HMS Thorn by Kevin Kenny - 1:48 scale - Swan-class - David Antscherl practium

[stuglo]

You continue to inspire

[AON]

Did you have to take it outside so I would have to listen to the tropical birds then imagine the gentle warm breeze coming in off the beach just before I have to go outside to shovel snow!  🤔

[Kevin Kenny]

Haha, life in the Tropics. Finally got some nice LEDs and a stand mounted at the back. Three more coats of rub on poly and back to work.

[archjofo]

Superb work !

[Kevin Kenny]

 

[dvm27]

Great video, Kevin. Wish I could attribute my building issues to termites but there's snow outside!

 

Couple of comments:

1. Using those pencil marks to fair the inside of the frames works as well as on the outside. Those concave surfaces are hard to fair, especially in the bow and stern.

2. Great fix on the transom knee error. Is the wing transom upper edge at the right height at the outer counter timber or did you need to raise that as well? It seemed to be flush with the lower transom knee in the video before repair.

3. The deck beams can be recessed in two ways. You could cut 1" mortises into the deck clamp to receive the beams or notch the ends of the beams 1" to fit over the clamps. I found the latter infinitely easier to do although you need to be carful that they are installed in the proper location after cutting the recess.

 

 

[Kevin Kenny]

Hi Greg

i use the Preac sander to sand the concave section. It does an excellent job once the convex curve is correct and has no bumps. I still take the big bumps on the concave side off with sandpaper and then pass in through the sander. It takes a little while to get the technique, but once you feed it correctly it works geat.
The end of the wing transom knee was where the problem was. The upper edge was fine. Still cant believe i did not notice the rocking. Wow. Age is a bitch. 

[Kevin Kenny]

On another note i spent and hour or two reviewing the 3D files. I cant tell  you how much i get from looking at these pictures. Looked at the bow deck hook and Eiking and made up a temporary mahogany piece. I struggled with the one on the lower deck. This was a breeze this time. Still made some mistakes but the approach was so much easier to understand with the 3D

[Kevin Kenny]

 

 

[AON]

Thank you for another excellent video.

 

Regarding interpreting 2D drawings.  Having worked in the industry for many years I found the introduction of 3D models and views to be invaluable in getting my message across to shop people who had trouble reading more complicated 2D prints.

 

Having said that, I too have the TFFM volume you are using, and have the 3D images package.  I find they are an excellent reference to use with the books, and have cleared up some confusion for this old 2D draughtsman!

 

Regarding the 3" shift of your frames.  It was before you made the stem and stern supports stationary!  I had the same problem, except I cannot blame termites....  it was damn shop gremlins (?).  

[Kevin Kenny]

Alan

This shift came when I was installing the frames. Three frames seem to have shifted to starboard. Must have been carelessness on my part. fortunately its only three frames.i can correct on the outside and compensate on the inside. 

[AON]

For me it was the support.  I was installing the forward cant frames, alternating starboard/port so the darned thing shift one way then the other.  Thankfully I noticed before I got too far and took them off, nailed (actually wood screws) the support solid, then re-installed the frames.

[Kevin Kenny]

A more detailed video on my making the pillars.

 

[Kevin Kenny]

[Kevin Kenny]

 

[dvm27]

I can see your work improving as you progress, Kevin. Great job on the bowsprit step.

 

I too still use my Preac saw and it's great for small jobs. Don't know if you ever purchased the motor upgrade but it's fantastic and makes the saw even better. Check out http://shipahoymodels.com/equipmentforsale.htm

[michael mott]

Hello Kevin interesting to follow along with some of the tricks and tips of how you gauge things. It looks like your new bench is fitting in well.

 

Michael

[Kevin Kenny]

Michael the bench is working out great. Greg the Preac motor died a few years ago and i went to an electronic junk shop and got a replacement motor. I had planned to purchase the upgrade motor if that did not work. But it did. Its such a great saw for doing fine work and i have all the accessories from Charley. I actually have three saws all set up to do different things. The Proxxon is used to cut bulk wood stock with a carbide tipped blade, the Jim Byrnes also has the same blade but is so much more accurate so i use it to dimension lumber and cut the finial size of the various parts and the Preac is used for very fine work usually with very thin blades. I also use it as a dado.

[Kevin Kenny]

Greg just so you know our challenges today. if i purchase something in the US say for $100 by the time i get it to my home the actual cost can be as high as $200. We have US shipping to Miami, air freight to Trinidad, 20% import duty, 15% VAT, and 3% brokerage handling cost. Of course we live in a 3rd world country so the official exchange rate is $6.70 to the US dollar, however the country runs a deficit and it is difficult to get US dollars so the black market rate today is $8-8.5 to the US dollar. Then there are the airlines that carry air freight and are make a  bloody fortune during Covid. 
Today to get a cost to my shop i multiply using  a factor of 14. Pre Covid it was 10. But in the short term future i estimate it to be as high as 20. 

Of course if we could fly, i would usually send stuff to my daughter in New York and when i visit i bring it home for the  same price you pay for it. Who knows when that will be. 

the challenges of living in a small country.

[Kevin Kenny]

Just looking at the video again and saw that the upright post on the side of the bowsprit step was installed the wrong way. Dam. Had to make the whole  thing over again. Interestingly thought, it only took a few hours rather than a few days. Knowledge and experience should never be underestimated. 

[Kevin Kenny]

Slow and steady.

[Kevin Kenny]

 

 

[stuglo]

On 12/21/2016 at 11:02 PM, Kevin Kenny said:

 

 

I had to change some errors in the video so had to repost.

Kevin

Its a shame I didn't see this earlier, as I have agonized over the frame spacing for the sweep ports. I had thought of this solution and was about to ask for advice  on my next post. Its comforting to realise that this journey of ours, is not so simple, yet deeply rewarding. You continue to inspire and these videos are a service to us all. 

[Kevin Kenny]

Galley stove prototype 

[Phillip Aubin]

Hello, I have been researching my family history and I've discovered that an ancestor of mine was a Captain of the Thorn as a privateer. I've been trying to find good quality prints (wall picture/poster) of the Thorn that I could buy. I imagine something must exist so that one could build an accurate replica. I haven't had too much luck and this seems like the place that would know. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks!

[Kevin Kenny]

Hi Phillip

as you must know having tracked me down, that the Thorn was a Swan class ship. There are lots of pictures of models of various Swan ships. I have only one written document that makes direct reference to the Thorn and that is the frame layout. I too am currently trying to access ship logs of the vessel but so far have not found anything.  I plan to keep looking so if by some chance you do come across any data i would be most interested. The National Maritime Museum has numerous plans of different sister ships. These are beautifully illustrated copies of which would make wonderful  wall decorations. Since there are no ships names written on the side, displaying these drawings would depict what she probably looked like. 
 

best regards

 

kevin

[Kevin Kenny]

Here is a sample of the drawings available. The frame layout is the only referenced document to the Thorn

[Kevin Kenny]

 

[Kevin Kenny]

 

[Kevin Kenny]