Mayflower by SkerryAmp - Model Shipways - 5/32" = 1'

[popeye the sailor]

my main tool for simulated calking was crayon.   while on a later build,  I had a conversation with John  {jim lad} about the use of archive pens.   the one that I bought,  you can find in any craft store......but to be honest,  the secret is in the type of ink.   regular markers contain ingredients that allow the marker to do just what it does.....seep into whatever you apply it to.   this and you have to remember....wood,  especially the type we use......is porous.   the archive pen that I have is a non fillable pen,  that is filled with india ink.  India ink is a condensed ink......containing little to no ingredient as such........it will seep into whatevery you apply it to,  but will not leech out to the other side.... {paper, or light material}.   I use a med to fine tip.   still,  it is an ink,  not something you want to dottle on......you have to move the pen over the edge without stopping.......but it will seep in if your too slow.  try a couple test pieces to get a feel for it.....careful on the ends,  because it will seep in quick,  due to the cut of the wood.  also,  you do have to wait a minute or two,  so the ink will dry to some degree.

[SkerryAmp]

Wow, my apologies for the longer than expected hiatus.   Feels like forever since I was at my workbench and longer since I stopped in at MSW - was hoping I didn't loose my spot in the club for abandoning ship!!

 

It is amazing what can happen in such a short amount of time,  1 remodel turned into 2.  a week of the flu, a week in Virginia, and then the Admiral couldn't help notice the nice weather and the lack of attention to the gardens..... whew!

 

But I finally managed to struggle out of the chaos and back to the bench and back onto MSW!! =)

 

I have been spending time on the Mayflower, unfortunately because it was very spotty - a board here, board there, I didn't take pictures along the way.   So i don't have any grand updates for my return post.

 

But I do have an update!

 

 

I have managed to get the first planking done on the hull.  You may notice what would appear to be an exorbitant amount of filler.  This would be due to the exorbitant amount of errors, mistakes, damn-its and sighs that went into that hull.   I think it came out okay for a first time at planking a hull like this, but boy oh boy was it not a cakewalk.  Plenty of errors - however that just meant plenty of lessons learned for the next one.  Hopefully.

 

I still have a few spots that need attention as well as some sanding to do on the gun ports to clean them up, but most likely will move onto the decking next just to move things along  a little bit.  I will also try to get a better pic later, this one didn't come out as well as I thought it would, but wanted to get back in the saddle so here it is for now =)

 

 

 

I had been reading several logs where aftermarket wood was used (holly, box etc) and got the urge to try it out for myself and see what it was all about.  So I did pick up some holly for the deck, some box for the second planking and some pear for the structures.

 

This should be interesting

 

Will lay some decking tonight and update accordingly.

 

Thanks all!!

 

Until next time -  enjoy!!!

 

-Adam

[augie]

Welcome home, mate.

 

Filler?  What filler.  Hey, it's the first layer.  Will be really interested in your use of the alternate woods......I'm tired of basswood.

[Sjors]

Hi Adam,

 

From me also a welcome back.

And next time don't stay away for that long!

First planking looks good and up to the next one!

 

[popeye the sailor]

glad your back Adam........sounds quite busy......hopefully things will calm down and you can stay the course    yea....I get my list as well about this time......I think I have to mow again!

[russ]

So far it looks pretty good. I think you will like the look of those nice timbers.

 

Russ

[popeye the sailor]

remember......beauty is on the outside.......whatever is inside is  hush-hush!

[SkerryAmp]

Thanks all for the warm welcome backs

 

Augie:  I am really excited about using the alternate wood, although hit my first snag/disappointment which I will explain in a minute. 

 

Sjors: Thank you sir! And I will do my best not to let time pass like that again. I think I have a schedule worked out (fingers crossed) to keep my hobby/obsession going forward as well as keep up with the pesky side projects

 

Popeye: Trust me, underneath is very hush hush!! But you reminded me, I have to MOW this coming weekend!! ack!

 

Russ: Thanks!  I like the look of the pear so far.  I have a pic below of just two of the hatches, i was going to have more but..well... on to that story I guess....

 

 

 

 

So, I got home last night ready and raging to go to town on the decks.  I used pear for the hatch frames and I like the look.   Once they are oiled or poly'd they will look really good. Nice color.

 

But alas,  tragedy/disappointment fell.

 

I was just test fitting some of the holly for the deck planks and something just seemed wrong.   They were as thick as the hatch frames.  So I said to myself: self?  did you use the wrong wood for the frames?   Nope, I used the right pieces there.   So what is wrong with the holly.

 

:o :o Ordered the wrong thickness :o :o

 

So, some may be saying - well didn't you check it when you got the wood?   Well - sort of.   I had ordered it just before the chaos hit and it arrived mid chaos.  So I gave it a quick scan over to make sure everything looked in order, and it did.   However, I had requested the wrong size for the holly. 

