themadchemist

I'm guessing this isn't what your looking for

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/al_gore.html

Ditto, looks like everyone else has used up all the positive expletives.

Love that full side shot, she a looker. So when did you start?

So IL is also coal country. Although we have the high sulfur variety which forced many mines closed back in the 80's. Now with increased power plant restrictions on scrubber emissions many mines around here are reopening.

It's a scary life, mining that is. Dad joined the navy to get out of the area, but moved back here in '75 when he retired from the USN. He luckily got work at a general tire plant and never mined. I've have to many friends killed and paralyzed in mine cave ins. I had one that was trapped underground 5 days. He could never go back down after that...

My Grandfather also was a miner and worked railroad before finally buying the family farm from my Great grandfather and becoming a farmer. He raised Black Angus. Gramps made it to the age of 89 before lung cancer took him, but he also had black lung, another mining hazard.

Thanks for the personal history. I love builds that have personal connections.

I thought by a Sjors Jr you meant you'd be picture begging

Look forward to seeing this one built. So where's the popcorn.

I use to use Meguiar's on my '76 black and gold T/A. They make a great product. It was the only wax I found that gave a swirl-free shiny in that Black paint,

I remember using a soft bristle brush on all those decals also, Ouch!

I shoulda kept that car

Hey I know some chemists.

Hey Popjack, Coppering looks good, That side water line really shows the curvature of her hull. I dont see the problem spot though.

On the riveting, I have a question on the diagonal rivet row. I've seen rivets in many rivet arrrangements, including as you have them. Is there a reason for the various methods of rivet arrangement or was that period related.

On the aging, what are you going for? My first question is the tape coated? Some copper stuff in polycoated to prevent oxidation. Are you wanting it browned or greened. ME has solutions for blackening and greening  http://www.modelexpo-online.com/page.asp?lp=8004

If its not coated it should brown with Oxygen (air exposure, wetting may speed the process, just a quick wipe with a damp towel over time, but thats slow). The Brown is a Copper oxide and the green a copper carbonate, after oxygen exposure from air or H₂O the CuO reacts with Carbon dioxide CO₂ to from the carbonate CuCO₃.

Wow, huge difference on the two ropes. Thats will make a huge difference in the finished Florencia and after all she deserves only the best.

Guess I'll have to add rigging rope to my list now.

Shrouds look good and no more fuzzy caterillars. Most Excellent!

All that beautiful planking work covered with paint and copper.

She's looking Proud, what a majestic work of endurance.

Nelsons favorite ship if I recall correctly, I think he'd approve.

Excellent work my friend.

are the gunport doors 2 piece on the SF2? Frame and door?

I wonder how many kits they used that one in Adrieke. I've actually been rather impressed with the AL parts, but both the swift and SF1 were older versions. How much has AL changed over time on parts quality/design I wonder. I nearly bought an AL Endeavor for $50 off ebay, it was local enough to drive to pickup. What stopped me was the bulkheads had been glued and looked twisted, I didn't want the headache of fixing that. Isnt the AL Endeavor discontinued now?

I too have found that bending wood is a very slow patient process, with multiple soakings and shapings working best. The grain cut in the piece of wood also plays a part. For extreme bends try to hand pick a plank with grain that doesnt cross the planking. Where the wood fibre runs the full length of the plank. Heat is important, probably as much as wet, but not too much dry heat. Re-wetting is important.

In furniture building, like the bent back winsor chairs, steaming the wood is usually used. Green wood is also a trick, I've been wanting to harvest some fresh Oak and attempt making an oak basket. 

I would have loved to watch you make them, Ferit. The things you can make wood do never ceases to amaze me. And Ferit, your a master. but mastery comes to all that will pay the price of TIME. 

Cant wait to see the coppering. I considered it but haven't committed to anything. Probably depends on how my second planking goes. I love your paint scheme. Its interesting how one kit can be so many different boats. I like that yellow also, funny how something like masking changes your mind.

I like the way your scuppers/water-ways are cut into the deck stringer. It makes good physics sense for deck water clearing. Thats something thats caused me to rethink my water-ways/scuppers. By the way do you have a pic of the finished work after the masking tape is removed and the water ways were painted black?

I'm also looking at trying your iron method of second planking. I recently bought one of those small sealing irons. By the way did you dampen the planks before gluing any or preshape? Dont you just love those pre-planking jitters. I hope to start today.

I really like the way your swift is coming together, Nice work my friend.

In that last picture, without the 3rd attached... it looks like you'd open the door and be in the river. LOL.

Nice work, so is the wheel crankshaft driven. Is that the reason for the slots in the floors, for shaft rotational movement.

I also find the dual sided verses the rear single wheel design's interesting. To me it seems the single wheel would not be as manuverable and with changing river sand bars.

When we took the camera to Paducah the other day I was hoping to get some pic's of the dredgers. The last few times we've been down there they've been dredging close to the bridge. I wonder when they started river dredging? and how common was riverboat's getting stuck on sand bars back in the day. I assume the KOM had a reverse for backing off sand bars though if needed.

