GLAD TIDINGS 1937 by Jerry Sturdivant - Model Shipways - Scale 1:24 - Pinky Schooner

[Jerry Sturdivant]

This will be my third kit. I hope I learned enough from the first two.

18th Century Longboat (1750-1760) - Jerry Sturdivant - Model - Shipways Scale 1:48                  

 

Sloup

Sloup Coquillier (1912+) - Jerry Sturdivant - Corel Scale 125

 

 

[Jerry Sturdivant]

Laying the keel, so to speak. I’m doing what an amateur shouldn’t; deviating from the plans. The Center keel is so thick, ¼” that the laser cutter wouldn’t properly cut through it. So they made a port and starboard center keel of 1/8” each and they’re to be glued together.

 

The plans say, after doing the ½ bulkheads on each side, THEN glue it together; but I watch the video of this young lady building it a different way:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFT_cmY7NVI

 

Here’s port and starboard center keel glued together.

 

 

 

 

[Jerry Sturdivant]

I thought I could add more story and pictures to one post, but I guess not.

(I'll learn the editing as I go).

 

Cutting the Rabbit. Here I am, slinging my blade (notice no blood, yet). Worked rather well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jerry Sturdivant]

Rather than christening the ship early with a pint of my blood, (and the inevitable stiches), I dropped my blade and grabbed my Dremel. That was nice, it was like molding wax.

 

 

[Ryland Craze]

Jerry, You are off to a good start.  By following Olha's videos, you will do just fine.

 

You can add photo's within your text. After downloading your pictures, just place your cursor in the text and click it where you want to add the photo.  Then click on the plus sign on the photo and it will be added within the post.  After you post your picture, you can add more text and repeat the process to add more pictures.

[Jerry Sturdivant]

Thanks, Ryland; you've earned a free ride in my boat...

 

I'm doing some of my fairing ahead of time, thanks to the blue prints. (Should I call them white prints?). A little pencil work (being sure to cut the correct side).

 

 

Then cut it down to where I hope it should be. I'll leave the fine fairing for when it's all together and braces are in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[Jerry Sturdivant]

Now to gluing the ribs. When trimming the wood gaps where the laser cutter stopped, I didn’t clean the carbon very well and noticed the yellow glue didn’t bond well.

 

 

So when I flipped the glued-together center boards over, I spend more time sanding the carbon off.

 

 

When these last few ribs are glued, I’ll add some glue all along where the ribs contact the center boards. I will also sand the black carbon off the exposed parts of the ribs you see here before adding the planks.

[Jerry Sturdivant]

The plans call for about 60 short pieces of wood to place between ribs.

So I set up a little assembly line by making a table saw out of my Dremel drill press.

 

 

Then a little sanding on each one and started gluing.

 

 

[GuntherMT]

Looking good.  Those braces will serve you well as you fair the bulkheads for planking.  You may already know this, but the fairing, while it can be quite boring and doesn't show much progress, is an incredibly important part of your build.  Take your time and get it right, and you will be rewarded later with a beautiful run of planks to cover up all that work on the bulkheads. 

[Jerry Sturdivant]

Planking. Aaaah!

 

Judging by the number of videos and instructions on planking, I see I’m not alone in my desperation. My two-dimensional planks must live in a three-dimensional world. My first project here 18th century longboat required that the planks be visible. And as a first project, it was tough. I soaked the planks in hot water and broke a number.

 

My next project had the hull painted, and was to be double planked, but being able to paint over splices and putty gave me a lot of leeway for errors and goofs. Yea, I single planked.

 

So on this project, I started out letting planks lay as they may and would trim and shape the later ones. So here’s the start. I decided to soak all planks in hot water for half an hour, then place them and let them dry in their stressed curves. When dry, I’d use Elmer’s glue to place them permanent because it dries slower than I work.

