Elia

Painting...
 
After a month of painting, I'm getting close.
 
I finished the red on the lower hull last week.  Since I need to mask that off, I wanted to give it a good amount of time to fully cure so I don't damage the paint when I put tape on it.
 
After several coats of red, it started to look pretty good.
 

 
Once the tape came off, I was able to see the contrast between the white and red for the first time, and I'm pretty happy with it.  There are a few spots that need to be cleaned up manually with a brush, but I'm going to hold off until I get all the paint on, then do a pass to touch things up.
 

 
This morning I started in with the black.  I've masked off the red and the yellow stripe.  The first pass of black will paint between the white stripe and the yellow stripe.  Once this is done, I'll remove the masking above the yellow line, re-mask the yellow line, then paint the black between the yellow and the tops of the bulwarks.
 
I forget how quickly black goes on compared to other colors...even after two coats it is starting to look pretty good.
 

 
I probably have another week to go on painting.  My progress is slow on this because I can only get time to airbrush on the weekends, and I need time for paint to dry between coats.  This means I can typically only get a few coats in on a Saturday, and a few more on a Sunday.  Really looking forward to being done with this so I can get back to work!

Painting...
 
Nothing to see here, just painting.  It's been two weeks of painting, waiting, sanding, filling, waiting, sanding, painting, waiting...
 

 
The entire hull got primered with multiple coats (grey), alternated with tons of sanding and some additional filling.  Then I painted the waterways a light grey.  Those got masked off, and I painted the bulwarks and waterline with white.  I've also painted the yellow stripe.
 
Everything has been airbrushed, mostly because I'm horrible with a normal brush.
 
Just waiting for everything to fully cure so I'm comfortable putting tape over the white waterline area to mask off the lower hull for red paint.  This part always goes slow because I have to do airbrushing in the garage, so I have to coordinate with the wife to have both cars moved out.
 
Hopefully I'll be done within the next week.  Once all the paint is on I'll get some photos up and list out which paints/colors I used.
 
 

Jud,
 
    I strongly disagree.  I take Chris' original post for what it is, a warning.  I provide the same warning anytime I speak to a perspective modeler, whether it be at a club meeting or at our Ship Modeling booth at the county fair.  Most people don't realize how difficult building a wooden ship is and how many sub-skills need to be developed before you can do a bang up job on a complicated model. 
 
    As seasoned modelers, we owe it to them to give them reasonable advice. 

At the risk of stirring the pot further, I think some members are missing the point I intended to make. The original post wasn't aimed at modelers who have lost interest in a particular build but are still active in the hobby. Many of us have such models in limbo somewhere. Heck, I have three of them myself. The intended audience is brand-new potential builders, many who are entering the hobby with palpable enthusiasm, as evidenced by the following quotes culled from several dead build logs:
 
 
These folks chose the hobby after much consideration, were eager to get started, and hoped to continue beyond their first build. But they didn't. As I stated previously, these builders never got past the hull. Most of them barely got started, and most are now inactive. Is it possible they finished, but maybe didn't post progress for whatever reason? Sure - but you guys know as well as I do that that is unlikely.
 
The title of this thread says cautionary tale. That's really the purpose of the thread -- to get new modelers to stop, think about what ship they may be considering building, examine the abundant evidence of newbies attempting too much in a first-time project, and get them to seriously think about setting their sights a little lower. Perhaps even lower than a Sultana or AVS -- those are still pretty complex projects, even if they are marketed as beginner models. How many of those modelers might still be in the hobby if they had exercised some caution, backed away from the big three-masters, and started with a dinghy, longboat, or small sailboat? Am I saying that a newcomer can't try to tackle the ship of their dreams? Of course not. But they should know going in that if they do in fact finish it, they'll be a member of a very small club.

Jud, I think you misunderstand my motivation for starting this thread. I'm not trying to 'judge' anyone, and I'm not saying a beginner can't complete a complex model (we've all seen it done). But in the pages of MSW 2.0, its predecessor MSW 1.0, the old Dry Dock Models forum, and the anecdotal evidence provided by manufacturers, we have overwhelming evidence that newbies regularly attempt more model than they are capable of handling. We don't send first-time skiers to the black diamond runs, and we don't let first-year medical students do heart transplants -- the same principle applies to ship models: try something commensurate with one's skills. I'm really not trying to turn people away -- I'm trying to help them make a choice of first model that will increase their chance of staying in the hobby. Success breeds more success. And haven't we all read about the much-bemoaned demise of the hobby? Hundreds (quite literally) of people quitting their attempts at building certainly doesn't alleviate that problem.

