Bob Cleek

After reading your post and the tasks you anticipate doing, I would say that a table saw is the tool you will use the most in those applications. This is especially true if you anticipate fabricating deck gratings, window frames, and such. However, it must be a highly accurate and sufficiently powerful mini-table saw. (It's got to be able to zip through rock-hard wood, not just balsa and basswood!) Accuracy is really critical. You'll also want a saw with a good precision cross-sawing sled.
 
"If you take milling/planking your own timber out of the equation would a Byrnes table saw or a mini mill be of more use for the tasks I listed."  The table saw is still the more useful by a long shot, in my opinion. Of greater concern, however, is the fact that you are not likely able to "take milling/planking your own timber out of the equation." At an ever-increasing rate, pre-milled dimensioned modeling wood is becoming unavailable. There just isn't enough demand for it that anybody can make a living making and selling it. There's some poor and medium grade modeling woods still commercially available in dimensioned sizes, but practically none in quality species anymore, but you'll quickly run into problems finding the size you need.  Moreover, when you mill your own on your own table saw, you have a far wider selection of woods to chose from, many which can be sourced for nothing or close to it. Just look at all the posts in here from people asking "Where do I buy wood?" 
 
You can use the MSW search engine and read what is probably the most extensive collection of hands-on reviews and information on the Byrnes table saw anywhere on the internet. You aren't likely to see one in the flesh before you buy it unless you find your way to somebody near you who has one, or visit Jim Byrnes in Florida where he builds them. See: https://byrnesmodelmachines.com/ I do not expect anyone will argue with the assertion that there is no mini-saw available anywhere that comes anywhere close to the Byrnes table saw. It's as simple as that. Spending money on anything else means getting a lot less "bang for your buck." The Byrnes saw, while not inexpensive, it wicked accurate and an extremely high quality piece of machinery. There's no way anybody beats their personalized customer service. That's what one should expect from what is essentially a bespoke high-tolerance machine tool.
 
That said, I regret to inform you that if the reports from your countrymen are accurate, shipping, import duties, and taxes raise the cost of any machine from Byrnes Model Machines, or much of anything else from this side of the Pond, beyond what many feel they can justify spending. As I'm sure this situation affects everyone in in the UK similarly, you may be able to find a "work around" that makes it less painful for you than others have found those drawbacks to be.

I once helped a master boatbuilder friend plank a whole 35' sharpie hull with the stuff. I loved it. He used it throughout the boat. I saved a few pieces for small projects of my own, but, sad to say, we threw the rest of the offcuts into the shop woodstove. We weren't thinking of it as modeling wood at the time! It's amazing stuff. There's whole stands of it standing dead in southern Alaska. It will last for almost a hundred years like that. It's range is moving due to climate change. Counterintuitively, due to global warming, the thinning winter snowpacks expose the roots to freezing which kills the tree. For this reason, it's under consideration for threatened or endangered status.  One could probably harvest all they wanted up there, but it's not commercially viable getting it out of where it is.
 
it makes you want to cry.
 

I doubt that it has any relevance for lower Florida,  but if I was back in central Kentucky, younger, and had the tools I have now, I would see about trying to accumulate a warehouse size supply of Apple billets.
 
Anthony,  That Castello is dear in both price and the vanishing prospect of obtaining more.  A thought - you might consider reserving it for making blocks and deck furniture - .
I suggest getting some Hard Maple to get practice on ripping.  It is as close as you are likely to come to being as hard as Castello,  you can get as much as you want and the cost is reasonable.  Get lots of practice using the Maple.  And who knows, you may come to like it.  Save the rare expensive wood for a magnum opus .

Mike, 
 
I have no problem at all with you disagreeing about this. 
You are offering an alternative to becoming a solo sawmill for Europe.   I have the hope that by waving the home sawmill red flag,  a similar alternative for North America will make an appearance and refute me. This is an often asked question, here.  I do not recall reading an easy answer to it.  I am expressing what I feel is a realistic view of what is involved with scratch POF - at least here in North America.  I totally support the ambition for scratch POF.  I wish the that the barrier into it was a low one.  I find the wiederholen Sie das , (or singing Kathlene over the ship's intercom) aspect of kits to be ....wearing.  
 
