rvchima

Hull Planking Complete, day 16, 67 hours
 


I decided to plank the top and sides of the hull with mahogany strips. I cut the strips roughly to length, soaked them briefly in water, and glued them with medium CA. The water makes the CA set up quickly. I only glued my fingers to just about every plank.
 
 

Unfortunately the kit did not have quite enough planks, so I visited my favorite local Woodcraft store. They had a sheet of 1/16" mahogany that I ripped into planks on my bandsaw. You can see a slight color difference on the outer few planks of the sponsons.
 
The nails are purely decorative. They were added after the the hull was planked, filled, and sanded. I marked nail locations along each bulkhead at the center of each plank. I had to drill holes for each nail to avoid splitting the mahogany. The drill was a couple thousands of an inch smaller than the nails, so the tails went in easily. I tapped the nails flush, and cleaned up with sandpaper. I still have a lot of nails to add on the back of the hull.
 

The instructions don't mention the bottom of the hull. I think you're supposed to just use the thin plywood bottom, but I knew it would look bad where I sanded through the top ply layers. So I visited my favorite local Woodcraft store again and bought a roll of flat mahogany veneer with a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing. I had to buy a roll 1' wide x 8' long for $45, but it turned out to be a good choice. It cut easily with a knife, stuck on perfectly, and looks beautiful.
 
Any suggestions for finishes?
I haven't decided what finish to use yet. I'll probably start with Watco oil to bring out the color, but I'm don't know what to use after that. Does anyone know about spar varnish? That's probably what was used on the real boat so it seems like a good choice, although I would prefer to use something available in a spray.
 
 

Hull Planking Complete, day 16, 67 hours
 


I decided to plank the top and sides of the hull with mahogany strips. I cut the strips roughly to length, soaked them briefly in water, and glued them with medium CA. The water makes the CA set up quickly. I only glued my fingers to just about every plank.
 
 

Unfortunately the kit did not have quite enough planks, so I visited my favorite local Woodcraft store. They had a sheet of 1/16" mahogany that I ripped into planks on my bandsaw. You can see a slight color difference on the outer few planks of the sponsons.
 
The nails are purely decorative. They were added after the the hull was planked, filled, and sanded. I marked nail locations along each bulkhead at the center of each plank. I had to drill holes for each nail to avoid splitting the mahogany. The drill was a couple thousands of an inch smaller than the nails, so the tails went in easily. I tapped the nails flush, and cleaned up with sandpaper. I still have a lot of nails to add on the back of the hull.
 

The instructions don't mention the bottom of the hull. I think you're supposed to just use the thin plywood bottom, but I knew it would look bad where I sanded through the top ply layers. So I visited my favorite local Woodcraft store again and bought a roll of flat mahogany veneer with a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing. I had to buy a roll 1' wide x 8' long for $45, but it turned out to be a good choice. It cut easily with a knife, stuck on perfectly, and looks beautiful.
 
Any suggestions for finishes?
I haven't decided what finish to use yet. I'll probably start with Watco oil to bring out the color, but I'm don't know what to use after that. Does anyone know about spar varnish? That's probably what was used on the real boat so it seems like a good choice, although I would prefer to use something available in a spray.
 
 

Hull Planking Complete, day 16, 67 hours
 


I decided to plank the top and sides of the hull with mahogany strips. I cut the strips roughly to length, soaked them briefly in water, and glued them with medium CA. The water makes the CA set up quickly. I only glued my fingers to just about every plank.
 
 

Unfortunately the kit did not have quite enough planks, so I visited my favorite local Woodcraft store. They had a sheet of 1/16" mahogany that I ripped into planks on my bandsaw. You can see a slight color difference on the outer few planks of the sponsons.
 
The nails are purely decorative. They were added after the the hull was planked, filled, and sanded. I marked nail locations along each bulkhead at the center of each plank. I had to drill holes for each nail to avoid splitting the mahogany. The drill was a couple thousands of an inch smaller than the nails, so the tails went in easily. I tapped the nails flush, and cleaned up with sandpaper. I still have a lot of nails to add on the back of the hull.
 

The instructions don't mention the bottom of the hull. I think you're supposed to just use the thin plywood bottom, but I knew it would look bad where I sanded through the top ply layers. So I visited my favorite local Woodcraft store again and bought a roll of flat mahogany veneer with a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing. I had to buy a roll 1' wide x 8' long for $45, but it turned out to be a good choice. It cut easily with a knife, stuck on perfectly, and looks beautiful.
 
