Captain Al

3/8" nails are pretty darn big for models.  That's like 9 or 10 mm.  The nails I have (came in my kit) are like .5 mm at most.

Thinking forward a bit I realize I probably need to change course and work on getting my channels in order and make up some deadeye chain arrangement.  There isn't much more to put on this mizzen lower mast before I fit it to the boat, and I'll need to do that so I can loop the shrouds over them and put the chains in the proper angle.  So I'll set aside the mast until I have the chains made up and the channel fixed.
 
Recall that I already drilled holes in the channels for the deadeye chain plates.  But having drilled them too far inboard, I'm faced with either filling and redrilling holes, or filling the holes and cutting slots in the channel edges to slip the chain into.  I've decided to do the slots as I don't like the size of the holes that would be needed to insert the chains that I want to make.  Besides, slots are more authentic.  They'll be covered with a closure strip of 1.5mm x 5.  The process of cutting these slots is pretty straightforward other than lining them up with the angle the shrouds will take up to the mast head.  I'll get that angle and then use a razor saw to cut the opening (maybe have to sand or file them a bit wider than the saw blade kerf, but I don't know that yet).
 
I've been worried about knocking the channels off as I sawed the slots, so I've rigged up a bit of a bracing system to hold the channels rigid while I make the cuts.  Much better I think than my fingers.  See pix below.

Mike, I just found this post and log because you used Colin Archer in the post title.  First off, its a beautiful and exquisitely crafted model so far and promises to be a real show piece.  I'll be following it closely.
 
Reason for my particular interest is that I used to sail two different double enders (Baba 30 designed by Robert Perry and a Pacific Seacraft 25 designed by Henry Mohrschladt) and your build comes as close to those designs as I've yet to see on a log.  I've been contemplating trying to build one or both of my former vessels from scratch and maybe with modifications I can get the structural part done by following some of your steps.  Deck plan and rigging I suppose would be from my own pictures.
 
Thanks for sharing your work with us.  Its always exciting to see someone's work that fits in with what I'm doing or thinking.

Sunday afternoons are as good a time as any for a quick update to the log.  Before that though I want to give a big thank you to Danny V.  I think we all realize and appreciate what an extraordinary resource we all have in Danny.  I've been into many different endeavors in my time but I've never been blessed with someone so generous with their time, understanding of the pitfalls and frustrations that beginners have, and willing to share what is an incredible store of knowledge and know how.  Danny's been advising me the past couple weeks as I pondered (almost to death) the intricacies of mast building and its relation to the rigging, and without his help I know I'd have abandoned my beloved Bounty and started building a pirogue. 
 
My last post was about whether to make the mizzen top mast 192 mm as the A.L. instructions said or 185 as the A.L. drawings showed.  I didn't get much feedback from anyone (but my fellow Bounty builder Boyd -- I like the alliteration) so with his concurrence I cut off the bottom 7 mm.  Lesson learned here was to trust in my own ability to read plans and figure out when A.L. had made a mistake (which they tend to do).  So with that issue out of the way, I am moving forward with building the structure of the mizzen mast.
 
I'd already put a few of the detail parts together -- the trestle and cross trees were fitted together and things like the spreader, bolsters, cheeks, and some of the stiffeners were ready.  I put on the spanker gaff support and its stiffeners yesterday.The platform was built as was the stanchions and railing.  Drilled the holes in the platform coaming for the stanchions.  Lots of little things.  Still lots of things to do.  But I just wanted to get on with it, so this afternoon I took the plunge and glued the trees to the mast. 
 
I knew this was a critical process of orienting things correctly.  I've already misaligned a sheave hole in the bowsprit and I didn't want to do that again.  Alignment, I sense, is critical in 3 dimensions here.  So I did my best using different devices to mortise for the cheeks as straight as I could (forward and aft), and be ready to put the trees on with the same orientation.  I was undecided whether to put the cheeks on first, then lay the trees over them, or do my best to set the trees on correctly and then put the cheeks snugly under them.  I opted for the trees first for this reason:  it seems much easier to get the proper rake to the trees than to these little thin cheeks which were going to sit in the mortises and would have to be perfectly parallel to each other or the trees would sit cockeyed.  These pictures show what I'm talking about.  The trees needed to sit with a 6 degree tilt forward so when the mast itself is installed with its 6 degree rake aft, the platform would sit level to the water.  Lots more to do but its a start on something that's really been hanging me up.  So I feel pretty good.
 
