jre8655

Finished the display stand this afternoon.  It does have the desired look I wanted.
 
When the Admiral saw it she remarked, “It looks like what we saw in San Diego where they’re building that ship.”  She was referring to the San Salvador that the San Diego Maritime Museum is building.  So even she thinks it looks like a dry dock.  That’s praise enough for me.
 
What I discovered in building this was that I managed to get both sides of the hull very close in contour.  All the support pieces on the stand are identical Port and Starboard.  That pleased me.

After a bit of delay: trip to San Diego, the July 4th celebrations, and our grandson’s 2nd birthday, I am back at the workbench.
 
I’ve moved building into the house and set up a card table in the library.  At least I’m out of the 110 degree temperatures we’ve been experiencing of late.  From this point on there shouldn’t be much dust from sawing, drilling, sanding, etc.
 
Now that all the major painting is complete and I am ready to begin construction of the deck furniture.  Maybe now it will look like I’m actually making progress as the little bits and pieces go onto the deck.

Larry,
 
Thank you for your review of the Model Expo Plank Bender.  I also purchased one a few months ago when it was on sale.
 
One thing I found, and you may have already experienced this, is that the charring on the bending form may come off and embed in your planks.  This was easily solved by sanding the form to remove the charred layer.  You will also produce an even surface across the form via this sanding.
 
As you gain experience you can make your own forms to achieve other bending processes.  As you mentioned, the iron does get very hot and cannot be laid on any surface.  A wire stand, bent from a coat hanger, will let you support the iron during use.
 
Happy modeling!

The support board is 38" x 10" x 1/2" plywood.  To the underside I fastened a board 14" x 7" x 3/4" which is clamped into my WorkMate.  The extra board on the underside to the right of the clamping board is there for additional support and keeps the entire unit from tipping if clamped to a workbench.
 
When assembling the DB-250 and extension bed you have to make sure that the two beds align, otherwise the tailstock and tool support will not slide back and forth across the entire length.  This was easy to accomplish using a metal straight edge along the side and top of the two beds and either sanding the bottom of the bed and/or adding a shim to the other end.

The support board is 38" x 10" x 1/2" plywood.  To the underside I fastened a board 14" x 7" x 3/4" which is clamped into my WorkMate.  The extra board on the underside to the right of the clamping board is there for additional support and keeps the entire unit from tipping if clamped to a workbench.
 
When assembling the DB-250 and extension bed you have to make sure that the two beds align, otherwise the tailstock and tool support will not slide back and forth across the entire length.  This was easy to accomplish using a metal straight edge along the side and top of the two beds and either sanding the bottom of the bed and/or adding a shim to the other end.

Larry,
 
Thank you for your review of the Model Expo Plank Bender.  I also purchased one a few months ago when it was on sale.
 
One thing I found, and you may have already experienced this, is that the charring on the bending form may come off and embed in your planks.  This was easily solved by sanding the form to remove the charred layer.  You will also produce an even surface across the form via this sanding.
 
As you gain experience you can make your own forms to achieve other bending processes.  As you mentioned, the iron does get very hot and cannot be laid on any surface.  A wire stand, bent from a coat hanger, will let you support the iron during use.
 
Happy modeling!

I was away from this build for a little while.  I’m trying to plan ahead and thought that ultimately I would need to build a display case for the Bluenose.  We have a fantastic woodshop in our community so I spent the last two weekends over there getting to know some of the woodshop members and familiarizing myself with all the machinery.  They have everything you could want.
 
Found one of the members builds what he calls “toys.”  They are more like scale models rather than toys.  I’ve already been told by some of the other members that I’m as crazy as he is because of the small work I’m doing.  Guess I’m in good company.
 
Onward with the build; the jaws will have to be made from scratch (as with the mast caps) because the originals are cut from the same Walnut as was the Fife Rail.  In fact one of the jaws has already cracked when I removed it from the sheet. 
 
I used the scrap 1mm plywood for the jaws that I used for the mast caps.  Each jaw is cut to make two identical parts that are then glued together.  I now have a much better fit around each mast and can control the width and taper of the slots to better fit the boom or gaff it will go to.
 
