husky1943

flag locker complete I put together one of the plastic canons to see what they look like I think they are not very pleasing to the eye ,I have ordered some caldercraft canans there was a few different sizes I went for 38 mm but fear this may be to big if 38mm is the carriage only size as mine are around 38mm from back of carriage to tip of barrel time will tell also I noticed the canons I ordered are replica 9 pounders and after checking john McKay book (something I should have done first )I see bounty carried 4 pounders .
I will build them when they arrive and show the results I may need to order more and im sure they will keep for a another project.
any of you guys with a local model shop selling this stuff that you can just walk in and browse first are extremely lucky

And here she is with the bulwarks and handrails complete, for the deck furniture im going to order some ladders and gratings and a new ships wheel so in the mean time it is time to tackle building my own transom decorations and flaglocker
 

Hello all I am back in business on the bounty build after my short break building another ship I don't think I will attempt a side build again as I think it give me an easy option out of the bounty when things got challenging.
Even before I started the bounty I could not get my head round how billings intended the bulwarks to be fitted but after the short break have just stormed in and started building and im happy with how that step has went I think sometimes you just need to build if its wrong there is nothing that cant be ripped off and re done.
Gemmajf if you are reading I have ordered the caldercraft figurehead and  I ordered amati stern cabin windows portside and starboard I should hopefully get them in the morning I will post some pics of them in comparision to the kit provided ones ,I have no idea what size they are or scale I believe the caldercraft to be from  1/60 the amati pieces im not sure

garboard plank
not sure if correct position however ive done my maths and this will work for me hopefully no drop planks at bow.
stern will definitely requires stealer or two as the distance is one plank greater than mid ship im still happy with this

Hello all there has been a bit of a delay on the bounty build I promised myself before I started the build I would create more storage for my dining come hobby room .I started the bounty regardless then the winter has well and truly began so I went back to the storage issue before it gets to cold in the garage  .I built a tool box a few years ago for my garage workshop but it soon found a home with my modelling tools so the lower box you will see in the pics is my latest creation to hold more tools in doors.so now that that's finished I can close up the garage workshop for the winter and concentrate on the bounty build except for ocasionaly nipping out to use the bandsaw or disc sander the whole set up in my dining room come hobby room takes only a few mins to set up and parks neatly under my victory when im finished for the evening

Howdy Don, Robert and Gregory.  Thank you all for the kind words and inspiration.  Don, it was a shame that it fell, but it gave me the opportunity to have another crack at it!  Robert, I look forward to your Constitution.  I heard that Revell is releasing (re-releasing) the USS United States.  Have you heard that?  I wonder if it will be a completely new and accurate one.  That would be neat!  Gregory, glad that I could inspire that special place in your heart.  I plan on simply enjoying this one.  No stress.  I have seen that one, I think, and it is really a spectacular build.  Plastic has it's place.
 
Ciao for now 

My heart goes out to you on the damage to your 1st ship. I'm going to tag along on this build of yours. So far, I too have purchased and worked on only plastic model ships up until now. I picked up an old Scientific wooden kit of the Bluenose and I've turned my attention to finishing her before I return to my Constitution by Revell. Working with wood literally has a different 'feel', and in some ways, is more forgiving than plastic but, like you mentioned, wooden kits certainly are pricier. I've got my mind set on purchasing an entry level wooden kit once I improve on some of my skills. With that, I wish you easier success on your Bounty! I see you're using wood on masts, bowsprit for extra strength - I'm planning on doing the same on my Connie.
 

Hey Huskey,
This kit has a special place in my heart, as it was the first model ship kit I owned, many, many years ago.
 
You might find the following a little inspirational, and hopefully not discouraging..
 
jtilley's Bounty

Too bad about the first one, this one should go easier for you

Howdy Steve,
 
Thank you so much for your attention and compliments.  There are two secrets to plastic; 1) IT'S CHEAP.  These guys who work with wood are true artisans who really have a talent granted by God Almighty.  I do not any such ability, so for I would be wasting money investing in a more expensive wood kit.  The other secret is 2) the expectations for plastic are much lower than a wood kit.  Therefore, any effort at improvement can truly be appreciated.  I work in plastic because I can afford it, it's forgiving, and yes, I think that plastic grants me a lot of leeway to use all kinds of different materials to finish my model.  Then, all I have to do is paint over it.  Again, thanks for the look Steve.  
Ciao for now

Hi husky i will be following along purely because I am fascinated with what can be done with plastic even tho I have no knowledge of how to build plastic but I am keen to see your progress,
what would you say the secret to plastic is?
is it the painting? glueing ?adding more detail above and beyond the kit? 

Hi Bob,
 
Welcome to the AL Bounty builders club, and judging from you're very clean start I'm sure you'll have a beautiful build.  
 
Thanks for the kind words as well 
 
 
 
Hi John,
 
Thanks for stopping back in and I appreciate the compliments 
 
 
 

Beautiful work. Impressive detail.