Alfons,

I've only got a few sources of information pertaining to mackerel seine purse fishing. They are the following:

1. Smuggler model, plan sheets and instructions, by Blue Jacket Shipcrafters. Kit, plans and instructions were created by Eric A. R. Ronnberg, Jr. Excellent. No need to elaborate on this for you.

2. Benjamin W. Latham model, plan sheets and instructions, by Model Shipways. The principal plans and instructions were created by Eric A. R. Ronnberg, Jr. in 1973. Also excellent. The model plans were revised to a POB design by Ben Lankford in 1994. The plans include a sheet pertaining to the details of boats and equipment of seine purse fishing. The schooner was built in 1902, so it is about 25 years later on than Smuggler. There may be subtle differences in the seine equipment due to the difference in era - I don't know if differences exist or what specifically they might be. Similar to the Smuggler plan sheet the Ben Latham plan sheet includes plans for a dory and a seine boat. It also includes the following: (i) dip net detail, (ii) a dory scoop detail, (iii) kerosene lantern details [used for night fishing illumination], (iv) a splitting knife [tiny at 1/48 scale], (v) a mackerel plough [another knife, also tiny at 1/48 scale], (vi) a seine purse net weight, (vii) barrel details, (viii) splitting board details [a tray on which the fish were dressed], and the piece de resistance (ix) the seine purse net. The seine purse net is ~1400 feet long by ~140 feet deep. Obviously very difficult to model to scale - it might look like a giant pile of cheese cloth if I tried it. Bob Steinbrunn did a very nice job on a 'representative' seine purse on his Smuggler model, as seen in SIS last year.

3. Down to the Sea, The Fishing Schooners of Gloucester, by Joseph E. Garland. Probably my favorite book on these schooners and the Western Atlantic fisheries of the 1870s through 1920s. It covers the evolution of the fishing boats, the fleets, the technologies employed, and colors a pretty grand picture of the Gloucestermen and Canadians who fished the banks, from Georges out to the Grand Banks. Stories on the dangers and difficulties fill the pages, along with the fishermen's races, life as a fisherman, etc. The book has many black and white photos from which a myriad of details can be seen. There aren't any dimensioned drawings which a modeler could use, but the photos and descriptions are well worth the purchase price.

4. The American Fishing Schooners, by Howard I. Chapelle. The definitive volume on the (Western) Atlantic fishing schooners. Not a great deal on seine purse schooners or gear here, but always worth a look.

I hope some of these are of use to you.

Cheers,

Elia

Hull Details and Primer
 
Well, after a flurry of work, I'm running into one of my least favorite parts of a build...waiting for paint to dry.
 
This week I focused on a few remaining details that needed to be resolved before I could paint the hull.  
 
I was focused on figuring out the mooring chocks this week, which was complicated by my complete lack of knowledge about actual ships.  (Never been on one, or even seen one in person.)  With the help of the board, I got my head around the kit's plans, and went to work installing the kit's cast metal mooring chocks.  They turned out awful.  
 
I think the pieces were just too small to work well as cast pieces.  So I ripped them out and tried a different approach.  Based on some research, it seems like these would have been some metal pieces to allow mooring lines to pass through without damaging the hull.  At 1:64 scale, the inside of the mooring chocks isn't really visible, so I focused on what would be visible on the surfaces of the ship.  I ended up fashioning some 'faceplates' out of brass.  They are about the right size, and they have holes punched through them.  The punch I used gave a nice, smooth, rounded edge that looks like it goes into a tube.  I trimmed away some wood on the hull so these will sit flush with the bulwarks, then set them aside.  I'll install them after the hull is painted.
 
I also drilled out the hawse pipe holes, and drilled holes in the keel for mounting on the pedestals when I'm done.  (I didn't do that on my last ship, and had to flip the thing over after it was fully rigged to drill holes - learned my lesson).
 
So, it is on to painting.
 
I'll be airbrushing the hull.  I am horrible at painting with a normal brush, but airbrushing seems to give me a consistently good finish.  I'll start by applying a couple coats of primer to everything I need to paint (hull, bulwarks, waterways).  In between primer coats I'll be sanding and filling as necessary to get things smoothed out.  Once I've got everything primed, I'll start applying the actual colors.
 
So it begins...after a few hours of masking off the deck (and the tops of the bulwarks and stanchions), I'm off to the garage to start spraying on primer.
 
The next week will be slow.  Spray on a coat, wait a day, sand/fill, spray on a coat, wait a day...
 

 
 

Bulwark Stanchions
 
While I've been trying to figure out mooring chocks, I've also been working on the bulwark stanchions.
 
