Sultana by SardonicMeow - Model Shipways - Scale 1:64

[Overworked724]

3 hours ago, SardonicMeow said:

Yes, yes, YES!  This is my Sultana build log, not a product development log.  😀  Completing the laser cutting is just the end of chapter one.  I'm a long way from being done.

 

I'm doing all this for fun.  Like I said before, I'll share something once I have a complete, or nearly complete, model.

 

Outstanding!  I agree....your hull should come together nicely!  I’m looking forward to your progress, Peter.  Your ‘kit’ already paints how lazy and delinquent  MS has been in updatingtheir kit!  Looking forward to your progress.  

[Tigersteve]

Nicely done. This should really be a scratch project. Don’t you think?

Steve

[SardonicMeow]

12 hours ago, Tigersteve said:

This should really be a scratch project. Don’t you think?

Well, I will be using some parts from the kit, and referencing parts of the kit plans.  But you have a point.  How much of a kit do you have to use for it to still qualify as a kit build?

[Overworked724]

Hey...I thought you threw the solid hull away???  LOL

 

[Tigersteve]

I don't know. It looks more scratch than kit built to me. You took plans and designed a whole set of bulkheads! 

Steve 

[lmagna]

It looks like about all of the kit you are using is possibly the "box-O-sticks" part. Even that may change as you go on.

[SardonicMeow]

Some notes on laser cutting.

 

The laser cutter I used is an 80 watt model.  The strength of the cut is determined by two parameters: power (as a percent of maximum) and speed (in mm per second).  The manual listed a recommended setting for cutting 1/8" basswood (50% power, 15 mm/s), and a recommended setting for engraving (14% power, 350 mm/s).

 

I tried the engrave and it worked fine, but I was worried that the cut setting might be too strong.  I was right.  For 1/8" basswood I found 50% and 50 mm/s speed to cut just through.  For my 3/16" sheet the setting I found was 50% power and 30 mm/s speed.  And for the 1/32" sheet it was 50% power and 200 mm/s speed.  If I had more time I would have experimented with other power settings, but I went ahead with the settings that I knew would work.

 

Some test cuts shown below.

 

 

After cutting the pieces, I tried a quick test fit and discovered that there was some wobble.  I had made a rookie mistake: I didn't account for the thickness of the material cut away by the laser and just assumed a perfect zero thickness line.  My later measurements show the laser line is about .3 mm in width.  That's small, but enough that the pieces don't slide together perfectly.  I'd rather not revise my design and recut, so I'll just be careful about making sure the bulkheads are perpendicular to the keel when I glue them in.

 

Another thing I noticed is that some curved cuts have a wavy rather than smooth line.  This is most noticeable on the transom pieces cut from the 1/32" sheet.  I have two theories about why this happened.  First, it could be related to how I had to save splines as polylines (details in one of my earlier updates).  Or it could be a result of vibrations.  I did nothing to hold the wood sheets onto the bed while they were being cut, so they may have been moved by vibrations from the machine.  Anyway, the wavy lines can be sanded down smooth, so I think it will be ok.

 

 

Finally, I noticed that the text labels on the pieces were cut very deep.  Fairing and reference lines were fine.  The issue with the text was a consequence of how I added the text.  In Inkscape, I added the text using a san serif font then used Inkscape's object to path tool to convert the text into vector graphics.  However, when they were engraved, the laser went over and over the text area to "fill in" the text, causing it to cut some or all the way through the wood.  Fortunately, it happens in small enough areas that the model won't be affected.  In the future, I should use simpler vector text.

 

 

[SardonicMeow]

Various pieces were sanded using their engraved fairing lines.

 

These two pieces were glued together and sanded down.  They fill the space under the counter.

 

 

A 1/16" x 1/16" rabbet strip was glued along the false keel.  (I jumped the gun and glued one of the bulkheads in place first.  I should have glued the rabbet strip first.)

 

[Tigersteve]

I think after you get the sekeleton of the model completed you should switch to a harder wood. 

Steve

[SardonicMeow]

3 hours ago, Tigersteve said:

I think after you get the sekeleton of the model completed you should switch to a harder wood.

What would you suggest?  I have already purchased basswood strips for the hull and deck planking.  But I'd appreciate suggestions for future projects, even if I'm already committed to what I have for this one.

 

[Overworked724]

Not sure if you need this advice but...Whatever you do...stay away from CA when doing your planking — like it’s the plague!  Only use white/carpenters glue so you can always correct a mistake. Water soluble glue is a life saver!!

 

I used basswood from Hobby Lobby to good effect. Harder woods aren’t as ‘thready’.  But I used Tung Oil and sanding with fine grain sandpaper to get a smooth finish on both the exterior and deck planking. 

 

Words of wisdom from a novice. 

