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USN Picket Boat #1 by GuntherMT - Model Shipways - scale 1:24


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Hello Brian,

 

Never seen this build before so I'm looking forward to following yours.

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

Current build - Sloop Speedwell 1752 (POF)

Completed builds - 18 Century Longboat (POB) , HM Cutter Cheerful  1806 (POB), HMS Winchelsea 1764 (POB)

 

Member: Ship Model Society of New Jersey

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Another itty bitty update.

 

I beveled the stern bulkheads and glued them in place, then added a few little bits that don't show up in the photo's very well (side braces between the 2nd and 3rd bulkhead and a brace between the pieces on either side of the keel under the last stern bulkhead).

 

Then I got the rest of the bulkheads cut out and cleaned up some of the laser char.  For those building this kit in the future, *warning* these things are extremely fragile and if you forget to support the side of the bulkhead you are working on and try to hold it from the other side, they absolutely WILL break at the center.  Don't ask how I know this.   :rolleyes:

 

Primed with Vallejo Air grey primer, and then painted with Vallejo Air "US Blue Grey" using an airbrush.

 

post-14925-0-05316200-1462254378_thumb.jpgpost-14925-0-25123100-1462254379_thumb.jpgpost-14925-0-30479700-1462254380_thumb.jpgpost-14925-0-27221800-1462254381_thumb.jpgpost-14925-0-18285900-1462254382_thumb.jpgpost-14925-0-09141900-1462254383_thumb.jpg

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Those scores are exactly what you guessed at, they are planking marks.  This model has a planking plan, and the edges of the bulkheads are marked for exactly where the edge of each plank should lie.

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There is a documentary video by the History Channel about this boat and the sinking of the Albemarle.  I picked up the video when I built this model.  I don't remember the cost but it was very reasonable.  They painted the hull white or light gray probably due to the night attack would have made the boat almost invisible.  Other than that it's a good film.

Kurt

Kurt Van Dahm

Director

NAUTICAL RESEARCH GUILD

www.thenrg.org

SAY NO TO PIRACY. SUPPORT ORIGINAL IDEAS AND MANUFACTURERS

CLUBS

Nautical Research & Model Ship Society of Chicago

Midwest Model Shipwrights

North Shore Deadeyes

The Society of Model Shipwrights

Butch O'Hare - IPMS

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There is a documentary video by the History Channel about this boat and the sinking of the Albemarle.  I picked up the video when I built this model.  I don't remember the cost but it was very reasonable.  They painted the hull white or light gray probably due to the night attack would have made the boat almost invisible.  Other than that it's a good film.

Kurt

 

Sent you a PM a while back Kurt, did you ever get it?

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Brian:

OOPS, I got it - dug out the copies and then forgot to follow through.  PM on the way.

Kurt

Kurt Van Dahm

Director

NAUTICAL RESEARCH GUILD

www.thenrg.org

SAY NO TO PIRACY. SUPPORT ORIGINAL IDEAS AND MANUFACTURERS

CLUBS

Nautical Research & Model Ship Society of Chicago

Midwest Model Shipwrights

North Shore Deadeyes

The Society of Model Shipwrights

Butch O'Hare - IPMS

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What is better than one really slowly progressing build log?  Why TWO really slowly progressing build logs of course!

 

Coming soon to a forum near you, because I'm dumb and can't wait to start working on this...

 

post-14925-0-10256300-1462391682_thumb.jpg

 

When I start this it will be in the Kit sub-forum, as the general consensus I've seen in the discussions surrounding 'kit vs. scratch' comes down to making your own keel/bulkheads or frames, and I'm using the laser-cut pieces for this very important part of the construction.

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Good stuff Brian, looking forward to watching both come alive. 

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Me too! Maybe I will build her in the next 20 years :D!

-Elijah

 

Current build(s):

Continental Gunboat Philadelphia by Model Shipways

https://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/15753-continental-gunboat-philadelphia-by-elijah-model-shipways-124-scale/

 

Completed build(s):

Model Shipways Phantom

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?showtopic=12376

 

Member of:

The Nautical Research Guild

N.R.M.S.S. (Nautical Research and Model Ship Society)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Brian,

 

Fascinating. .  .  .  .

 

How did you bevel your bulkheads in a way that looks so uniform? I like the planking plan that is laid out on the bulkheads so clearly.

 

Looking forward to seeing more.

 

Respectfully,

John

 

John, the bevel lines are laser etched on the bulkheads, just have to sand down to the line.

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  • 2 weeks later...
So I finally got the wood I've been waiting for, so I started to do some work on the picket boat.

 

There are a number of different deck parts on this kit that are just 1/16" thick basswood, and the instructions are to 'scribe' the lines onto the decks to simulate planks.  This is probably because those decks are supposed to be painted (or stained) in the instructions, but I don't care for how the scribed decks look, and I also think I want to keep the planked deck portions natural wood to contrast with the painted hull, so I got some 1/32" thick Swiss Pear, and I'm planking all those sections, like most of the other builders of this kit have done before me.

