Bob Cleek

It's Portia Takakjian, "Tah-kok-gee-in." 
 
Her AOTS book was on Essex. HMS Fubbs may have been one of the three builds addressed in her Ship Modeling Techniques book. I fortunately found a great deal on a used copy that's coming in the mail. I've had my eye out for this title at a reasonable price for some time.
 
AOTS: The 32 Gun Frigate Essex   https://www.amazon.com/32-Gun-Frigate-Essex-Anatomy-Ship/dp/0851775411
     (Hardcover: 3 used from $154.84 - 1 new from 97.75)
     (Paperback: 3 used from $565.99 - 1 new from $919.00)
 
Ship Modeling Techniques   https://www.amazon.com/Modeling-Techniques-Portia-Takakjian-1990-04-06/dp/B01HCADDZ4
     (Paperback: "3 Used from $183.87 - 2 new from $768.57"
 
I really don't know what's with Amazon's book pricing. Perhaps they need to revise their algorithms. It seems like some sort of digital "monkey see - monkey do" issue is operative. Somebody sees a price on line and asks more for theirs, and that gets repeated over and over again and the prices just keep getting inflated automatically like Bitcoins. I can't imagine why anybody would pay $919.00 for a new paperback copy of an AOTS book when a lot of 27 new hardcover copies were just remaindered for $150.00 at an online auction. I can't imagine anybody's paying the kind of prices that some of the books on Amazon are listed for. it's certain that poor Portia, who died too young, never saw the kind of money her two books are bringing these days. She was working on an AOTS volume on the 32 gun frigate Raleigh at the time of her death. She was a fascinating maritime historian and ship modeler about whom not a lot seems to have been written.  A classically trained illustrator, her "day job" was as an academic scientific illustrator, her maritime interests were an avocation and she only modeled ships later in her life. Her papers were left to the G.W. Blunt White Library at Mystic Seaport.  What I found particularly fascinating was that while raising two boys as a single mom, she managed to build what her Mystic Seaport biography calls " one of the best, privately held, period shipbuilding and naval architecture book collections in the USA." Wouldn't we all give our eye teeth for something like that!
 
 
Here's her bio from the Mystic Seaport website: https://research.mysticseaport.org/coll/coll289/
 
Biography of Portia Takakjian
Shortly after Portia Takakjian’s death on February 17, 1992, Scottie Dayton, friend and associate, commented in the May/June issue of Seaways as follows: “On 17 February noted ship modeler, researcher and author, Portia Takakjian lost her battle with emphysema. True to her nature, Portia was busy helping others right to the end. She was an extraordinary lady, as anyone who knew her will tell you. Her capacity for caring and giving was boundless.
She was born in Los Angles in 1930, but spent most of her time in the villages of Tarrytown and Piermont on the Hudson River just above New York City. After completing high school she worked as a fashion model for the Ford Agency while attending Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and later the Art Students League.
Portia’s art career originally focused on illustrating children’s books. Her reputation in this field earned a listing in Gale’s “Authors and Illustrators”, while some of her work became part of the Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota. Besides illustrating books, Takakjian rose to the level of senior illustrator and draftsperson at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory.
Her interest in ship modeling surfaced while raising sons Kyle and Erik. Takakjian understood how vital a quality reference library was and set about establishing one of the best, privately held, period shipbuilding and naval architecture book collections in the USA. As her knowledge and skills increased, her studio also evolved into a first-class model shop.
When the Hudson River Museum invited Portia to exhibit her models, the interest in how they were constructed led to teaching a weekly class in her workshop. She realized early on that there was little published material to help the beginner, so she began imparting what she’d learned by writing magazine articles.
Portia had much to be proud of, but the publication of the “32-Gun Frigate Essex” by Conway Maritime Press was a crowning achievement. “Essex” was the first title ever produced on an early American vessel for their esteemed Anatomy of the Ship series. Conway’s editors were so impressed with the quality of her plans and the accuracy of her modeling that they permitted her to choose the vessel and deadline for another title. Portia selected the 32-gun frigate Raleigh (1778). Her obsession to finish Raleigh “before it finishes me” drove her over each physical obstacle.
Portia left behind an impressive legacy in her models and writings, but more importantly, she touched and forever enriched the lives of those she met.”

