themadchemist

Nice work on the yards Mobbsie. ...and people complain about yard work In the pictures you make it look like a few hours work, but I know that's not true. Also I would disagree that you have nothing to teach. I have yet to rig a fore and aft rig let alone a square rigged tall ship. I appreciate you showing the details and others photos of your superb work and methods. MSW build logs are from where I borrow all my ideas. I, like yourself, believe that the eye is one of the most useful gauges we have and you have a highly calibrated eye. Congrats on making the last corner in the marathon we have come to know as the Aggyathon . You may have broken a record for speed and artistry. Also nice blocks, but they appear to have a strange coriolis effect, as if they were made in the southern hemisphere or something . Beautiful as always.

I really like the lines of the Pilot cutters. You did an magnificent job upgrading the kit to match the photos. She a beauty.

Hello Ron For all the information you could ever need on the American Pilots see Cunliffes series, Vol 1. Its a 2 volume set and I was lucky enough to find both on ebay fairly cheap, but it took months of waiting for the right price. It is an outstanding resource though, one of the best in my opinion. It use to be available on google books also, in part, but I believe it has been taken down sadly. Cunliffe has a great deal of illustrations which are useful, but it is a pricey book (or set) unless you can find them reasonable used. http://www.amazon.com/Pilots-Pilotage-Schooners-America-Britain/dp/0937822698/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1410332625&sr=8-2&keywords=cunliffe+Pilot+boats I would Also highly recommend Chapelles - The American fishing Schooners, 1825 to 1935. It has some great detailed drawing of the rigging, such as Boom and spar jaws and many more details. http://www.amazon.com/American-Fishing-Schooners-1825-1935/dp/039303755X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410334349&sr=1-4 I've gotten nearly all of Chapelle's catalog of books off ebay for under $10 a book, it just takes a bit of waiting and I've found the older hard covers superior to the newer Bonanza book versions. As far as build logs you can use the search function and refine it to search just titles by clicking the little gear looking thing to the right of the search box. Make sure to mark only search in titles next to the "match" drop down menus. For some Swift builds, Mine is linked below in my sig, but it is WAY off topic and I'm just starting rigging. Others I highly recommend, which are completed: Gabe's - some nice rigging upgrades. http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/4072-swift-by-gabe-k-artesania-latina-first-wooden-ship-build/?hl=swift PopJack's - I believe popjack has sail plans if you need them PM him, he's a great guy. He also painted and coppered the hull. http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/1765-swift-by-popjack-artesania-latina-virginia-pilot-boat-1805-older-version/?hl=swift Jared http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/436-swift-by-jared-artesania-latina-1805-virginia-pilot-boat-first-build/page-8?hl=swift These are the 3 build that I can recall that are finished and with logs. Dubz has a nicely build version in the Gallery. http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/gallery/album/46-swift-virginia-pilot-boat/ as does Moonbug http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/gallery/image/924-swift-hdr-800-04/ You are correct that the pilots were light rigged and without stays and light standing rigging, for the most part, as lighter meant faster and a better chance at business. The pilots also morphed into the schooners and clippers as advancements happened. Also as privately owned boats, they varied greatly from region to region and owner to owner. So the rig depended a lot of the individual owner. Ive seen some pretty rustic pilots...

That's true David, Plus it takes what, like a 15 to 20 year bath in polymers to stabilize the hull and then you have problems like the Vasa collapsing under her own weight, but it would still be worth it if she wasn't all that deep. In my humble opinion of course. There are few of these Old ships still around and with the historic nature of this vessel in particular, it would be worth retrieval, archival, restoration and display, I would think, if not too costly.

and the plot thickens... The article didn't say how deep she was, hum? It would be great if she could be brought up and put in a museum like Mary Rose or Vasa. Talk about a needle in a hay stack, and those sonar images look like she is well preserved and intact.

Its good to see you settled. Moving is such a pain.

