Bob Cleek

Perhaps you can be more specific. I don't think there are many "sets of mini wood saws" available in the marketplace. Also, are you referring to hand saws or powered saws? Which model are you building? Your answers to these questions will get you responses that are more accurately tailored to your inquiry. Generally, it's not wise to buy "sets" of any tools because they load these "sets" up with a lot of stuff you will never use. Follow the maxim: "Only buy a tool when you need it and then buy the best you can afford." The most expensive tool is the one you have to buy twice!
 
Much of the cutting done in modeling is done with scalpels and "hobby blades" which are readily available on hobby shops and on line. X-Acto and similar brands offer small saw blades that will fit their holders. A basic set runs around $25. In this case, the below "set" is an exception to the "avoid sets" rule. You probably will never use half the blades provided, but the price is worth it for the handles alone. There's a wide selection of bladees availabel separately.  https://www.amazon.com/s?k=xacto+x5282+basic+knife+set&adgrpid=1333708177723075&hvadid=83356927325719&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=43893&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83357125204862%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=24627_10488567&tag=mh0b-20&ref=pd_sl_1gynreog08_e (There are Chinese copies all over the place that look exactly like the X-Acto and Excel brands, but are pure junk. Don't buy them!)
 

 
Another brand of hobby knife saw set showing the sort of saw blades available for the X-Acto sets. $11.00. https://www.amazon.com/LitKiwi-Modeling-Hacksaw-Handcrafted-Cutting/dp/B0BRKR9KQP/ref=sr_1_44?keywords=jewelers%2Bsaw%2Bkit&qid=1682128554&sr=8-44&th=1
 

 
Another option is a classic adjustable jeweler's saw, which will hold a variety of different sized blades suitable for cutting wood, plastics, and metals. You want the adjustable frame so you can reuse broken blades that are no longer full length. (And you will break blades!) Buy a decent quality one. There are cheaper ones that aren't worth the money and hugely expensive ones that IMHO are overkill unless you are a professional jeweler. See: https://www.ottofrei.com/products/classic-jewelers-adjustable-sawframes (Note that Otto Frei jeweler's supply house is an excellent tool source.)  Buy a selection of saw blades while you are at it: https://www.ottofrei.com/collections/saw-blades
 
For example, this looks like an acceptable starter set: https://www.amazon.com/Megacast-Professional-Jewelers-Blades-Wooden/dp/B089XSPBJL/ref=pd_vtp_h_pd_vtp_h_sccl_5/139-6146405-0707815?pd_rd_w=5bdn2&content-id=amzn1.sym.a5610dee-0db9-4ad9-a7a9-14285a430f83&pf_rd_p=a5610dee-0db9-4ad9-a7a9-14285a430f83&pf_rd_r=S6XHMSDNABQSEVP6TC18&pd_rd_wg=rM4x6&pd_rd_r=cd18a20a-775c-4dfe-9bea-d3a7d7d282bc&pd_rd_i=B089XSPBJL&psc=1 (The wooden piece clamps to the edge of your workbench and is used to saw shapes from thin flat sheet metal or whatever other small piece you need to hold to saw. It will save you from sawing up the edge of your workbench!)
 

 
These saws pretty much cover the "mini" handsaw selection for modeling. There are more options for power saws, but for small, fine work, you will probably opt for handsaws anyway. You can spend hundreds of dollars on powered scroll saws, a Byrnes Model Machines table saw and attachments, and so on.
 
Happy sawing!

