Meredith

I got some Japanese saws not too long ago and I am also very impressed I got a set of 3 different small or mini saws and a 4th one with an almost non existent kerf and a flush cutter. They are excellent. Quick cutting for sure. The one with the tiny kerf makes an incredibly smooth cut as well. I can't take photos of them at the minute as I am on the work bus. I am even considering getting a bigger size one for much bigger cuts. From the same supplier I also got a fret saw - bit of a different sort of design - but that was a real winner too

Great job John! She really is a beauty. Sooooooo what scale is the next one going to be?? It's so hard to believe this one is such a small scale when you look at the detail in her

Thanks Augie... My transom is a wee bit thicker than measurements - due to the fact I have already attached the top shaped piece to the transom. Without this attached the thickness is right.. even a tad under. But I do have another piece of timber I am going to use for the cap rail (some flexible beech) - and its quite a bit too wide - I had planned to sand it to fit I have attached the strake and about to attach the top of the 3 wale planks and have fitted the filler pieces and it actually took very little shaping to have them flush with the transom - so it looks fine (from both sides).. whew!! I think I sometimes over analyse - I should just "do it"... and fix the problems when I make em

What an extremely interesting build. So different and your skills are just great! Just going to pop over and make sure I haven't miised anything on your Vic build too. I am most envious of all the skilled builders on here who make it look so easy (especially what they can do with power tools!!!!!!!)

Ok here are some photos of the trouble spot... This is just a piece of timber the size suggested in the instructions - just sticky-taped on - obviously not shaped etc.. its just to show the depth. And then the instruction book.... Note the hang over of the transom - the planks are 1/8" wide - and its definitely just more than 1/2 the width of the planks (closer to the same size) - the filler piece is 1/16" thick - so the transom must get sanded back. Now to the timbers for the wales.... definitely run out of the sizes in the instruction - or didn't have them in the first place as I have definitely not used the thin ones that are supposed to be for the upper wales......but that's all ok. I will just replace. Tried cutting with the Jim saw.... but it wasn't overly successful. I think I am much more suited to hand tools. I KNOW things like that take practice.. practice etc.... But I am seriously thinking of selling it and just getting my wood from Hobby Mills pre cut. So basically I got out my little Japanese saws and was able to cut some planks for the wales...in fact the first one I cut was a wee bit too thin.. but all in all fairly successful. The piece of timber in the front was just the piece I was cutting the planks from.. getting a little narrow for ease of measuring/cutting now... Bad photo.. the right hand side looks like its getting thicker - but its just the angle of the camera and the bit of timber trying to fall over The thickness was pretty consistent all the way along. So I just made 6 new wales and two planks for the strake out of boxwood and pear. Pity its going to be painted. Guess I can at least say I am happy with the new little Japanese saws - as I haven't had a lot of luck this morning. I went to set some new tools up in the shed - and cut with the jim table saw... all seemed a failure and dead loss... also decided to try the new frame saw... blade was reversed for transport - so I undid it - to flip it over. You think I could get it back together again!!! damned thing wouldn't line up. I THOUGHT I had slackened off the blade tension thing.. but noooooooooooo - that would be too easy. The shed is sweltering hot - even though I had the doors open and it was barely 7.30am. very lady like but the sweat was pouring off me, put the old reading glasses on.. but they fog up and covered in sweat (isn't it supposed to be "horses sweat, men perspire and women glow".. fat chance here in the sub-equatorial build up to the wet season) and the cat would NOT stop talking. I almost yelled at him :) He always picks the time when frustration levels are high to be the most annoying and persistent. Of course now - when things are starting to go ok.. he is sound asleep - and quiet. I also got a cheap drill press just to use with some sanding drums - had it for weeks but had not put it together...I guess it went together ok - but took longer than I thought. Okk.. the frame saw.. yeah the blade was turn inward for transport... of course AFTER I undid the blade then found I couldn't get it back together.. I discovered the blade would have turned the right way round just by rotating the handles. It did NOT need to be undone...GRRRR... But I guess I am mostly disappointed in my lack of ability to use the Jim saw.....

