Pride of Baltimore II by stevenmh - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:64

[stevenmh]

Having finished my slightly kit-bashed cross section of the Constitution, which I really enjoyed doing and swore that's the only life for me... I thought I should still learn how to plank a hull.  I had already purchased this kit and figured I could learn much and then either go on the more full ships or find more cross sections to build.  As soon as I started the mistakes began and continued to pile up, which is why, even though the project started last winter, the build-log did not.  But now that the planking is a real mess I figured I'd reveal all and, if nothing else, provide a greatest hits of what not to do.  And prove the old adage correct - when all else fails, read the directions (or at least read others' books, practicums, instruction manuals)

[stevenmh]

So lessons learned as demonstrated by the above photos:

1 - when taking photos of the early stages of a planking job, and particularly before you've started sanding, never place your lighting source directly above the hull.  Makes every irregularity jump out in high relief.

2 - I tried 2 different ways to determine the dimensions and shape of the planks -

      a) scribing the shape of one side from the shape of the edge of the preceding plank with an old architectural compass and then adding the width of the plank at each bulkhead to get the line for the upper edge;

      b) assuming the edge of the previous plank is straight and measuring up from that line to the correct width at each bulkhead.

 

I used method "a" for the first band below the wales and found it very difficult since it meant that both edges of the plank would need to be trimmed and tapered, and my cutting skills with an Xacto knife and metal straight-edge were not really up to the task; it also meant that one mistake in cutting accurately got amplified with each succeeding course of planks.

 

So I went with method "b" (and an excess of glue, as you can see).

 

Oh, and I made sure the task light was off to the side when I took the photos, not above the model.  

[stevenmh]

Two planks left to go on the starboard side:

One Plank left - uh, Houston, we have a problem:

Brain trust work around:

Mission Accomplished!??

[ccoyle]

Filling and sanding covers a multitude of modeling sins.

[Brewerpaul]

To my uneducated eye, that looks good so far. Based on your Constitution cross section, I'm betting the Pride will turn out excellent too.

I'm following your path. I recently resurrected a Constitution cross that I started over 20 years ago and resumed work,using it as a practice model.

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/23152-uss-constitution-cross-section-by-brewerpaul-aka-paul-busman-mamoli-scale-193-first-wooden-ship-model/

 

We moved to Maryland a few years back and I became interested in Baltimore clippers. I just received a partially built kit of the POB from eBay that I got for $50 plus shipping. The keel and bulkheads are in place and look pretty square. I'll have a ton of questions once I start that kit, but it will be a while in the future for sure.  In the meantime, I'll be watching your Pride.

[BobG]

I hope you are still making progress on your Pride of Baltimore. She has such beautiful lines and is one of America's most beautiful sailing ships in my opinion. I know you wish that the planking was tighter and smoother but, since the hull will be painted, you can still obtain a nice, smooth hull to paint by using some wood filler and sanding carefully. Don't give up on her; she's a beauty!

 

Bob

[stevenmh]

Thanks to you both for the timely encouragement.  I actually never quite gave up the ship, but have been frustrated with my efforts.  Even when I felt I had measured thrice and then again before cutting or gluing, the results have been problematic.  Often, as with the hull planking, I did not realize things were off until much later when the mistakes mounted up.

 

For instance, blocking out where the coamings would go - looks ok to the eye, but eventually when I did the deck planking I noticed there were places where the tops of the blocking was not exactly level with the bulkheads, so the planks, especially  where there were joints, would have a dip in them.

The coamings themselves - despite measuring several times from the center bulkhead former - sometimes ended up being off center and more often than not were not square.  I had debated whether to build them first off the model or to jut cut the lengths and glue the parts directly on the model.  I chose the latter, but next time will try to make them off the boat first, make sure they are really really square and glue the complete parts in place.

 

This flaw became highly visible when laying down the deck planks.

On the other hand, some of the wood working I'm pretty proud of:

At any rate, here is where things stand now, deck is done and now it is time to run through a bunch of sandpaper and wood filler, then on to the bulwarks and waterline.

