olliechristo

Hi Popeye
Thank you, I will not give up on the sail making as when my wife got home from work I said will you have ago as I am making a bit of a mess of this, she said you are on your own its your build get on with it ( bugger ) ha ha.
 
Denis.

Hi Bindy,
 
I looked at "The Mermaid" also but I just liked the look of the Perseverance, especially as it has two masts versus one.  It is the same skill level (2) and the guys at Modellers Shipyard didnt feel that it was beyond a newbie, especially with the DVD instructions.  Its also substantially larger for not a lot extra cost which you can offset by borrowing my DVDs instead of buying the set for the Mermaid.
 
Cheers.
 
 
Hi Geoff.
 
Yes, Leon Griffiths has lots of good tips but I cant help thinking that he should have put a shirt on when making the DVDs.  Seeing him sitting there in only his stubbies certainly cracked me up. 
Cheers
 

I got a little more done on the cutter last night. First, I glued and nailed the sub-decking on. I like how the frame tops are radiused to represent deck beams. It's going to give the deck a nice camber. I'm sure most if not all POB kits do this, but I, being rather new at this, noticed it with appreciation.
 
Next, I beveled the first frame on the starboard bow. It was surprisingly easy to bevel with an X-acto knife. It's visible in the second-to-last photo. Does it look right? I hope to do the rest later tonight. I also got the stern filler pieces made and fitted. Finally, I reinforced the joint between the keel and false keel with long thin nails. This was after I inadvertently broke the keel off while nailing on the deck. It should be stronger now.
 
Please bear with me. Later, on my 3rd or 4th build log I probably won't post so many pictures of the same thing from so many different angles. Is it clear that I'm having a great time building this little boat?
 
Thanks for reading!
 
Steve
 
 

Well, here goes. My name's Steve and I'm new here at MSW. This is my first kit build log on the first wooden ship kit I've built since 1983. My earlier attempts on wooden ship models weren't very impressive. I've got an older version of Corel's La Sirene on the shelf, but thought that this little cutter might be a better way of getting my feet wet. I also thought that the sharp bow of this boat might be easier to plank than the bluff bow of an 18th-century French frigate.
 
The first thing I noticed on checking through the parts was that the false keel has a kink in it. It's not big, but it's there. I've got a device for bending guitar sides, and I thought a few moments on that might cure the kink...unless someone has a better idea? I haven't tried it yet but will soon. In the thumbnails below, you can see the bend in the false keel viewed from the top. I'm adding a shot of Shenandoah's sail plan as well.
 
 
 

Ollie, you shouldn't need any stealers at the stern of a hull like this, unless you plan on using just the kit hull strips, in which case what you did on the first planking is the way to go.
 
In the actual ship the planks at the stern would have swept up the stern post in a nice curve, but that would, of course, need wider planks to achieve the shape.
 
The picture below shows the hull of the oyster smack 'Betty' undergoing repair.  The lower strakes of planking have a much more pronounced sweep than is usual, but you can see the principal easily.
 
John
 

Really interesting Sailor1234 .. Makes sense also...
 
I have forgot to add hours to log.. estimating 15 hours since last mention..
 
Just showing you the latest pics of the lines being created.. I have done some spiling, tapering, some wetting of timber to help bending in some areas...
 
Last photo. I am a bit concerned about what is the best way to finish planks, at the stern where they meet, you can see how i did the first layer planking..  Regards Ollie

Really interesting Sailor1234 .. Makes sense also...
 
I have forgot to add hours to log.. estimating 15 hours since last mention..
 
Just showing you the latest pics of the lines being created.. I have done some spiling, tapering, some wetting of timber to help bending in some areas...
 
Last photo. I am a bit concerned about what is the best way to finish planks, at the stern where they meet, you can see how i did the first layer planking..  Regards Ollie

Really interesting Sailor1234 .. Makes sense also...
 
I have forgot to add hours to log.. estimating 15 hours since last mention..
 
Just showing you the latest pics of the lines being created.. I have done some spiling, tapering, some wetting of timber to help bending in some areas...
 
Last photo. I am a bit concerned about what is the best way to finish planks, at the stern where they meet, you can see how i did the first layer planking..  Regards Ollie

Hi Brett, am about to go through a similar process myself on a different but similar sized build and was wondering the exact same thing!! My instructions don't even call for a Rabbet/Bearding lines to be made.. (yet they seem to be needed if I do as you have done using maths, my actual Keel is 1mm wider than the 'Keel' Former, which makes for 0.5mm each side (not enough to 'sit' my 2 layers of planking into without either a Rabbet or some serious sanding!)
Hopefully we can both learn from your question then I can begin my own Build Log!
 