Looks like my bulwark planking had a nice uniform height, so I was able to cut all the stanchions for the fore deck based off one measurement.  I built a jig to hold the wood strip and help me get consistent cuts.
 

 
I cut the stanchions for the fore deck, and went to work gluing them in.  Since I had cut scruppers while planking, I had already done all the work to determine stanchion placement, so this went really fast.  It was just a matter of gluing each one in.
 
After getting some in place, I realized that the trimmed bulkhead extensions just weren't good enough to pass for stanchions. No amount of wood filler or shims were going to make these look right.
 

 
The bulkhead extensions really stand out.
 
So, I went to work cutting those out.  I bent a razor saw blade to help get a cut flush with the deck, then did sanding/filing as necessary to smooth things out.  (I think you can buy specially shaped blades for this, but I was doing the stanchions on a Sunday and all my local hobby shops were closed.)
 
On the quarter deck, I modified my jig to cut the shorter stanchions, removed the bulkhead extensions, and glued in the new stanchions.
 
I'm really happy with how it turned out.  They look pretty uniform and clean.
 

 

 
The whole process of installing stanchions took a full day, about 8 hours of work.
 
Now on to the hawse pipes, mounting holes in the keel and mooring chocks.  Then I think it will be time to primer the hull and see how all that planking turned out.

Good Afternoon everyone..
Another, day, another dollar... Very good progress made today; the hull is planked and ready for good ol' Elmer's Wood filler.  I'll apply that tomorrow and let it dry overnight so Wednesday is final sanding of the hull day.;  Hope all is well with everyone else.
Best,
Jerry

Hello Popeye...
 
Thanks for the good word...I did get  a little more done on the planking and will pictures later because my server isn't handling mail right now.  Have a great evening..
Jerry
 
P.S. Here are the pictures I promised...

Thanks again to everyone for your encouragement and likes.
 
So goes the treenails. I went with the popular consensus of the #2 pattern and so far looking good. After doing the small mockup I saw how easy it was to mess up on hole placement. I ended up drawing a grid on the hull and marking every single hole. I did each section, port and starboard, at the same time so everything would be symmetrical.
 

 
After I glued in a few hundred, then I'd clip off the extra length and move on to the next section. Once that phase was completed I followed up with a very sharp chisel, cutting the treenails flush with the planks. Then a light sand and follow up with a little wax. Now I move up to the deck.
 

Question for you Bluenose experts out there...
 
The plans call for mooring chocks to be installed near the stern.  They are mentioned only briefly in the instructions ("check the plans for their locations"), and not mentioned at all in the practicum.  I don't recall seeing them mentioned on any build logs that I've seen.  Cast metal pieces are provided in the kit for these, so it is definitely something I'd like to add.
 
From the plans, it looks like a space is cut out in the bulwarks, and a filler block is used to add some backing to mount the chock.  It looks like this ends up as a small recessed spot where the kit's metal mooring chock is attached.
 

 

 

 
Photos of the original Bluenose are scarce, but I think this one does show a small opening right about where these mooring chocks should be.  On the Bluenose II, I've seen photos of lines attached to that spot, but it isn't clear if the chock is recessed or surface mounted (and that detail could have changed between the Bluenose and Bluenose II).
 

 
It would seem like a small piece of the upper bulwark should be removed in that spot, a filler block should be added between the stanchions (but not full height, so it doesn't block the scruppers), and the mooring chock should be mounted into that block facing outward, but not extending beyond the outside of the hull.
 
Since I haven't noticed this detail on any build logs, I wanted to see if my interpretation of this detail seems correct before I start cutting out a spot for this.
 
Thoughts?

Deck Planking (Quarter Deck)
 
The quarter deck is planked!
 
I found the quarter deck to be a bit more challenging than the fore deck.  Both decks have nibbing, but the quarter deck requires that you taper most of the planks.  
 
I wanted to maintain the 'every 5' plank layout I used on the fore deck, but tapering complicates a bit.  In my build, the first 26 planks (13 each side of center) need to be tapered.  The practicum has a great tutorial on this, suggesting that you start the taper 6 inches from the stern.  Of course, this works best if you're using full-length strips, rather than scaled planks.  So, I decided to start will full strips, do the tapering, then cut the full strip into planks as needed.
 
This worked pretty well.  The ends at the stern varied in width a bit, so as I got close to the sides I had to start being really careful about the size I was tapering down to so that I ended up with the same number of planks on both sides.  Proportional dividers came in handy there.
 
The first few planks were a little 'special' and had to be carefully positioned and cut to create the right joints.
 

