vaddoc

So I had better make a start but firstly a big thank you to all of you who have engaged with this project thus far. I will try to be as enthusiastic as you all seem to be.
 
I have been collecting photographs and looking for plans of Cangarda on the net for about 8 months. It is fairly normal to find web photographs of restored classic yachts. Typically they are photographed in anchorages and photographs are also taken when they are sold or chartered. Unfortunately these photos are generally less than ideal for the typical modeller. For a start, much of the charter photography focuses on broad external overviews complemented by extensive detailed shots of the internal accommodation. The camera rarely points down at all those interesting deck fittings or up to the heavens where all that fascinating rigging resides.  Shots taken at anchorage (or in transit) are also generally less than ideal. They tend to be taken from too far away to get the detail and of course deck detail is generally obscured by the viewing angle. Sometimes as in Cangarda's case photographs of the restoration are available and these can be a useful resource. 
 
So far as plans are concerned, in Cangarda's case I was somewhat fortunate.  A paper to The Classic Yacht Symposium 2006 covering the early restoration of Cangarda contained 4 useful plans as follows:-
These plans while containing a lot of detail were contained within a PDF document and I struggled to find a way of extracting them while keeping the detail. The images posted above are screen shots and of course when these are blown up they pixelate and produce saw tooth line edges which aren't very useful.
 
Notably the plan information did not contain hull lines and at this stage this was the most significant obstacle to attempting a successful model build. What did give me some optimism was that I had found a lot of on line photographs of the hull fabrication. With these I had started to get a bit optimistic that I could use the available plans (above) with the general frame shapes to make a reasonable representation of the hull form. 
Interpreting the frames from the camera angle distorted images to generate the frame sections wasn't going to be easy but hey i was willing to give it a go.
I am always a bit reluctant to put upon people and this was probably the reason that I only recently contacted Jeff Rutherford whose boatyard undertook the restoration of Cangarda. I couldn't have been more delighted with his response. Jeff confirmed that
there were no lines originally and that the designer drew the profile of the bow and stern and the yard filled in the rest. The hull was then digitally scanned and the lines were retrospectively generated. Jeff put me in touch touch with Andy Davis of Tri Coastal Marine who supplied the "precious" hull lines drawing in PDF format together with a bonus reproduction of two of the plans from the 2006 paper.  The lines at this stage are not sufficiently detailed for modelling having only 11 abeam sections (5.5" spacing at 1:24 scale).  The hull of Cangarda is constructed on 86 frames all equally spaced at 18" full size or 3/4" at 1:24 scale. Only one of the cross sectional hull lines aligns with a frame (frame 75 at the ruder post) with all the others being set off from the frames by varying distances. I want the frames on the model to align with actual frames (I learned this lesson on Germania see note1 below) and so I need to do a lot of draughting to generate the frame drawings.  I have decided that I can get away with 43 frames for modelling purposes giving a frame spacing of 1.5".   I guess it is now time to get down to a few weeks of tedious draughting to generate the 43 frame drawings.   Note 1 - On Germania I didnt align the frames with the actual frame positions which became a problem when cutting the port holes (which invariably sit between frames) - some of which sat half on and half off the plywood frames - making for some very tricky drilling.    

Bob, I’m modelling her as she is now with her all welded “smooth” hull. As originally built she was constructed from riveted plates as can be seen in some of her early photos. My first thoughts on painting are. Plank her hull in mahogany and overpaint above the waterline in green to match her current finish. Below the waterline leave the hull as polished mahogany. But who knows what I will be thinking in a years time☹️.

Bob - I thought that but then had a look at the photos I had of her since launch. Only one or two show the stern with any clarity but I can't see a hailing port on any of them. 


The second image is August 2021.
 
 

NRG Member  148 Location Belfast, Maine #2379    Posted Monday at 05:23 PM Keith,
I got some more photos of Cangarda today.  Slight rain and overcast.
I put in a request to get aboard to take more photos, hope to hear back sometime today or tomorrow.
Note that the discharge pipes are not symmetrical port to starboard.

I spent quite a bit of time redoing the planking belts taking into consideration the advice from the posts by Chuck and Glenn in responses to my original attempt at lining the hull. Chuck had noted that my original layout was incorrect and so I paid particular attention to the red lines he superimposed onto the photo of my original layout of the belts. I tried 2 belts also as Glenn had suggested to see what that would be like and I preferred 3 belts. Three belts helped me visualize the flow of the belts better but I think that's simply a personal preference and some would prefer 2 belts.
 
