Medway Longboat 1742 by Diver - 1:24 Scale

[Diver]

I received my kit in the mail yesterday and am about to embark on my build.  On opening the kit it was discovered that the aft section of the build board had the end tab broken off.  No doubt this happened in shipping.  I have attempted a fix and will know tomorrow if it worked, and will then reinforce that area somehow.  I have started on the keel and discovered that an hour in the shop seems like 5 minutes.  Enjoying myself on my first ever build

[BobG]

Good luck with your build. It's a beautiful boat and you'll learn a lot. I've  learned a ton on my build although the rigging has slowed my progress down to a snail's pace. Take your time and enjoy the build. 

[JeffT]

Have fun with the build!

[Diver]

Thanks for the support.  I have a question about gluing.   Do you try and squeeze it out of the container onto the area, or do you squeeze it onto something and use a tooth pick or some apparatus and dab a small amount on?   The only bottle of Titebond II that I could source is quite large and my first attempt ended up with a bit off a mess.  I cleaned up and then glued my keel assembly

[VTHokiEE]

I bought some syringes (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01HFTYINS/) to get a little more precise with my glue application.

[BobG]

3 hours ago, Diver said:

I have a question about gluing.   Do you try and squeeze it out of the container onto the area, or do you squeeze it onto something and use a tooth pick or some apparatus and dab a small amount on? 

You do not want to simply squeeze the glue form the bottle. It dispenses way too much glue. I find that it's best to use small, carefully placed amounts of glue exactly where you want it. For example, squeeze a small amount of glue onto a piece of wax paper and use a toothpick to carefully apply the glue to where you want it. This is just one example but the idea is to apply the glue carefully so you don't get a lot of excess squeezing out that you have to clean up after you glue your pieces together. Some people like to use syringes for application. 

 

It's handy to have a small, damp piece of rag available to wipe up any excess glue before it starts to set. You can also clean up excess glue like Titebond with something pointed like a dental tool or the tip of an Xacto blade once the clue has begun to set. Just carefully scrape it off.

Edited March 13, 2020 by BobG

[Diver]

I started on the keel assembly today.  I would not be very successful if it were not for the Medway Group project.  The hints and tips and the photos are of the upmost help. Bravo Zulu to Chuck for an excellent kit, and build instructions.  I will assemble the less detailed keel on my next day off so I can do a comparison on the rabbet etc.

[BobG]

Nice start to your build. 

[Chuck]

Nicely done.  Just remember to go slow and have fun.

[Diver]

Thanks to Chuck and Bob .  I have question about the Wipe on Poly.  I work in a hardware store and we have 2 Wipe on Poly.  One is a satin, and the other is a clear.  Any suggestions on which one to use.

 

[Chuck]

satin.....do not use the glossy one.  the can is usually gold in color.

 

And also....dont forget to sand off that laser char.   In your photos it looks like you havent done that at all yet.

 

Chuck

[Diver]

Thanks Chuck.  I had not sanded of the char when the photos were taken, but that has been done now.  

[Diver]

I have a question.  I am prepping the frames to go in the keel and build-board.  When I place frame H in the build-board with the letter facing forward, it kicks the keel up of the build board about 3/16ths inch. If I turn the frame around the keel with transom sits down on the board.  I have all ready glued the small support pieces the the frame.  What should I do?  Thanks in advance from the Newbie.

 

[Ryland Craze]

Sounds like the frame is not setting in the slots properly.  3/16ths of an inch is quite a difference.  Is there a gap between frame H and the build board when it is inserted with the letter forward?  Posting a picture would help to figure out why this is happening.

[Diver]

Here are some pictures showing my issue.

[BobG]

I'm looking at your photos but I still can't seem to see and understand what the problem is? Can you get some good light on the area you are concerned about and get then get a close up photo or get a photo and enlarge it so we can better see the problem? 

[Diver]

37 minutes ago, BobG said:

I'm looking at your photos but I still can't seem to see and understand what the problem is? Can you get some good light on the area you are concerned about and get then get a close up photo or get a photo and enlarge it so we can better see the problem? 

Hello Bob.  In the second picture the frame is installed with the H forward, and the transom is off the board.  In the third picture I have reversed the frame, the H is visible and the transom is in contact with the board.  I t is very confusing as the frame does not appear to be bent or warped.

[BobG]

10 minutes ago, Diver said:

Hello Bob.  In the second picture the frame is installed with the H forward, and the transom is off the board.  In the third picture I have reversed the frame, the H is visible and the transom is in contact with the board.  I t is very confusing as the frame does not appear to be bent or warped.

Hmmm...that's kind of strange... I'm not sure why that would happen. Maybe Chuck will chime in with some thoughts...

[Diver]

29 minutes ago, BobG said:

Hmmm...that's kind of strange... I'm not sure why that would happen. Maybe Chuck will chime in with some thoughts...

