Scud by TBlack - FINISHED - a gaff rigged sloop

[TBlack]

I was given this hull by my uncle and asked to turn it into a display model. It was clearly intended to be a sloop. But how long? I'm thinking a daysailer; just a

cockpit. Uncle wants a gaff rig. I have tried unsuccessfully to get these photos in the right order. Not my fault!

Tom

 

[Keith Black]

 Interesting project, TBlack. I look forward to seeing  your progress.

Edited December 13, 2020 by Keith Black

[TBlack]

The original deck on this model has lines scored its length to simulate decking. I'm going to replace that with individual planks, and I've got a piece of African Boxwood that I'd like to use. It has a yellowish cast to it, and is the non-distinct tight grain that is characteristic of boxwood.

[Jim Lad]

What a fascinating hull. I'm sure you'll be able to complete it into a very nice sloop.

 

John

[KeithAug]

Plenty of scope for your imagination Tom, should be fun.

[TBlack]

Dear John & Keith,

Thanks for your encouragement. Of course,I have no plans or photos to follow, so I’m just winging it! The first consideration is what scale is this thing!

Edited December 14, 2020 by TBlack

[TBlack]

I've made some executive decisions. The scale is going to be 1:32 (3/8" = 1'). The end product will loosely resemble a Bristol pilot cutter. Henry Ford once said, "Never complain; never explain". I shall follow that adage.

Anyway, I've been sanding. One side done:

Notice The detail at the bow; here's a close-up:

 

I don't know how to clean it up without damaging the artwork.

 

[KeithAug]

17 hours ago, TBlack said:

I don't know how to clean it up without damaging the artwork.

 

Hmmm! tricky Tom. Not sure it can be done. Best bet might be to carve it deeper and then sand. At least you already have a guide.

[Jim Lad]

I agree with Keith.  Your choices would seem to be:

leave the area alone,

destroy the decoration,

carve the decoration deeper to preserve it while sanding.

 

John

[TBlack]

Thanks John and Keith. I’m going to leave it alone.

[Keith Black]

Tom, you could hit it a couple of time with some #0000 steel wool, probably do more for you mentally than physically. Are you planning on painting or staining the hull? That might make a difference in how you treat the scroll work. Will the scroll work fill if you paint the hull and if you stain, will the area surrounding the scroll work take the stain the same as the rest of the hull? As far as not taking the stain the same it might make for a neat looking effect or vice versa. I've found that with stain I get one chance. 

[TBlack]

Keith (bro),

The client, my uncle, wants it left bright. So I'm just using varnish. As you can see from the photos in #7 above, there are dark places in the wood that are fully soaked in. I'm assuming there was some kind of treatment done to the wood by the original carver, I've tried with fine grit paper to remove the dark places aft....no luck unless I go really deep. Not willing to do that. The dark places are just going to have to stay (a little bit like life, in general!).

 

Hi Spyglass!

Thanks for checking in. Yes, I also think it was meant to be a small pond yacht, but never got beyond what you see here. That piece of metal isn't lead, but steel. Also, interestingly, the hull is out of one piece of wood. It's soft, maybe pine?

Tom

Edited December 21, 2020 by TBlack

[Keith Black]

Tom, Merry Christmas to you, yours and Stanly () and a Happy New Year.......Keith

[TBlack]

Having decided on the scale (1:32), and the type of boat (pilot cutter), I then discovered that the African Boxwood is brittle. On ripping the wood to make deck planks I found that small pieces would break off, making it impossible to get a straight edge. Putting the boxwood aside, I ordered up some yellow cedar from Chuck that has arrived. I found a couple of pilot cutter plans from Starik Hobbies in England, so I have a small hiatus while awaiting delivery.

I can do some of the deck planking in the meantime. I have option: planks that follow the line of the hull, or straight planks. I prefer the curved option, I think it looks more elegant, but all the pilot cutter I have researched have straight planks So that's settled.

Oh, and thanks Keith for the photos!

Tom

 

 

Edited December 30, 2020 by TBlack

[Jim Lad]

A wise decision to have straight planking on the deck; after all, pilot boats were work boats - nothing too fancy.

 

John

[KeithAug]

Tom, I quite like the way parallel planks notch in to the deck edge plank.

[TBlack]

9 minutes ago, KeithAug said:

Tom, I quite like the way parallel planks notch in to the deck edge plank.

