US Brig Syren by WalrusGuy - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Scale 1:64 - Second wooden ship build

[WalrusGuy]

Thanks Robin, Mugje, and Voyageur! And thank you all for the likes!

 

Started working on the cap rails today. I used a 3/32" thick and 1" wide sheet (the caprails will be sanded down to 3/64" prior to installation) where the outside curve of the bow was traced. Reason I used such a thick sheet is because my local hobby store did not have any of the thinner ones in stock, so I had to improvise. Otherwise I'd have to wait a couple of weeks...

 

Anyways, using a coping saw, the outer curve was cut, then sanded smooth. Then to get a profile of the interior curve, I used a compass setting the width to 3/16" which was then cut and sanded smooth. 

Dry fitting the caprails:

 

 

 

[KurtH]

Superb craftsmanship all around.  Some of the cleanest and neatest planking I have seen

[WalrusGuy]

Thanks for the nice words Kurt! 

 

I tried making some scarf joints. I don't think they were necessary but wanted some practice before working on the deck. I could not get both wood strips to lay completely flat when taking the photo, so they look uneven, but they fit nicely.

Here are some photos of the cap rails fully installed and ready for the black paint:

[WalrusGuy]

Finished painting the cap rail, and can now move on to decking. There was again very minor bleed through the tape, but not very noticeable.

 

 

 

 

 

[Retired guy]

Boy missed a few updates Wally you have been busy looks like all the hard stuff is done, brilliant job 👍

 

Regards

Richard

[WalrusGuy]

1 hour ago, Retired guy said:

Boy missed a few updates Wally you have been busy looks like all the hard stuff is done, brilliant job 👍

 

Regards

Richard

Thanks Richard! Yes most of the heavy lifting is done. Only hard major stuff left are the decking and copper plating, then onto the fun stuff 😄

[WalrusGuy]

I ran into a bit of a problem/inconvenience when dry-fitting the laser-cut margin planks. 

1) They do not fit perfectly as shown here. It will be hard to bend to fit, and sanding might leave an unsightly shape, so I am thinking of making my own using the same method I used to create the cap rails at the bow. Getting the correct shape to cut out might be a bit of a problem since I can not trace it as easily as before.

 

2) I will need to use filler/add one more small plank below the planking since there is a gap between the margin plank and the first red plank. I should have checked the fit before painting the planks red.

Also as always, suggestions are more than welcome!

[egkb]

Hey There W..  Yup, these things are sent to try us ..  

Re the gap between Bulwarks and the Margin plank, can you fit some sort of paper template in there to get the shape?   or to really give you a headache .. you have the shape from the Photo above.. can you scale it to create the template from   (says you, t'would be easier to strip and re do the whole bow  )

And as for the other gap where the Red Side Planking doesn't meet the deck, would a small triangular strip of side planking cut to shape do the job ? When painted it may not even be noticeable, especially with the Hawse holes (anchor rope holes) up there too.

 

Hope that lot was something of a help in finding solutions.

 

All The Best

 

Eamonn

[NovaStorm]

I cut my own margins wally. I took a photo copy of the bow from the deck layout sheet. Cut away the outside edge of the margin planks leaving a little extra and set the sheet in on the deck laying flat in position. I was then able to draw in the final shape with out much effort. The paper folds to shape fairly easily and the point of the pencil gets into the corner.

The bow just needs a couple little filler strips put in there. I believe you will be adding a layer around the hawse holes anyway so that will give you something to glue to as Eamonn has said.

PS: a slight gap on the margin will be covered with the waterway.

Cheers ~

[WalrusGuy]

Thanks guys!

This is definitely helpful. I'm going to first glue in the filler triangular strip then make my own margin planks and will update with the results. 

[WalrusGuy]

The triangular pieces worked very well to fill the gap. Here are some photos:

Now onto cutting my own margin planks.

 

Also I should mention, since I don't think I have mentioned this before: this model has really taught me a lot, and has introduced me into some scratchbuilding, which itself I find is very rewarding. It's great experience before I attempt to dive into something larger/more complicated. And as you all know, the instructions are top notch!

[Retired guy]

Those triangle pieces fit nice Wally and you are right about scratch building is very rewarding and a lot of fun, but as I said on another blog you are scratch building as soon as you have the frame work done, every bit of wood you touch, you have to do something with it that is scratch work 👍

 

Regards

Richard

[WalrusGuy]

I managed to get the margin plank at the bow completed. I used Robin's technique of using a paper to get the correct curve which was then traced to the sheet and then cut and sanded smooth. I think the result is much better than with the laser-cut margin planks resulting in very minor gaps at the edges. I still got to cut out the scarf joints which I will do later on.

