Skipjack Kathryn by Mahuna - FINISHED - 1:32 - Based on HAER Drawings

[Mahuna]

Part 30 – The Mast

 

Kathryn’s single mast is 63 feet tall, the diameter at the foot of the mast is 13.5”, and the diameter at the mast top is 5.7” (all measurements taken from the HAER drawings).  The lower portion of the mast, from deck height down to the foot, is octagonal.

 

The measurements from the drawing were transferred to an appropriate piece of madrone, as in the following photo.

 

                        

 

The mast was shaped using a chisel and a holding jig.

 

                        

 

A 7-10-7 drawing was used to shape the mast as an octagonal.

 

                        

 

First a line was drawn across the width of the mast at several intervals along the length of the mast.  At each interval the width of the mast was indicated on a tic strip and, using the 7-10-7 drawing, the placement of the octagonal cuts was marked on the tic strip.

 

                        

 

The appropriate marks were made on the mast

 

                        

 

This was done on all four sides of the mast.  Lines connecting all of the octagonal marks were then drawn on the mast.

 

                        

 

The chisel was used to remove the material outside the octagonal lines.

 

                        

 

A round scraper was used to form the round shape of the mast.  I’ve found that it’s easier to keep the mast round using a scraper than when using sandpaper for this initial shaping.

 

                        

 

After finish sanding the shaping of the mast is completed.  The following photo shows the mast temporarily installed on Kathryn.

 

                        

 

The next step is to shape the bowsprit, which will be the topic of the next post.

[EdT]

Great work, Frank, as usual - and an interesting way to mark out the octagonal apices.  Whether its my worsening eyesight, increasingly unsteady hands, or whatever, I find it harder and harder to make and use pencil lines on wood.

 

Ed

[Mahuna]

23 hours ago, EdT said:

Great work, Frank, as usual - and an interesting way to mark out the octagonal apices.  Whether its my worsening eyesight, increasingly unsteady hands, or whatever, I find it harder and harder to make and use pencil lines on wood.

 

Ed

Thanks Ed.  I've been thinking of making a tool like you used in your latest YA post, but with minimal spars on Kathryn I haven't tried it yet.  I first saw a similar tool in an article by Roger Cole.

[druxey]

Lovely, Ed: although I think you mean a tick strip. Ticks are marks (or a nasty little insect!) and tics are involuntary muscle twitches. Hopefully you don't suffer from the latter!

[EdT]

I got the idea for this from a similar tool for marking centerlines that I saw somewhere.  That would be another useful device.

 

Ed

[Mahuna]

3 hours ago, EdT said:

I got the idea for this from a similar tool for marking centerlines that I saw somewhere.  That would be another useful device.

 

Ed

Hi Ed - could it be that you saw my centerline marker in the Dunbrody log?  

 

 

[Mahuna]

11 hours ago, druxey said:

Lovely, Ed: although I think you mean a tick strip. Ticks are marks (or a nasty little insect!) and tics are involuntary muscle twitches. Hopefully you don't suffer from the latter!

Hi Druxey - I think you may have aimed this my way instead of Ed's.  And yes, I meant to say 'tick strips' - I may have had an involuntary muscle twitch on the keyboard.

[Mahuna]

Part 31 – The Bowsprit

 

Kathryn’s bowsprit is 20 feet long, and has straight sides (and top and bottom) for most of its length.  Forward of the stem it is shaped as an octagonal, even though not all sides are equal.  The final 5 forward-most feet of the bowsprit are rounded and tapered from 10 inches to 7 inches.  The final 6 inches are reduced to 4.5” diameter and rounded at the end.  This is where the bowsprit band will sit.

 

The construction of the bowsprit started with shaping the square stock to the overall dimensions.  Then a compass was used to mark the boundaries of the cuts for the octagonal shapes.

 

                        

 

A rotary tool was used to make the diagonal cuts to roughly form the octagonal shapes.

 

                        

 

Files were used to clean up these shapes.

 

                        

 

                        

 

A rounded scraper, followed by sandpaper, was used to form the rounded front of the bowsprit.

 

                        

 

Chart tape was then wrapped around the end of the bowsprit to indicate the beginning of the reduced end of the bowsprit, and a stop cut was made with a hobby knife along the boundary of the tape.

 

                        

 

The end of the bowsprit was then reduced to achieve the diameter that would fit within the bowsprit band, using the knife and files.  A brass tube that would be used for the band was used to check the diameter during shaping.