It's Portia Takakjian, "Tah-kok-gee-in." 
 
Her AOTS book was on Essex. HMS Fubbs may have been one of the three builds addressed in her Ship Modeling Techniques book. I fortunately found a great deal on a used copy that's coming in the mail. I've had my eye out for this title at a reasonable price for some time.
 
AOTS: The 32 Gun Frigate Essex   https://www.amazon.com/32-Gun-Frigate-Essex-Anatomy-Ship/dp/0851775411
     (Hardcover: 3 used from $154.84 - 1 new from 97.75)
     (Paperback: 3 used from $565.99 - 1 new from $919.00)
 
Ship Modeling Techniques   https://www.amazon.com/Modeling-Techniques-Portia-Takakjian-1990-04-06/dp/B01HCADDZ4
     (Paperback: "3 Used from $183.87 - 2 new from $768.57"
 
I really don't know what's with Amazon's book pricing. Perhaps they need to revise their algorithms. It seems like some sort of digital "monkey see - monkey do" issue is operative. Somebody sees a price on line and asks more for theirs, and that gets repeated over and over again and the prices just keep getting inflated automatically like Bitcoins. I can't imagine why anybody would pay $919.00 for a new paperback copy of an AOTS book when a lot of 27 new hardcover copies were just remaindered for $150.00 at an online auction. I can't imagine anybody's paying the kind of prices that some of the books on Amazon are listed for. it's certain that poor Portia, who died too young, never saw the kind of money her two books are bringing these days. She was working on an AOTS volume on the 32 gun frigate Raleigh at the time of her death. She was a fascinating maritime historian and ship modeler about whom not a lot seems to have been written.  A classically trained illustrator, her "day job" was as an academic scientific illustrator, her maritime interests were an avocation and she only modeled ships later in her life. Her papers were left to the G.W. Blunt White Library at Mystic Seaport.  What I found particularly fascinating was that while raising two boys as a single mom, she managed to build what her Mystic Seaport biography calls " one of the best, privately held, period shipbuilding and naval architecture book collections in the USA." Wouldn't we all give our eye teeth for something like that!
 
 
Here's her bio from the Mystic Seaport website: https://research.mysticseaport.org/coll/coll289/
 
Biography of Portia Takakjian
Shortly after Portia Takakjian’s death on February 17, 1992, Scottie Dayton, friend and associate, commented in the May/June issue of Seaways as follows: “On 17 February noted ship modeler, researcher and author, Portia Takakjian lost her battle with emphysema. True to her nature, Portia was busy helping others right to the end. She was an extraordinary lady, as anyone who knew her will tell you. Her capacity for caring and giving was boundless.
She was born in Los Angles in 1930, but spent most of her time in the villages of Tarrytown and Piermont on the Hudson River just above New York City. After completing high school she worked as a fashion model for the Ford Agency while attending Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and later the Art Students League.
Portia’s art career originally focused on illustrating children’s books. Her reputation in this field earned a listing in Gale’s “Authors and Illustrators”, while some of her work became part of the Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota. Besides illustrating books, Takakjian rose to the level of senior illustrator and draftsperson at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory.
Her interest in ship modeling surfaced while raising sons Kyle and Erik. Takakjian understood how vital a quality reference library was and set about establishing one of the best, privately held, period shipbuilding and naval architecture book collections in the USA. As her knowledge and skills increased, her studio also evolved into a first-class model shop.
When the Hudson River Museum invited Portia to exhibit her models, the interest in how they were constructed led to teaching a weekly class in her workshop. She realized early on that there was little published material to help the beginner, so she began imparting what she’d learned by writing magazine articles.
Portia had much to be proud of, but the publication of the “32-Gun Frigate Essex” by Conway Maritime Press was a crowning achievement. “Essex” was the first title ever produced on an early American vessel for their esteemed Anatomy of the Ship series. Conway’s editors were so impressed with the quality of her plans and the accuracy of her modeling that they permitted her to choose the vessel and deadline for another title. Portia selected the 32-gun frigate Raleigh (1778). Her obsession to finish Raleigh “before it finishes me” drove her over each physical obstacle.
Portia left behind an impressive legacy in her models and writings, but more importantly, she touched and forever enriched the lives of those she met.”