Personally I've been drooling over their Sopwith Camel F.1.

I mean about whats next.

I was just reading on ME that the first Essex's are supposed to be out soon, maybe already are as they state May. and that the rigging kit should be ready in 2014. From the comments she looks popular.

Hello again Ferit

you mentioned that you glued the end with CA. Was CA also used between layers or PVA.

Its amazing what you can make wood do with water and heat.

the Essex, Hum, so your finally talking... things must be winding down.

Oh BTW, ME has the lifeboats on sale again with code free13 for $2

http://www.modelexpo-online.com/search.asp

Figured that 3 3/4'' one would work for the SF kit.

Hum after all the rope discussion I decided to see what AL was putting in the SF1 kit for roping. Hum, looks semi-decent, but those crows nest are SO bad and that boat is even worse. But the old style cannons are one of the reason I decided yes on the SF1.

and even after I posted all those murals.....oh well... there's just no satisfying some......

Now wheres the popcorn

Just remember. The harder you work for it, the more you'll appreciate it in the end....and probably the more you'll learn also.

Nice work on the boat. such a small scale doesnt seem so bad on the Vicky due to its size. Then when you see how small the long boats are it really puts things into prespective.

Im glad you wander through different project and methods. I love to do the same and your work helps inspire me.

BTW, hows the recovery. Are you back to 100%, I hope.  

Good luck with the gluing. Just take your time and dont force. If it requires forcing it needs more shaping. Some pieces I'd soak and reshape 2-3 time before they were to my liking. Glad to hear the repair to the break worked.

Augies right on the nautical terminology. Its amazing how as you build it, you must learn the terminology. Thats one of the great parts of building.

here's a google pic page of belaying pins, basically they're used to to tie of running rigging.

http://www.google.com/search?q=belaying+pin&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=cCWuUbb3H5OMyAH3oICQCg&ved=0CEQQsAQ&biw=1165&bih=860

LOL

I had you thinking about it though

I dont know about you, but for me...sometimes the little details that take forever are the most gratifying. After all, its all in the details. I think either centerboard works, I think it really depends on the way you plan to mount her. A whale boat is such a great piece to use in a diorama.

I cant remember were I saw it, most likely an MSW builder, but Ive seen the mounting of one whale boat on the tail of a whale as it was trying to flip the boat. It was a great display piece.

I'm betting we'll never know its there Augie. Unlesss we read the log....

You'll find David that anything can be fixed, the hardest part sometimes is starting the repair/redo. You can never use too many rubber bands and I love using mast holes and dowels for making lever, especially for pulling a bow plank tight against the stem.

Another handy tool is a box of various shaped blocks and wedges. Placed under the bands in the correct place can create just the right force in just the right place and direction.

I've gotten to the point that I never uncap the glue syringe until I've worked out my clamping method. I've also sworn off CA, if at all possible. My reasoning is this...if the piece is correctly shaped it will require less clamping. Ive slowly learned that taking time to shape each piece really pays off. I dreaded my bulwarks, but in the end... tape and a couple of bands was all it took. Because I switched wood and spent the time to shape it.

Also, never under-estimate the time you feel like your wasting staring at the ship and thinking. I've found thinking something over very well, to be one of the best tools on the bench. Ship building is very much a head game, I think thats one of the reasons it draws me like a moth to flame. There is always something new to think about. Also, go with your gut over instructions. You'll find your right more frequently then the instructions, especially if its an AL kit.

Remember, it isn't a race and the first person done isn't necessarily the winner. Plus the slower you work the less $/hr this hobby costs, if you dont replace all the wood like I did, but even then, what I didnt use is lumberyard material for future builds. The Walnut left from my Swift is probably going into the lobster smack.

So its all relative, at least that what Al keeps telling me.

Hello Adrieke

WOW, under the weather a bit and I have 10+ pages to catch up on.

Nice work on the lighting. and I'm glad you fixed that gap in the railing, nice fix. Dont you just feeel so much better after redoing something like that....and that fix was no where near as bad as the window reworking you did.

Tammy and I made it to Paducah Saturday and so we drove down to the river front. Paducah Ky was a big river port on the Ohio river with quite a history. The levee has been painted in historic murals and so I hope you dont mind if i post the Riverboat murals here. Thought you and the other riverboat fans might enjoy them.

There are alot more pitures of the river front and crossing the bridge, plus lots more murals on Paducah history, if anyone wants I could post them somewhere else.

Anyway here are the Riverboat murals, ENJOY

Wow, lots going on over here, centerboard slot cutting, ring band soldering, rope coiling.....

It's good to be back around. Nice work Buck.

You mean the center board isn't gonna be working? I have a strange feeling the double dog dare may flash from somewhere over that one.

Seriously, nice work and congrats on the Golden Hind decision.