Forgot to note that the mast itself is held in a vise and made perpendicular with squares, T's and levels.  Everything I could find except a plumb bob.
 
 

Are you saying that a seamstress does not walk into a shop and ask for thread or yarn of a certain diameter (as we would like to do)?
 
Since we're on the subject, Danny has suggested using Guttermann quilting yarn for certain applications.  While its easy to find, it doesn't seem to come in sizes.  I've only seen it offered as 40 weight.  My question then, is there a table or reference to translate a threads 'weight' into mm?  For now, I trust in Dan's usage -- for the applications he uses it, if its one size only, then I'll use it only for that application.  But I haven't factored in the model's scale.  It wouldn't seem right to use the same thread size on a 48:1 model as on a 100:1.

Sunday afternoons are as good a time as any for a quick update to the log.  Before that though I want to give a big thank you to Danny V.  I think we all realize and appreciate what an extraordinary resource we all have in Danny.  I've been into many different endeavors in my time but I've never been blessed with someone so generous with their time, understanding of the pitfalls and frustrations that beginners have, and willing to share what is an incredible store of knowledge and know how.  Danny's been advising me the past couple weeks as I pondered (almost to death) the intricacies of mast building and its relation to the rigging, and without his help I know I'd have abandoned my beloved Bounty and started building a pirogue. 
 
My last post was about whether to make the mizzen top mast 192 mm as the A.L. instructions said or 185 as the A.L. drawings showed.  I didn't get much feedback from anyone (but my fellow Bounty builder Boyd -- I like the alliteration) so with his concurrence I cut off the bottom 7 mm.  Lesson learned here was to trust in my own ability to read plans and figure out when A.L. had made a mistake (which they tend to do).  So with that issue out of the way, I am moving forward with building the structure of the mizzen mast.
 
I'd already put a few of the detail parts together -- the trestle and cross trees were fitted together and things like the spreader, bolsters, cheeks, and some of the stiffeners were ready.  I put on the spanker gaff support and its stiffeners yesterday.The platform was built as was the stanchions and railing.  Drilled the holes in the platform coaming for the stanchions.  Lots of little things.  Still lots of things to do.  But I just wanted to get on with it, so this afternoon I took the plunge and glued the trees to the mast. 
 
I knew this was a critical process of orienting things correctly.  I've already misaligned a sheave hole in the bowsprit and I didn't want to do that again.  Alignment, I sense, is critical in 3 dimensions here.  So I did my best using different devices to mortise for the cheeks as straight as I could (forward and aft), and be ready to put the trees on with the same orientation.  I was undecided whether to put the cheeks on first, then lay the trees over them, or do my best to set the trees on correctly and then put the cheeks snugly under them.  I opted for the trees first for this reason:  it seems much easier to get the proper rake to the trees than to these little thin cheeks which were going to sit in the mortises and would have to be perfectly parallel to each other or the trees would sit cockeyed.  These pictures show what I'm talking about.  The trees needed to sit with a 6 degree tilt forward so when the mast itself is installed with its 6 degree rake aft, the platform would sit level to the water.  Lots more to do but its a start on something that's really been hanging me up.  So I feel pretty good.
 
Forgot to note that the mast itself is held in a vise and made perpendicular with squares, T's and levels.  Everything I could find except a plumb bob.
 
 

Sunday afternoons are as good a time as any for a quick update to the log.  Before that though I want to give a big thank you to Danny V.  I think we all realize and appreciate what an extraordinary resource we all have in Danny.  I've been into many different endeavors in my time but I've never been blessed with someone so generous with their time, understanding of the pitfalls and frustrations that beginners have, and willing to share what is an incredible store of knowledge and know how.  Danny's been advising me the past couple weeks as I pondered (almost to death) the intricacies of mast building and its relation to the rigging, and without his help I know I'd have abandoned my beloved Bounty and started building a pirogue. 
 