 

 

When it came to top plank (probably not the correct terminology) I took a wider plank, cut it to length, then put one end in the washbasin faucet with a rubber band and the other end in the drain and slowly ran hot water for half and hour. Then, as you see here; put it in place on the rib tops, with just a little overhang (to be sanded flat later to match the deck).

 

 

Again, wet, no glue. As the plank reached the bow and stern, it curved up, if I wanted it to touch the ribs fully. So, going with the flow; and not wanting to stress and break like previous projects, I’ll glue it on that way and noticed the drawing had planks narrowing toward the ends as you see here.

 

 

I presume I’ll just trim off the parts above the deck. Notice as it reaches the bow, it curves up. While it’s drying, I’m having my glass of wine as writing this. After my nap, when the board is dry, I’ll glue it. Then do the Starboard side.

 

[GuntherMT]

While it's a bit too late now to take a different approach, and the one you are using should work for this, I highly recommend doing a forums search for 'planking tutorials' here on MSW.  Chuck Passaro has some excellent tutorials and video's on how to properly layout planking and how to edge-bend planks using nothing but heat that will be priceless to you when you move to another project like the longboat where the planks are left exposed.

 

Some good problem solving on your own here, and by using the oversized planks and letting them go where they want and trimming them back later, you should end up with a nice looking hull.

[Jerry Sturdivant]

Thanks Gunther. Yea, I looked at a lot of planking videos and instructions. It’s a 3D world I’ve had trouble with. My first project, as I pointed out on the first post, was a 18th Century Longboat  and many years ago I build a real canoe with one inch by ¼ redwood strips. With my longboat I was able to sand my way out of trouble, but the hull got mighty thin in some places.

 

My second project was Sloup Coquillier  that was supposed to be double hull and painted, but in real life only. So I took the easy route with single planking and putty. But I’m still learning.

 

This project blueprints (white actually) were apparently the actual plans for the real boat, but numbers changed for miniature, and had very good overlay shapes for each plank. Being I’m not having to actually sail it, I’ve taken structural liberties I could not take on a real boat.

[Jerry Sturdivant]

 

Letting the plank lay as they will, (doing away with “edge-bend” as Gunther mentioned) I had the tops planks narrow toward bow and stern. So I cut and sanded to be flat with the deck. (For some reason the photo I wanted kept loading upside down, even when I went back and  inverted the original, so I loaded this one). Anyway, the plank got narrower toward the bow and stern.

 

 

 

I did one plank a day. I’d lay it on the ship and let it lay as it would, without extra stress of edge-bend. Marked and cut – usually being narrow toward the ends of the ship. Then I placed one end of the plank in the faucet of the washtub with a rubber band and the other end in the drain and slowly ran hot water over it for a half-hour. Big time boats steam their planks.

 

After half an hour, I’ve take the wet plank and put it in place. I’d rubber band and clamp and bit off pieces of wood to stick under rubber bands and once in place, let it dry.

 

After a glass of wine (and a little poker online) and a nap – about 4 hours – I’d remove the clamps and rubber bands at one end of the dried plank and ‘pop’ the plank loose. (Elmer’s from the previous gluing would cause it to stick). I’d smear Elmer’s on that end and re-rubber-band it back and then do the other end. Elmer’s, rather than yellow glue was slower and let me work with the board longer.

 

 

77

 

[Jerry Sturdivant]

So, I’m still a beginner; but I’m having fun. So I’ll post my mistakes, just to let you other beginners know, you’re not alone.

 

I thought I was running out of this particular board size; and as I said, it’s not a real boat I’d be sailing, so I selected a larger plank and laid it on. (Cover more ground, get the planking done and get to the next phase).

 

Perhaps I’m not a purest, but my son’s suggestion (he got me into building models) of getting kits that have the hull done, wasn’t appealing. And I enjoyed the idea I could deviate from the plans, as I did when working or real (full size) boats.

