Elia

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 154 – Quarter Davits
 
It seems like a while since the last post.  Progress has been slowed by research, documentation and drafting for the rigging.  However, about a week ago the last of the four boats was completed and since then the quarter davits have been made and fitted.  The first picture shows the completed 22’ cutter that will be secured to the starboard davits.
 

 
The 6 sweeps were made from drawn bamboo flattened at one end.
 
The quarter davits were secured outside the hull just aft of the main channels.  The forward davits were supported by the channels.  The aft pair were held by iron brackets.  One of these and its bolt is shown in the next picture.
 

 
This is a top bracket – longer to account for the inward slope of the sides.  The lower brackets are shorter with a hole only in the top.  All were made from the brass rectangular section shown in the picture.  In the next picture a lower bracket is being installed.
 

 
The rails were mortised to fit these.  The next picture shows the top end of one of the davits in the lathe after cleanup of the solder and rounding of the top bearing.
 

 
The ends were fashioned by the method used for the poop handrail stanchions.  The next picture shows one of these shaped.
 

 
After cutting to size, this davit was fitted as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The next picture shows both starboard davits fitted with their hooks installed.
 

 
The last picture shows all four davits.
 

 
These will probably be blackened to simulate iron, but I have not decided.  They appear black in one of the photos.  I will probably put these into storage with the boat until later.  There is quite a bit of rigging to be installed along the rails that will best be done with maximum access.  The above picture shows a break in the belaying pins that extends almost the length of the boats.  Pins forward of the six at the forward end of the space will extend uninterrupted all the way to the cargo opening and virtually all will be used.  There were a lot of sails on one of these ships.  A half dozen square sails per mast, an equal number of studding sails on the forward masts, plus quite a few fore and aft sails.  While I do not intend to install sails, I do plan to install most of their rigging, excluding most of the studding sail rigging and other items like staysail sheets.  I expect access to be an issue.
 
Ed
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 153 – Ship’s Boats 9
 
Well, time is passing quickly and work on YA’s small boats has been going slowly – much too slowly for someone with my temperament, but the end is in sight.  I am sure that many, like me, will be glad to something new after all these small boat pictures.  This post should just about do it.  In the first picture, the last of the small boats, the 22’ cutter that will later hang from quarter davits, is getting its keelson installed.
 

 
Since this boat will be hung upright, the internals will be visible.  In the next picture some grating that will be used for a floor under the stern seats is being assembled on a spacing template.
 

 
The members of this grating are less than 1½” wide (.020”) on <3” spacing, made from Castelo.  The assembled section is shown below, before sizing and framing.
 

 
The grating was made, for the most part, as shown in earlier posts, or perhaps in Naiad posts, using the milling machine for precision and in this case to slit the milled strips without damage.  The grated flooring can be seen in the next picture where one of the thwarts is being installed.
 

 
In the next picture the boat is ready for painting. 
 

 
The missing wales will be added after both they and the hull are painted.  The next picture shows the almost completed boat.
 

 
All that remains is to add the lettering, the oars, the rudder and some iron hardware.
 
I have not been happy with the grated platforms at the helm, seen in earlier posts, so I took the opportunity to replace them with some grating of the smaller size, as shown in the last picture
 
.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 152 – Ship’s Boats 8
 
I am almost there with the boats and looking forward to getting on with something different.  In the last part the frames and keel assembly for the 22’ cutter were fitted to the plug.  This boat will hang from quarter davits on the finished model.  In the first picture the rabbet if the stem is being roughed out with a V-gouge.
 

 
In the next picture the rabbet is being pared out at the stern. 
 

 
This was followed by some filing and cutting of the rabbet along the keel.  The starboard garboard strake is being installed in the next picture.
 

 
Additional planking has been installed in the next picture and the last installed strake is being beveled at the stern.
 

 
The angle of the bevel becomes more perpendicular to the side at the ends of the boat to allow the lapstraked planking to blend flush at both ends.  The planks also need to be tapered to fit fairly and come out right at the top.  In the next picture the planking is complete except the the wale strake that will be fitted after painting.
 

