Phantom by Elijah - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:96 - New York Pilot Boat

[cobra1951]

Nice even strakes either side of the hull

[mikiek]

Well said E.J.

 

What happens is that the spacing at the bow will close out faster that the rest of the hull as it is a smaller space to begin with. If your planks are turning up there thrn that will accelerate that gap closure and you will not have the space to run the same number of strakes at the bow as you have on the rest of the ship.

[robnbill]

I'm thinking the copper will cover half the keel. I'm not sure as to the differences between enamels and acrylics. I will make some sets of test planking to figure out what I like. What I am most wondering about is what I will do with the metal fittings on the hull on the natural side. Should I leave them metal, blacken them, or do something else?

Hey Elijah I think you're doing a great job on your ship. Blackening metal fittings is always a personal decision, bright metals will eventually dull even if they're coated with a clear lacquer. There are several really good threads on this forum on how to blacken metals. There is a definite learning curve and I would highly recommend reading through these before making a decision.

 

However the coppering is a slightly different story since copper turns green in saltwater. If you look online for photos of the Connie as she was pulled recently into dry dock you'll see a nice green patina. There are chemicals you can use to turn copper green quickly, or if you use wood you can do a faux finish to simulate the patina. This is what I did on my Connie per the instructions in the Mamoli kit.

[Elijah]

Thanks for the comments and advice guys! Here are some pictures of the garboard. I did some measuring and such, and it looks to me like I have enough room to keep my planks at the width that they are at. There is also a picture of my transom. I know it is a little uneven as the planks make the twist, but I don't think the difference will show with paint on one side, and I am going to try to even it out. The reason it ended up this way was because early on planking I was not measuring the full distance needing planking. A beginner will make mistakes at some point. I plan on not making that mistake next build, mostly because I doubt I will paint the hull . Lastly, I am going to copper the whole keel, as not to show dents from carving rabbets and not to show the spacer I have. Anything above the waterline will be visible. I also apologize for not viewing all of your build logs. I will catch up on them when half the hull is planked, and then I will get back to planking.

[EJ_L]

It looks good to me! Mistakes are just opportunities to learn and we never stop learning.

[mikiek]

Hey, transom looks good. Don't know if your plans call for it but you could consider some sort of fashion piece. You would have to hand carve it but it is made to sit on that corner of the hull and transom to cover the joint. This pic might give you an idea what I'm talking about.

 

 

I got to thinking about the half & half paint/copper idea. I believe several of us have suggested it, my reason was that I hate to see that beautiful wood covered up. What might look pretty nice instead would be to go ahead and copper both sides - doesn't it end right about at the waterline? Then stain (instead of paint) the remaining wood on both sides. A dark stain would give the impression of a black paint job but would add a rich look you just won't get with paint.

 

Regarding the possible curve of the garboard. Don't forget that even if the gap does start to close up quicker than you anticipated, there are planking techniques to deal with that. A drop plank, where 2 planks turn into 1 right at the bow, can help that situation. I get the feeling you will probably have to do at least a few stealers as well. The deadwood area at the stern looks like it will end up wider than the rest of the hull. No fault of yours, just the design of the boat. I found the basic planking document in the MSW library very helpful in that regard. It gives a good description of what they called correction planks..

[vaddoc]

This is a very impressive built Elijah. Your hull has a lovely shape and I am very impressed by your attention to detail and the thoughtful way you carry out the different tasks. Looking forward for the hull and deck planking to be completed, you are doing great.

Regards

vaddoc

[mikiek]

the thoughtful way you carry out the different tasks

 

I'll second that!

[DocBlake]

The garboard strake is important, and I think you've got it nailed, Elijah.  Often it's allowed to "creep up" the bow, causing trouble in the planking down the line.

[John Maguire]

Looking great Elijah. Looks like you have it wired .  .  .

 

Respectfully,

John

[Elijah]

Hello all. I am going to be gone another week for camp. I will be back in a week!

[cobra1951]

Have fun

[EJ_L]

I used to go to Boy Scout camp every summer. Always a fun time and when I got old enough I even worked staff there. Have a good time Elijah! Look forward to you updates when you get back.

