Bob Cleek

I can't recall any of the many traditionally rigged vessels with bowsprits of any length that I've seen and/or sailed which didn't have jib tack travellers, save those which were modernly retro-fitted with roller furling jibs. As SpyGlass correctly stated, the purpose of the jib tack traveler was to set headsails without having to go out on the bowsprit to do so. They were set "flying" from the deck at the stem by hauling out on the tack traveler and on the jib halyard. Large sailing vessels, of course, would often have substantial footropes and netting below their bowsprits and jib booms to permit sail handling, but where rigging a tack traveler was possible, they'd surely have them. It wasn't just a matter of convenience. Trying to manhandle a large headsail down in a freshening blow on a pitching bowsprit which might even be pitching through green water is a very dangerous task.

Yes, there are easier ways to bend planking. Check out the "more" drop down menu at the forum masthead. There are planking tutorials there which you'll find most helpful. There are many approaches. My favorite is simply dry heat, using a plank bending iron ( a modeling tool) and/or a small travel iron. It's fast and not messy. For a first effort, it appears you are doing quite well. It can be a steep learning curve, but, obviously, you have what it takes to succeed. Study the planking tutorials in the forum for tips on planking. I'm not familiar with the model you are building, but I'm sure there are more than one build log on the forum which you can follow and see where the pitfalls are. It's always better to learn from others' mistakes than to learn from our own! You may want to consider buying after-market planking stock. Generally speaking, the planking material in most kits, save the "boutique" kit companies like Syren and Vanguard (See their sponsor ads on the forum homepage) run the gamut from poor to abysmal. Most experienced kit builders end up using better materials than what are provided with the kits. (Some wood species are much easier to work with than others.) Rigging line is a major after-market item, as are blocks and deadeyes. I can't speak to the quality of your Mamoli kit, but you can see here in the build logs what others decided to do in that respect.

Especially if you are using acetylene!

The torch pictured is a Chinese knock-off of a Smith's Little Torch. I have one and I'd say that it has proven adequate for several years of limited hobby use, but I had problems with it at the outset. The oxy hose leaked something terrible, but not so I noticed it. I thought I was getting half empty bottles from the hardware store before I followed the instructions (duh!) and tested every fitting junction and discovered the hose clamp wasn't making a tight connection. One mini-hose clamp later and I was good to go. There's a serious price difference between the real Smith's Little Torch and the knock-offs. (The AU price on the one pictured is astronomical! Shop around on the internet for the best prices. I got mine in the US from Harbor Freight mail order for about $60 US, as I recall.) I didn't know I was buying a knock-off when I bought my torch, although I was suspicious because of the lower price. The knock-offs are practically indistinguishable from the real Smith's Little Torches. The difference in price has to do with the tips and sloppy assembly on the hose connections. The real Smith's torches have high quality tips that work better and last longer. At less than $150 for the disposable tank kit, I urge you to buy the real Smith's Little Torch instead of a cheap knock-off or out-and-out counterfeit. (The counterfeits even copy the Smith's instructions and box appearances, which call them Smith's torches.) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000T43L30?SubscriptionId=AKIAJA54JMESX73IGPXQ&ascsubtag=719191942-16-963305102.1626138622&linkCode=osi&psc=1&tag=d_2b_a_p-20&th=1 Research it further on YouTube. There' s a ton of very good videos on the subject of these "little torches." I consider one essential for fine silver soldering. They are widely accepted as the industry standard in the jewelry business. Just don't get suckered into buying a knock-off thinking you're getting a bargain. See: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Smith+Little+Toroch

You'll probably be just fine. A good finish on the exterior should prevent leakage.

i doubt they will rust if they are sealed as described. The major risk with iron fastenings in a model boat that is going to be used in the water is that any crack, however small, is a way for a wooden hull to soak up moisture, and especially water, like a sponge. Then, the iron nails may well start to rust and the wooden hull can start to rot. That said, if they are only wet occasionally and stored where they can dry out, my guess is the nails will do okay.] It's unfortunate they are there, but we've all done similar things along the may in our modeling journeys. The biggest problem I see is that the nail heads may interfere with your sanding the hull fair. I doubt you can drive them much more with a countersink punch without splitting your frame, either. It's your call, surely, but you wouldn't be the first guy to undo and redo something that didn't work out on the first go-round. BTW, I'm curious. Did the Billings' instructions say that the planks were supposed to be nailed to the frames?

