jhearl

I have a pair and use them when planking a hull, but in my opinion, they are overkill for someone new to the hobby. As others have said, they are expensive and not as frequently used as other things you might spend that $100 on. You can easily determine plank widths by using a planking fan such as the one Chuck Passaro has posted on the site - http://modelshipworldforum.com/resources/Framing_and_Planking/plankingfan.pdf
Instructions for using the fan are found in his excellent planking tutorial - http://modelshipworldforum.com/resources/Framing_and_Planking/Lining%20Off%20your%20hull%20for%20planking.pdf
 
One must be careful when using proportional dividers to take measurements directly from a frame or bulkhead if the bulkhead has much curvature. You wind up measuring the chord of the arc rather than the length of the arc itself. That can result in planks that are narrower than they should be. When I'm determining plank widths, I lay a tic strip in the space to get the overall length, then use the proportional dividers to determine the individual plank widths.
 
Of course, there are other uses for them than in just planking, but again, there are probably better things to spend your money on when you're getting started in the hobby.
 
Cheers -
John

Glad Tidings is a really nice kit. Not too hard to plank and the instructions are very well done. I built the kit earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I made a number of modifications to the deck layout to make it more like a work boat than a pleasure boat. If you'd like to see pictures of mine, they are on my website - http://modelboatyard.com/pinky.html
 
I hope you enjoy the build.
 
Cheers -
John

Glad Tidings is a really nice kit. Not too hard to plank and the instructions are very well done. I built the kit earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I made a number of modifications to the deck layout to make it more like a work boat than a pleasure boat. If you'd like to see pictures of mine, they are on my website - http://modelboatyard.com/pinky.html
 
I hope you enjoy the build.
 
Cheers -
John

Glad Tidings is a really nice kit. Not too hard to plank and the instructions are very well done. I built the kit earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I made a number of modifications to the deck layout to make it more like a work boat than a pleasure boat. If you'd like to see pictures of mine, they are on my website - http://modelboatyard.com/pinky.html
 
I hope you enjoy the build.
 
Cheers -
John

The planking booklet that brought it all together for me is "Planking the Built-Up Ship Model" by Jim Roberts, available from Model Expo
http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=MSB113
 
I read the book several times and confess I didn't really understand it until I got a small plank-on-bulkhead hull and planked it using the techniques in the book. For some reason, the "doing" versus just the "reading" made it all understandable.
 
Cheers -
John

As Mark Twain said, more or less, the rumors or my demise have been greatly exaggerated!    Still alive and kicking although a bit more slowly every year. I retired in September of last year and have been enjoying lots more time to work on models. I still maintain the website and am currently working on a scratch build of a Chesapeake Bay buyboat.
 
Doug - looks like your BN2 is coming along well.
 
Cheers -
John

Be aware that with the Bluejacket kit, you won't be building frames. They start with a solid hull and slice it like a loaf of bread to make the "frames" that you will get in the kit. Take a look at their video of the Jefferson Davis kit and you'll see how they do the frames.
 
You might consider Hannah from The Lumberyard - http://dlumberyard.com/shipkits.html
It uses the Hahn style of making frames, which is different from something like the Echo cross section, but still quite challenging. I started Hannah many years ago and never finished it, but there are some pictures on my website that show what I accomplished and what it's like to build using the Hahn method. http://modelboatyard.com/hannah.html
 
Cheers -
John

I often use lill pins to simulate bolt heads. They're also known as sequin pins and can be found at sewing/fabric stores and online sources. I like the ones that are 1/2" in length. They are typically nickle-plated steel. Much less expensive than what you can get from Scale Hardware if the size is right for your application.
 
Cheers -
John

Be aware that with the Bluejacket kit, you won't be building frames. They start with a solid hull and slice it like a loaf of bread to make the "frames" that you will get in the kit. Take a look at their video of the Jefferson Davis kit and you'll see how they do the frames.
 
