AON

Eventually it was done. I cut the frames from the base plate in preparation for the next step. Then came the moment of truth. Would the shell separate from the plug cleanly? At first it would not budge and I was worried. How much force could I apply before it would be destroyed? And then when I wasn't expecting it, it just popped off clean and in one piece. It does need a little cleaning up but I am quite happy with it; my first ever small boat. I imagine when I get the last one done it will be slightly better! Now I can putter away at the details, adding the gunwhale/rubber, washstrake, missing frames, riser, thwarts, bench, rudder, tiller....

This procedure was repeated for the other side and then again for all other strakes except for all others I cut outside the line on the top side as the cutter is clinker built, the strakes overlap. I made all strakes in one piece as they are only about 18 feet long. Also I used the barrel of my soldering iron to bend all other strakes (other than the two garboard strakes). My soldering iron is also a wood burning iron, depending on what tip you screw into it, but the barrel gets hot and it is about 4" long and 3/4" diameter, and temperature is thermostatically controlled. However, I did have two break but I am not worried about that as it will eventually be painted white.

The plug was then given multiple coats of beeswax, brushed on with a cotton swab and rubbed well! This is in hopes that any glue spillage or seepage will not cause the boat shell to be stuck to the plug. I admit this was a worry as it happened to Druxey in his build here on MSW! Steamed maple frames were installed. A drop of glue fixed them to the keel assembly and another drop held them to the base plate. Next was to install the strakes, beginning with the garboard strake on one side, then the other side. Always alternating to keep the build in balance. Using a strip of transparent tape I copied the profile and transferred it to my stock. My strakes are hemlock. Admittedly an odd choice, but I wanted to use this material on my build somewhere besides the false keel. They are 0.03" thick, about 2" at full scale. This is thicker than they should be but it was what I was comfortable using and no one will be taking a vernier to my build. I cut the strake out of the blank with a #11 scalpel following the lines and then lightly sanding it he edges smooth I had steamed this in an old rice steamer and bent them in place with a small piece of the same material stuck between the strake and the plug at half span in the hopes this would eliminate spring back, which it almost did completely. Once dry I removed it, applied Weldbond glue and put it back with clamps. I chose to use Weldbond as it dries clear and sets up considerably quicker then yellow or white PVA.

The plug was given multiple white wash coats of GESSO acrylic paint that were rubbed in. The keel and post assembly was fitted and the layout of the strakes were marked on with a pencil. Then grooves were cut, chiselled and sanded into the plug for the frames or ribs. Then I did something different. David holds the top end of the frames to the plug with a drop of glue. I'd seen others use a plate with holes that the frames pass into and they glue it to that. I decided to do this. I made a base plate the fitted onto the centre board with a keyhole slot (tab A into slot B kind of thing). This was held snugly against the plug with a pin (nail) through a hole in the centre board. Then using a pin vise I drilled dimples into the base plate at the rib locations. Took it apart and then drilled the holes through the base plate. This way the free end of my frames would be inserted into the holes and glued at the holes.

Next came the assembly of the stem post, apron, keel, stern post, knee, and transom. These were made of Costello boxwood. I made the apron and stem post as one assembly as David recommends, cutting, filing and sanding the stem post out of it.

I rubber cemented the boat top and side profiles to the blank and rough cut the profile on the band saw. I then chose five stations that I would shape the blank to. These would also be the stations I would initially install frames on the plug at. I cut the profiles of these stations from my plan and rubber cemented them to card stock, then cut out the shape so they could be used to check my shaping. I used a rasp, files, and then sand paper to blend it all. Shaping the soft fir was very quick!

All the work above on the aft end of my ship build was quite a challenge, adding considerably to my scrap pile and I found myself walking away to think about things more than working on it. As my best thinking has been proven to occur overnight and reveal themselves during my morning shower I needed to occupy my time during parts of the day when I was still stumped. I decided to attempt my very first ever small boat and chose to try the smallest of them all that would be on this ship, the 18 foot cutter. As I mentioned before I had redrawn all my necessary small boat drawings to my build scale (1:64). I followed David Anscherl's tutorial found in the NRJ vol 55-1 Spring 2010 and Druxey's 1:48 American Cutter build here on the MSW forum. I made my 4" long plug blanks out of hemlock, a soft fir of which a have a good supply and my centre (vise clamping) board was MDF. The plug blank halves were two layers glued together with yellow PVA wood glue. All this was dry pinned together with small diameter dowels.

She got too close to the porcupine.

Clear Shellac! There is always something new to learn here. Thank you.

Ash would weather grey, or at least our cutter sweeps did.

I've attached card stock and paper to my wood pieces with white PVA that dries clear. Like Elmer's glue. You can chose to dilute it with water or purchase diluted glue. Brush it onto the back of the paper. As you apply the paper to the model it might shift a wee bit and while moving it back it could smear some glue where you don't want it. Once applied I scrape away any excess with a dental scraper tool and wipe the scraped wood area with a dampened paper towel. Then don't touch it again until well after it sets up.

