HMS Winchelsea by Greg M - 1/48 scale

[Greg M]

 I'm very excited about joining this project and realize I'm a bit of a Johnny come lately here, but will do my best to catch up without rushing. 

 

Ordered up the plans today, which have already shipped and should arrive Wednesday.  

Ordered 12 sheets of 1/4"x12x24 Plywood which should arrive on Thursday.  Bought plenty of extra plywood and ordered 3 copies of the false keel, so plenty of room for mistakes. 

The last major task for this week is to find a nice scroll saw.  I had a cheap variable speed years ago that slowly ramped up the speed to max the longer it was used, so I never got very good with it.  Time to hit the reset button.  

 

I'm going to use this as an opportunity to start milling my own strips as well, but will hold off on that for a little bit.  It's probably going to take a couple weeks before I really get going as I work through my current build, so targeting late September for having the bulkheads assembled and faired.

[Rustyj]

Welcome to the group Greg. Take your time getting going as we'll be here for a couple more years! 😀

[Chuck]

Welcome to the group!!!!  Looking forward to seeing your model underway.  Its never too late to join the group.

[Greg M]

Thanks Rusty/Chuck.  

 

I've been working my way all too fast through my Phantom build as I try to brush the rust off and am really eager to get going on the Winnie.  One of the reasons I got into this hobby in the first place was that I'm an extremely impatient person by nature and it forces you to slow down, accept mistakes and/or go back to the drawing board.  I'm entering the rigging phase, so I can start thinking about the Winnie.  I've been acquiring everything I'll need for the foreseeable future, so am (hopefully) set for about the next year from a materials standpoint.  

 

Been playing a bit with Alaskan Yellow Cedar to get an idea of how it's going to be to work with and really like this wood quite a bit.  The only negative I've seen with it is that it does get a bit "hairy" on crosscuts, but even acrylic medium stiffens it up enough to clean up with a knife or sandpaper.  It's so much more versatile than basswood for around the same price and I happen to like the smell of it, so there's a bonus.  

 

I've been able to budget for a scrollsaw and table saw to take on this project; a scrollsaw and plywood were cheaper than ordering the bulkheads pre-cut so a bit of a no brainer. 

 

The WEN 3921 scrollsaw appears to be well reviewed if you are mainly using outside cuts, so even though Amazon is a bit on the slow side these days, it did show up last week.    Only took about 10 minutes to adjust and get it ready to go today.  12 sheets of  1/4" plywood and all bulkheads printed out.  My biggest concern is having not used a scrollsaw in nearly 15 years and the last thing I want to do is jump in and make a mess of it.  I discovered a folder I had with printouts of the bulkheads for Clay Feldmans Lexington.  As it's so much smaller, I'm hoping only a sheet or two of plywood will be needed to work out the kinks.  It will be a great learning tool to get comfortable with the scroll saw.  

 

By this time next week I'm hoping to have looked through everyones build logs here and start showing progress of my own.  

 

 

[CaptMorgan]

Hey Greg

Welcome aboard.  That's the same saw that I used for my bulkheads and other stuff.  It works pretty good and I have had no issues.  Make your cuts just outside the lines of your patterns and then sand down to the lines.  It takes a little longer but the way it all fits together makes it well worth the time.

Good luck and I look forward to your progress.  

Steve

[Chuck]

Well enjoy the project but remember this is a much more complex build than Phantom.  Try and slow down alot.  There are so many things to consider carefully that could have a serious negative effect if you rush through it because of impatience.  Measure twice.....and then measure again.  
 

 

[Greg M]

Chuck, that's great advice and I keep coming back to it.  So much of this hobby is dealing with the unexpected, we shouldn't invite it upon ourselves. 

 

Thanks Capt Morgan; I finally got a chance to use the saw today and for the price, it's a great little saw.  I haven't done much yet other than to cut all the templates into individual bulkheads and pieces.  It was enough to get comfortable with saw.

 

 

Right before I started to clean up, I decided to start with parts 29 as it allows for a near unlimited number of redoes with scrap wood.  I'm finding the hardest thing is to not cut on the line but to cut just outside it.  My first attempt on the right, second on the left. It's going to take some adjustment on my part, but it will come. Half tempted to take a red pencil just outside the lines to give something to target.

