Bob Cleek

Using a drill press, clamp a strip of wood to the drill press table to serve as a fence so that the drill bit is above the center of the pin rail when the rail is up against the clamped wood fence. Slide the pin rail against the fence and drill the holes equally spaced. The line of holes will be straight. If you want to get really fancy, you can mount the fence on a piece of wood with a pin the diameter of the holes sticking up exactly the distance between the pins from the point where the drill bit hits. Then the pin rail can be drilled and, as each hole is drilled, the rail can be dropped over the pin on each most recently drilled hole as the pin rail is slid against the fence, which perfectly aligns the next hole to be drilled. That will ensure the holes are equally spaced and in a straight line.  If pins aren't evenly spaced in a straight line on a pin rail, they tend to stick out like a sore thumb.
 
Drilling pin rails without a drill press is very difficult. I'd use a bit in a pin vise. A hand-held Dremel is quite difficult to control for such an application.

Thanks for the tip, Rob! We've had unusually high temperatures here in Northern CA the last couple of days, breaking 100F in some places. I'm close to the coast with sea breezes keeping things cool most of the time, so I just need something for the summer heat spells. I saw someplace that they are now making them with a hose that can be run out a window to deal with the "exhaust" and condensate. I'll be looking for that feature for sure!

Yes indeed they can be.  You have to include panel lines and belly/reef and top banding...not to mention the reef points and clue and cringle rings.
 
Paper lets me build my sails with plain white glue and then I can roll and billow them using a cake makers fondant ball roller tool.  Pressed and rolled against a thin foam backing, This allows me to get the edges to *roll* making the sail *fill*.  Then they can be painted with what ever shade of tan you choose(Lightly...you don't want to totally cover up the inked in panel lines).  Next the bunt and leech lines can be added, along with the reef points.
 
A finished out sail can in of itself, be a small model all by itself if ample details are desired.
 
And once the paper is painted it holds its shape, especially if it's clued to the lower yard.
 
Thanks for the fine compliments.
 
Rob

To the OP....personally, I prefer sails on models..even if they are only furled.   In reality, vessels generally only removed their sails when in port of extended periods or in service dock, to eliminate clutter and to do maintenance on the sails themselves.   If you are considering the Cutty Sark...remember....the expansive sail pattern was one of the aspects that made a clipper a fast vessel....it was one thing that made her unique from other ship designs.  Clippers carried lots of sails for their hull size.  So in my view the sails are just as much a part of the overall representation of the vessel type, as is the hull...or all her rigging.
My recently completed Great Republic sported 22 sails...and I left off many stay and all the stunsails.
Here is an image of how convincing PAPER sails can be on a 1/128 scale model.  One with light so you can see the translucency of paper.
 
Rob

Ummm.  You might consider altering the title to: Bulkhead fairing techniques. 
Your present title is bait for POF scratch builders.
Frames are a whole nuther thing.  While they are just assembled frames, they are beveled as an isolate unit.  A sanding drum with 60 grit or 80 grit does an efficient job for me,  Fine tune with 220 grit.  Once they are placed on the keel, the final fairing can get tricky - if the spaces between the frames are not filled with bracing.  Moving the frames because of too much force being applied is not good.  I have the spaces with temporary filler wood, so I can be vigorous about it.
 
The same problem can occur with POB -it seems to me - in theory.  The molds ( bulkheads ) are just hanging out there, if there is not bracing between them.  Then there is the whole alternative of filling between the molds and thereby provide an adequate base for the planking.

In my experience: the pinrail does not split at drilling (especially not when using a sharp drill in a dremel), it splits when you try to force a 1.55 mm pin in a 1.5 mm hole.....
 
I didn't drill many rails, but for me the following, rather lowtech solution worked: 
take the piece of wood, mark the positions of the pins (using a needle, and along a ruler to get the holes on a straight line, evenly spaced. Drill 'pilot holes' using a .5 mm dril (by hand, why not?) and drill again using a 1,5 mm drill
 
btw: you could also stop at the .5 mm, as these are probably more in scale. You can use .5 steel wire to make your pins (using while glue to form the head). His will help you to make strong, thing and long enough pins. I think (but am not sure) that Edt shows this inhis Yong America build log)
 
Jan

Yes Bob they come with an expandable hose that fits to a window adapter.  I elevate my machines so I can run the drain hose to a bucket for condensation collection.  If you don't do this you will have to tip the thing to the side/back to drain the internal tank...(what a pain).
 