I would like to send a big thank you out to Chris Watton of Vanguard Models. I had an issue with a kit and four minutes after I hit send Chris answered back. We in the Model world are blessed to have Chris And Chuck Passaro and their sense of what a business should be

I think it's mainly because Dremel markets it's "moto-tool" as being able to do a thousand and one different things and therein lies a lot of it's appeal to less-sophisticated DIY-ers. My wife gets more use out of her Dremel that she uses to sand down her dogs' nails than I do out of mine in my workshop!  
 
There are some things Dremels will do very well (and a Foredom flex-shaft machine will do better,) but the more things any tool is advertised as being capable of doing, the less likely it is to do very many of them well.

Interesting feature. I can't claim to be any authority on the period, but it looks like what is called "stave planking" and in such applications wasn't a rarity over the centuries, although more frequently seen in sharply curved forms, particularly on rounded sterns. It's not structurally strong, but it doesn't need to be. In the instance pictured, it does seems to be intentionally decorative. I do see the suggestions of what could be interpreted as "balusters," but I don' think that's likely. That would be a heck of a lot of balusters to turn, and for what purpose? I think interpretation would depend a lot upon the size of the drawing. The Van De Veldes' originals I've see are amazing in the level of detail they achieve, even at very small sizes. This appears to be a stand-alone pencil drawing and  not a cropped section from one of their trademark black and white "panorama" paintings. Perhaps the "staved" depiction may have been simply a shading technique he used?

Also, not everyone is blessed with the space to keep and operate bench tools. The Dremels are very versatile and don't take up lots of space. The Vanda-Lay products mentioned earlier are ideal for those with a small workspace. I used to use the AcraMill Plus with a Dremel as a drill, mill, mini table saw, and more. But, yes, if you have the space a small bench-top drill press is easier for a lot of things. Plus, you don't have to spend the time reconfiguring it, like you do with Dremel attachments.

Interesting feature. I can't claim to be any authority on the period, but it looks like what is called "stave planking" and in such applications wasn't a rarity over the centuries, although more frequently seen in sharply curved forms, particularly on rounded sterns. It's not structurally strong, but it doesn't need to be. In the instance pictured, it does seems to be intentionally decorative. I do see the suggestions of what could be interpreted as "balusters," but I don' think that's likely. That would be a heck of a lot of balusters to turn, and for what purpose? I think interpretation would depend a lot upon the size of the drawing. The Van De Veldes' originals I've see are amazing in the level of detail they achieve, even at very small sizes. This appears to be a stand-alone pencil drawing and  not a cropped section from one of their trademark black and white "panorama" paintings. Perhaps the "staved" depiction may have been simply a shading technique he used?

You need a bigger workbench! Or not. Get two tables the same height and spread them as far apart as you want. You can also simply clamp a plank longer than your workbench to its top and put your ropewalk ends at either end of the plank. Or am I missing something here?

The thicker the thread, the thicker the rope. The easiest is to buy heavier thread for your layup. You can also double or triple the number of threads you attach to each hook. Just make sure the tension of the multiple thread strands is equal on each hook. 
 
If you read this section on ropemaking, you will find charts of formulae, recipes, if you will, for making different thicknesses of rope.

I think it's mainly because Dremel markets it's "moto-tool" as being able to do a thousand and one different things and therein lies a lot of it's appeal to less-sophisticated DIY-ers. My wife gets more use out of her Dremel that she uses to sand down her dogs' nails than I do out of mine in my workshop!  
 
There are some things Dremels will do very well (and a Foredom flex-shaft machine will do better,) but the more things any tool is advertised as being capable of doing, the less likely it is to do very many of them well.

I'll bet you stir it well after adding the white spirits, right?
 
 

Rather than sanding, I would scrape the affected area with a scraper and see if a careful reapplication of stain can repair the problem before getting into removing the piece. 
 
Thanks for reminding me of another reason why I hate using CA unless it's absolutely necessary. Even if CA might not have been the culprit.