 
After some cleanup and dressing the planking lines, the boat will be removed from the plug for internal work and finishing.  In the meantime the other boats have been completed and one of the longboats is shown chained down to the skid beams in the next picture.
 

 
The chains have been fitted with covering to protect the boats.  One end of the chain is hooked to an eyebolt and the other is lashed to another eyebolt on the other side.  In the next picture the boat on the port side has been secured and wood chocks have been installed on the beams to restrain movement of the boats.
 

 
The last picture shows the 25’ cutter temporarily in place and complete except for the rudder hinges.
 

 
This boat will be held in storage and secured later after rigging is belayed between it and the rail.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 151 – Ship’s Boats 7
 
Thank you for the comments and likes since the last post.  I am looking forward to completing the work on these small (3 to 4”) long boats!
 
After the last post I made some modifications to the 25’ clinker built cutter.  I took some advice from my good friend Druxey that the lapstrake planking needed to converge to a carvel form as it approached the stem and stern rabbets.  This is well illustrated in his posting on the Greenwich barge.  I applied a cosmetic fix to the installed planking as shown in the first picture to remove the overlapping at the ends.
 

 
The clinker style overlap at the rabbets would cause a complication in sealing and that is probably the reason for bringing the planks flush at those points.  Anyway, because of this, I decided to lapstrake the 4th boat using the correct process.  I had intended to make this carvel planked, but decided I needed to do one more clinker to fully understand the correct planking process.  The next picture shows another view of the current state of the first three boats.
 

 
You will notice that eyebolts have been installed in the skid beams and the boat sterns have been lettered.  The next picture shows the plug for the 4th boat, a 22’ cutter that will be suspended from the starboard quarter davits.
 

 
I reused the 25’ cutter plug as a starting point for this, hence the pinholes.  The plug has been primed in the picture – not very photogenic I’m afraid.  In the next picture the frames have been bent over the plug.
 

 
They of course need to be aligned.  The first step in securing them is shown in the next picture. 
 

 
A temporary guide and holding strip has been nailed to the plug over the frames at the boats topside height.  A hole for an additional nail is being drilled in the picture.  With the frames secured topside the stem piece is being fitted in the next picture.
 

 
This piece was then pinned to the plug and glued to the first few frames.  The keel was then fitted and glued to the frame floors as shown below.
 

 
The last step before planking was to add the stern deadwood as shown below.
 

 
This is glued to the keel.  The connections are all pretty fragile at this point, but the addition of the garboard strakes will strengthen it significantly. 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 150 – Ship’s Boats 6
 
In addition to the workhorse longboat(s), clippers carried smaller boats for convenience and for the safety of the crews.  Government regulations had begun to exist to aid in crew and passenger safety.  A variety of different types and sizes were used and it is most likely that boats on a given ship varied over time.  With Young America’s long, 30 year career I am sure there were replacements. I am still pondering the fourth boat, but the third is to be a 25 foot clinker built cutter that will rest inverted on the skid beams outside the longboat on the starboard side.  It is likely that the fourth boat – to be suspended from quarter davits - will be a somewhat smaller cutter.  So, on to the first cutter.
 
In the first picture, the sheer line at the top of the side is being scribed into the partially shaped pine plug.
 

 
The boat pattern can be seen pasted to the block.  This initial shape was formed using the disk sander.  In the next picture the plug has been fully shaped and the area below the topside given a coat of white shellac, sanded and well waxed.
 

 
The frames being formed in this picture are slightly smaller than the longboat frames.  They too, are pear and were left in water overnight before being placed as shown above.  They were about as flexible as string.  The process being used is the same as for the longboats, but thanks to the learning curve, it is still evolving and becoming more efficient.  In the next picture planking is well along.
 

 
Planking began after both halves of all the frames shown were fitted over the plug, the keel assembly installed on them and the topside guide strip nailed over the frames as shown above.  Frames at the ends were added later.
 
The clinker planking requires more work and care than the carvel planking used on the longboats.  First, because the planking lines will be very pronounced even after painting.  Also, the upper edges of each plank need to be beveled to bed the next plank, working up from the bottom.  The next picture shows the first step in that beveling using a paring chisel.
 