"Real life" deck planking is not stained. Small boat decks are sometimes oiled, but, for larger vessels, decks are left unfinished. They are scrubbed clean regularly and in olden times they were "holy-stonned," meaning that they were "sanded" with square stone blocks, to remove accumulations of tar which dripped from the rigging when applied and even when it liquified in the heat of the tropics. Decks were laid of a single species of wood and so should not have appeared much different in color from one to the other. (Of course, if repairs were made and portions of decking replaced, it may vary slightly in appearance.) On a model, at scale, a deck should be a single color. A model's deck can, of course, be stained if the modeler wishes to use a species of wood that is of a lighter color than the real deck they are portraying. The cabin top in the posted photo appears to have an edge of a species different than the planks in the middle of the surrounding edge frame. They could, also, be of the same species, in this case quite possible teak, which has some variation in color, depending upon the subspecies of teak used. The difference in color seen in the cabin top in the picture appears to be the result of sloppy maintenance more than anything else. The top is varnished and it appears the varnish was applied without the teak being properly stripped and bleached before re-varnishing, leaving some weathered differently than others. Properly, the "bright" (unpainted) wood, whether it be bare or varnished, should be of the same color. Where different colored wood is used for accents (as perhaps with the edge framing of the cabin top here,) that would require staining separately, either by careful masking, or staining separately before assembly. Other's mileage may vary, but I really see no reason to apply "wipe on poly" on bright wood on a model and I suppose that's a story for another night. (It's fine for bringing up the grain and figuring, but it's a rare wood species that benefits having it's grain or figuring accented at modeling scales, particularly if one has paid the big bucks for fine wood because of its even coloring.) Below: An (apparently) unfinished deck. The slight variations in color are the result of planks coming from different trees or parts of trees. At "scale viewing distance," this color variation would not be visible. The deck would appear a single color. Note how at "scale viewing distance," i.e. the far forward area of the deck, the color of the wood is seen as uniform and the black seam stopping is barely visible.

To add one more tool to the box, I should mention that a draftsman's ruling pen can also often be quite handy if the line can be struck along a straight edge or drafting curve. These pens permit width of line adjustments within their limits and are made in various configurations, including "curve pens" which will follow the drafting curve's edge while swiveling to keep the two points normal to the edge and so avoid variations in the width of the drawn line. There are also "railroad pens" which will draw two lines parallel to each other, either straight or against a drafting curve. Paint can be used with them as well as the more common inks. Drafting pens have lots of applications in modeling, limited only by the user's creativity. Ruling pens are often included in classic drafting tool sets and are frequently available at reasonable prices on eBay. Top to bottom: a ruling pen for straight lines, a straight line "railroad" pen for straight lines (in this case more often used for drawing margins around drawings, etc., and a "curve pen," the head of which can be permitted to swivel to follow a drafting curve, or, with the nut tightened at the end of the handle, be used as a straight line ruling pen. Importantly, ruling pens are not simply dipped into the ink or paint bottle. The ink or paint should not be on the outside of the pen, but rather a drop of the drawing medium must be applied (with the eye dropper in the cap of the classic India ink bottle, or a brush) only to a point between the two blades such that it it fills, by capillary action, about a quarter inch of the space between the two points. See: https://www.jeeamirza.com/blog/2020/5/27/quick-guide-how-to-use-a-ruling-pen

Don't forget these things, either:

I don't have a dog in the fight, but if I did, my question would be, "Does it mean one cannot reference a thread in this forum in another forum by posting a link to a thread in this forum?" If that is what it means, how does the MSW administration deal with search engines? If you google, "How to plank a ship model?" once you get past the paid advertisements and the YouTube videos, you start hitting MSW material, e.g.: https://modelshipworldforum.com/resources/Framing_and_Planking/plankingprojectbeginners.pdf; Google is full of ads, of course, and is rapidly approaching uselessness, save for making online purchases, but a few MSW threads are there. Bing has many more. It's a better search engine if you are looking for information instead of online retailers. It sure looks like the search engines are violating this guideline big time. Here's just a few examples: ; ; ; ; ;