 

 

[JeffT]

Practice makes perfect 🙂

[jfhealey]

Hi Greg

 

May I offer a few thoughts about cutting your own bulkheads/bulkhead former?

 

First, it is the cutting out of slots in the bulkheads that really matters. A little bit of "out" in the slot will mean a big "out" at the horns of the bulkheads. I found that out, to my cost, with my first Winchelsea build. For W2 I have printed an extra set of the bulkhead plans and I  lay each bulkhead, as I cut it out, on a clean plan examining the cut out slot very carefully for accuracy before any filing. Next, I  draw the centre line of the bulkhead on the clean plan, at deck level, measured between the two "horns" and I mark that on the cut out bulkhead. That line should then line up perfectly with the centre of the bulkhead former. Finally, I try fit and eyeball the "flow" of the bulkheads both from the sides for and aft and along the deck. Time spent here will really repay when it comes to the planking.

 

I hope that helps.

 

Good luck with your build.

Fred

[Greg M]

Thanks for the great advice Fred.  I started on my first bulkheads today and this advice is going to be extremely helpful.  

 

Scroll saw rookie realized why he was sometimes having trouble cutting outside the line today.  Whenever the cutting line was to the left of the blade, the shadow of the blade from the light on the right side was making it hard to pick out the white space between the blade and line.  Once I realized that and adjusted, it's been extremely smooth.

[Greg M]

I have really come to love the WEN scroll saw the last few days. I went slow, took my time and made my fair share of mistakes, but I tried to err on the side leaving too much wood to sand later.  I have a 1" belt sander and discovered that clearance is enough for the slots, so I should be able to clean the slots up at a 90 degree angle easier than a file.  

 

23 and 27 have my worst off cuts in the whole project so far, but shouldn't be a problem once I clean up the slots.

 

 

 

 

[jfhealey]

That looks like really neat work Greg. This is a fun stage isn't it.

Fred

[Greg M]

Thanks Fred.  I am absolutely loving this stage.  Learning a new skill and then realizing it wasn't as hard as initially thought is always super motivating. 

 

I allowed myself a budget for saw and material for the same amount it would have cost to buy the items precut from Syren.  The WEN was cheap enough that it left me with enough to buy the little belt sander.  I have a 4 inch belt sander/circular sander, drum sander attachments for the drill press and a Dremel, but I can't file a 90 degree angle to save my life and thought the 1" belt might be the just the right tool for the long part of the former and slots.  It is perfect for that job.

 

 

I was able to use it to clean up 20 of the 27 slots plus all the long edges.  I used the scroll saw to slowly shave the other 7 slots.  I'm terrible with a file and am doing everything in my power to keep things perfectly 90 degrees.  I haven't glued anything up yet, but the former is ready.  I did find it interesting that the middle template is mirrored in the pdf.  I'm guessing this corrects for a slight warp in the plywood assuming the parts are laid out on the same piece.

 

 

I found an easy way to mark the centerline make sure I'm not off.  I start by sanding the top of the horns and making sure the measurement is the same on both side from the top wale line (I'm assuming the red lines are the wales).  Then I put it in a framing square and use a center finding ruler at the bottom wale line to mark the center; then measure 1/8" from either side of the center for the edges of the slot.  I take a speed square (tried to initially use a machine square but my largest wasn't quite long enough) and draw out all three lines.  Before I take it to the sander, I take the ruler and make sure the lines are centered at the deck level.  If not, it easy to erase and start over.

 

The plywood is 5 layers which makes finding dead center easy on the former.  I created a little jig to check that the slot Is centered.  The final plug for the sander is that it keeps everything 90 degrees, so this should make keeping everything trued up much easier.

 

[Greg M]

Quick update here.  Marking the centerline on the top of the bulkheads is paying dividends.  I cleaned up all the Letter bulkheads today and stacked them on a piece of scrap plywood to see how in alignment they are without the impact from the former slot.  I knew the line wouldn't be perfectly straight, but any bulkhead way out of line should jump out.  Of course, it's the first one I did (U) after the test piece; pulled out the file finally and got it nudged back in line.  Thanks for the advice again Fred.  I'm sure I wouldn't have caught this until it was glued up and I was fairing the hull or even after.