You might consider Hannah from The Lumberyard - http://dlumberyard.com/shipkits.html
It uses the Hahn style of making frames, which is different from something like the Echo cross section, but still quite challenging. I started Hannah many years ago and never finished it, but there are some pictures on my website that show what I accomplished and what it's like to build using the Hahn method. http://modelboatyard.com/hannah.html
 
Cheers -
John

Be aware that with the Bluejacket kit, you won't be building frames. They start with a solid hull and slice it like a loaf of bread to make the "frames" that you will get in the kit. Take a look at their video of the Jefferson Davis kit and you'll see how they do the frames.
 
You might consider Hannah from The Lumberyard - http://dlumberyard.com/shipkits.html
It uses the Hahn style of making frames, which is different from something like the Echo cross section, but still quite challenging. I started Hannah many years ago and never finished it, but there are some pictures on my website that show what I accomplished and what it's like to build using the Hahn method. http://modelboatyard.com/hannah.html
 
Cheers -
John

I worked with some sheet aluminum on a model a while back and I sanded it with 400-grit sandpaper to take the shine off. That suited my purposes. If you need it to look even dirtier, you might try adding a thin wash of gray or brown after sanding and then spray it with a matte finish to protect the wash.
 

 
Cheers -
John

As Mark Twain said, more or less, the rumors or my demise have been greatly exaggerated!    Still alive and kicking although a bit more slowly every year. I retired in September of last year and have been enjoying lots more time to work on models. I still maintain the website and am currently working on a scratch build of a Chesapeake Bay buyboat.
 
Doug - looks like your BN2 is coming along well.
 
Cheers -
John

I built a pinky earlier this year using Glad Tidings as a base but modified the deck layout a good bit. I wanted more of a work boat than a yacht. You can see pictures of mine on my website - http://modelboatyard.com/pinky.html
 
I really enjoyed building the model. It's not an especially difficult build and is, I think, a good learning model. The planking isn't too difficult, the rigging is relatively simple, and there are lots of interesting details. It took me just shy of four months to build mine, so it's something you can complete in a reasonable amount of time. The scale is large, which helps too.
 
Cheers -
John

I built a pinky earlier this year using Glad Tidings as a base but modified the deck layout a good bit. I wanted more of a work boat than a yacht. You can see pictures of mine on my website - http://modelboatyard.com/pinky.html
 
I really enjoyed building the model. It's not an especially difficult build and is, I think, a good learning model. The planking isn't too difficult, the rigging is relatively simple, and there are lots of interesting details. It took me just shy of four months to build mine, so it's something you can complete in a reasonable amount of time. The scale is large, which helps too.
 
Cheers -
John

I worked with some sheet aluminum on a model a while back and I sanded it with 400-grit sandpaper to take the shine off. That suited my purposes. If you need it to look even dirtier, you might try adding a thin wash of gray or brown after sanding and then spray it with a matte finish to protect the wash.
 

 
Cheers -
John

I worked with some sheet aluminum on a model a while back and I sanded it with 400-grit sandpaper to take the shine off. That suited my purposes. If you need it to look even dirtier, you might try adding a thin wash of gray or brown after sanding and then spray it with a matte finish to protect the wash.
 

 
Cheers -
John

As Mark Twain said, more or less, the rumors or my demise have been greatly exaggerated!    Still alive and kicking although a bit more slowly every year. I retired in September of last year and have been enjoying lots more time to work on models. I still maintain the website and am currently working on a scratch build of a Chesapeake Bay buyboat.
 
Doug - looks like your BN2 is coming along well.
 
Cheers -
John

The end mills that came with my Sherline go up to 3/8" (9.525mm) and I have, indeed, used that largest size. The smallest end mill is 1/8" (3.175mm) and that one gets a lot more use.  However, I never found a use for a 1mm cutter in my work. I don't mean to say anything bad about Proxxon tools. I have a couple of them in addition to the mill, including the planer, which I find extremely useful. I know many people are very happy with the Proxxon mill. It would be more accurate to say that for my uses, it simply wasn't suitable and the Sherline has proven to be far more useful and versatile. I should note, too, that I mill brass and even plastic from time to time, not just wood.
 