I've found my Zyliss "Swiss Army" vise is very handy for holding keels when planking (along with a lot of other stuff.). Unfortunately, they are quite expensive and the Chinese knock-offs are junk. (Fear not, I never pay retail if I can avoid it. ) I hear the"real" ones are still made in Switzerland where they were developed for field use by the Swiss Army and now marked as the "SwissRex System" Workshop." https://www.rexmetall.ch/System-Workshop-SWISSREX:::384.html?language=en They appear used on eBay, priced under $100 used, but you have to make sure you are not missing any of the attachments (replacements available online still. and aren't getting a "Gripmaster" or "Mr. Strong" Chinese counterfeit. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2060353.m570.l1313&_nkw=zyliss+vise&_sacat=0 https://advanced-machinery.myshopify.com/collections/portable-clamping-system-parts I've got my eye on a Stanley 83-069 Multi-Angle Vise for planking smaller hulls. At around $55, it's a lot of well-engineered iron and the ball joint design is the best I've seen. (Some similar vises I've used seem to fall short on the ball joint design, such as the Dremel model. https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-1-83-069-MaxSteel-Multi-Yellow/dp/B001HBS0I0/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=stanley+vise&qid=1625607812&s=hi&sr=1-6 For shaping planks, I use plane vise jaws or shop-made jigs as needed.

There's a reason for that spine on the back of that blade. It's quite possible that the blade is quite brittle as saw blades go. There's less need for more expensive steel to be used if the blade is going to have a reinforced back and harder steel stays sharp longer. You might find it snapping the first time the slightest bend is put in it/ Not sure what steel it's made of, but "just sayin'" The commercial hobby knife keyhole saw blades are so cheap, I can't see the point of cutting up a decent saw like you have. It's just not cost effective.

It was basically a joke. Kevlar, added to epoxy, yields an expremely impact-resistant cured resin material used in bullet-proof personnel armor plate vests. U.S Army combat helmets are now made of kevlar and epoxy material. Trust me, you don't need kevlar on your RC boat bottom. The same goes for the spectrum of special additives available, such as carbon fiber, which will yield an epoxy/carbon material which is lightweight and extremely strong. It's used for sophisticated state-of-the-art racing boat masts and bicycle frames, etc. (I've seen carbon fiber epoxy being finish sanded. The dust goes everywhere and is much like graphite powder. You'll look like an old time coal miner at quitting time in the mine if you work with that stuff.) The schedule I recommended above is for as strong a hull sheathing as I can imagine any RC boat would ever need. (Glass cloth or mat will add strength to a sheathed hull, to be sure, but it won't increase the impact resistance much without laying it on thick and IMHO I don't think it's worth fiddling with, although the hull pictured above is done very nicely.) Don't forget that many successful wooden sailing models have been built with nothing but wood, putty, and shellac primer coating, then undercoating and enamel paint and do just fine. They don't spend that much time in the water to begin with and are stored indoors, so they don't need much more. I have a three-masted schooner sailing model that's around a hundred years old now in my shop for a restoration job. (Do not ever let a commercial shipping outfit pack a ship model for shipping! When I get around to starting the job, I'll post pictures of what happens when you put a model in a big box and then fill the dead space with packing peanuts... broken spars and rigging all around.) The plank on frame hull appears to have been painted with a common early 20th Century enamel paint which has held up very well. I won't be repainting because the owner wishes this family heirloom built by a relative Maine Cape Horn sailor to retain its antique patina. There is some minor cracking of the paint along the plank seams, to be expected when an uncased plank on frame model spends that much time on a mantle or window sill, but no light showing between the planks. I expect the model would float today without significant leaking if put to the test. One more caveat to mention in passing is that glass-reinforced fabric and mat sheathing may exponentially complicate repairs if catastropic hull damage occurs. One can always throw more resin and glass on it and sand (sort of) fair, but deconstruction for "as new" repairs becomes far more complicated if it is to be done right.

