Bill Hime

I finally got my sheetwood in yesterday, and I am very pleased with the quality of the timber!  It was extremely difficult to find a domestic source for sheetwood in metric thicknesses, but luckily I found Crown Timberyard, owned and operated by our fellow forum member, Jason.  He was extremely helpful throughout the entire purchasing process, and was always in constant communication with me until the order had shipped.  I purchased a number of 3-inch sheets of 1 mm thick German lime and walnut from him, and he went above and beyond to make sure I got wood of the highest quality.  In fact, after milling some sheets of walnut for me, he wasn't happy with the grain, thinking that it might not be adequate for planking, so he started over and milled new sheets for me!  The wood was well-protected during shipping:
 

 
And everything was professionally packaged:
 

 
Here are the sheets of German lime:
 

 

 
And here are the sheets of walnut:
 

 

 
Jason was even kind enough to send me some samples of Castello boxwood, Swiss pear, and basswood (not pictured):
 

 
So, if you're looking for quality timber for your project, I highy recommend Jason at Crown Timberyard!
 

 
Now that I have material to work with, it's time to start making my final preparations for planking!  Stay tuned!

I am pleased to report that I completed the driver gaff, upper yard, and lower yard last night!  I started with the driver gaff, as that one seemed like it would be the trickiest.  This time, I tapered the aft end first, using my drill.  When that was done, I started to taper the jaw-side by hand.  The result was an excellent fit:
 

 
Here's what it looked like when I was done gluing the jaws in place:
 

 
Next, I glued the bits that hold the rigging in place.  Interestingly, the plans do not show 2 sets of bits for the driver gaff.  Although the plans show a block rigged to the end of this gaff, there seems to be nothing to hold this block (and the rigging that attaches to the gaff itself) in place.  In these photos of the plans, you can see where the bits are depicted further up the length of the gaff, but not shown in the areas circled in red:
 

 

 
After studying some reference pictures that seemed to show a second set of bits at this location, I made the decision to add the bits.  This will help keep things more secure, as this gaff will sit at an angle, and I don't want the rigging to slide down the gaff.  The driver gaff differs from the gaff boom that I made earlier in that it has an eyelet attached to it for rigging.  Using my smallest drill bit, I carefully drilled this tiny hole in the jaws of the driver gaff:
 

 
Here is a photo of the jaws with the eyelet inserted:
 

 
After this gaff is painted, I will cut the end of the eyelet's pin down and bend it under the jaws, applying a small drop of CA glue to hold it in place.  Here is the completed driver gaff (the pin has been removed, as it will not be inserted and fixed in place until after the gaff has been painted):
 

 
Next, I began work on the upper yard.  This is the warped dowel that was supplied with the kit for this piece:
 

 
As I mentioned earlier, I was fortunate enough to have extra material left over from the walnut dowels I was using for the rest of the yards, so I decided to fashion the upper yard out of that instead.  After some careful sanding with the 4 mm dowel in the drill chuck, I was able to narrow it down to an overall diameter of 3 mm.  Then, I used a combination of shaping with a rough sanding stick and scraping with my X-Acto blade to taper the ends of the dowel, finally smoothing everything out with a piece of 400 grit sandpaper.  I was surprised to see how easily and quickly I could taper the ends of these dowels with this method, and I will likely use it on yards in the future.  Here is a photo of the upper yard, with the bits glued in place:
 

 
I repeated the process for the lower yard.  Here it is, after tapering:
 

 
And this is what it looked like after the bits were glued in place:
 

 
Finally, here are some photos of all the masts and yards together:
 

 

 

 

 
I am extremely happy with how everything turned out!  It required a lot of time and effort, but I think the finished products look great.  I had been nervous about shaping these dowels from the moment I received the kit, so having them done is a huge relief for me.  Now I'll be ready to start rigging as soon as I get the hull and deck finished.  I do not have any finishing/painting supplies, so I'm going to hold off on finishing the masts and yards for now.  
 
While I have enjoyed the sense of satisfaction that I've gotten from tapering these masts by hand, I think it would be far easier to use a miniature lathe for this process.  For future builds, I might invest in a Proxxon DB 250 (if the Admiral approves)!  
 
My sheetwood will be arriving today, so I'll be sure to update the log with a few pictures.  I can't wait to start spiling and planking!
 