The whole solo sawmill option is really a distraction from our primary goal.   The advantages are an increase in the number of species of wood that can be used and that after several hulls, the investment in tools is recovered -  as long as you leave your man hours expended out of the equation. It also offers some comfort to those of us who are driven to be as self sufficient as is possible.  But, it is impossible to be compensated at an hourly rate that is commensurate with that for the necessary skill level to do this.  Including that factor would probably keep any recouping of expenditure impossible.  But, since the alternative use of that time would not likely be a money making activity, it probably should be excluded.
 
You have access to one of the first line species and in a form that is readily usable.  From some build logs  it seems that Pear is not difficult to source in Europe.  I trust that you appreciate your good fortune with that.  And also value those who do the work to mill it for you.  In North America, it is fast becoming a situation where it is rare to source any milled stock other than the totally awful Balsa or the merely terrible Basswood.  Its cousin Linden/Lime is about 100% better, but that is not really available here.  Pear in any form is difficult to find and the price is prohibitive.  

After reading your post and the tasks you anticipate doing, I would say that a table saw is the tool you will use the most in those applications. This is especially true if you anticipate fabricating deck gratings, window frames, and such. However, it must be a highly accurate and sufficiently powerful mini-table saw. (It's got to be able to zip through rock-hard wood, not just balsa and basswood!) Accuracy is really critical. You'll also want a saw with a good precision cross-sawing sled.
 
"If you take milling/planking your own timber out of the equation would a Byrnes table saw or a mini mill be of more use for the tasks I listed."  The table saw is still the more useful by a long shot, in my opinion. Of greater concern, however, is the fact that you are not likely able to "take milling/planking your own timber out of the equation." At an ever-increasing rate, pre-milled dimensioned modeling wood is becoming unavailable. There just isn't enough demand for it that anybody can make a living making and selling it. There's some poor and medium grade modeling woods still commercially available in dimensioned sizes, but practically none in quality species anymore, but you'll quickly run into problems finding the size you need.  Moreover, when you mill your own on your own table saw, you have a far wider selection of woods to chose from, many which can be sourced for nothing or close to it. Just look at all the posts in here from people asking "Where do I buy wood?" 
 
You can use the MSW search engine and read what is probably the most extensive collection of hands-on reviews and information on the Byrnes table saw anywhere on the internet. You aren't likely to see one in the flesh before you buy it unless you find your way to somebody near you who has one, or visit Jim Byrnes in Florida where he builds them. See: https://byrnesmodelmachines.com/ I do not expect anyone will argue with the assertion that there is no mini-saw available anywhere that comes anywhere close to the Byrnes table saw. It's as simple as that. Spending money on anything else means getting a lot less "bang for your buck." The Byrnes saw, while not inexpensive, it wicked accurate and an extremely high quality piece of machinery. There's no way anybody beats their personalized customer service. That's what one should expect from what is essentially a bespoke high-tolerance machine tool.
 
That said, I regret to inform you that if the reports from your countrymen are accurate, shipping, import duties, and taxes raise the cost of any machine from Byrnes Model Machines, or much of anything else from this side of the Pond, beyond what many feel they can justify spending. As I'm sure this situation affects everyone in in the UK similarly, you may be able to find a "work around" that makes it less painful for you than others have found those drawbacks to be.

I lived for many years without a lathe or mill before I acquired a good used 12X42" Atlas lathe with extensive tooling for an amazing price. It has a milling attachment and I've never needed a bigger mill for what I do. I also have a Unimat SL modeler's lathe which converts to a mill. There are a very few things that cannot be done without them, but they aren't things that need doing all that often. You can do milling on a lathe with the right tooling. You can't do turning on a mill as you can on a lathe. In the world of wooden ship modeling, you don't need a lathe or a mill, but if you want to seriously scratch-build in wood, you do want to have accurate miniature wood-working power tools and that means "the trifecta:" the Byrnes table saw, thickness sander and disk sander, plus a decent drill press and a shop vacuum. Next, you'll want a decent scroll saw, not a cheapo model. If you want to mill your own wood from the tree, you'll need a 14" band saw. Only then should you start lusting after a lathe or a mill. Focusing on acquiring the table saw and thickness sander first is essential these days. Pre-milled stock is getting harder and harder to find and I, for one, am convinced it will soon be unobtainable at a price any sane person would want to spend. The wood you can get for nothing out of an old apple or holly tree and the like will quickly pay for that saw and thickness sander right out of the gate.
 
