Meredith

Not much progress - but a lot of work - re did some more things I think its due to the heat and humidity where I am set up - but some of my hull planking was showing some gaps - so I have had to refill them and then repaint the inside and re oil and wax the outside. I had installed one gunwale - but didn't really like how it sat an how I had to bend it. So I have removed it and I am waiting on the delivery of some wood to cut a new pair. So I went on to make the chest (haven't attached the working hinges yet - so the top is just sitting there), one oar - have a few more to do yet! and one barrel. I sanded the ridges/simulated bands on the barrels flat as they were round... then scribed some planks in them and then filled the scribes with black (ebony) wood filler, added a little bit of walnut stain, painted the bands, then oiled and waxed. Just have 7 more to do Nothing really glued in yet - just dry fitted In the meantime I also planked the entire hull of my Syren - so I haven't exactly been slack On to the photos:

I have decided IF I get a band saw. It will be a 10" one. Cost and freight cost and room to set it up are a big consideration. And if some of you here can use it to rip timbers - thats all I am interested in doing with it. I have a scroll saw - so dont need to cut shapes

I just find this so hard to comprehend - that this is cardboard!!!! You work is truly amazing and the sculpting of the many, many decorations on this ship - all so beautiful. I am particularly taken with your base/stand/support and the sculpting and name plate - just wonderful. I just keep coming back to look at your builds..time and time again - here and when this site was down - found them on another site... and the photography is so clear - make its so easy to appreciate all the details.

Looking great - wonderful first scratch build. Good to see variety in logs here... makes for a lot of interesting things to see

LOLOLOL.. they were called Mini lathes :) - I was looking at the distance between centres... forgive the silly questions - but I have never used a small or wood lathe before. My machinery experience is with really really BIG stuff. Probably one of the "littler things" I would have machined is re-machine the face of a two tonne valve So something this little is almost microscopic to me anyway.. and I have an inbuilt fear and fascination with them So basically that size lathe - even though called a mini - would be way to big to turn tiny stuff? I originally thought I would get the metal lathe - for flexibility - but there are so many choices and I keep reading reviews and reading here and I just cant make up my mind which one to go for.

The very question I would like to know too. For instance a Jet mini wood lathe - would that do the small stuff we need? Motor 370w, 230v, 10A Swing Over Bed Capacity 254mm Distance Between Centres 350mm Spindle Thread 1" x 10TPI Hole Through Tailstock 9mm Spindle RPM 400/700/1000/1500/2200/3300 Indexing Positions 24 holes Morse Taper MT2 Workshop Footprint 714 x 216mm Shipping/Net Weight 38/35kg the Woodfast mini lathe: swing over bed 300mm max distance between centres 420mm spindle thread M30 x 3.5 hole through tailstock 10mm spindle RPM 6 speed - 360 to 3250rpm indexing positions 12 morse taper MT2 headstock movement N/A motor 1/2hp 240v net weight 48kg shipping weight 52kg packing size 700 x 450 x 250mm Or an "economy model: swing over bed 260mm max distance between centres 440mm spindle thread M30 x 3.5 hole through tailstock 10mm spindle RPM 5 speed - 500 to 3200rpm indexing positions nil morse taper MT2 headstock movement N/A motor 1/2hp 240v net weight 33kg shipping weight 35kg packing size 840 x 430 x 300mm

welcome home John.. sorry to hear about your mishap - but I am sure we all look forward to some photographic updates soon - I know I do

I have decided I am going to get a couple of specialised hand saws and some different vices. I think they will be easier for me to use - maybe take longer. But that is not a guarantee. I have done a lot of research lately and many say the hand saw is actually quicker especially if you take into account set up time to rip/resaw blocks of wood.