 
On the carvel hulls the planks were tapered at the ends to provide fair lines and to conform to the contraction of the planked area at the ends.  The same was done here before beveling the planks as shown above.  After the paring step, a flat file was used to smooth out the bevels along the plank.  The next planks were then overlapped and glued to both the plank above and the frames.  The next picture shows the topside plank above the wale being installed against the guide strip.
 

 
The next picture shows the planking nearing completion.
 

 
In the next picture, the boat has been removed from the plug and some internal members have been added.
 

 
As with the longboats, except for the unplanked boat, the internals are simplified on these upside-down boats.  The last picture shows the cutter in its position on the skid beams.
 

 
In this picture the boat has been given a first coat of white shellac primer, to be followed by the white acrylic.  The wales on this boat – and the one at the top – will then be installed.  The two longboats can then be secured, but this cutter will be left loose to provide access for rigging on the rail below, if needed.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 149 – Ship’s Boats 5
 
As longboat 1 was reaching completion, work progressed on #2.  In the first picture the port side is being planked.
 

 
The starboard side will be left unplanked, in frame.  At this size I am not able to layout the planking strakes or even use a planking gauge as described in earlier posts and in the posts on the POB model.  Instead, I install a full-width plank then trim its edges by eye so the planking lines will be fair and the last plank will just fit below the wale.  The next picture shows the first step in that trimming of an installed plank.
 

 
A paring chisel is being used to taper the plank.  This is followed by final fairing of the plank with a barette file as shown in the next picture.
 

 
Both these pictures show the half frames installed on the deadwood on the opposite side.  All the frames on that side will be left exposed.  The last picture shows the last plank below the wale being glued to the frames on the port side.
 

 
The boat is now ready for removal from the plug for final internal work.  In the next picture that has been done and the keelson is being glued to the frame floors.
 

 
In the next picture one of the bilge ceiling members is being glued to the frames.
 

 
The next picture shows the panel of grating below the stern seats and the supporting clamp for the seats on the near side. 
 

 
This will be the view of the framing and internals of this boat when it is mounted on the skid beams.  The open pear framing has been given an initial cleanup but more work is needed to remove glue remnants and polish up the woodwork.  Still to be added are seats and the mast step.  At this stage the port side of the boat was ready for painting.
 
The next picture shows both longboats positioned on the skid beams.
 

 
Only some minor work remains to be done on these before they can be tied down.  In the meantime work has been progressing on the first of the two cutters.
 
Ed

Thank you, everyone for the comments and likes.  I am running out of ways to express thanks.
 
Tom, I use a tripod and the 10 second timer on the camera.  This allows me to pose the picture, focus the camera and click the shutter, then return to work, stopping movement when the beeps accelerate before the shutter releases.  The tripod can be an annoyance since it is constantly present - and I have knocked it over once - at the cost of a new lens.  To support the books and the blog, I take between 150 and 300 photos per month.  I have taken 120 so far this month.   I also use them to critique the work and look for problems that the eye doesn't always see.  It is my constant companion - that and its battery charger.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 148 – Ship’s Boats 4
 
The last picture in Part 147 showed the top plank being glued on to longboat 1 with the channel wale inserted to provide a space for its later installation.  In the first picture the wale has been removed.
 

 
The frames may now be cut down to the top of the side and the boat removed from the plug.  The next picture shows the keelson being glued to the tops of the frame floors.
 

 
The longboats were pretty heavily constructed.  They were working boats that carried supplies or cargo and sometimes even an anchor. Ceiling stringers at the turn of the bilge can be seen in this picture as well as clamps to support the seats.  In the next picture a clamp at the wale height is being glued in after installation of the seats. 
 

 
I tried not to fuss too much with this interior work because the boats will be fixed to the skid beams inverted roughly in the position shown in the next picture.
 

 
The 25’ cutters were secured just outside of the longboats. I expect to tie down spare spars and lower studding sail booms between the longboats.  In this picture the outer planking of longboat 1 has been given a coat of white shellac as a sealer and that has been sanded smooth.  There will be a second shellac seal coat and sanding before the final white gloss acrylic finish.  The channel wales will be the same blue as the cabin roof.
 