 

                        

 

                        

 

The bowsprit has ‘walking boards’ along the top edge, on each side of the bowsprit.  These were fitted sometime after initial construction, and were present during the HAER survey (and are present today).  These are fairly small, and I used 3/64 stock to make them. 

 

I started by spot-gluing two pieces of stock together, using school glue.  This allowed me to shape both walking boards at the same time.  Unfortunately, I didn’t take photos during the shaping process, but the following photo shows the tools used.

 

                        

 

After constructing and attaching the walking boards, I realized that two holes needed to be drilled through the bowsprit to accommodate the forestay (which passes through the bowsprit) and an eyebolt for the jib halyard, as shown in the following photo of Kathryn.

 

                        

 

This would have been much easier if the drilling was done before any shaping of the bowsprit, but since the bowsprit still had flat vertical sides it didn’t present a major problem.  The bowsprit was placed in the milling vise, and was checked for proper alignment.  The end of the bowsprit that was to be drilled was supported so that the pressure of drilling did not cause the bowsprit to bend.

 

                        

 

Since the area to be drilled was round, a centering drill was used to start the hole.

 

                        

 

And the hole was then drilled through the bowsprit.

 

                        

 

The bowsprit will be painted before any hardware is installed on it, and will not be permanently installed until a later stage.  The following photo shows the bowsprit temporarily installed.

 

                        

 

We’ll be leaving on a short road trip to California tomorrow to escape the heat for a few days.  When we return it will be time to address the permanent mounting of Kathryn, and then to begin the process of painting the hull.

 

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the summer - thanks for the comments and the 'LIKE's!

[cog]

Have a nice (cool down) break Frank, I'm enjoying your build tremendously. Lovely work on the bowsprit!

[druxey]

Very nicely done, Frank. You are very brave to use a rotary tool to cut the octagon! Enjoy your break.

[thibaultron]

Well, here is another way the Kathryn differs from other Skipjacks, Her bowsprit is straight! In every other Skipjack I've ever seen, the bowsprit curves down at the forward end. I wonder if that is a feature of her rebuild. Yes, straight is what the HERR plans show.

[EdT]

I no doubt saw the tool on the Dunbrody log, but  I have also seen larger scale versions for sale for general woodworking.  

 

Very nice work on the bowsprit.

 

I also like the photo of the actual bowsprit showing the shackled guy chains and the bostay chain with the turnbuckle.  I look forward to your modeling of these.

 

Ed

[EdT]

I'm with Druxey on the rotary tool.  Too risky for me.  Have you tried a cabinet scraper?  Very fast and accurate for the rough work - at the very least.  Does require some prep though, to create the cutting edge.

 

Ed

[Mahuna]

7 hours ago, cog said:

Have a nice (cool down) break Frank, I'm enjoying your build tremendously. Lovely work on the bowsprit!

Thanks Carl.  We're looking forward to the 30+ degree difference! 

 

3 hours ago, druxey said:

Very nicely done, Frank. You are very brave to use a rotary tool to cut the octagon! Enjoy your break.

 

1 hour ago, EdT said:

I'm with Druxey on the rotary tool.  Too risky for me.  Have you tried a cabinet scraper?  Very fast and accurate for the rough work - at the very least.  Does require some prep though, to create the cutting edge.

 

Ed

 

Thanks Druxey. and Ed  I'm very comfortable with the rotary tool, having used it for years in bird carving.  Of course, I wouldn't try this with a Dremel - my rotary tool is a higher quality (used by jewelers) and is controlled by a foot pedal and is very smooth running.

 

3 hours ago, thibaultron said:

Well, here is another way the Kathryn differs from other Skipjacks, Her bowsprit is straight! In every other Skipjack I've ever seen, the bowsprit curves down at the forward end. I wonder if that is a feature of her rebuild. Yes, straight is what the HERR plans show.

Hi Ron.  I'm glad you mentioned this.  I was under the impression that there should be a slight downward bend to the bowsprit, and I actually made one but it just didn't look right.  I spent a lot of time with the plans and photos and finally realized it should be straight.  I have some photos of Kathryn taken during the HAER survey and they show the straight bowsprit.  If the bowsprit had been changed it would have been during the 1950's rebuild. 

 

1 hour ago, EdT said:

I no doubt saw the tool on the Dunbrody log, but  I have also seen larger scale versions for sale for general woodworking.  

