Medway Longboat 1742 by Stuntflyer - Syren Ship Model Company - 1/2" scale - by Mike

[Stuntflyer]

Welcome to my build log of Chuck's Medway Longboat. Shortly after starting his build log, Chuck asked me if I would consider building one out of Swiss Pear. The idea being that it might be of interest to other builders as an alternative to yellow cedar. I will be using all of the laser cut parts available. Also, I want to make note of anything that I have found that helped me to build it. Unfortunately, this log has been started a bit late in the project and few photos are provided as of now. I will take many more as I move ahead.

 

I used a lap joint to attach the various components of the keel assembly. This was done on the mill. The frames were assembled and the keel attached as described by Chuck. Reinforced tape was used to hold the two sections of the build board together. I could see that the tape held the frames in position on the build board, so I added more tape in order to give this support to all the frames. This also flattens the bottom of the build board somewhat.

I felt that the transom needed more support than an upright located inside, so I added one outside as well. This made the transom quite rigid.

To secure the hull for fairing I clamped the build board down with a flat sheet of wood underneath to the edge of the work table. Between the tape and the clamping, the frames were held securely in preparation for fairing.

 

One side has been faired.

Clamped and ready for fairing.

Mike

 

 

[Chuck]

Excellent start Mike!!!  😄  You are the first unofficial member to start building the Medway LB.   Hopefully there will be many more once it officially gets started.  I asked mike to start building in Pear to see how it looks and maybe gauge some interest from others.  I am not sure yet if I will offer it in Pear but lets see how it goes.

 

Excellent use of those extra braces at the stern but remember you will need to snap those off after you finish planking so you can remove the model from the baseboard.   

 

So far the pear version looks very good!!  Keep in mind that all of the frame parts are actually cherry (poor man's swiss pear)...but the keel and everything else will be swiss Pear.  You would never know otherwise unless I mentioned that.  Its a perfect match. 

[JeffT]

love it

 

[Stuntflyer]

After completing the hull fairing on one side of the hull, I worked on lining it off. Here I used 1/8" painters tape. The bow area is a bit tricky to do and I anticipate some minor adjustments later.

Prior to installing the garboard the keel is held straight with a length of 1/4" x 1" ply.

So far, it appears that these pre-spiled planks are made slightly oversize, leaving room for adjustments.

 

Mike

[Chuck]

Nice progress Mike.

 

Ever-so-slightly, yes the planks are a bit oversized because everyone will need to make adjustments.  It would pretty tough for everyone to place there planks exactly the same and with each strake that will open small gaps.  Each builder will also fair the frames differently especially at the bow and stern.  But with some care and adjustments you should get a really tight fit.

[Chuck Seiler]

So, you are saying that even though the planks are pre-spiled, we still need to line off the hull?

[Chuck]

No you dont have to, but it would be smart.....otherwise you are flying blind.   Its a quick exercise and on a boat this size doesnt take very long.  This way as you are sanding and tweaking your planks and your strakes start to shift from strake to strake.....you will have your pencil lines there to keep you on track.  Plus this group project is about learning a skil you may have never tried before and doing it within a group may be a huge help in the end.

 

OR

 

Of course not😵.....You just have to make sure that you place your planks exactly where I placed mine and you must fair your hull exactly like I faired mine.  And you must of course bevel the edges of your planks exactly like I did.   Then I am sure you will have no problems and get a great fit.  This second part is just a joke in case it didnt come across that way.  LOL...

 

 

 

[Chuck Seiler]

Yeah, now that I think about it, that makes sense.

 

Understood.  Your second part received in the spirit intended.  Fair the hull and bevel the edges exactly as you did?  Heck, I can't fair and bevel the port side the same way *I* did it on the starboard side.  <doh!>

[Stuntflyer]

Well, having seen Chuck's Longboat in AYC I decided that I much preferred that look over what I was getting from the Pear. So, off to the races again with another re-do. Things are now close to where I was a month ago. I like the fact that there is much less char build up on the AYC. The stem/keel joints were glued together without any char removal. The wood is quite flexible which makes the planking process easier. I'm holding off on the final fairing of the two aftmost bulkheads and transom until I get a better idea of just how much more is needed. As I move further up the hull I will start to sand those butt joints. Right now it would be easy to sand them too thin. Here are a few photos of where I'm at now.

Mike

[Mirabell61]

Beautiful !

it all looks like a very precise fit, Good work Mike...

 

Nils

[Rustyj]

Well done Mike!  I really like the look. 

[michael mott]

Mike you really are doing a great job, very clean and precise.

 

Michael

[Stuntflyer]

Here is a small update on the planking progress so far. The biggest challenge is getting a good fit at the stem where bending and twisting is necessary. Be careful when clamping the wood as it can dent easily. Place a flat piece of wood under the clamp or use a trigger clamp that can be controlled. Also, place the clamps across the entire width of the plank in order to avoid any chance of splitting the wood when twisting it into shape. A hair dryer on dry wood is all that's necessary. I have only done some minor glue cleanup of the seams. The planks are only 1/32" thick, so better to do the final sanding over a broad surface, I think.

Mike

[Rustyj]

Hi Mike,

 

The first planks are looking real nice. Good tight seams. Well done.

[MEDDO]

Very clean and neat planking there.

[JpR62]

Hello Mike,

Superb work on these first planks !

What kind of glue did You use ? Medium CA or wood glue ?  I know that Chuck recommends using medium CA.

Thanks in advance for Your answer.

Edited November 14, 2018 by JpR62

[Stuntflyer]

Chuck likes CA and it works great for him. I tried his method, but I prefer using Titebond II. It requires more work since I have to hold the plank or lightly clamp it while the glue sets. Guess that's why I have a TV in the workroom.

 

Mike

[JpR62]

Thanks for Your answer.

I'm not a big fan of CA glue and I also prefer to use Titebond. The CA sticks my fingers more often than it should 😂

 

Edited November 14, 2018 by JpR62

[DocBlake]

Looks good, Mike!  Thanks for the tips.

[Chuck]

TIP of the day !!!!  One thing I will point out regardless of which glue you use.   Make absolutely sure that each strake is glued securely to each frame.   Before moving on to the next strake, give each frame a little wiggle to see if it is secured to the plank.   If your frames are not glued securely to the planking they will be at great risk of breaking when it comes time to remove the frame centers.   This is really important!!!!  

[yacht1255]

Cool model