Fiberglass can be a "strong, hard wearing surface," but it's a real bugger to work with, particularly on small scale pieces and it sure isn't "easy to sand smooth for painting. It will add thickness to your hull and weight, neither are advantageous. It can be tricky to work with and if something goes wrong, it could ruin the model completely. It's about as strong as an eggshell, so until it gets around 3/16ths of an inch thick, it's going to crack like an eggshell if it gets whacked. At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. If your hull is properly put together, it should not need any strengthening and if you operate the model prudently, it should not require a "strong hard wearing surface." If it were me, and I realize is ain't, I would sand the hull fair and apply a liberal coat of Smith and Co,.'s Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer. ("CPES")(See:http://www.smithandcompany.org/ for technical information) This will penetrate the wood surface and cure, turning the surface of the wood into rock hard wood impregnated with cured epoxy resin. (CPES is not just "thinned epoxy," it contains special solvents which cause the resin to permeate the wood fibers. Before the CPES cures completely (less than 2 or 3 days... read Smith's instructions... this will create a molecular, rather than just a mechanical bond between the CPES and WEST epoxies,), I would apply a thin coating of WEST System G/flex 650 epoxy resin mixed with WEST System 407 Low-Density or 410 Microlight fairing additive. The additive will make the cured epoxy very easily sand-able to a very finely smooth surface. It will also fill any cracks or divots on the surface. Then sand the surface fair (without sanding the epoxy off down to bare wood. If that happens, apply more CPES to the bare spot(s.)) Then paint with a good quality marine enamel primer and topcoat paint. WEST G/flex epoxy resin cures to a hard, but slightly flexible epoxy that should not crack with slight wood movement. The CPES will provide a decent water barrier and the West G/flex will add to that. A good marine enamel will complete what should be a matrix that isn't going to leak in your lifetime, nor, probably, the lifetimes of your grandchildren. It won't add noticeable thickness to your hull and won't weigh down your model with unnecessary weight. You could also add WEST System 422 Barrier Coat Additive, which will increase the moisture resistance of the G/flex epoxy resin, but it's overkill for this application. You've also got the option of using WEST's kevlar additive if you want your bottom to be bulletproof, but that's a story for another night. Amazingly versatile stuff, epoxy. Fiberglassing small, irregular surfaces is tricky business and the glass cloth or mat is nasty to work with, too. (Tiny bits of glass fibers become airborne and land on your skin, quickly working their way into the skin like fine cactus needles, resulting in painful itching. I don't ever want to begin to think what they do when you inhale them, but I've done my share of fiberglass work on boats in the days before hazmat suits and filtered air-supply masks and I'm still here, so... Anyway, that's how I'd do it.

Why do you want to sheath the hull in a cloth and resin laminate? Just curious.