I made a few phone calls to some shops - now I am even more confused. I first asked about the 10" band saws - one place the shipping was reasonable - but they tell me the 10" one wouldn't be good enough or very accurate and I would be better advised to go with a 14" bandsaw. They get very heavy - so shipping skyrockets. So I start reading reviews on woodworker forums etc. Its all too hard! Then I start to think it would possibly be better to pack up a heap of timber and send it off for someone else to cut for me. But as I can't see them in person - I worry they wont do what I want/need and I really would prefer to learn and do it myself. But would I get my investment back if I only used it for ship building - most likely not. Or I would need to ramp up my production rate!!! (Then its not a hobby/enjoyable). I have been spending so much time researching machinery and no time building. But boy is there some impressive stuff available. I really don't know what to do.

cabrapente in your third photo - the billets - this is just what I want to be able to do. I was considering maybe a 10" band saw - would you think this would suit. I have some really nice timbers - way too big for the Jim Byrnes table saw - even if I tried cutting from both sides - it still wouldn't be big enough. I even considered getting a cheaper full size table saw - but I really don't want to double up with a mini table saw and a big one. The bits of timber I have aren't huge in length - just maybe 30 to 50 cm long - one is 80cm- but they would be 3 - 4 cm thick. And anything from 10cm - 15cm wide. They are all beautiful bits of timber and worth using. What thickness blade would you suggest? I have read its more the quality of the blade that will do a nice job - more than the expense of the machine itself. I have found one around the $300 AUD mark - that freight isn't too expensive. Its a 10" band saw. In your opinion - could this work for me? I do have a hand held power planer that leave a very smooth finish - But I guess I will also have to invest in a thicknesser - and from what I read on here maybe the jim Byrnes one is the way to go - unless anyone has any experience with alternatives that I can maybe get within Australia to save on shipping costs. I do have a scroll saw (Proxxon) - so I am not really looking for something that will cut shapes/radius etc etc.. just a really nice straight cut on 4cm thick stock.

Great info people. That has saved me from making a bad purchase decision!!

The Proxxon FD 150/E is a wood/metal working lathe - fairly newly release I think. And quite a bit more expensive. Its the model I have been considering. I just cant justify the cost of a Sherline. I have had very good service from the Aussie Proxxon importer and happy with the other proxxon tools I have - even if I have nothing really to compare to.

http://www.woodenboatcentre.com/html/discovery_centre.html Specialises in restoration of old boats and traditional boat making skills

That's was just a cut and paste from a site that appears to cater for instrument makers. King Billy and Huron pine was much prized for full size boat making many years ago in Tasmania. Now it's only reclaimed stuff you can used and I am pretty sure they have a special licence to sell it and have to prove its not new felled stuff. Joinery was also made from it many years ago. I had a house with Huon pine doors and the wood smells wonderful especially when you cut/sand/plane it

Many thanks!!! Just the sort of info I need

update - been a bit slow as I have re-done a few things along the way. The thwarts were too narrow - so I found a piece of timber and used my Jim Saw for the first time for a real build instead of just playing with it. I don't know what the timber is - as I sanded off the pencilled on name without paying enough attention to it! But the grain is in scale and a really nice timber to work with. Pretty hard and sands well. Turned out much nicer than the supplied basswood anyway. So a bit of serendipity. I will touch up the grey paint inside - as it has been knocked about a little bit. A few things inside are just dry fitted at the minute and the belaying pins need sanding and sealing yet - but they are just sitting there. I still have to cut the other thwarts to size and then its onto the gunwales. I have prepared them - just have to attach. On to the photos:

Looks interesting.. but pricey like you said. Be useful to know if anyone has used one - and if it would be worthwhile for ship building

Thanks Mark I am sitting working on my Bounty Launch and planning the big purchase I DID buy something last night - an artists easel that tips to hold all my plans. So it's a start . Just gearing up to hit the "buy" button on a Sherline!!!!!!

So back to mills - as mentioned about there was a thread on MSW1 about what people thought were the most desirable "extras" to purchase with the mill. But if course I have forgotten what they are. Can we get some input from those who have mills and successfully use them

maybe a clearer pic of the Myrtle

TASMANIAN MYRTLE MYRTLE BURL Tasmanian Myrtle. Botanical Name: Nothofagus Cunninghamii. Myrtle is known for its strength, volume, and balance. Myrtle is a striking wood with rich reds, browns and almost orange tones, the colour is vibrant combining subtle variations in tone with the texture and sheen of wavy and fiddleback features to produce a surface alive with character and individuality. Myrtle produces beautiful Burl and is becoming a highly sought after tonewood for acoustic and solid body electric guitars. Bends well, easy to work and finishes to a high luster, Robust tap tone.Known for it's wide tonal range and warm overtones, superb tonewood. Density (air dry) kg m³ Shrinkage Sound velocity (along grain) m s¹ MOE GPa (10^6 lb/sq. in) Dimension Unit Green to 12% MC 705 681-729 Tang. 0.32 6.8 4680 14