So, that's where I am after a total of 45 hours of work on this project thus far.  Let me know what you think of my progress, guys!  

For the middle yard, I used my drill and sandpaper to taper one end, then completed the tapering on the other end by hand until it was symmetrical:
 

 
Next, I cut the bits for the middle yard (there were a total of 6, although only the two slightly longer center bits are pictured here):
 

 
I applied Titebond III to the underside of the bits and positioned them with my tweezers, as before:
 

 
Here are the center bits, glued in place:
 

 
I finished the job by gluing the other bits along the length of the dowel on both ends:
 

 
Here is the completed middle yard:
 

 
When I was done, I cut out the walnut ring that sits at the base of the main mast, sanding it down until I was able to fit the mast through it (I will have to remember to slide this up onto the mast before I glue the mast in place, so that I can lower it down to the deck afterwards).
 
So, that is my latest progress report, after a total of 40 hours spent on this build.  I'm really happy that I'm getting these masts and yards done now so that I'll be ready to jump right into rigging when the body of the ship is complete.  My sheetwood is scheduled for delivery tomorrow, so I'm going to do my best to finish up the remaining gaff, the upper yard, and lower yard tonight (without rushing, of course).  The middle and lower yard have a maximum diameter of 4 mm, but the upper yard is only 3 mm wide.  The material supplied for the upper yard is not walnut (it appears to be birch).  Unfortunately, this thin dowel appears to have warped.  Luckily, the last 4 mm walnut dowel that I'm using for the driver gaff will provide just enough material for me to use for the top yard.  I will simply sand the dowel down to 3 mm at its widest point.  
 
So, let me know what you guys think!  I'm curious as to how these masts should be finished...  I was thinking of applying some stain or tung oil to darken them up, then perhaps a coat of Minwax Wipe-On Poly before painting them with black acrylic paint (the yards and booms will be completely painted, while the main mast will only be painted from the lowest flare upward).  Does that sound like a good course of action?     

I appreciate the kind words, guys!
 
I am really pleased with the progress on the Lady Nelson thus far.  I think I've made good use of my time while I wait for my sheetwood to arrive so that I can begin planking.  Last night, I completed the gaff boom and the middle yard.  I started with the gaff boom.  I began by tapering the end of the dowel that fits into the walnut jaws on the mast end (in retrospect, I probably should have started on the more gradually tapered end in order to avoid damaging the finely pointed jaw-side end, but everything turned out fine this time).  I performed this process completely by hand, using a #10 X-Acto blade:
 

 
The process consisted of me shaving away wood gradually, sanding, and test-fitting:
 

 

 
And finally, it fit right into place:
 

 
After I got the right fit, I glued the pieces together with Titebond III, making sure the jaws were properly centered along the length of the boom:
 

 

 
When this was done, I tapered the other end of the boom by hand (in the future, I will shape this end first, using the drill method; if the jaw-side is tapered first, the dowel does not want to sit in the drill chuck properly, and you run the risk of damaging something).  Next, it was time to add the small bits/protrusions that keep the rigging in place.  These were made from a 1 mm x 2 mm walnut strip:
 

 
After carefully marking the positions of the bits, I glued them in place, wiping away any excess wood glue with a toothpick (this can be a little difficult, as the bits do not stay in place very well; since the surface of the dowel is rounded, it is easy for the bits to tilt to one side or the other, so I had to pay close attention):
 

 

 
Here is the completed gaff boom:
 

 

Hi Dave.
You are making a excellent job of this ship. I thought it was your first wooden ship... Your skill's are so very good for your first wooden build.
I wish there was a Crown Timberyard need me.
Hint... Jason sends it in bags so it can be sealed from moisture. Keep it in the bags until needed.
 
Regards Antony.

I can't wait until the Pride is out of dry dock, Bill!  I'm looking forward to seeing her in person!  Keep us posted! 

Dave, your mast looks great. We really enjoyed meeting you and your wife today. Looking forward to working together for sure
 
 
Bill

Dave, your mast looks great. We really enjoyed meeting you and your wife today. Looking forward to working together for sure
 
 
Bill

Dave, your mast looks great. We really enjoyed meeting you and your wife today. Looking forward to working together for sure
 
 
Bill

Very nice work! You will learn a great deal on this first ship and even more from the many gifted shipwrights here at MSW. Welcome!
 
