adding it to my build list. 

Is the building board a part of the kit?

Thanks for the comments, I appreciate it. This model is a challenge for me, but it's a joy to watch as it comes together.

It’s starting to look like a ship. Every single plank takes time.

The good news is the time on the fairing was well spent. I’ve only lightly sanded so far, I’m going to wait until everything above the wales is complete for doing any serious sanding.

It’s going to take a really long time to finish above the wales. Not only maintaining the 1/64th rabbit on the sides of the ports, but also cutting the proper angles of each plank between the ports. Slow and careful.

Having finished the run below the ports on both sides I decided to give myself a little reward for the day by planking up the sheer at the stern. Right now there are two 1/16th strips in that run flush with the other planks. Later I’ll cut a fashion strip above both those, no idea how but I’ll figure it out then I guess.

So back to cutting properly angled lengths of planks in very precise lengths, 64 of them to be exact, well 60 more since I did that stern second to day.  I won’t complain about kit gunport patterns ever again.

I'm hoping this is how its supposed to look...

2 hours ago, chris watton said:

Yes, Ages of Sail

Congratulations on a new distributor, that’s great news!

5 hours ago, DelF said:

Admiral Cochrane is supervising

Yes, the admiral is always checking my work. He’s a little guy at 1:64th and thinks this 1:48 seems way too big for him. 😂

Completing the square tuck is the final step of building the ships skeleton. I was glad to learn the plan template as I cut it out from a sheet of 1/32 cedar fit with just a few adjustments. So far everything is standing up to being where it;s supposed to be.

The next step is planking the wales by first marking where then go. I started with the reference lines and then smoothed out the curve until it looked right.  I found that if something looked wavy I could just remove the nail at that point having placed ones to either side of it. Definitely don’t want a nail in every frame to allow it to flow. I took my time until I felt good about it then did the other side.

I love it when a plan comes together. Having done all that, I thought lets just check the distance between each port and the wales agains the plans. I used my millimeter ruler and I wasn’t just close, I was right on the distance - on both sides.  How the hell did that happen.  I have to attribute it to the design, I don’t think I’m near that good.

After painting the gun ports I started on the wales. I’ve never done a single planked ship before, really hoping I can get the planking tight enough so it doesn’t look like a sieve. I sort of wish the wood was long enough to have a single run for this lower layer of the wales, but I might as well get used to running short planks. I’ll be doing a lot of that from here on in. It took several hours to get one side done.

The small 1/16rh piece marks the lower edge of the ports and the distance to plank between that and the wales. I came pretty close to the goal of leaving a 1/64th rabbit above the piece - I never really thought about how small 1/64th is.  I used a piece of my batten, coincidently 1/64th thick as a bit of a tool to measure.

I’ve lightly sanded the stem and keel. I’ll put on another coat of wipe on poly later, no need at this point. I'm starting to think of posting smaller photos, these high quality large photos show too much 😕

Almost every step something I haven’t done before, it’s an adventure. Hoping it looks like it’s suppose to look…

I sort of like painting by hand. My airbrush work is limited to cannon and some PE. 
 

I have that problem with keeping the flow consistent, but don’t practice enough to fix that. 

On 6/3/2020 at 4:00 PM, Rustyj said:

temporally placed with rubber cement

I like your use of rubber cement to check things out, yet another of your practices I’ve stolen, I mean adopted. Beautiful work!

5 hours ago, DelF said:

I can't resist picking up your typos

Apparently I need either an editor or to turn off autocorrect OR I really did sand a rabbit 🐰