Bill Hime

Thanks for all the nice comments and "likes" guys!
 
Ken:  I used the stock parts of the kit to form the hull.  The scale change comes in with decisions about things like plank widths and lengths, the size of deadeyes, and dimensions of deck furniture, cannons etc.  The model built to the scale the box suggests (1/35) would have been the smallest colonial schooner ever known to have been built.  Smaller, even, than "Sultana", which Harold Hahn called "the smallest of them all".  My scale change makes Independence intermediate in size between Sultana and Halifax.
  I used redheart for the inboard planking on my POF AVS also.  It ages to a more reddish brown than the bright red it appears when freshly cut.  That's OK with me.  If I really wanted to have the planking stay really red, I'd use bloodwood, as I did on my MS AVS.  That stuff is a real b*tch to work with, though.

Good morning Mike!
 
Yellowheart..and Redheart are really nice woods. Their grain is tight and linear. I have ripped down some test planks/decking strips, it is flexible, holds a nice crisp edge. 
Over time they will both fade a bit with a grayish hue. Proper sealing and finishing to really close up the wood's cells can minimize this. The fading is more dramatic if continuously exposed to sun light.
 
 
Bill

Great work Dave.  It's nice to see someone else using redheart.
Your model is really coming along.
Also, I assume you are cutting your own bulkheads, keel former, etc.  Otherwise, I can't see how you can change the scale.
Cheers.
 
Oh, and your nibbling looks great.

I FINALLY finished the treenails on the entire deck.  The next task is to glue the plywood bulwarks former into place and plank the bulwarks, both inboard and outboard.

The quarterdeck treenailing is complete.

I've completed the deck planking, including the fo'c'sle.  Now it's on to treenailing.  I've had problems using the Byrnes drawplate in the past, so I'm using a little different technique.  I wanted the treenails to be in proper scale:  about 1 scale inch in diameter or slightly larger.  That translates to about .031" - a #68 drill hole would work.  The problem is that if I use a toothpick as a treenail, very little of the tip will fit into that small a hole and I'd run the risk of the treenails not holding.  My answer was to take a toothpick and using some pressure and twisting, force it into the 31 hole on the Byrnes draw plate,  The result was a longer treenail that penetrates through the planking and false deck underneath it.  Each birch toothpick gives 2 treenails.  They're glued in by touching the tip in some CA and pushing firmly in the hole.  The third picture shows the finished poop deck with some mineral spirits wiped on to show how it will look when poly is applied.  I really like the look of the boxwood for the decking!  Maybe better than holly.

I finished the boxwood planking on the quarterdeck and poop deck and gave the planking a rough sanding.  I'll finish up the fo'c'sle and then add the treenails.  I figure about 600 in all for the 4 decks.

Thanks, David!
 
If you haven't already seen it, check out what Clare Hess is doing with this kit.  His log convinced me to do the project, and I plan to make many of the same mods that he made.   
 
http://www.shipsofscale.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=539

I've been spending time on my POF AVS, so I've neglected "Independence".  I'm just finishing up the quarterdeck planking.  The margin plank and nibbed planking is installed on the port side. Not yet on the starboard side.
 
This is a small vessel and the main deck is only 20 feet long; the others are shorter.  Full planks would have been used, so there are no butt joints in the deck planking.  Treenails need to be placed and the deck sanded well before installing the bulwark support plywood that is then planked, inboard and outboard.

Nice Bill.  Dave (Doc Blake) has been using yellowheart on some of this builds to real nice effect.  I'm considering using it on my Charles Morgan build to represent the ochre areas.

Good morning Everyone!
 
Grant, Well heck, that sounds way too easy, lol. I just asked my wife if our computer could do a "spreadsheet". She looked at me sideways and giggled. "Of course", she answered.
You would think with all my "higher education", I might have picked that skill up somewhere along the way, lol! 
 
So I'm getting a lesson on spreadsheets today!
thanks Grant
 
 
Sjors!!! Great to have you drop in my friend! Lol, it's in active production! Resizing plans when I can get into town this week for sure. I'm going to throw together a desk/work table for the new shipyard today
 
 
 
I have missed being here with good friends and new friends. You all give me a great deal of peace..
 
 
Bill

Good Morning Dave!
Love the materials list. Cherry is one of my favorites, it holds a nice edge/details. At 1:48 scale, what are the dimensions of this build? 
 
Looks like a great start! I'll be watching with interest
 
Perhaps a visit to see you soon since our harbors are so close !
 
 
Bill

That's kinda the idea....being this large not much in the way of "stuff" is available..
.so fabricating everything from scratch is really the only way
 
Pamela

Dave, Wow! Just beautiful !
 
 
Bill

Bulkhead R looks fine to me.  Don't forget that the wing transom fits right on "R".  I'd do the final fairing there when it's installed.  Here's a couple of photos of the area from my build, with yours there to compare.  Pretty close!

All this time, in the back of my mind I have been thinking about how to tell the inboard windows from the outboard windows. I just now realized that they are marked. When all else fails, read the instructions.

Hi Joe!
 
Take your time with the fairing of the bulkheads, and make sure every plank lies flat on each bulkhead it touches. It will make planking the hull much easier. I can see that the 4th bulkhead from the bow needs to be sanded down so the plank has a nice smooth lie across it's whole length.

