Puzzles on bulkhead alignment - MSW 18th Century Armed Longboat (new builder!)

[Cousin Teapot]

I'll preface this by saying I am very new to ship modelling (this is my first attempt at a wooden ship, though I have plenty of woodworking experience as a furniture maker, FWIW).

 

The instructions state the bottom edge of the bulkhead should align with the laser-etched bearding line on the keel. The image in the instructions shows this pretty clearly. They also imply that the only correction needed may be to remove material from the bulkhead slot, in order to make it sit lower on the keel.

 

When I dry-fit the center bulkhead (numbered "0") into the keel, it sits a little less than 1/16" below the bearding line (still barely visible in the photos below). I have not removed any material from the bulkhead slot or it's corresponding spot on the keel, not even removed the laser scorch.

 

My questions are:

 

Is this okay, or am I going to run into issues later because the rest of the build assumes the bulkheads all register to the bearding line? The test piece of planking fits okay, not great. I could get a better fit with some cajoling of the edge of the plank that meets the keel, or maybe some plank-bending jujitsu (I've bent wood for furniture, but never planks).

 

If not, should I ask Model Expo for a new keel / bulkheads?

 

...Or, is there some other (easy) way to remedy this? One thought I had is to glue in material in the slot, but that seems prone to cause issues down the road. The other idea of mine was to glue the bulkhead in a little higher in the slot, but that seems like it would make its structural integrity questionable, esp. when it comes to faring the hull.

 

Finally, assuming there is no error in the laser-cut sheets, as my above discussion implies, any idea on what I could have done to cause this? I was very careful not to chamfer the edge of the keel (the "rabbet" cut) past the bearding line, and I have not removed any material from the slots, so I'm stumped as to what I may have done to produce this misalignment.

 

Assuming the photos show up in the order in which they were uploaded: The first photo below shows the bulkhead in question from the port side, facing forward (looking at the aft side of the bulkhead). The second shows the opposite view from the starboard side, facing aft (looking at the forward side of the bulkhead).

 

 

Edited January 2, 2021 by Cousin Teapot

[Blue Ensign]

I've just had a look back at my Pinnace build and the centre bulkhead didn't extend below the top rabbet line

Are the others ok? 

 

B.E.

 

 

[Cousin Teapot]

Ha! I knew someone would ask me that! It occured to me after I posted that I should have checked the others. I was so surprised at how "bad" the alignment was on the first one that I stopped there. The alignment on all the other bulkheads is dependent on bulkhead 0, so I figured there was no point in proceeding until I had this resolved. But, I will check them when I get home this evening. Thanks, B.E.!

 

[Chuck]

You havent faired the hull frames yet.   Once you do that they will be fine.   You will be removing more wood than you think.   Plus you may have beveled more than needed which doesnt matter all that much at all.   Just keep going.  Nothing worse than analysis paralysis!!!   I have seen many a newcomer suffer from this this.  Just get all those frames on and then fair them very carefully.

 

Chuck

[Cousin Teapot]

10 hours ago, Chuck said:

You havent faired the hull frames yet.   Once you do that they will be fine.  [...]  Just get all those frames on and then fair them very carefully.

 

Chuck

 

Thanks, Chuck! I'll do my best to get out of my own way.

[Cousin Teapot]

11 hours ago, Blue Ensign said:

I've just had a look back at my Pinnace build and the centre bulkhead didn't extend below the top rabbet line

Are the others ok? 

 

B.E.

 

 

 

It looks like all the other bulkheads register right to the bearding line, or are a touch high. I wonder why just the center #0 bulkhead is out of whack. Per Chuck's advise below, I'm just going to get it as close as I reasonably can and move on, I think. I might change my mind once I sit back at the bench with it though, and start agonizing over all the misery this misalignment will cause - crops failing, cities burning, children crying in the streets, etc. :)

[Blue Ensign]

Good advice from Chuck,  all you need to visualise is that the Garboard Plank will run along the bottom of the frames and into the rabbet.

One piece of advice I would offer to avoid all that agony is to glue some securing strips along the top of frames to hold them rigid before you start the fairing process. These things are quite delicate and will snap off in a heartbeat without it.

 

B.E.

[Ian SD]

I have the same issue, delayed start on build as not wanting to make mistake.  I am going to follow Chuck's advice and go at it....it will all work out in the end.... right! 🤔

[Ian SD]

Just wondering if it is within the realms of possibility to fair the hull frames before fixing them to the Keel, putting them up against the plan it does seem that a fairly good line could be followed.  Just asking!

[mtaylor]

8 minutes ago, Ian SD said:

Just wondering if it is within the realms of possibility to fair the hull frames before fixing them to the Keel, putting them up against the plan it does seem that a fairly good line could be followed.  Just asking!

Pre-fairing?   Yes, it's doable. However, pre-faring is ,more like roughing in than anything else.  They still need to be fixed in place so especially with kits and bulkheads it's just easier and better to fair after putting them in place.

[Ian SD]

 

thanks for the advice MTaylor for your advice, which I shall follow.