Armed Launch by RussR - FINISHED - Panart

[RussR]

I bought this new on Ebay a couple of weeks ago for a very good price. This is my 5th model.

1. Model Expo 18 Century Long Boat,

2. AL 1805 Swift Boat (that I completely screwed up),

3. AL Hermione,

4. Model Expo Chaperon.

 

It is always disappointing to see a new log that gets abandoned. I hope this doesn't happen here. Since I have finished five models before, I don't think this will happen.

 

Also, I would like to keep the log clean meaning not a lot of "back patting". I don't need the gratification. A simple "Like" is good enough. 

If you have helpful suggestions or constructive criticism, I want to hear it.

 

Box that it came in.

 

I finished the final layer of planks and I lay bare my planking sins at the altar of Model Ship World. ☺️  

Before sanding and filling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would've liked to not have to paint it but I fear that I got sloppy with the CA.

I can get a little bit of CA on my fingers and the next thing I know it is on the bare wood.☹️

That's it for now.

RussR

[Richard44]

Hi Russ,

 

I've just finished building this boat. You may get some tips from my build log - see link below. Enjoy.

 

Cheers

[RussR]

2 minutes ago, Richard44 said:

I've just finished building this boat. You may get some tips from my build log

Richard,

I have looked at your build. It is very nice.

I think yours and two others has completed this model on MSW that I have drawn inspiration from.

RussR

[RussR]

My plan is to attempt to duplicate the paint scheme on the box.

 

I have put a couple of coats of Minwax Prestain and a couple of coats of Natural Wood Stain and a coat of Wipe On Polly on the exposed wood to view.

To my dismay I find that the instructions doesn't spell out where part of the planking extends. (see photo) I think I can cover this with the painted strip and a rib on the inside. I could have just replace the 12 planks (the hull is triple planked).  I may still do that.

 

Also I had to improvise to make the 5mm X 0.5mm planking cover the after deck.

 

 

Bow shot after staining. 

 

I had to cut some 0.5mm walnut planking with my newly bought Proxxon Saw. (I need more practice cutting planks) But I got enough cut to do the job. With a little sanding I think it will be alright.

 

 

This is some 2mm X 3mm walnut that had to be bent for part of the deck. I drew the shape that I need on some wood and nailed on the edges then soaked the wood in water. Then I used a 25watt sodering iron via lamp dimmer to control the temp. If you don't control the temp. you will scorch the wood.

 

 

That's it for this time.

RussR 

 

 

[RussR]

I have looked online for a historical reference for this boat and I have found nothing.

Is there a publication, a link or anything?

RussR

My plan is to provide an update to my log every Friday until complete.

[RussR]

On 8/3/2020 at 8:04 PM, RussR said:

My plan is to provide an update to my log every Friday until complete.

Here is the update that I promised.

In this shot I am framing the deck. Lego blocks help keep things square.

 

Adding some more framing. And preparing to build the deck grating and install the deck planking.

 

 

Here I added some wood to fill in some of the gaps between the deck and hull.  This shot only shows one of the spots filled. 

 

 

Putting together some of the deck grating. There wasn't enough but I managed to piece the scrapes to make do.

 

 

The instructions have you to cut the 10mm X 3mm material in sections to make the cap rail. As other builder of this model I traced the outline of the hull on some basswood sheet and cut it out on my Dremel Scroll saw will I was waiting on some glue to set. I'll coat the basswood with sanding sealer and stain it. If I am not happy with the result I will have to paint it.

 

 

This is the deck framing, deck grating, deck planking and the two doors the plans call for.

 

 

Putting the different deck parts together.

 

 

Here I made a gauge to get the stringers location.

 

 

Used the same gauge with a piece of the thwart material to check the gun carriage placement.

 

 

Drilling the ribs and stringers with a 0.6mm drill for the brass nail placement.

 

 

I had to cut the nails to less than 4mm to prevent them coming through the hull. I used these tweezers that has a locking mechanism because I kept dropping them.

 

 

I pushed the shortened nails in with some long nosed pliers with a couple of rubber bands rapped around one side to protect the side of the hull.

 

 

Next is some random shots of where I am in the build.

 

That is it for this week.

I'll do another update next friday.

Until then don't let the Covid Monster get you. 

RussR

[Richard44]

That's looking very nice Russ.

Cheers

[RussR]

I am sorry I didn't make last weeks update. 

But I have made up for it this week.

The plans called for 2X2 strips for the tread but I though it look to tall for tread. So I cut some 1X2 strips from some scrap and used that instead.

 

This is some shots of the results.

 

When I tried to drill out for the mast, it chipped out. This is a shot of my feeble attempt to mitigate the damage.

