jre8655

Ronald,
 
The device I'm using to hold the hull is a Ship Modeler's Vice sold by MicroMark:
 
http://www.micromark.com/ship-modelers-vise,7120.html
 
I actually waited until it went on sale before I bought one.  You really don't need something like this to clamp the keel.  You can use a couple of strips of square stock screwed to a board.  I've seen several on other build logs.
 
The primary reason I purchased this particular vice was because I liked the swivel on the base.  You can turn the model just about any direction.
 

Moving along slowly.  I have been away from the workbench for a while because of family needs.
 
I was getting ready to start planking the hull when a thought struck me.  I felt uncomfortable with the wood supplied for the planking.  It just seemed to me that it was too flimsy and would give too much spanning the bulkheads.  So I decided to glue filler blocks between the bulkheads to better support the planking.
 
I have completed these filler blocks and shaped the hull.  I’ll add some wood filler to round out the sharp curves and fill in any holes then begin planking.

Experienced a break in progress, but am now continuing construction.  Glued the decks onto the top of the false keel and bulkheads.  I had to trim a bit of the decks to ensure they conformed to the shape of the hull as dictated by the bulkheads.
 
Following the instruction manual, I laid the first deck plank down the center of the decks then proceeded to glue the remaining deck planks.  Looks nice, but after finding some posts pertaining to deck planks I discovered that one plank wouldn’t run the entire length of the deck.  I’m not too keen to cut all these planks off and start over.  Besides, I don’t have enough to accomplish this.  I’ll leave this one as is and make a note to myself on the next build.
 
 

READ – READ – READ – THEN DOUBLE CHECK!
While I was preparing to cut out the stem and stern reinforcement blocks I discovered that the stern blocks, numbers 15, 16, 17, and 18, are mislabeled on the plans.  I made a pencil correction on the plans and the wood parts then cut everything.  Once I had all the blocks sanded and squared they went into place very nicely.
 
I finished tapering and blending the false keel, bulkheads, and reinforcement blocks.  I checked the tapering on the false keel with the keel to make sure it blended into the keel.  Made some minor adjustments to the keel to ensure a good fit across the false keel then glued the keel to the false keel.
 
It was at this point that my 5 year old granddaughter saw what I was doing and asked if she could see it.  I didn’t think she would break it so I let her look.  She very dutifully studied the construction then asked, “What is it?”
 
I showed her the photo on the front of the kit box and she brightened up and said, “Oh.  It’s a sailboat!  Will you make me one?”  I have a fan club.  I asked her what she would do with it and she told me she would put it in her bookcase.  That sort of tells me that she realizes it’s not a toy.  Guess grandpa is going to have to build one for her.
 

Nope.  Double checked it.  Pretty sure I didn't put it together upside down, inside out, or reversed.

I joined this forum in February with the express desire to obtain as much information as possible before beginning my first build.  I have remained in the background, so to speak, reading the posts on kit selection, tools, and building techniques in an effort to begin with a model that would not overwhelm me and piece together a workshop without breaking the bank.
 
I found that most of the tools I already had, with the exception of some power tools and specialized model ship building devices.  I have now acquired most of what I need to get started with the exception of a ship to build.
 
My final choice was to be the HM Schooner Pickle, however, fate, or providence, stepped in and presented me with an unusual opportunity.
 
Prior to my retirement in January, a couple purchased the house across the street from us.  I didn’t have the time, while working, to get over to meet them and it wasn’t until about two weeks ago that I finally saw someone at the house.  I introduced myself and found that these new residents were from Canada; which explained why I hadn’t seen much of them before this.
In getting to know them it came out that I was getting into model ship building.  Much to my surprise my neighbor told me that he had a ship model kit that he never had a chance to build.  He went on to say that he brought it to this new house with the intention of building it, but was now finding he really didn’t have the time to work on it.  A few minutes later he came over with the kit; which had not been opened.  After some discussion we came to an agreement that I would buy it from him for $20.
 
I therefore submit my build log for the Model Shipways, 1:100 scale, Schooner Bluenose.
 
Jack