Emma C Berry by Turangi - Model Shipways - 1:32

[ahb26]

Beautiful!  I am sailing in your wake.

[turangi]

Today I turned my attention to building the 3 ladders. The instructions recommended building a jig but as all the ladders had a slightly different angle between the ladder beam and tread I was not keen on building 3 jigs. What I did is as pictured and it worked out to my satisfaction.

 

1. I held a piece of beam stock in it's location and struck a line at deck level.

2. I used an adjustable protractor to copy that angle.

3. I measured the distance between treads and used the protractor to scribe lines at the appropriate distance on the beam.

4. I put a stop in my miter box and cut all the treads to the required length.

5. I wrapped my square in tape to prevent glue adhesion issues and lined it up on the struck lines.

6. I applied CA glue the tread and placed it in position with the square providing proper vertical alignment and held it in place for about 45 seconds and then gingerly pulled the square away, no problems. 

7. I let the assembly sit for a while to cure and then put CA on the free ends and installed the opposite beam using a flat surface and clamped the whole thing. Clamp colors are at the discretion of the builder!  

8. After everything was set I lightly sanded the back and front to ensure everything was even.

 

The process sounds rather complicated but actually went quite quickly. The last photo of the installed ladder has a bit of an off kilter tread, I did better on the last 2 so I'll call that progress!

 

Edited February 27, 2021 by turangi

[turangi]

I am moving ahead at a blistering pace? I finished all the ladders and installed them, satisfied with the result. I planked the inner side of the transom to kill time before setting the bulwark  stanchions as I rather dreaded that task. I finally took the bull by the tail and faced the situation. I built a  simple gauge in order to set them at the same height, I set them all slightly high in order to allow a bit of extra material so I would be able to sand them all level. I will do that after the planking is installed to give them more strength. 

 

The first issue was how to glue them in place, if glue was applied to the stanchions most of it ended up on the top of the covering board when they were inserted and offered no substantial strength. I finally pulled out my bodkin from my fly tying tools and was able to pick up some drops of PVA glue on the tip, get it through the small openings in the covering board and apply them in what I thought was the appropriate spot inside the hull. I would hold the stanchion  in position until the glue had a firm grip. Another issue encountered was that the stanchions are laser cut and their width varied a bit, some fit the opening very tightly and others had a gap. With the tight ones I applied a bit of thin CA as added strength, if there was a gap I made an appropriate shim, filled the gap with adhesive and pressed the shim in place. The job went reasonably well but I did have to place a small shim on the outside of a few stanchions to achieve a fair plane for the planking.  Next I will move on to the scupper strake and upper planking. I have made a simple gauge in an attempt to make consistent looking scuppers and will post a picture as I work on them.     

[turangi]

I spent some time working working on the scupper planks today. As I mentioned in a previous post I made a jig to cut the scuppers. It is a simple affair consisting of a scrap of wood with the intended scupper opening cut. I attached a strip of wood to level the top of the plank with the top of the jig, cut the scupper opening with a scalpel using the jig as a guide and finished with a bit of filing. It worked very well! I was afraid if I tried to cut the scuppers freehand they would be very inconsistent or I would damage the 3/64" stock. I then did a clamp-o-rama to install the plank with PVA.

Edited March 15, 2021 by turangi

[ahb26]

13 hours ago, turangi said:

I then did a clamp-o-rama to install the plank with PVA.

 

 

 

I'm gonna need more clamps!

[niwotwill]

She's looking fantastic I'm pulling up a chair to follow along if there is room for one more.

Just a tip I learned from master modeler David Antschsrl. Using binder clamps or any clamp on the soft texture of basswood can leave dents in the surface, if you moisten the dent and let it dry it usually swells and fills the dent.

 

Again she's look great I can't wait to start mine is in the clutches of UPS. Should see next week.

 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

Will   

[turangi]

Thanks for the great tip! I have run into this before when wetting the wood and clamping it in position to dry. Fortunately the wood was dry and I tested it before using the clamps with no ill effect. I learned the hard way and that is excellent advice for anyone clamping wet wood..

[turangi]

A bit more work to report. I installed the cap rail on top of the bulwark planks and stanchions. I joined the two part cap and then held it in position, it did not line up perfectly. I marked the areas that needed attention and edge bent them using a bit of water and an iron as illustrated in post #14. At one point I traced the hull outline on a board I use for edge bending and bent the cap to that line. I installed the cap a few stanchions at a time starting at the bow as that seemed the critical dimension but as I reached the last two stanchions the cap need more bending so I wet that area, held it in proper position and used my iron to set the bend while in place. As it seems in all the other logs the transom cap provided was too short width wise so I made a cardboard template and transferred that to wood stock and made a new one. I am pleased with the results.

