isali

I am working on the rattlesnake and have found your photos incredibly helpful. Thank you for putting them back.

The deadwood you made and filled looks great, what method did you use to fill? I've tried sawdust with watered down glue but it doesn't get into the crevices .

Thanks Guys, I am leaning in the direction of cuting the Rabbet so I have theflexibility to add planks later, either for the right look or in case I build something that looks better covered I have been going through the scratch built frame models trying to find some good images and good logs at the begining of the process. Any recomendations are appreciated.

I am getting ready to start rattlesnake, I Dave at the lumberyard sent me the most incredible wood package imaginable so the questions begin. I am taking photos to hopefully start a log soon. Anyway, I am marking the rabbet when it occurred to me that if I make this open frame at least to the wales, do I need a rabbet? Maybe I will do more of a cutaway look than pure admiralty, ie planking at the bow and stern for a few inches then left open. Any thoughts and any logs to look at are welcome Thanks Ira

Thanks for all the answers, I incorporated a lot of this great advice, and some from members of our local club in Philly, A great group of people. For those new to building a case, I found the following, and made the following errors: - There are some great download books out there, some sell for $ 10.00 or so and are worth it. - working with brass was easier than I thought, I tried a plumbers torch but found it was too big, a micro torch was perfect. - I used low temp solder (430 degree melt) vs high temp, - If you have several melt point solders, use the higher melt temp first so if you go back to add to that joint ie. adding the vertical legs to the top frame, you don't melt away the first joint, - base the sizes around the largest, heaviest size, I used mirror in the back and plexiglass everywhere else. - get plexiglass from a glass dealer, they use sheet molded vs Home Depot uses continuous roll - glass is heavy - some frames did,t have the brass soldered, the strength was in the melting / glueing of the plexiglass, and it seemed fine. - measuring, add to the length both the width of the side pieces ( or visa versa) AND the width of the frame pieces!! - Joann fabrics has great covers for the base, I used a velvet which gives a great look. - practice with spray adhesive and corners , especially how to cut the cloth corners so there isn't a bump in the overlap. I used the wallpaper method of one cut for the overlap leaving matching sides. Lots of online tutorials on sewing sites for corners. - a nice brass. Plaque is pretty inexpensive, and better that what comes in the kit, especially if you want more info on it, or a second plaque for the side or back with your name, date, etc, If I can answer any specific questions, let me know. It took me about two months to learn, lots of trial and error, and please recall that that everyone has different methods, which work, even if they are in conflict with other methods,. Ira.

I've used /experimented with ammonia in very small quantities <5%, the wood began to look. Older and distressed, which mostly sanded out but I stopped experimenting, I didn't. Ned the extra flexibility most of the time. When I did, I found two things that really helped , 1- i do significant bends in two or three soakings, ie, soak, bend in a jig, 1/2 or 1/3, or a reasonable amount for that piece of wood, let it dry then soak again, repeat, etc, I try to prop the wood in the corner of the water container to help hold the bend as it soaks each successive time. 2- if you aren't, spilling the planks take a look at the tutorials nin this section, they. Are really great (a big thanks to the writers) . Using a paper template, you get some wired and counterintuitive shapes but when bent they fit like a glove. I'm not an experpert but this works for me. Ira.

I;ll take a look,, ' THanks

I had the same issue, no instruction s. IT took forever but I am winding down and thinking about a display case I used a bunch of sources, initially I used my pride of Baltimore practicum but then really began to learn the ropes and by the end I was using the drawing that can with the kit. One of the best books it'd lennarth Petersen (I don't recall which one). It's just drawings, almost no text. If you like I can walk coz through all I learned and how I would do it now, which may be helpful. Ira

I am at the point of making the coils to hang fro the Belaying pins on Jefferson Davis (1853) On an earlier post in March of this year , Jay, Modler12 had some excellent advice on making the flat coils for the deck. My problem is with the belaying pin coils, I have tried making them flats (as shown in Jays post) and on the edge of a block of wood at a 90 degree angle. BOth ways they come out too stiff and fake looking. I am using white elmers glue, diluted 50%. ANy thoughts are welcome. Ira

I'll probably do the same, hacksaw with a mitre box then fine tune each angle to fit Ira

Thanks, I am trying to figure out the best way to cut the brass. An yes, the top should rest on top of the vertical pieces of glass, Ira

Thanks for all the discussion. The question was not about using one line or two for the peak and the same for the throat. In visiting the talks ships in Philadelphia today, it seems the one line for the peak (vs two) is more prevalent It looks like ships do it both ways but there seem to be more using a single line, revving through the blocks then back down to the deck ( through a whip or other block set up) Ira

IMHO. The grey adds some life and depth to the build. The black is almost too "perfect" or sanitary Ira

The case will be about 39 x 10 x 28 inches, so the brass frame will need other support I will use some sort of caulk/adhesive to hold the glass to the underside of the brass angle. I am not sure if I should seal the case where the glass meets the base, or just use a rubber weatherstrip between the glass and base, In channel Ira