That was Keith Black's question that I was answering, actually. Your answer raises another question: "Why plank the hull at all?" It's an iron ship, not a wooden one. A "bread and butter" hollowed out solid hull is entirely appropriate. It's your call, of course, but If I were building her and had your skills, I'd be thinking in terms of a metal hull. Carve a pattern and "tap, tap, tap" to get the plates shaped as laid out in the plating schedule, if you have the plans. The late Gerald Wingrove, MBE, undertook as his magnum opus an exact sectional model of the Falls of Clyde in brass (I believe.) (His website, which contained something of a log on his Falls of Clyde build, seems to be no more. The below photo is from https://www.modelengineeringwebsite.com/Gerald_Wingrove.html ) 
 

I'm a "woodie," too. I also followed Gerald's build and was in awe of his jigs. He must have spent a tremendous amount of time conceiving, designing, and building them. That man was a genius, for sure. His Techniques of Ship Modeling is one of the best books on the subject that I've ever seen. I go back for a re-read every so often, along with Underhill's modeling technique books, just to refresh my memory. Looking back on his build log, though, I see where all of his links to his own website are now dead. Apparently, nobody maintained them after his passing and all of it is probably lost, including things like the plans for his jigs. Sigh. 
 

I'm a "woodie," too. I also followed Gerald's build and was in awe of his jigs. He must have spent a tremendous amount of time conceiving, designing, and building them. That man was a genius, for sure. His Techniques of Ship Modeling is one of the best books on the subject that I've ever seen. I go back for a re-read every so often, along with Underhill's modeling technique books, just to refresh my memory. Looking back on his build log, though, I see where all of his links to his own website are now dead. Apparently, nobody maintained them after his passing and all of it is probably lost, including things like the plans for his jigs. Sigh. 
 

Perhaps you can be more specific. I don't think there are many "sets of mini wood saws" available in the marketplace. Also, are you referring to hand saws or powered saws? Which model are you building? Your answers to these questions will get you responses that are more accurately tailored to your inquiry. Generally, it's not wise to buy "sets" of any tools because they load these "sets" up with a lot of stuff you will never use. Follow the maxim: "Only buy a tool when you need it and then buy the best you can afford." The most expensive tool is the one you have to buy twice!
 
Much of the cutting done in modeling is done with scalpels and "hobby blades" which are readily available on hobby shops and on line. X-Acto and similar brands offer small saw blades that will fit their holders. A basic set runs around $25. In this case, the below "set" is an exception to the "avoid sets" rule. You probably will never use half the blades provided, but the price is worth it for the handles alone. There's a wide selection of bladees availabel separately.  https://www.amazon.com/s?k=xacto+x5282+basic+knife+set&adgrpid=1333708177723075&hvadid=83356927325719&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=43893&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83357125204862%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=24627_10488567&tag=mh0b-20&ref=pd_sl_1gynreog08_e (There are Chinese copies all over the place that look exactly like the X-Acto and Excel brands, but are pure junk. Don't buy them!)
 

 
Another brand of hobby knife saw set showing the sort of saw blades available for the X-Acto sets. $11.00. https://www.amazon.com/LitKiwi-Modeling-Hacksaw-Handcrafted-Cutting/dp/B0BRKR9KQP/ref=sr_1_44?keywords=jewelers%2Bsaw%2Bkit&qid=1682128554&sr=8-44&th=1
 

 
Another option is a classic adjustable jeweler's saw, which will hold a variety of different sized blades suitable for cutting wood, plastics, and metals. You want the adjustable frame so you can reuse broken blades that are no longer full length. (And you will break blades!) Buy a decent quality one. There are cheaper ones that aren't worth the money and hugely expensive ones that IMHO are overkill unless you are a professional jeweler. See: https://www.ottofrei.com/products/classic-jewelers-adjustable-sawframes (Note that Otto Frei jeweler's supply house is an excellent tool source.)  Buy a selection of saw blades while you are at it: https://www.ottofrei.com/collections/saw-blades
 
For example, this looks like an acceptable starter set: https://www.amazon.com/Megacast-Professional-Jewelers-Blades-Wooden/dp/B089XSPBJL/ref=pd_vtp_h_pd_vtp_h_sccl_5/139-6146405-0707815?pd_rd_w=5bdn2&content-id=amzn1.sym.a5610dee-0db9-4ad9-a7a9-14285a430f83&pf_rd_p=a5610dee-0db9-4ad9-a7a9-14285a430f83&pf_rd_r=S6XHMSDNABQSEVP6TC18&pd_rd_wg=rM4x6&pd_rd_r=cd18a20a-775c-4dfe-9bea-d3a7d7d282bc&pd_rd_i=B089XSPBJL&psc=1 (The wooden piece clamps to the edge of your workbench and is used to saw shapes from thin flat sheet metal or whatever other small piece you need to hold to saw. It will save you from sawing up the edge of your workbench!)
 