 

 

[Greg M]

Frames have all been cleaned up and aligned on the "jig".  Two buildheads (marked in red) are a little bit off at the top on one side.  I think I may fair lightly a bit to remove any bumps or dips while the frames are so densely packed and the bumps stand out.  But for now I'm going to put these aside, sit down and digest chapter one of the monograph and start at the beginning.

 

I must have a bit of an allergy to birch.  Even with a dust mask and sanding outdoors, super dry throat and coughing up a storm, so I'm going to take a few days away from this wood.

 

 

[Greg M]

Thanks everyone for the likes.

 

I glued and cleaned up the stem today.  I can't believe how well everything fit together.  I'm getting ready to taper and would love some help as to the best line to sand.  Looking at examples, it looks like line 1 is the way to go, but wanted to doublecheck if I should go lower before getting too far into it.

 

[Chuck]

Looks great.  The taper is gradual so line 2 is better.  Avery gradual taper.  Not an obvious one that goes quickly from thin to 1/4” thick if that makes sense.

[Greg M]

Thanks Chuck.  That makes perfect sense and gives me the direction I needed.

[Greg M]

I had a moment of head scratching after tapering the first side of the stem before realizing that I was using the upright part of the upper stem (where the back of the figurehead rests against) as a guide on the sandpaper and so I didn't taper back far enough.  I changed the angle up a touch on the second side so the top of the bobstay was perpendicular to the sandpaper and got a much better taper.  I was able to go back and with a few passes on the first side everything matched up properly.  The figurehead fits perfectly and from the top everything is a nice even taper, so very happy.  Next time I do this, I would draw a north-south reference line on the stem that I would use rather than trying to focus on a reference point of the stem to keep everything trued up.  

 

 

Gammon Knee and extension are installed.  All the appropriate edges softened.  I got a little too eager and removed all the char from the inside of the stem, but I should be able to temporarily install the rabbet strip and adjust the former with the little sander to match up to the stem.  Regardless, I'm super energized on the progress of the last couple days.  

 

 

 

[Chuck]

That looks very good.  Nice right joints.  Remember to protect it from dirt and keep your hands clean.  This cedar can get dirty fast unless you really try hard to keep it clean and crisp.

[Greg M]

Thanks Chuck; I gave it a coat of WOP right after reading this.   Thanks everyone for the reactions as well.

 

 I got a little too cute for my own good and tried to shape the rabbet strip by bending the strip to the inside of the stem, clamping everything together and shimming thin basswood between the former and strip before glueing everything up.  I thought I had everything perfectly aligned as the picture to the left shows, but glueing the rabbet to the former compressed the basswood and created a gap between the strip and stem as the picture on the right shows.  Regardless, I trimmed up the 1st piece of the keel prior to glueing up, so that and the rest of the pieces went in without problem and it shouldn't matter once the planking is in place.  The joint is quite strong. 

 

 

 

 

Another coat of WOP tonight and overnight to dry, then I can put the glass away and get the building board set up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Greg M]

I put together the building board and sent the sheets of glass back to their home under the couch.  I was a bit dismayed at first when I started to test fit the bulkheads as many of them seemed more off center than they appeared when I lined them up earlier. I flipped them and rather than being off center in the opposite direction, all of them came much more in line.  I had to flip almost every bulkhead on the foremost piece of the former, but the other two only had a frame or two out of alignment, so I'll blame it on the former.

 

 

 

On a side note, thanks so much for putting this build together Chuck.  I stepped back once I looked down the lines of the ship and realized just how far my confidence/skills have already  come in 2 short weeks.  Can't wait to see where they will be at the end of the journey.  Time to mark the reference lines on both sides of the bulkheads, glue it all up and then see how much sawdust I can make this weekend.

 

 

[Greg M]

Thanks for the Likes everyone.  Slowly working my way through fairing the hull.  I'm not using the light ply, so I'm trying to be very methodical with my sanding and tackle it over a couple weeks.  I broke up each side into 6 zones - fore/middle/aft and top/bottom thinking that the sanding technique is a bit different based on the ships lines.  If I tackle a zone or 2 a day it should go fairly quickly without being too frustrating. 