It's been over 8 weeks since I made a post on the log...so here comes a major update 
 
Main deck planking – and please forgive my lengthy narrative 
 
 
Before I begin I’d like to thank Chuck and Danny for their inspiring build logs as well as answering a few questions on 18th Century deck planking.  Also, thanks to Brian (GuntherMT) and Al (Captain Al) for your help and support 
 
 
Now that I’m starting the exterior (highly visible areas) of the ship I’m going to try and improve the quality of my build.
 
As such, I’ve replaced much of the AL kit supplied materials.  This includes the main deck and hull planking material, all the walnut material used for the masts and spars including the pre-cut pieces, the rigging ropes/lines, the cannons and carriages, and the stern lanterns.  
 
 
For starters I purchased Costello Boxwood from Crown Timberyard for the Main Deck.    I wanted harder wood and thicker planks to replace the 1mm soft Basswood that came in the kit.  This will allow me to better simulate methods used on many 18th century ships.
 
After some reading and several PM conversations with a few of the experienced builders here at MSW….I ended up constructing what I believe is something close to a typical 18th Century deck. 
 
The deck incorporates a Margin Strake with Scarph joints and commonly used Hook Planks to accommodate the major curves in the Bounty’s deck.
 
I used hand tools for almost all the work completed, with the exception of the curved Bow planks (used my Proxxon Scroll saw to rough cut the pieces from a Boxwood sheet).
 
Boxwood materials used: 5mm x 2mm strips used for the standard planks, 7mm to 10mm x 2mm strips used for the Margin, Waterway Filler and Hook Planks, and 2mm x (approx. 4 inch wide) sheets used for the curved bow sections of the Margin and Filler strakes.  
 
 
Here are the basic steps I took to complete the deck planking along with a few pictures:
 
 
Margin and Waterway Filler Strakes;
 
I began by installing the two outside most strakes, a Waterway Filler strake and the Margin strake.  I created cardboard templates for all the sections on both strakes and fitted them to the false deck.
 
Once I was happy with the template fit I cut the Waterway Filler and Margin strake pieces out of Boxwood strips and sheets. 
 
The Margin strakes have 3 sections on each side (held together with scarph joints), and the Waterway Filler has two planks on each side as it will be covered by a contoured Waterway strake after the deck is completed. 
 
I incorporated Hooked Scarph Joints on the Margin strake as this was standard practice in the 18th Century.  I first created hardwood templates for making the scarph joints.  This insured both sides of the joints were exactly the same shape.  I simply traced the template onto the plank ends and then cut them out with a razor saw and X-acto knive.  Then I carefully filed the pieces (using jewelers files) until they had a tight fit.
 
Once all the pieces were completed and fitted to my satisfaction I glued them in place (Waterway Filler first, then the Margin snugly up against it).  
 
I then laid out a grid pattern on the ply false deck to keep the planks aligned during installation.  The Port to Starboard lines are used to align the butt joints for the three shift of butts pattern, and the Bow to Stern lines are used to keep the strakes lined up evenly.
 
 

Tools used, Scarph template and rough cut Margin planks with penciled scarph joints ready to be cut out 
 
 

Margin Planks with Scarph joints cut out and ready for install
 
 

Margin and Filler strakes installed
 
 

Grid lines drawn in for planking alignment
 
 
 
 
 
Hook Plank Cutting and Fitting;
 
I calculated how many Hook Planks would be needed in the Bow and Stern (4 in the Bow - 2 on each side, and 12 in the Stern – 6 on each side). 
 
I then cut out cardboard templates for each hook plank.  Note; only 8 templates were needed to create 16 hook planks as the Port and Starboard planks were very close to the same size.
 
I used 10mm strips to cut out all the hook planks (using the template traced lines).  Once they were fitted to my satisfaction on each side I glued them up.
 
 
 

Tools used, and a couple Hook Plank templates with planks ready for cutting. 
 
 

Stern Hook Plank Fitting
 
 

Bow Hook Plank Fitting
 
 
 
 
Lay the Planks with #2B Pencil Simulated Tar lines;
 
I installed the hook and standard planks (24 feet or 6 inches to scale).  I used 5mm x 2mm planks and a couple of 6mm and 7mm planks in the center, which is fairly close to scale for about an 8 to 10 inch wide plank.
 
Note; every single plank laid on the main deck was beveled on at least one edge and many on both edges.  This is due to the curvature across the deck from port to starboard, and also to attain a tight fit between the strakes. 
 
Once the planks were cut and filed/sanded to shape I coated both edges with number 2B pencil (a method I saw in Chuck's build log) and then I glued them down with PVA.  
 
Also, I only glue the planks on the bottom (not on the edges)....as it allows the wood to expand and contract as the temperature and humidity changes        
 
 
 

Stern Hook Planks
 
 

Stern Hook Planks.  Note the wider King Plank in the center, I opted not to make it proud (raised) as it would cause issues with all the deck furniture.  The two planks on either side are wider as well...similar to Binder Planks but they're placed incorrectly (Binder Planks would be just outside the hatchways with no breaks in the strake other than butt joints).
 
 

Scarp Joint in the Margin 
 
 
 
 
Tree Nail Installation;
 
Prior to laying out the Tree Nails I did some fairly heavy sanding with 120, 150, 200 and 400 grit sandpaper to prepare the deck for tree nail installation and finishing.   
 