I erased my previous tick marks and started over by marking the widest bulkheads, #7 and #8. The planks are 5 mm wide and the those 2 bulkheads are 78 mm wide so, starting at the bottom of the gunport patterns, there will be 15 planks total (14 planks at 5 mm wide plus a garboard plank that is 8 mm wide) and I marked those 2 bulkheads accordingly.
 
I used 1/16" black chart tape to divide the hull into 3 belts. The chart tape is frustrating to use because it doesn't stick well to the bulkheads and it kept popping loose requiring me to readjust often. I ended up putting Scotch tape on the ends of the tape at the bow and stern to help hold the lines in place. I need to find some narrow tape that sticks better...maybe there is some very narrow making tape...?
 
I started placing the tape at 5 tics down from the bottom of the gunport patterns on bulkheads 7 and 8 with the upper edge of the tape at the 5th tick mark and laid out that belt. Once the first belt was in place, I dropped down another 5 tics and did the same. Now I had 3 belts. I tried to approximate the lines Chuck had recommended to make the 3 belts and then I viewed them from different angles and made more adjustments. I also used the sheer as a reference as Glenn had suggested. Finally, I marked the top edges of the tape on all of the other bulkheads.
 
Next up, I'll need to use tic strips to measure the width of each section on each bulkhead. Then I'll lay each tic strip on a planking fan to determine the width of each plank in that section and transfer those marks to the appropriate bulkhead. I'll do this for all the bulkheads in each of the 3 belts. Once done, the tic marks will define the width of each plank at every bulkhead.
 
Here's several views of what the belts look like from different angles. I think they are better but... 🤞
 

 

 

 

 
I do have a question about the planking process itself. Is it preferable to plank the first belt on one side and then plank the first belt on the other or is it okay to plank and entire side and then plank the other side?
 
I'm trying to go slow and understand what I'm doing so I hope my snail's pace isn't boring everyone out of their minds!
 
Cheers!

One of my goals building this model was to try and learn how to plank the hull using Chuck's method of lining off the hull and edge bending the planks and, although this is a double planked model, I thought it would be wise to practice on the first planking. It would be easier and much faster to simply plank the hull by tapering the planks where they overlap the previous plank as suggested in the instructions. Certainly, James H did a fine job of planking the prototype this way.
 
However, some of the planking I've seen on the Cheerful and the Winnie are stunning and Chuck really encourages builders to learn this method. I also love the look of the boxwood planks and I'm seriously thinking of leaving the hull natural without painting it so I'd like for the second planking to be quite good. Of course, if I make a mess of it, I'll be filling and sanding and painting like crazy!
 
I will say this though. I've watched Chuck's planking videos, read some Cheerful and Winnie logs and I've read the planking tutorials in the MSW data base and I'm still not sure I understand it completely. At any rate, it's time to give it a try. I'll be tiptoeing along so this is going to be slow.
 
The widest, middle bulkheads are 78 mm long from the bottom of the gunport patterns to the false keel. The boxwood planks are 5 mm wide so I will need 14 planks at 5 mm and a garboard plank at 8 mm wide. I used a tick strip to mark these measurements on bulkheads 7 to 10 since they are all 78 mm. 
 
I decided to divide the hull into 3 belts of 5 planks each. I thought having just 2 belts: one with 7 planks and one with 8 but I went with 3. I'm not really sure how you decide how many belts you should have though. I also saw that Chuck has a drop plank at the bow of the Cheerful and the Winnie but I'm not sure how you know whether you need a drop plank either. My guess is that it may be necessary so the planks don't get too narrow at the bow.
 
I took some 1/8" chart tape to divide the hull into 3 belts. It doesn't stick very well to the wood so I Scotch taped the ends once I thought I had a fair run of the tape.
 
Again, I'm not really sure how you determine when you have the tape placed correctly. I just started it in the middle with the upper edge of the tape touching the tick marks 5 planks down from the gunport patterns on the 4 middle bulkheads and I tried to lay it down in a fair run to the bow and stern. I also tried to not make the first strake so narrow at the bow that the planks would be tapered too thin there. I looked at it from different angles and made adjustments to the tape until it looked like it was running fair.
 
Am I going about it correctly? I really don't know. I'm in unknown waters here... 🤔 
 
Tomorrow I will use a planking fan and a tick strip to mark the remaining frames and then line off the port side.
 

