HMS Bounty by LyleK1 - Artesania Latina - 1:48 scale

[Trond]

On 6/8/2021 at 5:24 AM, LyleK1 said:

Made some decent progress this week.

Got in some sanding on some of the lower planks and around the bow... lots more to do.

Also, did my first stealers plank at the bow:

 

Turned out pretty good... I had to make the piece 3 times because every time I tried to bend it, it would break! Very frustrating!
Walnut is very unforgiving. Finished piece in place:

 

The stern is coming together fairly well too. No sanding yet or very little:

 

Overall, about 2/3rds done... to the wales:

 

I'll keep plugging away!

I will be starting another build later this week. My dad turns 86 in August and I am building the "Sea of Galilee boat" for his birthday. Not sure if I can finish it in time but I'll give it a try!

Hoping to work both models at the same time but will definitely be pushing the Galilee boat to finish on time.

If you're interested in following that build log, watch for the link in my signature below.

 

Very nice job!

[LyleK1]

It took 7 weeks to complete but it's ready and in time for my dad's birthday in a couple weeks!

Couple pictures:

A really fun build too!

 

I put my first hour into the Bounty today after 7 weeks away!

I've got vacation and a remodel going on but plan to get time in to her... so, stand-by, more coming soon.

[DaveBaxt]

What a great looking boat and a really good present for you Dad. This takes ' Its the thought that counts' to a whole new level. Looking forward to your progress on the Bounty.

[LyleK1]

The little hiatus almost made me forget about the trials and tribulations of working with walnut... Almost!

I'm nearing the end of the planking. A couple more rows and I'll be up to the wales:

 

The bow is a little more curved than I wanted but turned out good:

 

The stern was tough, it took those particular planks longer due to the bend and twist in many of them. I had to soak the pieces multiple times and used my hands to shape the planks:

 

Once I complete the last couple rows to the wales, there are 5-6 rows above the wales and the planking will be done!

I've done some sanding but have a lot more to do. Especially around the stern and bow areas. Such a struggle to get this very hard wood to conform!

Gotta start experimenting on how to age this wood too.

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by LyleK1

[DaveBaxt]

3 hours ago, LyleK1 said:

The little hiatus almost made me forget about the trials and tribulations of working with walnut... Almost!

I'm nearing the end of the planking. A couple more rows and I'll be up to the wales:

 

The bow is a little more curved than I wanted but turned out good:

 

The stern was tough, it took those particular planks longer due to the bend and twist in many of them. I had to soak the pieces multiple times and used my hands to shape the planks:

 

Once I complete the last couple rows to the wales, there are 5-6 rows above the wales and the planking will be done!

I've done some sanding but have a lot more to do. Especially around the stern and bow areas. Such a struggle to get this very hard wood to conform!

Gotta start experimenting on how to age this wood too.

 

Looks like you are making a very good job of the planking. I am no expert but thought that there would have been two layers of planking especially being Walnut, where the first layer ( thicker planks) where I understand to be just for the general shape and do not need to be so perfect as the second (thinner ) planks and easier to conform. Please correct me if my thinking is incorrect. 

                          Keep up the good work and I look forward to your progress.

[TOM G]

There might be something here for you,  as far as ageing the wood.        http://www.besttrains.com/vetero.html   

[LyleK1]

17 hours ago, DaveBaxt said:

Looks like you are making a very good job of the planking. I am no expert but thought that there would have been two layers of planking especially being Walnut, where the first layer ( thicker planks) where I understand to be just for the general shape and do not need to be so perfect as the second (thinner ) planks and easier to conform. Please correct me if my thinking is incorrect. 

                          Keep up the good work and I look forward to your progress.

Thanks Dave.

This particular kit is a POF, single layer. The Walnut is 5mmX2mm... tough stuff to work.

I've done the double layer before (on my HMS Terror) and it is a lot more forgiving. Especially that first layer!

[LyleK1]

8 hours ago, TOM G said:

There might be something here for you,  as far as ageing the wood.        http://www.besttrains.com/vetero.html   

Thanks Tom... watching the videos now!

Looks a lot like the washes I use but in alcohol form... interesting stuff.

[LyleK1]

I thought I would note a few processes that I'm using for the final few planks.

Firstly, I have no room for clamps anymore. My experience with my previous build (Sea of Galilee boat) taught me to trust the CA glue a little more for certain circumstances... this is one of those!

I'm still using the wood glue along the seam between planks but because I cannot use clamps, I decided to try CA glue on the frames to hold the piece in place. Here is a picture of that process:

As shown, I've applied wood glue to the seam and a dot of CA glue on the frames. Works perfectly!

 

Now that I've reached the area that stealer and drop planks are needed, here is the process for shaping them.

Here is the location of a stealer plank:

I use a piece of tape and cover the area. Using a pencil, I trace the outline of the space onto the tape and attached the tape to a piece of Walnut:

And then cut the piece out with my X-acto knife:

After some sanding and shaping, I begin to work the areas that need a bit more attention:

Finally, glue the piece into place as described above.