TASMANIAN HUON PINE Tasmanian Huon Pine. Botanical Name: Lagarostrob so you do not produceos Franklinii. An ancient native conifer, huon pine has been dated at over two thousand years of age making this species one of the oldest living trees on the planet. Beautiful golden yellow colour, fine grain and easy to work. Huon Pine being softer and heavier than spruce it makes quieter guitars but has a very rich sustained sound. Steel string guitars with a smaller body tend to sound bigger. KING BILLY PINE King Billy Pine. Botanical Name: Athrotaxis selaginoides. It has extremely beautiful coloured wood, with the sapwood being yellow and the heartwood a reddish pink to brown with impressive growth rings of distinct colouring a pliable timber easily worked, it's physical properties is comparable to Western Red Cedar. TASMANIAN CELERY TOP PINE Tasmanian Celery Top Pine. Botanical Name: Phyllocladus Aspleniifolius. Native Conifer, because of it's stability, durability & appearance celery top is highly prized. Pale white to yellow when first cut and obtains a golden hue with age. A light but very dense timber, fine grain and easily worked. Gary Rizzolo of Rizzologuitars has used it with great success. Density (air dry) kg m³ Shrinkage Sound velocity (along grain) m s¹ MOE GPa (10^6 lb/sq. in) Dimension Unit Green to 12% MC 646 624-668 Tang. 0.19 3.4 4823 * Rad. 0.12 1.6

Its 3am here now - so I will get some photos when the sun comes up. I have a few little pieces of it on my first boat and loved working with it. Some pieces don't look so grand in the raw state (rough sawn- or whatever...) I might even find better pics online.. give me a few minutes...

I have Jims table saw and his rope walk... and the draw plate - but that hardly counts as "tools" that's so small no-one could possibly notice it turning up in the postal system and it doesn't make noise or get plugged in - so definitely doesn't count Tonight I was rather proud of myself... I used the table saw... the proxxon disk sander.. and the proxxon scroll saw.. my little mitre saw. I re-made all the thwarts on my bounty launch. The kit supplied stuff was only bass wood.. and for some reason it didn't really fit right (and my boat hasn't grown - I even tested it out over the mold/frame thingie and it was still a tight fit.... BUT even though the thwarts are very simple pieces.. they look so nice now. Unfortunately I cannot tell you what wood they are made out of - something exotic. My first sand/cut - I removed the pencilled in name of the wood. But it is so much nicer that the basswood. I am very pleased with it. Only trouble is - I had to cut it from some little pieces of timber that were really too big for the table saw. so I had to do two passes - one from the top and then flip over and do the other side. But even with my inexperience I still managed and they turned out pretty good. Now comparing them to the bass wood ones.. these LOOK like timber.. and the basswood just looks like a nasty piece of balsa wood. Hmm.. so onto the purchases... in doing my little job tonight - the Jim thickness sander looked like a very useful tool....might seem a bit boring - but it would have made my job a little easier and more precise I think. The end result is quite precise...but that took a bit more effort than the thickness sander would I feel. So.. advice again.... I have a heap of exotic timbers - some little pieces about 1 inch depth/width and about 10 inches long (think very long pen blanks) and then some other boards of timber maybe 1 or 2 inches thick and various lengths, Would a normal size table saw be useful to bring them down to Jim table saw size or would another tool be more useful for me???????????? Some of the bigger pieces I would really like to prepare - as they are King Billy Pine, Huon pine and Tasmanian Myrtle (fabulous timber to work with) and I would like to make a boat out of them for my dad (he is very ill). I think he would really appreciate the timbers - they are from our home state and there is quite a bit of family history behind them.

I don't have one of those wife things.....but my partner is addicted to buying stuff - so I can just roll my eyes if he has a go at my tool and toy collection He has no idea of the price of them - so I explain NOTHING :) In actual fact he has been urging me for weeks to buy something for myself - he has an average of 10 parcels or more a week coming - and that's been for months now. So I think he feels guilty about how much stuff he has had lately and I have been super responsible and just reducing debt and paying all the living costs:)... ohh and it helps that he didn't get me anything for my birthday last week.. so he has been urging more and more for me to buy something.