My last post was about whether to make the mizzen top mast 192 mm as the A.L. instructions said or 185 as the A.L. drawings showed.  I didn't get much feedback from anyone (but my fellow Bounty builder Boyd -- I like the alliteration) so with his concurrence I cut off the bottom 7 mm.  Lesson learned here was to trust in my own ability to read plans and figure out when A.L. had made a mistake (which they tend to do).  So with that issue out of the way, I am moving forward with building the structure of the mizzen mast.
 
I'd already put a few of the detail parts together -- the trestle and cross trees were fitted together and things like the spreader, bolsters, cheeks, and some of the stiffeners were ready.  I put on the spanker gaff support and its stiffeners yesterday.The platform was built as was the stanchions and railing.  Drilled the holes in the platform coaming for the stanchions.  Lots of little things.  Still lots of things to do.  But I just wanted to get on with it, so this afternoon I took the plunge and glued the trees to the mast. 
 
I knew this was a critical process of orienting things correctly.  I've already misaligned a sheave hole in the bowsprit and I didn't want to do that again.  Alignment, I sense, is critical in 3 dimensions here.  So I did my best using different devices to mortise for the cheeks as straight as I could (forward and aft), and be ready to put the trees on with the same orientation.  I was undecided whether to put the cheeks on first, then lay the trees over them, or do my best to set the trees on correctly and then put the cheeks snugly under them.  I opted for the trees first for this reason:  it seems much easier to get the proper rake to the trees than to these little thin cheeks which were going to sit in the mortises and would have to be perfectly parallel to each other or the trees would sit cockeyed.  These pictures show what I'm talking about.  The trees needed to sit with a 6 degree tilt forward so when the mast itself is installed with its 6 degree rake aft, the platform would sit level to the water.  Lots more to do but its a start on something that's really been hanging me up.  So I feel pretty good.
 
Forgot to note that the mast itself is held in a vise and made perpendicular with squares, T's and levels.  Everything I could find except a plumb bob.
 
 

In wood working, hand-made joints, such as dovetail joints, are always done by making one side of the joint first, then using that part to scribe the other part.  There is no way to get a tight joint by making the two pieces independently.  Since the devil in in the details, they are:
 
1.  Whatever the profile of the joint, scarf, dovetail, miter, or a simple butt-joint, the surfaces of the joint must be exactly square to the surface of the profile. Otherwise, you may be tight on one side and have gaps on the other.  Using a file to finish joint by hand will  always end up with a convex surface and gaps on the edges.  So, have a good small square, with a light behind so you can see gaps.  For small parts there may not be a good surface to place the square, place both the piece and the square on a flat surface.  
 
2.  To help make a square cut, place the piece on a cutting board, then cut straight down, at 90 degrees to the board, with a sharp chisel.  You can use a block of wood to keep the chisel at 90 deg.  Cabinet makes us what is called a "paring chisel" for this which sharpened to 15 degree angle instead of the usual 25 degrees used on general purpose chisels.  An X-Acto chisel (#17, #18) is a good choice for model work.  The tool needs to be razor sharp, and do not take off too much in one cut - just take off shavings.  Use other tools to get the rough shape.
 
3.  With one piece made, the shape is copied to the other piece with a scribing knife, which has been sharpened on only one side of the blade so the cutting point is tight against the part you are tracing.  There is no way a pencil tracing is accurate enough.  You could use a #11 blade, but since it is sharpened on both sides there is a good chance that the scribed line will be 1/2 the blade thickness away from traced part.   A razor blade may work, but you may want to break if off to look more like a #11 so you can scribe in to corners.  Commercial scribing knives can be expensive, but Lee Valley Tools sells a reasonably priced one.  There's no reason you couldn't make your own by re-grinding a dull #11.  I've tried using scratch awls and needles for scribing, but I found they tend to follow the wood grain.   I would only use a point scriber for tracing concave curves that a flat knife couldn't follow: however, I can't think of any ship joints like this (unless you change you hobby to making jig-saw puzzles.)
 
