Blue Shadow by SkerryAmp - Mamoli - 1:64 - Fictional Revolutionary War Brigantine - Recommissioned as the Kara June

[SkerryAmp]

Good Evening folks.

 

This one has a bit of a backstory to explain why this kit and why a 3rd build log.

 

This kit was purchased by my wife back while I was building the Phantom.  She thought it was cool that I was taking up this hobby and decided to surprise me with a kit she thought looked "really cool".  It was on sale from Model Expo and sitting on my desk when I woke up one morning, wrapped like a christmas present (in summer).

 

It has sat on the shelf, not out of neglect, but other builds were in progress so it was queued.  She asked me a little bit ago when I was going to get to it, so I told her I would start it up as soon as I got the decking done on the Mayflower.  So here it is.

 

It is not a real ship, it is a fictional vessel put out by Mamoli under the guise of a real one. It even has a history and everything.   However, despite being a fictional ship it still seems to be an interesting looking one.   Since it is already a fictional one I decided to build it but recommision and name it after my wife.  So, while the box says Blue Shadow,  it will be the Kara June when finished.

 

I have read many comments from all over regarding the quality of the Mamoli kits and have even read a few questions regarding this particular one. So let's get to it and see where this one goes!

 

First:  The customary Unboxing.

 

The box itself is actually not to shabby,  glossy packaging with the ship well presented.

 

 

The documentation is interesting to me.  The written part is in some places a little rough to understand but they get the gist across.  The "plans" are more like giant pictoral  step by steps which at first glance at least seem to make it easier to follow via the plans than the written documentation.

 

 

It does come packaged with some decent variations of wood, well bundled and organized.   This will be interesting as I am mainly used to basswood so will have to learn to distinguish between the several varieties included.

 

 

Oddly, in contrast it also comes with an assortment of various odd lengths and sizes of a variety of woods.  This will get even more interesting I think.

 

 

The plywood parts are pretty familiar looking.  They are of good quality, nice and solid and well marked so that is good.

 

 

A random bag of parts, with one that looked like it is either scrap wood or a part that didn't quite make it. Hmmmmm.

 

 

Rigging!  Nothing much to say here.

 

 

Here are what I consider the "standard" parts.  Some grating, cannons, deadeyes and blocks etc.

 

 

And here, lastly are the parts which, well.   Okay - I don't like these.   I have looked at them on the ship and in the box and I just don't care for them.  They seem out of place to me.   So,  I will (deep breath) most likely be remaking them from scratch to make them fit in place a bit better. 

 

 

 

So overall this doesn't look too too bad.  

 

I hope

 

-Adam

[SkerryAmp]

Once I had finished the decking for the night and set it aside to let the stain set in and dry, I made good on my promise to start on the Blue Shadow "Kara June".

 

Started with the false keel and bulkheads.   I was pleasantly surprised .  The bulkheads fit in quite nicely, not much modification was needed and they set in place without much issue at all.   I used my high tech lego system to square them up and we were off to a great start!

 

 

 

 

 

The kit came with what they called stern fillers so I glued them in place.   Once everything is dry and solid I will fair the bulkheads and fillers at once.  I think it will be easier to get a consistent contour that way.

 

 

Additionally, they had bow fillers (how convenient).  Although I wouldn't call them "fillers" as much as extensions, but they will do the trick.

 

 

With all that in place, glued up and looking good I figured I would end the night by getting the falkse decks in place.  That way after I get more done on the Mayflower and Willie I can take some time to fair theh bulkheads, shape the fillers and get this vessel ready for the planks!

 

 

 

So far this one isn't to bad to do.  Everything has a nice fit and the instructions (the plans anyway) are easy to follow.  We shall see if it holds throughout, I will stay optimistic!!

 

Until later....

 

As always, enjoy!!!

 

-Adam

[russ]

Adam:

This model has a nice looking hull form. I think it will make a fine display once it is completed.

 

Those bow "fillers" are really just there to give a landing for the bow planks. If I were doing this, I would fit some extra balsa or basswood fillers in between the first few bulkheads and the last few bulkheads. This will make planking a little easier because the lower planks ends will have some place to land in between the bulkheads.

 

Have fun with it.

 

Russ

[sport29652]

Judging by the work you have put in on other models this is going to look great. I have tyis kit waiting so am supper interested in your build

[augie]

Looks like an interesting project.  With 3 builds it looks likes Popeye will need to be concerned about supremacy.

 

I second the motion on installing some proper fillers stem and stern.

[SkerryAmp]

I picked up the Balsa yesterday and will be adding the filler this afternoon after I am done with some of the deck bulkheads on the Mayflower.  Thanks you two, for the suggestion!