Also, tkay11 mentioned the speed comparison between the two. So far, I haven't run into any difficulties milling anything with the slower (2,800 RPM) Sherline. Seems to work just fine on all the woods I've tried so far. Sherline does make a 10,000 RPM pulley set for the mill, but I haven't seen a need for it to this point.
 
Cheers -
John

I started out with a Proxxon mill. I didn't really use it much because it is small and there are few accessories available. Last year, I bought a Sherline mill and I have used it even more than I thought I would. With the Proxxon, you can only use very small cutters, which break easily. The X-Y travel is pretty limited besides. I bought the rotary table with it as well and in addition to being very small, it's hard do do anything accurately. The table has degree markings, but no gear mechanism to move it - you just rotate it by hand, hoping you get it aligned with the degree marking closely. With the Sherline rotary table, there is a crank that allows you to turn it precisely (or you could go whole-hog and get a CNC-controlled table) and the chuck is a separate part, so you can move between the mill and the lathe by moving the chuck rather than the part. That also means you can use a 3-jaw or 4-jaw chuck as needed. With Sherline, you can get a vise base that rotates as well as a tilting table - both useful. I bought the digital readout with the mill and have found it VERY useful. In short, I wish I'd never wasted my money on the Proxxon. Now, it's just taking up space in my attic. Yes, the Sherline is considerably more expensive, but you get what you pay for. If you're considering a mill, then you're probably in the hobby for the long haul. A few years down the road you won't even remember the additional expense and you'll have a far more useful tool.
 
Although you may not be considering a lathe, I'll mention one thing if you are. Sherline makes an 8" and a 17" lathe. I thought I'd have no need for the longer lathe so went for the smaller one for $100 less. Mistake. I could upgrade it now, but it would cost about $300 to buy the needed parts.

The end mills that came with my Sherline go up to 3/8" (9.525mm) and I have, indeed, used that largest size. The smallest end mill is 1/8" (3.175mm) and that one gets a lot more use.  However, I never found a use for a 1mm cutter in my work. I don't mean to say anything bad about Proxxon tools. I have a couple of them in addition to the mill, including the planer, which I find extremely useful. I know many people are very happy with the Proxxon mill. It would be more accurate to say that for my uses, it simply wasn't suitable and the Sherline has proven to be far more useful and versatile. I should note, too, that I mill brass and even plastic from time to time, not just wood.
 
Also, tkay11 mentioned the speed comparison between the two. So far, I haven't run into any difficulties milling anything with the slower (2,800 RPM) Sherline. Seems to work just fine on all the woods I've tried so far. Sherline does make a 10,000 RPM pulley set for the mill, but I haven't seen a need for it to this point.
 
Cheers -
John

The end mills that came with my Sherline go up to 3/8" (9.525mm) and I have, indeed, used that largest size. The smallest end mill is 1/8" (3.175mm) and that one gets a lot more use.  However, I never found a use for a 1mm cutter in my work. I don't mean to say anything bad about Proxxon tools. I have a couple of them in addition to the mill, including the planer, which I find extremely useful. I know many people are very happy with the Proxxon mill. It would be more accurate to say that for my uses, it simply wasn't suitable and the Sherline has proven to be far more useful and versatile. I should note, too, that I mill brass and even plastic from time to time, not just wood.
 
Also, tkay11 mentioned the speed comparison between the two. So far, I haven't run into any difficulties milling anything with the slower (2,800 RPM) Sherline. Seems to work just fine on all the woods I've tried so far. Sherline does make a 10,000 RPM pulley set for the mill, but I haven't seen a need for it to this point.
 
Cheers -
John

I started out with a Proxxon mill. I didn't really use it much because it is small and there are few accessories available. Last year, I bought a Sherline mill and I have used it even more than I thought I would. With the Proxxon, you can only use very small cutters, which break easily. The X-Y travel is pretty limited besides. I bought the rotary table with it as well and in addition to being very small, it's hard do do anything accurately. The table has degree markings, but no gear mechanism to move it - you just rotate it by hand, hoping you get it aligned with the degree marking closely. With the Sherline rotary table, there is a crank that allows you to turn it precisely (or you could go whole-hog and get a CNC-controlled table) and the chuck is a separate part, so you can move between the mill and the lathe by moving the chuck rather than the part. That also means you can use a 3-jaw or 4-jaw chuck as needed. With Sherline, you can get a vise base that rotates as well as a tilting table - both useful. I bought the digital readout with the mill and have found it VERY useful. In short, I wish I'd never wasted my money on the Proxxon. Now, it's just taking up space in my attic. Yes, the Sherline is considerably more expensive, but you get what you pay for. If you're considering a mill, then you're probably in the hobby for the long haul. A few years down the road you won't even remember the additional expense and you'll have a far more useful tool.
 