Edited March 23, 2021 by turangi

[Sea Hoss]

Looking good!

[ahb26]

The tricky transom area, and everything else, has come out really well.  Very glad to see that!

[niwotwill]

Transom looks very clean and nice. I especially like the inside planking to the deck. I was would like to see a photo of the transom from the stern. I'm using your build to learn from and follow my build which I hope to start soon. Lovely work.

 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

Will 

[turangi]

Thank you for the encouraging comments! As to the rear of the transom, it is plain right now. I made a mistake and should have planked it prior to planking the hull so that the hull planks would cover the ends of the transom planking and if I planked it now the overhang of the transom cap would disappear, keep that in mind. I might scribe some plank lines to simulate planking.

 

I installed the doublers fore and aft and drilled the hawse openings and used a file to shape them oval per the plans. I wanted to simulate the iron fittings at the holes and first tried brass wire, a no go. I found some soft steel wire, probably florist wire and tried that with some success. I bent the wire around a drill bit, cut the ends and teased it into an oval shape. I then flattened the piece using a small hammer to give a better gluing surface and attached them with a minute amount of epoxy. Not perfect but I am satisfied. In retrospect, I would probably have been better to attach the ovals first then do the drilling and file work on the opening.

Edited March 25, 2021 by turangi

[turangi]

Today I turned my attention to the rudder. The first issue I ran into was there is supposed to be a small projection at the aft end of the keel to pin the bottom of the rudder post in place, mine was almost non-existent. I cut away a bit of the stern post and attached a small bit of wood that will allow the post to be properly secured. The rudder and stern post require a groove to accept the rudder post. I filed a small groove in both and then wrapped sandpaper around a drill bit slightly smaller than the dowel provided and created both grooves by hand sanding. 

 

The rudder itself tapers from fore to aft and I was able to do this by sanding. The plans called for copper sheathing the fore end of the rudder but none of the strips provided matched the plan as they were too narrow. I had some thin brass sheet on hand so I transferred the plan dimension to them and after several hobby knife scores I was able to detach a proper sized strip. I used a very small punch from the rear of the strips to simulated fasteners. I them roughened the the back of the strip a bit and used epoxy to fasten them. After the epoxy had set I used a file to contour them to the outline of the rudder. They look a bit garish at present but once painted should be rather more subtle.    

[Sea Hoss]

Hello there Mr T.  Did you notice on plan sheet #3 that in addition to the metal work you have done on the rudder, there are three straps that attach to each side of the stern post and pass through slots cut through the rudder? Didn't want to let you go too far if there is an oversight, it would be easier to take care of now.

[niwotwill]

Great post and very informative. She's looking really nice and I think you're correct on the brass will look better when painted. 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

Will 

[turangi]

Sea Hoss, thank you for your thoughtful comment! I actually did consult the plans and directions in advance, so now I will probably have to relinquish my man card. The decision came down to the old chicken or egg first conundrum. I finally decided to install the brass first as it will give me specific area to create the slot for the the rudder strap. I realize some of the simulated fasteners may be in the way but I thought I could either flatten them or file them flush prior to installing the strap. I appreciate all comments especially those that may point out perils or pitfalls moving forward!! 

[Sea Hoss]

Very good Mr T. I myself haven't come across a rudder assembly like this before. But still considering myself to be "amateurish" anyway, I welcome different approaches and building styles. I am finishing up on the windlass/ bowsprit end of things then on to the rudder I suppose. Lots of detail on this little ship, but it's very interesting and fun! Look forward to more of your posts and the other ECBs out there.

[niwotwill]

Looking at the photos makes me excited to get started but I must be patient and finish what I'm in the middle of. I got a tip from David Antscherl about filling up glue seams prior to painting it is to mix some sawdust with glue and use it like putty. It sands like the wood and makes a beautifully hidden seam unlike putty. Just a thought

 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

Will 

[turangi]

Excellent suggestion! I have found it easy to use a bit of excess glue, wipe off as much as you can immediately after installation and then lightly sand the area before the glue sets and the sawdust created will then fill the area. It has worked both with CA and PVA adhesives and saves a step  as it is done during original installation rather than later. Even if you don't edge glue the planks after the plank is installed put a little glue over the seam, wipe off the excess and lightly sand the area. Much easier than slathering the hull with wood filler and sanding for hours. Saves mixing up a slurry of sawdust and glue and neatly achieves the same result.

