Rattlesnake by JSGerson - FINISHED - Mamoli - 1:64 - Using Robert Hunt’s practicum

[Martin W]

If the gunport lids gave you a headache, you'd better stock up on aspirin when you're working on the head.  Every single piece has to be cut individually (Bob makes it look very, very easy).  All the plans also show a seat of ease and a kind of hatch-work that I would still like to put in, but can't figure out how to accommodate the curve of the head rails.  Good luck!

 

Martin

[JSGerson]

Thanks for the, ahem, encouragement.

 

I have some images from Model Ship World 1.0 when Pasi Ahopelto had a running build log. He was following the Hahn's plans directly so his model was 1/4" = 1'. It was a wonderful log and a beautiful build but unfortunately when MSW 1.0 died, so did his build log. I however, in my infinite wisdom, had copied all of his images before this happened. Here for your use are his images on how he built the head rails.

 

[JSGerson]

A few more images

[JSGerson]

Found a few more. Sorry there not in order. I hope these help.

 

And thank you Pasi Ahopelto

[JSGerson]

Head Rails

According to the Practicum, I've come to “one of the most difficult areas of the ship model.” Don’t you just love that kind of encouragement? The first things to make are the cheek rails, a set of upper and lower rails starting from the wale area and working their way onto the stem. They are made in two parts: the wale component and the stem component. The first template was made for the top wale components from the Hahn plans, rubber cemented to 3/32” x ¼” boxwood, and cut out with the scroll saw. These pieces have a molding on their edge. Mr. Hunt stated that he used a #10 Exacto blade to form them. I don’t know how he did carve them that way. I used the razor blade method as I did on the other moldings. Let me tell you, cutting the razor blade was easy; cutting the razor blade with precision was not. I used an X-Y table on my Dremel “drill press” with the cutting discs attached to the Dremel held horizontal and the razor blade mounted vertical. I then could move the razor blade precisely. My first molding attempt worked but I was not satisfied. I made three grooves in the wood instead of two as shown and felt they didn't stand out very well. My second attempt was a disaster. Because the wale cheek has a wavy surface, drawing it across the razor blade was difficult especially because the piece was so small. Normally when making a molding, you work with a long straight strip and you a pulling with the grain of the wood. With the cheeks the pieces are very short and the grain changes due to the curvy shape of the wood.

 

The stem component was supposed to be made from 1/8” x ½” boxwood but since the wood package did not come with this size, Mr. Hunt stated in the Practicum to glue two piece of 1/8” x ¼” to make it. I found this to be unsatisfactory. The stem cheek rails are slender and they will have to be carved not only with a molding but a design as well. I was afraid that in the process of hand carving the pieces, I could break the fragile glue joints. Therefore I ordered a 1/8” x ½” boxwood package from HobbyMill which consisted of two 24” pieces. I should have plenty of wood in about a week’s time should I screw up.

 

Basically I accomplished nothing this week. To make matters worse I wanted to try using cutter bits (like what the dentist uses) but I've misplaced mine and wasted a bunch of time looking for them. No luck so far. Then the video card on my computer died. I was able to cannibalize an old card from a dead computer but now the image stretches to fill the 9x16 aspect ratio screen. Sometimes it just doesn't pay to get out of bed.

[Martin W]

JSG -- Thanks for posting those photos from Pasi's build.  I do remember that I followed his log closely, and now wonder where he's gone.

 

As for the molding on the rails, I pretty much followed Bob's procedure and found that in some ways it was easier than the razor blade method -- you're right on when you say that cutting the razor is easy, but cutting it just exactly right is HARD.  I simply drew my lines on the piece of stock with a very fine pencil, then began cutting with the exacto, starting with a superficial cut, since those cross grains will tend to draw the blade off the mark.  And then I drew the blade over the cut again and again till I had enough of a groove that I could begin refining it by scraping the sides.  That's a technique I learned from Bill Short's carving practicum, and I found that it provides a good amount of control, as long as you go slowly and breathe regularly.

 

I'll be looking at those photos many times -- I wish I'd had your foresight to save them so I could have studied them while doing the rails & head.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[JSGerson]

Thanks for the carving tip. I'm going to attempt another technique I made up first and will let you know its results.

