Independence 1775 by DocBlake - Artesania Latina - 5/16" scale.

[David Lester]

Hi Dave,

Your planking is looking great. I really like the look of this ship. For some reason I'm always most drawn to the American ships of this era. With your attention to detail this will be a really beautiful model.

David

[DocBlake]

Thanks, David!

 

If you haven't already seen it, check out what Clare Hess is doing with this kit.  His log convinced me to do the project, and I plan to make many of the same mods that he made.   

 

http://www.shipsofscale.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=539

[DocBlake]

I finished the boxwood planking on the quarterdeck and poop deck and gave the planking a rough sanding.  I'll finish up the fo'c'sle and then add the treenails.  I figure about 600 in all for the 4 decks.

[David Lester]

That looks really beautiful Dave.

 

I also took a good look at Clare Hess' build log which you referred to. It's a very nice build too. I'm probably a good year away from finishing Constitution, then I have the Rattlesnake waiting in the wings and now you're causing me to think about my next one after that. Oh dear.

David

[DocBlake]

I've completed the deck planking, including the fo'c'sle.  Now it's on to treenailing.  I've had problems using the Byrnes drawplate in the past, so I'm using a little different technique.  I wanted the treenails to be in proper scale:  about 1 scale inch in diameter or slightly larger.  That translates to about .031" - a #68 drill hole would work.  The problem is that if I use a toothpick as a treenail, very little of the tip will fit into that small a hole and I'd run the risk of the treenails not holding.  My answer was to take a toothpick and using some pressure and twisting, force it into the 31 hole on the Byrnes draw plate,  The result was a longer treenail that penetrates through the planking and false deck underneath it.  Each birch toothpick gives 2 treenails.  They're glued in by touching the tip in some CA and pushing firmly in the hole.  The third picture shows the finished poop deck with some mineral spirits wiped on to show how it will look when poly is applied.  I really like the look of the boxwood for the decking!  Maybe better than holly.

Edited May 2, 2016 by DocBlake

[DocBlake]

The quarterdeck treenailing is complete.

[GuntherMT]

Looking good Dave, however... 

 

 I really like the look of the boxwood for the decking!  Maybe better than holly.

 

Blasphemy!  

[donrobinson]

I agree with Brian, not about the wood that's between you two , she looks real good. I'm no tree nail fan but those look great

[Elijah]

Nice tree nails!

[DocBlake]

I FINALLY finished the treenails on the entire deck.  The next task is to glue the plywood bulwarks former into place and plank the bulwarks, both inboard and outboard.

[mrshanks]

Outstanding Dave!!  You are a treenailing machine!!!

[Jimz66]

Great job on that deck Dave. Keep it going. Hope all is well. 

[KenW]

Great work Dave.  It's nice to see someone else using redheart.

Your model is really coming along.

Also, I assume you are cutting your own bulkheads, keel former, etc.  Otherwise, I can't see how you can change the scale.

Cheers.

 

Oh, and your nibbling looks great.

Edited May 5, 2016 by KenW

[donrobinson]

I'm with Mike you are the "machine" super work!!

[DocBlake]

Thanks for all the nice comments and "likes" guys!

 

Ken:  I used the stock parts of the kit to form the hull.  The scale change comes in with decisions about things like plank widths and lengths, the size of deadeyes, and dimensions of deck furniture, cannons etc.  The model built to the scale the box suggests (1/35) would have been the smallest colonial schooner ever known to have been built.  Smaller, even, than "Sultana", which Harold Hahn called "the smallest of them all".  My scale change makes Independence intermediate in size between Sultana and Halifax.

  I used redheart for the inboard planking on my POF AVS also.  It ages to a more reddish brown than the bright red it appears when freshly cut.  That's OK with me.  If I really wanted to have the planking stay really red, I'd use bloodwood, as I did on my MS AVS.  That stuff is a real b*tch to work with, though.

[Elijah]

Congratulations! They look great!

[DocBlake]

I installed the bulwark formers (plywood), bending them at the bow with a clothes iron.  The scuppers bottoms need to line up with the top of the decking,  The shear needs to rise gracefully toward the bow, and the top of the bulwark formers need to line up with the top of the poop deck planking.  Lots of fiddly stuff, so I opted for one hour epoxy to glue the parts in place, along with the famous "little yellow nails".  I got a nice flow for the shear line.  I added the first 3 planks on each side to begin the first hull planking.  These were full width.  I'll now start tapering the next planks, fore and aft.

