Medway Longboat 1742 by Chuck - FINISHED - 1/2" scale

[Richmond]

Chuck

 

That windlass really came up well. The template was a great idea. The thwart and the pins look fantastic especially considering how small a detail you are working with.

 

Still can't see any fingerprints, smudge marks, dirt and the like on the build, either your work practices are very clean or your an expert on photo shop. .

 

Richmond

Edited October 14, 2018 by Richmond

[GrandpaPhil]

Very cool! 👍

Edited October 14, 2018 by GrandpaPhil

[Chuck]

Thanks

 

No photoshop here!!!!  Just go slow and be careful.  And keep your hands clean and workspace clean.  Thats the secret.  Sloooowwww and STEADY.  😊

[KenW]

Your work looks greag. 

What is a - "flex shaft with the small pen-sized head" on a Dremel?  

I saw Mike make belaying pins, I'm never able to get a proper round boxwood strip unless the original piece is square.

Cheers.

[Chuck]

Its this......instead of the sanding drum you see in the photo, I insert the 1/16" x 1/16" strip.  Its only abut 1" long so it wont wobble.  

 

[Jim Rogers]

2 hours ago, Chuck said:

Its this......instead of the sanding drum you see in the photo, I insert the 1/16" x 1/16" strip.  Its only abut 1" long so it wont wobble.  

 

The foot controller works great with the Flexshaft.

[Richmond]

Joking aside, it's a wonderful build. 

 

It's a very high bar you are setting, not sure whether I will I hit my head or walk right under it!

[druxey]

Well done on getting the belaying pins proportionally correct, rather than the inflated chubby-handled ones that are seen on most kits and some scratch-built models.

[Chuck]

Thanks....yes I am not a big fan of those brass and/or bulbous wooden belaying pins.  Easy enough to make them myself and you only need four for the longboat.   The knees are all finished now.   I will add the roller and fixed block sheave on the stem next.

 

 

 

 

 

[Rustyj]

Beautiful workmanship Chuck. Anxiously awaiting the group build! 

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Really beautiful, Chuck

[michael mott]

Lovely clean workmanship Chuck, I am always amazed by how big 1/16 square stock looks in a close up picture. and then see the results of making it cylindrical. Nice metalwork too.

 

michael

[Chuck]

Thank You

 

I added the fixed block at the stem on the starboard side.  Its pretty straight forward.   You only need one but I laser cut a bunch of extras for you guys because its tiny.  Just in case.

Glued the small pieces to the back like this.

Inserted 22 gauge black wire and snipped it off flush on the outside but left it sticking out on the other for the sheave.

Used 10 lb fishing line to make the four bolts as shown on the plans.  Sanded it and rounded off the edges.

Added the sheave but with no glue so it will be a working sheave.   Not that it really matters.

Then I glued it on the stem.

 

Pretty straight forward

 

 

 

 

[Beef Wellington]

Chuck - where do you get your brass strip from, or do you cut it yourself from sheets? If so, how do you do that?  Many thanks.

[Chuck]

I do sometimes cut my own brass strip but the stuff I used this time is a common size.  Its available commercially.  Its from K&S.  1/32 x .025 or 1/64.

 

http://www.ksmetals.com/29.html

 

Chuck

[Chuck]

For the roller at the bow,  I chocked up a 1/8" x 1/8" strip in a dremel.  You can use a drill or even a mini lathe if you have one.   I first used a sanding stick to roughly turn it into an octagon.   Basically I just knocked off the corners a bit to make rounding it off easier.

I blackened it with a sharpie. and glued it into position.

 

Almost there with the hull.  Just have the thole pins and the rudder to do next.

 

 

 

[GuntherMT]

Chuck, would the roller at the bow not have an axle showing through at least one side?  I have no idea how it was actually mounted, but given the location seems like a straight axle running all the way through the bow from side to side would be the most obvious way.

[Chuck]

Maybe, probably.....  But that would be a bit "kitchen sink" for my tastes any way.  No need to add every little doo-dad just because it would have been there.  I think it would be very distracting and isnt warranted.  But you guys can always add it in.    I dont think its worth the risk of splitting that thin cap rail.  It would be pretty tough to fix at this point.

 

 

 

Chuck

[the learner]

So basically the roller is not operational? fantastic looking kit! and thank you for the forum build. Count me in for one!