 
To help with cutting the taper (since I'd have to do that 26 times), I made a little jig to hold the plank and help mark the 6" spot for the taper to start.
 

 
(The odd shapes on the upper side of the jig aren't important - the piece of scrap wood I used to cut those had been used to cut out various pieces from my last build.  I was only interested in getting something glued down that would hold the plank in place.)
 
After a good bit of work, all the tapered planks were in place.  I had the same number of planks on each side (although they tapered to different widths).  
 

 
So, it was time to move on to the nibbed planks.  This was just like the fore deck, so it was very straight forward. I found this part to be much easier than the tapered planks.  There are also fewer nibbed planks than tapered planks, so it went pretty fast.
 
Right at the end, I found that I had a small gap.  It wasn't wide enough for a plank, but it was too wide to use filler.
 

 
I saw this before I glued in that last plank, so I had some options.  I decided to add some material to the plank to make it wider, then sand it down to fill the gap.
 

 
After some sanding and filing, I got a pretty good fit.
 

 
And then, I was done with the quarter deck!  I gave it a little sanding, and I'm pretty happy with the results.  It isn't perfect, but I don't think its too bad for first build with planked deck.
 
I will give it a good final sanding before I stain and seal the deck, which I'll probably do when I paint the hull, waterways and bulwarks.  But first I've got to deal with stanchions, hawse pipe holes, and the transom fashion piece...
 

 

 
 
 

Over the last few weeks I've worked on a few different things now that hull planking is finished.  I ended up going through the instructions and the entire practicum and listing out each step, then doing a pass on the plans to make sure I knew where each piece fit into the construction.  The instructions and practicum do many things differently, and in different orders, and I wanted to understand all the differences.  I ended up making my own plan of attack for the rest of the build.
 
Transom Framing
 
I started by framing out the transom at the stern.  The practicum takes a simpler approach, but I opted to frame it out per the instructions.  It wasn't hard or time consuming (aside from carving the transom tumble pieces), but I did end up getting glue everywhere.  At least this will all get planked over.
 

 
Knightheads and Hawse Timbers
 
Next I built out the knightheads and hawse timbers.  
 

Bulwark Planking and Scruppers
 
The next project was to finish up the planking by adding all the planks above the deck.  Before I did this, I spent some time cleaning up the bulkhead extensions above the deck that will form the stanchions.  I measured each one and sanded as necessary to get it squared up and to the right size.
 
Since my hull planking started at the deck line even with the waterway, I can add scruppers by cutting them into the bottom of the first plank above the deck.  I used a taller plank on the fore deck, and a narrower plank on the quarter deck so the tops of each scrupper plank line up.  The scrupper locations were measured and marked on the planks, then filed out using a needle file and a small jig to control the depth.
 
After these planks were installed, the thinner plank above the waist was added to complete the planking.
 

Transom Planking
 
Next up was planking the transom, both inside and outside.  (This photo is an 'in-progress' photo, the final trimmed and sanded transom looked much cleaner.)
 

 
With all that done, it was time to start planking the fore deck.
 
Deck Planking (Fore Deck)
 
I've seen some Bluenose builds that use full-length planks (each plank runs the length of the deck).  That's what the practicum seems to suggest.  Some rough math suggests those planks would be over 60' long.  I decided that I wanted to use shorter planks and experiment with planning a good layout for joints.  This is the first time I've planked a deck, so I want to get a little experience.
 
I read through the planking tutorial on the NRG site, and ended up spending an entire Saturday playing with different variations of 'every 5', ' every 4' and 'every 3' joint layouts.  The Bluenose has two wide planks at fixed locations near the bow  where the windlass sits.  I found that most deck planking layouts caused a joint to line up even with the joint required by one of these wide planks.  I ended up going with an 'every 5' layout.  This results in planks that are up to 45' feet long (which I think is way too long), but I felt it had the cleanest look of all the variations I tried and it avoided putting a plank joint right next to one of the wide planks.
 
This was also my first time nibbing.  That went pretty quick once I got the hang of it, although I did end up tossing a few planks and re-cutting them for a better fit.
 
The deck needs a little more sanding, and I'm going to hold off on any finishing (stain, poly, etc.) until I get the quarter deck done.
 

 
I'm fairly happy with the progress.  It's not perfect, but it is turning out better than my first ship!
 
 
 

Hello Grant.
I appreciate your visit and comments and can assure you time will be taken on this one.  I do hope you will keep visiting as progress is hopefully made as I value your criticism and ideas.  I did see the doctor this morning and she was very happy with surgical results so here I am, thank God, building another ship model.  I have attached the latest pictures of the little additional progress.
Best to you,
Jerry

Thanks Buck, Nils and for all the likes.
 