One thing that can't be said too often or too loudly to the uninitiated: don't underestimate the cost of the tooling essential to use machine tools like lathes and mills. In order to get the use most expect from their lathes and mills, you will have to spend at least as much on tooling as you did on the lathe or mill itself. Even the fancy package deals that advertise all the "comes with" tooling provide only the most basic of tooling and often not the best quality at that. For this reason, the Chinese Sieg 7X lathes, preferably from a vendor that will guarantee quality control (e.g. Little Machine Shop, Grizzly, etc.) are probably your best bet in terms of bang for your buck because, since there are so many of them in circulation, their tooling is more available and less expensive. Taig and Sherline are great machines, but they are much lighter than the Siegs and so more limited in their abilities and the cost of their tooling is wicked expensive. (Proxxon has its fans, but I find their tools priced far higher than their quality warrants.) You really don't want to spend the $1,500 to buy even an entry-level lathe or mill and their essential tooling that is going to sit on your shelf 99% of the time while you try to scratch build without a Byrnes table saw, thickness sander and disk sander. 

A cylindrical sized trunnel isn't always necessary. Cutting a "pie-shaped-sectioned" cross-grained length of soft wood of suitable size and cutting off little wedge shaped pieces parallel with the grain is often another option. Many of these little "chips" can be made very quickly. When a properly-sized little wedge is driven into a hole drilled in harder wood, the softer wedge will compress to fill the hole without deforming it. When finished flush to the surface, these are undistinguishable from a sized cylindrical trunnel.

After reading your post and the tasks you anticipate doing, I would say that a table saw is the tool you will use the most in those applications. This is especially true if you anticipate fabricating deck gratings, window frames, and such. However, it must be a highly accurate and sufficiently powerful mini-table saw. (It's got to be able to zip through rock-hard wood, not just balsa and basswood!) Accuracy is really critical. You'll also want a saw with a good precision cross-sawing sled.
 
"If you take milling/planking your own timber out of the equation would a Byrnes table saw or a mini mill be of more use for the tasks I listed."  The table saw is still the more useful by a long shot, in my opinion. Of greater concern, however, is the fact that you are not likely able to "take milling/planking your own timber out of the equation." At an ever-increasing rate, pre-milled dimensioned modeling wood is becoming unavailable. There just isn't enough demand for it that anybody can make a living making and selling it. There's some poor and medium grade modeling woods still commercially available in dimensioned sizes, but practically none in quality species anymore, but you'll quickly run into problems finding the size you need.  Moreover, when you mill your own on your own table saw, you have a far wider selection of woods to chose from, many which can be sourced for nothing or close to it. Just look at all the posts in here from people asking "Where do I buy wood?" 
 
You can use the MSW search engine and read what is probably the most extensive collection of hands-on reviews and information on the Byrnes table saw anywhere on the internet. You aren't likely to see one in the flesh before you buy it unless you find your way to somebody near you who has one, or visit Jim Byrnes in Florida where he builds them. See: https://byrnesmodelmachines.com/ I do not expect anyone will argue with the assertion that there is no mini-saw available anywhere that comes anywhere close to the Byrnes table saw. It's as simple as that. Spending money on anything else means getting a lot less "bang for your buck." The Byrnes saw, while not inexpensive, it wicked accurate and an extremely high quality piece of machinery. There's no way anybody beats their personalized customer service. That's what one should expect from what is essentially a bespoke high-tolerance machine tool.
 
That said, I regret to inform you that if the reports from your countrymen are accurate, shipping, import duties, and taxes raise the cost of any machine from Byrnes Model Machines, or much of anything else from this side of the Pond, beyond what many feel they can justify spending. As I'm sure this situation affects everyone in in the UK similarly, you may be able to find a "work around" that makes it less painful for you than others have found those drawbacks to be.

A cylindrical sized trunnel isn't always necessary. Cutting a "pie-shaped-sectioned" cross-grained length of soft wood of suitable size and cutting off little wedge shaped pieces parallel with the grain is often another option. Many of these little "chips" can be made very quickly. When a properly-sized little wedge is driven into a hole drilled in harder wood, the softer wedge will compress to fill the hole without deforming it. When finished flush to the surface, these are undistinguishable from a sized cylindrical trunnel.