Thanks Druxey. The upwards bow is the same thing they do with truck bed frames.

I thought it was mainly for water runoff to direct it to either side.

Slowly getting there. Installed two short outer counter timbers as seen in the photo below, two more slightly longer ones to go. I also made and installed the roundhouse counter beam. I made it to size, assuring I didn't transpose the radii which is easier done then one would want to admit, and then I marked off and chiselled a groove on the inboard side for the deck planks. I measured up 5-1/2", the height of the roundhouse beams and marked that, then measure up 2-1/2", the height of the deck planks and marked that. Used a micro chisel to cut out a trough between the scribed marks. This is different from the way I had done all my scrap pieces. The plan shows the piece as having a nose extension that the deck runs under. I found these to make the part fragile with the counter timber notches cut in. This time I decided to assume a deck beam was under the nose and the whole thing was a bit stronger for it. I'll get those last two short counter timbers made and installed and then do the quarter deck and upper deck counter beams. Then cut out the quarter gallery doorways.

Might I suggest 1. Rubber cemented applied to both pieces. Let it dry for a couple minutes then stick them together. You can pry them apart carefully with a thin putty knife. Try it on some scrap to prove it. 2. Or PVA and use rubbing alcohol to get it apart. Soak a cotton ball and wrap it over the pieces with clear wrap (saran wrap) over night and it will lift off easily.

Are we allowed to use the four letter word W**k on the forum?

Well done!

Having discovered my error with the roundhouse beam I now find the timbers almost fit exactly correct per my drawings. They just needed a wee bit of fine tuning because of the slight differences between my drawings and my build. So I now have the (long) stern timbers and most of the (short) counter and offset counter pieces made and dry fitted, two more short sets to go. Then I will fit the horizontal transom beams. The two groups of three assembled timbers are presently rubber cemented together. These have been marked off to be cut to proper lengths after which they will be PVA glued together. The tops are taller than they should be. These will be marked and trimmed after the roundhouse transom beam is made and fitted. Below is an image from the original plans and a build update photo taken today.

Don't you love it with things work for a change! Also, she's looking quite smart.

Crap! I thought that might help. Don't tell my wife I was wrong... she's keeping score.

Where did you buy the glue 'n' glaze? It looks very good indeed.

It took longer than intended to get back to this but I have. In this photo below you see that each level rises and also rolls outboard. These dimensions are all different at each level. I made outboard guides to rest my beams against. These have been PVA glued with a dot of glue on to my side counter timbers so they can easily be removed later. This are made in soft pine so if anything should break off it will be the pine. I rubber cemented cardboard on the inside lip of the wing transom to act as a stop and hold the foot of the counter timbers from sliding inboard. I also rubber cemented a cardboard ledge protruding slightly inboard on the upper deck outboard support onto which the step in the timber can rest (you will see this later... baby steps). The underside of this piece has a radius upwards as the steps will rise with their relative position. I will first make/fit cardboard templates in position to prove them. Then I will cut and fit the timbers in place...and build it up. Once I have it done I can make the inside beams to suit. With things going on in my life presently it might take a couple weeks. All this might seem like a bit much but as I could not visualize the assembly to identify my problem this seemed a logical move to help me. I believe building it up and on the model will assure it is all correct. Which brings me to my original problem that brought me here in the first place. I discovered with this process that I had transposed the up/out radii of the Roundhouse beam that interlocks with the counter timber tops. This caused the timbers to lean inwards at the top, pulling the timber foot out and off the wing transom. The dimensions don't seem like much at 1:64 scale but the moment arm or twist over the distance certainly was. That mystery solved!

I appreciate the elegance, not the seeming complexity. I drew it in 3D years ago and of course it worked fine. Somehow when cut in wood it doesn't quite fit up neatly. Sorry, no photos for now, this will not beat me.

Here is my problem... The transom is rounded horizontally (out the stern) at different radii at various elevations, and also vertically (height), just to complicate things. There is also a step in the outer side counter timber that becomes less deep as you approach the centre beam at which point it disappears completely. I have my paper templates for the shapes but they just do not seem to fit into place when cut out in wood. If I get them located properly out the back they do not reach the wing transom. I'll get nothing done this weekend, too many other things planned. Next week I will have to make mock ups (cardboard and wood) to fit and better visualise the different pieces. Once I can do this I can make them.

That is terrible news. Dumb question- if you wear a patch over the bad eye will the eye strain (headache) disappear? I know for me the brain does wonders melding the images from both eyes. Possibly that is your next battle, removing the one blurry image from what the brain has to deal with. Of course I am no doctor so this might be something to discuss with yours.