 
These saws pretty much cover the "mini" handsaw selection for modeling. There are more options for power saws, but for small, fine work, you will probably opt for handsaws anyway. You can spend hundreds of dollars on powered scroll saws, a Byrnes Model Machines table saw and attachments, and so on.
 
Happy sawing!

That was Keith Black's question that I was answering, actually. Your answer raises another question: "Why plank the hull at all?" It's an iron ship, not a wooden one. A "bread and butter" hollowed out solid hull is entirely appropriate. It's your call, of course, but If I were building her and had your skills, I'd be thinking in terms of a metal hull. Carve a pattern and "tap, tap, tap" to get the plates shaped as laid out in the plating schedule, if you have the plans. The late Gerald Wingrove, MBE, undertook as his magnum opus an exact sectional model of the Falls of Clyde in brass (I believe.) (His website, which contained something of a log on his Falls of Clyde build, seems to be no more. The below photo is from https://www.modelengineeringwebsite.com/Gerald_Wingrove.html ) 
 

That was Keith Black's question that I was answering, actually. Your answer raises another question: "Why plank the hull at all?" It's an iron ship, not a wooden one. A "bread and butter" hollowed out solid hull is entirely appropriate. It's your call, of course, but If I were building her and had your skills, I'd be thinking in terms of a metal hull. Carve a pattern and "tap, tap, tap" to get the plates shaped as laid out in the plating schedule, if you have the plans. The late Gerald Wingrove, MBE, undertook as his magnum opus an exact sectional model of the Falls of Clyde in brass (I believe.) (His website, which contained something of a log on his Falls of Clyde build, seems to be no more. The below photo is from https://www.modelengineeringwebsite.com/Gerald_Wingrove.html ) 
 

Being as Cangarda is blind-riveted, there would be little point in not painting it, would there? Then again, there were some pretty spectacular builder's models of early 1900's metal steamships which were built of wood and finished "bright" with all hardware of yellow metal (sometimes even gold-plated.)
 

 

 
https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media/cangarda-as-found.97579/
 
Or, build it all of copper and brass and leave unfinished:
 

 
 
 
 
 

One thing's for sure, they need to brush up on their flag etiquette and strike that yacht signal from the stern staff. That place of honor is reserved for the national ensign only.
 

 
Then, later, here she is flying the British "Blue Duster" in Canadian waters.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ensign
 

 
And in 2011 in Brockville, Canada, flying an outdated (of 1957-1965) Canadian ensign, the "Blue Duster" with  Canadian of defacement. (As of 1965, the Canadian ensign is the red and white "maple leaf" national flag.)
 

 
So, as for a home port, perhaps she has none and sails hither and yon under false "flags of convenience." (See: https://naylorlaw.com/blog/flag-of-convenience/) Might she be switching national registries to keep one step ahead of the taxman? That could arguably make her a pirate, raising the question of whether MSW would condone a build log for a model of a pirated ship or whether its prohibition only extends to pirated models of ships.     

Bob, hmmm! I suppose she may have a Royal Naval Officer or reservist on board or be a member of a Royal Yacht Club, who knows?
Or it may just be that the red duster is a bit lowbrow!

Being as Cangarda is blind-riveted, there would be little point in not painting it, would there? Then again, there were some pretty spectacular builder's models of early 1900's metal steamships which were built of wood and finished "bright" with all hardware of yellow metal (sometimes even gold-plated.)
 

 

 
https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media/cangarda-as-found.97579/
 
Or, build it all of copper and brass and leave unfinished:
 

 
 
 
 
 

One thing's for sure, they need to brush up on their flag etiquette and strike that yacht signal from the stern staff. That place of honor is reserved for the national ensign only.
 