 

Anyway, I rubber banded it to the center of the ship and let the end lay natural, which curved up and over the previous upper planks. A few pencil marks and cuts and trims, and it’s off to soaking in the hot water faucet. Then, without glue, lay it on to dry.

 

Yea, it looks like a rubber band mess, but with no glue, I have time to be sure it would dry in place. Clamps would fall off, and rubber bands would snap and clips would shoot across the room. But, that’s boat building.

 

 

Even after this picture, I would quickly bite off a small piece of wood and stuff it under a rubber band, just to press in the planks. Less sanding in the long run. So as this mess is drying, I’m writing this.

 

This sure is fun. But then, I’m in my 80’s and I can’t go out in this virous or it will kill me. (I have CLL and no immune system).

 

I hope these large photos aren’t taking too much room for this site. (I’ll make a donation in hopes of forgiveness).

 

[Jerry Sturdivant]

Okay, I got the third plank down in place, (And learned how to make my font bigger). And noticed my wine glass in the picture...

 

So now my planking is coming together and I have to figure how to fill the gap.

 

 

One big fat plank or two (or three). So I did some measuring with various size planks; checked how they laid, and decided there would be less stress if I did it in sections. So I placed this short piece in place, cut it, soaked  it in hot water and presently have it drying. Meanwhile, cutting the continuation and have it under the hot water faucet. (I hope I'm not getting myself in too much trouble here...)

 

 

 

[Jerry Sturdivant]

 

I see my glass of wine made it in the above picture. I use it to relieve stress when rubber-banding ahead of glue drying.

So now my planking is coming together and I’m closing the gap. In this following picture, I cut this long piece to relieve the stress because this one didn’t just lay down.

 

PIC.

 

My finger points to the cut. Also, I can take my time with each section of plank. I did the section on the left first. While it dried, I had the other plank in the hot water. The little pieces of wood help press down the slight amount of stress lift.

 

 

Filling the Gap

 

In this next picture I must fill the gap in the hull. I could put in two small planks, but they’d be small and require a lot of sanding on each one. So I’m using a bigger one to fill it completely.

 

 

I laid the large plank in place and let it lay in place, unstressed. Marked from the inside with a pencil, and cut and sanded it to fit.

 

You can see, above I’ve prepared the section so when I place the wet plank, I just roll down the boards under the rubber bands to press it in place. I didn’t soak the plank very long (10-minutes) because longer would cause swelling and it wouldn’t fit.

 

Below I have the plank in place to dry and have the boards and bands holding it in place.

 

Picture

 

A few hours later I moved the boards up, pulled out the dry plank. Added Elmer’s glue and put it back with bands and boards.

 

[Jerry Sturdivant]

Last gap on the port side. With a plank large enough

 

 

I laid over the hole and let it curve itself with no stress. Then rubber bands and blocks to hold it in place:

 

 

Being sure it wouldn't move, i turned the boat over and marked the edges of the hole on the new plank.

 

 

Removed the rubber bands and here is where I cut and sand.

 

 

Oh,oh! I cut it too small. I meant to leave some to trim and sand:

 

 

I'll not soak this one because the only stress on the plank and the curvature.  So I'll glue it; rubber band it and let it dry.

 

 

Well I screwed that up. Rubber bands and block and a short plank, and I missed a rib on the right end.

 

 

A little carving with a blade; pry it up with a toothpick, and add glue. Glue and putty is your friend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jerry Sturdivant]

One last plank on the starboard side.

 

 

Again, I placed it, rubber bands, pencil cut and sand.

 

 

Well.. Like I said, no need being a purest when you're going to paint over your goofs. So now I'll start sanding and perhaps a little putty. Then add keel and posts. Then more putty... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jerry Sturdivant]

Having looked at other models, I notice the hull is painted to where you can see the planking. So maybe I should have followed instructions and planked it correctly. Oh well. Sand it smooth enough and I hope it won't show.