 

Very nice work on the bowsprit.

 

I also like the photo of the actual bowsprit showing the shackled guy chains and the bostay chain with the turnbuckle.  I look forward to your modeling of these.

 

Ed

Thanks Ed.  All of the metalwork on Kathryn will be quite a challenge and I'm looking forward to it.  I'm trying to get all of the wood construction completed before I start on it.  I'm hoping to see the Kathryn on a trip east in October so I can get a lot more photos.  I'll need to be careful on replicating what I see since some of the components, especially related to the shrouds, have changed since the HAER survey.  Luckily I have a friend who knows the former setup really well and can help me decide what each component should be.

 

 

 

[thibaultron]

I think the curve on the footboards fools you into thinking the sprit is curved.

[Mahuna]

Part 32 – Preparing to Paint

 

I’ve learned a few hard lessons since the last post – mostly having to do with thinking steps through and being sure of how things will work.

 

The bowsprit will be painted white, but there’s an area at the forward end that is left varnished.  The mast is also mostly varnished – only the area within a few inches of the deck is painted white.  Since the madrone wood that I used for the bowsprit and mast is very white I needed to find an appropriate stain to match the varnished areas of the mast and bowsprit.  I tried some stains on a scrap piece of the same wood, and unfortunately found that this wood didn’t take the stain properly – the stain wound up very splotchy, even after using a stain prep to condition the wood.

 

I tested some stain on a piece of castello and it was very satisfactory, so I decided to make another mast and bowsprit out of castello. This was work that could have been avoided if I had thought through the staining before making the mast and bowsprit.

 

Since the next major step in building Kathryn is to paint the hull, there were a few minor items I needed to finish.

 

The first of these is the scuppers.  Skipjacks have very basic scuppers.  These essentially are a few holes drilled through the waterway, as in the following photo of one of Kathryn’s scuppers.

 

                        

 

There are 4 scuppers on each side.  I marked the scupper locations, made a pilot hole using a miniature awl, then drilled the scuppers from inside.

 

                        

 

There’s a small trench in the waterway leading to the scupper.  I used a small diamond flame in a rotary tool to shape these trenches.

 

                        

 

The following photo shows the scuppers from the outside of the model.

 

                        

 

Kathryn has a small metal strip on the outside of the hull guards, presumably to provide additional protection from scuffing.  This strip can be seen in the following photo.

 

                        

 

I used a piece of half-round styrene to simulate this metal strip, using CA to glue the strip to the guard.

 

                        

 

Since the hull would be painted in an upside-down position, I made a jig to hold the model for painting.  The forward post goes through the hole for the mast, and the square block on the rear post keeps the model in a relatively secure position.  Both devices have some 1/16" thick rubber glued to the area that will touch the model, as cushioning.  The deck beams were covered with masking tape to keep stray paint from the interior.

 

                        

 

                        

 

A first coat of primer was applied.

 

                        

 

I’ll be spending some time fixing the imperfections that show up from the primer before proceeding with the actual painting.

Edited August 2, 2017 by Mahuna

[Elia]

Frank,

 

Wow - That is such a crisp, beautiful model.  I find it very enjoyable (and educational) watching your build progress.

 

I appreciate the spar staining issue you had; I'm still stewing over how to proceed with mine (though I'm certain I'll stick with the spars I've got).  

 

Cheers,

 

Elia

[Mahuna]

Hi Elia, and thank you!  I've made 3 masts and 5 bowsprits so far, and I think the final versions will work.  The stain issue was only the latest problem with them.  

 

I assume your work in the Phoenix area is finished by now.  Let me know if you ever get back out to Arizona - I'd still like to get together with you.

 

 

[Omega1234]

Hi Frank. 

 

Wow, you're really cracking along now.  It's amazing what a coat of paint can do.  She certainly looks totally different now.

 

Top job.  

 

Cheers. 

 

Patrick

[Mahuna]

2 hours ago, Omega1234 said:

Hi Frank. 

 

Wow, you're really cracking along now.  It's amazing what a coat of paint can do.  She certainly looks totally different now.

 

Top job.  

 

Cheers. 

 

Patrick

Thanks Patrick.  It's only white primer, but it did change the look.  I think I'll be painting the hull for a while yet.