Just amazing Cap'n'Bob, Beautiful Rigging work. Those thimbles are a pain to get looking right. I'm glad that I'm stalled building ATM, as your making many of the details I'd like made for the DSotM rigging and it is always good to have a finished example to look over. The added look of the detailed metalwork, in my opinion, makes so much difference in the finished built. Plus figuring out just how to simulate this little pieces stretches us as builders. For me, just doing the metalwork in the bow shrouds, I had lots of waste and do overs. Every time you repeat a process though you learn a bit new and get just that better at making the next one. Your Lettie's turning into one heck of a Lady.

Danged old windows updates, I'm slowly getting all my followed logs remarked for email notification. She's looking good DC. Don't feel bad. With a strong chemical and physics background the shroud and chain alignment never occurred to me until Andy drew a picture for me. Then the bell went off. If the shroud changes angle into the chain it causes stress at the channel connection point. DOH But then that's is why I started this hobby as I knew sailors were better mental physicist's then most Ph.D's If known, at least in basic mechanic. Learning rigging and how it works is a long course in the study of applied mechanics. It takes a while to absorb the way the knowledge actually applies to ships, so don't feel bad. I think you doing great. An your Corsair is turning into a wonderful build.

Just a brief note on the variance of Walnut. I have purchased both American Walnut and Peruvian Walnut (at least that's what they were called and both are much darker then your piece appears Ulises. The Peruvian is a lot darker then the American, that I have. I've seen others use (Ferit's Berlin comes to mind) what is called African Walnut, which looks this lighter color in pictures. I'd have some but haven't found a source so I can compare. Not much help, I know, but I've seen huge variation in color of walnuts depending on their origins/variety/species, plus trees of the same species can vary from tree to tree depending on soil conditions and many other factors. My guess is thats its a variation of Walnut, I'd guess African Walnut, but that's a guess. It also reminds me of what I've seen other uses called tanganyika (I think that's the spelling) but I've never seen that wood so that's a guess. Wood matching is a tough thing after the fact, even if you know what you have.

Historically the metalwork is blackened to simulate the forged steel, but some prefer letting the brass shine. Its kind of a personal thing. Blackening is usually preferred to paint, but paint is less problematic. Blackening can be a trial by fire, but E&T has done an extensive study on the process. http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/6977-the-blacken-it-trials/?hl=blacken You should check out E&T's HMS Terror log also, its another good one, along with Dubz Syren and Sherbourne. Dubz Swift is in the finished section also, which is a Pilot boat similar to Carmen

Congrats on the no TV, that $75 a month is a nice hobby budget. The wheel looks good I like your modifications. On the wheel it may look better it you filed the white metal casting with a small file and reduced its chunkiness. It doesn't look so much out of scale as it does just plan ole PHAT.

I'm there also, building come from a feeling inside me and it's best not to work when life's other distractions get in the way. I see no guilt in taking a break as needed, I actually think its good for the build as we do better work when we have "the focus" If your like me, as you enter the next phase of rigging your probably questioning a lot and researching also, which count as building in my book at least. Hobby's are that, and if your pushing yourself to work, your defeating the purpose of s hobby altogether. Your deadeye and chains look as always Matti-ized, which is always an A+ rated and 99.99% pure. So was your summer over across the pond as cool as here in the US's Midwest? Glad life is keeping you busy.

Amazed as always. I'm with Augie, on your better then expected in that deck fit. You must be expecting better then perfect....um ....oh excuse me.... I forgot who I was talking to. Innovation and perfection, the two hallmarks of a popeye build. Nice engine, is that a Hemi or a SOHC 427? The SOHC's aren't a common piece - I remember buying a model years ago just for that engine. The 63' split window 'vette I was modifying got powered by FORD So where's this other site. I've been stuck in a rut for weeks and I'm eyeballing that B17 or Z28 on my shelf as maybe a way to get the blood flowing again. It seemed to have worked for you and I've never been stirred wrong by the spinach powered ship builder yet.