[SardonicMeow]

On the false keel, the cutouts for the masts are simple notches.  The notches establish the forward and back angle, but do nothing to prevent side to side movement.

 

Let's go back to Fusion 360 and imagine a part that fits on either side of the mast to hold it in the correct position.  This is done in Fusion 360 by creating a little block and then subtracting the mast shape from it.  The block is sized to fill the space between the bulkheads, so it also acts as a filler block to reinforce the bulkheads.

 

 

A total of four pieces are designed, two per mast.

 

 

And then they are 3D printed.

 

 

Here are the pieces in place.  The dowels for the masts and bowsprit have been test-fit into their respective holes.  I also 3D printed the aft hatch opening.  It was created with a texture and painted to simulate the white wood paneling of the interior of the ship.  Also, at the point this picture was taken, I had glued on the stem piece.

 

 

Edited March 17, 2019 by SardonicMeow

[Overworked724]

Brilliant!  I would never have thought you would introduce 3D printing in this blog.  Wow!  You are taking the hobby to the 21st century!  Nicely done!

[SardonicMeow]

Assembly of the laser-cut pieces is complete (apart from the transom and rudder, which will be added later).  Some observations:

 

The keel ended up being a little short.  I added a little block at the end to fill in the missing material.  I think the error is from underestimating the thickness of the rabbet strip.  (You might also notice the garboard plank there.  I forgot to take a picture before that was added.)

Oops.  There is a little gap between the bow former on the starboard side and the first bulkhead.  I didn't notice the mistake until after the glue had dried.  The port side is fine.  I don't want to reglue the piece, so I'll just sand it down a little extra beyond the fairing line.

 

Note the reference marks on the pieces.  The upper marks indicate the bottom edge of the bulkheads.  The lower pair of marks indicate the run of the wale.

The corner of this transom piece sticks out too much and needs to be sanded down to match the curve of the hull.

And now to start the planking.  As I mentioned above, the garboard was added first.  The area below the bearding line was sanded down and as you can see in the first picture, the aft end of the garboard fits nicely and matches the thickness of the keel.

Next, I wanted to add the strakes which match up to the reference lines.  The Schooner Sultana book states that the hull planking is 2 1/2" thick, average 8" wide.  Scaled down to 1:64, the 1/8" x 1/16" strips I am using for the hull planking are reasonably to scale.

 

To match the curve of the bow, I wet the planks then bend them around a juice glass and allow them to dry.

And the strake below the bulwarks line is added.

For the wales I am using 1/8" x 1/8" strips instead of 1/8" x 1/16".  This will cause the wales to stand out above the surface of the hull.  The front of the strips is notched to fit into the rabbet.  (In hindsight, it may have been better to use a 1/8" x 1/16" strip here and add a second one on top of it later.  Bending the thicker strips was a challenge.)

The current state of the model.

 

[SardonicMeow]

Planking continues.

[TarponAbaco]

On 3/11/2019 at 10:30 PM, Overworked724 said:

Ok. Firstly I’m really amazed at how this short blog has changed my perspective. Really great to see the progression here, Peter. Amazing!!  I’m drooling!  

 

A couple questions. Where did you get the pieces cut?  Did your plans consider the type of wood you would use for your frames?  Are you going to build the Sultana?  I would love to this frame fully planked!  And if I get my hands on the plans and the know how to turn them into laser cut pieces I will begin building her (again) ASAP!  👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

Overworked724,

FYI. I'm on Ottawa Canada and we have laser cutters at our local public library.

 

Everyone, I've just found this site and the first page I noticed was this one about the Sultana! Lo and behold I have a solid hull Sultana partially finished sitting on a shelf. Perhaps this will provide me the initiative to finish it off! 

 

Thank you to Peter, the gentleman providing the prodding :-)

All the best,

TarponAbaco 

[SardonicMeow]

And more planking...  This is only my second time planking a hull, and it shows.

At the bow, things are getting a bit clinkered.  I think it will be ok after gap filling and sanding, especially since I plan to paint the hull.  The 1/8" x 1/16" strips I'm using are so thin already that not much spiling is possible.

Here's the ugly part, the stern.  Some of the planks broke while I was clamping them in place.  The others I haven't cut down because I'm uncertain about where to end them.  Also, it's a little hard to see here, but the wale strake should have been twisted much more back here.  I think I may end up sanding down the wale strake completely then glue a 1/8" x 1/16" strip on top.

[Overworked724]

I think you are doing a brilliant job, mate!  If you are going to paint the hull (which I think would be a sin when the work looks so clean), you may want to ensure you leave some grooves between the planks after you’ve sanded the hull. This will ensure the planks stand out even after paint. Think I saw someone do that after sanding but before sealing and painting. The effect was really authentic. 

 

Your stern is looking damned good, too!!