[HIPEXEC]

Frank,

A guy named "GRIPHOS" is building a skipjack (Willie Bennet) and has questions about paint colors. Maybe you can help him

Rich

[Mahuna]

Sure, Rich - I'll tell him what I'm using.

[Mahuna]

Part 33 – Painting the Hull

 

The preparation for painting took longer than the actual painting, which makes sense when you consider that the quality of the end result is really based on the quality of the item to be painted.

 

Preparation consisted of priming the hull, which shows a lot of the imperfections, and then addressing the imperfections by sanding down the high areas and filling in any depressions that may exist.  I used a white model primer since the hull will be mostly white, and Liquitex Modeling Paste (very much like a thick gesso) as a filler.

 

                        

 

After letting the modeling paste dry completely it can be scraped (I used a single-sided razor blade) and sanded.  I used wet and dry sandpaper (mostly left dry) up to 400 grit.

 

The top of Kathryn was completely masked, leaving the waterway and log rails unmasked since these need to be painted.  I used an airbrush for all of the top and bottom painting.  The following photo shows the painting setup.

 

                        

 

The entire sides of Kathryn were painted white and left to dry for over 24 hours before masking at the waterline.

 

                        

 

While the white was available the small parts were also painted white.  These were mounted on a fiberboard using two-sided tape to keep them from being blown around by the airbrush.

 

                        

 

The paints I used were Liquitex Titanium White for all white areas and Liquitex Burnt Sienna for the hull bottom.  The paint was diluted with Liquitex Airbrush Medium.  Since Liquitex acrylics tend to develop a sheen I also mixed in a generous amount of Liquitex Matte Medium to reduce the sheen.

 

Kathryn has a narrow black stripe between the sides and bottom.  After completing the airbrushing of both areas and removing the original masking tape I ran 1/16” chart tape where the black stripe would be (at the top edge of the hull bottom color), then masked above and below the chart tape.  After removing the chart tape I painted the black stripe using Liquitex Mars Black with a small artist’s brush.  The following photos show Kathryn after painting.

                        

 

                        

 

A part of the bowsprit and most of the mast are left natural, as covered in a previous post.  I used Minwax Colonial Maple stain on castello to achieve the color needed for these areas, and finished that with Polyurethane.

 

                        

 

Kathryn has a very narrow red stripe under the bends (wale).  This is not something I feel that I can achieve through painting, so I’ve ordered some 1/32” red pinstriping tape.  Once that arrives and is installed the preparation of the hull will be completed.

 

The next major construction item is the cabin.  This will take some planning and experimenting, and there are a few more small pieces of construction still ahead before the deck can be planked.

 

Thanks everyone, and Happy Modeling!

[russ]

Your color scheme looks very good. I like the red color you used on the underbody.

 

Russ

[Mahuna]

Thanks Russ.  I have a friend who is a very good modeler and who specializes in the working craft of the Chesapeake.  These are the colors he recommended.

[Omega1234]

Hi Frank

 

Dang!  Kathryn's all painted and looks really, really nice.  Without a doubt, all of your hard prep is paying off.

 

Well done.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[Mahuna]

4 hours ago, Omega1234 said:

Hi Frank

 

Dang!  Kathryn's all painted and looks really, really nice.  Without a doubt, all of your hard prep is paying off.

 

Well done.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

Thanks Patrick.  I'm fairly pleased with the results.  There's a little touch-up required, but I'll wait on that.

[popeye the sailor]

she's look'in great Frank.......I follow the same method with my painting too.   primer shows me all the rough spots........paint when I'm sure they're gone  

 

nicely done!

[PETERPETER]

 

G'day Frank.

Stellar work as always. You appear to have all of the skills, equipment, materials and knowledge required to build museum quality models. Hoping to see your forthcoming rigging and sail work after all carpentry is completed.

Peter

[Mahuna]

21 hours ago, popeye the sailor said:

she's look'in great Frank.......I follow the same method with my painting too.   primer shows me all the rough spots........paint when I'm sure they're gone  

 

nicely done!

Thanks Popeye.  Sometimes it's hard to keep my patience during the prep work.

 

19 hours ago, PETERPETER said:

 

G'day Frank.

Stellar work as always. You appear to have all of the skills, equipment, materials and knowledge required to build museum quality models. Hoping to see your forthcoming rigging and sail work after all carpentry is completed.

Peter

Thanks Peter.  Seeing the great work you've done on your models inspired me (but I'm a long way from 'museum quality' work!).