 

 

 
Thanks for looking in everyone and thanks for the comments and likes. Cheers!
 

The next step was to add the stem and the bulwark patterns (or gunport patterns) and, like many other Flirt and Speedy builders whose logs I have read, I found this step to be challenging. They say "all is well that ends well" and, fortunately, in the end, I think all is well. 🤞
 
However, it didn't come without lots of fiddly fitting and bewilderment when trying to to get them to conform properly to the bulkheads. Oh, and I continued my penchant for breaking fragile parts and repairing them as you will see below. 🙄
 
I started off by scoring the bulkhead tabs that are to be removed later. I had read in gbarlow's log that this can help with their removal but to only score them "lightly."
 

 
The birch plywood is quite hard and I thought bulkhead tabs might be tough to remove cleanly and so I got a little overzealous with the scoring. Consequently, I broke a couple of them later as I was pressing the pattern up against them. I was able to scrabble together a fix by adding two small support pieces on each side of the tabs and glue them in alignment as best I could. I had trouble getting them to set firmly with PVA so I used some CA and sprayed it with Insta-Cure while holding them in position and this locked them tightly in place.
 
This photo below was taken before I sanded the repaired tabs flush with the edge of the deck:
 

 
I soaked the patterns in hot water for 30 minutes to make them more pliable and I used a blow dryer to dry them in place to conform with curve of the bulkheads and with slight upward twist towards the bow as best I could. I was able to get them shaped as seen below:
 

 
Now the fun began! Try as I might, I couldn't get the pattern to stay in the stem and follow the tops of the bulkhead tabs while laying firmly against them. When the pattern was seated tightly in the stem, it would stick up over the tops of the tabs as it ran aft. When I pushed it down so that the aft end was flush with the top of the bulkhead 9 tab, it would pop out of the stem.
 
Then, just to add a bit more complexity to this juggling act, there were gaps under the pattern at the forward bulkheads 3, 4 and 5. You can edge bend a plank to conform to this area but you can not edge bend these wide patterns. At this point, I was second guessing myself thinking that I had messed up the fairing because of the gaps.
 
Then I went back and looked at the Flirt and Speedy logs hoping to gain some tips on how to manage this step. I was relieved to read in one log where James H had had replied that he had some gaps under the patterns also and that there was no need to worry about it too much since the problem would be taken care of by the width of the double planking and some sanding. I also noted that the manual says to align the patterns "as closely as you can with the tip of the bulkhead tabs." So the patterns didn't need to be perfectly flush with the tops of all the tabs either.
 
It was a relief to know that the gaps under the bulkheads 3, 4 and 5 were manageable and the alignment of the patterns with the tips of the tabs didn't have to be perfect so I continued on.
 
It took a lot of fidgeting and making adjustments while gluing and clamping. Once I got all of the clamps on and a rubber band around the stern counter, I decided to nail the bottom of the patterns to help close the gaps. The nails that come with the kit a very tiny and, without pre-drilling pilot holes, they would bend when I tried to tap them into the tough birch plywood. So I used some slightly fatter nails that I had and they worked well. I had to drive some of the nails all the way in and others were left partially out. I ended up removing some, cutting others off flush and then sanded them flush with the patterns.
 

 

 
You can see the small indentations around some of the nails after I cut them off but they won't be a problem since the whole area will be planked. I filed them down until the whole pattern felt completely smooth.
 

 
The patterns extended about 3 mm beyond the counter at the stern so I sanded them flush with the counter. 
 

 

 
I had a slight amount of waviness where the patterns bend more sharply at the bow. I had read where these could be "ironed" out by using a travel iron. So I took my iron, dabbed some water on the problem areas and, voilà, the waviness pretty much disappeared!
 
This was a very challenging step for me and it tested my confidence about what I was doing but, in the end, I'm happy with the results. The patterns run smoothly and the port and starboard sides appear symmetrical to each other to my eye.
 

 

 
I'm glad to have finished this part of the build and I'm really looking forward to start the planking. I want to learn how to do the planking by lining of the hull to determine the shape of the planks.  Now if I can only stop breaking things...I'm up to 6 now! 😏
 
As always, thanks to everyone for taking a look and for the comments and likes. Always much appreciated! 
 
Cheers!
 