All the pin rails visible in this picture have been fitted with their pins.  The blue masking tape was applied to stop the dropping of belaying pins into the hold.  In the next picture both the boat and the two wales have been painted and are ready for final assembly.
 

 
The last picture shows the boat placed on the skid beams.
 

 
Rudder hinges are still required.  Boats were also required to have the ship’s name lettered on the transom and bow.  This may be more than I can manage, but we’ll see.
 
Before mounting the boats I need to check for rigging clearance between the outer boats and the pin rail.  I believe all the lines that belay in the way of the boats go through shroud fairleads so there should be no problem, but it is worth a check.  It may be best to avoid securing these boats until rigging has been belayed below the boats.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 147 – Ship’s Boats 3
 
In the last part the frames were installed on the port side of the plug.  The first picture shows the starboard side framing in progress.
 

 
 
The frame strips were left to soak in water overnight, making them very flexible.  They were then brushed with glue where they would mate with the opposite frame and the keel and then pushed under the keel.  Each frame was then pinned down at both ends and sometimes in other places as shown in the picture.
 
The next picture shows the topside plank on the starboard side being installed against the nailed guide strip.
 

 
I intend to leave this side unplanked to show the framing, so only the wale below the top plank will be installed on this side.  On the other (port) side, the nailed guide strip and this top plank were also installed.  The next picture shows the keel rabbet being pared out on the port side to prepare for the garboard strake.
 

 
The rabbet at the deadwood and on the stem were pared out first with a V-gouge as shown in the picture.  These areas were then cleaned up and the remainder of the keel rabbet formed using the barette file shown in the next picture.
 

 
The garboard strake was then installed as shown below.
 

 
Back on the starboard side the channel wale was installed just below the top plank while glue was drying on the port side planking.
 

 
I mentioned earlier that all the work shown above was done on longboat two, the second to be made.  At the same time, work was proceeding on the first boat.  The next picture shows that boat fully planked below the channel wale on both sides.  The wale has been temporarily inserted so the top plank can be glued on.
 

 
As on the ship’s hull, boats will be painted, and the channel wales shown in a contrasting color, so they will be glued in after painting of both the hull and the wale to ensure a clean line.  In the next part I will pick up on work to finish longboat 1.
 
Ed
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 146 – Ship’s Boats 2
 
In the last part I had just begun bending frames over the longboat plug for the first of the two longboats, so I will continue from that point, but picking up with longboat 2 from that same point.  Longboat 1 is proceeding merrily along its way and I will catch up with that work later.  In the first picture all the square frames on the port side have been soaked in water, bent over the plug and clamped down with the pin clamps.
 

 
I found that soaking the .03” strips in water overnight was more than sufficient to make them flexible enough for this work.  They were just left soaking until needed.  Although pinned roughly in position these will be more accurately spaced at both the keel and the gunwale in later steps.  This is the same plug used on Longboat 1, as evidenced by the pinholes.
 
In the next picture the inside stem shape is being fitted to the bow of the plug.
 

 
This was a case of matching up and sanding until a good fit was obtained.  You may recall that the plug is shaped to the inside of the frames.  In the next picture the outer curve of the stem has been cut after fitting the inner edge and the stem is being glued to the keel.
 

 
This assembly was then glued to the frames as shown in the next picture.
 

 
As this was clamped down with pins through drilled holes, the frames were spaced at the keel by eye.  The upper ends are still doing their own thing.  In the next picture a deadwood is being glued to the keel under the aft end of the plug.
 

 
The next step was to bring the upper ends of the frames into line.  This was done by nailing a strip over them at the gunwale as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The lower edge of this strip (upper in the photo) corresponds to the top of the side.  This strip put enough pressure on the frames allow them to be aligned and spaced at the top.  Once this was done the uppermost hull plank could be glued to the frames.  This is shown in the last picture.
 

 
I used holly to plank the side.  The planks are about 1” thick and 4 or five inches wide.  The two longboats are carvel planked and will be painted.  Note that none of the starboard frames have been installed at this stage.  These will be slipped between the plug and the keel and glued to their partners along the frame floors.  Thus each frame will extend from the top of the side, over the keel and to the turn of the bilge on the opposite side.  This construction will be clearer in the next part.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 145 – Ship’s Boats 1
 
Well, it is time to take the plunge on Young America’s complement of boats.  I expect this to be a humbling experience in the presence of Druxey’s posts on his beautiful hospital barge and Michael Mott’s extraordinary boat work.  However, I see no way out.
 