 

While sanding, I notice that the planks I soaked, then attached, tended to bend more around the ribs (bulkheads) and left bumps. So I'll have to sand them down and they'll be thinner. Here I used my lamp at an angle to show shadows and high spots and the aforementioned bulges. 

 

 

I've rubber banded the keel, stem and sternpost in place, just to see if I needed more sanding near them.

 

 

I'll glue these on and hope putty (spackling past) and sanding cleans it up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by Jerry Sturdivant

[Jerry Sturdivant]

 

Instructions suggest gluing reinforcement block inside the hull for the chain plate locations.

 

 

Six locations. Now I glue on the plank sheers; being sure the glue doesn't fill the little square holes,

 

 

I tried setting the plank sheer edge as close to the sheer strake (top plank) as possible. Kinda making a average. I don't want to sand the down too much because of holes. I use Elmer's to give me more time to move things around and get it all rubber-banded.  You can see a shadow where the plank sheer overlaps the top plank. This will all be taken care of with spackling and sanding (I hope).

 

 

So the cracks and crevasses get spackled. I used the putty knife to fill in for abut a quarter inch for the gap at the plank sheer. My first time doing this so after 10 minutes of drying (things dry quick in Las Vegas and zero humidity)  I used the putty knives to kinda scraps semi-dried spackle off. I'm hoping to save a lot of sanding. I'll let it dry today and see how sanding works tomorrow.

 

 

 

[Jerry Sturdivant]

 

After having upside down picture problems, I photted the photo and now they loaded correctly. (Sigh). Anyway, thanks to Olha and her videos and ideas, I used spackle rather than wood putty and it's great to work with.

 

 

I do my sanding and putty with a fluffy towel and when I apply the spackle, I never scrape the putty knife in the jar because it's too dry. I always wipe the knife on the towel and wash it off later. The above picture is after sanding the first time. As you see in this following picture, sanding will leave a few problems.

 

 

Sanding with fine paper requires constant brushing. I did the top plank a second time and lightly sanded.

 

 

I drilled out the threads in the brass stand and drilled a small hole in the keel. Tighten the nut on the bottom and now I can work on the deck. I'll remove the brass stand and leave the bolt for painting. (I placed a small sliver of wood on the right side of the brass stand to help keep the 'water level' correct).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ryland Craze]

Your Glad Tidings is looking good Jerry.  You cannot go wrong by following Ohla's videos and build logs.

[Jerry Sturdivant]

 

Next is painting. I have trouble with paint brushes, big areas and drying too quickly. And as for primer, I mentioned on another boat of mine here, the primer either never seemed to dry, or I put too much on. I was like rubber. I was going to get spray cans from the hardware store but decided it was time to try to try Airbrush. So I watched the pros on line and decided on a cheap one.

 

 

It was one size, small, and I used an air can for pressure. Between me never having done it before and never even watching it done, and a cheap outfit, and run out of air. I tossed the rig you see above and got a good one. I practiced, plugged it up, then got the paint too thin, didn't understand some of the controls. Back to the Internet an a few more lessons. Anyway I bought a better gun and hooked it to my large compressor under this bench and practiced I sprayed on the prime.

 

 

Then I remembered I had to paint the rudder. And the instructions say to taper down the stern post and the rudder. So a little grinding and more prime.

 

 

I painted the gunnels white. Let it dry, then masked them and airbrushed the hull. One thing about airbrush, it doesn't cover sins and fill cracks like a paintbrush. But I didn't want a perfect job because it would like like a plastic hull popped out of a mold. Real boats I painted had brush strokes, so I left plank marks in, like in real boats.

 

I borrowed my son's Water Line Marker; leveled the boat, went to the plans and drew a line just slightly lower than the real waterline. I will be taping (in place of masking tape) because the tap should make a finer line and thin paint may not leak under the tape like it does masking.

 

 

The tape on the gunnel (or whatever it's called) is the blue masking tape. Today I spray the Hull Copper.