The other task at hand is tying all the blocks that will be secured to the Bowsprit, masts, booms, and gaffs.  This is a tedious chore.  This must be what a rat’s nest looks like.  My mother always said that’s what my room looked like.

The masts are ready to be glued into the hull.  In one photo I have of the Bluenose I found that there is a collar (Boom Jaws Rest) on each mast.  The kit includes 20 brass rings (10 for each mast) to secure the Main and Fore Sails to their respective masts.  These rings were placed on the masts then the Boom Jaws Rests glued in place.  This really helped prevent the rings from dropping all the way to the deck and in the case of the Main Mast they would have rested inside the Fife Rail.
 
With the masts in this configuration I set about epoxied them into the hull.  On this model there is no rake to the masts so they are set perpendicular to the deck.  I cut some cardboard braces to size and secured them to each mast to hold the mast at 90 degrees while the epoxy set.
 
I believe I’m ready to move on to the booms, gaffs, and jaws.

Thus far, the only real problem I've encountered is with the Mahogany parts I've already mentioned.  The dowels in this particular kit have a very good grain structure and are, for the most part, very straight.  Two of the 5mm dowels had a slight curvature toward one end.  I found that I was able to use them by keeping the curve toward the upper end of the piece I was making.  In this way I eliminated the curve when I tapered the piece.
 
Building from this point on is probably going to be slow.  School is back in session here and we will be babysitting our two year old grandson while his mother (a teacher), father (a school administrator), and sister (starting Kindergarten) are all engaged.  Trying to keep a two year old out of your build is a chore.

Hamilton;
 
Thank you for the insight. I believe I will secure the Main and Fore Masts and then begin rigging the Shrouds and Stays before adding the top masts.
 
The parts to form the mast heads were, as I expected, not to the task.  The grain ran lengthwise through them and the holes were so misshapen that any attempt to drill or file them out would have resulted in a total failure of the part.  I opted, again, to manufacture my own parts.  I made them out of 2.5mm plywood.
After tapering the masts I measured the diameters and selected the appropriate drill sizes for the holes.  Once I had all the holes drilled for the four pieces I cut them to size and finished them.  Each one is specific to the locations they go.
 
Next I constructed the Trestletrees and added the cheek pieces.  The plans call for holes to be drilled in the longer cross members of the Trestletrees to accept rigging.  In this case I thought that drilling would weaken the piece so I installed eyebolts in the ends instead.
 
Next step is to add the blocks to the masts.

Having previously posted a question about a mysterious object on the aft deck, next to the steering box, I decided to go back over the photos of the original ship and see if there was anything I could do to improve the overall look of the model.
 
The Admiral made a comment that the rigging line for the anchors look, “Phony,” in her opinion.  She said it would look better if there was chain instead of, “Thread.”  Since we needed to go to Michael’s for some needles, for her, I went along and took a look in the bead and jewelry making aisle.  Found some chain that looked promising.  Got the chain and a package of small Jump Rings to attach the chain to the anchors.
 
I also noted on the original photos the placement of a Chain Box on the Foredeck, next to the Winch Motor Housing.  If I was going to use chain then I would need a place to stow the extra.  The Chain Box was made from some scrap wood that had laser cut parts.
 
I think the overall affect looks pretty good considering the scale.
 
In the photos I have of the original Bluenose, there is a rack of barrels on the aft deck just ahead of the main cabin.  This kit does not supply, much less mention, any barrels on deck.  Improvising, I found some barrels of the appropriate size and fabricated a barrel rack.  Once it was completed and glued to the deck I fixed in some eye bolts and lashed the barrels down.
 
So here is a series of photos of the original ship’s deck and my completed rendition.  I hope it meets with your approval.

Having previously posted a question about a mysterious object on the aft deck, next to the steering box, I decided to go back over the photos of the original ship and see if there was anything I could do to improve the overall look of the model.
 
The Admiral made a comment that the rigging line for the anchors look, “Phony,” in her opinion.  She said it would look better if there was chain instead of, “Thread.”  Since we needed to go to Michael’s for some needles, for her, I went along and took a look in the bead and jewelry making aisle.  Found some chain that looked promising.  Got the chain and a package of small Jump Rings to attach the chain to the anchors.
 