Rob 

I have several of them and they are fantastic.  You definitely need to vent them, however, generally though a window.  And you need to set up a condensate drip tank near them.  They have an internal collection tank, and you can drain them, but what a pain....I simply elevate my air conditioners and run a drain line off and down to a collection tub...that I can easily dump out when close to full.
 
Keeps things as cool as 60 degrees in real hot weather.....nice...….
 
Rob

Bob,
No, I had not heard about these units. I've just looked at Lowe's website and they do have at least one model that would be suitable for the size of my shop. I will indeed investigate this - thanks so much for the tip!!!
Hank 

A drill press is a very useful tool,  I use mine all the time. Carbide drills cut holes with surgical precision, no issues with wood splitting. You can get also drills at 0.05 mm increments which is useful some times.

The brass pin needs to be annealed before trying to flatten the end.  Once it's annealed it is easy to flatten.
 

I use "Amnesia" black monofilament (fishing) line.  It comes in at least 4 thicknesses (15, 20, 25 and 30 pound test).  I gently touch one end to a heat source (Heat gun or soldering iron) flattening it a bit, insert, clip off leaving about 1/16" + and touch it with the heat source.  It's like rivets or bolts on both ends.  Takes some practice.
Maury

Have you considered the new freestanding portable air conditioners? I haven't played with one, but I'm seriously considering it. If anybody has any experience with them, please chime in. I like the portability, the absence of installation work, and no hard wiring required.
 
https://www.google.com/search?q=freestanding+portable+air+conditioner&oq=freestanding+portable+air+conditioner&aqs=chrome..69i57j0.7120j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I use plenty of aluminum oxide abrasive sheet material, too. I haven't had problems with the longer-lasting heavier abrasive belt material, though. They will tend to clog with softer wood species and I've found that on edges of laminations glued with PVA, the glue will soften and clog the abrasive if allowed to heat up excessively when sanding. I've not had any problem with wood clogging when the abrasive is cleaned with a crepe rubber abrasive cleaning block. Keeping the abrasive clean extends its useful life considerably. 
 

Why don't you take some scraps of the same wood you used on your deck and experiment a bit with the various options, then pick the one which provides the effect you want? That's really the only way to be sure you'll get the effect you want without risking messing up your deck.

Flexibility is of great value because you will evolve and want to change things around. As for the basics:
 
1.  Insulate the whole building, walls and ceiling, and even the floor if you can. Make sure it is weather-tight. You don't want a damp atmosphere to wreak havoc with your iron tools and cause wood to warp and twist. You'll also want a heater and/or air conditioning. (Small portable units for both are now available at reasonable cost.) From the level of your workbench upwards, I'd suggest covering the walls with white melamine-faced pegboard. This is very handy for tool and materials storage and very flexible. Things can be rearranged as you want over time.
 
2. Put a row of wall outlets at the height of your workbenches and some at the baseboard. Also, attach power bars to the front of your workbenches beneath the lip of the benchtop. These are dirt cheap and will provide excellent access for corded power tools. You don't want hand-held power tool cords strung across your workbench working surface. The outlets on the front of the benches prevent this. You want to be able to minimize the number of cords running across the floor, as well. Bench-top stationary tools plug into the higher outlets on the walls behind the benches. Also install a weatherproof outlet outside on the shop wall.  Ideally, there will be a concrete pad outside the entrance. This is valuable shop real estate which is very handy for messy painting jobs, woodworking that generates a lot of sawdust, and similar tasks.
 
3.  Make  sure your workbenches are very solid and have sufficiently strong lips for attaching clamp-on devices. You should have at least one very solidly mounted medium-sized vise you can put all your strength into without the bench moving! A small clamp on vise is also handy. No vise is any stronger than what it's mounted on.  
 
4.  To the greatest extent possible, leave space beneath your benches to permit easy sweeping and vacuuming. Put anything you can on rollers, so it can be moved around to accommodate space needs for various projects and for cleaning (and searching for dropped tiny pieces!)
 