 

It was a beautiful day here in Sacramento today so I pulled up a yard chair, put on my shop apron, grabbed my soft sanders and began fairing the hull. I actually enjoy sanding and shaping just about anything and I really enjoyed the whole process today. It took me 5+ hours of sanding and constantly checking my progress with a thin batten until I decided I was done.
 
The run looks fair everywhere I lay the batten spanning 3-4 bulkheads at a time with no noticeable bumps or dips and with the batten making good contact with the bulkheads. Of course the bow and stern areas took much more time. I find the most difficult area to fair is from about bulkhead 4 to the bow where the curve is more severe. It took quite a bit of sanding in that area until I was happy with it. The stern area from bulkheads 13 to 16 also requires more attention. I found my round and curved soft sanders worked really well in that area.
 
I tapered the false keel where the stern post will be added to about 2 mm in width along with the deadwood area from bulkhead 13 to the stern.
 
One thing I did notice while I was fairing is that there was a bulge in the deck near bulkhead 6. On closer inspection, I could see that the deck was not seated into the notch in the bulkhead. I tried to press it down but it wouldn't budge because the of dried PVA glue in the gap between the deck and the deck beam. Luckily, I was able to take a scalpel and clear out the dried up glue and then snap the deck down into the notch. I'm getting pretty good at fixing my mistakes! 
 
Next up are adding the bulwark patterns which everyone seems to "fun" with! 😏
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Thanks for coming by everyone. Cheers!
 
 
 

Well, it's been an interesting 2 days. I've made some progress but it hasn't been without some hiccups and one major disaster. Read on to see how things went a little haywire and how I think I managed to bail myself out and, yes, it's ok to roll your eyes! After today, I may need to rename my build log "A Comedy of Errors and Repairs." 🤣
 
First off, I added the little door to the sub deck and used a cut off pin for the door knob. Then I gave the deck and door a single coat of satin WOP.
 

 
Next up was to add bulkheads 2 and 3 and the 4 bow pattern pieces. The manual suggest beveling these pieces before installing them. I've always just shaped the bulkheads when I fair the hull so I was hesitant to do this but I decided to try it. I used my new Proxxon rotary tool with the Proxxon Flex-Shaft attached to it. I really like this tool. It has a nice variable speed dial and the Flex-Shaft is so much more comfortable to hold rather than the bulky rotary tool itself.
 

 
Now here's where I began to get ahead of myself by not thoroughly reading ahead in the instructions. I was relying too much on the great photos in the manual. The first photo below is from the manual and it shows the beveled Bow and Stern Patterns 19, 20, and 21. The second photo is also from the manual and it shows that pattern 19 is placed between bulkhead 2 and 3 and pattern 20 goes between bulkhead 3 and 4.
 
However, there are 3 arrows in the photo and one of them is pointing to the space forward of bulkhead 2 and 3. I simply assumed that the arrow meant that pattern piece 21 would go there (i.e. 19, 20 and then 21 where the arrow was pointing). 
 
Wrong! Pattern 21 goes between bulkheads 14 and 15 near the stern which is actually shown in the next photo in the manual but I didn't read ahead. The arrow that points to the space ahead of bulkhead 2 should not be in the photo but I could have avoided the error by reading more carefully. 
 
After I realized what I had done, a little bell went off in my head where I thought I had read about this same error somewhere before. So I checked out the other Flirt build logs and, sure enough, Glenn (gbarlow) did exactly the same thing when he was building his Flirt. I had read about it some time ago but had forgotten about it. Hilarious! Glenn and I must think alike! 😂
 

 

 
Here's a photo of pattern 21 wrongly glued ahead of bulkhead 2. It won't cause a problem being there.
 

 
Bulkheads 14 and 15 were very loose so I used my machinist blocks to square them up to the false keel.
 

 
The very last bulkhead #16 was very loose so I took my time eyeballing it and using a narrow, 90 degree angle square to line it up perpendicular to the false keel. This was a bit tricky but I think I got it squared up pretty well. The tops of bulkheads 14, 15 and 16 also need to be sanded quite a bit so they are level with the top of the false keel. I think I may have needed to sand it even a bit more but it looked and felt level so I stopped. I'm always afraid of sanding too much.
 

 

 
Having glued pattern 21 in the wrong place simply meant that I needed to make a new set from the same parts sheet. I cut the new patterns with my razor saw and glued them in the right place between the stern bulkheads 14 and 15.
 