Me too, if I do it right! I'm awaiting a deck plan from England before I tackle the planking. I need to know where the hatches and cockpit go.

In the meantime I've been setting up to construct a dinghy to sit on the deck.

[TBlack]

The plans arrived from England. They are of the Hilda and Marguerite. They have enabled me to lay out the cockpit and main hatch which then allows me to see where the deck planks don't go. Consequently, I've been able to lay the deck. The hull isn't quite symmetrical, but I've managed a passable presentation:

 

Edited January 29, 2021 by TBlack

[Keith Black]

 Tom. looks great!

[TBlack]

Thanks, dear bro!

[TBlack]

I've been working on the cockpit. And BTW, you'll notice that Michael Mott is building a Bristol Pilot Cutter. If you think mine is going to look like his,

sorry to disappoint but I can't hold a candle to his ability. Anyway, my cockpit has a grating for a floor. Here's the first cut:

I use the end grain which eliminates broken teeth. I also use a 1/32" end mill and a DRO that give me precise cuts. I needed to butt 2 of those to make the final product:

 

[michael mott]

2 hours ago, TBlack said:

I can't hold a candle to his ability

You know Tom I find that I drop Candles all the time!

What an interesting project, I am sure that you Uncle will be very happy with the model Cutter when you have finished. I like the yellow Cedar it has a nice mellow look and I love the smell of it.

Nice work on the floor grate.

 

Michael

[TBlack]

You know Tom I find that I drop Candles all the time!

 

Perhaps Michael, but thanks for electric lights, we don't need many candles.

Thanks, all, for the likes. Let's see if I can finish the cockpit with any elegance.

[Keith Black]

23 minutes ago, TBlack said:

Let's see if I can finish the cockpit with any elegance.

I have faith in you brother Tom. 

[TBlack]

Completed cockpit minus varnish. The delay is due to that quarter round moulding on the deck. 6 tries to get it to go round the corner.

And another thing, Ed Tosti and I have all the same tools (Preac saw, Sherline mill, Unimat SL1000), so why don't my models turn out looking like his?

[michael mott]

Hi Tom

The cockpit is coming along nicely. A long time ago (40 years at least) I needed to make a bent wood seat for a model of the bleriot monoplane. I tried soaking and bending bamboo and a variety of other woods but they kept breaking. Then I thought that if I could bend a strip of metal into the basic shaped a piece of 1/4 inch by 1/16 stainless I had on had did the job. The logic was that if I could bend the metal then a strip of thin veneer would bend as well. I used some birch veneer, and laminated about a dozen layers wrapping each one with a liberal coat of white glue. I let the lot sit for a week to cure.

I slipped the laminated wood off the metal and then sanded it to a round cross section.

 

Sorry I dont have any pictures of the bent piece when I was gluing it up but the results were better than I expected The veneers took on the appearance of the grain of the wood as if it were actually a bent piece of round. The caning was woven with a small needle it was made from strips of a beige Bally's plastic shoe bag. sort of like miniature raffia, I had to start over twice before I got the pattern correct.

 

I am sure that you could bend a bit of flat brass to the curve you need and then lay up some very thin veneers of mahogany or what ever wood you need to create a corner piece.

The straight pieces of corner round can be shaped on the edge of a wider strip then sliced off with the micro saw or a jewelers saw.

 

Michael

[TBlack]

Michael,

Thanks for sharing. I can't quite visualize how you slip the wood off the bent metal, but obviously you did. Also, that you can still put your finger on a 

photo that is 40 years old is remarkable.

Tom

[michael mott]

5 hours ago, TBlack said:

I can't quite visualize how you slip the wood off the bent metal,

Hi Tom tomorrow I will show a little experiment.

 

Michael

[michael mott]

Hi Tom

Here are a couple of pics of some 1/8th wide by .6mm maple strips glued up into a fairly tight curve with some carpenters glue wrapped on a bit of 1/32 brass strip for the former. When it has dried I will do some shaping. Obviously different woods are more or less able to bend through tight curves.

I wet the strips first with some water.

 

 

I have just used 5 strips which equal 3mm or approx 1/8th inch .

 

Michael

 

 

[TBlack]

OK, now I get it. But the real trick is the filing into round. Sounds tedious!

TB