I realize this is probably more than most would ever want to know about painting stripes on models, but it's a subject that doesn't seem to have been addressed here lately and I type faster than a lot of people talk, so here it is. Aside from the waterline on the X-Y axis, there aren't many straight lines on a seagoing vessel. That said, waterlines can be marked simply by mounting the hull on a flat surface in the "floating" attitude (sometimes there is considerable rake in the keel, particularly in small sailing vessels.) Then take a block of wood of suitable height with a pencil laid on top of it and just run the block around the hull using the pencil laying on the block to mark the waterline. Note that waterlines are not always of constant width. The eye sees the stripe as of a uniform thickness, but, as the stripe is generally on an inclined surface, its width on the hull has to account for that. When you line off a boot stripe with your block and pencil, you'll note that where the hull curves, the top and bottom edges of the stripe will not be parallel. For example, a boot stripe at the tuck of the stern can widen significantly. Another perspective issue is the shape of the hull overall. If a viewer is standing amidships and looking at the boot stripe, the boot stripe at the bow, and perhaps at the stern, will be farther from the viewer's eye than the stripe amidships because the bow, and perhaps the stern, narrow as the hull approaches its ends. For this reason, boot stripes often look better if they are laid out to gradually widen slightly as they approach the bow. This avoids the optical illusion that the boot stripe is narrowing as it runs towards the bow. These adjustments must be done "by eye" when masking the stripes. As for painting, use a "fine line" masking tape to lay out the lines and paint between the masked areas. Don't use regular house painter's masking tape. The paint will likely run under the paint and make a mess. 3M's Fine Line Tape is a good brand. I believe Tamaya model paints also makes a fine line masking tape. Others have used automotive striping tape, but I've found it's often too thick and out of scale and color selections are limited. A bit of practice is advised before committing to tape and paint the model's hull. The learning curve is short and not steep, but you don't want to mess up the paint job on the model by making that your first try! Fine line tape can be purchased at art supply stores: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40067079/ Buy the 1/4" wide tape and then use regular masking tape on top of that to mask a wider area, if need be. The stuff is not cheap! Thinner is cheaper. About $30.00 a roll! A roll will probably last a lifetime of modeling, though. (Tamaya tape is less expensive, but I don't have any personal experience with it. I've read good reviews of it. Perhaps others can comment. 3M Fine Line is the industry standard for automotive and aircraft painters.) Be sure to store all masking tape, and especially fine line tape, in zip-lock plastic bags, which retard their drying out and significantly extend their shelf-life to practically forever. Also, never ever lay a roll of any type of masking tape down on its side on your bench top. Always replace it in its zip-lock bag. Laying a roll of tape on its side will cause it to pick up dust and dirt on the side of the tape, which ruins it because the dust and dirt adhering to the edge of the tape will make it impossible to yield a razor sharp line and will permit paint to seep beneath the edge of the tape. There are other techniques for painting stripes, including using special pin-striping brushes freehand with One Shot sign paint, etc., etc., but the use of fine line tape is the only fool-proof method I know. Even among the pros, it's a rare "fist" who can do it well freehand with a brush.

Well, for openers, since Calypso is diesel powered, there shouldn't be much smoke coming out of her stack. Certainly it wouldn't be the white smoke that the model railroad smoke generators produce. Lights are simply a matter of wiring them in where you want them. Formerly "grain of rice" incandescent or neon bulbs were used, but now it appears the technology has gone to LEDs. Check out the model railroading catalogs and online retailers, such as Micro-Mark. They offer packaged modular lighting sets for the purpose. YouTube has a number of instructional videos:

PM Sent

You can say that again! Not only are they expensive, but complete cased sets such as this one are scarce as hen's teeth these days. Those who've got 'em, are keeping 'em! I'm no CAD expert, but if the work of some of the CAD artists on this forum is any indication, is appears that even a CAD expert is going to spend more time than a manual draftsman getting out the same lines. Not so much for straight lines, but generating the curves we see in naval architecture with a CAD program seems to require a very expensive program and a lot of user knowledge and experience way above this tee square and triangle guy's abilities. It took me several years twenty years ago when they were still somewhat available to collect complete sets of ships' curves, engineering curves, French curves and highway/railroad curves. I find them handy fairly often. The highway/railroad curves are very handy for lining off deck camber. Find the curve with the proper rise at the centerline at the midship point and then use it for every station at the deck sheer and you'll get a fair deck without going nuts. The highway/railroad curves still show up on FleaBay now and again, but the model railroaders are all over them, too, for obvious reasons. (Trivia contest prize winner: "Modern highway/railroad curves have the identifying information for both railroad use and highway use on the same curve so one set can be used for both highway and railroad purposes. Railroad curves are specified based upon chords of 100' between full stations. Highway curves are specified as the length of the arc with the degree of curvature based on a 100' arc.)

Perhaps you could be more specific about your question.