Dry-fitting the margin planks:

I think I am going to leave gluing them until much later after I have cut out the notches to accept the other planks. This might make it easier to rectify any mistakes. If anyone suggests I should glue it first, I would be happy to oblige. It's my first time doing this type of decking, so as always, any advice is welcome! 

[NovaStorm]

They look good glad that worked out for you. I am no expert and it can be a tricky process nibbing deck planks if you haven't done it before. Not glueing in the margin plank can be an advantage and disadvantage so I would not want to tell you which is better for you. The problem with bass wood is it damages and breaks so easily that removing it from the ship to notch and nib the plank in can damage it. Especially if your deck planks fit super snug. Also not glueing it in until you have dry nibbed a number of planks does not take into account the glued edge of the plank which believe it or not adds to the thickness so when you go to glue suddenly they don't quite fit the same anymore, after two or three they start getting tight and a little out of line with the notched margin. So you have to take into account how will glue thickness affect run out. So if you don't glue the biggest advantage is you can lay out your deck well ahead of you and work out any issues before they really arise. Also removing to nib and notch can be easier than onboard but with basswood which is softer this is not as big an advantage as with a harder to cut wood like pear. I did mine in large sections without gluing in the margin until the end but I used pear which is very tough and hard so popping the margin in and out was not a problem. The choice is yours bud. Try what you feel will work for you.  

Also your scarf joints in the pic above look great but I would recommend you add the joint across the bulkead beam so both fore and aft joints intersect on the beam. This will be much easier to glue and strong when it come time to sand the deck and add fittings etc. Cheers hope this helps

[WalrusGuy]

Wow thanks for the tips Robin! Also since the scarf joints are not yet cut out, I can change the position so they lie on a bulkhead. I may also add some strips at the gaps for extra decking framework. 

As for the notches, I'll try to work on the bow margin strip without it glued in position then go from there.

 

Another small update, finished with the companionway framing. I first cut and sanded the 1/8" strips to the right length before assembling it outside the hull. To get the right distance to attach the perpendicular strips, I placed the longer one on the framing plan and made marks on where to attach them. I used a set square to align the planks to make sure they are completely perpendicular.

 

The lines I made on the bulkheads were a bit off, so I used a paper to measure the distance between the red planks and the frame strips to make sure it is in the middle.

 

[Voyageur]

Great work with the fix!

[WalrusGuy]

Thanks Voyageur!

 

All margin planks were dry-fitted and held in position using pins on the side. Following Robin's advice, the scarf joints were cut out and positioned to be over bulkheads for a more rigid fit. I might skip additional framing on the sides where the filler blocks do not extend depending on how everything fits.

I began decking by followed Dirk's and Peter's deck layout shown here and here, respectively, and printed some photos for guidance.

Also I started arranging the decking strips at the stern since I felt it was easiest. The 6 middle planks fit perfectly in the companionway spacing and went from there out. Nothing has been glued yet.

I had a couple of questions in case anyone has the answers to them:

1) Some modelers have gaps in the decking to accommodate furniture where the wood underneath the decking shown in the gaps is painted black; whereas others fill the entire deck (except for mast holes) with planks. The latter is shown in the instructions. Are there any benefits/drawbacks to either of these? I am thinking of planking everything since it seems a bit easier.

2) Also realized some of my bulkheads are not in level with others, causing some planks to have a wavy effect. Does anyone know how I can solve this? I remember back when I glued the bulkheads I was wary of this. I just hope it sorts out and the decking is nice and leveled, fingers crossed 🤞

[WalrusGuy]

Some more decking progress. Again, nothing has been glued yet.

I am thinking now to stick the decking by working my way up from the stern to the bow. I might also glue the margin planks at the stern only, and leave cutting the notches at the bow for later on (nervous about the nibbing 😅). Also the waviness of the bulkheads I mentioned in my previous post is most apparent at the edges, so gluing the deck planks in the middle should hopefully be fine...

[NovaStorm]

 I went the opposite way when I did my deck. Mostly because I think it is easier to work out your nibbed plank at the bow first and then once done all you need is straight butt joints to continue the run. Once you get to the stern it is just a butt joint which is fairly easy to get right off. To each there own  

The deck bows in the middle on the long run that is normal. You should be able to take a plank pushed down flat onto the bulkheads and see it touching all bulkheads evenly without a gap  or wavyness (not a real word) between any two. If you have a gap or it is wavy you may need to sand one or two to get it touching down evenly. Looking good what your doing. I followed Dirks example on the joints as well. It works out nicely. 

