Meredith

Pretty impressive build. I have been tossing up between RC and a couple of other for my " big" build. I am just not sure I could do this one justice. You really have done a great job so far.

The frames have all been done as at the end of last weekend - and have been left to dry for the week. Some photos in progress I only broke one frame whilst bending them around the frames. But that was when I was "following instructions". It says to wet and then bend with fingers before trying to bend around mold. Well.. the first one broke - and I was being quite gentle. So I got out my little iron thingie and just ironed the wet timbers around the molds - too easy. Didn't have another breakage. so I have a heap of the cherry frame wood left over. One side completed. The other side is now done - and I am getting read to plank. I have glued the frames into the keel piece - all went well. But I couldn't help my self - I did take it off the mold after the glue dried - to make sure it wasn't going to stick and check the frames were well glued in and meeting in the middle. I forgot to take a picture of the skeleton But other than feeling extremely fragile.. it looked good. I did make sure to sand and smooth the frames (inside and side faces) - as experience with my little 18th C longboat showed me how fiddly an difficult it can be to get a nice finish on the frames after the planking is done. All the planking for this boat is laser cut basswood. the hull is to be painted - so I will go ahead and used the kit supplied stuff. Look pretty easy! (famous last words!). All the thinking and planning work is done for me. So during the week I have about 20 shaped/spilled planks to sand and get ready for shaping at the weekend - and thanks t the Queen - we have a long weekend coming up - I might even get it all planked as I have taken a small break from the Syren build and swapped back to this one.

Got all the frames on they have all dried and shaped nicely. Ony broke one while bending - but that was before I did it "my way" not as suggested in instructions.

I love the little ones - but at this stage I would really like to tackle just one really big one

How times have changed! We can tend to cotton wool our kids a bit too much these days. But worse still - no personal responsibility - its always someone else's fault or society as a whole - or lack of 'entertainment" when kids (so called grown ups for that matter too) mess up. Imagine the responsibility of the above mentioned man of 14!! And anything he did or didn't do - he would of had to wear the consequences. Not many others to blame if your out to sea with a crew consisting of a 6 year old!!! I guess they just accepted it as their lot in life. I certainly don't advocate going back to hard times like that - but there must be a bit of a balance. This is still a wonderful build..... bit hard for me to imagine the scale of all the tiny blocks and stuff.... I am starting to think I might head UP scale.. maybe 1:48 - not tinier :)

Brilliant stuff!

I feel so much better now Pat. I just needed to take that first jump. I woul LOVE to try carving - But realistically I think I would suck at it

Sure do... its probably a little bit big - perfect for a full size saw - I actually purchased it. It didn't look anywhere near as big on the computer screen . So I think I will make a few others of different sizes/shapes.

Ok..... I HAVE done it!!!!!! Got home from work tonight - not very much time to play - but I decided I cannot put it off any longer. And if I make something quick for dinner - no-one will miss a thing - I get home about 40 minutes before my partner as I start earlier. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO... I did some more reading... made sure I had good lighting... and I cut my first bit of wood! I then decided I had to change the blade for the one that will probably be the most used..... Found the right tools.... (not so easy when we work metric and USA is imperial) AND it was pretty dark in the shed for searching. I have now inserted the new blade AND cut the zero tolerance - I was a bit tentative with that! But its done.. and I have now cut my very first plank - 3mm wide and according to the verniers - its pretty consistent. So I have the grand total of ONE plank - and I have overcome my silly trepidation. Just so silly.. I re-machined a 2.5 tonne valve face today - and that's nothing.. but a 4" table saw...GEEZ... I knew as soon as I cut that zero tolerance plate I would be fine.

Yeah - PNG is where I came across it. I learnt about it REAL quick. I sent a local off to get 8 x 12" flanges - never did that twice. I worked out that if I send them for a small number of things - like 3 or 4 all is good - but anything over 5 - you have no idea what you will get - could be two or a whole convoy of trucks filled to the brim with flanges. Or worse still - "go and bring 6 of the crew back here to work on this line"... well they would go off.. get as many as they could fit in any sort of transport - think.." hmm... maybe 6 is a whole lot more than this".. so then go and round up as many villager's as they could find - leaving me to explain why there isn't enough work and why I cant fit for 300 people on 2 small scaffolds!

Ha! 10,000.... either I stick to little boats.. or get in the mind set like a native tribe I came across... the way they count.. 1 2 3 4 5 1,000,000 Because anything larger than 5 is just to big to comprehend

Yep - I am starting at the un-numbered side (littler hole) . Must admit - I did try both :) and there is no sucking eggs for me when it comes to boat building - ANY and EVERY suggestion, tip and comment is gratefully accepted. I am finding just sizing the tips is best for me. Gives me a good hold on the un-sized/top/handle part of the tooth pick so I can add a bit of force (remember I mean girl force.. pretty gentle lol) - both when I size and then when I insert into the drilled hole. Its actually going a lot quicker than I thought - its only 9.30am and I have almost half one side done - I have drilled all the holes.. just inserting the second half of the nails. I must be in a rhythm now. And I am not finding it tedious like I thought I would. I might change that famous last statement when I get to the 1000th treenail

Ok.. I found you can draw long lengths through the drawplate for the treenails... but they don't push into the drilled holes as easily as ones done the same size - but just pushing the tips through the draw plate. The "individual" methods gives me something to hold and push in with reasonable force - also pretty quick and easy to take down to size. I think the drill bit is about a #79 or #80 - so I presume they nails aren't too big scale wise. I have drawn them down to #24 on the draw plate. Two versions of the nail.... I prefer doing the tip version - I actually think they look neater too. Might even finish one side today.. I am just doing round all the ports first - just one or two bulkhead rows done so far. Thought I would do the ports first and then decide the placement for the others. Not sure just going by the bulkhead line is going to look right - so I am off to search through other build logs of the Syren to make up my mind.

