Bob Cleek

I think your first effort is quite promising. "If at first your don't succeed, try, try again." as the saying goes.
 
I'd suggest that you try making up the "square" shape by taking one piece with the smaller dimensions and then gluing "cheeks" onto the middle of that to yield a larger square section for the larger diameter of the middle of the windlass. Then work the thinner ends and the thicker middle section down to the finished octagonal shapes. That might be a bit easier to work a smooth transition between the thicker middle and the thinner ends. Sharp tools and thinner cuts are the trick. Sneak up on the shape. Don't try to get it perfect with large "bites."
 
Other than that, I think you've got the approach down pretty well. Walnut may or may not be easy to work, depending upon the grain and hardness of the particular piece of walnut you are working. If it works for you, go for it. 

Bill,
 
Your machine uses about as much power as two light bulbs.  The manufacturer of the MM machine tried to overcome this by very high speed rotation.  This means that the machine produces very little torque.  In a thickness sander high RPM’s are not good since as Jaager points out it can burn your wood.  Much better to have a much slower machine with much higher torque.
 
Roger

Sooooooo-ld Amurrican!
 
PM sent.

I think you'll have to determine the type of king plank, if any, was used on the prototype. "Sprung" deck planking may be let into a stepped-sided king plank, or to each other, port and starboard, in a herringbone pattern, or, less commonly, butted to a straight-sided king plank as shown in the photo. this is not "best practice," however, because the planks come to a "feather edge" (points) which are difficult to caulk and tend to leak. That said, in modern construction where plywood decks are often covered with uncaulked teak sheathing to create the appearance of a true laid teak and stopping is merely placed in groves between the faux planks, flat-sided king planks are seen more often than in traditional construction.
 
Stepped king plank:
 

 

 
 

 
You will have to make a drawn template to determine the layout of your covering boards, deck planks, and king plank. Planking should be bent using heat (a steam iron or hair dryer) as per Chuck Passaro's instructional videos and posts here on this forum. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chuck+passaro
 
 
 

Based on the pictures I’ve seen of the Morgan, it looks like there is a little quarter deck on the bow.  Not sure what it’s called but I added one.

A single layer of planking requires careful layout and fitting, while double planking covers a multitude of sins. It's easier to bend two layers of thin plank than a thicker one, until you get the hang of it. Actually, single planking is easier in my opinion because it's easier to clamp to the frames. Kit manufacturers opt for the double planking because it offers the less-experienced builder an easier go of it and because they can get away with less expensive wood for the first layer. Today's top quality models seem all to be single layer planking, sometimes with the planks laser-cut to save the builder having to spile their own planks. I think many modelers find their first single planked model marks the end of their double planking days. Other's mileage may vary, of course.

A single layer of planking requires careful layout and fitting, while double planking covers a multitude of sins. It's easier to bend two layers of thin plank than a thicker one, until you get the hang of it. Actually, single planking is easier in my opinion because it's easier to clamp to the frames. Kit manufacturers opt for the double planking because it offers the less-experienced builder an easier go of it and because they can get away with less expensive wood for the first layer. Today's top quality models seem all to be single layer planking, sometimes with the planks laser-cut to save the builder having to spile their own planks. I think many modelers find their first single planked model marks the end of their double planking days. Other's mileage may vary, of course.

Back in the day, Ship model kits were centered on machine carved solid wooden hulls; a technology invented over 100 years earlier to mass produce wooden gun stocks.  The model maker finish carved the hull, and added stempost, sternpost, keel, etc. In the hands of a skilled modelmaker excellent and accurate models could be produced from these kits.
 
In the 1970’s-1980’s these kits began to be displaced by European Plank on Bulkhead kits that claimed to allow models “to be built like the real ship,” even though with their widely spaced bulkheads  they had more in common with model aircraft.  Comparing the two types of kits, it’s easy to see why European kit manufacturers favored their system.  It cost them much less to provide and ship strip and sheet stock than large blocks of quality wood.  It is also possible that novice model makers found this form of construction less intimidating than finish carving a solid hull, until they began planking, but by that time they had already spent their money.
 