That's common I think. It's tough to go from pre-formed styrene parts to (as a friend put it) "a box of sticks". and many of us started with plastic models, typically modifying them. Building a 68' mustang like my first car, was what got me thinking about the step up to wood and I still have a Z28 and B-17 on the shelve that will be fun projects. I mistakenly looked down on plastic kits when I first started building, then I saw what some people here were achieving with plastic and card. I've never looked down on any type of medium, after that. Evergreen styrene has many uses on even a wooden kit, as does card stock. Check out Dee Dee's use of dollar bills to form mast hoops and you soon start seeing everything as potential building material. I remember showing a friend my build and they mentioned "oh that looks fun", then I opened the box and got the above reply. They just couldn't believe that most everything came as rough timber and required building/making/shaping every piece by hand. I also remember a "but they're all straight pieces, how do you make the curvy pieces" that is when explaining this hobby lost them. This hobby seems to draw a higher developed mind that is seeking something real and tactile, you know the kind of real that isn't on "reality" TV. The type of people that tend to not see TV as a hobby but a diversion. Personally next year will mark my first decade without TV and yet I just found this hobby less than 2 years ago. It has changed my life. I think I'd only go back to TV if there was a model ship building channel Someone call discovery channel Just Kidding. It's almost strange the satisfaction one gets when, as you mentioned when you made the bitts and said "I was ridiculously pleased with myself when I finished my first piece of pin-rail. It was about as perfect as I could have hoped for" That feeling has never stopped for me since I started building and when you consider all the types of ships, you know Life just won't be long enough to get to everything we want to achieve. I always revel when I see others cross this bridge into the pleasures of this hobby. Its a dying art-form that strangely the internet has made more accessible to us usually land locked builders. The community of MSW, can never be given too much credit for their advancement of this hobby. Together we all learn more and as with any activity, the human aspect of belonging to a support group makes the undoable seem not so daunting. I'm not saying ship builders are smarter or better, just a bit more eccentric in their tastes towards what is fun. I'm glad you received a quick reply from constructo. Waiting forever is isn't any fun.

WOW, I really like that jig for clamping the bulwarks at the stem. That is SUCH a hard place to clamp. NICE! Nice to see sawdust again, but what happened to the Jukebox Ford? Is it now in limbo due to your necromancy. I think I just got chill bumps thinking just how weirdly great this all will get as it progresses.

Hum, for some reason I'm not receiving email notices of this logs updates. I just unfollowed and then reclicked follow. Maybe that will help. I agree with the above. Your Research and sharing of it deserves much respect. Thanks for your efforts in sharing. Thanks to Anthony also for some great pictures of the Terror's previous life.

I agree on setting the masts first. As I stopped looking at directions over a years ago, I tend to feel that one should progress in the best manner so that your kind of working your way out. Deciding which pieces are next based on what they will obstruct and what obstructs them. I would think this would be even more important a factor on a square rig build. Always remember, you can judge the quality of builder by the size of their scrap box(s). You will always be your own worst critic also. Also never underestimate the VAST difference that a finish can have on that raw wood . That's one of the reasons I love tung oil. Looking at your deck filled, you should feel proud. I think you've done a Superb job. The most important part is the knowledge that you gained. I guess the Amazon and MicroMark stock purchases are proof that you've decided this hobby's a keeper. On the glue issue, do you use CA or PVA. For PVA I suggest getting a syringe. If you don't have access just PM me as the Admiral work in an OR and they trash all unused material that's open, due to sterile protocol.

Sound like maybe you are missing part of the plans. If so that's not good. On my swift the bits were precut with notches, but I made some of my own using cherry from a tree we lost in a storm. Cutting and fitting those notches takes a bit of time doing it by hand, to insure a tight fit. My set were a bit larger then the kits also, but then I added the double cap rail. I'm really not a good source on following directions as I tend to break every rule there is. Oh well, it makes me happy. Sound like good news of the AVS, you've just gotta love packages in the mail.

I think that's normal, I know I put things off until I have a solid foundation of thought on exactly how to approach the issue/problem. The studying part of this hobby, for me, can be as fun as the actually building.