It looks great! Yes, indeed, nice job on the case. It really adds the finishing touch!

Do a search on each of these topics - they have been discussed many times - lots of advice & recommendations.

The treenail maker is mounted on the end of the Dremel motor. It's sort of a pencil sharpener kind of gizmo.  I don't believe Vanda-Lay Industries offers the treenail maker anymore. It's not listed on their website anymore.  You might give them a call and ask.  https://vanda-layindustries.com/index.html
 
 

Great job on such a relatively small scale model!
 
One point which is worthy of mention is that you will likely find it necessary to shorten the length of your tiller. Characteristically, hookers have short tillers (which aren't helped by their notorious weather helm to which they owe their great weatherliness.) Tillers must be short to clear the mainsheet tackle which is attached to the middle, rather than the end of the boom with blocks secured to eyebolts secured to the sole framing. Commander Horner's lines published by Dixon Kemp and the earliest drawn lines I'm aware are extant, being done sometime in the late 1800's, show the characteristic bobbed tiller, although his single mainsheet tackle is not seen on many extant hookers, which predominantly extend the mainsheet purchase through separate blocks spread out on the boom and sole.
 


 
 
You may also wish to note another characteristic detail: the headstay is not fastened to an eyebolt in the stemhead, but, rather, the stemhead is drilled with a number of holes to serve as fairleads for a lanyard and set up with a bullseye or deadeye on the stay, depending on the size of the boat. Similarly, the smaller boats frequently do not employ deadeyes on their shrouds, instead using a simple lashing. Usually, a hooker with single shrouds will use a simple lashing, while those with two shrouds will opt for deadeyes and lanyards.
 

 
 
Headstay deadeye with frapped lanyards, as is common. Note the Dyneema / AmSteel / Spectra-type HMWPE rope used for the headstay. Some of the present-day hookers are using this super-strength rope for standing rigging.)

Just as an FYI, a long while back I did a scratch build  of a schooner (I think it was Columbia) and found that the plans I purchased had a hiccough.  One bulkhead was incorrectly drawn and under sized and I had to redraw and make a new one the correct size.  In your case, it could be that all of their kits have the same problem because of a design error.    If you do remove the planks, be sure the bulkhead is correct or, if it is not, that you have the tools and material to make a new one from scratch that is the correct size.   
Allan
 
 

The only thing you could do besides doing it over, would be to add some shim material to the bulkheads..

The treenail maker is mounted on the end of the Dremel motor. It's sort of a pencil sharpener kind of gizmo.  I don't believe Vanda-Lay Industries offers the treenail maker anymore. It's not listed on their website anymore.  You might give them a call and ask.  https://vanda-layindustries.com/index.html
 
 

The treenail maker is mounted on the end of the Dremel motor. It's sort of a pencil sharpener kind of gizmo.  I don't believe Vanda-Lay Industries offers the treenail maker anymore. It's not listed on their website anymore.  You might give them a call and ask.  https://vanda-layindustries.com/index.html
 
 

Happened across a Viking ship monograph while doing some quick research on an unrelated ship for a friend.
 
The Frigate Constitution and Other Historic Ships, by F. Alexander Magoun, S.B, S.M. written in 1927 and republished by Bonanza Books is a book of ship modeling mongraphs of historic ships by a professor at MIT. It's somewhat hard to come by in it's original printings, but there have been many reproductions, some of poor reproduction quality. Get the original edition or the Bonanza reprint, if you can.
 
One of the featured historic ships is the Gokstad Ship, a Viking vessel excavated in Norway in 1880. The book contains detailed high quality drawings, including construction details, taken from the vessel itself and instructions for building a model of it. There is also a long and detailed description of a "Viking funeral" as found upon the excavation of this vessel. You'd probably find it fascinating and a helpful supplement to your research and plans collecting. 

Yes, but once you have points of the curve laid out at each "station" in the lines drawing (these are not necessarily the positions of the frames,) use a "batten" (a flexible piece of wood or metal strip) bent so it curves, contacting each point, to draw your curved line on the wood.