Hello again.  Maybe I am overthinking this.  I just looked at Chucks build, and the transom is not touching the board.  I can not tell from his pictures if the stem is touching the board.  On mine the stem does not touch the board once the H  frame is installed.   I am finding this very relaxing and enjoyable.  

[BobG]

One thing I would encourage you to do is to extend the tape on the bottom of the build board from end to end so that the bottom of the frames have something sticky to adhere to and help hold them down while you work on the hull. Or you could simply put a small piece of tape at the bottom of each frame to help keep them seated too.  At one point during the planking process on my build I noticed that a couple of frames nearest the bow had lifted a bit. It probably occurred during all the handling and manipulating I did at times while planking. It didn't seem to create a big problem for me but I did notice that, when I carefully sighted down the keel on the interior, there seemed to be a very slight twist to the port side at the stem. Not sure if the frames lifting caused that but it may have. No one but me would ever notice it because it is so slight but I think keeping the frames fully seated would be best.

Edited March 19, 2020 by BobG

[Chuck]

It looks fine.  Just get more frames built and tested in place.  For example...all of the one piece frames on both sides.  I am also unsure what you issue is.   It doesnt look like you have any frames installed on the aft side so its impossible to tell.

[Ryland Craze]

13 hours ago, Diver said:

Maybe I am overthinking this.

Diver, you are off to a good start. I agree with Chuck in that you need more frames installed on both ends of the build board.  I would complete all of the frames and install them onto your build board.  The you can start tweeking the frames to get them to set properly in the keel slots.  I used blue painter's tape to hold the frames to the build board as there is some slight side to side adjustment built into the frame slot.  The design of this kit almost insures that everything will fit just fine.

[BobG]

1 hour ago, Ryland Craze said:

I agree with Chuck in that you need more frames installed on both ends of the build board.

Good advice from Ryland and Chuck. I placed all of the frames into the stern half of the build board and then tested the fit with the keel and then did the same for the bow half of the build board. Then I test fitted the keel on all of the frames at once. You can see where you need to tweak the frame placements this way. I needed to make some minor adjustments to a few slots in the keel near the bow to get the keel to sit down more uniformly in that area. Once you get everything lined up nicely then you can go ahead and glue the keel in place but practice this procedure to get the hang of placing the keel in place before actually doing your final gluing. 

[Chuck]

Just follow the same procedures as explained in the instructions and you will be fine....

[Diver]

On 3/19/2020 at 11:38 AM, Ryland Craze said:

Diver, you are off to a good start. I agree with Chuck in that you need more frames installed on both ends of the build board.  I would complete all of the frames and install them onto your build board.  The you can start tweeking the frames to get them to set properly in the keel slots.  I used blue painter's tape to hold the frames to the build board as there is some slight side to side adjustment built into the frame slot.  The design of this kit almost insures that everything will fit just fine.

Thanks for the advise.  I will assemble all the frames and then see where I am at.  Being new to this I am probable being over cautious.  

 

[Diver]

Thanks everybody for the tips and support.  I have been looking for a problem that did not exist.  I am assembling all the frames and test fitting them in the board and the keel.  All is going well.

[BobG]

2 hours ago, Diver said:

Being new to this I am probable being over cautious.  

I'm in the same boat with you. I try and follow the directions carefully but still feel uncertain that I'm doing something correctly. We just have to gather as much information that we can without over doing it to the point of paralysis and then go ahead and give it your best shot. Most mistakes, if the aren't fundamentally egregious, can be fixed or done over. I'm currently flying by the seat of my pants doing the rigging on this boat but, little by little, I'm figuring it out and when it doesn't look good to me, well then...snip, snip...and I do it again!

Edited March 21, 2020 by BobG

[Diver]

24 minutes ago, BobG said:

I'm in the same boat with you. I try and follow the directions carefully but still feel uncertain that I'm doing something correctly. We just have to gather as much information that we without over doing it to the point of paralysis and then go ahead and give it your best shot. Most mistakes, if the aren't fundamentally egregious, can be fixed or done over. I'm currently flying by the seat of my pants doing the rigging on this boat but, little by little, I'm figuring it out and when it doesn't look good to me, well then...snip, snip...and I do it again!

Thanks Bob .  This kit is excellent and the instructions given by Chuck and some of the more experienced builders are of great value.   I really enjoy my time in the shop and do not want to make an mistake that I can not correct.  When in doubt I will ask questions on the site before gluing.  

[Diver]

A quick question.  I have installed all the frames in the board and when I dry fitted the keel, I discovered the keel has a slight bend in it.  What is the best way to straighten it?  I wonder if the change in humidity caused this.

[Chuck]

Make sure all of your frames are facing the correct way.  Usually that happens when folks have some the wrong direction.  Hard to say unless you post pics.