4.   After you have roughed out the shape of the second piece to close to the line, the benefit of the scribed line comes into play.  Just hook the edge of the chisel in to the scribed line and cut straight down.  Even if your eyes can't see the line, you can feel when the chisel hooks.  In some cases, you could scribe both sides of the joint and cut from both sides.  One trick when cutting from both sides is to make the surfaces slightly hollow (concave) to ensure the edgers are tight.  Some people consider this a bit of a cheat, but it does ensure the joint line has no gap, which easily happens if the joint surfaces are evenly slightly convex.
 
After a test-fit of the joint, some paring cuts or scraping may be needed, but you will be very close to a perfect joint.  If a joint surface is convex, you can scrape it in the middle with the edge of a knife with a round profile (#10 knife).
 
If my description of the process is not clear enough, there are lots of places on the web that have good pictures.  Start at www.finewoodworking.com.   
 
Bruce

I too agree with Mark. I tried to use Dremels and other power tools when I began but soon learned that they are hard for a beginner to control, especially when you are working on extreme miniatures and still learning what the outcome of the work should be.  Working by hand will give you a feel for what it takes to get the right results before you try to speed things up. You will hear others on the site repeat the mantra, work slow, be patient, let the eye hand coordination build. I heeded early on when more experienced builders advised to treat each tiny component as a project in itself.
 
When I started I did most of my cutout work with and Xacto or similar knife.  I scored the cut lightly a few times before making my final cut.  I also found that my cutting is better when I use a harder surface than the rubber cutting mat that are common to hobbyists. The mat might allow the piece to bend when cutting which can alter the cut or splinter the bottom of the cut.  I have a piece of linoleum type tile that gives me better results than a cutting mat... which I still keep on the worktable for general cutting and to protect the surface of the table.
 
It is very important to use sharp tools.  A dull tool will "wander' with the wood grain.  I buy my blades, mostly #11, by the hundred.  Some of the folks keep a sharpening stone nearby and give them a swipe every few cuts.  They still replace them frequently. Chisels need to be kept extremely sharp to slice wood rather than splinter it.  I spent a fair amount of time learning how to sharpen chisels on diamond stone.  My smallest chisels are 1/16" or a little smaller, so they dull quickly and require proper sharpening.
 
Another of my most useful tools is a set of metal files for wood working.  These are slower but will give you better results as you start.  There are some good needle file sets that are cheap on Ebay. I especially like files made by Tamiya.  They have three sizes with different grit. The key for me was to not try a quick back and forth motion but rather to take one or two passes at a time and then look at the work to see where I was.  Also, with files and chisels I use a light stroke letting the tools do the work.  I don't try to force them. They work better than sandpaper for because they keep their shape throughout the cut. 
 
When I started this hobby I did a lot of practice on scrap wood , still do before starting a complex cut.  I often go through a lot of scrap wood, more than I care to admit to, before I get a usable part. 
 
I am one of those who enjoys the journey as much as getting to the destination.  I will work for hours, with a pile of attempts in the scrap bin before I get what I want.  There are those on MSW who make it look really easy, most have a list of builds under their names which built their skills. they had to learn at some point and they were not speed demons when the did, so try not to compare your initial attempts with their much more experienced work.
 
 As for frustration, we all experience that, even the very skilled.  I find that stepping back... with a glass of vodka, helps.
 
Richard

Mike, I just found this post and log because you used Colin Archer in the post title.  First off, its a beautiful and exquisitely crafted model so far and promises to be a real show piece.  I'll be following it closely.
 
Reason for my particular interest is that I used to sail two different double enders (Baba 30 designed by Robert Perry and a Pacific Seacraft 25 designed by Henry Mohrschladt) and your build comes as close to those designs as I've yet to see on a log.  I've been contemplating trying to build one or both of my former vessels from scratch and maybe with modifications I can get the structural part done by following some of your steps.  Deck plan and rigging I suppose would be from my own pictures.
 
Thanks for sharing your work with us.  Its always exciting to see someone's work that fits in with what I'm doing or thinking.

Mike, I just found this post and log because you used Colin Archer in the post title.  First off, its a beautiful and exquisitely crafted model so far and promises to be a real show piece.  I'll be following it closely.
 
Reason for my particular interest is that I used to sail two different double enders (Baba 30 designed by Robert Perry and a Pacific Seacraft 25 designed by Henry Mohrschladt) and your build comes as close to those designs as I've yet to see on a log.  I've been contemplating trying to build one or both of my former vessels from scratch and maybe with modifications I can get the structural part done by following some of your steps.  Deck plan and rigging I suppose would be from my own pictures.
 