 

 

 

 

[GuntherMT]

Little trick for sealing the edge of your masking.  After you have all your masking tape on, and have pushed it down as hard as possible at the sealing edge, use a small brush and apply a single thin coat of the color that you just masked off.  This (in your case white?) paint will do any seeping under the masking edge that will happen, and at the same time 'seal' the edge making it very unlikely for any of the next color you are spraying to get past the masking.

 

Might want to practice this on a scrap piece so you figure out how it works without leaving a 'brushed' paint line visible.

 

Edit:  I've read where others did the same thing using a matte clear instead of the color.

Edited January 24, 2021 by GuntherMT

[Jerry Sturdivant]

Wow! (Slapping my forehead) why didn't I think of that? Thank you! Great tip as I'm not much of a painter and always have seepage under my masking. I bought some new blue masking tape (as my old masking tape sits in the garage - with Vegas temps about 115 in the summer - dries out) and did some internet searching for answers like yours. I decided to use black electricians'  tape knowing I'd cut a sharper edge. Then I did the 'rub' thing as you see here.

 

 

The blue tape covers the yellow and the white gunnels (or whatever they're called). But as you can see here, even when I slowly and carefully pulled the electricians' tape, some yellow came off. I'm new at using the above airbrush. I tried the cheap one I purchased (a few pictures up) thought I could do better with this double action one. I held the airbrush back for a wider spray and I believe the yellow partially dried before hitting the primer and that's why it pulled up. (*sigh*). The airbrush has too many adjustments and I've never even seen one used before. I finally gave it to my kid and went back to the cheap one and it works great. I just don't do small stuff like my (adult) kid.

 

 

I sure like the line where it didn't peel up. Better than some of the other's I've seen. So I did some sanding and masking and painting and sanding... Anyway, this is what I ended up with.

 

 

I cheated with the black line like I did on one of my other projects here and used black tape. I'm going to get some clear matt spray or use some clear paint to hold the tape down if it starts coming up. 

 

I have a rudder problem. I drew the line off the blue (white) prints and it does not match the water line I drew on the hull. So... A little yellow paint (a probably a wabbly line) and that should fix that. Same for the black I'll paint on the top of the rudder.

 

 

[hamilton]

Looking great so far!

hamilton

[GuntherMT]

Looks good, but I would use a lot of caution with electrical tape.  It is prone to leaving a very sticky residue which is difficult to remove especially as it ages or is exposed to heat.

[Ryland Craze]

Nice save on the paint pulling up.  The hull looks really nice. 

[Jerry Sturdivant]

Time to start on the cabins.

 

 

The ends of the cabin are measured to cover the pictures on the blueprint. I use Elmer’s glue so I have time. I squirt out a puddle on the wax paper and drag the edges of the boards through it for a thin line of glue and slide it against the next board. A hand squeeze at the end will squirt out excess glue, then a wipe of the cloth. Wax paper on both sides than put on the squeeze and squeeze it down. Leave it till morning.

 

 

I used yellow glue to put cabin beams on the inside of the cabin ends; clamp and dry. With red pencil I extended some lines and as you can see, I will slide the cabin ends over the drawings and make my marks for cutting.

 

 

Connected the cabin ends. The pencil points to my placement tabs on the back cabin. Same for cabin front. The decking planks have lots of deck for purchase. The extra  cabin bean you see is just laying the on connecting board to show that when I cut the companionway hole, I take a section of this beam and use it on the inside.

 

Cabin.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jerry Sturdivant]

Sides are on and port holes drilled. I checked the prints and added a cabin beam for  top plank support. Then a bunch of sanding to get the cabins to fit flush. My deck planking should cover the bottoms of the cabins. I added a shim on one of the ribs for the deck planks to sit on. Also near the bow, I glued some shims where the ends of deck planks can connect better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2021 by Jerry Sturdivant