 

So I tried several things last night, I don't own a thickness sander so I tried to improvise.  Dremel, disc sander, belt sander all with various rigs and gadgets to try to thin down the holly.  Alas, i just do not have the parts necessary to do a good job of it.   So after fighting the good fight for a while I decided to just chalk it up to experience and the holly sits patiently awaiting either someplace it can be used OR.... when I get a thickness sander.

 

Was really looking forward to it, but will have to settle with pear for the frameworks and other doodads and boxwood for the planking.

 

Anyway,  I had planned to have at least some decking done by the experimentation took up most of the night. So all I have today is pic of the two framings on the foredeck.  Both are done with pear.   They need a bit of clean up still but I like the look of them so far.  I did use a piece of holly for the hatch cover on the one.  So some holly DID find a home

 

Once they are oiled or poly'd the color will really pop.  I did a test piece with some Tung Oil and it looked really nice.

 

 

Until later all -  Enjoy!!

 

-Adam

 

[russ]

Adam:

The pear and boxwood look good together. Will you be doing a half lap joint at the corners of the hatch coamings?

 

Russ

[SkerryAmp]

Russ:  I am planning to, if I can figure out how to do it successfully.  It looks easy enough, but being only my second run at working with wood I am not sure what the gap is between looking easy and reality =)

 

I started working on the decking last night and will have updates tonight once I get the stain laid down.  Of course I have run into another issue which will be coming up.    I had decided to work with the alternate woods a little bit into the project.   The effects of that decision hit me last night where I have decided to use the boxwood for the second planking, however on the stern I have already laid the basswood. 

 

So now I get to experiment with stain mixing to try to get a stain color that matches the boxwood so it doesn't look horribly out of whack.

 

sigh.

 

-Adam

[trippwj]

Sigh....

 

Ambitious approach, Adam, and looking very nice!

[popeye the sailor]

sometimes,  the contrast of woods is quite nice.......it's all in how you do it

[SkerryAmp]

Wayny - ambitious is probobly the word for it, this being my second build I am not sure exactly what I am getting myself into but am looking forward to the ride!!

 

Popeye - Agree!! just hoping how I do it falls into the quite nice category once I figure that out that is.

 

-Adam

[SkerryAmp]

So, just wrapped up an evening of work so an update we have!!

 

Broke some new ground on building and techniques with this one, so here's hoping it passes muster!!

 

When we last left our hero we had laid down the basics of the hatches.  Russ, I fear i did cheat on these and just flush butt them - I just couldnt get the L to come out, however am bound and determined to get it on the grate on the main deck!!  I will, oh yes I will.  Luckily it doesn't show much on the foredeck, mainly because while they are raised, they are not raised that much... not sure what happened

 

With the hatches in place I started laying the planks.   I started with the archive pen adding the caulk lines because I really liked that approach, but board after board I could not get a nice even color to them. It was quite frustrating.  Then the pen started drying out ....egads!!

 

What to do!   Well, I then got a little creative (I think).   I have some colored putties from minwax and realized the ebony putty has a very nice black/gray color to it.   I applied a little to the edge of the board laying on the deck.  I then cut the neighboring board, applied a little glue and slid it against the seated board.    Well - what do you know, I think it worked.   It made a nice subtle but noticable caulk line.   A quick wipe with some alcohol on a rag and I was surprised (it doesn't take much to excite me I guess).

 

The putty....

 

 

Applying the putty "caulking"

 

 

The planks set in

 

 

Cleaned up

 

 

I think it worked, so I plodded onward.

 

Next up was to get the holes in place for the treenails.   They were so small I ended up using a dental pick and poked the holes in.

 

 

Not too too bad I think for my first every attempt at tree nails

 

I then (on the colored putty craze) decided to use some Minwax Walnut putty and fill the little poked holes..

 

 

Little scared now, hoping like heck I didn't stain the wood with the putty.   I used a bit of alcohol on a rag and rubbed out the deck.  WHEW - very minimal staining,  definately happy so far....

 

 

So I then decided to finish her off with a light stain.  I was going to just do the tung oil but since I couldn't use the holly and had to stay with the basswood I figuerd staining was the way to go.  I learned from my phantom that straight Golden Oak is a bit dark.  So I played with some mixtures and came up with a pleasant golden oak that looks good on the deck. 

 

It is a mix of roughly 2 parts Natural Stain to 1 part Golden oak.

 

 

 

So there she sits, drying overnight.   I am not sure if Tung oil does anything spectacular over stained wood so most likely will end up giving it a coat of poly to seal it up.  That, however , is a decision for tomorrow.  Any suggestions are more than welcome.

 

I did notice in the pictures a little clean up still needed on the edge of the deck so will tackle that before I do the main deck.  That is the goal of this weekend.  Getting the decks all done up.

 

Thanks for stopping in folks!

 

As always - ENJOY!!