I also noted on the original photos the placement of a Chain Box on the Foredeck, next to the Winch Motor Housing.  If I was going to use chain then I would need a place to stow the extra.  The Chain Box was made from some scrap wood that had laser cut parts.
 
I think the overall affect looks pretty good considering the scale.
 
In the photos I have of the original Bluenose, there is a rack of barrels on the aft deck just ahead of the main cabin.  This kit does not supply, much less mention, any barrels on deck.  Improvising, I found some barrels of the appropriate size and fabricated a barrel rack.  Once it was completed and glued to the deck I fixed in some eye bolts and lashed the barrels down.
 
So here is a series of photos of the original ship’s deck and my completed rendition.  I hope it meets with your approval.

Allan,
 
Thank you for the correct nomenclature.  That is really appreciated.
 
PARTS FAILURE!
 
Moving along with the deck furniture, I proceeded to the Fife Rail assembly.  After freeing the part from its respective board (I believe it’s Walnut) I was sanding all the little ripples around the edge when the rail broke right across two of the belaying pin holes.
 
I could see right away this was not going to be a fix.  Because of the wood grain, brittleness, and the fact it broke across two of the weakest areas, it was going to be prone to breaking again and again.
 
I abandon the notion of fixing and took some scrap 1mm plywood to make a new Fife Rail. I glued the original back together and used it for a template to trace out the shape for the new parts.  I figured that I would make two Fife Rails and then glue them together to give me the thickness of the original part.  After shaping the outside, I drilled out the belaying pin holes and used the same drill bit to systematically drill out the center.
 
Once I had the new Fife Rail fabricated it was just a matter of constructing the assembly and painting.

I managed to something done this weekend.  It’s been very humid and HOT here in the Phoenix area.  Lots of rain for the entire valley with some flooding in various areas.
 
Seems only fitting that I should be working on the Dorys for the Bluenose.  The hardest part of this bit of construction was bending the plywood parts.  The first piece I tried to soak and bend broke in the middle and I had to cut a new piece.
 
I eventually used a damp sponge to lay the pieces on then applied finger pressure to get the desired curve to the pieces.  It took a little longer than I expected, but it worked out very well overall.
 
The Dory Cradles were a bit tricky because there was very little area to glue together.  I built them over a piece of paper and allowed a small amount of epoxy to stick the parts to the paper.  After the epoxy cured I painted the cradles, drilled the eyebolt holes, epoxied the Dorys to the cradles.  Once all the epoxy was cured I cut the constructions from the paper, glued in the eyebolts, finish sanded the bottom of the cradles, and added the tie-down ropes.
 
Everything seems to fit where it should.

The scale on this model does not lend itself to much fine detail.  I wanted to add a drive chain to the winch, but was unable to find anything that small.  I opted (at the suggestion of my son) to wrap some thread around the sprockets to simulate a drive chain, or belt.  At least it fills in that space between the parts.
 
Once all the glue and paint was dry I mounted it on the Forecastle as indicated on the plans.

I’ve started the construction of the bow winch.  This makes me feel like Queequeg tossing the bones.  What a jumble of parts!
 
Ultimately this will build into three sub-constructs placed on the Forecastle in such a way as to form one assembly.
 
Wish I had a skyhook to hold some of these parts in midair while I glue them together.

As I've been going along I've been doing a bit of research on the Bluenose in an effort to find some further details on the deck furniture.  There is only so much I can do at this scale, but I really wanted to make her look a little more authentic.
 
I located some photos of the original ship, or at least they were listed that way, and have found something interesting, ney odd.  There is a structure on the aft deck, next to the steering box that is unidentified.  In fact this structure is not depicted in this model.
 
Any ideas what this is?

The next step was to assemble what the instructions called a Bridge.  There are three of them, formed from brass wire and a block is lashed to them then seized.
 
Here’s where the material supplied in the kit falls far short of desirable.  The rigging line has a plastic feel to it.  When it’s unwound from the card it will not relax and you have bends, or folds, in it that won’t stretch out.  Not only that, but the glues I’m using won’t stick to it.  It’s extremely hard to work with and impossible to form around the blocks.
 