Any suggestions for finishes?
I haven't decided what finish to use yet. I'll probably start with Watco oil to bring out the color, but I'm don't know what to use after that. Does anyone know about spar varnish? That's probably what was used on the real boat so it seems like a good choice, although I would prefer to use something available in a spray.
 
 

Hull Planking Complete, day 16, 67 hours
 


I decided to plank the top and sides of the hull with mahogany strips. I cut the strips roughly to length, soaked them briefly in water, and glued them with medium CA. The water makes the CA set up quickly. I only glued my fingers to just about every plank.
 
 

Unfortunately the kit did not have quite enough planks, so I visited my favorite local Woodcraft store. They had a sheet of 1/16" mahogany that I ripped into planks on my bandsaw. You can see a slight color difference on the outer few planks of the sponsons.
 
The nails are purely decorative. They were added after the the hull was planked, filled, and sanded. I marked nail locations along each bulkhead at the center of each plank. I had to drill holes for each nail to avoid splitting the mahogany. The drill was a couple thousands of an inch smaller than the nails, so the tails went in easily. I tapped the nails flush, and cleaned up with sandpaper. I still have a lot of nails to add on the back of the hull.
 

The instructions don't mention the bottom of the hull. I think you're supposed to just use the thin plywood bottom, but I knew it would look bad where I sanded through the top ply layers. So I visited my favorite local Woodcraft store again and bought a roll of flat mahogany veneer with a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing. I had to buy a roll 1' wide x 8' long for $45, but it turned out to be a good choice. It cut easily with a knife, stuck on perfectly, and looks beautiful.
 
Any suggestions for finishes?
I haven't decided what finish to use yet. I'll probably start with Watco oil to bring out the color, but I'm don't know what to use after that. Does anyone know about spar varnish? That's probably what was used on the real boat so it seems like a good choice, although I would prefer to use something available in a spray.
 
 

Augie,
 
Thank you for all the information about other builds that used mahogany. I've just spent all afternoon browsing MSW and have found some great tips on planking, filling cracks, and French polishing.
 
I had not seen your post of the Greek tug Ulises. That is a very attractive model, something I might consider for a next build.
 
The kit comes with a lot of brass nails, both with and without heads. It seems that the original Arno XI was planked with brass nails (or at least treenails,) so I suppose it's time to start experimenting with them.

The plans show nails at each bulkhead, but photos of the original show much closer spacing. I'll probably start with the bulkheads and go from there.
 
Rod

Eindeckker Complete

The extremely cold temperatures caused several unexpected delays, so my model airplane took longer than I expected. But I'm done and the Fokker Eindeckker is cute as can be. Some day six months from now I'll take it outside, wind it up, and give it a toss. But for now, back to the Ferrari hydroplane!

Hull Planking Complete, day 16, 67 hours
 


I decided to plank the top and sides of the hull with mahogany strips. I cut the strips roughly to length, soaked them briefly in water, and glued them with medium CA. The water makes the CA set up quickly. I only glued my fingers to just about every plank.
 
 

Unfortunately the kit did not have quite enough planks, so I visited my favorite local Woodcraft store. They had a sheet of 1/16" mahogany that I ripped into planks on my bandsaw. You can see a slight color difference on the outer few planks of the sponsons.
 
The nails are purely decorative. They were added after the the hull was planked, filled, and sanded. I marked nail locations along each bulkhead at the center of each plank. I had to drill holes for each nail to avoid splitting the mahogany. The drill was a couple thousands of an inch smaller than the nails, so the tails went in easily. I tapped the nails flush, and cleaned up with sandpaper. I still have a lot of nails to add on the back of the hull.
 

The instructions don't mention the bottom of the hull. I think you're supposed to just use the thin plywood bottom, but I knew it would look bad where I sanded through the top ply layers. So I visited my favorite local Woodcraft store again and bought a roll of flat mahogany veneer with a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing. I had to buy a roll 1' wide x 8' long for $45, but it turned out to be a good choice. It cut easily with a knife, stuck on perfectly, and looks beautiful.
 
Any suggestions for finishes?
I haven't decided what finish to use yet. I'll probably start with Watco oil to bring out the color, but I'm don't know what to use after that. Does anyone know about spar varnish? That's probably what was used on the real boat so it seems like a good choice, although I would prefer to use something available in a spray.
 
 

History of the Ferrari Hydroplane
 

Achille Castolldi was a wealthy Italian boat racer in the 1940’s and 1950’s. In 1940 he set the world speed record of 81.1 mph in his boat Arno, powered by an Alfa Romeo engine.
 