Rather than sanding, I would scrape the affected area with a scraper and see if a careful reapplication of stain can repair the problem before getting into removing the piece. 
 
Thanks for reminding me of another reason why I hate using CA unless it's absolutely necessary. Even if CA might not have been the culprit.

Rather than sanding, I would scrape the affected area with a scraper and see if a careful reapplication of stain can repair the problem before getting into removing the piece. 
 
Thanks for reminding me of another reason why I hate using CA unless it's absolutely necessary. Even if CA might not have been the culprit.

It still doesn't sound like you're entirely clear on the concept. 1. Put your hand drill motor in a vise.  2. Put the dowel you will be using for the mast or boom in the chuck of your drill motor. 3. Hold the far end of the dowel with a piece of cloth or drill a hole in a piece of wood and rig a support for the outer end with clamps or whatever. 4. Turn on drill motor. 5. Run a sanding block with 120 grit or so up and down the length of the dowel to shape it. 
 
If you have the option of sending the Dremel drill press back where it came from for a refund, I'd say "Send it back!" I've never heard of anybody who had one that was satisfied with it. It simply lacks the rigidity to do the work at the tolerances modeling demands. Dremel mototools have their place and are useful for a lot of jobs, but Dremel's stands and attachments are often more in the "toy" category than in the "serious tool" category. Your mileage may vary, but I'd suggest if you are for whatever reason wedded to a Dremel mototool for power, you'd be dollars ahead to get a Vanda-Lay Industries drill press or  mill/drill set up and realize a much higher quality level of work. If you aren't wedded to the mototool for power, get a dedicated mini-drill press. 
 
Below are the Vanda-Lay drill press, and mill. the lower two photos are of the mill set up as a cut-off saw and as a wood lathe.  This system, powered by a Dremel mototool (any type) or a Foredom handpiece, is somewhat similar to the legendary Unimat DB/SL in concept. They are made entirely of CNC-cut aluminum and stainless steel and very nicely done. It's a family business and their service is prompt. Their prices are quite reasonable, in my opinion. Their drill press, and mill/drill/circular saw/lathe fill the need for machines that can turn out good work at a price point well below purchasing any dedicated machine tool in the same size range. The mill/drill has tremendous versatility. They make good sense for those who have yet to commit to investing thousands of dollars in a micro-machine shop full of dedicated tools.  https://www.vanda-layindustries.com/index.html
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

I bought my drill press back in the early 70’s.  It’s chuck accepts drill bits up to 1/2in dia. and the fractional hp motor that drives it never lacks power.  The depth between the centerline of the chuck and column is about 10in.  At the time it cost enough that it was a major purchase.  Since buying it, I have used it almost daily in my shop.
 
Today, a similar bench top drill press bought from a big box home improvement store costs less than $100.  At this price, I cannot understand why anyone would spend money trying to adapt a Dermel tool as a drill press.
 
Roger

I'll bet you stir it well after adding the white spirits, right?
 
 

There's really no point in buying "satin" if you are going to wipe it on. If you thin gloss material and wipe it on, it's going to dry satin anyway. "Canned satin" will work, so go ahead and use it, but the problem with canned satin polys and varnishes is that they are made by adding fine "dust" to dull the gloss and you must regularly stir the stuff in the can to keep the "dust" in even suspension in the material. (Varnishes are always stirred, never shaken. Shaking ads minute bubbles to it which will ruin the finish.) Those who don't know this will often apply "satin" finishes right out of the material at top of a can in which the "satin dust" has settled and then can't figure out why their finish turned out glossy.
 
Another thing to remember is that satin polys and varnishes almost always do not have any UV inhibitor added, so they don't resist UV degradation anywhere near those with UV inhibitors. This may not be a big deal with models that are never placed in direct sunlight, but no professional yacht painter worth their salt will ever use a satin varnish on anything that's going to be exposed to direct sunlight. The proper practice for producing a satin clear finish is to use a quality gloss coating with UV protection and then flatten the gloss by hand rubbing when it's dry with rottenstone and/or pumice or a fine Scotch-brite pad to obtain a uniform satin finish. Manufacturer-compounded "satin" clear finishes only mimic a quality hand rubbed finish and are quite inferior to the real thing. 