 

This is shots of fabricating the oars. They are not perfect but they will do. You would think you could drill dead center on a lathe. Not so with this Proxxon DB 250. There is so much slop in the tail stock. One couldn't expect to make watch parts with it but it will work for model building once I understand the limitations. 

 

The lathe was used and also came with a brand new three jaw chuck (still in the package). It was packing some kind of grease that had hardened so it was lock up and wouldn't move. I managed to force it free and clean the the old grease out. Then when I tried to thread it onto the spindle, I couldn't get but about 2 or three threads. Once I knew that I wasn't damaging the threads I literally had to force it on. Now it spins like the button on an outhouse door. 😀

This is a shot the component parts for the oars.

 

And the assembled oars.

 

This is a photo the a couple of knobs that I turned no my lathe. It sure a lot easier than doing it with a drill and a file and sand paper.

 

This is a shot shaping some oar locks, also used it to shape a lot of the knees on a Dremel router attachment. It sure made a lot of smoke. Smelled like I was grilling steaks.

 

Here I am milling the fair leads with a Dremel Work Station and an X-Y table. It isn't an ideal method but got the job done. Check out the fancy hold down method (double stick tape).

But neither is a high dollar milling machine that would collect dust over 95% of the time ideal.

 

This is what I worked on all day today. The gun carriage is almost finished.

 

I also finished the rudder and tiller assembly. Bending 3X5 stock wasn't easy but I think I did okay. The part that the tiller goes into (don't know what it is called) is made out of basswood so I just drilled it out and finished it with an exacto knife and files. My small end mill couldn't go deep enough to do the job.

 

That's it for now. I have got to clean this place up.

My plan for next week is to complete every thing below the cap rails and paint. Depending on how far I get along I'll start the mast, yards, sail and rigging. Will just have to wait and see how it goes.

 

RussR

 

 

 

 

[RussR]

I have completed the Armed Launch and will post the few photo that I took along the way. 

This was an older kit. There wasn't any laser cut parts and had to be cut with a scroll saw. This is the transom decoration pieces that had to be cutout and shaped.

 

I took a brake and put up some shelves to put some of my tools on. I got tired of having to dig in a closet or floor for a tool. I eventually add another shelf under this one. 

 

Couple of the barrels that came with the kit. The one on the left I sanded the prefinish off so it could take the stain. Panart probably buys them like this. I also painted the bands black not shown.

 

This is a shot of one of the tubes that had to be fabricated. The construction was straight forward. A pedestal like thing was made and you had to glue cut planks around it.

 

Another shot of the same

 

The blocks on the right is what the blocks looked like out of the kit. The ones on the left is what they looked like after I reworked them. I don't have a block sanding drum. So I had to do them by hand. Then I stained them in Minwax Golden Oak.

 

 

Here I am making the sail. I just glue the rope on to the sail with Tacky Glue and rolled it on. I also had to cut the sail down because it looked to bulky on the Yard Arm.

 

Here I am installing the canon and the associated rigging.

 

This is the tiller with the rigging installed.

 

This is ten photos, so I will continue with the next post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RussR]

continued from the previous post.

This a forward shot of the canon installed.

 

Top of the fabricated mast. I had to drill and cut the slot for the pulleys. The red piece at the top was turned on a used Proxxon Lathe that I recently bought.

 

This is the completed Yard Arm (the center part anyway).

 

Rope coil jig that I made.

 

Couple of the rope coils installed.

 

Here I am cutting out hull cradle out of some #1 pine.

 

I had one of the stablizers(?) in the wrong place and had to move and repaint.

 

Interior shots of the finished model.

 

I made the base out of plain old #1 pine with four coats of Minwax Wipe On Polly with a light sanding between coats. 

I ordered the name plate on Ebay. I think he did a good job.

 

To be continued in the next post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RussR]

I thought that the mast need a block instead of an eye bolt. And I didn't like where the two lines terminated. So, I added the block and made a cleat for the mast to tie the lines off.

 

Some random shots of the finished model

 

And finally an overall shot of the finished model.

 

I think I'll take a brake before I start my next project. It will be either the 1/350 plastic Titanic or the BB 1/75 Vasa.

 

 

 

[Richard44]

I lost track of you Russ, I was wondering if you'd finished the launch. Nice work.

 

Cheers

[RussR]

Thank You, Richard.

It was an enjoyable but challenging build. 

The only negative was, the instructions was more of a guide than instructions. 

But, that seem to be typical of kit manufactures.

RussR

[GrandpaPhil]

Congratulations!  Well done!

[ajromano]

What a work of art! Very impressive.

 

What scroll saw do you use? We have many of the same mini machines….

 

Tony