 

Glad I could provide those photos of Pasi's build. I have all of them that he posted should you need them.

 

As a side note, I bought a new computer Saturday because of the problems I reported earlier. I didn't want to sink money into an older computer. But as it turned out on Sunday, I finally got the computer working properly and returned the new one Monday. As much as I would have like to have a new computer, that's $1,000 I didn't have to spend. Maybe next year.

[JSGerson]

New week. - The upper wale cheeks were first made out of card stock then transferred to the 3/32” x ¼” boxwood.

[JSGerson]

I made a new rig to create the moldings. Using one of my globe “dental drill bits” that I bought from Livesay’s when I was carving the transom ornaments a while back, in my rotary tool, the tool was inserted it into the rotary tool “drill press.“

[JSGerson]

The idea was to make a router-like set-up without using a router bit. As shown in the diagrams below, if I set up the piece to be cut directly on the drill table, the bit doesn’t bite into the wood. The shaft blocks the bit from touching the wood. However, if the work surface is tilted then the bit can cut the wood. Additionally, by moving the work surface left or right using the x-y table, the bit can be adjusted up and down relative to the work surface due to the wedge. The wood is then ”routed” by hand. With a little experimenting and practice it seemed to work.

 

NOTE: I have a new pocket camera (Cannon SX160 IS) with a terrific built-in macro capability. Now I can show you my screw ups in excruciating detail!

[Martin W]

That's a very intriguing set up, and the results are impressive.  I'm going to have to study your photo to see how I might replicate the arrangement.

 

And congrats on the new camera.  I keep telling myself to invest in something better -- and I spilled beer all over my Coolpix this weekend, so maybe now's the time.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[sport29652]

Your improvised router table seems to be doing the trick! I'll have to copy this down the road on my build

[JSGerson]

Glad to have shared the idea.

 

The only other tiny shapes I have are the cone and tapered cylinder. Now if I can only find actual itty bitty router bits to do corners and fancy edges, we could really do some fancy stuff!

[JSGerson]

The upper stem cheek was fabricated the same way as the wale cheek using a card stock template rubber cemented to the 1/8” x ½” boxwood I purchased from HobbyMill. Using my “router” setup, two grooves were cut about 1/3 the length of the lower portion of the cheek so as to continue the grooves on the stem cheek. Most of the remaining area was carved with a chevron design as shown by the Practicum. The Hahn plans don’t show a good image of what it really is supposed to look like. The tip of the stem cheek is formed into a scroll to match the stem shape. 

[Martin W]

Nice work.  I can't help being impressed by the dispatch with which you advance.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[JSGerson]

It's easy when you're a life long bachelor, forced into retirement (I got laid off just as I turned 66. I had planned to work till I was 67), no commitments, no dependents ( if you don't count the cat), and all the time in the world to do what ever. Actually I only put in a few hours a day, sometimes none, and others I just contemplating the sequence of actions needed to perform a particular task with no actual physical work done. Some might call that day dreaming!

 

I've accomplished more in the last 12 months due to the "retirement" than I did in the four years prior. Yeah, I've been at it about 5 years. Looking at what needs to be accomplished for the masts, yards, and rigging I'm guessing another 2 years and that no including finishing the hull. At the rate I'm going, I figure I've got one more boat in me to complete and that's the Conny. After that I'll probably be half blind, feeble, no patience, and yelling at kids "get off the lawn."

[sport29652]

"and yelling at kids "get off the lawn." I look forward to time in my life not only that but passing gas in line at the grocery store without flinching or any signs of embarrassment

[Martin W]

I can't say that I yell at the kids, because their parents usually hustle them indoors when I bang my finger with a hammer or something and let out a few sailor-type expletives.  As as for the gas, ahem, I worry increasingly that I might have reached that stage.

 

And I don't know how many builds I have in me.  When I look over my skills, I hope I have enough builds to get at least one where I notice something other than flaws, mistakes, total screwups.  But I worry that buying tools, wood, nice rigging might be anticipating a longer modelling career than I actually will have.  But who cares -- it's fun and a lot safer than using a full-sized table saw to cut plywood sheets (which I actually spent the weekend doing).  And as long as the cat doesn't complain, you've got every right.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[JSGerson]

The two pieces that made up the lower cheek were constructed in the same manner as the upper cheek except the carving on the stem piece was different. In addition the wolf carvings and the masthead, made at the time the transom carving was done, were installed as well.

