Albatros by Rach10199 - Mantua - 1:40

[Rach10199]

This is my first build log (please forgive me if it lacks pertinent info) for this ship kit, however, not my first build. I finished a little schooner years ago but cannot remember the brand nor year I purchased it (sorry). I can post some pics of it if anyone is interested. I started the Albatros about 6 years ago but then life happened and it had to be put into storage. I no longer have the box it came in but luckily I haven’t lost any of the parts. I don’t know much about this type of ship other than it was built around 1840 at the Baltimore shipyards. It was designed to defend the Atlantic coast with its speed and easy maneuverability.

 

The kit came with a false deck where the bulkhead frames of the hull do not come above the deck. The instructions had me plank the deck with individual planks before planking the hull. This is as far as I progressed. I didn’t place any caulking material between the planks and now I wish I had. I made tiny pinhole marks on the timber to resemble nail heads. At the time, I decided I wanted to distress the deck planking but now I’m rather regretting it. I’m guessing a wood stain would help conceal the damage? I haven’t applied any sealer to it yet thank goodness.

 

I would like to construct a better keel clamp before I move forward as the one I have now is quite awkward and unreliable. I’ve seen many tutorials for this so hopefully next time I post I will have something to show you. That’s all I have for you now, and please, any suggestions/advice will be appreciated by this amateur builder😄

 

~ Rachel

Edited January 8, 2021 by Rach10199

[Rach10199]

Update: I thought the box my kit came in was destroyed but I actually found it 😂

[Moltinmark]

I think the deck looks fine for a distressed look. Looks like a well worn deck. 

[Rach10199]

Yeah? I wouldn't know the best way to repair it anyway so maybe I'll just leave it. Thanks for the feedback 👍😄

[Moltinmark]

Take a look at the top of the main page in the gallery. There are some pics of a deck that I think will put your mind at ease!

Ever watch Bob Ross paint? His famous line is" there are only happy mistakes"  what you think is a mistake is actually a happy out come

[Rach10199]

Bob Ross👍 I'm thinking I'll just leave it as-is. Thanks Moltinmark 😄

[Rach10199]

I began the hull planking process. This is going to be interesting lol. My first build didn't require individual planks so I researched the heck outta this process. I found Chuck's videos on plank bending extremely informative.  I've actually begun making my own bending station similar to his. Admittedly I'm pretty excited about it! 

 

I also mentioned in my first log that I was going to make a better keel clamp. I found one on eBay similar, if not identical, to DocBlake's homemade clamp (which is brilliant btw) so that should arrive soon. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this clamp I purchased is from one of you guys 😄

 

A couple pics of the hull thus far:

[Moltinmark]

Looking good there Rachel!

[Rach10199]

Thanks MM!

[Rach10199]

Not having gained much progress on the hull planking, I’ve reached a kind of impasse. The kit came with balsa wood planks and though they are fairly bendable, they are fragile, as you know. I’ve ordered some walnut planks on the helpful advice of glbarlow but I’m not sure I’m patient enough to wait for their delivery! My dilemma is do I proceed with the balsa planks knowing this ship won’t be set to water or exposed to any damaging elements (i.e. small children, pets, etc.), or do I rein in my impulsivity and wait for the walnut planks in hopes they won’t give me too much difficulty in bending them? If I go with the walnut I will be compelled to remove the 6 planks of balsa I’ve already glued on so as to achieve a more uniform look/quality.  I’m going to let this percolate a bit..

 

[VTHokiEE]

Is this model single or double planked? I assume single based on your comments. Also are you planing to paint the hull or leave it natural? If you’re going to paint it then maybe continue, but if you have an inclination to leaving it natural you may want to see how the walnut looks to make a comparison. While you’re waiting there may be some things that sit on the deck that you can build?

[Moltinmark]

I would wait. Work on the deck furniture. Let it rest for a while til you get your wood

[Rach10199]

35 minutes ago, VTHokiEE said:

Is this model single or double planked?