It is just personal choice if you want to leave the opening's for the coaming's or just glue the coaming's and fittings on top of the deck. The openings are how it is done on a real ship so some prefer to do it that way. Cheers keep up the good work

[WalrusGuy]

Thanks so much Robin . I am thinking the same for the bulkheads to cure the wavyness. I might also add some filler if I sanded some too much during the early stages of the build. And just to keep things relatively simple for now I will choose to glue fittings onto the deck. Thanks again for all the assistance/advice you've provided throughout my build! It's much much appreciated.

 

So, after much hesitation, I had to eventually pullout the bandaid ie. starting to glue the deck planks. I don't know why, but this seems to be more nerve-wrecking than the hull planking for me. Maybe because if I start gluing at a slight angle, I might mess everything... But I think the start went well as you'll see.

 

I started gluing the stern plank closest to the edge as shown here. The reason being, I could match the angle to that of the companionway framing and also since I already knew (from dry fitting) that 6 planks fit perfectly between the framing. This way it could 'touch' the inner edge of the frame. 

The next plank's edge was hovering in the gap, so I cut out a small frame to support it, and same on the symmetric side:

Here is how it sits right now. The planks will eventually be sanded smooth to get rid of the unsightly uneven surface which is most prominent where the decking meets the red planks.

Still a bit intimidated of the nibbing part at the bow. I hope that also goes smoothly once I inevitably reach that stage. 

[Overworked724]

Very clean work!  She's looking beautiful!  I'm sure once the planks are laid down and you have a chance to sand her even, any waviness, if there is any, won't be noticeable.  Also consider that with the deck furniture, rigging, etc...that the visual line of the deck from stem to stern will be broken up by visual obstructions.  This will also mask any minor waviness.  

 

Looking awesome!

[WalrusGuy]

Thanks Patrick! After adding some more strips, what I thought would cause the planks to go wavy completely disappeared, or is very hard to tell. Still need to sort out the edges since I can clearly see the misalignment of the margin plank with reference to the red planks.

 

Anyways, more decking progress photos below. Decided not to be lazy and took photos in a more cleaner environment. Note, the mast holes drilled were 1/4" diameter since I do not have a 5/16" drill bit. Need to add that to the shopping list..

Next I will be sorting out the edges so I can stick the margin planks. Also as you may notice, I conveniently left the nibbing for next time 😅

 

[Voyageur]

You’re doing a great job! I hope my own projects are this well done. 

[WalrusGuy]

Thanks for the compliment Voyageur. Means a lot!

 

I started the joggling pattern at the bow. Only finished the first pair so far. Was not as bad as I had thought, but still many more to do. Hoping the other ones go as smoothly as this first pair.

[Overworked724]

Nicely done!  Looks very clean, Walrus’!!

[Retired guy]

Looking good Wally 👍, could you not use tracing paper for the nibbing from the drawing and then mark to wood, (this is how I did mine on the Bluenose) then you just need to mark and cut your ends once you get there.

 

Regards

Richard

[WalrusGuy]

Thanks guys  Did not have any tracing paper laying around so I assumed the tip of the nibbed plank to be about half the plank width then drew a line to where it meets the margin plank and cut it out with a hobby knife. Maybe I should not have been so lazy and purchased some over the weekend 😅

 

Some more nibbing progress. Not sure why, but I am having more trouble cutting out the joggling pattern on the starboard margin plank than the portside one.  

 

[Retired guy]

Very nice 👍

 

Regards

Richard

[NovaStorm]

2 hours ago, WalrusGuy said:

Not sure why, but I am having more trouble cutting out the joggling pattern on the starboard margin plank than the portside one.

Excellent job your doing. I have the same problem switching sides, weird eh.

[WalrusGuy]

Most of the decking is now complete. I needed to glue small strips of wood underneath some sections of the margin planks to combat the wavyness where too much material was sanded. Here is an example:

While progressing through the decking, I first installed the margin planks near the stern which were held in place by putting pins on their edges. The decking planks were then installed from the stern towards the bow. The bow margin planks were glued in last, but prior to the last three nibbed planks. The notches were shaped before installing it in.

I must say, the nibbing part was the most satisfying part of the build so far. Glad I did not skip this. Only thing, I was on the edge of my seat for every notch, scared of messing the margin plank up.

I think for the last plank or two of the decking I will need to buy some tracing paper to get the shape right. My first couple of tries in guessing the shape did not go so well.

 

Since I am progressing towards the end of Chapter 7, does anyone have any advice on how to shape the triangular profile of waterway? I am not too sure on how I can achieve a consistent triangular profile throughout the entire strip.