Luckily I discovered this in time to order something better from Model Expo.  The new rigging line is much more flexible, forms nicely, and absorbs the glue without becoming too stiff.  Using this new rigging line I assembled the Bridges and Blocks then drilled the deck and epoxied them in place.

The next step was to assemble what the instructions called a Bridge.  There are three of them, formed from brass wire and a block is lashed to them then seized.
 
Here’s where the material supplied in the kit falls far short of desirable.  The rigging line has a plastic feel to it.  When it’s unwound from the card it will not relax and you have bends, or folds, in it that won’t stretch out.  Not only that, but the glues I’m using won’t stick to it.  It’s extremely hard to work with and impossible to form around the blocks.
 
Luckily I discovered this in time to order something better from Model Expo.  The new rigging line is much more flexible, forms nicely, and absorbs the glue without becoming too stiff.  Using this new rigging line I assembled the Bridges and Blocks then drilled the deck and epoxied them in place.

After a bit of delay: trip to San Diego, the July 4th celebrations, and our grandson’s 2nd birthday, I am back at the workbench.
 
I’ve moved building into the house and set up a card table in the library.  At least I’m out of the 110 degree temperatures we’ve been experiencing of late.  From this point on there shouldn’t be much dust from sawing, drilling, sanding, etc.
 
Now that all the major painting is complete and I am ready to begin construction of the deck furniture.  Maybe now it will look like I’m actually making progress as the little bits and pieces go onto the deck.

After a bit of delay: trip to San Diego, the July 4th celebrations, and our grandson’s 2nd birthday, I am back at the workbench.
 
I’ve moved building into the house and set up a card table in the library.  At least I’m out of the 110 degree temperatures we’ve been experiencing of late.  From this point on there shouldn’t be much dust from sawing, drilling, sanding, etc.
 
Now that all the major painting is complete and I am ready to begin construction of the deck furniture.  Maybe now it will look like I’m actually making progress as the little bits and pieces go onto the deck.

I ran into a similar problem on my 1:100 scale Bluenose.  The instructions called for the rudder to be butt glued to the keel and then cutting the brass strips to lay on the outside of the hull and rudder.  I didn't like the look of it so I did the following:
 
I cut two pieces of 1/32nd inch piano wire, drilled the rudder, and inserted the wires into the holes.  I formed the copper strips (hinges) around the rudder and around the keel.  The hinges that would conceal the wires were notched so the wires would fit between the two hinges.
 
The rudder was lined up to the keel and holes drilled in the keel to accept the wires.
 
The hinges were glued to the keel and rudder then the rudder wires were inserted into the keel and glued with epoxy.
 
The overall affect is that the rudder is spaced from the keel by about 1mm.  This gives a more realistic look to the assembly.

I ran into a similar problem on my 1:100 scale Bluenose.  The instructions called for the rudder to be butt glued to the keel and then cutting the brass strips to lay on the outside of the hull and rudder.  I didn't like the look of it so I did the following:
 
I cut two pieces of 1/32nd inch piano wire, drilled the rudder, and inserted the wires into the holes.  I formed the copper strips (hinges) around the rudder and around the keel.  The hinges that would conceal the wires were notched so the wires would fit between the two hinges.
 
The rudder was lined up to the keel and holes drilled in the keel to accept the wires.
 
The hinges were glued to the keel and rudder then the rudder wires were inserted into the keel and glued with epoxy.
 
The overall affect is that the rudder is spaced from the keel by about 1mm.  This gives a more realistic look to the assembly.

Mike,
 
When you decide to purchase one of these workbenches; Harbor Frieght has two of them listed on their website.  One is listed as "60" Workbench" and the other is listed as "Workbench With 4 Drawers, 60" Hardwood."
 
I really can't figure out what the difference is because they both have the same description and specs and are the same price.  I went with the second one.
 
Wait till it goes on sale.

Mike,
 
I purchased the Harbor Frieght Workbench about three months ago.  I love it!
 
It's as sturdy as any workbench I've either owned or used.  Assembly was very easy and I was able to do it unassisted.
 
I waited until it went on sale for $129.95.  I contemplated going to our local Harbor Frieght, but opted to have it shipped to my house because shipping was only $6.99.  Yeah! $6.99 and it came from California.