I finished up with the planking above the waterline as well as the planksheer on the fore and aft decks. Now comes the process of planking the decks. I took a bit of time also on getting the transom fine tuned a little better, it looked a little wonky.
 

Nice job of plankng.  A natural finnish will really show it off.  But I am partial to painting myself.  As I did on my model.
 
The model is a littlee rough at the moment because of neglect and my model being tossed into a box, but you can see the paint scheme I use for the the hull.



I will be very happy when I can get back to it and clean it up and repair the rough handling it has.
I have seen these models colored in wood and painted.  But the choice will be up to and what you are comfortable with
 
David B

Thanks Don, Mark and everyone for the likes.
 
Finished up with the planking below the waterline. Filled the cracks and gave it a light sanding, then a coat of wax for protection. The final finishing will be done later on.
 

Thank you Frank and Buck. I always enjoy hearing from a couple of master-craftsmen.
 
So I decided on these two woods(cherry and yellow poplar I think) and will split these on the waterline.
 

 
Got the keel/stem and stern post covered as well as a portion of the planking below the waterline.
 

 
More to come soon.
 

Well, it's been a while since I updated this build. I've made quite a bit of progress - the superstructure is now for all intents and purposes completed. With the exception of the whip antennas, which will be added at the appropriate time, I'm now concentrating on hull work. In addition, I've started slowely construction of a kit bash to produce an early 1940's (pre-war) USS PENNSYLVANIA (BB-38) using the Trumpeter 1:200 scale ARIZONA kit as the basis.
 
To continue with this build:
 
The kit hull is a disaster - both forward lower hull and after lower hull are misshaped from the git-go. So, a year or more ago I tackled the forward end adding styrene strips/putty as necessary to achieve a close resemblance to the proper shape. This is shown in the following photos. I have recently begun grinding work on the after hull to reduce down the incorrect shape to it's proper appearance. I am half way done with this having the basic shaping completed on the port side. I will continue the stbd side in June. For a while it looked like another modeler's 3D Modeling design might be a possibility as a replacement for the after 19" of the kit hull. This was not to be, so I came up with a less high tech, but fairly accurate method for hull shaping on my own. While another modeler did a POB replacement for offending areas of the after hull, I am taking a different approach and FILLING the hull interior with Bondo, allowing it to dry completely, then grinding the exterior down to shape using templates at the various hull stations according to the original ship's drawings.
 
The photos (in no order) - completed superstructure showing 5" gun mounts, lower after area modified, lower bow area modified, and another shot of the port side superstructure. My photos are small shots of specific areas, I don't have an overall superstructure on my flash drive.
 
Credits to other's involved, etc: The Mk. 37 and Mk. 56 FC Directors were products of Model_Monkey, 3D printed by Shapeways and available online in his store. He is a friend, fellow vet (USA) and modeler, and we are in cahoots on several other items for ship modelers - I helped his design of the Mk. 56 director. The 5"/38 dual gun mounts are also his products as the kit mounts are incorrect for this class of BB. The ship's ribbon board was a reduced size rendering for me by Mike Gaughan (Cliffy_B on SMF) of Virginia Beach who has a photo program to take and reduce photos to miniatures, retaining all the proper sizes and colors. He is also a volunteer on USS WISCONSIN in Norfolk, VA.  So, here are a few shots of the model:
 
 
 
 

Matt,
 
Very nice planking job. That looks great as isand should provide a very good base for your second planking.
 
Elia

Matt,
 
Very nice planking job. That looks great as isand should provide a very good base for your second planking.
 
Elia

Matt,
 
Very nice planking job. That looks great as isand should provide a very good base for your second planking.
 
Elia

Matt,
 
Very nice planking job. That looks great as isand should provide a very good base for your second planking.
 
Elia

Thanks Ken, Stubby, Sam and everyone for the likes and words of encouragement.
 
I know, I know...I broke the rules and used CA for the first planking. However, the lines of this ship are smooth and gradual. That, and making the planks more true to scale, made things so much easier.
 

 
Now I'm left with a very nice, smooth and flowing surface to double plank. I've been reading MS's book 'Planking the Built-up Ship Model', and I highly recommend it. Made my first stealers which turned out ok, except I should have done one more(note the sliver). But hey, that's what practice is for.
 

 
As I mentioned previously, instead of painting, I plan on leaving finished wood instead. I would like to use different materials to accentuate where these color changes are made. Next up, the decks.