5.  Consider investing in a heavy-duty "Work-mate" woodworking bench. (The larger models with scissor-folding legs.) These are easily stored when not in use and invaluable for many essential tasks.  This can serve for your primary workbench for "heavy" tasks on larger parts and will hold pretty much anything of any shape. YouTube is full of videos on the things that can be done with this "cult status" tool. It's a great space saver in a small shop and a great thing to have even in a large shop. https://www.toolnut.com/black-decker-wm425-workmate425-portable-project-center-and-vise.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&msclkid=a62653da17071f5406ba0d0e723e17ca&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=*Shopping - High - Broad&utm_term=4578022847964901&utm_content=Catch All
 
  "Advanced, 1-Handed Clamp system with exclusive clutch design for easy clamping. Front jaw swings up for vertical clamping. Folds for easy storage and carrying. Vise jaws angle to hold wedge shapes up to 8 5/16 in. wide. Swivel pegs hold shapes up to 18-3/4."   6.   If circumstances permit, run a coax cable to the shop and install a cable outlet on each wall at workbench height to provide a connection for internet access and a television, if you are so inclined. (I find a TV to be welcome company when doing boring repetitive tasks.) The more "comforts of home" you can provide, the more attractive it will be to be in your shop.   7.  A high-volume electric exhaust fan (as in home bathrooms) where you have the passive ventilator up at the apex of the roof will, in combination with an open window or door, provide good ventilation when working with solvents, paints and adhesives. If you are going to do any metal work involving combustible heavier-than-air gases, be sure you also have provision for passive exhausting at lower levels. A portable fan is always a handy thing to have in a shop.   8.  Buy a lock and don't give a key to anybody else in the family. Significant Others have a genetic predisposition to dumping anything they don't want in the house on top of any horizontal surface in a workshop where it becomes your problem to find a permanent home for it.      

Bob,
No disagreement from me about any sort of Al oxide - open coat.  For the longest time,  I wondered what the difference was between open coat and closed coat.  I was addressing the closed coat Al oxide and Si carbide and Zirconia as being the stuff that could clog.  I think that the longer lasting open coat is about having a cloth or heavier paper backing and a bonding agent that is stronger and more heat from friction resistant.  The teeth part should be about the same.
 
Dave,
Not having a ton of fine saw dust would be a plus,  but at least needing protection from it,  in addition to a shop vac meant that I had some N-95 masks on hand.

Keith, I've never really thought of using Wipe-on-Poly on painted surfaces or metal.
 
I thought it was a product to be used specifically on wood. I use acrylic paints and generally use a blackening agent on brass and do not topcoat them with anything. I'm not certain if poly would be compatible with acrylics or brass that been blackened either. So, for me, I just don't see a need to put WOP on anything except wood.

What are the sources that even suggest that any sort of penetrating oil is commonly used on a ship model?  A few use it.  The approval and suitability for use on a ship model expressed in the way that you wrote this inquiry probably only exists in the minds of the owners and advertising department of the Watco Co.  Watco = Danish Oil = $
Ship models seldom present a large enough flat surface to need or need to show the effects of depth with a clear finish.
Unless your model is and is meant to be a toy, a high gloss finish is a scale inappropriate look.
Most any water clear oil will give give wood a wet look.  Most oils never dry and ruin the surface for any follow on treatment.  Penetrating oils are a special case . As they are exposed to air, they undergo a chemical reaction (you hope) and cross link (polymerize).  They become a clear "hard, maybe" solid.  What they allow to be bonded to their surface is particular and specific to the type of oil used.
 
Now,  to back up a step or two and address your real problem:
This is opinion, not law or rules:
After you sand the deck, give it a light scraping with a sharp single edged razor blade. Vacuum and then wipe with 95% ethanol.
I do not think you really want a deck on a ship model to express sharpness or contrast in the wood grain used.  The goal is to use a wood species with no visible grain.
Apply a coat of shellac - the primer coat (1st coat) is 50:50  shellac: 95% ethanol  (shellac thinner).
Follow with a coat of full strength shellac.  Shellac just dries.  There is no chemical reaction.  The more layers, the more depth effect. ( French polish )
If anything plastic is not against Your rules, a wipe on polyurethane finish seems to be a popular final finish instead of or over the full strength shellac. But unless yours is a toy, not high gloss.

No, David, you misunderstood me. Your solution to the issue of the Morgan's skylight bars at that scale is excellent. What I was saying is that the bars go "above the window glass, not below the window glass" in response to the original poster's proposal to put them "below the frame." As clearly shown on the picture of the real Morgan skylight, the bars run through the frame stiles and muntins above the window glass. The bars wouldn't protect the glass from breakage if they didn't ! Whether there is "glass" on the model part or the "glass" is omitted, which is appropriate for the small scale of your model skylight, was irrelevant to my comment. I was simply addressing the original poster's musing that he might just glue metal bars to the underside of the frame, which I thought would be placing them too deep in the frame. I see now that you also glued your threads to the underside of the frame and to very good effect. (Good enough to fool me into thinking you'd drilled through the stiles and muntins and threaded them through the first time around!) It had been my erroneous impression when previously reading your build log that you had sandwiched them between two pieces to get the effect that they'd been run through the stiles and muntins above the window glass. A careful re-reading corrected that error.
 