 

-Adam

[russ]

The deck planking and treenails came out very well. Nice work. The hatch coamings look good, especially after the planking is laid.

 

Russ

[popeye the sailor]

see........looks good,  don't it...........now get the poly on it........that will bring out the grain.   it's a good idea to do it for another reason..dust and stuff will stick to the stain and tung oil and make it tougher to clean.   with a seal coat on it,  clean up will be a lot easier.

 

great job Adam! 

[augie]

Sorry to read about the thickness problem.  But that's a nice bit of improvising you've done there. Jot down those proportions on the mixed stain!

 

I'm not sure how Tung Oil acts but Popeye's suggestion to get her sealed is a great idea.

 

 

Having fun yet ????  

[SkerryAmp]

Thanks all!   I was pleased with how it came out - wasn't sure, but am happy with the results.  Am working the rest of the deck currently and should have another update soon.   Once I get the decks all laid in I will definitely be oiling and sealing to make it pop a bit.

 

The mix was nice, looks even better in person so not only did I jot down the ratio but also made up a "batch" that should last a while

 

As for having fun?  A B S O F R I G G I N L U T E L Y

 

Love this stuff!

Will love it more when I get a bit more skill under my belt   but in time,  oh yes - in time

 

 

-Adam

[popeye the sailor]

glad to hear Adam......one thing though.....premixing stuff might not last as long as you might think.   something about mixing different chemicals together...might accelerate or alter  the structure...oh, heck,  it might not have too long of a shelf life..   time will tell.

 

glad to hear your enjoying the hobby......the only way to get better,  is to do as much as you can.   have fun and don't get discouraged with anything.   folks here are very nice......many will help if they can.  

[SkerryAmp]

Okay, so ran into one of the parts of the hobby I DON'T care for:  the redo!!

 

Of course this was because of me and my lack of paying attention.

 

Had half the main deck planked and realized my "pattern" was horrid!!!   So, have to rip up all those little pesky deck planks, clean up the deck and re-drop them with more care paid to the pattern.

 

But, is worth it - I guess

 

 

 

-Adam

[russ]

Adam:

The most important thing is that you be satisfied with your work. So long as you are satisfied, all is well.

 

Russ

[augie]

No one likes to go backwards.....but it does happen.  Russ is correct --- satisfy yourself.  Otherwise it will annoy you ever time you look at her. 

[Simon]

Hi Adam.....I came across your build doing a search for ´whitehall tender´. I am just embarking on this hobby and my first purchase was the Boston Whitehall Tender and I now feel much better after your reference to ´mental scarring´.....just the way I feel ! But now I know that I am not the only one who has had difficulty with the planking I shall soldier on and try some Stealers and Drop Planks , as per the excellent article on ´simple hull planking techniques´ (although I have to ask myself ´simple for who ??!´ )

 

keep up the good work on Mayflower!

 

Simon

[popeye the sailor]

I hate the messy cleanup afterwards........sorry to hear your lament.   be happy with your work.

[SkerryAmp]

Thanks guys,  yeah it was necessary to tear it up because I knew if I left it I would be thinking about it the whole time.  So UP it went.

 

Simon:  Good luck with the whitehall my friend,  I actually have the 3rd kit of that sitting under my desk.  I am determined to get that thing built and looking good; it just aggravated me so much I moved on for a bit!!

 

-Adam

[SkerryAmp]

So, after tearing up the main deck I went ahead and layed the new one down. Much better - still not "perfect" but I think it came out alright, especially once all the fittings and doodads are installed to blend it all together.

 

I did the same thing as i did with the foredeck.  I used Minwax ebony putty for caulking lines,  a dental pick to pick out the nail holes, minwax Walnut putty for the tree nails then a diluted golden oak over the whole thing to blend it together.

 

Overall I liked that the boards have different tones, although in one corner of the deck is a "blemish" It wasn't there (I swear) while working the deck but oh did it appear once the stain was applied.

 

Not sure what is going to happen with it,  I will have to see how much of it shows once the rest of the deck is together etc.  One thing I do know, it is workable/fixable, I just need to get creative . 

 

Hopefully I am not making Chuck cringe too much

 

Poop and Main Deck Planked

 

Poop and Main Deck: Tree Nails added

 

Poop and Main Deck stained, awaiting poly finish.

 

 

It is now currently set aside to dry so I can finish it off and then add the remaining deck and doors etc as well as the iron rings on the hatches and grates.

 

Thanks for following along

 

As always - Enjoy!!!

 

-Adam

[trippwj]

The rebuilt decking looks good, Adam. I like the color.

Edited May 31, 2013 by trippwj

[russ]

^{The new deck looks great. It has a slightly worn look to it that is just right. Nice work.}

 

^Russ

[Chuck]

I think it looks really good.    You are doing very well and i am following the build closely.  Keep teh pics coming.

 

Chuck

[augie]

The 'boss' didn't cringe at all.  Nice work on the deck.