[kurtvd19]

Elijah:

We missed you at the meeting last night - have fun in camp.

Kurt

[Elijah]

Hello everyone! I'm back. I am almost done with planking, and some suggestions for different stains would be nice. Thanks! Lastly, it may take me a while to catch up on everyone's builds, and I will be out of town during the next NRMSS meeting. I hope to make the September meeting!

[mikiek]

Welcome back Elijah. As one option, I am taking back my original suggestion - copper/paint one side, stain the other. I'm afraid that the edge of the copper might show when looking at the stained side. What you might consider is do the coppering all around and then dark stain the remainder. No paint.

 

I do not have a suggestion as to an exact stain color but will offer this. The same stain will look different on different wood. In fact the same stain will look different on the same wood cut differently, i.e. strips vs. veneer. I'm not suggesting this for you but Minwax Golden Oak seems to be a favorite for decks. I tried it on some boxwood that I used for my decking, it looked dreadful.

 

So while you will get plenty of suggestions, all with the best of intentions, You really have to try it on exactly what you will be using it on. Don't even trust the color charts you see next to the cans at the store!  It WILL look different for your application.

[dgbot]

Elijah, if I remember right  Bob F. has a collection of test pieces that he has made up over the years.  He might be able to help you on deciding what to do.  

David B

[DocBlake]

Welcome back, Elijah.  Now knock off the loafing and get back to work on that model!     

[robnbill]

Welcome back. My favorite stain is Minwax Golden Pecan. It is oil based but I prefer that. However, you really need to test it on your wood to see if you like it. You can see what it looks like on my build logs. I have used it on The USS Constitution as well at the Eagle. 

 

One other thought as you choose your stain. A couple of things I have found to be nice on my models. First, stain all your wood the same stain (other than if it is painted white, black etc). Just like a painting, it gives everything a tonal unity. I also spray a matte finish once everything is dry and before I add rigging.  I just like the look. 

Edited July 18, 2016 by robnbill

[dgbot]

Another thing you should experiment with is wood conitioner.  I treats the surface so that it absorb the stain evenly.

David B

[Elijah]

I finished planking yesterday! I'm sure I must have taken 2 months! I'm not able to do anything else at the moment, but I can give you pictures. It's not perfect, but I'll play the newbie card this time !

That's it for now! Until next time!

[mrshanks]

Looks great Elijah!!  Rest yourself and then sand out that hull!!  

[kurtvd19]

Elijah:

Looking good.  Very good.

Kurt

[dgbot]

You did a nice job Amigo.  The only spot I noticed was in the second picture.  It looks like you did not bevel the edge and the planking is to sharp.  This can be repaired with a little sawdust and some glue.  Once the edge has been filled a little sanding will give it that smooth flowing form.,

David B

[EJ_L]

Looks good to me. At least nothing a little care with some sandpaper and maybe a little filler can't take care of. She will look real sharp once you get her all cleaned up. Great job on your first planking experience!

[cobra1951]

Looks great Elijah   Like the others have said a little bit of sanding and it will look even better

[mikiek]

Fantastic job!

 

If you do fill, you have 2 choices. Some will cover the entire hull and smooth it down. Others, just fill gaps as required. Your work looks good enough as is, so I would recommend the 2nd option. Leave that raw wood as much as possible.

 

Big sigh of relief and accomplishment!!!

[DocBlake]

Excellent job on the planking, Elijah!  Sanding and a couple of coats of poly will really bring that wood to life.  Good work!

[Gerhardvienna]

Nice Job @ Elijah

 

With some sanding this will look a lot better than the now still raw planks. I remember making my dad`s Boat some years ago, this looked just the same, after sanding and painting with coluorless varnish the true beauty came out.

Before sanding

 

after sanding and colourless painting, rigging in progress

 

Regards

Gerhard

[Elijah]

Thanks guys! I'm going to see if I can buy some stains today and test them on some of the leftover wood. I will be shooting for a dark stain so that the hull still resembles having black paint on it, as that was what it was painted. As you can see from the pictures, the keel, stem, sternpost, and bulwarks are a different wood. Should they have a stain of their own to make them blend in with the stained planks better?