No criticism whatsoever was intended. I thought your solution worked well the first time I saw it in your build log. I have an old, but complete, Marine Models  Co. Morgan kit in my stash and a scratch-built Morgan model depicting her ship-rigged and as she was originally launched has been in my modeling "on deck circle" for a long time now. I've got considerable research filed away and I've studied that skylight detail a lot. It's one of those elements that draws the viewer's attention and is a real challenge at scale, so it has to be done well. It's a really small part at that scale and its detail can't really be ignored or faked if it's to look right.  You accomplished that on your model, to be sure. You did a good job on it.

What purpose would it serve to have them turned around the deadeyes one way on port and the other on starboard?

No, David, you misunderstood me. Your solution to the issue of the Morgan's skylight bars at that scale is excellent. What I was saying is that the bars go "above the window glass, not below the window glass" in response to the original poster's proposal to put them "below the frame." As clearly shown on the picture of the real Morgan skylight, the bars run through the frame stiles and muntins above the window glass. The bars wouldn't protect the glass from breakage if they didn't ! Whether there is "glass" on the model part or the "glass" is omitted, which is appropriate for the small scale of your model skylight, was irrelevant to my comment. I was simply addressing the original poster's musing that he might just glue metal bars to the underside of the frame, which I thought would be placing them too deep in the frame. I see now that you also glued your threads to the underside of the frame and to very good effect. (Good enough to fool me into thinking you'd drilled through the stiles and muntins and threaded them through the first time around!) It had been my erroneous impression when previously reading your build log that you had sandwiched them between two pieces to get the effect that they'd been run through the stiles and muntins above the window glass. A careful re-reading corrected that error.
 
No criticism whatsoever was intended. I thought your solution worked well the first time I saw it in your build log. I have an old, but complete, Marine Models  Co. Morgan kit in my stash and a scratch-built Morgan model depicting her ship-rigged and as she was originally launched has been in my modeling "on deck circle" for a long time now. I've got considerable research filed away and I've studied that skylight detail a lot. It's one of those elements that draws the viewer's attention and is a real challenge at scale, so it has to be done well. It's a really small part at that scale and its detail can't really be ignored or faked if it's to look right.  You accomplished that on your model, to be sure. You did a good job on it.

What purpose would it serve to have them turned around the deadeyes one way on port and the other on starboard?

No, David, you misunderstood me. Your solution to the issue of the Morgan's skylight bars at that scale is excellent. What I was saying is that the bars go "above the window glass, not below the window glass" in response to the original poster's proposal to put them "below the frame." As clearly shown on the picture of the real Morgan skylight, the bars run through the frame stiles and muntins above the window glass. The bars wouldn't protect the glass from breakage if they didn't ! Whether there is "glass" on the model part or the "glass" is omitted, which is appropriate for the small scale of your model skylight, was irrelevant to my comment. I was simply addressing the original poster's musing that he might just glue metal bars to the underside of the frame, which I thought would be placing them too deep in the frame. I see now that you also glued your threads to the underside of the frame and to very good effect. (Good enough to fool me into thinking you'd drilled through the stiles and muntins and threaded them through the first time around!) It had been my erroneous impression when previously reading your build log that you had sandwiched them between two pieces to get the effect that they'd been run through the stiles and muntins above the window glass. A careful re-reading corrected that error.
 
No criticism whatsoever was intended. I thought your solution worked well the first time I saw it in your build log. I have an old, but complete, Marine Models  Co. Morgan kit in my stash and a scratch-built Morgan model depicting her ship-rigged and as she was originally launched has been in my modeling "on deck circle" for a long time now. I've got considerable research filed away and I've studied that skylight detail a lot. It's one of those elements that draws the viewer's attention and is a real challenge at scale, so it has to be done well. It's a really small part at that scale and its detail can't really be ignored or faked if it's to look right.  You accomplished that on your model, to be sure. You did a good job on it.

In a similar vein to David's suggestion of fine rigging line, you might want to also consider black monofilament line. I think it might work really well, and should give you a good scale effect.