It is single planked, and I was thinking I'd paint it. And yes, maybe I can work on something else in the meantime. My hands need to be busy 😂

[Rach10199]

23 minutes ago, Moltinmark said:

I would wait. Work on the deck furniture. Let it rest for a while til you get your wood

Seems balsa is not a favorite here lol. It does have its uses, albeit, maybe a poor choice for the hull on the manufacturer's part. Thank you for your input😊 

Edited January 11, 2021 by Rach10199
Spelling

[Moltinmark]

For me the hull planking was the most difficult. I would do a plank at a time each side. then work on something else to let the glue set up. Its just the nature of the beast and required me to take my time. I think I spent a week on just planking. 

[Rach10199]

I, too, do a plank at a time each side. I want to make sure they mirror each other before getting too far.

 

Also, I decided to bend a plank using Chuck's no-soak method. I only have a regular sized iron but remembered I had a small iron I used back in my quilting days. It's specifically designed to iron small areas on appliqué pieces for easier sewing. It worked like a dream! 

 

[Keithbrad80]

Your progress to this point looks great, and that little iron will probably be super helpful!

 

About balsa wood, as you have probably already figured out balsa is super flexible and not very strong. The reason this is an issue with this hobby is there are very difficult to work with and they leave a lot of little fibers behind when you sand them, resulting in a messy look. Even if painted this presents a problem because those little fibers that hang out will become visible in the paint and it might look weird. Your walnut planks should work great and look very nice! I would probably follow @Moltinmark advise and maybe work on some deck furniture until your planks get there!

 

Bradley

Edited January 12, 2021 by Keithbrad80

[Rach10199]

Hello Bradley! Yes, I think I will wait. I want this to turn out well😄 I’m sure I will find a use for the balsa in other areas (not just in ship building - I have other miniature projects). Thank you so much for the advice, I always welcome tips and suggestions ☺️

[Keithbrad80]

The balsa wood isn’t totally useless though! I use balsa to fill the bulkheads of some of my models, but because balsa is so easy to shape, I also use it to create molds for the ships boats. 

 

Bradley 

[Dr PR]

Rachel,

 

Good to see your post. Your Mantua kit is very different from the 1980s Mantua kit I am building!

[Rach10199]

Hi Phil,

 

Isn’t that interesting? Perhaps your model is a more advanced skill level? Mine is a level 2 I think.

[GuntherMT]

On 1/10/2021 at 1:04 PM, Rach10199 said:

I began the hull planking process.

 

Hi Rachel,

 

Welcome to model ship building, it's a wonderful hobby and I hope you really enjoy it!

 

I always hate to be the bringer of bad news, but I'm looking at your pictures, and it doesn't look like you have faired the bulkheads nearly enough to be ready to plank yet.  The goal of fairing the bulkheads (or frames) is to have them beveled at an angle that when a plank crosses the bulkhead it lays flat across the entire face of the bulkhead.  That means that they should be sanded to allow a smooth plank flow across every single bulkhead that is crossed.

 

From your pictures, your forward bulkheads are barely sanded at all, which means that if you look at the planks as they cross the bulkhead, they are just touching a corner of the bulkhead and there is almost no area for wood to wood contact which is where the glued up strength will be.

 

Another thing this will do is cause the hull at both ends to be too 'fat' at either end where not enough wood was removed from the bulkheads to allow the planking to lay nicely across it.

 

I hope my description makes sense.  I'll attach a photo of the fairing at the front of a different model showing what I mean - you can barely see any laser char remaining on the bulkheads because they are sanded down to make a nice smooth surface for the planks.

 

 

 

This is one of the most important parts of getting your hull shape right, and therefore your planking to lay properly and look good, is the preparation of the bulkheads by fairing, and it's very common for new builders to shortcut this step and really regret it later on.

 

Let me know when you have seen this and I'll remove the photo that doesn't belong in your build log.  

 

Also let me know if you have questions and I'll do my best to answer them if someone else doesn't beat me to it.