A perfect fit!

 

Here is another glued into place using the same process:

 

I really thought I could finish everything below the wales today... but came up short.

As the old saying goes, "It ain't a hobby if you gotta hurry"!

Not much left... will finish the planking below the wales later this week.

Going to visit my dad next weekend and deliver his Sea of Galilee boat! Looking forward to that!

Next update comes when the planking is done!

 

[DaveBaxt]

4 hours ago, LyleK1 said:

Thanks Dave.

This particular kit is a POF, single layer. The Walnut is 5mmX2mm... tough stuff to work.

I've done the double layer before (on my HMS Terror) and it is a lot more forgiving. Especially that first layer!

Oh I see. 2 mm thick must be a nightmare. I have only worked with 1.5mm x 6 mm Walnut which was difficult but fortunately was another layer on top. Good luck with this and I look forward to seeing your progress. Thank you.

[LyleK1]

Planking to the wales, DONE!

I've got the first piece above the wales being shaped.

 

A ton of sanding to get started on. I noticed some teeny gaps in a few spots and decided to work on filling those up. I use a glue-sanding dust mixture. Glue can be used full strength or slightly watered down:

This actually turned out to be too thin and I ended up redoing a few spots but the process remains the same.

I use the paint brush to apply the mixture, ensuring it gets into the seam you want to fill. Let sit for about 3-5 minutes until tacky and using a piece of sandpaper, sand the area down. Here is a before and after shot, super close-up:

And another before and after:

 

Sometimes you'll need to use this method a couple times if the gap is a bit too wide to fill.

As can be seen in my super close-ups, rough sanding has begun... when I get tired of sanding, I'll do a few planks and so on!

It sure looks a lot rougher close-up!

More in a few days.

[LyleK1]

A nice little vacation and some other little projects are keeping me away from the Bounty... but Fall approaches!

I finished the planking on the port side:

 

I've done a lot of sanding but there is still a lot left. Still have a few seams that need some attention too.

I haven't finished the starboard side. It's just a few rows along the main deck and at the bow and stern.

Also need to start on some experiments with weathering/aging the hull along with a paint scheme.

I think I will follow the scheme taken from a couple of pictures that I've seen on a couple other build logs. Looks appropriate for the time period:

Below the waterline was copper sheathed. I don't plan to do that on this model. I will leave it as an aged and weathered walnut.

And finally, the question of using treenails or not... I've done a few experiments and am torn on whether to do them or avoid the "chickenpox" look. At this scale, they would be difficult to see and would be of similar color of the planks... Sounds like I'm talking myself out of them... Any thoughts??

More soon.

[DaveBaxt]

Keep up the good work and I will be interested to see how you achieve the weathering effects.

[Spellapeaka]

This really looks amazing! Thank you for making a build log. I am learning all kinds of tricks and tips from reading it!

[LyleK1]

20 minutes ago, Spellapeaka said:

This really looks amazing! Thank you for making a build log. I am learning all kinds of tricks and tips from reading it!

Glad you're finding some useful info!

Thanks for stopping in.

[LyleK1]

With the exception of the wales which will be installed after a whole lot of sanding, the planking is DONE!

 

I've already started the sanding and filling of some of the seams. There is still quite a bit left to do before installing the wales. 

I have done some experimenting with weathering and aging but nothing worth sharing yet!

Once the sanding is done, I'll begin that process along with my paint scheme.

Generally, I'm pleased with the planking results. And I was able to completely hide the wiring! I checked and all lanterns are functioning!

I'm off to Dallas on one of my last business trips! An update when more progress is completed!

[LyleK1]

The camera's on these phones are pretty damn good! I just previewed the pictures before posting below and I see I need to do some more sanding in spots... overall, the port side is done:

 

Little bit of work at the stern too (damn camera!)

In the meantime, I've begun experimenting hull finishes that I want for my aged/weathered look and I've settled on a process that I'll need to fine tune a bit but I like the affect:

 

I like it well enough to get some notes started on how much of the washes and water I used... The pictures above were taken after the top two strips were washed with a black wash that was watered down a bit... a more precise formula will be forthcoming! Additionally, after drying, I wiped it with a white vinegar and then lightly sanded it. Lastly, I wiped the area with Boiled Linseed oil (one coat) and lightly sanded it again.

 

I've put together another test strip to begin more detailed testing:

I've used two different glues on the planking (ran out of one!). So, I am setting up the test panel to see if there are any differences in how they react to the wash and vinegar... Titebond on the bottom half and Elmer's on the top half.

Results in a few days!

[LyleK1]

I have finished the sanding! I might fine tune a few spots but overall, it is done.

I have been experimenting on the treatment of the hull. I want a weathered or used look without getting too far from what a former naval vessel (with a Naval officer for a Captain) would look like given the type of wood in the kit.

As I have documented several time, Walnut is difficult to work and finishing is not going to be easy!