First off, if one shapes their planks properly, each plank should lay down as it should with very little need to hold it in place. Thereafter, any sort of springy clamp, e.g. small binder clips (below,) can be used to hold the plank against the frame face. Some also have success using a drop of CA glue to hold the plank in place and then flood the joint with diluted PVA glue. Another approach is to use a heated plank bending iron or travel iron for a few seconds against the face of each plank at each frame. The heat from the iron will speed the evaporation of the PVA and quickly set the joint. Another method, while more labor intensive, also works well. Drill a hole that is slightly smaller in diameter than a dressmaker's pin through the plank and about half way through the frame. Then pin the plank to the frame with the dressmaker's pin. (The pin must be a tight fit in the hole to hold the plank. If you don't drill a hole, you will risk splitting the plank when shoving a pin through it.) When the PVA is dry, remove the pins and replace them with pegs ("trunnels") glued into the holes. Then cut and sand the pegs flush with the plank face. If you are going to finish the hull with paint, you can forget the pegs and just fill the holes with putty and sand fair before painting. Of course, if you are going to finish the hull "bright' (showing the bare wood,) you should take care that your pegs are the proper scale diameter and are placed as they should be in the prototype vessel. (The pegs should not be of a contrasting color of wood, but should be the same color as the planking. The pegs can be got out of scrap planking stock using a drawplate.) The planks will significantly strengthen the plank fastening to the frames. I don't think anybody has had much success with the many (expensive) "planking clamps" sold by the hobby tool vendors. You should find the forum's planking techniques section helpful. (It's in the drop-down menu at the top banner under "More." https://modelshipworld.com/forum/98-planking-downloads-and-tutorials-and-videos/

Follow the manufacturers' recommendations. Each manufacturer seems to have their own selection chart. Here's one that is from a major manufacturer.It looks like their Precision Ground Tooth is the best all around blade and particularly good for hard woods. I keep a chart like this with my scroll saw blades so it's always handy. https://www.olsonsaw.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-scroll-chart-WEB.pdf

True enough in a sense, if you are talking about electrically powered tools, but let's not get too romantically nostalgic about it. The master modelers who turned out the wonderful Admiralty Board models and the like certainly did have sophisticated tools. Eighteenth Century instrument makers and miniaturists in most instances had machines equivalent to, and in some instances better, than our selection of modeling tools today. This lathe is a very rare treadle powered 1854 ornamental turning lathe. https://www.ebay.com/itm/392694015715?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=392694015715&targetid=1262749490302&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9032112&poi=&campaignid=11612431626&mkgroupid=121090480206&rlsatarget=pla-1262749490302&abcId=9300456&merchantid=113615460&gclid=CjwKCAjwlYCHBhAQEiwA4K21m5tmu2GPv40iTAylAgSca21eIDvBUuiiXSNJWab0_Q6zys0_i2rhVRoCgkUQAvD_BwE They had powered scroll saws, too! https://www.etsy.com/listing/745428861/antique-1800s-treadle-jig-saw-36x14x29?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_ps-a-craft_supplies_and_tools-tools_and_equipment-tools-other&utm_custom1=_k_CjwKCAjwlYCHBhAQEiwA4K21myP675yEwWCgTQAQfy_o6Wot148Le0jyKTtecLdxM1UuuTYkidE9IxoCeHMQAvD_BwE_k_&utm_content=go_12565278184_123210950767_507187537626_pla-295604191622_c__745428861_111184285&utm_custom2=12565278184&gclid=CjwKCAjwlYCHBhAQEiwA4K21myP675yEwWCgTQAQfy_o6Wot148Le0jyKTtecLdxM1UuuTYkidE9IxoCeHMQAvD_BwE A ship modeler could certainly find a use for this 1800's hand cranked watchmaker's lathe. https://www.carters.com.au/index.cfm/index/3930-watchmakers-equipmment/ "He who dies with the most tools, wins!" but, when buying tools, choose wisely, Grasshopper.

With the disclaimer that I'm no chemist at all (My lab partner and I passed chem in high school by building a still and distilling the alcohol from cheap wine and passing it around the class so everybody could have a taste. The teacher was a bit of a lush and loved it!)... Decent models should always be cased, but cases need a bit of ventilation so the air circulates some because whatever acids that are in the materials will otherwise collect and concentrate in the atmosphere of the case. I'm not sure how this happens, actually, but as I understand it, the less acid in a model's material, particularly a cased model, the better. I avoid acid like... well... acid.

I don't know about Basset-Lowke models, but Vickers has had some problems building full-sized submarines. From their Wikipedia page: "In 1988, a mistake by senior management and changing shipbuilding methods meant that the Vickers shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness accidentally welded part of HMS Triumph (a nuclear submarine) in an upside-down position." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vickers_Shipbuilding_and_Engineering