 

[stevenmh]

While waiting for my tons of wood filler to dry and be sanded and dry and be sanded ... I decided I really did not like the way the stern looked, so here is my first try at re-inventing it.  I will need to trim and paint a bit more, but am first going to glue on the side fashion pieces.

 

Original attempt

2nd try - the walnut planks (left over from my Constitution) will be poly'd to look more like mahogany)

[stevenmh]

I'm sure there are easier ways to make square corners for the deck structures, but I'm not sure exactly how...

[Brewerpaul]

On 8/28/2019 at 6:32 PM, ccoyle said:

Filling and sanding covers a multitude of modeling sins.

What kind of filler is used for this?

[stevenmh]

I used Minwax stainable wood filler, which was easily painted over.  If you are not going to paint you might need to find a filler that matches the color of the wood.  I think Elmers makes filler of different colors.

[stevenmh]

Some good progress recently - finished staining any poly'g the deck and touching up some of the red paint.  Painted the hull (actually I just watched, the Admiral was bored enough during this lock-down to tackle that task).  Finished reconstructing the stern and started on the hatches and deck fixtures.  I will wait to finish those before installing the bulwarks.

 

About time to transfer operations from the winter dungeon to summer quarters in the unheated, but window-filled garage!

 

[stevenmh]

Much more work than posting over the past few months.  I decided to strip the boat of many of its OSHA/USCG inspired deck features and keep just those that straddled the centerline.  I also painted the doubled portions of the masts, between the caps and the tops black, 'cause I like the look.  The Admiral likes the way the ship's boat looks with just a coat of poly on it, so it will not be painted, although I will probably cover it with a tarp.

 

Rigging the bowsprit/jib boom has been a challenge - lots of small deadeyes crammed into a very small space.  One thing that vexes me is trying to keep the deadeyes - especially those for the mast shrouds - from twisting so that once rigged the upper and lower deadeyes are not always facing the exact same way.  Any ideas would be most welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by stevenmh

[Gregory]

19 minutes ago, stevenmh said:

Any ideas would be most welcome.

If they are twisting, it is because the shroud or lanyard is trying to find a rest position that it was forced out of when it was laid up..

 

You have to make sure both are hanging untwisted naturally before seizing them..

[BobG]

She's coming along nicely, Steve. She'll be a beauty when you're done.

[stevenmh]

Thanks Bob.

 

Spars all painted and stained, now for the blocks and footropes and on to rigging!

 

 

[stevenmh]

Finished with the ship's boat - decided to make a cover for it and not try the interior detail.  The cover is made from a piece of fine-woven cloth glued to the blank side of a white index card cut to size with a piece of string embedded to model tie-down ropes.  This worked pretty well when I made hanging hammocks for the berth deck of my Constitution cross-section and I think came out pretty well on this boat.

The cleats on the side of the cradle were home-made - from this angle at least they look serviceable.  

 

 

 

Now onto rigging the spares, which is usually fun, although I think things will get a bit crowded.  Given the placement of some of the blocks hooked into the eyebolts on the deck - especially the fore running backstays, I probably shoulda rigged those before tying down the ship's boat...

 

 

[stevenmh]

Well, it's been forever since I updated this log - lack of entries does not mean lack of work, as I can report that except for some paint touch-up, rope loops and finishing touches on the base, the Pride is finally finished! - Only took 2 years!??!???

 

Since this is going on a narrow shelf, I figured out which was the "good" side of the hull and braced the yards hard over.  If I do this on another model I will keep the yards square until I lay on all the rigging, then brace them around - it was tough keeping straight which lines should stay in front of the yards and which should go behind.

 

 

 

 

When I rigged the running rigging for the jib and headsails I included the sheets - probably not quite in the right places, but it did make the rigging more interesting.

 

 

Close up of a block with a hook

 

Final product

 

 

 

[BobG]

Great looking model, Steve! I have this model on the shelf and have always thought she has such beautiful lines.

[stevenmh]

Thanks Bob and all the likes. It looked a bit rough there for a while, but finished up nice. 

[Brewerpaul]

That's a really nice build! I hope mine comes out as nice.

[BobG]

7 hours ago, Brewerpaul said:

That's a really nice build! I hope mine comes out as nice.

Are you making a build log, Paul?