Edited April 3, 2021 by turangi

[turangi]

A bit more progress to report. I installed the lashing rails. It was very straight forward but I still need to paint them. I turned my attention next to the tiller. The tiller handle itself is very delicate and I used utmost care shaping it lest I damage it. I am happy with result, in the photo it is temporarily in position as the post still requires painting.

 

Next I worked on the winch. I painted the metal part and let it dry. I worked on the whelps to get a proper gluing surface on their bottoms. I then used a small file to get down to bare metal on the landing surface after careful measuring of the layout. I mixed up some 5 minute epoxy, spread it fairly thin on the mixing card and dipped the bottom of the whelp in it and placed it in position on the metal winch. The epoxy gave me a bit of time to nudge the whelp into position and I think it turned out well. I did 2 whelps at a time.

[niwotwill]

She's looking good. The lashing rail and tiller add a lot of interest to deck can't wait to see the paint. Great method using the 5 minute epoxy on the whelps, I'll put that in my memory box for future use.

 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

Will 

[turangi]

Thanks Will! Epoxy seemed the strongest option that would give me time to adjust position.

[Sea Hoss]

Looking good... I was also working today on the rudder/tiller set up, as you said, they are very fragile things.

[turangi]

Sea Hoss, I cut the rudder post in order to be able to insert the rudder from from the bottom, much easier to adhere and paint the rudder to the post while not in place. If anyone tried to move the rudder with the tiller it would immediately break the handle. I left enough of the post above the rudder to allow it to be easily inserted into the hull and the cut not visible.

[Sea Hoss]

Ok, I understand. I had the idea of making the rudder and tiller operable. Where the post joined the top of the rudder, I inserted a pin to join them permenantly. I haven't yet glued eveything together yet as I'm having second thoughts about the structural integrety of this set up. But I'm not going to have to make a decision about this now, I will wait to put this together after the hull is painted and permenantly attached to the "slipway". It may survive if it hides out with the rest of the parts that I have put away until final assembly. I should be posting some pics of my recent work.

[turangi]

Time for an update: I have been spending time working on the fiddly bits and machinery. I installed the windless in it's frame and attached the brakes, I then turned my attention to the brake mechanism on the post. The plans and instructions seemed to contradict each other one calling for wood arms and the other for a rectangular brass arm. I found a photo of the winch that appeared to show steel arms so I went that route as the other options would have been a challenge to connect, probably not period correct but the model is not destined for a museum or juried competition. I used a piece of sewing pin, drilled a hole in the boss and used the pin as an arm. I made wood handles for the ends and used some plastic hex shaped rod to simulate nuts on the ends of the rod. I attached the entire mechanism to the post with a pin and CA glue and again made a nut from the plastic rod. The entire mechanisms are temporarily in place and I still need to make the connecting links on the windlass brakes and the post apparatus when I finally install them, I am setting everything aside until I paint the hull for fear of breaking them during that process.

 

I next worked on the bowsprit iron bands. I used the brass strips included with the kit, bent them to a half circle shape over an appropriately sized drill bit and left some material perpendicular to the bend. I prepared and fluxed that material, clamped two pieces together and soldered them to form a band. I then trimmed and filed them to shape. Drilling the holes was a nightmare due to my cheap drill bits, after several broken bits and cussing like a sailor (certainly appropriate for a ship model in retrospect) the deed was done. Not perfect but satisfactory to me. I have ordered some new bits from a watchmaker supply house and will report if they work better.    

 

Next I need to make shackles to attach the rigging, a head scratcher at best and any advice would be very welcome!!!  

[niwotwill]

Your bands look amazing I like you method of halves and soldering them together. I'm anxious to hear about the jewelry bits you ordered.

 

Looking good mate.

 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

Will 

[mek]

Your windlass looks good. I had made the lever arms removable, inserted into a square profile. They are attached to the ship's side.

 

Michael

[mek]

I made my shackles from black iron wire, diameter 0.6mm. I fixed two pins at the distance of the stretched length of the shackle on a stable base. The wire is tightly wrapped around both pins with a loop. The protruding ends are cut off and the shackle is shaped with round nose pliers and flat nose pliers. A shortened rivet or nail is used as the shackle pin, which is glued in place.

 

 

 

Michael

 

(translated with deepl)
 

[niwotwill]

Nice job on making shackles

 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

Will