Actually, Hill, I think Weldbond has faster initial tack, but takes longer to set.  Titebond is essentially set in stone after about 45 minutes.  For my money, the advantage of Weldbond is that you can "unglue" the bond with denatured alcohol.  Also it's easier to clean up any goofs with sandpaper after the glue is dry.  If Titebond dries, you'll never get it out of the pores of the wood and it will make any staining or finishing a problem
 
Don't get me wrong!  I build full size furniture and Titebond is my standard for that application.  I use Weldbond for model work, though.
 
Nice job on cutting the rabbet!

Pamela,
 
Best of luck to you. Like your enthusiasm! I too have started a build enlarging the POB II plans from 1:64 to 1:48 scale. I will be following along for sure!
 
Question; What are you using to cut out all of your parts? And what will be your approach to replacing castings for your new scale?
 
 
Sincere Regards,
 
Bill

As Jack mention...make shallow slices to create your stop cut.  That is for with the grain or against it....it doesnt really matter.  The design will dictate wether you must do it or not.  Sometimes you just dont have a choice based on teh design.
 
In fact, on our tiny carving blanking they will be minuscule so you will need to complete many two-stroke stop cuts to get to the depth you need.  By removing only tiny slivers it minimizes the danger of splitting the wood.   This is also why the wood choice is important.  A softer wood is going to perform as well as a harder wood here.  You might have to perform as many as 5 or 6 or 7 stop cuts to achieve the shape and depth you want.  Trying to do that in one pass would not be recommended.
 
Chuck

I generally make the stop cut at right angles to the grain direction whenever possible not along the direction of the grain. Also it's a slicing action not a downward thrust trying to push the knife thru the wood, you slice across the wood. The purpose of the stop cut is to stop the grain from tearing out and to give the blade something to "bump up against".  A light pressure with a very sharp blade is all that's needed. That's my experience.
 
I found this YouTube video online that demonstrates the stop cut - in the video he's carving a Snowman Xmas ornament but the carving technique is the same whether it's a miniature as Chuck is doing or a larger Snowman as in the video. It's the same technique. In the video he alternates between the knife and a gouge - just substitute a knife for the gouge when watching his technique.

That is exactly correct....nice image.  would make an excellent carving. 

Hey Chuck,
I am so glad that you've actually started this basic tutorial on carving. The concepts and ideas that you are implementing in your discussion is rather straight forward and easily understood. Starting the first cut to have a clean stopping point for the inevitable shave insures that you don't overshoot the mark. Now I know that what I want to say next may be a little off but I believe it shares the same concept. Traditional Celtic Viking tattoo designs show where one knot work goes beneath another via shadows. The line that goes above is clear and sharp while the line beneath has shadows to represent depth. Attached you will see a photo that serves a dual purpose. It will show neat lines and shadowed depth areas while at the same time give people ideas for Viking longboat carving.
 
Ray

The stop cut is very important in relief carving.  It is a two stroke cut that is used to create depth and relief.
 
If you look at the crown design you can see the cross piece of the letters.  I have indicated a stop cut on each side of the cross piece in red.  
 

 
To replicate this in my crude playdoh demo.....I have created the letter A.  Note the wood grain added.
 

 
The first stroke in a stop cut is to slice very carefully to the depth you want.  In this case I am creating a cut straight down.  Remember not to try and go too deep on the first try but rather make a series of stop cuts until you reach the desired depth and shape.  So this first stroke if very shallow to only just begin creating depth.
 

 
Heres what it looks like in playdoh
 

 
The second stroke of a stop cut is to slice a very thin sliver off.  Carve with your blade or chisel towards the stop cut.  A small sliver should pop free creating depth.
 

 
Repeat this process until you reach a depth and shape you want....yes I know it doesnt look great in playdoh but you get the idea.  I am using a small kitchen knife to represent my micro chisel or #11 blade.  Remember that the piece is just 1/32" thick so you will be taking it down at microscopic intervals as you repeat the two stroke stop cut many times on each side of the cross piece.
 

 
Then start the process on the other side of the cross bar...
 

 

 

 
Eventually you will have created some depth in the piece and then you could further shape it by rounding off the edges and cleaning it up....
 
 
again ...take a look at my first attempt and and how the cross piece of the letters looks after applying stop cuts to each side....then cleaning it up.  I am sure more experienced carvers can do a much better job with it but this particular cut is used throughout relief carving for ship model carvings.  You will use it a lot.  As I did on my paper design...you can mark where you want your stop cuts in advance....they are shown in red on the drawing.  You can see the other carving and probably pick out where I used the stop cut.  I like to plan ahead and mark them out on my drawing.  I like to pencil where all of the overlaps will be and depth is created.  Its easy to lose track when you lose yourself in the carving process and seeing the pencil marks on the carving helps avoid a mistake where you will have to start over.
 

 
see my pencil marks on the uncarved half of this piece.  They show where I will use stop cuts.
 

Well I know bugger all about carving, but I have admired a number of Janos's creations over the last couple of years. One that springs to mind is the vulture he carved for Danny's build. I reckon he knows more about the subject than most of us. When this thread started, he was the first one I thought of. I was hoping he would share some of his knowledge, tricks and ideas with us. I'm sad to see him leave. :(