 
Warm Regards,
 
Bill

Next, it was time to taper down the bowsprit.  First, I defined the section before the flare:
 

 
The flare for the bowsprit is different from the others, as the base of the flare is actually narrower than the portion of the bowsprit that comes before it.  Soon after I began, I noticed that my whittling blade for my X-Acto was getting a bit dull, so I spun this dowel in my drill, tapering it with a coars grit sandpaper until I had the right shape.  I finished up with some fine sandpaper to give it a smooth finish.  Here is the result:
 

 
I like to check the shape of the finished dowels with the plans.  It was a perfect match:
 

 
Next, I had to drill what the plans described as a "2 mm hole" near the base of the bowsprit.  The bowsprit bitts have a crossmember that is made of a piece of square 2 mm x 2 mm dowel.  This dowel is meant to pass through the hole in the bowsprit, as a means of holding it onto the ship.  Unfortunately, I only had a 1 mm drill bit, so I used that in my pin vise:
 

 
Next, I use a needle file to enlarge the hole until it was large enough to just barely accomodate the dowel (this took almost an hour, but it turned out great):
 

 

 
Here is the completed bowsprit:
 

 
Finally, just for fun, I took a few pictures to show how the ship will look when I finally attach these pieces:
 

 

 
Today, I took some more measurements of the hull and marked the points on the bulkheads that would form my planking bands.  Using a piece of masking tape that I cut down to a narrow width with my X-Acto, I marked out the bands (I had to adjust the top band to make it a little narrower at the bow so that the lines looked a little more natural).  Here's what I came up with:
 

 

 

 

 
So, what do you guys think of the lines?  I'm going to mark the locations of the tweaked bands and apply them to the other side, adjusting them until they are symmetrical.  
 
Thus far, I have spent about 36 hours on this build.  I should be able to get the rest of the yards tapered down before my planking wood arrives.  I'll let you know how everything turns out!
 
On a very positive note, I had the pleasure of meeting up with another forum member (Bill Hime) this evening.  He sent me a message a few days ago, and it turns out that we live only about 20 minutes away from each other!  We are both very excited at the prospect of being able to enjoy this hobby together, in person, and I highly recommend that other members make an effort to meet fellow hobbyists in their area.  We are already making plans to get together next weekend to toss around some ideas for our builds, and we've even discussed sharing tools and perhaps each working on the same model side-by-side so that we can help each other out and learn together.  It should be a lot of fun!     

So beautiful! Sjors, your making rigging look easy...and we know that it is the exact opposite!
 
 
Bill

Hi Dave.
Im'e glade to see you forward planning. It always pays off.
You have been studying the planking tutorials. Good.
Your build is looking good.
Still following with interest.
 
Regards Antony.

Yeah, I think I might be getting a bit anal and over-analyzing the situation (which I tend to do on projects).  I'm pretty sure that no matter how I plank the first layer, the second layer will go down smoothly after everything has been filled and sanded smooth.  Thanks!

Very nice work! You will learn a great deal on this first ship and even more from the many gifted shipwrights here at MSW. Welcome!
 
 
Warm Regards,
 
Bill

Thanks John, George Richard and Popeye, and for others who hit the like button.
 
Before tackling the capstan I have a few other things I want to do, starting with the pin rails. The supplied belaying pins are OK but are a bit too long, so I will snip off about a mm or so from the bottoms. I made a simple jig out of a piece of wood with a hole to put the pin in and the right amount sticking out the other end to snip off. I am using the XY table on the drill press for the rails. I drill the holes for a few rails at a time using the whole span of the vise.
 

 
I am staining them with two coats of oak stain. Here are the rails that will go aft of the open waist.
 

 
I am going to put two pieces of thin wire into the back of each one to give them more support in the bulwarks.

So beautiful! Sjors, your making rigging look easy...and we know that it is the exact opposite!
 
 
Bill

Looked through your entire build log this morning. Great work. As for switching from maple to cherry, great choice. Cherry holds crisp lines and is very stable, especially if you put it aside for a time and come back later..no surprises. It looks like your "give it a go" on the cannons went very well!
 