[DocBlake]

6 strakes on each side.  I cut a rabbet from the bearding line to the keel (where the keel will go).  Now I need to fit the garboard strakes.  A very weird shape due to the hull cross section, so I need to think about this a bit!

[John Maguire]

Doc,

 

Looking gorgeous. Congratulations.

 

I really like your trunnel solution. And .  .  .  . I followed your link to Clare's build and voila, there was a perfect description with clear illustrative photos of the planking solution I have been seeking! I see you are similarly embarked.

 

Respectfully,

John

[David Lester]

Beautiful decking!

David

[John Maguire]

Doc,

 

Your deck calking is very uniform. Are you still doing them the same? How did you come by the edge layout? It is very attractive.

 

respectfully,

John

[DocBlake]

I'm making slow progress.  We just returned from a couple of weeks out East and there are a lot of outside responsibilities this time of year.  I've made some progress on the first hull planking.  The hull shape is really weird.  The hull is fairly uniform throughout most of it's length, with the typical narrowing at the bow, requiring tapered planks.  The stern widens a bit, but not really that much, and only at the extreme aft end, around the last bulkhead.  I still can't tell for sure if I'll need a stealer there.

 

John the margin plank and the nibbing are inspired by Clare Hess' "Independence" build.

[DocBlake]

I decided to add stealers...and I may add a second pair.  Not so much because I need them to fill more space on the hull back there, but rather to let the planks  curve upward like they want to do.  If the space gets too narrow, I'll just taper the aft part of the planks a little more.

 

 

BTW:  Picked our first produce from the garden today!  I'm cooking chicken and Andouille etouffee tonight!

[mrshanks]

Hi Dave!  Your planking progress looks great and I think the stealers was a good idea.  I also enjoy cooking dinner!!  Your garden produce looks top notch!!  I am cooking a German meal this weekend, Jaeger Schnitzel with Spatzle.  It's only fitting considering my recent modeling work on German warships (Graf Spee & Prinz Eugen).  

[DocBlake]

Thanks, Mike.  You're making me hungry!  Jaeger (Hunter's) Schnitzel - that's veal in that delicious sauce with vegetables, mushrooms bacon...yum!  We have a lot of German restaurants around here - Milwaukee is VERY German.  There is a place about 3 miles from our house that makes a fabulous  Jaeger Schnitzel.  It's called Weissgerber's Gast Haus and it's run by the 4th generation of the Weissgerber family.  Sadly, it's closing this month.  They're going to tear it down and replace it with...ready for this?...a PANDA EXPRESS!  There is no logic or sense in this world.

[David Lester]

Doesn't sound so bad, Dave. It's hard to beat a good panda steak!

David

[John Maguire]

Doc,

 

Good to see some work again here. Its fun to see how quickly you experienced folks get through the first planking.

 

I wish I had found the Gast Haus when I was building the Mequon site.

 

Respectfully,

John

[DocBlake]

I finally finished the first planking and sanded the hull smooth.  The hull came out pretty well.  There were only a few places where I really needed the wood putty!  In a bright light, though a few more showed up so I'll patch them tomorrow.  I painted the great cabin interior black because I'm going to totally redo the transom and put some real wooden lights back there.  The ridiculous stamped metal transom supplied with the kit goes into the garbage.

 

The stem, Keel, sternpost and second planking are pear.  The next task is to make a built-up stem piece and attach it to the model, along with the 3 part scarfed keel and the stern post.

 

The planking at the counter is a little odd.  I think the counter should really start where I drew the red line.  That means I need to smooth the plank below the line and bring the second layer of planking up to the red line.  I say that because the model has a fashion piece a that sits on the wale (like the MS AVS).  The wale is superimposed on the second plank down in the photo

[mrshanks]

That first photo Dave - such a nice curve on the hull shape.  I also appreciate the symmetry of your strakes port and staboard.. looks great.  Curious as to the length of that hull?  LOL - you put the stamped metal transom in a good place!!

[KenW]

I agree that that metal transom belongs in the garbage.  I can't wait to see what you use as its replacement.  Are you going to carve a new transom?

Hope you include a lot of photos of your process.

Cheers.