There's really no point in buying "satin" if you are going to wipe it on. If you thin gloss material and wipe it on, it's going to dry satin anyway. "Canned satin" will work, so go ahead and use it, but the problem with canned satin polys and varnishes is that they are made by adding fine "dust" to dull the gloss and you must regularly stir the stuff in the can to keep the "dust" in even suspension in the material. (Varnishes are always stirred, never shaken. Shaking ads minute bubbles to it which will ruin the finish.) Those who don't know this will often apply "satin" finishes right out of the material at top of a can in which the "satin dust" has settled and then can't figure out why their finish turned out glossy.
 
Another thing to remember is that satin polys and varnishes almost always do not have any UV inhibitor added, so they don't resist UV degradation anywhere near those with UV inhibitors. This may not be a big deal with models that are never placed in direct sunlight, but no professional yacht painter worth their salt will ever use a satin varnish on anything that's going to be exposed to direct sunlight. The proper practice for producing a satin clear finish is to use a quality gloss coating with UV protection and then flatten the gloss by hand rubbing when it's dry with rottenstone and/or pumice or a fine Scotch-brite pad to obtain a uniform satin finish. Manufacturer-compounded "satin" clear finishes only mimic a quality hand rubbed finish and are quite inferior to the real thing. 

The rebuild of the companionway is starting to come together.
The walls are a sandwich of Maple and Mahogany with an Apple cap rail.

 

 
The companionway will go back to having doors like these ones.
 
Michael

There's really no point in buying "satin" if you are going to wipe it on. If you thin gloss material and wipe it on, it's going to dry satin anyway. "Canned satin" will work, so go ahead and use it, but the problem with canned satin polys and varnishes is that they are made by adding fine "dust" to dull the gloss and you must regularly stir the stuff in the can to keep the "dust" in even suspension in the material. (Varnishes are always stirred, never shaken. Shaking ads minute bubbles to it which will ruin the finish.) Those who don't know this will often apply "satin" finishes right out of the material at top of a can in which the "satin dust" has settled and then can't figure out why their finish turned out glossy.
 
Another thing to remember is that satin polys and varnishes almost always do not have any UV inhibitor added, so they don't resist UV degradation anywhere near those with UV inhibitors. This may not be a big deal with models that are never placed in direct sunlight, but no professional yacht painter worth their salt will ever use a satin varnish on anything that's going to be exposed to direct sunlight. The proper practice for producing a satin clear finish is to use a quality gloss coating with UV protection and then flatten the gloss by hand rubbing when it's dry with rottenstone and/or pumice or a fine Scotch-brite pad to obtain a uniform satin finish. Manufacturer-compounded "satin" clear finishes only mimic a quality hand rubbed finish and are quite inferior to the real thing. 

With the disclaimer that I have no experience with this particular line of tools at all, I'll risk sharing the observation that "If it seems too good to be true, it usually is too good to be true." Generally speaking, tools (with which I do have a lot of general experience) marketed to the "hobbyist" or, in the current parlance, the "crafter" or "maker," are generally a poor investment. They tend to be underpowered and poorly constructed. The quality is markedly wanting, but the price, while often less, and sometimes much less, than the "professional's choice" model of the same tool, is expensive when one considered what they are getting for their money. Buying the best tool one can possibly afford is always a much better investment over time. Additionally, most of the now widely marketed tools of this style which feature low voltage power requirements, whether they be battery-powered and powered by a proprietary interchangeable power supply (e.g. the Proxxon or MicroMake systems) are dependent upon often-limited manufacturer support. When the manufacturer goes out of business or abandons the product line, owners are often left holding the bag when they can't get parts, proprietary accessories, or proprietary rechargeable batteries anymore. Note, as well, that the Makerx tools' prices do not include batteries or power supplies.
 
At the risk of sounding arrogantly presumptuous, I'll say most any sixty dollar airbrush system isn't going to provide the buyer with a lot of satisfaction. Cheap tools are always the most expensive in the long run. You will probably be far more satisfied, and money ahead over time, buying a quality airbrush from this forum's airbrush company sponsor using their MSW discount and buying a decent airbrush compressor to go with it.
 