Be warned - this ship building lark is VERY addictive I ended up using myus.com and got my kits from Model expo sent to them (about a day) and then sent via DHL and arrived to me in a very remote part of NT in 3 days for cheaper than direct from Model expo. Is it a Syren you are getting? And hope you have a great day for your wedding.

I have been sitting out in my breezeway contemplating.. re-measuring the bits of timber - boy do I hate these imperial measurements :) yeah to make it quicker for the brain - I do have a conversion table pinned to my wall!! Like a couple of others - I am short the right timbers for my upper/outer wales. so after much contemplation and playing around with substitutes - I have decided I have some other timber I am going to TRY and cut to size in the morning. (some really nice billets from Hobby Mill - in various timbers). I am also thinking the transom does have to be sanded back a bit - then the instruction sort of make sense. Of course before I tackled it - this bit looked dead easy when reading the instructions ahead of time! I am pretty sure the cap rail on the transom will come into meet the thickness of the wales - if that really IS the case - the transom does need to be sanded back. The instructions read like the filler pieces would be the ones sanded back to match the profile of the transom. But I think its a bit of both now. I will get the camera out in the morning and post pictures - I am sure someone here will easily set me right! Rowan: My technique is rather bush carpenterish compared to others here - but MORE than happy to help you and show how I did it. I am pretty sure I can quicken it up and improve it next time around. So I will post pics when I get to the deck planking - as I will definitely treenail that too...... and another "BUT"... where ohh where is YOUR build log.... :) jump in man- people here are so helpful! I am just really slack at the photo taking.

Go for it Rowan... I think for small effort it makes a big difference. I actually liked doing it and didn't find it tedious at all. I am back to my Syren now after finishing the Bounty Launch - but I am already stuck! \I had a play with the top/outer wales weeks ago - got them bent - but never fitted them as they just weren't sitting right. I put them away and went back to Bounty.. So tonight I decided I could start on the transom and the filler pieces and fashion pieces. I have spent the last hour scouring through all the Syren build logs. I must have made a mistake somewhere as the suggested wood doesn't seem to fit to me. I am going back to look at it again... (and again and again) - geez this bit should be easy... I will take photos tomorrow and hopefully someone can point me in the right direction

Thanks gents. Now it's back to the Syren.

For a simple little boat - she has taken me a long time! But I have learnt a few more things on the journey.

And some more.....

Some more photos..... just have some more oars to do... and whatever else I might put in the boat. I will probably do it in between other tasks on my Syren. So for intents and purposes - I can sort of call this finished

Thanks John... Ok I have the sails on....

I will have a look for that book - pretty sure I will probably want to make the bounty at some stage as well - so should be very useful. I have sewn some sails - the first ones were actually better than the ones I ended up with - I like the colour on the first ones better - and the eyelets are much smaller - but probably too small to thread the rope through. So version two got much bigger eyelets and the fabric was a different base colour - so after the dye - they are no quite the same colour as first. Onto some pics.

This is incredibly beautiful. Absolutely sensational work. Every photo has so many points if interest to look and marvel at. So much detail ... So much to look at. Really wonderful

I have started the sails tonight - but there is very little detail in the instructions. I have done a bit of a search online and would love to see some photos/pictures of what they SHOULD look like - not a "dumbed down" version - then at least I can make my own mind up where to take short cuts or simulate something due to size etc. And I need to workout how thick the rope on the edges should be scale wise. I am presuming it isn't appropriate to have eyelets. How were the real sails attached to the spars? Just lashed between the spar and the rope edge of the sail? I didn't like the "rope" in the kit and used something I made - but I think it looks too thin (used the same scale as the kit) - so I tried something thicker. still playing with that a bit - and really its only 4 lines - I can re-do them numerous times. I guess I need to do some research to see what the right scale would be. I think its going to take me longer to work out what to do - than actually doing it

Thanks gents. I actually got the glue out and she is all assembled now. Even the blocks and two rigging lines . Just have the spars to do - and the sew the sails.

Its ok.. I'm on to Mark II of the cake now. This one didn't get burnt/overcooked Bounty on hold...really just need to make the spars and then assemble everything and its done.. might do a little bit each night after work. Then I can get back to Syren. I have been doing little bit on siren - but I am up to the wales and the copper plating and I think I am procrastinating - but like everything once you start - its not as bad or scarey as you think.