But now the kit manufacturers had another problem.  Bending strips of wood around a few widely spaced bulkheads would not necessarily provide a fair (smooth) hull, let alone one that faithfully represented the actual ship.  To overcome this problem, they adopted the Double Planking System.  By using this system, the builder has an opportunity to fair his hull before adding the second planking layer.  Just like the real thing?  Hardly!
 
If for some reason I was to build one of these kits, I’d add solid blocks between the bulkheads and properly fair the hull.  Then  I’d plank the hull with a single layer of quality planking.  But if I were going to go to this effort, I’d just rather build a model from scratch.
 
Roger
 
 

It is my thought that double layer planking is used when the number of moulds is too few to allow a single layer of planking of any thickness to support a proper run without hollows.

A single layer of planking requires careful layout and fitting, while double planking covers a multitude of sins. It's easier to bend two layers of thin plank than a thicker one, until you get the hang of it. Actually, single planking is easier in my opinion because it's easier to clamp to the frames. Kit manufacturers opt for the double planking because it offers the less-experienced builder an easier go of it and because they can get away with less expensive wood for the first layer. Today's top quality models seem all to be single layer planking, sometimes with the planks laser-cut to save the builder having to spile their own planks. I think many modelers find their first single planked model marks the end of their double planking days. Other's mileage may vary, of course.

I hear you on that!  It seems to be a problem just about everywhere outside the US, if comments on MSW are any indication. I see that Barrie, Ontario is only about 145 miles from Buffalo, New York. An affordable Jim Saw may be closer than you think.  
 
If my memory of his prior posts serves, MSW forumite Kevin Kenny, who lives in Trinidad and Tobago, has found it impossible to obtain many modeling essentials in his homeland and solves that problem by stocking up on tools and supplies whenever he visits his daughter in New York. He may be able to share some pointers on how that works for him.

Ah, yes. It happens. Go to a local craft or bead store and I'm sure you will easily find something that fits the scale of your model perfectly. They are just round beads. They come in a million colors and sizes. No problem.

Ah, yes. It happens. Go to a local craft or bead store and I'm sure you will easily find something that fits the scale of your model perfectly. They are just round beads. They come in a million colors and sizes. No problem.

Ah, yes. It happens. Go to a local craft or bead store and I'm sure you will easily find something that fits the scale of your model perfectly. They are just round beads. They come in a million colors and sizes. No problem.

Ah, yes. It happens. Go to a local craft or bead store and I'm sure you will easily find something that fits the scale of your model perfectly. They are just round beads. They come in a million colors and sizes. No problem.

Great news, Michael. I'm looking forward to watching you back at work soon! 

Great news, Michael. I'm looking forward to watching you back at work soon! 

Great news, Michael. I'm looking forward to watching you back at work soon! 

Glen,
 
I’d be interested in the Byrnes sander at $160 plus shipping.  I don’t have a Paypal account or any thing like that.  I propose to send you a check and you send me the sander when you cash it.  
 
Send me a PM with details.
 
BTW, I believe that one of the miter gages goes with the sander.
Roger

The distinction between primer and sanding undercoat is often overlooked. Primer is thin and soaks into the bare wood surface. It can be thinned paint or shellac. I prefer shellac as it is thinned with alcohol and dries quickly to a hard coating that sands easily while penetrating the wood well. For those using water-based acrylics, you should not use a water-based primer on bare wood because the water will raise the grain on the bare wood surface. For this reason, among others, my standard primer is shellac. (Which is also cheap and readily available!)
 