There will be four boats, two 28’ (~4 ½”) longboats and two 25’ (~4 1/8”) cutters.  The longboats are carvel built, as is one of the cutters.  The other cutter is clinkered.  Fortunately for me, three of the four will be stowed upside down on the skid beams, and the fourth, one of the cutters – work quality permitting - will be stowed on the quarter davits.  I decided to start with one of the longboats.
 
In the first picture, drawings of the framing plan and sheer elevation have been pasted to a block of soft pine. 
 

 
I expect to use the plug made from this block on both longboats.  The first step was to shape bow and stern profiles as shown in the next picture.
 

 
Then the sides by the same method.
 

 
Lines were then scribed for the three station patterns that I used and for the top of the sides.  The marked plug and the three pattern pieces are shown in the next picture.
 

 
Pattern 2 is at the stern.  I did not make a pattern for the line between midship and the stern.  The patterns were taken at the inside of the frames.  The plug was then given a fair shape using the three patterns as guides.  In the next picture the midship shape is being checked after some initial planning and rasping.
 

 
In the next picture the stern profile pattern has been given a coat of pencil lead so high points can be located.  The pencil in the next picture is pointing to a high spot identified by the rubbed-off pencil lead.
 

 
Work continued on the plug using rasps, files and sandpaper until the patterned shape and symmetric fair lines were obtained.
 
The last picture shows the finished plug with the first of the two part frames curved and pinned in place.
 

 
The plug was first given two coats of sanding sealer and then waxed. It was then marked with the frame lines on both sides to serve as rough guides for frame placement.  Frames will eventually be spaced by eye when the keel and bulwark planks are added.  The frames are held in position by the planking clamps I used on the decks of the POB model.  The frames at this stage are about 2” (~.03”) square.  Their molded breadth will be downsized a bit as they are faired during the planking process.  The frame pieces were cut from straight-grained pieces of Swiss pear.  For the bending of these I experimented with soaking the strips in isopropanol overnight, then bending and clamping down as shown.  This worked satisfactorily, but perhaps more flexibility and less breakage would occur with boiling.  Framing will continue in the next part.
 
 
Ed
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 144 – Monkey Rail 2
 
Happy Valentines Day, everyone.
 
After making and polishing the rail stanchions holes were measured out and drilled in the center of the main rail and in most cases down into the toptimbers below.  The stanchions were then inserted into the holes for a depth check.  A single rail section for each side was then curved to match the poop profile.  The stanchions were then removed from their holes and threaded on to the rail in order.  The next picture shows the next step – epoxy gluing the stanchions into their holes.
 

 
The end of the rail was first inserted into the inverted U bracket at the stern.  All of the stanchions were then inserted into their holes, then lifted for gluing starting at the stern.  The clamps in the above picture are lightly pressing the stanchions down where needed until the epoxy sets.  The next picture shows the last stanchion on the starboard side being glued. 
 

 
The rail was crimped in the aft stanchion then touched with a drop of CA glue.  The others are free to move along the rail at this stage.  The forward end of the rail was bent to the athwartship direction at the foremost stanchion as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The stanchions along the breast beam were then glued into place with the rails inserted.  In the picture above, the glue has dried and a section of stair rail is being fitted into the lower ball on one of the stanchions at the top of the stair.  The next picture shows the stanchions loosely in place on the port side.
 

 
In this picture the port rail has been curved to shape and is ready for installation.  The last two pictures show the completed monkey rail.
 