After several experiments with different types of finishes, the following two are the ones I narrowed it down to:

There isn't a lot of difference but in the top picture, the grain is a little more pronounced and it looks better to me.

Steps to achieve the color:

1. Brushed on a black wash to cover the entire area.

2. Waited approximately 3-4 minutes and wiped the area down.

3. Allowed to dry for 1 hour.

4. Coated the entire area with straight vinegar, wiping off the excess after about one minute and allow to dry overnight.

5. Lightly sand to desired shade.

6. Coat with Boiled Linseed Oil - I only put one on for my experiment. Normally, I do 3 coats.

 

On to some finish work. I don't like the "plywood look" of the exposed frames. I'm going line the exposed areas with walnut veneer:

A little light sand and it will look good!

 

I'm in the middle of a remodel on one of our bedrooms. So, I'm splitting time between that and the Bounty! Slow going right now!

 

[DaveBaxt]

Great look there Lyle and and interesting formula. Keep up the excelent work and I look forward to your progress. Well done! perhaps one day I will try a bit more of a weathered look. I definately like yours.

[LyleK1]

15 minutes ago, DaveBaxt said:

Great look there Lyle and and interesting formula. Keep up the excelent work and I look forward to your progress. Well done! perhaps one day I will try a bit more of a weathered look. I definately like yours.

Thanks Dave!

Appreciate the feedback.

[LyleK1]

Another week... some progress but not a lot... so many things going until my retirement date in just 2 and half months!

I finished up the veneer on frames to give the open side a more finished look... the plywood frames didn't look right.

I used contact cement to glue the pieces, it helped the veneer to conform to the shape of the frame:

 

I used a wood block to press each piece down and got a pretty good adhesion to all the pieces:

 

Some light sanding and removal of some excess glue and I have exactly what I was hoping!

I nice "finished" look:

 

I think I will age and weather it similar to the rest of the hull... that's for later!

On to the wales, that's next!

[TOM G]

Using the veneer put the icing on the cake ! 👍

[LyleK1]

Finished up a couple projects and am back at the Bounty!

I started installing the wales... straightforward and no problems, just some extra work at the bow & stern, as expected.

Still need to add a third row on the port side:

 

Also, laid out and attached the foot rails at the bow and started laying it down the port side:

 

Hoping to make some more progress over the weekend.

 

[LyleK1]

Got the wales completed, sanded and painted:

 

Also, painted the stem and keel. I haven't decided on the color for the keel post. In pictures I'm using, the rudder looks white but the keel post is not really shown. I think I'll stick to black just for aesthetics.

 

Ready to start on the deck rails and rub rails! 

[Tim Moore]

Really nice work on that walnut Lyle, and a great idea to veneer the ribs. Looks perfect. Going to be a great model of Bounty.

[LyleK1]

1 hour ago, Tim Moore said:

Really nice work on that walnut Lyle, and a great idea to veneer the ribs. Looks perfect. Going to be a great model of Bounty.

Thanks Tim.

I have your build log on speed dial! Doing a similar paint job, some differences but close!

[Tim Moore]

1 hour ago, LyleK1 said:

Thanks Tim.

I have your build log on speed dial! Doing a similar paint job, some differences but close!

Hi Lyle! Yes looks like you are doing the stem and keel black; I wish I had done that, in my case in the ebony stain like I did for the wales. The black will be a good contrast with your weathered oak.

[LyleK1]

The rub rails were pretty straight forward... had to soak the wood overnight to get the easiest bend at the bow. 

Once the they were glued in place, I started the deck rail posts:

Again, straightforward, no surprises... a little filing was needed in a few spots.

Prior to gluing I marked the height on each pieces to keep the elevation across all posts to match the hulls lines.

I glued in the first, middle and last piece. Once dried, I used a piece of planking to guide the placement of the remaining posts:

 

With posts in place, I cut pieces of mahogany to go in between each one:

And glued into place:

  

I don't care for the exposted posts... I have some veneer strips that can be added to finish the port side. Then off to the starboard side!

[LyleK1]

Midship timbers in place and the first few Samson posts in place.

 

I made the samson posts using my mini mill:

 

A bit slow but uniform looking pieces are the result:

 

Hindsight... I would've put them in the tumbler sander give them a less machined look.

[LyleK1]

The samson posts were bugging me... didn't like the machined look. So, I did a little filing and am much happier with the results:

 

All made by mini lathe and files, all glued into place:

 

The starboard side was completed in the same fashion and spacers were placed between each post and finally, a small rail to cap the work:

 

The midship timbers and the samson posts were given a coat of Danish oil to deepen the color:

 

The first layer of aft rails... painted first to avoid trying to mask off certain areas. I decided to cut the planks to the proper lengths for the cannon holes rather than cut the holes afterwards:

 

I'll finish the aft rails tomorrow and then begin painting the insides of them before install the cap rails.

Also, the piece that is a precut rail that sits on the deck against the transom is not even a close fit. It shouldn't be too difficult to make another one. The transom cap rail (precut too) may fit, it'll be close.

More soon!