Medway Longboat 1742 by Nunnehi - FINISHED

[Chuck]

That looks fantastic.  You are almost done.
 

[Nunnehi (Don)]

Thanks, Chuck, I really appreciate it. This project has really stretched my skill set with a number of firsts and I’m really enjoying it. I’m making a list and will post later but one example is using art tape to simulate iron bands - I would have never thought of that. 

 

By the way, are you going to re-open your store soon? I really want one of your serving machines and need some other stuff. 

 

Don

[Chuck]

Hopefully tomorrow will be the last day of jury duty.  The trial cant drag on much longer.

[BobG]

You're getting close to completing her, Don, and she's looking great!

 

I finally got all the thwarts in and the metal work done that holds the mast. I also painted the knees and got them installed. Then I hand made the roller and glued it in and assembled the fixed block at the stem and glued it in place. All those thing went pretty well for me.

 

Then I shaved the mast into an octagon and mounted it in my electric hand drill just like you did to taper it. I had to control the wobble like you did as well but I finally got a nice taper from 3/8" to 1/8". However, when I test fit it on my boat I had a very noticeable gap between the thwart and the metal ring...oops! I realized that I simply tapered the mast from one end to the other without taking into consideration that the section from the floor boards to the thwart needed to stay 3/8" in order to get a tight fit between the thwart and the metal band. I wasn't quite sure what to do short of ordering another piece of Alaskan cedar from Chuck and do it again.

 

After sleeping on it for a night I decided to try and fix the mast. I had used a small modeler's plane to shape the mast from a square into an octagon and had saved had the curled shavings. So I decided to try and wrap those shavings around the bottom portion of the mast while gluing them in place with CA. It went pretty well. Then I began carefully sanding it after the glue hardened making sure I kept the bottom portion up to the thwart at 3/8". That went well also but there were obvious tiny flaws and small chips that would be even more apparent once it was painted. So I sprayed that section with several coats of filler primer and then filled the remaining flaws with Elmer's Wood Filler and carefully sanded the section with 220 and 400 sandpaper. It turned out great...smooth as a baby's bottom. I'm painting it now and it looks really good.

 

I'm waiting for an order from MicroMart for some Doc O'Brien's Weathering Powders that Chuck used on the rudder hinges and the grapnel and I'm going to order a block buster from Model Shipways too. I had no idea they had such a thing until I read it in your log. 

 

A couple of questions: Did you notice that Chuck has parrel beads for the gaff? I have no idea how to make those or what size beads I would need for them to be in scale. Also, did you hand make all the hooks and deadeyes? I've never made anything like that so it will be challenging for me. And lastly, how did you end up making the mast bands?

 

Even though this is certainly about as simple as rigging gets compared to the spider webs of those square rigged ships, it's all new going for me. Stropping and all those knots...I have no idea yet...?? Did you make thimbles like Chuck did for the single blocks?

 

Good luck on the circular breathing. Keep at it, you will eventually get there!

 

Bob 

 

 

 

  

[Nunnehi (Don)]

Bob,

 

Great save on the mast! I’m going to keep that one in my “save for future reference” file! 

 

The jury is still out out on the block buster, I tried it but was not completely happy so wound up finishing the deadeyes by hand - more to come on that. 

 

On the parrel beads, my kit included them - wouldn’t have a clue about how to make them although they look a lot like beads my Boy Scouts use to make Native American beadwork. 

 

Yes, I made the hooks and eyebolts from the wire included in the kit. I mounted a small drill bit in my bench vice and wound the wire around it to create the eye, then snipped it off with some spru cutters and finished shaping with pliers I use for bending photo etch. Not as pretty as Chucks but it worked. 

 

The mast bands are art tape that I picked up at a local Hobby Lobby. It comes in several widths and a couple of different finishes. This was a first for me and it worked great - I just wound it around until the thickness looked right to me. 

 

I’m experimenting with making the thimbles. I keep a stock of brass tubing for other projects but was unsure how to cut it small enough without flinging it off into the carpet monster. The solution was to mount it in me vice and cut it with a razor saw. I then used a punch to flare per Chucks instructions. 