 

I started with the port middle and used the red/yellow/green binder clips to mark out the boundaries to stop sanding.  Yellow marks a transition frame so will be part of two zones.  It's not very clear in the picture, but I marked the areas that are faired with red pencil marks.  The yellow and red clips are fully faired above the deck line as well.  I then did the same for the starboard side. What's interesting about this section is that a very small deviation (say 1/64") in the slots from center means one side needs to be shimmed and the other requires a whole lot of elbow grease.  

 

 

 

Moving aft...I simply swapped the small red and green binder clips, then covered everything that was faired with painters tape to protect it from incidental contact.  I also marked a dark red line at the edge of the yellow clip to note a do not sand line and the rest of the frames got a bright pink highlight figuring that if the line did not disappear from a frame, it would need to be shimmed.  The binder clips worked great in keeping anything from breaking.

 

Everything cleaned up nicely; I needed to shim the large green binder clip.  Frame 27 is going to require keeping an eye on it as it has a slight deviation to starboard, but I want to see how the lines look when the whole ship is faired before getting too aggressive with it.  

 

 

 

 

Here's where I am now.  Getting ready to move to the bow.  I could use some advice here as this is going to require the most aggressive sanding while being super careful around the stem.  I've been using 120 and 150 grit up to this point, but I'm guessing 60 or 80 is probably the way to go.  I thought cleaning up the bow fillers might be a good place to start and work back, but I wasn't sure what technique works best with the fillers or if it works better to save those for last?  Mouse sander or Dremel or a sanding stick and lot of patience?

 

 

[Rustyj]

59 minutes ago, Greg M said:

I wasn't sure what technique works best with the fillers or if it works better to save those for last?  Mouse sander or Dremel or a sanding stick and lot of patience?

 

I used a dremel, sanding sticks and sandpaper oh and yes lots of patience! Just be careful with the dremel that you don't over sand.

[Greg M]

Thanks Rusty.  I love my Dremel, but it's amazing how quickly even at the slowest setting it can over sand.  I dry fit, scribed and rough sanded the bottom of the fillers to frame W before installing, so at least that should cut down the workload and risk a bit.

 

Edit...that is a lot of wood to remove.  Went to the plans and it's almost 5/32" across BF-3 and more across BF-2 when I get to the bottom.  I think I'll take it outside tomorrow.

 

 

[Guillermo Eduardo Madico]

Hello Greg:

Best tools for doing this, including the bulkwards: battery operated Dremel at low speed with a cone cutter (the base cuts fast but the tip cuts slowly), and a Japanese cut file (iwasaki 150 medium cut) to finish it up (cuts fast and leaves a smooth surface).

Hope this helps,

G  

[Greg M]

Thanks so much Guillermo.  I have a cone cutter for the Dremel and didn't even think about using that.  I used the drum sander on BF-3 a short while ago and it worked well, but I wouldn't trust it on BF-2 when I flip the ship and and have to get close to the stem and keel.  The cone cutter will work much better. 

[Greg M]

Wow.  Those bow frames were a bear, but I worked my way through it.  Finally had to break out the 60 grit.  The cone cutter I have is diamond-coated and it just fouled up too quickly to be of use.  I ordered the Dremel one, but it didn't come until after I had finished the bow.  It will come back into play soon enough.  

 

The drum sander worked well enough but creates quite a mess and the accuracy leaves something to be desired.  No way I was getting closer than 1/8" to the stem with that thing.  The 60 grit cleaned it up quickly though and it should require just some light sanding at the very bottom once I flip her over. 

 

 

The starboard side went a lot faster once I transferred the lines from the port side.  

 

I was a bit nervous removing the tape from the stem in case I had damaged it, but there was none.  I'm energized right now as I feel the hardest and most tedious parts of the fairing the hull are over and the end is in sight.  

 

 

[Ryland Craze]

3 hours ago, Greg M said:

I was a bit nervous removing the tape from the stem in case I had damaged it, but there was none.  I'm energized right now as I feel the hardest and most tedious parts of the fairing the hull are over and the end is in sight. 

Congratulations.  I know the feeling

[Chuck]

That looks excellent.  Well done.