vaddoc

Thank you both, I will certainly be asking for help very soon. There is no doubt that it is very difficult to get accurate results with just hand tools plus it is time consuming. I decided I needed a scroll saw and a disc sander. I bought the Dremel scroll saw but the disc sanders were just too expensive. The problem was solved when my neighbour gave me a jigsaw, an old single speed drill and a bag full of sand papers, I would make a homemade disc sander!

I put a cap on £15 in term of costs so I used whatever I had in the garage. The end result functions almost flawlessly. I had to find a way to reduce the speed but as this old drill has a universal motor it just needed a £1.5 rheostat. It has a 200 mm plate and it is not rally too noisy. Total cost was around £11.

I had to cut up the old lofting table though to reclaim the MDF. Serves it right for being inaccurate though.

The 3D program is amazing, I printed out the lines for the frames, the planks, the apron and the stem. The lap for the frames is now much better and the bevels are easily visible.  I arranged the pieces closely to minimise wood wasting as pear is expensive. The question is whether I ll be able to shape the wood accurately enough. I intend to use spray glue to attach the paper to the wood.

and ending up with all the frames, apron, keel and stem including bevels!

So I had to learn 3D design but it was definitely worth it. Starting with a few points...

Clearly the job call for better and more accurate lofting and an easier wood than lime. So far it has taken me some months to get to this stage but the decision is taken: Start again!

This time I plan to use a 3D program to design the frames, keel, planks, stem and false stem. I intend to use pear wood and also get some power tools. I have a better understanding of the plans now so I am optimistic that things will work out in the end!

So at last a nice picture: Pear wood is truly beautiful!

These are the frames erected and test fitting planks it is apparent that there are problems. The accuracy of the lofting is not adequate. The frames at 6 mm are too thick and bevelling is difficult. Furthermore, lime wood does not hold an edge well and the subtle corners of the frames get rounded immediately.

I am not happy though with the outcome. The lime wood I got seems to be from 2 very different trees so some pieces are uniform in colour and some are not. They also absorbed the tang oil differently and the end result is rather horrible. Also, I do not like the way I arranged the full lap for the frames. I might need to sand everything and paint all the frames. Anyway, its time to laminate the stem. 

I have some maple 1 mm thick which I intend to use. I built a rig and used epoxy thickened with talk. The images speak for them selves...disaster!

There clearly was too much pressure so the epoxy squeezed out. The strips were completely dry. So lesson learned: Strips need to be 0.5 mm, steam bent prior to fitting on the rig and the clamps not too tight!

According to the plans the frames can be half or full lap and need to be 4 mm thick. However the first frame I built was flexing a lot so I decided to increase the thickness to 6 mm. These are all the frames ready, as well as the Transom and the temporary mould at station 0 which later will be replaced with the cant frames. The dots are toothpicks I glued to increase the strength. The frames now are super rigid and finished with Tang oil.

I decided on a large 1:12 scale which I am sure will lead to difficulties but I really want a large model. I have no power tools and decided to use lime wood as it will be much easier to shape than the mahogany I used in the previous boat. It is also readily available and not expensive. 

The first step is lofting which I ve never done before. I did some reading and as Tad does not provide diagonals it should be a simpler job, although I suspect the accuracy will be difficult to check. So here it goes. Lots of calculations to turn inches to mm and then scale down!

Dear all, this is my second scratch built and I must admit I am reluctant to start a built log after the amazing builds I have seen in the forum. But then again there might be room for a complete amateur!

I feel much more attracted by the more modern elegant yachts and sailboats than the ships of the line and 18th century ships. There are too many boats I find stunning but I stumbled on the website of Tad Roberts, where I saw this sailboat which I liked and found interesting. Tad has also released the plans so I decided to give it a go. The design is quite unusual I think, it has plywood bottom with fibreglass sheathing and plank on frame for the sides. The frames are notched to accept the planks and it is designed for rowing as well. I am not sure if I am ready for this but we ll soon (or not too soon) find out. 

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