 
I went out of sequence from the manual a little and waited until I had all the bulkheads and patterns installed before I added the deck beams, the upper deck longitudinal support and the stern frame patterns which are very fragile. I took my time with these parts as nearly all of them required some sanding to get them to fit properly and I still managed to snap one of the stern patterns when my elbow hit it while I was adjusting one of the deck beams. The tolerances between the these pieces and the slots are very tight. I was able to carefully glue the stern pattern back together also.
 

 
Adding the main deck is when things really began to get crazy! The 2 mm birch plywood main deck is an extremely tight fit. I tried to test fit it but I was afraid I would never be able to get it off in order to glue it down. I tried to check the spacing of the bulkheads and the slots in the in it also as best I could and then proceeded to put glue on all the supports. Even though I used regular PVA for this, I knew I needed to work fairly quickly since there's a lot of notches in the bulkheads to get lined up right and to get the deck to sit down properly.
 
Try as I might by flexing the deck until I thought it was going to break, I couldn't get it to seat properly and I had a bulge in the middle. So I kept wresting with it by pushing down between the bulkheads. I even tried to get it off but it wasn't cooperating so I just keep at it. Little by little and with a bunch of frightening snaps and pops, it began to seat better but it was still not seated down flush to all of the deck beams and was not all the way into the notches in the bulkheads.
 
Then disaster struck. I was holding the model in my lap and still working on getting it to seat when it slipped. The stern bumped into my forearm and all of the fragile stern frame patterns broke off!  After a few choice words, I realized that if I didn't get the deck to seat properly, the model would pretty much be ruined so I focused my attention on manipulating the deck and finally I got it to seat.
 
All I can say is that the deck is an astonishingly tight fit and that it was really difficult to finally get it to seat properly. I'm not sure how I could have done it any different given how tight it was. I wonder if anyone else has had this problem?
 
Now I needed to see if I could repair the stern frame patterns. Fortunately, I was able to correctly match the broken off pieces with their mates when I looked at them closely under magnification. So, little by little with PVA, thin CA and a lot of patience, I was able to get them glued back together and properly aligned...I think! Fingers crossed!🤞
 

 

 

 
So there you have it folks. Another adventurous day of errors and repairs in Bob's shipyard. You'll certainly be able to learn a lot about "what not to do" here!
 
So stay tuned, there's probably more bloopers to come! 😂
 
Thanks for stopping by. Cheers!
 

Hello and welcome to my build log of the HMS Flirt by Vanguard Models. I've decided to start building the Flirt in addition to my current build of the Pen Duick after a significant hiatus from doing any ship modeling as I grappled with the vague and confusing, instructions by Artesania Latina. At this point, I just need to build something that has excellent instructions, great materials and is historically authentic and the Flirt fits that bill for me.
 
My goal to improve my overall modeling skills while taking my time to slow down and carefully execute each step without rushing the process. I want to thoroughly understand what I'm doing before I do it especially when it comes to fairing and planking the hull. I will be using Chuck's method of planking for lining the hull, shaping and bending the planks. Those who use this method well end up with beautifully planked hulls and it's time for me to learn it too. Finally, I plan to simply have fun and enjoy the journey without getting overly perfectionistic. I can get obsessive about the smallest details at times and I have found that there's a point at which I need to say "enough" at continue forward. 
 
Of course, I will be relying heavily upon the expertise of other modelers whose work I admire here on the forum such as gbarlow, DelF, Blue Ensign, Hollowneck,  desalgu, WalrusGuy, Moonbug, gjdale, James H and many others.
 
So here we go. I will be building the Master Shipwright Edition of the Flirt. I chose this edition particularly because of the extensive use of boxwood rather than pear wood which is used in the standard version . I've heard ship modelers sing the praises of boxwood over the years but I've never used it before and have wanted to see what it like compared to woods like yellow cedar and pear which I like very much.
 

 
The false keel and the bulkheads are birch plywood which is very smooth and quite hard and the laser cutting is excellent. The cuts are extremely accurate with minimal laser burn. 
 
The first step was to add bulkheads 4 -13 to the false keel. Bulkhead 4 had a little wobble in it and bulkheads 10 - 12 were quite loose so I used my machinist blocks to insure they were all accurately perpendicular to the false keel. I primarily use Titebond Thick & Quick glue which sets up faster than regular Titebond but still gives me plenty of time to make adjustments as needed. It also doesn't run down vertical surfaces.
 

