glbarlow

Thukydides has done a nice job of explaining this method. I’m an absolute believer in it being worth the time to learn above all others. It is a trial to learn but well worth the time. Once you sort it out you’ll always be able to do it and share with others how you did. In time you’ll become the teacher. The simplistic way to think about line a hull is this: The widest point of the hull determines the number of planks needed to run the length of the ship from stem to stern. First determine that with a tick strip measuring that length top to bottom, divided by the width of your planks. That number of full width planks won’t fit at the stem, and often won’t at the stern so the planks must be tapered. The requirement is when you’re done you’ll have the same number of planks at the stem as you have at midships, they’ll just be skinnier. This method tells you how skinny. Take a tick strip and measure the length of each bulkhead, place each one in turn on the planking fan aligned to the left edge and move it to where the right edges matches the line equal to the number of planks required at midships. Now you know how wide each plank has to be at each bulkhead, transfer those marks to the bulkhead as a guide and also use them to know where to taper your plank. The strip of tape marking each belt is hard because it’s not math, it’s art. It’s breaking up what I described above by dividing the hull into sections or belts to help keep you on track with your measurements by making smaller sections. For a small model you may not need it at all, for a medium size one belt will do, for a larger model maybe two or three. The art is to find the flow of the hull so the planking has a nice sweep, only by doing it and gaining experience will you learn how to get that line, or better yet looking at other build logs to see what they did. Check out my Cheerful build log to see some photos and text on how I did it. But know this, I removed and redid my planking multiple times until I got a result I liked. This technique works great, but it takes time to learn and it takes time to do. My advice is to stick with it. There are many ways to plank a ship, the only bad way is trying to merge and meld all those or skip from one to another based on other’s preferences. It can get confusing fast trying to abide by too much advice, well intentioned it might be (like the post below who seems not to have read anything above it). Stick with this one method. Good luck, hang in there. There will be that moment when it all becomes clear.

Do you have a Quad Hands or something similar? It’s essential to have an “assistant” or third hand when rigging. You mentioned the fishing lure knot, with the third hand you can strop or seize the block and the hook and do other the knots required to do a complete job of rigging. Click Here to see options for Quad Hands on Amazon, for me it’s an essential tool. I think you’re going to have to decide if model building is something you want to do. There are ways to do things that are done by lots of modelers, there are good and bad ways, simple and overly complex ones, but mostly just different ways to accomplish the same thing. Some posters get defensive thinking only their way is the right way, others just offer an opinion forgetting it is just their opinion and not gospel. Bottom line is through all of that you need to find what works for you and practice it until you’re comfortable doing it. A first model is just that, a first model.

Are you going to scrape your moldings, like the piece on the transom? It’s not that hard once you get the hang of it. Nice set of progress reports, great work.

The swivels are horribly out of scale, I left them off

I built a different version of Fair American, it’s a great ship to model. You can see it via the link in my signature if you’re interested. I have planked 10 models with CA, several are over 10 years old, it is more than strong enough and how you get planks to hold in the rabbit. You’ll find CA verses PVA an ongoing debate on this forum, I’m in the CA camp. I’d add not all CA glue is equal, common store brands aren’t the best for modeling, try Bob Smit Industries, you can find it on Amazon. I use CA for most things, White PVA for a lot of things, and Titebond only for the initial framing to answer your glue question earlier. You have struck on your own the process of Lining The Hull, good work on that. Chuck Passaro has a .pdf and some video tutorial on that and using heat for plank bending. It’s a good process and great that you basically discovered it on your own. The dividers mentioned are a good approach, I prefer tick strips, either way those and your approach the key is determining the taper needed to have a plank run stem to stern without fillers (no small feat). As Greg mentioned, though you’re past this now, the most important step in building a model is proper fairing, something many try to rush and pay the price later. Generally I work down instead of up on planking other than fitting the Garboard and and a couple of bottom planks. That way any sins I might have cover are hidden on the bottom of the hull and by paint below the waterline. From your posts it seems you are only single planking the hull? It looks like it’s lime or bass wood generally used as a first planking which is then covered by walnut (most common in kits) or some other thin veneer. If you’re going to stay with the one planking I’d highly recommend against tree nailing. More often than not it turns out bad, I’ve seen some really nice models turned ugly with the measles. I’d also recommend using Wipe On Poly on your hull, it’s a great look and will provide some definition between the planks. Just wipe it on generously the immediately wipe all you can back off for a nice Matt finish. I probably put 5 coats like than on my Cheerful with light sanding and several days of drying time between. You’re doing a great job on your first model. I’m on my 11th now and still learn something new and better from the generous people in this forum all the time. You’ve come to the right place, and sharing a build log is the best way to learn. Congratulations on your progress.