Thanks for sharing your work with us.  Its always exciting to see someone's work that fits in with what I'm doing or thinking.

Mike, I just found this post and log because you used Colin Archer in the post title.  First off, its a beautiful and exquisitely crafted model so far and promises to be a real show piece.  I'll be following it closely.
 
Reason for my particular interest is that I used to sail two different double enders (Baba 30 designed by Robert Perry and a Pacific Seacraft 25 designed by Henry Mohrschladt) and your build comes as close to those designs as I've yet to see on a log.  I've been contemplating trying to build one or both of my former vessels from scratch and maybe with modifications I can get the structural part done by following some of your steps.  Deck plan and rigging I suppose would be from my own pictures.
 
Thanks for sharing your work with us.  Its always exciting to see someone's work that fits in with what I'm doing or thinking.

Mike, I just found this post and log because you used Colin Archer in the post title.  First off, its a beautiful and exquisitely crafted model so far and promises to be a real show piece.  I'll be following it closely.
 
Reason for my particular interest is that I used to sail two different double enders (Baba 30 designed by Robert Perry and a Pacific Seacraft 25 designed by Henry Mohrschladt) and your build comes as close to those designs as I've yet to see on a log.  I've been contemplating trying to build one or both of my former vessels from scratch and maybe with modifications I can get the structural part done by following some of your steps.  Deck plan and rigging I suppose would be from my own pictures.
 
Thanks for sharing your work with us.  Its always exciting to see someone's work that fits in with what I'm doing or thinking.

Mike, I just found this post and log because you used Colin Archer in the post title.  First off, its a beautiful and exquisitely crafted model so far and promises to be a real show piece.  I'll be following it closely.
 
Reason for my particular interest is that I used to sail two different double enders (Baba 30 designed by Robert Perry and a Pacific Seacraft 25 designed by Henry Mohrschladt) and your build comes as close to those designs as I've yet to see on a log.  I've been contemplating trying to build one or both of my former vessels from scratch and maybe with modifications I can get the structural part done by following some of your steps.  Deck plan and rigging I suppose would be from my own pictures.
 
Thanks for sharing your work with us.  Its always exciting to see someone's work that fits in with what I'm doing or thinking.

Muchas gracias.  Very good tip re. the yard slings.  I understand you to mean that I should leave a square of grating open.  That's what the red arrow is showing....right?
 
You've been a great help to me CP since you found my build.  Thanks for following along.

The above photo shows this part 603 with a curve filed into it cause I couldn't get the top mast to sit straight up without it.  I also had to file down the top of the spreader to make it flush with the trestle and cross trees.
 

 
A bit further above in the photo of the railing with its 3 stanchions, note that I mortised the railing for the stanchions to sit in.
 
 
Add text before or after adding the pic?
 

So I see I still don't know how to add a picture with a caption except at the end of the post.  This will make demonstrating the whole structure rather difficult, so I'm going to do just a bit more and then read Danny's tutorial.
 
I showed the trestle and cross trees for the upper two sections of the mast.  The trees for the lower to top connection (parts 592 and 593) and the cap (part 594) are close to identical; just a bit larger.  AND, the fact that the trestle tree, 592, has 3 notches.  This stumped me for two or three days.  Three notches but only 2 cross trees, 593, to go into them.  What goes into the 3rd set of notches?  Answer: part 603 spreader (which, if you have the A.L. kit and plan sheets will only be labeled on the drawing of the crows nest, so look closely for it).
 
 

So a month's gone by without an update to the log, so I'll try to catch it up now.  To begin, although the last few posts I made indicated that I was going to try my best to get away with that misalignment of the sheave in the bowsprit, I have decided to redo the whole thing.  In addition to the sheave hole, as CP pointed out, I put the wrong type of block in some places.  Moreover, if you look closely, I think I've stropped my hearts completely wrong leaving no way to actually rig them.  So, after I finish my masts I will redo the bowsprit.
 