[Martin W]

Nicely done, JSG.  The figurehead has some good detail, and I like the fact that you found some way to fill in the gap between the running fox (NOT a wolf!!!) and curlicue supporting the figurehead's foot.

 

Bravo!

 

Martin

[JSGerson]

If you look closely at Hahn's plan, you can see remnants of the carving design on the lower cheek (I couldn't on the upper). What I interpreted was some of the same carvings that were on the transom hence my "fancy" carving. My apologies for calling the fox a wolf. Who could tell from my carving? I could have called it a dog!

[sport29652]

JSG, your work is great really like what you have done so far, I am going to hpoefully reproduce some of your efforts !

[JSGerson]

Flattery will get you everywhere!

 

Jon 

[Martin W]

Actually, I didn't know you had called it a wolf.  I remember Bob Hunt calling it that, which makes no sense, because it's a standard emblem taken from hunt & ecclesiastical design, neither of which would ever have a wolf.

 

And I've looked at that detail in Hahn's plan, it's just that I haven't figured out what to squeeze into that VERY narrow space.

 

I'm off to my own shipyard!

 

Cheers, and will be looking forward to seeing more of your progress,

 

Martin

[sport29652]

Martin, do you have a build I would love to see it ?

[JSGerson]

Hawse Port Reinforcement Boards

This is a real simple item to construct. Using the last of my wood package’s 1/32” x 3/16” boxwood (I hope I don’t need anymore) two pieces were cut to size per side. One end of each piece was “rounded” and dry fitted for any alignments. They were then glued one on top of the other directly above the wale and against the stem. A 3/32” hole was drilled right through the hull and bulwarks near the outer end of the shorter board piece. A coat of Poly-wipe was then applied.

[Martin W]

JSG -- I hope you don't mind if I respond to Sport briefly:  Yes, i do have a build and a much-neglected log somewhere.  I'm struggling through the rigging, but since I only get about an hour each night to work on it, I haven't posted very many photos.  I've followed the same practicum as JSG, but have departed from it once starting the rigging.

 

Now back to THIS build:  You're right that those hawse holes & pieces are fairly easy and straightforward.  And what a relief, too, after all that tricky stuff.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[JSGerson]

I don't mind a bit, in fact I encourage it.

 

I may be working on a tricky part now, the head rails, but as I think I mentioned before, I am very apprehensive when it comes time to work on the masts, yards, and rigging. So I am following a lot of people, including you Martin, on this part of the model construction. I have the luxury of time being unemployed/retired (depending whom I'm talking to) to work  pursue my hobby more than an hour a day. So take your time Martin just so long as you document it, so I can learn from it. 8-)

 

Jon

[Martin W]

Thanks Jon.  I'll try to post some photos, along with the notes I've been taking on thread diameters and so on.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[JSGerson]

Back to the Head Rails

 

When viewed from the side, the head rail forms a sweeping arc from the bow to the tip of the stem. From the top it is straight and tapers toward the stem. None of the plans from Harold Hahn, Mamoli, or Model Shipways shows the head’s true full scale shape. All of them either show a top down view or an elevation (side) view. The rail is foreshortened in the elevation view. The Practicum tries to address this by having you reduce Mr. Hahn’s plan 90% instead of the 72% or 75% as before in order to increase the size so the template would properly fit.

 

My 3 in 1 home copier/scanner/printer cannot do reductions or enlargements so that option was out. Even if I could, I wouldn't do it this way. Yes, you may get the proper length, but now the height would be larger as well.

 

While I was still employed (up until this time last year) and still had access to my company’s copier, I made a number of piece-meal legal size copies of the reduced version of Han’s plans so that I could cut them up to make templates without ruining the original reduction version. Using one of those copies I scanned the bow section into the computer. On the scanned image I drew a line (red) on the rail in the top view. This was the true length of the rail. This line was copied, rotated till it was horizontal and placed on a second copy of the scanned image. The second scanned image was then stretched horizontally until the elevated view length of the rail matched the horizontal red line. Now I had a true length of the rail without any vertical distortion to be used as a template. You can see how much longer the rail is when compared to the green reference lines.