 

Augie - trust me sir, there is absolutely no concern for Supremecy;  I am far too behind the curve for that

 

Maybe someday though

 

Thank you Sport - This one will be a bit interesting since I am going to be trying to recreate some of the parts - we will see how that goes

 

 

 

-Adam

[Sjors]

Hi Adam,

 

I was reading this last night at my I-phone…..

Nice thing to name this to your Admiral.

I think she will be pleased with that.

I'll crab a chair and will see how you bring this to an end.

 

[realworkingsailor]

Good luck with your new build

 

I'll be following along quietly

 

Andy

[trippwj]

Nice start, Adam.  I'll be sitting here in the lurker section with Andy waiting for Mark or Sjors to bring the pop corn machine over.

[BareHook]

I look forward to following your build, I've been considering this kit for awhile

 

Ken

[Sjors]

Here you are Wayne,

 

Hope it's ok by you Adam?

We will clean everything when you are finished your build…...

 

 

[SkerryAmp]

Absolutely Sjors!  Popcorn for everyone!

 

 

-Adam

[SkerryAmp]

So, not a huge bit of progress on this one.  Am taking different approaches with it and experimenting with things.  Reading more on the site with regards to planking etc etc.   Also taking into consideration the advice of you guys here.

 

The filler blocks! YES, yes indeed.  In fact,  I did some filler blocks at stem and stern,  not enough,  stripped off the planks that went south and added more filler blocks .  I think I have good fillers in there now.   I am trying not only applying the blocks but also filling in around the block to give as much of a solid slope as I can.

 

We shall see how that turns out.

 

Here are the blocks as they stand now,  still need to sand out the filler, but they are on their way!

 

Thank you VERY much for the advice, and thanks all for stopping by!!

 

 

 

 

As always!  ENJOY!!

 

 

-Adam

 

 

[russ]

Adam:

I think the extra filler blocks will be a good idea. Where the rabbet begins to move upward at the bow, you will need something for the end of the garboard strake to land on. Same thing where the ends of the planks land at the transom. That should work very well.

 

Russ

[ZyXuz]

Nice progress so far, Adam.

will follow with interest..

[SkerryAmp]

Thank you gentleman!   Appreciate it.

 

@ Russ:  I can definately see once I got them in place and once I sand them out they will be a HUGE help.  I am very much a hands on visual learner type, so many things don't click as to "why" they need to be done until I experience what happens if you don't .

 

 

-Adam

[SkerryAmp]

The blocks appear to be working out nicely, sanding them out is giving it a nice shape as well, can "see" the hull so am feeling better about the planking efforts!!

 

Thank you gentlement for popping in, more coming in the next few days - diligently working away. =)

 

 

-Adam

[SkerryAmp]

Greetings happy ship modelers!!

 

Tonight's installment of the Blue Shadow / "Kara June" is more of a question for you seasoned hullp plankers than it is an update.

 

The update portion is simply that I have sanded the fill and shaped everything so the basic shape of the hull works and is ready for planking.  

 

Then, I decided to get ready for planking.  I did a first planking on the Mayflower and got it to work but with a WHOLE lot of cheating   I figured I would try different approach which I have seen many use and see if that helps this "click" a little more.

 

So I referred to the Basic Hull Planking PDF here on MSW (Basic Hull Planking for Beginners).  Makes a lot of sense on paper and filled me with hope and promise.

 

I got up to the laying of the temp battens and looked at it and thought - that looks NOTHING like anything I have seen (at least to me).  There is certain shapes and patterns you see with all of these builds and mine just doesn't look right.   So, here are pics of the ship as she stands with the temp battens attached.   Which gives an idea of how the planks will lay.

 

Does this look right to you experienced or "in the know" plankers?  If so, great!     If not - help?!?!? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping in and for any advice !! 

 

Enjoy! And Happy Modeling!

 

 

-Adam

 

[sport29652]

One build I learned a ton from is Jpetts rattlesnake build. He show pic by pic how he did the planking belts. The rattlesnake has them pre sketched on the planes but I would think u would start with four belts that were equal in width at midship and then u can determine how wide the belt will be at the bow and stern. I am a rookie at this and I'm sure to be corrected

[augie]

Um......I'm stuck on this one Adam.  Something looks not quite right but I don't know how to express it.  Hopefully Russ or one of the others with more experience will chime in soon.

[russ]

Adam:

If I were to use planking battens (I do not), I would go for some square stock, say about 1/16". Those planks you are using look awfully wide for this sort of thing.