In the 50’s he concentrated on setting top speed records. He commissioned a three-point hydroplane hull from Cantieri Timossi, a boat builder on Lake Como near Milan. The hull was named Arno XI. At high speeds a three-point hydroplane rides on two pontoon-like sponsons. The propeller provides the third point of support. A tunnel of air between the sponsons generates aerodynamic lift.
 
Ferrari supplied Castoldi with a water-cooled V-12 engine rated at about 385 hp. The engine ran through a gear box that spun the propeller at up to 10,000 rpm.
 
In January of 1953 Castoldi set an unofficial speed record of 124 mph, but soon lost the record to a competitor from Alfa Romeo. Castoldi had a new methanol-burning engine built with twin superchargers. The new engine produced 550-600 hp. On October 15, 1953 Castoldi set a new speed record of 150.49 mph that still stands today.
 

Castoldi retired from racing in 1954 and sold Arno XI to a wealthy engineer named Nando dell’Orto, who revised the body lines of the cowl and added the large fin dorsal fin behind the driver. The boat was raced until the mid 60’s. Arno XI was restored in the early 90’s. It was sold again at auction in Monaco on May 12, 2012 for €868.000.
 
References
REAL Ferrari Boats, part One: Arno XI by David Mulvey
RM Auctions: 1953 Timossi-Ferrari 'Arno XI' Racing Hydroplane
YouTube video by RM auctions
 
 
 
 

Augie,
 
Thank you for all the information about other builds that used mahogany. I've just spent all afternoon browsing MSW and have found some great tips on planking, filling cracks, and French polishing.
 
I had not seen your post of the Greek tug Ulises. That is a very attractive model, something I might consider for a next build.
 
The kit comes with a lot of brass nails, both with and without heads. It seems that the original Arno XI was planked with brass nails (or at least treenails,) so I suppose it's time to start experimenting with them.

The plans show nails at each bulkhead, but photos of the original show much closer spacing. I'll probably start with the bulkheads and go from there.
 
Rod

Hull sheeting Complete day 6, 30 hours
 
]
I finally found some laser-cut parts that didn't quite fit - the sides panels of the hull. I had to do a little cut-and-paste, but I finally got the hull closed up. Most of this will get covered wit mahogany planks.
 

A bit of ply sand-through on the bottom. I don't know how I can finish this to look right. Any ideas?
 

I applied a bit of planking to the stern. I sure miss Chuck Passaro's 130 pages of instructions for the Syren! The Amati instructions are very brief:
Fig. 20-21
Plank deck using mahogany strips. Remember to drive nails along guide lines you have already marked on deck.
 
Should I plank the sides? aft end? bottom? There isdefinitely not enough material for the bottom but I plan to do the rest.
 

I painted the styrene seat and made the attachment. Now that's red!
 

And here's where it stands for now.

Augie,
 
Thank you for all the information about other builds that used mahogany. I've just spent all afternoon browsing MSW and have found some great tips on planking, filling cracks, and French polishing.
 
I had not seen your post of the Greek tug Ulises. That is a very attractive model, something I might consider for a next build.
 
The kit comes with a lot of brass nails, both with and without heads. It seems that the original Arno XI was planked with brass nails (or at least treenails,) so I suppose it's time to start experimenting with them.

The plans show nails at each bulkhead, but photos of the original show much closer spacing. I'll probably start with the bulkheads and go from there.
 
Rod

Time for some color
 

I couldn't wait to paint something red so I made this footboard assembly. The photo-etched aluminum pieces actually have raised tread marks on them. Nice touch.

Hull sheeting Complete day 6, 30 hours
 
]
I finally found some laser-cut parts that didn't quite fit - the sides panels of the hull. I had to do a little cut-and-paste, but I finally got the hull closed up. Most of this will get covered wit mahogany planks.
 

A bit of ply sand-through on the bottom. I don't know how I can finish this to look right. Any ideas?
 

I applied a bit of planking to the stern. I sure miss Chuck Passaro's 130 pages of instructions for the Syren! The Amati instructions are very brief:
Fig. 20-21
Plank deck using mahogany strips. Remember to drive nails along guide lines you have already marked on deck.
 
Should I plank the sides? aft end? bottom? There isdefinitely not enough material for the bottom but I plan to do the rest.
 

I painted the styrene seat and made the attachment. Now that's red!
 

And here's where it stands for now.

Fore to Aft
 

You just gotta love the jib with all those lines!
 

 

The longboat was one of my finer pieces of work.
 

I copied Augie's mount for the bell.
 
 

Hull sheeting Complete day 6, 30 hours
 
]
I finally found some laser-cut parts that didn't quite fit - the sides panels of the hull. I had to do a little cut-and-paste, but I finally got the hull closed up. Most of this will get covered wit mahogany planks.
 