 

On the left, the basswood that I'm supposed to scribe fake planking into prior to staining it.  This is the floor of the rear cockpit.  On the right is the first planked section with Swiss Pear.  Then both parts complete.  It will darken up a bit when it gets a coating of wipe on poly.

post-14925-0-63138500-1465686461_thumb.jpgpost-14925-0-33052000-1465686463_thumb.jpg

 

The large floor sections of the main cockpit of the boat, again showing the basswood kit piece, and then the planked but not yet trimmed down piece, and then after finishing it.

post-14925-0-10667100-1465686464_thumb.jpgpost-14925-0-60433900-1465686464_thumb.jpg

 

I have the benches of the rear cockpit, the deck of the bow and stern, and some bulkheads that are exposed to do.  Some of those parts get margin planks, so they'll be a bit trickier and require cutting custom shaped planks out of 1/32" sheet rather than using straight planking.

 

Hopefully I'll get some more done this weekend and post another update.

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Brian,

 

I love the pear.  It's a great wood to work with, IMO.    Got a question for you.  Did you fit the decks before planking?  I'm asking because of the notches and a couple of models I did, you couldn't plank the deck until it was fitted otherwise you'd have some big gaps where the notches are.   

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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I love the pear.  It's a great wood to work with, IMO.    Got a question for you.  Did you fit the decks before planking?  I'm asking because of the notches and a couple of models I did, you couldn't plank the deck until it was fitted otherwise you'd have some big gaps where the notches are.   

 

Nope!

 

Guess we'll see how it goes.  I did do a couple test fits of just seeing how tight the slots fit over the bulkheads without them being assembled at all, and they seemed like a very good fit.

 

Thanks,

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  • 2 weeks later...
My time in the shop has been really limited, but I have made some slight progress on the picket boat.

 

I finished the other main cockpit deck.

 

post-14925-0-06447600-1466985080_thumb.jpg

 

And then I started working on planking the faces of the bulkheads that will be exposed when everything is completed.

 

post-14925-0-62755500-1466985080_thumb.jpgpost-14925-0-19432400-1466985081_thumb.jpgpost-14925-0-70025300-1466985081_thumb.jpgpost-14925-0-22719800-1466985082_thumb.jpg

 

I have a couple more bulkheads to plank, but they were stupidly already attached to the keel prior to realizing that they would be exposed, oops.  I am going to try to plank them in place, we'll see how that goes.  In the meantime I decided to work on one of the tricky pieces, the bow deck.  This piece is tricky because of the two sections of margin plank that are curved and funky-shaped at the stem.  Because of this, these pieces need to be custom cut out of a wider sheet of wood.  I tried three times to get it right by tracing the outside of the deck and then measuring and tweaking, and this was the best of the three attempts:

 

 

post-14925-0-80073600-1466985082_thumb.jpg

 

At this point was when I realized that I'm a stupid idiot.  I have plans, I have a scanner, and I have a laser printer.  Also, I'm apparently too stupid to think of using those tools to make a thing called a pattern.  Anyway, I scanned in the part of the plans with the bow, then messed around with the printer settings until I nailed the proper settings to get it to print in exact scale (because for whatever stupid reason the image the scanner makes is not the right scale when printed actual size).  I cut out the appropriate part of the printed plan, and pasted them to the sheet of wood.

 

 

post-14925-0-32260700-1466985083_thumb.jpg

 

What do you know, using that 'pattern' thing is actually a pretty good way to make things.  Who knew.

 

This was the first piece cut out using the patterns.

 

 

post-14925-0-89384500-1466985083_thumb.jpg

 

Other than cutting the front shape a little odd, it's almost perfect, and having the front over-sized isn't a big deal, I can trim it back when it's done.

 

The second part glued up with pattern still attached, and then removed.

 

post-14925-0-52861500-1466985084_thumb.jpgpost-14925-0-51644900-1466985091_thumb.jpg

 

I had to do a bit of careful trimming and sanding to the inside of the curve right at the bow because I managed to glue the 2nd piece in place slightly out of alignment with the first one, but some patience and sandpaper wrapped around the round end of a small file took care of it so that I could start the planking.  I laid a 5/16" center plank and then started placing 1/4" planks to either side.  Matching the curve at the end was easier than I thought, and this part went pretty well without a hitch.

 

 

post-14925-0-93106800-1466985092_thumb.jpgpost-14925-0-73906800-1466985093_thumb.jpg

 

And the finished bow deck with a coat of wipe on poly.

 

 

post-14925-0-86146200-1466985094_thumb.jpg

 

Still have to plank the stern which will require a 3-piece margin plank and then a couple of benches for the aft cockpit and the two bulkheads that are already attached to the keel  I am also going to have to re-do one of the bulkheads because I realized that I didn't account for the propeller shaft coming through it, and made the planking notch way too high.

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Brian,

 

One thing about scanners.. they don't do exactly 100%.   Some stupidity about counterfeiting money..   :D  :D   So... either buy a small ruler or make a small ruler on some paper and scan it with your plans/patterns.  I pull the drawing into CorelDraw and adjust that the ruler is correct size, then print.  Or... you just  copy/print from the scanner/printer (assuming it's an all in one device) and adjust the size as you print.

 

Your foredeck came out great in spite of the problems.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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