 

Pat

[SardonicMeow]

25 minutes ago, Overworked724 said:

you may want to ensure you leave some grooves between the planks after you’ve sanded the hull. This will ensure the planks stand out even after paint.

Yes, that's the look I'm hoping for.  Something like in the picture below.

[Overworked724]

Precisely!  Simulating that look is ideal.  But the two ways to achieve it are to bevel the edges of the planks before you lay them, or score the groove after planking/sanding...I think you’d be doing the latter. I was too nervous to try that when I first started the build for fear of making uneven or ragged grooves.  But as woodfiller is my new best friend, I think I would be more confident to try it now.  

 

Following with interest!

 

[lmagna]

I agree with Patrick, that your planking looks fine for the stage you are at this point. It will look much better when you have sanded it down. If you are going to add a second planking it will look even better. I think you are being far to critical of your own work much too soon.

[Overworked724]

55 minutes ago, lmagna said:

I agree with Patrick, that your planking looks fine for the stage you are at this point. It will look much better when you have sanded it down. If you are going to add a second planking it will look even better. I think you are being far to critical of your own work much too soon.

I agree with Lou. Speaking as someone who is constantly too hard on himself!!!

[SardonicMeow]

Almost there...

And done.

Hopefully, filler and sanding will take care of most of the imperfections.

 

[Overworked724]

Looking very very good!  

[Overworked724]

If I could do it over, I think I’d have made the scupper holes early...before I built up the planking to create the bulkheads. Part of my hesitation in putting in scuppers was that I had a strong suspicion I’d have wrecked my deck planking in the process. 

 

Just FYI in the event you wanted to put in authentic scuppers vs the ‘show’ scuppers. 

 

Watching with great interest!!!!

[SardonicMeow]

Using 1/16" x 1/16" strips, I have filled in part of the counter.  It's clear that I'll need some filler to patch the gap between the hull planks and the counter planks.

Next, I want to glue on the transom end pieces and then I will be able to fill in the remaining space.  My transom end pieces are three laser cut pieces, 1/32" thick, which bend easily.  The three pieces will be sandwiched together to form the transom shape with its recesses.

 

However, before I attach those pieces, I should put the windows in place.

Here are the window shapes in Fusion 360.

Panes for the windows are added.

And the shapes are extruded.

Saved and 3D printed.

The pieces are glued in and painted white.

And here is how it looks all assembled.

 

[SardonicMeow]

I ended up applying wood filler and sanding at this point.  First, I was worried that the rough handling during sanding might damage the transom pieces if I attached them first.  And second, I was just impatient to get the nice, smooth hull that I hoped for.

 

[Overworked724]

Stellar!

[SardonicMeow]

Attaching the transom.  The inner part first.

And the other two parts.  I painted ahead of time because it would be too difficult to get a brush into the recessed areas.

The pieces were attached in a staggered fashion so that the top surface would be horizontal.  This will allow the trim piece to sit properly on top.

The view from the back.  1/16" x 1/16" strips were added to fill in the remaining space.  A little more work is needed to smooth out the area just below the transom piece.

 

[SardonicMeow]

It's time to think about the deck.  Here is my foot, taking a very scientific measurement.  The deck planks, caulking included, are a little over two shoe lengths.  That's... um, (multiply by the scaling factor, carry the three), how wide?

 

Better yet, I'll consult the appendix in the Schooner Sultana book.  The appendix says the deck planks are 5 inches wide.  At 1:64 scale, that's about 2mm.  I'll be using 1/16" x 1/16" strip for the deck planks, which is close enough.

A few other things to note: the inner bulkwarks, transom, and other surfaces are painted red.  At all deck level changes, there is a white strip.  There is a deck plank along the center line, rather than planks on either side of the center line.

 

I have checked multiple pictures and confirmed that, even at the longest part, all deck planks are continuous; there are no breaks.  That means there will be no butt-shift pattern.

 

Lastly, note how thick and dark the caulking is.

I have added red paint where needed and white strips at the edges of each deck.  The white strips are 1/16" and the bulkheads they lay on are 1/8", so there is still enough surface for the ends of the deck planks to lay on.

I want to replicate the thick, dark caulking between the deck planks.  Imagine if I had strips of black plastic that were as thick as the decking strips and just wide enough to create a nice thick black line between planks.  About .4mm will do.

 

Anything I imagine I can model in Fusion 360.

And after loading black filament, it's 3D printed.

Starting to plank the deck.  My procedure is to cut some 1/16" x 1/16" strip to size, and cut some black plastic to match.  I add glue to the strip and put it almost in place, then carefully slip the plastic into the gap.  Then push the plank firmly into place.

 

The rough edge at the front will be filed down to a nice curve to accept the bulwarks, which will be added later.

The forecastle is done.  Starting to plank the main deck.

 

Edited April 1, 2019 by SardonicMeow