 

 

 
I added the scribed lower deck next. These fit very snuggly and I'm glad that I practiced test fitting them first before gluing so I could see how they click into place with a careful amount of pressure. Lastly, I used regular Titebond to brush glue on all the joints which makes for a very solid frame at this point.
 

 
 
Many thanks to everyone for stopping by and taking a look. Your comments and advice will always most welcome.
 
Cheers!
  
 
 
  

Dear all
 
The boat is finished! 
 
After a lot of head scratching I ended up with a solution for the davit sockets that looks reasonable. The davit it self was also quite challenging to make but I think it came out fine.

Last thing to do was to install the thole pins and the cleats.
I still need to take some proper photos, make some type of cradle and order a display case. I think it is also appropriate to order the print from the National Maritime Museum or place some compact version of these plans within the case - we ll see.









This has been a very enjoyable build and I certainly learned a lot. In future I will post pictures in the gallery.
 
In the mean time however, there is another hull that has been gathering dust waiting patiently to come back into the shipyard. I do hope you will join for the Chapelle's fishing launch. 
 
I regret I have not been able to keep up with many logs I had been following - This is a period that life demands too much from me!
 
My deepest thanks for your company and support in this journey
 
Vaddoc

Dear all
 
The boat is finished! 
 
After a lot of head scratching I ended up with a solution for the davit sockets that looks reasonable. The davit it self was also quite challenging to make but I think it came out fine.

Last thing to do was to install the thole pins and the cleats.
I still need to take some proper photos, make some type of cradle and order a display case. I think it is also appropriate to order the print from the National Maritime Museum or place some compact version of these plans within the case - we ll see.









This has been a very enjoyable build and I certainly learned a lot. In future I will post pictures in the gallery.
 
In the mean time however, there is another hull that has been gathering dust waiting patiently to come back into the shipyard. I do hope you will join for the Chapelle's fishing launch. 
 
I regret I have not been able to keep up with many logs I had been following - This is a period that life demands too much from me!
 
My deepest thanks for your company and support in this journey
 
Vaddoc

Dear all
 
The boat is finished! 
 
After a lot of head scratching I ended up with a solution for the davit sockets that looks reasonable. The davit it self was also quite challenging to make but I think it came out fine.

Last thing to do was to install the thole pins and the cleats.
I still need to take some proper photos, make some type of cradle and order a display case. I think it is also appropriate to order the print from the National Maritime Museum or place some compact version of these plans within the case - we ll see.









This has been a very enjoyable build and I certainly learned a lot. In future I will post pictures in the gallery.
 
In the mean time however, there is another hull that has been gathering dust waiting patiently to come back into the shipyard. I do hope you will join for the Chapelle's fishing launch. 
 
I regret I have not been able to keep up with many logs I had been following - This is a period that life demands too much from me!
 
My deepest thanks for your company and support in this journey
 
Vaddoc

Looking good Vaddoc 🙂
 

I d suggest experimenting with both. There are pros and cons.
 
Enamels have far, far better coverage and are far tougher. Their depth of colour is better. However, they require mineral spirits, make a bigger mess and because they take longer to dry, attract dust. Painting inside the house may (will) create problems with the admiral.
Acrylics are easier to use. I always tell myself next time I ll use enamels and end up using acrylics. Better range of colours as well.
Check the relevant thread on painting with acrylics. Lots of good info.
Seal the wood before painting. You can use shellac as Bob suggests but I find decoart multi purpose water based sealer superior and easier to use.
After painting you must put some form of varnish over your paint or it will easily get scratched. I am disappointed with water based and polyurethane varnishes - I ll go back to enamels. Or so I say myself...

I d suggest experimenting with both. There are pros and cons.
 
Enamels have far, far better coverage and are far tougher. Their depth of colour is better. However, they require mineral spirits, make a bigger mess and because they take longer to dry, attract dust. Painting inside the house may (will) create problems with the admiral.
Acrylics are easier to use. I always tell myself next time I ll use enamels and end up using acrylics. Better range of colours as well.
Check the relevant thread on painting with acrylics. Lots of good info.
Seal the wood before painting. You can use shellac as Bob suggests but I find decoart multi purpose water based sealer superior and easier to use.
After painting you must put some form of varnish over your paint or it will easily get scratched. I am disappointed with water based and polyurethane varnishes - I ll go back to enamels. Or so I say myself...