I am looking for some direction on rigging the gaff. My build is the Jefferson Davis, a topsail schooner, revenue cutter. In rigging the gaff, throat and peak Halyards I've seen two ways, Both look fine on the ship but maybe one is preferable over the other, Method 1). One line: The line comes up from the deck to a throat halyard triple block, reeves, thru then to a double block on the gaff, back up, back down, finally thru the third sheave of the triple and back to the deck. Similar to the peak halyard, up from the deck, thru a mast block, gaff, mast, gaff, mast then down, One line Method 2). Two lines. Throat halyard, mast has a double block not triple, the double block has 2 leaders, each goes to its side of a double block on the gaff, then reeves thru the double block on the mast and down to the deck. The peak line starts on the gaf, reeves thru the mast block, gaff block, mast block and down. All thoughts welcome, Ira

thanks Gary. I have this ship rigged more or less the way you Described. I want sure ever to put the shackles so your advice is helpful . The core of the question is. What kind of shackles? Thanks

I am thinking of putting my Jeff Davis in a cradle rather than pedestals, There are a few good articles about making decorative cradles, and I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or pictures of what they had done (sometimes the articles are above my paygrade) Thanks Ira

I am trying to make a display case and use 1/2 inch brass angle on the edges. I am looking for ideas/ips on either how to solder or join the brass corners, or thoughts on which local trades may have someone who can help. There is a lot on material on soldering brass on jewlery sites and plumbing sites but this forum (or where ever the moderator puts this post) may have some specifics for making of a case frame. THanks Ira

I am rigging up my Jeff Davis Model (FInally) and I am at my favorite part, rigging all the lines, after the shrouds are done. THe Fore Yard looked a little bare with just the lifts so I added Clews and sheets. (no Sails) The Clew runs up from the deck to the topsail yard and the sheet runs up the the main yard, If there were sails, these lines would terminate at the top and bottom corners of the sails. Without sails the lines must connect in some "temporary" way. My question is - without sails what have folks done to join these two lines? I made a few hooks which looks nice but I was wondering if there was a better idea. thanks Ira

Good luck, please add to the post. I plan to print this out and review it prior to the next build Ira

The Light bulb (starts) to come on!! After several models and practice attempts to have ratlines look like ratlines rather than Halloween decorations. (for a while I thought I would specialize in ghost ships I have finally honed in on a method of doing ratlines which I wanted to share because it gives a great result and is easier, less stressful and faster than what I had been doing. I have not invented anything new, simply used the bits and pieces from various (too many to attribute) sources. Many of the pieces are on this website, so thank you to all who have posted these helpful techniques. It may work for you in full or in part. Please feel free to modify this technique to work for you and if you can post any changes or whatever your experience with it is. It actually seems simple. 1) Make a card template with the horizontal rats and vertically angled shrouds Mark or color code the card into sections defining the order to do the ratlines: 1st group(three rats) the Upper, lower and middle ratline, 2nd group (two rats) , split those areas so you have two more rats at approx 1/4 and 3/4 of the way up the shroud 3rd group (4 rats) ; split the quarters and so on so eventually you have ratted every other row. nth group (double the amount of rats as the last group) This shows trends towards spiderwebs before they show up. THere is a great picture of color coding the horizontal rats in this forum. (thanks ) I pin it to the shrouds with some mini clothespins. I may experiment with threading it through the back, around a shroud and back through the card in a few places. 2) Use a needle to thread the outer and first shroud. Use PLENTY of string. Trying to tie knots with minimal string leads to un-aligning the ratlines. For the cost of an extra spool of thread, it's worth it! 3) Tie a hitch (the kind where the rope goes around the shroud the same way for both loops) around the first inner shroud but NOT the outer shroud (you may need to adjust it to avoid spiders. AT this point you have the thread going through the outer shroud and a hitch on the first inner shroud. 4) Thread the needle through the next shroud and tie another hitch. and so on : at the end, Do NOT tie the outer shroud. 5) Make any minor adjustments on the inner shrouds. Dab with diluted white glue. 6) Adjust the outer shrouds. Follow the same general row sequence of splitting the shroud length in half for each 7) Use a Cow hitch, having the loop go from back (inboard) to front (outboard), over the ratline, then inboard again. This order gives a nice finished look on the rat/shroud and hides the bitter end after cutting the excess line 8) tighten the ratline by pulling inboard NOT fwd or aft; so the end to be cut is somewhat hidden behind the shroud and the shroud stays aligned while tightening the rat. 9) Dab diluted glue on the outer shroud knots 10) cut the ends. Advantages: Using a needle : Tying knots with the thread in a needle is much easier and faster than with fingers and tweezers. The needle makes it easier to keep the ratlines horizontal Threading the rat through the shroud provides just enough tension to hold the ratline taunt while you tie a knot Threading the shroud provides horizontal stability Leaving the outer shrouds for last,. Ability to make final adjustments on the outer shrouds. Ira

Thanks, I'll look for it., Ira

I had a great time in Maine this summer partly because a neighbor let us use their friendship catboat. I thought it would be a great gift to build a model of it. Can anyone point me toward a set of plans for a catboat. I can modify it to make it a friendship cat. I figure ill get close to theirs and with the right paint and interior bits, no one will care about the differences Thanks Ira