Eamonn

This is my second attempt at a wooden model ship after failing miserably several years ago - basically as I had no idea what I was doing and the kit I attempted had very poor instructions.
 
I chose the Colonial Brig Perseverance for two reasons:
According to the guys at Modellers Shipyard, it's not too complex and ideal for a beginner, and It comes with a 3 DVD set showing a "master model maker" construction the model from start to finish. This really appealed to me as at the time I began, I had not discovered Model Ship World and really needed some guidance.
Here is the DVD cover and a photo of the completed model (not mine!)
 


 
As I am a new modeler its difficult for me to comment on the quality of the kit although the timber certainly does not seem to be as high quality as the timber in the Corel Unicorn kit that I started some time ago.  The limewood planking varied considerably in thickness meaning a lot of sanding on the first layer of planking but I don't know if this the norm or not.  Also, the silver ash deck planking varied considerably in width with some pieces 3mm, some 4mm and some 5mm wide.  Again, is this generally normal or not for a kit????
 
Unfortunately I started the model before I discovered MSW and therefore I don't have any photos of the early stages of construction.  I bought myself an Amati keel holder which has been very helpful. 
The bulkheads all fitted nicely to the keel and the fairing process although it seemed to take forever went smoothly.
Fitting the false deck also was a breeze.
 
As I am sure most beginners find, the first four or five planks went on very easily and I thought to myself, "this isn't hard at all", but soon I was needing to taper planks and to bend them laterally which I found rather challenging especially around the transom and onto the deadwood area.  I only needed a couple of stealers and made them (like wedges) as per the DVD instructions but I have since learned that tapering them to a sharp point is not really authentic. I guess it won't matter for the first planking.
 
I used one of those Amati plank benders which crimp the planks to illicit the bend and it worked just fine but I found that later when I came to sanding the planking that the crimps showed through.  Perhaps I am not using it properly and squeezing to hard???
 
Anyway, after several nights, I finished the planking.  Overall I was fairly happy with the result as there weren't many hollows or gaps to fill although I did need to fill a little where the planks transitioned from the hull to the deadwood as I was getting a bit of "clinker" effect.  Not sure how I should overcome this???
 
I made a big mistake of using a mixture of undiluted white glue and sawdust from the sanding to fill this area however when it dried it was so hard that I had to sand it for ages and ages to get it down to a smooth finish. 
I also sanded too heavily on one side where the planks bend around the tuck to the transom.  I realize now that this was because in the DVD, the instructor crimps the timber to make the bend but then files it to about 1/2 its original thickness.  I didn't take this into account when I started sanding and before I realized, made a nice little hole in the planking.
 
I still need to give the whole hull another sanding but will wait to do this until I finish the deck planking and a few other little jobs. 
 
I really enjoyed planking the deck apart from having to color in all the deck edges using a 6B pencil. Because the deck planking is only 0.6mm thick I found that it kept cutting the pencil lead off.  Although the instructions call for laying the decking in one long length, I decided to cut them into 100mm lengths to get a more authentic look.  I came unstuck because all the planks were of various widths and therefore I had to try plank after plank until I found one that matched the already glued plank perfectly in width.  Next time I will keep each cut plank together with the others that come from the same length to avoid this problem. 
 
Another thing that seemed odd was that the instructions called for installing mahogany strips to the inside of the bulwark which I duly performed and then the installation of the deck.  I had to cut and sand all of the edge planks very accurately so that there were no gaps between these planks and the lining of the bulwark.  I would have thought that it would be easier to install the lining to the inside of the bulwark after the deck planking has been laid as it will cover up any small gaps.   Is this generally the correct order to do these two tasks???
 
One thing that is troubling me is that the instructions state that I should epoxy the stern post, stem post and keel to the hull after I finish the second layer of planking.  I note that in many of the build logs on MSW these items are fixed after the first layer and then the second layer of planking is butted up against them.  This makes more sense to me.  Any advice greatly appreciated???
 
So this is where I am up to and where I will commence adding photos and no doubt asking lots more questions.  I have included some photos of my model below.  Its a bit rough but I am hoping that my second layer of planking will be much better and hide all of the mistakes I made in the first.
Thanks in advance for any hints and advice. 
 