Now, on to the masts.  I've spent the last month working to understand the positioning of each of the little pieces that go into the mizzen.  Don't know why I chose to start with the mizzen.  Maybe cause its a bit smaller.  At any rate, its been 95% of time spent interpreting plans and parts descriptions and 5% fabricating them and dry fitting.  I'm going to try now to show pictures of each part and where it goes, and for the sake of other A.L. Bounty builders, I'll include the part number.
 
This is a pic of the top and top gallant sections (parts 598 and 608) held together by the cap (part 607) and the trees (parts 605 and 606).
 
Here's my completed crows nest platform which will sit on top of the trees, 592 and 593.  It still needs to have blocks added and 10 holes drilled for rigging lines (of which I don't recall the name).  I will also drill 3 pilot holes to insert the bottoms of the 3 stanchions (parts 528) for the railing (part 597).  The kit doesn't instruct or show any holes for the stanchions but I think it makes it much more secure.
 
 
I'm going to stop here cause I don't really know if my pictures and captions are getting into the post at the right places.  I'll post this and see how its doing and continue in a while.

You're not the only one confused by the detail of these mast structures and finding no help in A.L.'s instructions.  Reading plans is very hard for me but I'm gradually getting better at it.   If you hold off a bit on adding those confusing details I will try to update my log specifically on that topic.  I'm going to take some pictures (my modelling is better than my photography) and hopefully they serve to show what I believe is each piece and where it goes.  Watch for this update in the next couple days.

When I needed to steam I did this ..... after soaking while the wood was still quite wet I clamped it at one end to the frame it would sit on.  Then, if it didn't bend nicely around the hull and I thought it was going to break I took out my soldering iron.  I would soak a small piece of rag and apply the hot iron over the wet rag on top of the plank.  Lots of steam is generated.  Most of the time this worked very well.  And btw, unlike some other folks, I never pre bent the plank on a jig and let it dry before putting onto the frames.  I always used the frames and shape of the hull as my 'jig.'  Then after it was in place wet on the frames I waited til it was thoroughly dry and took it off in order to apply the glue to the right spots.  Another thing I did when the plank was dry but still on the frames was to mark on the plank where it hit each frame so I could apply a dab of glue just to that spot on the inside of the plank.  Its obvious where to put the glue on the frame (and I always like to glue both surfaces).  The hard part of all this will be when you just can't figure out how to clamp the frame down to dry it. 

Not much chance of that.  And yes, I knew you weren't a stickler for historical accuracy and had your tongue in cheek.  Heck, maybe Bligh would have preferred some of you modifications and ordered them installed.  Who knows?

Not much chance of that.  And yes, I knew you weren't a stickler for historical accuracy and had your tongue in cheek.  Heck, maybe Bligh would have preferred some of you modifications and ordered them installed.  Who knows?

Don't think of not putting the jolly boat on the ship as being historically inaccurate.  It all depends on when you are looking at the ship in model form.  There were many times when the jolly boat (and the launch of course) were not on the ship.  If you are presenting the model as how it looked after the mutiny, then the launch would not have been on board.  On my build (for various reasons) I chose not to include green breadfruit plants in the pots.  My rationale is that I'm showing the ship as it was before they arrived in Tahiti.  I don't think anyone would criticize a painting of the Sierras in August by saying "where's the snow?"

Hey Boyd, as usual a great log and description of all the great work you've done.  While my build may have initially been inspiration for you, the shoe is certainly now on the other foot.  You set the bar extremely high.  I can't wait to see what you have planned for your deck, planking and adornments. 

I'm wondering if there are any references to appropriate drill speeds for the various materials we drill through, such as soft wood, hard wood, brass, maybe even plastics?  I assume that after a while experience kicks in and you get the feel for it.  As a relative newcomer though, I think I'm burning a lot of my pieces and the bits themselves by using speeds way to high.  Note that this is due to the fact that my Dremel has lost its variable speed ability and now seems to be stuck at around 15,000 rpm, so that's the speed I use for most operations -- not only drilling, but grinding and using the cut off wheel.  A new Dremel is first on my "to buy" list.
 
This question also comes to mind in those other operations -- grinding and cutting through brass rod and sheet.
 
I'm thinking that there must be some table of values to use for the different combinations of materials and speeds.  Maybe thickness comes into play as well.