My grad research in chem taught me to slow down and step back. I built my own instrument, which was a huge learning opportunity with LOTS of troubleshooting. I've always enjoyed a good hands on problem solving project. I've always been a visual learner also and the physics of sail intrigued me. That was one of the aspects of this hobby that drew me in, that one could make the build as close to mechanically real as they chose. Honestly though, being an analytical chemist is about 50% dish washing. Always lots of glassware to wash. I remember Joe refused to sign off on the MS until every piece of glassware I used was cleaned. Luckily, Mom had trained me for that Speaking of Mom, when I was a kid she would always get on to me for breaking my toys. She never quite got that I played with toys by disassembling them I always just wanted to know how it worked inside. My first second computer I built from scraps the university was throwing away. It still runs, which is funny because I saw where they now have CNC adaption kits for the old unimat lathes. So I'm thinking of using that old beast to run the CNC if I get to that point. Right now I need cooler weather so I can work on turning the garage into the sawdust factory. One of the symptoms of lyme disease is heat intolerance, we've been lucky this year though. I saw where IN has been even milder. I think I saw where Indy didn't have a day break 90o all July.

Nice little deadeye jig Jesse. I agree with you on the Syren "rope". it makes the stuff that came in my kit look sick. Syren's blocks are a huge upgrade also from the AL stuff. If you can find gears you can build a simple server fairly cheap. Using helping hands just wasn't cutting it. I used Andy's design with a few modifications and it works well. Now I just need to USE it. Watching you serve shrouds makes me almost have enough energy to attempt getting going again. The work area needs cleaning and I have books stacked. Who would have ever though ship building would require book shelves.

Back when I was still a gearhead, I found on auto body work that it was all in the prep work. Seems you spend 90% on the time getting the surface ready for paint. I find this true also with planking. The fairing of the bulkheads (POB) or frames (POF) is the most laborious part of the over all task. With a correctly faired frame, it makes planking just that more easy. You probably saw a big difference by beveling that keel. You'll have to remove quite a bit of thickness at stern once she's planked as the keel and 2 layers of planking is quite a bit wider then the keel, but that a ways off. If you haven't consider scraper's for wood removal rather then sandpaper, you might. I find scraping is less messy then sanding and faster. in a pinch a single edge razor will work, but not for curves like the ogee. IIRC Lee Valley has free shipping ATM. That's where I purchased mine and I find the Ogee and small card scrapers invaluable for lots of things. You've also crossed one of the most important parts of ship building.... Taking off planks seems a backwards step, but the satisfaction of getting it right for you, makes it all worth it. I've been amazed by some of the deconstruction I've seen on MSW. I'm always glad when people show that, as it shows that this hobby sometimes requires one of the PF schoolmaster's "DO IT AGAIN" (Sorry I just had to throw a PF reference in there). I can see this is going to be a fun journey to watch unfold. Reveling is others success is what makes this community such an important part of successfully navigating this mysterious hobby. It's not for everyone, I think that's why I like it so much. I chose chemistry for much the same reasons. Can't wait for pictures.

...and you forgot - wont be building this one to see if you like the hobby It's funny, but as I read your list of requirements, I was going to suggest the exact boat you picked. I've only been at this hobby for 2 years this Nov. and I never expected to become so immersed in it. I'm in the process now of working on a shop more suited to making sawdust, as I do most at my desk now and that limits so much. I've recently been spending hobby budget on reference material, so if there a topic of interest, let me know and possibly I could direct you towards some of the best. Petersson's book on fore and aft rigging is a must, It will come in handy on this build also. Its nearly all diagrams and available for download. Here: http://www.libramar.net/news/rigging_period_ship_models_a_step_by_step_guide_to_the_intricacies_of_the_square_rig/2009-11-05-48 examples from petersson Congrat's on the new acquisition and on finding a place in an interesting hobby.

Looks good Brian. I agree she appears a bit shiny. You might consider a 0000 steel wool buffing rather then a dull-coat. I know it works well with tung oil for bring down the shine. Just a thought. The putty removal really paid dividends. I can only see bits on the port side. The starboards side appears putty free, at least from the picture. That in model building is called the "wall side". just place port side towards the wall and no one will know. This is a perfect example of why building is so fun, as you can go back and redo the bits until satisfied.

Just stunning Mark.