Don't waste your time with balsa. It is too soft and your keel is the "backbone" of the entire model. Balsa is for model airplanes, due to its light weight. It is not suitable for ship modeling. I could go on explaining the many reasons for this, but you're just going to have to trust me on this one.
 
Pictures help a lot with questions like this one. It sounds like the keel is somewhat trapezoidal in cross-section, which would be expected. There are many ways to shape it. Lay out a centerline all along the length of the top and bottom of the piece. Then lay out the shape of the bottom, turn it over and lay out the shape of the top. Then shape it to the top and bottom outer lines. Of course, you will also have to lay out your rabet and carve that into the top edges of the keel. This should be shown on the plans. You should also give some thought to a building jig. These Nordic vessels, I believe, were built "planks first" on a few temporary molds and the frames and floors were installed after the planking had defined the vessel's shape. You will have to build on some sort of a jig or forms, or you will have nothing to hang your planks on.
 
A jig saw could shape the larger dimension, and the rest of the keel could be developed by planing the sides thereafter. Obviously, you've discovered the limitations of a razor saw, which is generally useful only for crosscutting straight stock. A coping saw or the like is required for curved cuts.
 
I don't want to hurt your feelings, but in the interests of honesty, it's apparent from your questions that you lack the basic tool skills and knowledge of boat building to get anywhere at the rate you are going. These longships were very sophisticated in their design and execution. The plans you have, assuming you speak the language in which they are written, are not suitable for a beginner. They are not easily built hulls. There are many longboat kits commercially available. You should use the search engine in the forum to read all the build logs of them, read all the kit reviews of them, and decide which best suits your needs and skill level. There's nothing worse than biting off more that you can chew. Start with the "baby steps" and build upon what you learn. You'll master the skills quickly enough. It's not a subject that anyone at your skill level should attempt to scratch-build. Don't feel bad about that. Just accept that the learning curve is greater than you first imagined. There's no shame in that!
 
 

Very nice job on the sails!
 

Very nice job on the sails!
 

Working on the sails:
 
I started building the sails by cutting 15mm wide strips from graphic marker paper.  The strips were taped down with a 1.5mm overlap to simulate seams.  That way I could make sure all the overlaps looked fairly even and uniform before gluing.

 
Diluted white glue was painted along the seams with a small brush.  Slop-over glue was dabbed (not rubbed) with cotton swabs.  Rubbing can damage the wet paper and ruin the surface.  The result is a sheet of "sail-cloth."

 
I used regular paper to make sail templates, using trial and error to make sure the templates fit the masts.  Once satisfied, I cut out the same shape from the sail-cloth I made previously

 
Next, wire and/or thread was put along the edges under trim.  Wire was used only on the sail edges I plan to "bend" in the wind.  Thread was for rigging later.

 

 
Sail construction finished, now on to painting...

 
Wanting to simulate the colored sails of yesteryear, I painted the paper with an airbrush using mixed Tamiya acrylic paints...   The rigging lines and pulleys were masked with tape, which also held the sail in place when the air hit it.


 
 
The painted sails....

 
Next I applied yellow ochre powdered paint pigment to "fade" the sails and bring out the highlights.  The pigment was applied with a brush along seam lines, then rubbed in with a makeup brush.  You have to be careful not to accidentally bend or crimp the paper while rubbing.  That will leave a crease you can never get out!

 
Un-pigmented sail (left), and pigmented sail (right).

 
Finished sails....

 

If so, they'r'e taking a big chance, since the headstay is the most important, and most highly stressed, piece of standing rigging on the boat. The last place you want to screw in an eyebolt is the end-grain of the stem! It's a real invitation to rot in the fastener hole and the threads have little holding power in end-grain. One of the interesting features of these rather primitive, or should we say "basic," boats is how simply they are built and rigged. Their owners didn't have much to work with, but they found ways to do what needed to be done with simple elegance. 

The terms and phrases "tall ships," "tall ships are coming," "tall ships 20##," and "tall ships challenge" are registered trademarks of The American Sail Training Association (ASTRA.) The term "tall ship" has been registered by ASTRA with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office since 1976. ASTRA reportedly charges 15 to 20 percent of the entire budget of an event to license the use of their "tall ships" trademark.
 
Perhaps a savvy ship modeling club will trademark the term, "small ships" for use with its next model show!