 

Don

 

 

[BobG]

Thanks so much, Don, for the detailed information and photos. I'm swimming along in your wake and am staying afloat from the ideas I'm gleaning from your build log!

 

My idea to of using the curled shavings on the mast to enlarge the base a bit came to me when I remembered reading a build log where the author had made wooden mast rings by laminating shavings together around something that was the diameter he needed for the rings. Then he just finished them off with a hard, clear finish. They looked great so I thought maybe I could use my shavings in a somewhat similar way to save the mast.

 

I just finished shaping the boom completely by hand and that took a while. I couldn't figure out a way use my electric drill to shape it since it was tapered from both ends to the middle. So after making an octagon I just started sanding by hand. It turned out well but I think I figured out a way that I could have used my drill to make it go faster but the idea came too late!

 

Were the ball trucks you got in your kit quite a bit smaller in diameter than they are on the plans? I think they may have been drawn to big on the plans because the size I got looks pretty natural for the mast.

 

Oh, I found the parrel beads hiding in the bag with the blocks. I guess I need to learn to take inventory more carefully!

 

All the best,

Bob 

 

 

[Nunnehi (Don)]

After a bit of a timeout working on another project, have jumped back into the Longboat and hope to get her finished in the next week or so. This is my first time rigging at this scale and there’s more than one goof but am learning a lot. 

 

Don

[BobG]

It's nice to see you back working on your longboat, Don, and it's looking great. I was really apprehensive about my first go at rigging but it turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the entire build. The finish line is in sight for you!

[Nunnehi (Don)]

Have pretty much finished the Medway Longboat with the exception of some trimming and a bit of touch up painting. This has been a real learning experience overall and I’ve done several things for the first time, but with Chucks excellent tutorial and the many posts in this group, I think it’s been successful. A special thanks to BobG for his wonderful posts and encouragement - that helped a lot. 

 

Don

[BobG]

Beautiful, Don! Congratulations, she's gorgeous. I agree with you about learning so much in building this boat and I appreciate the high quality of the Syren kit even more now that I grappling my way through the AL Pen Duick. 

 

Wow, you've completed two big builds with the Calypso and the Medway Longboat in the span of a couple of weeks. You're on a roll and it looks like you tipped your hand as to what you'll be building next. Man, the Winnie is BIG. I don't think I'm brave enough to attempt her yet with my mediocre skills.

 

I look forward to seeing you build the Winnie if that is indeed your next project.

 

Be sure to edit your build log title and put "FINISHED" on the end of it. There are a lot of Medway Longboat build logs but only a few that are finished and yours is one of them now. I hope we see more.

 

Best regards, 

[JpR62]

Superb ! What a magnificent Longboat model. You have done a very nice job.

I wish you much pleasure with the frigate Winchelsea. I will follow your progress carefully.

[Chuck]

really nice work.....I am glad you enjoyed the project.   You did an exceptional job on it!!!

[Nunnehi (Don)]

Thank you Jean-Paul and Chuck, I really appreciate the kind words and it means a lot!

 

Chuck, got the order I placed recently in just a couple of days after you shipped it - have been following your shipping challenges, but no problems here in the wilderness of northern Alabama. Will be starting a Winnie build log shortly. 

 

Thanks again,

Don

[Ryland Craze]

Don,

 

Congratulations on completing your Longboat.  You did a great job on building it and I look forward to following your Winchelsea build.

[Nunnehi (Don)]

Thank you Jean-Paul and Chuck, I really appreciate the kind words and it means a lot!

 

Chuck, got the order I placed recently in just a couple of days after you shipped it - have been following your shipping challenges, but no problems here in the wilderness of northern Alabama. Will be starting a Winnie build log shortly. 

 

Thanks again,

Don

[Nunnehi (Don)]

Thanks, Ryland, and thanks for all the likes! I wish I lived close enough to Hampton Roads to meet with y’all - I think I’ve met some of your members at the Mariners Museum. There’s only a couple of other people who do this kind of stuff around Birmingham. 

 

Don