 
Then, later, here she is flying the British "Blue Duster" in Canadian waters.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ensign
 

 
And in 2011 in Brockville, Canada, flying an outdated (of 1957-1965) Canadian ensign, the "Blue Duster" with  Canadian of defacement. (As of 1965, the Canadian ensign is the red and white "maple leaf" national flag.)
 

 
So, as for a home port, perhaps she has none and sails hither and yon under false "flags of convenience." (See: https://naylorlaw.com/blog/flag-of-convenience/) Might she be switching national registries to keep one step ahead of the taxman? That could arguably make her a pirate, raising the question of whether MSW would condone a build log for a model of a pirated ship or whether its prohibition only extends to pirated models of ships.     

Back when her restoration was completed, she was reportedly going to be homeported at Mystic Seaport, CT. I didn't find her on a quick search of the USCG vessel information database, but I'd be quite surprised if she were not a US flagged vessel with USCG documentation. That would require a hailing port on the transom (or stern quarters) expressed as a city and state. That requirement isn't unique to the US, but rather is required by international law. A Liberian flagged vessel would, for example, carry the hailing port of "Monrovia." A British flagged vessel would carry a hailing port like "Liverpool," and so on. The hailing port has to be written in clear block lettering of no less than a 4" high font. It could be that she was pending transfer of ownership and the new owners intended to register her with a new hailing port. In the US, at least, a registered home port can expose the vessel owner to incurring sales and/or ongoing annual property taxes. (In California we see a lot of Oregon hailing ports on large yachts because, unlike California, Oregon has no sales tax. Just a guess, though.)

Being as Cangarda is blind-riveted, there would be little point in not painting it, would there? Then again, there were some pretty spectacular builder's models of early 1900's metal steamships which were built of wood and finished "bright" with all hardware of yellow metal (sometimes even gold-plated.)
 

 

 
https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media/cangarda-as-found.97579/
 
Or, build it all of copper and brass and leave unfinished:
 

 
 
 
 
 

Being as Cangarda is blind-riveted, there would be little point in not painting it, would there? Then again, there were some pretty spectacular builder's models of early 1900's metal steamships which were built of wood and finished "bright" with all hardware of yellow metal (sometimes even gold-plated.)
 

 

 
https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media/cangarda-as-found.97579/
 
Or, build it all of copper and brass and leave unfinished:
 

 
 
 
 
 

One thing's for sure, they need to brush up on their flag etiquette and strike that yacht signal from the stern staff. That place of honor is reserved for the national ensign only.
 

 
Then, later, here she is flying the British "Blue Duster" in Canadian waters.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ensign
 

 
And in 2011 in Brockville, Canada, flying an outdated (of 1957-1965) Canadian ensign, the "Blue Duster" with  Canadian of defacement. (As of 1965, the Canadian ensign is the red and white "maple leaf" national flag.)
 

 
So, as for a home port, perhaps she has none and sails hither and yon under false "flags of convenience." (See: https://naylorlaw.com/blog/flag-of-convenience/) Might she be switching national registries to keep one step ahead of the taxman? That could arguably make her a pirate, raising the question of whether MSW would condone a build log for a model of a pirated ship or whether its prohibition only extends to pirated models of ships.     

Very nice work at that scale!
 

Actually, these lanterns don't really get hot. Warm, maybe, but not hot. The flame isn't much more than an inch wide at the burner and forms an equilateral triangle with its sides. A larger flame would only create a lot of black smoke and soot.  Out in the sea air in even a light breeze, the lamp body doesn't have much of a chance to heat up.

Exactly so. Eberhard's photo of the tug at the NMM shows clearly how it was done with the lantern hung on a flat back plate which actually carries the jackstay rings. Other lanterns have the jackstay rings attached the lamp itself which would be less convenient than leaving the jackstays permanently rigged and slipping the lantern on and off a carrier plate. It should be remembered, however, that the jackstay and running light halyard arrangement might be a bit messy on a sailing ship with all the attendant rigging already running down to the base of the mast and for this reason steam powered vessels carrying auxiliary sails (or sailing vessels with auxiliary steam power) might opt for the "portable" rig whcih was struck down when not in use . The picture below, showing what appears to be more permanent jackline and bracket arrangement is on a steam tug which would not be bothered by additional rigging on and about the mast. Indeed, the backplate seems a bit crudely made and it's possible it was fabricated by the tug's bosun to achieve the convenience it affords in servicing and lighting.
 