Thanks so much Jeff, appreciate your comments... I assumed a steep angle would be the case and yes a rectangular opening, that makes sence..  You have helped me already..   Much thanks.  Ollie
 
I look forward to any more replies that anyone has.. I am very appreciative..
 
I have made sure mast fits as the deck hole was way out with groove below originally..  and  well its looking like a ship for a moment.

The plank shape was dependant in a great part on what the builder had available at the time of construction. He would lay out his planks to make best use of the material on hand. I know of one famous shipwright (Larry Pardey) who planked his boat (Taleisen) starting with a triangular garboard. The garboard he used was made of the widest board he had. It was a (relatively) short board and only went part of the length of the keel. (Small vessel of 30 feet) and the first broad (plank next to the garboard) was also build like this. In begining his planking in this fashion, he was able to thin the remaining planks at the after end of the boat to use the narrower boards he had. Made planking the rest of the boat easier as well.
All this to say that lining off (deciding how each plank will go) when done well can make planking the hull much easier and allow the builder to better use the wood available to him. If he were building two identical boats, they may not be planked identically because wood isn't all identical. Lining off is an art. If well done, the boat looks great and the job goes well. When poorly done, the lines show up clearly and it can look pretty bad. Lapstrake construction will accentuate the poorly lined off hull.
Your hull looks great to me. Keep at it. I'm loving the progress on her.

Thanks John and Tom.. Kerry I am glad to hear my log can be of some help... Thanks for commenting.. 
 
  I have fitted second garboard plank and adjusted them to appropriate angles, pictures should show this.. You can see difference from first layer planking..
 
  I am really taking baby steps, working out planking layout and am making sure i dont finish short of a plank, my gap between top planking and garboard is 84mm which is 14 planks if the planks are 6mm wide like kit says they are, but they are actually around 5.7 mm, this is okay as i end up losing about 0.5 mm per 5 plank runs.. So i fall short about a third of a plank over the 14 .. I figure i will take a milli-shave off a few planks and end up where i need.  Best to be taking some off than ending with a gap i gather.. Regards Ollie

Thanks John and Tom.. Kerry I am glad to hear my log can be of some help... Thanks for commenting.. 
 
  I have fitted second garboard plank and adjusted them to appropriate angles, pictures should show this.. You can see difference from first layer planking..
 
  I am really taking baby steps, working out planking layout and am making sure i dont finish short of a plank, my gap between top planking and garboard is 84mm which is 14 planks if the planks are 6mm wide like kit says they are, but they are actually around 5.7 mm, this is okay as i end up losing about 0.5 mm per 5 plank runs.. So i fall short about a third of a plank over the 14 .. I figure i will take a milli-shave off a few planks and end up where i need.  Best to be taking some off than ending with a gap i gather.. Regards Ollie

Hi Sam,
I think there are some strips in correct thickness, but I need wider ones for other purposes. One of them is the belfry like how B.E. did..
 

 
I even planned to use it to make the stove, by making the basic shape out of wood first and then only wrap up using the sheet.. lol I tried, and gave up will just apply on the belfry i think

Here are a few photos of the coated plates.   I certainly had hoped the cleaning would turn out better - but it's a bit late now.
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

Thanks for the comments Bug, Craig, Daniel, Ollie, Grant, Craig and Blademaster .
 
 
Not really Ollie. I estimate about 45 hours so far.
 
I managed some more work on the model over the (looong - mine started on Wednesday ) Australia Day weekend.
 
The old guy had "built" the Masts, but they were so rough and out of shape that my easiest option was to scrap virtually everything and start over. I kept the Mast Tops, as I didn't have anything on hand to replace them with. I soaked them overnight in Acetone to soften the glue and paint, then cleaned them up.
 
Below are a couple of pics of the Tops and a Mast Coat from BEFORE :
 

 

 
And some pics AFTER :
 

 

 

 

 
I realize that the Tops are nowhere near accurate, but don't forget I'm attempting to build this model the way the old guy would have liked it to come out   .
 
Continued in next Post ......

All Righty Then, here are those promised photos..
 