 

 
This last picture was taken before final straightening of the stanchions on the near side.  Once everything was adjusted the top balls were crimped with pliers to hold them in place.  The rail is, of course, quite exposed and susceptible to damage by careless leaning or bumping.  I am trying to sensitize myself to this new problem.  The days of turning the model over and shaking it to remove debris are over.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 143 – Monkey Rail 1
 
The two surviving pictures of Young America again provided the basis for the brass rail design used on the model.  The rail is just discernable in the picture taken from the starboard quarter.  From this it is clear that it was not of heavy or ornamental wood construction and equally clear – at least to me and I am happy to say, Bill Crothers – that it was a single, slim rail.  By the way, it is also very clear from this picture that the poop deck is at the height of the main rail and not a few feet below as shown on some models – including the builder’s half model in the Smithsonian.  Either that, or the people standing on the deck were on well-hidden stilts.  I suspect that the need to have good height in the aft cabin area led to this feature being incorporated before actual construction, perhaps by the owners.  Anyway, based on the picture and Bill Crothers’ interpretation, I elected to incorporate a single brass rail about 3 feet above the deck supported by cylindrical brass stanchions.  These have a ball-shaped top to pass the rail, and flanges at the base that rest on the main rail.
 
The first picture shows the method used to cut both the top fittings and the lower flanges.
 

 
The cutting guide used on the skid beam stanchion flanges was used for this.  The picture actually shows one of the 2” thick flanges being cut off.  The tops were cut in 3” sections using the hole covered by the saw.  The next picture shows top pieces and stanchions almost ready to be soldered together.
 

 
The next picture shows the first step of the assembly with the tops silver soldered to the posts.
 

 
The soldering unfortunately softens the wire somewhat so straightening is required – initially and whenever I lean on the finished rail – a habit I am diligently trying to correct. The tops were then rounded off and polished in the lathe with files as shown below.
 

 
The next picture shows the addition of the lower flanges.
 

 
The wood guide was used to ensure uniform height to the posts – and of course the rail.  After setting the flanges at the correct height, these were soldered on.  The next picture shows the final finishing and polishing of one of the stanchions.
 

 
Chucking the complete stanchion assembly in this step was the reason for the excess length in the initial pieces.  After filing a fillet on the top of the flange and removing all traces of solder and scale, fine abrasive polishing sticks were used to bring up the luster of the brass.
 
Some special stanchion pieces were required and two types are shown in the next picture.
 

 
The stanchion at the top has two top fittings set at right angles.  These will be set at the head of the steps to the main deck to support both the athwartship rail sections on the breast beam and also the stair rails.  The lower piece was shown earlier in position at the stern.  I do not know the purpose of this higher section, but it serves as a convenient start point for installing the rails, as will be seen in the next post.
 
Ed

I love this boat! John

I supose it too late, but a tip for masking different colors is, Paint the water line, mask the waterline. repaint with the waterline color to seal the tape. Then leaving the tape in place paint the hull color. I was also thinking if its not too late, after you paint the deck grey. Use a pin wash of a darker grey to bring out the the plank lines. You may want to cut across the planks at appropriate places to simulate plank ends. BTW the hull looks really good. Bill

Sloopjohnb
Here are pic that should have been on my last post.
sideliner
 

It’s been a while since I posted my progress. I started this model back in November 2014, and yet according to my work log, I worked only a total of 170 hours on  it. So much for my determination at the time to complete it in one year… Over the winter, I built the deck furniture elements  and prepared the hull, waiting for warmer days to start the actual painting.
 
Well, I started the painting which has been so far and exercise in frustration. I usually use shellac to prime the wood and sand it with 400 grid sandpaper. I decided to use Badger modelflex marine paint and spray painting with my airbrush. I first applied a black coat, and then painted the  larger than desired yellow stripe, which I then masked with Testor 1/32th pinstripe masking tape. I then applied another coat of hull black paint. Removing the pinstripe tape was ok, but there was some black paint bleeding under the tape.
Then I marked the waterline and used electrical tape as masking tape before painting the bottom red copper. That’s when problems began. When I pulled the electrical tape, in some areas the black paint came along with it, leaving a mess along the water line. I believe the acrylic paint did not adhere well enough to the shellac substrate. I don’t recall having these problems with my previous models. I was using Floquill paint at the time, which may have been better quality.
Also, I forgot to burnish the tape also before applying it, which may have caused the problem, and maybe I should have waited a bit more for the black paint to cure before painting the hull red ( I waited 24 hours).
In any case, I will try to fix this, but It will not look great anymore. I have read –afterwards- on forums here that the Tamiya tape is the way to go.
 