I can not explain how devastated I am to be announcing this.  My dear and close friend Jim Byrnes has passed away way too soon.   Many have you know and have met Jim.  He was a fantastic guy and true original.   Many of you own his tools which are second to none in the hobby.    I have been speaking with his wife Donna who many of you also know.  Jim was diagnosed with ALS in February.  ALS is a nasty disease and there is no cure.  Jim had a particularly aggressive type of ALS and he passed away last month in October.  He was just 64 years old.
 
This news will be devastating to many...but Donna has asked if everyone would have patience and give here and their family time to grieve.  As you might expect,  the business will continue to be shut down,  but will reopen at some time in the near future.  Donna will continue supporting the hobby and their customers when the time is right.   But please have patience and allow the family to grieve at this sad time.  Donna will let me know when the shop will reopen.  I will make an announcement at that time.  
 
I am so devastated by this...I just spoke to him not too long ago and it breaks my heart.  His obituary is below.
 
Jim is survived by his wife, Donna; son, James William (Krystal) and grandchildren Julian and Sloane; brother, Peter (Cindy) Byrnes and sisters, Mary (James) Hayman, Catherine Byrnes, Veronica Byrnes and Elaine Byrnes (Robert Campbell); brother-in-law, Eddie (Marcia) Grissom; brother-in-law, Frank Marzovilla, and many cherished nieces and nephews. Not to be forgotten is his beloved English Springer Spaniel, Becky, who is waiting every day for him to come home to her!

He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Lorraine Byrnes; brother, Robert Byrnes; nephew, Michael Byrnes; brother-in-law, Pete Stuffer; and mother-in-law, Opal Grissom.

Along with restoring vintage cars, from a very young age Jim had a true passion for model ship-building. For many years he had done extensive research on the U.S.S. Constitution and was in the final phase of completing his scratch build of the Constitution as it was originally launched in 1797. Following a career of working with Defense contract companies, Jim worked many years with and became a partner with Conceptual Engineering in Sanford FL. In 2002 Jim and Donna formed Model Machines LLC. Jim designed and developed small modeler’s machines that are now purchased worldwide and used in many high school and college machine shops and in museums for their restorations. There have been numerous reviews and articles written about Jim which were published in various modelers’ magazines. Modelers using Jim’s machines range from ship, railroad, doll houses, doll house furniture, pen turners, segmented bowls and architects. In recent years guitar, harp and violin makers were added to this list. Jim was a remarkable craftsman and had many more machines in development stage for modelers. He was always ready to help and mentor others, many of whom soon became his very close friends.

 Jim was also a member of the Nautical Research Guild and attended conferences throughout the U.S. for 20 years, developing many close friendships within this organization.

Jim was a humble, quiet man who was deeply loved and will be missed by so many. Our hearts, as a family, are broken. Thru this profound loss, if we can ask one thing from this place of despair, it would be to embrace your loved ones every chance you get.
 
 

Dear all
 
Time for another update I think.
 
The boat is almost done!
 
So, I finished all the oars, they came out fine I think with no failures. But then, I had to figure out what finish to use. Now, they are made of maple which is very white and apparently notoriously difficult to stain. I tried painting the oars white, (using the previous short oars I had made), staining and just Tang oil. I did not like the white colour, staining went really badly no matter what I tried so it had to be Tung oil. Photo bellow.

So all oars are now ready

Next, I painted the rudder and I made the tiller. Now, the tiller has a bit of story behind it. About 3 years ago, I salvaged a small piece of wood from an apricot tree in my parents summer house, now gone. I wanted to use a bit of that wood in this boat so made the tiller out of it. Very nice wood, really hard.


Then I made the hinges, secured to both the rudder and boat with CA glue and small nails, cut from brass pins, dipped again in CA glue.



 
Now, next project was the oar locks. I ve no idea what would be used back then but I decided to use double thole pins. So I made the sacrificial base and rounded off some square pear strips.


So I think really close to finishing. Of course, the whole point is the davit - this is the reason the boat was built! I need to make the sockets and finish the davit.


I also need to make a few cleats. I also have some thin soft leather, maybe it would be nice to add a strip to the oars.
 
My very best wishes to all
Vaddoc
 

Very nice Hakan! Your planking is so elegant and Birch seems to behave very well. Love your planking jig!
 

Dear all
 
Time for another update I think.
 
The boat is almost done!
 
So, I finished all the oars, they came out fine I think with no failures. But then, I had to figure out what finish to use. Now, they are made of maple which is very white and apparently notoriously difficult to stain. I tried painting the oars white, (using the previous short oars I had made), staining and just Tang oil. I did not like the white colour, staining went really badly no matter what I tried so it had to be Tung oil. Photo bellow.