 

You want to have maybe 4-6 strakes of planking in each belt. For instance, if you want to have 20 strakes of planking per side, you would want 5 belts. The belts will contract as you approach the bow and may widen out a bit as you approach the stern. It is easier to see this with the square battens rather than the wider planks.

 

You need to decide what will be the median width of the planks in the midsection. Then measure that bulkhead to see how much distance you have to cover. I like to use some masking tape to make that measurement. Take the distance and divide it by the median plank width and that is how many planks you want crossing each bulkhead. Then divide the number planks into equal sections to get your planking belts.

 

I am not sure how much you want to hear about planking since everyone tends to have their own method with which they are comfortable. I do a lot of spiling and tapering in my planking, but that is not everyone's cup of tea.

 

Russ

[gerty]

Very Nice work Adam !  Will be a beauty.

[S.Coleman]

I'm just onto the second layer of planks myself. It's looking good remember to take your time

[SkerryAmp]

Thanks all!

 

This one is going to be a bit of planning and work as I try to figure out different techniques for planking.  So, it is sort of backburnered (not stopped just paused) until I get comfy with what exactly is going on with it.

 

Russ: I will I take anything I can get regarding planking,  it is something that is just not "catching" for me and while I can fake it so far with some really good sanding and filling,  I won't be able to do that forever =)   So right now I am soaking up as much as I can to then figure out what and how to do it differently and get comfortable with it!

 

 

-Adam

[russ]

In my planking, I fair the hull first, then I take a strip of masking tape and lay it on a frame. I will do a separate piece of tape for each frame, so any frame will be good to start. I mark the upper edge of the sheer strake (maybe the wale on a larger ship) and the lower edge where the garboard strake fits into the keel rabbet. Once the extremities are marked, I take the tape off and lay it out on the bench flat. The space between the two marks is what must be filled with planking on that frame.

 

Now, let us say I want 16 strakes of planking in the hull. I use a pair of proportional dividers to break the space on the tape into two equal parts. Once I have two equal parts, I break both parts into 8 parts. The proportional dividers will divide up to 10 increments. Once the 8 parts above and below that first break are marked, I have 16 equal parts marked on the tape. Now, I replace the tape on the frame, being careful to place it exactly where it was when I marked it the first time. I place it so that there is a little frame exposed so I can transfer the marks from the tape to the frame. I repeat this process for each frame, as well as the bow rabbet and again in the stern. Make sure you label each piece of tape.

 

Once all the marks are on the model, I have width of each plank marked.

 

Now I can spile the first plank, either at the sheer line or at the keel. Usually I begin at the sheer line. I use poster board to create the templates for my planks. If I am doing the forward most plank on the sheer line, I cut the poster board so that it slightly longer than the plank I am shaping and maybe twice as wide. I want to rough cut the poster board so that the bow end will be a rough fit. You can tape it into place on the model if that helps you.

 

Spiling is nothing more than transferring a curved line from the model onto a piece of planking material. hold the poster board up to the sheer line and on the back side trace the line along the deck onto the poster board. That is the upper edge of the plank. I cut the poster board to that curve. Now I have the shape of the upper edge of the plank. I hold the poster board back in place and mark where the frames fall along its length. Next I measure the width of that plank using the marks I made earlier. I transfer those marks on to the poster board template where I marked the frame centers. Now I connect those marks and I cut the poster board to that line. That is the lower edge of the plank. I have a template for the plank.

 

I can place that template onto a piece of wood and trace around the edges and then use a scalpel to cut the plank out. I cut leaving the pencil line so I can sand and fit the plank into its position on the hull.

 

You can use the poster board template to get the shape of the upper edge of each plank in the hull. Just tape a poster board template on the frames below the plank above leaving some open space, maybe 1/4" or so between the lower edge of the preceding plank and your poster board template. Take a compass and run the metal point along the lower edge of the plank above and the pencil will mark that curve onto the poster board. You can place a mark at each frame location and that will be plenty. Connect your marks and cut the poster board to that curve. Check the fit against the lower edge of the plank. Once it is good, then mark your frame centers and measure the plank widths to get the lower edge of your new plank.

 

I like to spile and taper every plank in the hull, but it will not always be necessary, depending on the hull form. Some planks will be mostly straight and can be gently teased into a subtle edge bent curve. Experience will tell you when to taper and when you can get away with a short cut.  

 

I hope this helps you.

 

Russ

[SkerryAmp]

It does russ, quite a bit  - gave me a few options to play with and work out, figure out what sticks.

 

Will be hanging out around the Mayflower for a bit, but I think I know how to move on the Shadow and will be doing that this week I think.