The Bulwarks are dry fitted only, the issue I was having doesn't seem to be sooo bad this morning (the issue was that there didn't seem to be a whole lot of room for the Bow piece and the Bowsprit to fit, the photo shows the Bow Piece too) Well, the Bowsprit issue is resolved as the Plan actually calls for this hole to be enlarged, Lesson Here.. Examine the Flippin Plans :mellow:  my other issue, AKA 'Why wont the Bow Piece Fit?' can probably be addressed using the same solution as per the Bowsprit and that is 'File the Bulwarks down a bit !' Simples..
 
The other photos show the Transom and Stern Fascia fitted in place. 
 
Next Up, Glue the Bulwarks in place (after a touch of judicious filing of course for the Bow Piece Gap, I won't go tooo mad on the Bowsprit Hole just yet, as this spar has to taper somewhat!)
 
Then onto Planking, and this inevitably is where it all goes pear shaped....
 
Thanks for looking in, and remember if you see me doing something you think I shouldn't then feel free to put me right ( I usually mention in advance what my next steps are) Call it a Build by Consensus !
 
Bye For Now,
 
Eamonn

I am dry fitting the lower decks and placing the hull stringers. When I first placed the bulkheads, I marked a center line on the top of each in order to help keep them all in line when fixing them permantely. When dry fitting the decks that are cut in half lengthwise, it is necessary to adjust the depth of the slots that fit around each bulkhead. You need a reference point to know how much to adjust them. A center line on every deck platform on all bulkheads is just the thing. You then simply line up the center edge of the deck half with the center line mark and adjust the slots until the deck seats down. Both halves then line up correctly and are also in line with the deck below.
When placing the stringers, the slots in the bulkheads need some adjusting and the first 3 at the bow and the last 3 at the stern need beveling to alow the stringers to wrap around the curve of the hull.
 
Also, I was doing a little planning ahead and noticed that the deck planking strips supplied are walnut and a little too dark for authentic planking. Ships had decking that was pale and weathered looking. A friend suggested wood like tanganyka is more like that. I agree and ordered some from my supplier. It seems that there is a limited supply here in the states and they are not certain of getting any more from overseas. There is a supplier in Australia however that has a good supply of tanganyka and other woods as well. You may want to keep them in mind if you run into wood supply problems. www.modelshipyard.com.au/
I did some experimenting with the walnut and by soaking the strips in Clorox household bleach for exactly 20 minutes, the color changes to a pale and weathered look. It is perfect for the realistic deck planking and will save me about $150, since I won't have to buy extra wood.
 
Vince P.

Thanks again Nigel, a photo will be making its way to MSW tomorrow.
 
All the Best
 
Eamonn

Hi Eamonn
You will have to take a picture tomorrow with the bulwarks in place so we can have a looksee.My gut feeling is to ensure that they run true with the hull and adjust as necessary later at the tip.Because of the acute angles involved(just like your rabbet line )I think it is a big ask of caldercraft that this end detail would be perfect.I won't be online till later tomorrow.
Kind Regards Nigel

Hi Ollie, thanks for popping over from your build.. The rulers were in work! and the differences were amazing (we have a load of them at various places and I was getting some odd results, that's when I spotted the differences, not so much of a problem if you are just using the same one all the time.. but when you take a measurement and take that measurement someplace else then you have issues)
 
I have just come downstairs from fitting and gluing the deck in place, no photos yet as the whole thing looks like a Hedgehog with pins and clamps holding the athwartships camber in place against the natural curve of the deck in the Fore & Aft (it looks like a Saddle  )
 
Will let the glue set then tomorrow will see how the Bulwarks work out, there seemed to be some strange stuff going on at the very tip of the bow when I dry-Fitted them, I refer to where the Port & Starboard Bulwarks meet up, doesn't seem to be much room for the Bow Timber piece and even less room for the Bowsprit to poke through (I offered one of the 6mm Dowels up to the hole and no chance of it fitting, even though it will have a taper! I rather suspect that the 2 bulwarks DO NOT actually meet up but leave a slight gap, which will be planked later on (the Plan seems to have them meeting though)
If anyone has any thoughts or if the other Ballahooers out there have seen this then do please let me know what you think.
 
Cheers For Now
 
 
Eamonn
 
Oh and thanks for the like Nigel, and to all the others who have taken a wee looksee at my build.

Looks like that new line is about spot on, mate!
 
John

Yup I'd say you were right on track! Measure, measure, measure take your time and lots of checking. It is difficult but rewarding!!!  Guaranteed!

Hi Ollie
I have been reading and rereading part of your log, a first time build wow, I have learnt so much
you detail is very impressive thanks for sharing
Kerry.