Ok.. got the blocks done...and the tiller.... then it was onto the metal/brass brackets to attach tiler to rudder.. that was ok too... blackened them and moved on to the easy part - attaching them to the tiller and rudder...Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... rather fiddly. Didn't go nearly as easily as I hoped. I had made the metal bits exactly matching.. but of course that leaves very little room for the nails. Sure I cut them down - but to re-file a little point when they are that short is a pain. What I probably should have done is off set the holes on either side so I could use a longer nail. But its finally done now and on the boat. AND I burnt the cake I was cooking because this too much longer than I anticipated The new blocks with sheave.. forgot to take a pic of the ones that came with the kit. tiller and metal bits before blackening finally attached

Thanks gentlemen...today the glue comes out A few more little finish up things.. like the blocks and tiller - but then its assemble time.

And a few more... Hinges now on chest - Should have made the lid hollow - bit late now. Can always re-make it I guess. few more barrels done.

Ok - bit of an update. Just been plodding away making all the little bits and pieces. Going to finish the masts tonight - do a big clean up and then start attaching stuff. Almost everything in the photos is just dry fitted. Finally got the cap rail on - I had to wait for some timber to be sent as I had to re-make them as the supplied stuff just wast right. I got one side on - but decided I didn't like it and didn't want to have to bend it both ways. My hull obviously got a little wider when I put the tween frames in - so lesson learned - I should have braced the top at the exact width before installing the tween frames. No great harm done. Got to use my new saws I purchased from Germany A lovely little set of Japanese miniature hand saws (really nice - and boy are they quick when you get the hang of using them) and a very nice jewellers/fret saw (Knew Concepts Fret Saw) - very impressed with that too. One of the little Japanese saws has an amazingly fine kerf and a beautiful smooth cut. Got the hinges attached to the chest and did 3 more barrels - only 4 more to do. All I really have left to do is the spars - might get to them tomorrow - and then is just the final assembly. Ohh I will probably make the windlass - not included in the instructions - but the plans have a drawing and I have sort of moved the thwarts (not glued yet - so I can still change my mind) to more easily accommodate it. Onto the photos: Staining all the little knees... Just testing out the placement of the foremast.. had to tie it up because the front thwart is just sitting there too.. glue comes later -

Carpentry is really about the only trade they don't have. Any building maintenance (eg housing) is done off site by a contractor. And due to my work hours - pretty hard to get to see them. I did have one place lined up to do it for me - but I changed jobs and hours. It was an indigenous enterprise - just trying to get off the ground. But they close up at about 3 pm( that's if they bother opening at all ) and I would want to there when the work was done or you wouldnt know what you wiuld get So most likely for future builds - I will buy timbers already cut to a reasonable size. Something I can cope with on the Jim table saw. Now if it was metal we were talking about - I have great access to anty sort if machinery!

Thanks all.. and yes Mark the lid opens on the chest - I just have to attach the hinges (plan to do that this coming weekend). Seems to be a bit of a drawn out affair - I keep running out of stuff I want to use and cant buy anything locally........ so its a long wait on the postal system. Unless I get it express posted it can take anything up to 5 weeks to arrive - if it doesn't get lost. Even though I beg and pay for express post or air courier for overseas stuff- many merchants thing they know better and send by ordinary parcel post - which as stated above for parcels within Australia can be 5 weeks and more. Bit frustrating when its a crucial part to finish something off. But I guess I can finish the other oars and barrels without any other supplies. And I still have my Syren to work on - I am up to wales and deck planking etc. That should be fun - but I am tossing up about changing the deck planking to box or something similar... so another wait................................. I am seriously thinking about doing the boat again in huon pine - for my dad. But I need to rip the huon pine I have. I have been researching bandsaws - but cant make up my mind (and the freight is a killer) - so in the meantime I have purchased a frame saw with a Japanese blade - I have read heaps of good things about them - and I really don't have a lot of timbers to re-saw - but like everything else - I am waiting on delivery - its been weeks. Hmm.. does that also mean I REALLY NEED a Jim thicknesser :)...of course another wait.. wait.. wait. that's all I seem to do lately. Just as well I have the patience to worry a sheep dog!!!!!

A few more photos: