Lynx by Rat-Fink-A-Booboo - Mantua Panart - First wooden model - Building as 1816 Musquidobit

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

Initial dry fitting of bulkheads

Bulkheads 7 & 8.

The actual difference between these two bulkheads is smaller than the degree of (in)accuracy of the plans. In the following two images you will see the comparison between them

 

 

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

In the following image you will see the error between bulkhead 1 and the bow pieces 21 & 22

This means that some work is going to have to be done to find out which of the pieces, if any is correct. (see next reply

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

Finding the rue bearding and rabbit lines.

Neither pieces 21/22, nor the no.! bulkhead fit the natural bearding or rabbet lines.

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

First dry fitting of the bulkheads.

[juhu]

Hi,

I will watch this topic closely. You are fighting bravely so far. I have got the same kit but not started it and probably never would.

May I ask, what plans are you using for your build?

 

I have taken the copy of the original preserved plans as taken by British Admiralty after Lynx was captured and taken as Mosquidobit. Unfortunately, the plans show so many kit's issues in shape and dimensions, that I found it would be easier to make it from scratch than to rebuild it to match the plans.

 

Am curious about your experiences! Good luck!

[popeye the sailor]

it always nice to have a bow rabbit to secure the planking to.   looks to me that you have all the bulkheads in the right place.   how major are the problems with this kit?   you can do one of two things,  you can either trim the bow rabbit to fit the contour,  or you can mark out the keel and create a groove for the planks to fit into.   when in doubt........modify or scratch.

 

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

Nice to hear from you Juhu

At this stage I'm referring to the drawings in Chapelle of Mosquidobit when her lines were taken off in 1816, and trying to make some sense of the kit plans in the light of those. Where the bearding and rabbet lines are concerned, the natural line followed by bending a flexible plank across the keel end of bulkheads 2, 3, and 4, and the top of the bow seems to me (in my ignorance) to be a reasonable assumption. This means there's work to be done on both bulkheads 1 & 2, and the two bow pieces before fairing can begin in earnest.

 

As this is a first kit for me, I can't really afford to get too bogged down in real "authenticity". I'll do my best and with the help of the wonderful folk on NRG I hope I'll make a reasonable job of it.

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

Hi Popeye

Thanks for your encouragement

Best Don

[juhu]

I do have also Chapelle's "Baltimore clipper " book. It was also my starting point. But as said, the original full scale plans from Greenwich Maritime museum brings the whole new view on the things.

Anyway, exactly as you wrote it will be the best just to go on with the kit as it is - after all, it shall be all about fun and a joy from the hobby. Authenticity search may be sometimes really frustrating

Looking forward to see more photos!

[Stevinne]

I have this kit in my stash waiting its turn in the yard. Gonna pull up a chair and watch. It looks like you are off to a good start.

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

Hi Stevinnie. 

I hope you enjoy the build and that we can unravel some of the pitfalls.

Hi Juhu

I might take a trip to Greenwich and see what I can learn

I have seen a picture of a completed 'Lynx' which has really caught my imagination. I think it might inform my build as it goes along

Picture below.

The completed bow blocks reveal a more plausible bearding line. I think I should be able to infer the rabbet for the whole hull now.

[juhu]

Hi,

actually no need to travel to Greenwich. You can purchase the copy of the plans. But as said, unless you plan to heavily modify the kit to match the original, maybe not needed.

http://prints.rmg.co.uk/index.cfm?searchstring=musquidobit&event=catalogue.qsearch

 

Yes, the image you posted is well known, it is from Smithsonian's Museum and indeed, it is very nice representation of the Lynx.

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

 

 

Rabbet finished 1.5mm deep

 

Bulkheads fitted

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

Bulkheads faired and first bulwark strake added.

I'm a little concerned about the stem to stern curve in the horizontal plane. Following the Gunwale supports the strake is flat between the bow and bulkhead 6 then there is a sharp curve and then then little curve from there to the stern.I'm not sure the hights of the bulwark supports are to be trusted. According to Chapelle there is only a very slight curve from stem to stern and very little variation along the length of the plank

Would  my esteemed friends have any comments - like take it off and try it again?

 

 

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

I have taken this bulwark strake off and tried it again after realizing that I hadn't examined the plans properly, where there is a 1/1 representation of the curve of this plank. Doh!

Also reproduced here is my plan for narrowing the planks toward the bow.

I have also significantly re-modelled the poop and transom to be in line with the plans in Chappelle. This involved shortening the poop by about 1cm.

 

 

 

The new top bulwark looks like this - a much more plausible line, I think, and more in line with the drawings in Chappelle.

 

It will be noted that the top timbers do not match the line given in the plans. Not to worry, however, as they will be coming off before fitting the deck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[popeye the sailor]

looking good!  

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

Thanks Popeye - nice to know I might be in the right ball park

 

Just looking at a picture of the Manchester NH area in the fall - what a beautiful part of the world you live in

Off into hospital tomorrow to have some work done on the old clock, so the Lynx has been put to bed for a few days.

 

Finding the whole boat-building thing engrossing. My wife is getting sick of hearing about every little detail.

 

All the best to you and yours

[popeye the sailor]

What!!!   they have pictures of this place!    {just kidding}....not a bad part of the U.S.     I don't like snow,  but the spring and summer is great    hope your operation goes well and the recovery is swift.   the arch of the hull is good.......good to see her planked,  now that you have this figured out  

 

glad you like the medium......is this your first?   my admiral likes the ships I build,  but yea......sometimes she gripes about my carrying on about them.   I have to listen about her books.......she thinks they're real sometimes    

 

will look forward to your return.  

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

Back from the heart hospital, but had a stroke in there - now blind on left side of both eyes. Boat-building's going to be a little slower now, but I ain't going to stop.

More pictures soon

Yes Popeye, this is my first build

 

Wishing you all fair winds and a following sea.

Don

[popeye the sailor]

pardon if I don't like that.........glad your back though.     sad to hear things went less than perfect.....but I hope your reaping some benefit from it.   this hobby doesn't favor folks that rush,  so your in good company.  it's the reason why it's called the leisure hobby.

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

After a couple of weeks feeling very tired after my stroke, its a return to boat building

Now there's no longer any room for planking clips I've adopted the soaking method

The planks are spilled in pairs and then given 5 minutes in boiling water on the hob in the roasting tray - don't tell the missus. Don't let them get too soft. I think you want a bit of spring in them so they find a good natural line over the bulkheads without bumps where the bulkheads are.

I then pin them in place (NO GLUE) and leave to dry overnight.

The planks are then taken off . You can see the complexity of the curve (curved in all three planes at once - this would be very tricky, I think, with the hot plank bender). Like this, they just fall back onto the bulkheads without any forcing, ready to be glued.

The planks are then glued and pinned.

Because the spilled ends of the planks would split if pinned, I use acrylo-cyanate glue (just on the ends), cover the piece with cling film and hold it with  my thumb whilst applying the pins to the rest of the plank. I think it's a good idea to remove the excess PVA at this stage as it's a devil to sand.

 

Wishing you all fair winds and a following sea.

Don

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rafine]

Don, you're off to a very nice start. I really like your approach. 

 

Bob

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

Hi Bob

Thanks for the support of a master

Wishing you all fair winds and a following sea.

Don

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

Hi Folks,

Garboard strakes added

I formed the garboard strake for both port and starboard sides by gluing together two 1.5 X 5mm basswood strips, clamping them together firmly along their length. I made a paper template running the upper edge parallel to the keel and fitting to the bearding line. The template was used to cut the two garboard strakes as a pair and the edge nearest to the keel was then fared closer to fit before gluing. The strake was not fitted tight beyond the bearding line as it will be shamfered to make room in the rabbet for the outer planking.

 

The space left to fill isn't quite as parallel as it looks in the photo and will probably need a drop plank at about bulkhead 5, and, of course, a couple of stealers in the stern.

 

Incidentally, the dots are pin holes not pins.

 

Hope you Florideans are having better weather than we are :-)

 

Wishing you all fair winds and a following sea.

Don

[popeye the sailor]

we're not........cool and rainy up here in the northeastern US    I want our summer to kick in!

 

your planking looks very good........going to be a fine looking hull when your finished  

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

Thanks for the endorsement Popeye.

[popeye the sailor]

not a problem   it looks very well done.   is there a second planking to go over the original planking?

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

Hi Popeye

There is - I hope it will be a good deal tidier than this one.

I'm toying with the idea of doing the outer skin in basswood so that I can raise the grain before painting to give a kind of worn, working boat kind of look. I have in mind what she might have looked like sneaking in and out of the waterways of the Chesapeake when she was captured. (pure fantasy of course   ) 

 

Wishing you all fair winds and a following sea.

Don

[Rat-Fink-A-Booboo]

Finished first skin of planks - filled and sanded back. The outer skin will need to be finer!

Wishing you all fair winds and a following sea.

Don

[popeye the sailor]

basswood will give you a somewhat rough finish......but if your looking for a look that's a bit more weather worn,  try Obetchi.   might be a strange wood to do an outer planking with,  but it has a very rough finish in it's raw state.   sanded down when planked, it will smooth out,  but it will retain the striated grain look.  Billing Boats sells it......other kit manufacturers may supply it as well in some of their kits.  super job on your first planking...looks great