 
 
All the lanterns of this era were hung in the same fashion.... or at least all I've ever seen. The back of the lantern has a bent flat metal strap which slides over a "tongue" positioned as may be convenient, either on a flat plate as shown above, or on a light board port and starboard, or on a stern transom or rail as shown in another of Eberhard's photos below. (Interestingly, the stern light shown was originally an oil lamp; as indicated by the permanently mounted "tongue" and strap on the lantern, but the lantern has been electrified as seen by the power cord running into the back of the lantern next to the standing "tongue" bracket.
 

 
In the photo below, a "tongue," rather than a strap, is attached to the back of this port running light to the right of the red curved glass inside the body of the lamp. (The back of the lamp body is a right angle so it will fit neatly into the corner of the light board. This tongue would slide into a strap permanently attached to the light board in order to "hang" the lamp on the board. 
 

I've had a good look at that vessel in the flesh, as it were, an while I am not any sort of expert on that period, I'd caution against relying upon it for much of any sort of historically accurate data. Those aren't wedges. I can't tell exactly what they are, but it appears they are simply laminated planks used to build up the mast. 

Rob, thank you for the compliment. I considered gravity as the only means for the lantern's trip back to the deck but then I thought of those winter nights when the block and lines would have iced, maybe even froze and would have required a pull from a downhaul line to bring the lantern back down to the deck.
 
 If you note in Eberhard's first photo in post #787, at the base of the carrier there is an extended plate with a hole where a clevis would attach for the downhaul.......me thinks. 

I was transferring my experience with kerosene lamps with glass chimneys and Coleman lanterns to ship's lanterns with which I have no experience. My apologies for being wrong to do so.  
 
 Okay, the middle eyes are there for the halyard adding another line of stability to keep lines and lantern from twisting. 

One thing's for sure, they need to brush up on their flag etiquette and strike that yacht signal from the stern staff. That place of honor is reserved for the national ensign only.
 

 
Then, later, here she is flying the British "Blue Duster" in Canadian waters.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ensign
 

 
And in 2011 in Brockville, Canada, flying an outdated (of 1957-1965) Canadian ensign, the "Blue Duster" with  Canadian of defacement. (As of 1965, the Canadian ensign is the red and white "maple leaf" national flag.)
 

 
So, as for a home port, perhaps she has none and sails hither and yon under false "flags of convenience." (See: https://naylorlaw.com/blog/flag-of-convenience/) Might she be switching national registries to keep one step ahead of the taxman? That could arguably make her a pirate, raising the question of whether MSW would condone a build log for a model of a pirated ship or whether its prohibition only extends to pirated models of ships.     

Keith, I know its early (very early) on in this build but I know you're already thinking about the myriad of "how to's" and "what to do's". In your Germania build I remember your decision not to paint the Germania's hull. What are your thoughts regarding the Cangarda's hull? 

One thing's for sure, they need to brush up on their flag etiquette and strike that yacht signal from the stern staff. That place of honor is reserved for the national ensign only.
 

 
Then, later, here she is flying the British "Blue Duster" in Canadian waters.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ensign
 

 
And in 2011 in Brockville, Canada, flying an outdated (of 1957-1965) Canadian ensign, the "Blue Duster" with  Canadian of defacement. (As of 1965, the Canadian ensign is the red and white "maple leaf" national flag.)
 

 
So, as for a home port, perhaps she has none and sails hither and yon under false "flags of convenience." (See: https://naylorlaw.com/blog/flag-of-convenience/) Might she be switching national registries to keep one step ahead of the taxman? That could arguably make her a pirate, raising the question of whether MSW would condone a build log for a model of a pirated ship or whether its prohibition only extends to pirated models of ships.