I proceeded to carefully lay out the nail pattern on the deck with pencil and a ruler (holding the ruler in place with masking tape).  After I was satisfied with the pattern I used a sharp punch to set a very small starter hole for each tree nail.  Using a hand pen vice drill I then drilled over 600 holes (with a 0.64mm drill bit).
 
Final preparation was to remove any residue in the holes and then very slightly reaming the top of the hole with an Awl to clean up any ragged/fuzzy edges at the top of the holes.
 
Once I was ready to fill the holes I took great care to use as little filler as possible to fill the holes...trying to avoid getting the filler in between the planks.  
 
Then a bit of sanding with 400 grit to remove the excess filler.  Followed by a nice rub down with a clean cloth to prepare the surface for the Teak Oil (two coats did the job nicely).
 
 

Tools and material used for Tree Nails.  The X-acto makes a great putty knife.
 
 

Tree Nails Marked
 
 

Tree Nail Holes....Drilling begins on over 600 holes (note fuzzy edges on hole rims that need to be removed)
 
 
 
 
Tree Nail Method Selection;
 
I spent considerable time testing two different types of tree nail methods; 1) drilled holes filled with wood filler,  and 2) bamboo tree nails (using my Byrnes draw plate) stained and pressed into drilled holes.
 
I went with Chuck’s wood filler approach after testing 8 different colors.  I ended up using Elmer’s Golden Oak filler.  Reason I choose this method; to me the wood filler approach looks more subtle then the tree nail method….I just like the look better.  
 
Interesting to note that depending on the wood finish you’re using it can have a profound impact on the final color of any given wood filler.  I spent hours messing around with several finishes and different wood filler colors until I came up with the color I liked.
 
I ended up using my personal favorite wood treatment Teak Oil combined with Golden Oak wood filler.  Note, I was leaning toward Maple until I used the Teak Oil on the Golden Oak, it darkened it up to exactly what I was looking for.
 
 
 

Boxwood Un-treated (no finish) 
 
 

Boxwood Treated (with Teak Oil on left and Poly on the right)
 
 

Two favorite filler colors (Golden Oak and Maple) finished with Teak Oil
 
 
 
Here is the finished Deck Planking 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 

I started on something else... naturally tacking ahead. I will post that in another ship building log! Thanks for the guidance, mateys! 

Well I lost internet for a few days. Without such distractions I was able to finish the Sakkonet! I'm not too happy with the paint job, but hey first timer here... lol. I'm happy with most of the details. It was challenging and quite fun to rig the ship. I put sails on it and am glad I did. The ship (christened the "Wodehouse" which is shakily lettered on the transom) looks like it is well underway and a few ghosts are having a good time.  Here are the finished bits and a few "in progress" pics I couldn't upload during the outage.
 

 
 
 

 

Howdy Bulwark,
 
You are doing a great job, and what a unique subject!  Looks fantastic so far.  Get to them details!!
 
Ciao for now
Rob

Howdy Don and Russ,
 
Thanks so much.  Now, I am off to the store to put it up for sale.  I build 'em and sell 'em.  See how that works out!  And thanks to everyone (especially you, Russ) for the support and tips.  I have learned much here.  
 
Ciao for now

If it is a visible issue once I get the top deck in then I'll squeeze the sides inward and go in through one of the gun ports on each side with a paint brush and thick gap filling CA gluing the bottom deck to the sides.

Congratulations on your completed Mayflower. She looks very good. Be very proud of her.
 
Russ

Congratulations on your completion, she looks great

Howdy all,
 
Well, she is finally finished.  Got her rigged as fully as I could.  I couldn't for the life of me do the forward "reef lines" on the sails.  I think I am calling them by the correct nomenclature.  I assume that they are the lines that help to furl the sails, and they are supposed to be forward of the sails and attached that way.  However, I could not figure out the instructions.  I went to school on others here, but by the time I think that I knew how to do them, there was no way that my hands would have fit into such a tight space.  However, I am proud of how it came out, and it was worth all the effort.  I enjoyed it very much.  If it's okay, I just added four pictures of figures that I did.  They are 1/35 DML plastic.  Loved to do them, but after my eyes got into my late forties, they were very difficult to do.  Hope you don't mind that they have nothing to do with ships, just wanted to show you what I did in another life.  Have a wonderful weekend and I appreciate any comments, suggestions, critiques.  
 
Ciao for now

I do have some of a gap between the deck and the hull on the sides. The deck is still sitting on its supports, barely. I'm going to wait till I put the top deck in before I make a decision if something needs to be done.

Yes I did Robert, used styrene I got from the model railroad store.
 

 
On the decks I drew in the board lines on the lower deck but haven't done the top deck. Looking for an opinion if drawing the board lines in is worth the Effort?

It's the only explanation I could come up with. I don't think they would go out of their way to carve them out in a mold unless there was a use for them. They're the same size  as the small eyelets on the smallest blocks so that's what I'm using them for. I used clothes pins as weights to hold the door ropes knots flush to the doors wile the glue dried.
 
Still can't find a description or procedure on how to tie the two ropes taughtly together on the inside of the gunnels.