[GuntherMT]

1 hour ago, Chuck said:

Maybe, probably.....  But that would be a bit "kitchen sink" for my tastes any way.  No need to add every little doo-dad just because it would have been there.  I think it would be very distracting and isnt warranted.  But you guys can always add it in.    I dont think its worth the risk of splitting that thin cap rail.  It would be pretty tough to fix at this point.

 

 

 

Fair enough, I was just curious how it would have been done on the real thing.

Thanks!

[Chuck]

Working on the rudder

 

[Chuck]

So close now!!!!   😀

 

The rudder hinges were something new that I wanted to try since the scale is much larger.  So I laser cut them entirely from boxwood.  You can see that they are too thick at this stage but this is by design.

 

Once glued in position on the rudder and hull,  they are quite sturdy.   This is when I sanded them down thinner so they were like the thickness of the brass strips I would use.  About 1/64" thick.

 

Then I drilled holes for the bolts and inserts 24 gauge black wire to simulate them.  Filing them down so they sand proud of the straps.  I also used 24 gauge black wire for the hinge pins.   These are actually working pintels and gudgeons. 

 

 

 

They were painted black and then a coating of weathering powder added to make them look better and not just like a painted black piece of wood.  It came out really well I think.  I also must mention that I painted the edges on top and bottom black BEFORE I glued them into position.   Its must cleaner this way.  I only had to paint the outside after adding the bolts.

 

The tiller was turned in my dremel from a 3/32" x 3/32" strip.  Nothing to difficult.

 

I painted and added the friezes to the rudder and mounted it.

 

All I have left to do on the hull is add the the thole pins.   Then make the oars .  I already made the grapnel.  Made from Boxwood and treated just like I did for my anchor kits.

 

 

Chuck

 

[Tigersteve]

Making it look too easy!

Steve

[mtaylor]

The wood parts for simulated metal do look great.   Very impressive and innovative.  

[STV]

What is weathering powder? Where to get it?

[Bob Cleek]

Based on the maxim that there's never anything on a boat that isn't there for a reason, while watching this interesting build, I've been scratching my head about what could be the reason, if any other than decorative, for the "squiggle" top edge of the rudder blade. It looks a bit like a shark in need of orthodontia took a bite out of it. It's seemingly too high to serve the purpose of aiding in boarding the boat from the water, although rudder shapes have been cut for the purpose, sometime with a hole to provide a foothold. Could it serve some purpose in handling anchor rodes or anchors which might be draped over the notches when an anchor was carried out for kedging? Or is it just some old time boatbuilder's version of a "racing stripe," or a signature detail like today's Nike "swoosh?"

 

"Enquiring minds want to know." Is there some period wonk here that knows the answer, if any answer exists?

 

Edited October 22, 2018 by Bob Cleek

[Chuck]

 

https://www.micromark.com/Doc-ObrienS-Powders

[mtaylor]

4 hours ago, Bob Cleek said:

Based on the maxim that there's never anything on a boat that isn't there for a reason, while watching this interesting build, I've been scratching my head about what could be the reason, if any other than decorative, for the "squiggle" top edge of the rudder blade. It looks a bit like a shark in need of orthodontia took a bite out of it. It's seemingly too high to serve the purpose of aiding in boarding the boat from the water, although rudder shapes have been cut for the purpose, sometime with a hole to provide a foothold. Could it serve some purpose in handling anchor rodes or anchors which might be draped over the notches when an anchor was carried out for kedging? Or is it just some old time boatbuilder's version of a "racing stripe," or a signature detail like today's Nike "swoosh?"

 

"Enquiring minds want to know." Is there some period wonk here that knows the answer, if any answer exists?

 

 

I've heard that it helps break up the "suction" at the stern.   Not sure how true that is though.   A lot of small period boats do have something like that on the rudders.

[svein erik]

I think its Doc o brien's  (rusty brown ) from Micro-mark

 

Svein.erik 

[Chuck]

That is my go-to color (rusty brown) for black items that I want to look like metal.  I brush it on an item I painted black with acrylic and then buff it off with a soft clean paint brush.   I used it on these anchors. It works a treat.   You shouldnt go overboard with it so it looks like a rusty piece of junk.  But just add a little and then buff off.  If you paint an item neatly and the surface is smooth,  when you buff the weathering powder it will give it a slight matte sheen and really simulate a metal item which looks different than anything you painted black and didnt do anything to.