Although you may not be considering a lathe, I'll mention one thing if you are. Sherline makes an 8" and a 17" lathe. I thought I'd have no need for the longer lathe so went for the smaller one for $100 less. Mistake. I could upgrade it now, but it would cost about $300 to buy the needed parts.

The end mills that came with my Sherline go up to 3/8" (9.525mm) and I have, indeed, used that largest size. The smallest end mill is 1/8" (3.175mm) and that one gets a lot more use.  However, I never found a use for a 1mm cutter in my work. I don't mean to say anything bad about Proxxon tools. I have a couple of them in addition to the mill, including the planer, which I find extremely useful. I know many people are very happy with the Proxxon mill. It would be more accurate to say that for my uses, it simply wasn't suitable and the Sherline has proven to be far more useful and versatile. I should note, too, that I mill brass and even plastic from time to time, not just wood.
 
Also, tkay11 mentioned the speed comparison between the two. So far, I haven't run into any difficulties milling anything with the slower (2,800 RPM) Sherline. Seems to work just fine on all the woods I've tried so far. Sherline does make a 10,000 RPM pulley set for the mill, but I haven't seen a need for it to this point.
 
Cheers -
John

I started out with a Proxxon mill. I didn't really use it much because it is small and there are few accessories available. Last year, I bought a Sherline mill and I have used it even more than I thought I would. With the Proxxon, you can only use very small cutters, which break easily. The X-Y travel is pretty limited besides. I bought the rotary table with it as well and in addition to being very small, it's hard do do anything accurately. The table has degree markings, but no gear mechanism to move it - you just rotate it by hand, hoping you get it aligned with the degree marking closely. With the Sherline rotary table, there is a crank that allows you to turn it precisely (or you could go whole-hog and get a CNC-controlled table) and the chuck is a separate part, so you can move between the mill and the lathe by moving the chuck rather than the part. That also means you can use a 3-jaw or 4-jaw chuck as needed. With Sherline, you can get a vise base that rotates as well as a tilting table - both useful. I bought the digital readout with the mill and have found it VERY useful. In short, I wish I'd never wasted my money on the Proxxon. Now, it's just taking up space in my attic. Yes, the Sherline is considerably more expensive, but you get what you pay for. If you're considering a mill, then you're probably in the hobby for the long haul. A few years down the road you won't even remember the additional expense and you'll have a far more useful tool.
 
Although you may not be considering a lathe, I'll mention one thing if you are. Sherline makes an 8" and a 17" lathe. I thought I'd have no need for the longer lathe so went for the smaller one for $100 less. Mistake. I could upgrade it now, but it would cost about $300 to buy the needed parts.

The end mills that came with my Sherline go up to 3/8" (9.525mm) and I have, indeed, used that largest size. The smallest end mill is 1/8" (3.175mm) and that one gets a lot more use.  However, I never found a use for a 1mm cutter in my work. I don't mean to say anything bad about Proxxon tools. I have a couple of them in addition to the mill, including the planer, which I find extremely useful. I know many people are very happy with the Proxxon mill. It would be more accurate to say that for my uses, it simply wasn't suitable and the Sherline has proven to be far more useful and versatile. I should note, too, that I mill brass and even plastic from time to time, not just wood.
 
Also, tkay11 mentioned the speed comparison between the two. So far, I haven't run into any difficulties milling anything with the slower (2,800 RPM) Sherline. Seems to work just fine on all the woods I've tried so far. Sherline does make a 10,000 RPM pulley set for the mill, but I haven't seen a need for it to this point.
 
Cheers -
John