A bit of ply sand-through on the bottom. I don't know how I can finish this to look right. Any ideas?
 

I applied a bit of planking to the stern. I sure miss Chuck Passaro's 130 pages of instructions for the Syren! The Amati instructions are very brief:
Fig. 20-21
Plank deck using mahogany strips. Remember to drive nails along guide lines you have already marked on deck.
 
Should I plank the sides? aft end? bottom? There isdefinitely not enough material for the bottom but I plan to do the rest.
 

I painted the styrene seat and made the attachment. Now that's red!
 

And here's where it stands for now.

Time for some color
 

I couldn't wait to paint something red so I made this footboard assembly. The photo-etched aluminum pieces actually have raised tread marks on them. Nice touch.

Hull Sheeting in Progress
 

The hull is sheeted with several pieces of 1 mm plywood.
 

It's impressive how closely the pieces fit together without trimming. The upper surface will eventually be planked with mahogany strips held in place with headless brass nails.
 

The bottom sheeting isn't quite done yet. Much of it will eventually be covered with photo-etched aluminum sheets held in place with standard brass nails.

Ferrari Hydroplane, day 1, 5 hours
 

The laser cutting on this kit is beautiful! The frame is 1/4 birch ply. There are no burn marks and the cut line is hairline thin. I still needed a razor-sharp carving chisel to separate the tiny tabs that hold the parts to the sheet.
 

The hull is framed in two sections, fore,
 

and aft.
 

The assembled frame weighs a hefty 1lb, 5 oz. The next step will be a lot of sanding to fair the square edges of all those bulkheads.

Hull sheeting Complete day 6, 30 hours
 
]
I finally found some laser-cut parts that didn't quite fit - the sides panels of the hull. I had to do a little cut-and-paste, but I finally got the hull closed up. Most of this will get covered wit mahogany planks.
 

A bit of ply sand-through on the bottom. I don't know how I can finish this to look right. Any ideas?
 

I applied a bit of planking to the stern. I sure miss Chuck Passaro's 130 pages of instructions for the Syren! The Amati instructions are very brief:
Fig. 20-21
Plank deck using mahogany strips. Remember to drive nails along guide lines you have already marked on deck.
 
Should I plank the sides? aft end? bottom? There isdefinitely not enough material for the bottom but I plan to do the rest.
 

I painted the styrene seat and made the attachment. Now that's red!
 

And here's where it stands for now.

Eindeckker Complete

The extremely cold temperatures caused several unexpected delays, so my model airplane took longer than I expected. But I'm done and the Fokker Eindeckker is cute as can be. Some day six months from now I'll take it outside, wind it up, and give it a toss. But for now, back to the Ferrari hydroplane!

And Now for Something Completely Different -
 

 
Arno XI Ferrari Hydroplane, 1:8 scale, by Amati
 
I now have three tall ship models in my house, a Spanish Galleon built by my grandfather in 1933, a MS Flying Fish that I built in 1969, and my recently-completed US Brig Syren. One can only have so many big plexiglass cases in one's house before one's wife starts to object, so for my next build I decided on something easier to dust, an Arno Ferrari hydroplane. Besides, with a glossy red cowling, polished mahogany planking, and chrome exhaust, wheel, and rudder, who can complain?
 
I bought the kit from Cornwall Model Boats in the UK. Even with shipping to the US their price was significantly cheaper than anyone else. I ordered the kit on a Sunday and had it in my hands the following Friday.  I knew that I wouldn't be able to start on it until after the holidays, so I gave it to my wife to give to me for Christmas. She didn't object.
 
There's not much information about this kit on line, so I'll start my build log with
 
What's in the Box

A (Hopefully) Short Delay

At the moment there is a Fokker Eindecker (Dumas kit) that needs covering sitting on my workbench. Give me a week to get that done before I start on the Ferrari.

A (Hopefully) Short Delay

At the moment there is a Fokker Eindecker (Dumas kit) that needs covering sitting on my workbench. Give me a week to get that done before I start on the Ferrari.

Eindeckker Complete

The extremely cold temperatures caused several unexpected delays, so my model airplane took longer than I expected. But I'm done and the Fokker Eindeckker is cute as can be. Some day six months from now I'll take it outside, wind it up, and give it a toss. But for now, back to the Ferrari hydroplane!

A (Hopefully) Short Delay

At the moment there is a Fokker Eindecker (Dumas kit) that needs covering sitting on my workbench. Give me a week to get that done before I start on the Ferrari.