 

 

Edited January 12, 2021 by GuntherMT
Removed picture.

[JerryC]

Then, there’s the missing rabbet. I don’t have a suggestion about how to add one at this point so I’ll leave that for the more experienced members.

[Rach10199]

9 hours ago, GuntherMT said:

This is one of the most important parts of getting your hull shape

Hi Gunther! You are absolutely correct about that fairing. I thought I had sanded enough. I am going to be removing the few planks I have there anyway so I will sand more for sure. I appreciate your feedback so much 👍 Hard to know how much sanding is too much lol.

[Rach10199]

9 hours ago, JerryC said:

Then, there’s the missing rabbet. I don’t have a suggestion about how to add one at this point so I’ll leave that for the more experienced members.

Hi Jerry, 

 

I don't see a rabbet with this kit. I figured it wasn't necessary since it was not included. Is that normal? I'm sure I can make one. Thoughts?

Edited January 12, 2021 by Rach10199

[Rach10199]

11 hours ago, GuntherMT said:

Let me know when you have seen this and I'll remove the photo

And thank you for the photo 👍

[GuntherMT]

1 hour ago, Rach10199 said:

Hi Gunther! You are absolutely correct about that fairing. I thought I had sanded enough. I am going to be removing the few planks I have there anyway so I will sand more for sure. I appreciate your feedback so much 👍 Hard to know how much sanding is too much lol.

 

The best way to know if you have sanded enough is to hold a plank along the bulkheads and look at how the plank lays against the bulkhead.  You are aiming for having the plank smoothly run from one bulkhead to the next while making contact along the entire edge of the bulkhead.  You want the plank to run smoothly all the way from the stern to the bow without any dips or bumps, while making maximum contact with the bulkheads.  Hope that makes sense.  

 

47 minutes ago, Rach10199 said:

Hi Jerry, 

 

I don't see a rabbet with this kit. I figured it wasn't necessary since it was not included. Is that normal? I'm sure I can make one. Thoughts?

 

On the rabbet, read ahead in the kit instructions.  Is there going to be a 'keel' of some kind placed along the bottom of the false keel that the bulkheads are attached to, or will the planking end above the bottom of the false keel and the false keel will 'be' the keel?

 

It's really hard to say from looking in without the instructions and pictures of what this kit looks like when finished, and it's not a kit I am familiar with myself.  Different kits handle rabbets/keels in different ways.

[GuntherMT]

I found a PDF version of the Albatross instruction manual and it's honestly not much help... haha.. 

Do the plans show a 'bearding line' - often a dotted line that is below the ends of the bulkheads but above the bottom of the false keel?  If so, that is your guideline for the bottom edge of the rabbet.  The depth of the rabbet would be the thickness of the planking (if double-planked then both layers combined).  The rabbet would be cut with a chisel or hobby knife or even sanded (slow), but would start at the bearding line at the full plank depth and then lessen in depth smoothly as it reaches the bottom of the bulkheads.  This means that in some areas like the bottom/stern the rabbet is a very long shallow angle while where the bulkheads are very close to the bearding line it's much more of a steep cut.

[Rach10199]

Yes that makes perfect sense, and it looks like the false keel is the keel. 

[GuntherMT]

1 minute ago, Rach10199 said:

Yes that makes perfect sense, and it looks like the false keel is the keel. 

 

On that type of design, the best way to do it (too late now unfortunately) is to trace  the bearding line from the full-sized plan sheet onto a piece of tracing paper, and use that to transfer the bearding line directly onto both sides of the false keel.  You can then cut a full depth rabbet running along that line prior to attaching the bulkheads, and then after the bulkheads are placed you can make the cut from the full depth rabbet up to the bottom edges of the bulkheads.

Since you are past the point to do it that way it will be a bit more difficult, but you can still follow the same process, you'll just have to do it with the bulkheads kind of making it more difficult.  Certainly still doable with some good sharp tools and patience.  Don't try to get it all in one pass, just take a little bit off at a time and check the depth between each pass.