Jeff sent me that quite some time ago - and lots of helpful emails. He was great... I am just being a BIG GIRL By this time tomorrow - I hope to have some cut timbers.

Yes I got myself some books on table saws...And I think one might be the one you suggested. I just have to get on with it.. with no audience My partner is going off bushwalking tomorrow - so home alone - might be a good time to break the ice (and keep all fingers intact). Silly thing is I use all sorts of BIG machinery and tools at work - I really don't know why I am procrastinating with this!

These close up photos sure show all the mess that I need to clean up....mostly just sanding dust there.. and a bit of bleed from the paint that its hard to see by eye... good old camera gets it though. Looks very rough!

ok.. not totally sanded back - and because sanding is going to change the stain.. I sanded and then wiped a thinned down stain over to see how the treenails would colour. Would have preferred them unstained - but the sanding of the treenails - alters the planks - so unless I seal first.. then treenail and the sealer prevents the stain from being sanded.. hmm I dunno... But I guess being end grain the treenails will stain a bit darker as these pics show - so maybe I need to be satisfied with that.

Just had a count up - probably have about 10 drill bits of the same size that would be in scale. I will still order heaps more. I am due a present for myself - I got my first pay from my new job and I had some "me" money left over and haven't been able to decide what little present I get. My partner has been going mad on the internet with at LEAST 10 parcels arriving each week for ages now. I haven't purchased anything (but groceries of course). So I am going to buy myself some hand type tools, drill bits, sanding stuff, saw blades, maybe a mitre clamp.. nothing overly exciting - but I may as well make use of the shipping costs for a few tiny drill bits:)

Now I cant believe how stupid I have been.. I got Jim's draw plate months ago. When it arrived I tried it out... hmm.. I put it away in the drawer. I did do some treenails on my little longboat.. but I used woodfiller as the "nail" I was using the draw plate all wrong. It only JUST dawned on me. I was trying to "draw" the entire piece of wood through the plate.. thinking I had to strip each piece down to this tiny fine hair. No wonder I put the thing away.. but the name.. "Draw plate".. I thought I ha to "draw" the entire length through.. it didn't look nice. So after my "DUH" moment a few posts ago.. I went and played for a few minutes. I used a toothpick and just put the tip in and pretended it was just like sharpening a pencil lead in sharpener... yeah ok... it worked :) The following photos are just rush in and see what happens. Of course for the real thing - I will choose a stain colour I like - and stain the toothpicks and let them dry before using them - I didn't bother here - I just wanted to see if it actually worked - and the "sharpen pencil lead" action was the right one... and made round nails... - yes it would if the stain was dry Of course in sanding the toothpicks back - I sanded of the stain - I wasn't really worrying about the condition of the "planks" - I was looking at the method for the toothpick. Of course they might not even need stain.. just left natural.. I will do some more experimenting.

Ok.. here is my plank bending jig for this hull (top area only)

Hmm bit confusing - when all the rest of the USA type instructions are in imperial .. I think I have enough drill bits in that sort of range to commence. Its my #80 I broke one of. Still order more though - they will always come in handy.

Ahhhhhhhhhh I have also just had a DUH moment. I had purchased the draw plate from Jim Byrnes - quite some time ago - and had a bit of an unsuccessful time.. I just had a thought - THINK I was doing it all wrong.. going to go have a play and report back!

Ok.. just doing a small tool order... Chuck states a 0.55 drill bit for treenails.. geez.. what does that mean when the drill bit I am finding have "numbers" like #61 or #55 or #80. Cant possibly be a #55 - that looks way too big.. I would have gone for something closer to a #80

I have decided to go with planking first - got some wood strips in the bath soaking. I will get them prepared and drying in my little hull jig thing and while they dry - maybe overnight - make a start on the million treenails. Just hope my little drill bit will hold up. I MEANT to order some more a couple of weeks ago - because I used my tiny drill bit for another domestic job - and broke one. So - better get organised and order more today.

Some photos.. Stain isn't quite as bright a yellow as the photos show. Not sealed or anything - so it will look better after a top coat - but I am deciding if I start planking the hull or do the treenails... I don't want it looking brand spanking new.. bit aged - so I am not going to fuss any more over the stain - I think it will seal up ok. Not so happy with my sweep and gun ports - but I guess I will get better/neater in cutting those out with future builds. I already have some ideas gleaned from MSW logs and my first try - to make future ones better.