Applying repeated coats of thin primer will take much longer to fill grain and other imperfections, as will applying repeated costs of finish paint. Sanding undercoat is a huge time-saver. Also note that filling imperfections with sanding undercoat has its limitations. It isn't intended for filling a 1/32" gap in planking. For that use surfacing putty (sometimes called "fairing putty",) which is a peanut-butter consistency acetone-thinned material similar to sanding undercoat that is used for filling larger imperfections. Surfacing putty should be covered with primer or sanding undercoat after sanding fair and before applying any finish paint because it may absorb some of the later-applied coating and create a visible difference in the later coat, often a "flat finish" that sticks out like a sore thumb on a gloss finish coat.
 
Once primed, a sanding undercoat is used to fill the small imperfections and grain. This undercoat paint is relatively thick and contains a fair portion of talc (chalk) which is what thickens it so it will fill the low spots and makes it very easy to sand. The undercoat, when fully dried, is sanded smooth. If some imperfections remain, another coat is applied and sanded again, and so on until the surface is perfect. Close examination under good light is preferred, and for final examination running the fingertips lightly over the surface is recommended because your fingertips are more sensitive for judging smoothness than your eyes.  Only after the surface is prepared in this fashion, should one apply the finish coats thinly until the desired finish is achieved. 
 
Oil-based sanding undercoat can be covered by water-based finishes because it is sufficiently flat to provide a mechanical bond, although if one is using  a water-based finish coat, it's safer to use water-based sanding undercoat. Oil-based paint and varnish are preferred for fine finishes due to their more durable harder surfaces which are easier to sand and polish. However, many prefer acrylics for their faster drying time and other more user-friendly qualities.
'
And the one rule that must often be followed and is rarely mentioned is to always, always, always, test every paint or varnish you are going to use on a scrap of the same material you are going to finish before you start applying it to the finished workpiece! This may be difficult for the impatient, but the additional time taken will ensure you avoid tremendous grief. Finishing is sometimes a mysterious process. Sometimes the smallest differences in the mixing of materials, their age, or the ambient environment can result in a failure, usually in adhesion or drying. It's often difficult to know why and frequently unpredictable. It's far better to know that before you've an applied incompatible or defective coating to an entire hull or to small, detailed parts that are nearly impossible to strip and start over on.

You must be a ruthless culler!  

I hear you on that!  It seems to be a problem just about everywhere outside the US, if comments on MSW are any indication. I see that Barrie, Ontario is only about 145 miles from Buffalo, New York. An affordable Jim Saw may be closer than you think.  
 
If my memory of his prior posts serves, MSW forumite Kevin Kenny, who lives in Trinidad and Tobago, has found it impossible to obtain many modeling essentials in his homeland and solves that problem by stocking up on tools and supplies whenever he visits his daughter in New York. He may be able to share some pointers on how that works for him.

I hear you on that!  It seems to be a problem just about everywhere outside the US, if comments on MSW are any indication. I see that Barrie, Ontario is only about 145 miles from Buffalo, New York. An affordable Jim Saw may be closer than you think.  
 
If my memory of his prior posts serves, MSW forumite Kevin Kenny, who lives in Trinidad and Tobago, has found it impossible to obtain many modeling essentials in his homeland and solves that problem by stocking up on tools and supplies whenever he visits his daughter in New York. He may be able to share some pointers on how that works for him.

I hear you on that!  It seems to be a problem just about everywhere outside the US, if comments on MSW are any indication. I see that Barrie, Ontario is only about 145 miles from Buffalo, New York. An affordable Jim Saw may be closer than you think.  
 
If my memory of his prior posts serves, MSW forumite Kevin Kenny, who lives in Trinidad and Tobago, has found it impossible to obtain many modeling essentials in his homeland and solves that problem by stocking up on tools and supplies whenever he visits his daughter in New York. He may be able to share some pointers on how that works for him.

This thread shouldn't be eliminated. It should be preserved for posterity. It proves that determination and thought will provide the solution of most any daunting modeling challenge. As they say, "It shows you're thinking!" All to often, someone posts a question, gets the answer, and then argues about why it can't be done that way.