So all oars are now ready

Next, I painted the rudder and I made the tiller. Now, the tiller has a bit of story behind it. About 3 years ago, I salvaged a small piece of wood from an apricot tree in my parents summer house, now gone. I wanted to use a bit of that wood in this boat so made the tiller out of it. Very nice wood, really hard.


Then I made the hinges, secured to both the rudder and boat with CA glue and small nails, cut from brass pins, dipped again in CA glue.



 
Now, next project was the oar locks. I ve no idea what would be used back then but I decided to use double thole pins. So I made the sacrificial base and rounded off some square pear strips.


So I think really close to finishing. Of course, the whole point is the davit - this is the reason the boat was built! I need to make the sockets and finish the davit.


I also need to make a few cleats. I also have some thin soft leather, maybe it would be nice to add a strip to the oars.
 
My very best wishes to all
Vaddoc
 

Very nice Hakan! Your planking is so elegant and Birch seems to behave very well. Love your planking jig!
 

Dear all
 
Time for another update I think.
 
The boat is almost done!
 
So, I finished all the oars, they came out fine I think with no failures. But then, I had to figure out what finish to use. Now, they are made of maple which is very white and apparently notoriously difficult to stain. I tried painting the oars white, (using the previous short oars I had made), staining and just Tang oil. I did not like the white colour, staining went really badly no matter what I tried so it had to be Tung oil. Photo bellow.

So all oars are now ready

Next, I painted the rudder and I made the tiller. Now, the tiller has a bit of story behind it. About 3 years ago, I salvaged a small piece of wood from an apricot tree in my parents summer house, now gone. I wanted to use a bit of that wood in this boat so made the tiller out of it. Very nice wood, really hard.


Then I made the hinges, secured to both the rudder and boat with CA glue and small nails, cut from brass pins, dipped again in CA glue.



 
Now, next project was the oar locks. I ve no idea what would be used back then but I decided to use double thole pins. So I made the sacrificial base and rounded off some square pear strips.


So I think really close to finishing. Of course, the whole point is the davit - this is the reason the boat was built! I need to make the sockets and finish the davit.


I also need to make a few cleats. I also have some thin soft leather, maybe it would be nice to add a strip to the oars.
 
My very best wishes to all
Vaddoc
 

Hello all, just a quick update.
Yes, there is still progress. Slow and steady 😉

Hello to all, thanks for likes and comments along the way. 🙂 
Planking along here. Just thought that I would show my take on the spiling business. It is not unique, in fact, it is what Chuck shows in one of his planking tutorials.
It goes like this...
1. Use quite broad, frosted tape and run a pencil along the edge of the previous plank.

2. Since the sides should be more or less identical, I work the planks in pair. Put the tape on the plank and also take a short strip around the ends to keep them together.

3. Over to the gigantic band-saw and cut along the scribbled line.

4. Since it is a bit wavy, sanding is needed to smooth the curve out. Here you can see my contraption for holding planks and other narrow stuff while planing or sanding.

5. Over to the band-saw again and cut the planks down to width, or more likely, a bit over sized, but closer to spec at least. With a short support on the band-saw fence equal width is easy to maintain over curved stock.

6. After that, more sanding and now down to specification. It is a bit of a struggle since the planks spring down under pressure, so care must be taken to have support and not to sand away too much.

7. And finally, after a steam bath, glued and clamped in place. Holes drilled for treenails. It doesn't really show on the picture but extensive care is taken to have the plank sit firmly in the rabbet and also beveled to sit tight against the previous strake. 11 strakes done, 12 to go... yay, almost at half way!

Now it's time for some WC Rugby. All Blacks against Ireland in quarter final 2. It will be a humdinger of a match (we hope :-D) 
And yes, It's All Blacks all the way, of course!
 
Cheers!
 

Not much to show really, but I decided to break the monotony of planking with another exciting task, tree-nailing 😄
 
Well, not that drawing bamboo and drilling myriads of small holes is less monotone, but anyway, better do it section by section.
Holes are marked with a pointy awl before drilling and holes are about 6-7 mm deep to stop short in the frame.
For planking I use diluted regular carpenters white glue and for the tree nails it's CA, medium viscosity for any that wonder.

And with tree nails, or trunnels. However, on the real ship it was bolts with nut and washers.

Back to the shed.