Painting  the hull is always an exercise I dread, and with apparently good reasons. I don’t know if using Shellac in the first place is a good idea. I experimented some time back with Gesso, but I found it very difficult to sand. I wonder if other modelers are facing the same kind of issues. Also, I wonder if I would have the same issues, using enamel paint?
 
 

Well, it has been a very busy summer, but not for model building!
I finally find the time to go back to my Benjamin Latham build. I completed the deck planking, and after a bit more preparation, I'll start painting.
Here are a couple of pics from the deck planking final steps.
 

 
almost done!
 

 
I installed the thick pads for the mast and fifes rails. The thick pad for the windlass, I'll install after the deck is painted (lots of  masking tape in that area). 

Hello
After much thought, I have decided to post yet another Benjamen Latham build. There are many better builds than this, my 1st attempt at plank on bulkhead modeling. However I felt the need for some critique .
I will post photos of my progress to date with a minimum of comment. I have reached the dreaded transom build and am not sure if I am on the right track. I have studied the build logs posted here for this ship. They have all been very helpful. But as I said the transom is scaring me and I would appreciate any criticism and suggestions.
I like this kit because it gives more build info than others I have seen. Still it leaves a goodly bit to your discretion or imagination. The greatest thing is the knowledge I am accumulating while working through this build. For instance I found that scraping the hull planking with a exact o blade can give a much smoother surface than sanding. Especially since the basswood planks swell at different thicknesses when water soaked for bending. Again, this is my first build and I hesitate to comment too much in front of such experienced builders.
 
With respect to the transom, I am not sure if the transom angle is correct.  Also where does the main aft rail fit?  At the top of the bevel? Like most of the questions I've had on this model the answer became obvious as the build progressed.  The transom build does not seem to have a clear solution.

Thanks again to everyone for the compliments and likes. I will try to post more pics when I return next week from traveling on business.   No golf and no ship modeling for over a week,  the withdrawal systems are already cropping up!  
Allan

Thank you Omega, and to everyone for the "likes", it is very much appreciated.
 
Deck planking and bulwark stanchions came next.  Once the bulk of the deck planking was complete the stanchions were made and glued in place.  They are shown clearly on the isometric drawing so it was pretty clear on how they looked and were placed.  Deck filler pieces between the stanchions was a hassle, but time and patience work wonders.
 
Allan

Next up is the deck framing.  The mast steps were added before hand.  I did plank the trunk cabin  as I had considered furnishing it at that time. The lodging knees were only added where the deck planking was left off for viewing. 
Allan

Thanks folks.  Feels good to be working on Effie Druxey.  I have been researching 1719 Establishment 50's as well as quietly building the Gjoa for about 6 months as there was a deadline so I have not been totally idle in our model building arena. This is a fun build, but I am at an impasse on the Gloucester steering wheel.  My lathe is down and out until it gets replaced or repaired so I am looking for a good way to make one.  Even at 1/4" scale I have not found a solution to date. I am wide open to suggestions.   I just need to make one good one using  any materials that work then can make a mold and cast a few in pewter but so far all efforts have been rather poor.  As small as the metal ring is, I am looking at trying some stiff card stock and brass rod next. 
 
Allan

Thanks Patrick, fire away with any questions.
 
Scale of the build is 1/4" to the foot.  I inserted the L.O.C. drawings in TIFF format into Turbo Cad as they had the best resolution.  It was then easy to take the drawings up to full size with the CAD program using the scale on the drawings and then scale down to 1/48.
 
More photos from earlier on in the build follow.  The first is framed with keelson and deck clamps in place.  The second shows the hull planking partially sanded with a "window" to show the framing.   Planking is poplar.  The color of poplar can vary but as it was later painted, it was of no concern.  Some Plastic Wood filler was used before final sanding and painting, mainly at where the planks were not a perfect fit at the rabbet.  With painting, I did not feel the need to be quite as careful as I would normally be when I am not painting the hull. 
 
Allan

I know I've been gone for awhile. I don't have internet on my computer. Only internet I have is this little phone. I have been working on my Phantom though, just getting use to this phone so can get active on this site again.i Hope this works, lol. I also have the deck furniture built. I will post pictures of those as I install them, if this works out.