Beautiful craftsmanship here. I'm following for sure
 
Warm Regards,
 
Bill

And... the coach sides and ends have been completed, the 'glass' installed and the four sides permanently assembled. After some fien adjustment, the corners came together quite nicely. For the statisticians among us, there were 53 separate parts required just for the outer surfaces of one coach side alone! Next, the coach roof.

Beautiful work again druxey, any chance of a little "how to" on the hinges

Thanks for dropping by, everyone.
 
The outer sides of the coach have been completed and gilded. The coach is only test-fitted together at present. I'm now in the process of panelling the inner sides and refining the fit of the corners of the coach. The latter needs particular care: take too much material off a corner and....
 
The door hardware has been added. The door knobs are of brass wire whose ends have been melted. If done correctly, the ends of the wire will form a small spherical ball. The 'bronze' hinges are pieces of bamboo treenail and paper, acrylic painted.

Very nice work! You will learn a great deal on this first ship and even more from the many gifted shipwrights here at MSW. Welcome!
 
 
Warm Regards,
 
Bill

I repeated the process for the second flare, and there were no hang-ups this time.  Here's a shot of the overall shapes of the flared sections:
 

 
And here's the top of the main mast during a test fitting of both caps:
 

 
At this point, I cut the other end of the mast down, bringing it to its final size (I had left the bottom a little long in case I wanted to put the mast in the drill to spin it during its final sanding.  The last step was test fitting the mast in the ship.  It was a nice snug fit, and I think it looks great:
 

 
Here's a photo of the mast in the light of day, with the tops of the flares flattened out as much as possible:
 

 
And finally, here's the unfortunate gouge in the top flare caused by the irregularity in the wood:
 

 
I'm thinking that I might rotate the main mast so that this gouge is directly underneath the overhang of the bottom cap, where it will be hidden fairly well by the cap itself and the rigging.  Alternatively, I could mix some walnut sawdust with a drop of wood glue and try to fill in this little chip, sanding it out once the glue has dried.  I believe the main mast is painted black from the bottom of the lower flare to the top, so the "filler" would be hidden.  I still haven't quite decided yet.
 
Anyway, that's my progress so far -- I have spent about 27 hours on this model, in total.  I think tonight I will try to shape the topmast, which will be a little tricky since it's so thin.  I think I will spin the dowel in the drill and sand it to the proper shape this time, as I don't think I could plane such a thin dowel very accurately.  Wish me luck, guys!

Thanks for the kind words and useful information!  I'll have to check out that site, tkay11.  Well, last night I finished the main mast.  I have to say that I'm quite pleased with the results.  I finished rounding out the section in between the two flares, then I started cutting out and shaving down the final portion above the second flare:
 

 

 
This was the result:
 

 
Here's a shot of the full mast, so you can see the various tapers at this stage of the process:
 

 
Next, it was time to cut the mast down to size.  I gave myself a little bit of extra room at the end in case of splintering:
 

 
Then, I filed the end down:
 

 
Here's another full shot of the mast at this point:
 

 
After sanding the final section, I performed a test fitting of the cap, and it fit just like it was made for it (which it was):
 

 
Now it was time to undertake what I considered to be the trickiest part of the process -- shaping the flares.  I started out using my method of cutting the angle with the mast in the vise:
 

 

 
I should mention here that throughout the process of shaping the mast, I encountered some hard spots in the wood that gave me trouble.  These spots would catch on my plane or X-Acto blade and create small gouges in the wood.  Usually I could sand these out fairly well.  Anyway, I came across one of these spots during the shaping of the 2nd side of my first flare, and it ended up taking a small chunk out of the flare.  I was not aware of this hard spot until the accident happened, and once it was done, there really wasn't much I could do about it.  I'll show a picture of the defect later.  Once this happened, I decided that it would be better to carve the flares by hand, since it gave me more control and allowed me to be more careful.  Anyway, here are some shots of the top flare after I was done smoothing it out:
 

 

 
Here it is during another test fitting of the cap:
 

Great progress.
 
There are lots of really great hints on most aspects of model making at the late Hubert Sicard's site called Ship Modelling for Dummies, which you can find at http://www.shipmodeling.ca/aaplandusite.html
 
The site has a great number of videos as well as detailed hints and tips, mostly using jigs you can make yourself at extremely low cost.
 
It costs USD40 for a lifetime's access, but is really worth it. I thought of this site since tapering masts using a drill is one of his specialities.
 
Tony