Use the forum's search feature to find prior threads on airbrush selections. Other's have already figured out the best airbrush choices for modeling purposes. Learn from the mistakes of others and save money and grief.  
 
See: https://usaairbrushsupply.com/
 

I have a no name air compressor that I bought at Menards, our local big box home improvement store.  It retired a home made air system that I rigged up. 
At approximately $100 I consider it to be a bargain.  First, it gives me an unlimited supply of air delivered to my air brush at the correct pressure. Air brushes use more air than you might think.
 
in addition, it gives me a regulated air supply for use around my shop and inflated my wife’s car tire when she arrived home from the grocery store and told me that a women in the parking lot told her that it was flat- she drove home any way.
 
I hate battery powered tools. They always need to be charged when I want to use them and they seem to lose power quickly.
 
 
 
 
 

With the disclaimer that I have no experience with this particular line of tools at all, I'll risk sharing the observation that "If it seems too good to be true, it usually is too good to be true." Generally speaking, tools (with which I do have a lot of general experience) marketed to the "hobbyist" or, in the current parlance, the "crafter" or "maker," are generally a poor investment. They tend to be underpowered and poorly constructed. The quality is markedly wanting, but the price, while often less, and sometimes much less, than the "professional's choice" model of the same tool, is expensive when one considered what they are getting for their money. Buying the best tool one can possibly afford is always a much better investment over time. Additionally, most of the now widely marketed tools of this style which feature low voltage power requirements, whether they be battery-powered and powered by a proprietary interchangeable power supply (e.g. the Proxxon or MicroMake systems) are dependent upon often-limited manufacturer support. When the manufacturer goes out of business or abandons the product line, owners are often left holding the bag when they can't get parts, proprietary accessories, or proprietary rechargeable batteries anymore. Note, as well, that the Makerx tools' prices do not include batteries or power supplies.
 
At the risk of sounding arrogantly presumptuous, I'll say most any sixty dollar airbrush system isn't going to provide the buyer with a lot of satisfaction. Cheap tools are always the most expensive in the long run. You will probably be far more satisfied, and money ahead over time, buying a quality airbrush from this forum's airbrush company sponsor using their MSW discount and buying a decent airbrush compressor to go with it.
 
Use the forum's search feature to find prior threads on airbrush selections. Other's have already figured out the best airbrush choices for modeling purposes. Learn from the mistakes of others and save money and grief.  
 
See: https://usaairbrushsupply.com/
 

With the disclaimer that I have no experience with this particular line of tools at all, I'll risk sharing the observation that "If it seems too good to be true, it usually is too good to be true." Generally speaking, tools (with which I do have a lot of general experience) marketed to the "hobbyist" or, in the current parlance, the "crafter" or "maker," are generally a poor investment. They tend to be underpowered and poorly constructed. The quality is markedly wanting, but the price, while often less, and sometimes much less, than the "professional's choice" model of the same tool, is expensive when one considered what they are getting for their money. Buying the best tool one can possibly afford is always a much better investment over time. Additionally, most of the now widely marketed tools of this style which feature low voltage power requirements, whether they be battery-powered and powered by a proprietary interchangeable power supply (e.g. the Proxxon or MicroMake systems) are dependent upon often-limited manufacturer support. When the manufacturer goes out of business or abandons the product line, owners are often left holding the bag when they can't get parts, proprietary accessories, or proprietary rechargeable batteries anymore. Note, as well, that the Makerx tools' prices do not include batteries or power supplies.
 
At the risk of sounding arrogantly presumptuous, I'll say most any sixty dollar airbrush system isn't going to provide the buyer with a lot of satisfaction. Cheap tools are always the most expensive in the long run. You will probably be far more satisfied, and money ahead over time, buying a quality airbrush from this forum's airbrush company sponsor using their MSW discount and buying a decent airbrush compressor to go with it.
 
Use the forum's search feature to find prior threads on airbrush selections. Other's have already figured out the best airbrush choices for modeling purposes. Learn from the mistakes of others and save money and grief.  
 
See: https://usaairbrushsupply.com/