Two of my favorite models. The AVS was my first model, Fair American came later, I used it as an opportunity to “paint with wood”. Exotic woods were easier to obtain back then. Welcome back to modeling.

That’s what the blue and red say on the bottle. You can learn all about BSI here: https://bsi-inc.com/

Agree the best approach is first sand down the planking, you have a lot of thickness there you can remove. Then thin the wales as it nears the stem to be almost equal to the planking. This in fact is how the wales are done on my Cheerful by design if you want to see an example. For your next model: you should have started tapering the planks right away and not had those full width ones there (referring to where the dark ones start, not those above deck level). Lady Nelson is a good first model, but at least in mine (done as a refresher after a three year layoff) the materials were very shoddy. Your next Vanguard model will be more fun. Use LN had a learning platform and the give it to your son. 😁

There are only the three, plus an accelerator and an “un-cure” which comes in handy on occasion. https://www.amazon.com/Insta-Cure-Filling-Bob-Smith-Ind/dp/B0000DD1QQ/ref=sr_1_2?crid=195Q0ZL64R7G5&dchild=1&keywords=bob+smith+industries+insta-cure&qid=1630071114&sprefix=Smith+indu%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-2

Bob Smith Industries, I get mine from Amazon. They have three versions: thin, medium, and thick. I never use the thin and use the medium for 90% of what I do with CA.

That’s bold to split a bulkhead. Enjoying watching this develop.

I think you can safely update your signature line from “pre-ordered”. 😂 I’m trying to determine if your goal is to replace James for his highly inadequate (based on your log) instruction manual 🤣😂😅😂🤣

With this beautiful model I plan to do the same and agree with Mike’s call on not rigging the guns. I may include breaching ropes but that’s it. Now I get aligning all the guns, that will stand out so much more nicely without ropes all about.

Well done, very crisp attention to detail and outstanding craftsmanship!

On this forum I am confident reporting a negative comment using the report function (in the upper right corner of a post) will get that comment deleted by our moderators, and if it continues that person removed from MSW. If it’s in some other place I’m still confident our moderators will deal with it, just bring it to their attention via a direct message. I often say if I want negativity I can go to any Facebook political post, not here on MSW. Your work is excellent, your model of a type one seldom seen here. I enjoy reading how and with what tools others accomplish tasks, especially when it result in such nice results. Thanks for coming back to share it with us.

Way to hang in there, looking good.

You’re doing well. One log recommendation, break up the text with photos and the photos with text rather than long runs of texts. Makes it easier to track and for the reader to stay engaged. Good stuff, glad you’re learning so much so fast.

This is a beginning modeler trying to solve a simple task. Everything doesn’t need to go down long confusing trails of maritime history. Sometimes attaching a block on a mast is just attaching a block on a mast.

Thank your for the comment. I still chew through blades😁but quality chisels are an excellent investment.

Thanks for the comment. There is no comparison between the two, it’s a worthwhile investment.

I was reluctant to do this off ship fairing on Flirt so I went light. It does help to get things moving more quickly once back on the ship I found by having the basic introductory shape done off ship.

Wow, lots of complicated historical philosophizing here for such a simple question. Gregory has given you a lot of help. My Cheerful photos seem to hold up under micro photography but I can assure you at a normal viewing distance my “iron band” method, learned from Chuck Passaro btw, it definitely does. Crafty Sail is a good source of hooks, especially for the model your working on. An actual metal band would be hard to do on that mast and not worth the trouble. Your “fishing lure tie,” wraps around a looped line, inserted back through the loop and seized is exactly what’s used to ‘connect’ a hook to a rope. The block is in one loop, the eye of the hook through the other. There is a guy on YouTube, I don’t recall his name, that show how to do this. In fact a granny knot is another method, but use what you know how to do.

And it works quite well I might add. If you get the lathe I’d highly recommend the three jaw chuck accessory, it’s really all I use. This is a relatively inexpensive tool that more than pays for itself. I described my use of it in my Cheerful log, Derek taught me well. i never found the bed extension, turns out I didn’t need it.

You don’t seem to want the help offered. I did exactly what you’re asking about in my rigging of the masts on my Cheerful build. Seizing blocks is a common process in model building. Good luck in figuring it out.

Gregory and Rylan answer your question. Simply put, use black masking tape to simulate the iron band, drill a hole and insert a blackened eyelet to complete the simulation, seize a block to that eyelet using the method described in many logs. Pretty simple. If it’s the basic how to seize a block to an eyelet or a hook there are plenty of tutorials and step by step guides on this site as well as YouTube to see how it’s done.