US Brig Syren by Hipexec - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:64 - building as USS Argus

[JesseLee]

I had the same problem.

 

Jesse

[HIPEXEC]

I've re-built the tops. Now I have to re-drill them and trim them to the correct size.

[HIPEXEC]

Fighting tops repaired and new holes drilled with no trouble. I used wood from my stash that is very good quality. I noticed on Jesse Lee's Syren he doubled up the trim where the rails go. I'm going to double mine up also.

Edited July 23, 2018 by HIPEXEC

[HIPEXEC]

Starting to glue on the battens

[HIPEXEC]

Battens continued

[alde]

Sometimes it’s hard to redo something you have put so much work into but it’s always worth it in the end. Your tops are looking really nice.

[HIPEXEC]

Battens now finished fore and main

[HIPEXEC]

Pre-cut parts for the fighting top rear rail. They'll be pinned top and bottom as well as glued.

[HIPEXEC]

Pins in almost ready to glue

[HIPEXEC]

Rail pinned and glued

[HIPEXEC]

Fighting top rails complete. The tops are just resting on the un-stepped masts. I'll glue on the tops next

[smarra]

That looks fantastic, can't wait to see how this build progresses.

[HIPEXEC]

I glued and clamped the fighting tops to the crosstrees.

[HIPEXEC]

I set up my poor man's lathe so I can taper the top masts. I also glued on a stop under the fighting tops to support them and will also make a Fid to properly set the main and fore top masts.

[HIPEXEC]

Both top masts have been tapered on my "lathe" and dry fitted to the tops. The caps have also been dry fitted while I figure out how to put this whole puzzle together. 

[HIPEXEC]

Here we go again! The instructions say to drill the small rigging holes in the pre-cut top cross trees before removing them from the laser-cut sheet. Guess what? I gently took the smallest drill bit I had that would make a tiny hole for the rigging...and the cross tree split after two turns (gently)! I'll figure out how the rig them another way.

[GuntherMT]

For drilling a small hole in a small piece like that, you are probably much better off with a high speed drill than hand drilling it.

 

I'd use a very sharp bit in a dremel tool turning at high speed and it would probably drill through fairly clean as long as you used very light pressure.

 

Turning it very slowly lets the bit grab the wood and split it instead of just shaving off a tiny bit with each rotation.

 

I'm way too far away for a trip just for this, but if you do want to drive out here you are welcome to do it on my mill.

[HIPEXEC]

25 minutes ago, GuntherMT said:

For drilling a small hole in a small piece like that, you are probably much better off with a high speed drill than hand drilling it.

 

I'd use a very sharp bit in a dremel tool turning at high speed and it would probably drill through fairly clean as long as you used very light pressure.

 

Turning it very slowly lets the bit grab the wood and split it instead of just shaving off a tiny bit with each rotation.

 

I'm way too far away for a trip just for this, but if you do want to drive out here you are welcome to do it on my mill.

Thanksgiving

ill try my dremel

rich

[HIPEXEC]

37 minutes ago, HIPEXEC said:

Thanksgiving

ill try my dremel

rich

I don't know where thanksgiving came from but I was using my Iphone and it guess words for you???

[HIPEXEC]

I give up with this junk wood. I drilled four beautiful holes only to have them crumble after all the drilling was done. I made my own cross trees on my Connie by bending some good wood and drilling the pieces with no trouble at all. So much for the  laser cut junk wood. All they had to do was pop some holes with the laser and that probably would have worked.

[HIPEXEC]

I'm making my own crosstrees out of good stock. It took me a little more than a minute to rough shape one and 30 seconds to drill the holes. I'll clean them up with some fine sanding and I'll be ready to proceed.

[HIPEXEC]

Top cross trees all set to be cleaned up and assembled. Making new ones was less than 30 minutes with no trouble drilling holes.

[HIPEXEC]

Here's all the fixin's for the top masts. They have to be assembled, glued and stained. 

[HIPEXEC]

I've added bottom supports and glued the top mast crosstrees in place.

[HIPEXEC]

Glued the new crosstrees and topmast. I looked ahead and the topgallant mast looks like a very long toothpick. I don't think there's enough meat to  even taper it a little bit

[Gahm]

Great progress, Rich! Your Argus looks very good!

 

Thomas

[JesseLee]

Wow, you are really moving along Rich. Most of the wood supplied with this kit is basically no good (as you have already seen). It just teaches us how to fabricate the parts ourselves and increases our skills!

 

Jesse

[Ebomba]

 Rich, I think you doing excellent work and prove JesseLee's point on increasing building skills, how much fun would it be if every kit had quality wood precision cut and snapped together , we'll probably never know!

 

Ed

[HIPEXEC]

My shipyard will be closed a few days while the painters spruce the place up.

[lambsbk]

Wow... I wish my garage looked like yours Rich.