 

 

We shall see how it goes =)

 

-Adam

[SkerryAmp]

So.   Has been a bit since any progress has been made on this kit.   So I figured I would give an update because I know a couple people are watching it.

 

The update is, currently this one is in a holding pattern.   I have tried several time to get the planking going on this and I keep coming back with the same thought.  The wood is horrible!    I am not sure what kind it is;  it is either bass or lime (according to the kit) but it is so stiff and brittle it is a major buzzkill to work with.   No matter what I did I just did not like how it was coming out. 

 

So - I have decided that to get this kit to look really good (to me) AND be less of a pain to work on I am going to pick up some other wood.   Most likely bass for the 1st planking (maybe box) but most likely some bass.  Thinner width as well.

 

So, work will be done but not for a couple of weeks.  Will be ordering the wood for it next week.

 

So, until then - the Mayflower, Or Willie (Or.... no, no, can't do it - 3 is fine!!)

 

 

Enjoy!

-Adam

[SkerryAmp]

So.  It would appear not only did Murphy move out - but a good luck leprechaun moved in.   The wife and I have been having a bizarre streak of luck lately and tonight was no exception.

 

As I just mentioned yesterday - the Blue Shadow was on hold along with the Mayflower due to a material shortage.  Mainly - lack of planking material   Mistakes chewed up what I had for the Mayflower and horrible wood needs replacing for the Blue Shadow.

 

With three projects on the table, 2 stalled and one drying primer and filler; the urge to build something was strong (maybe the weeks of being away whow knows) but the temptation was great to crack open the harriet lane.  I know - crazy right?... well - this is how close it came... 

 

From the closet TO the corner of the desk...

 

 

 

Now, some time ago I had invested in some Pear, Boxwood and Holly from the Lumberyard.  I keep my extra wood stock in the closet behind me and when I was looking for planking I went to use the boxwood I had gotten.  Could not find it.  I know I used some on the willie, but didn't think I had used that much but convinced myself I didn't have as much as I had thought.

 

So, imagine my surprise when I went to the hobby bench, dropped my xacto, leaned over to get it and saw....

 

 

Yuppers, that is right - that would be the boxwood planking I had picked up and talked myself out of even existing: Sitting right there, to my right on the bottom shelf of my work bench

 

I can't use it for the mayflower, but I can use it for the Blue Shadow...

 

So - the USRC Harriet Lane will once again head back to the closet and await it's turn.   The mayflower shall wait for her new shipment of lumber,  the Willie will dry and sit as I continue to contemplate how to do some of the upcomming work, and the Blue Shadow shall hit the bench for a little bit.

 

So.  WIth that,  the first planks were laid (just the initial ones along the deckline).    I know I have only finished one ship and only truly planked one (the mayflower)  but planking - the technique and the idea behind it sort of escapes me.  Some of you guys are masterful at it so I am trying to figure it out so I can show more of my planking and hide less of it under filler and paint       I picked up some books on the matter to help me out....

 

 

All three have great information (to me at least) especially trying to solve the mysteries of some aspects of ship building.    I read the mats here on the site, took into account russ's suggestion (where has he been btw..hmmm) and I have perused some of the members methods as well as read through these books. Ultimately I had to pick and decided for the Blue Shadow I would go with the method talked about in Ship Modeling Simplified.

 

We shall see hwo it goes.

 

So - the planking... is off and running!

 

 

 

 

What a day!!

 

 

Until later all

 

ENJOY!!!!

 

[Sjors]

Let me see….

 

The Harriet Lane is on the corner.

The books are on the box.

There is a ship with no planking.

To what ship I'm watching now ???

I don't know it anymore 

 

[popeye the sailor]

I don't know how this one escaped my radar..I should have seen it on the right side of the forum page {like I did this morning}     I never had good luck with battens......I'd end up off somewhere.  one thing good about them,  is you'll get a good idea of how much tapering you'll need to do.   I start just the way you did,  even with the deck line.   it creates the sills,  in the event you need to do scuppers.  for the following planks,  I'll cut to fit the bow rabbit,  beveling the end,  so it will sit flush to the stem.  from here I let the plank tell me how it wants to lay.   laying the plank in place,  any material that starts to encroach the preceeding plank is trimmed off.  the edge is then beveled slightly so it butts up better.  should a plank not follow the line,  and leaves a gap,  then the gap can be filled with a stealer, or a jogger,  which ever works best.  I'm sure your books cover these two processes.  if your unsure about tapering,  don't use full planks......this way you can concentrate on both ends,  bow and stern,  one at a time. 

 

you've done a nice job with the frame so far.......you'll do just fine with the planking      I have no doubt